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Biographies

Véronique Bouchet Director, Science and Innovation, World Meteorological Organization Dr. Véronique Bouchet is the Senior Director for Science and Innovation at the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) where she oversees the World Weather research Programme, The Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW), the World Climate Research Programme jointly with and WMO Education and Training division. Prior to her appointment, Dr Bouchet served on several international committees, most recently as chair of a Task Team on AI for Numerical Weather Prediction and is continuing to lead on AI within WMO.
Quentin Brot Captain, National Training School for Fire Service (ENSOSP) Quentin Brot is a professional firefighter officer with a background in Philosophy teaching. Experienced in operational and strategic roles, particularly in innovation. Founder of the Civil Security AI Lab, a key entity driving France’s strategy in AI for civil security. Trilingual, passionate about knowledge sharing and foresight, dedicated to improving civil safety through advanced technologies and strategic planning.
Hans Das Deputy Director-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), European Commission Since February 2024, Hans Das is the Deputy Director-General and Chief Operations Officer of the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) of the European Commission. Before that, he was Director for Emergency Management and rescEU, where he oversaw the EU operations coordinated by the European Emergency Response Coordination Centre and the development of a strategic reserve of response capacities called rescEU. Hans joined the European Commission in 2004. In May 2010, he was appointed Head of DG ECHO's Emergency Response Unit, where he coordinated the EU’s response to various natural and man-made disasters in the world. In March 2012, he was appointed Head of the Civil Protection Policy Unit. After that, between October 2016 and November 2020, Hans headed the unit dealing with terrorism and radicalisation in DG HOME.Hans holds a Ph.D. degree in public international law and started his career at Leuven University. From 1997 to 1999, he was Head of the Legal Department of the International Commission for Real Property Claims of Refugees and Displaced persons (CRPC), established by the Dayton Peace Agreement, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Afterwards, he served as a consultant on post-war property restitution issues to the UN in Kosovo (1999-2000). Kilian Gross Director, Enabling and Emerging Technologies, European Commission Kilian Gross is Director for Enabling and Emerging Technologies in DG CNECT (Directorate C). In this function he oversees the Euro HPC initiative aiming to develop a World Class Su-percomputing Ecosystem in Europe. In addition, Kilian Gross is responsible for the implemen-tation of the Quantum Strategy and the preparation of the future Quantum Act. His team im-plements the European Chips Act and prepares for its revision. Finally, it manages the EU ac-tivities regarding emerging and disruptive technologies.Before Kilian Gross was Deputy Director of the AI Office and Head of Unit for CNECT A/2 Artificial Intelligence – Regulation and Compliance. He drafted with his team the proposal for the AI Act, followed the legislative negotiations until its adoption and started its implementa-tion. In addition to his work on AI, Kilian Gross led the legal team, which prepared and nego-tiated the proposal for a European Chips Act. Beforehand since November 2015 Kilian Gross was a member of the Cabinet of Commission-er Oettinger. Within the Cabinet, he was mainly responsible for the Commission anti-fraud policy, DG HR and at an earlier stage for various digital files. Kilian Gross has started his ca-reer in the Commission in the Legal Service followed by five years as Deputy and Acting Head of Unit in DG ENER where he worked on energy policy and on legal matters.Kilian Gross is German lawyer by training with a strong focus on European law.
Fumiko Nohara Senior Expert for Emergencies and Postal Resilience, Universal Postal Union (UPU) Fumiko Nohara is the Senior Expert for Emergencies and Postal Resilience at the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a specialized agency of the United Nations. She brings a wealth of experience from various sectors, particularly from her extensive experience at the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC). During her time at MIC, she was deeply involved in trade negotiations and project management, including several initiatives improving the IT and communication status in Japan. Ms. Nohara possesses extensive knowledge of the IT sector, including artificial intelligence (AI).In addition to her technical expertise, Ms. Nohara has significant diplomatic experience, having held positions in Jordan and Switzerland. In her current role at the UPU, she is actively engaged in disaster risk management for the postal sector. Since 2025, she has also served as the Japan Fund Manager, focusing on preparedness and post-disaster assistance, a growing area of importance within the UPU.Looking ahead, Ms. Nohara aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of disaster management activities in the postal sector, a field that is both labor-intensive and transport-intensive, by leveraging new technologies such as AI.
Lukas Liesenhoff Team Lead Data Science, OroraTech Lukas Liesenhoff leads the data science team at OroraTech, a Munich-based new space company building thermal satellites for better wildfire detection and response. The data science team works primarily on on-orbit fire detection, fire spread and fire risk algorithms. Lukas holds a PhD in machine learning for geospatial data from the Technical University of Munich and an M.Sc. in Data Science from the University of Oxford. In the past, he worked for the World Bank, the German Aerospace Center and Planet Labs and was a visiting researcher at the World Food Programme. His work and research is centered around better disaster response and food security from geospatial data with AI.
Erwan Marteil Head of Unit for Prevention and Preparedness Capacity Building, European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), European Commission Erwan Marteil is the Head of Unit for DG ECHO B3 – Prevention and Preparedness Capacity Building. After studying in Paris (political sciences in Sciences Po, Development and Economic Law at the Sorbonne), he began his career in the European Commission in 1996. Following a period in Brussels with DG Environment, then DG Competition, he has spent 11 years of his career abroad – in Afghanistan, Turkey and in Geneva (migration and refugee counsellor).
Monique Kuglitsch Chair, Global Initiative on Resilience to Natural Hazards through AI Solutions Dr. Monique Kuglitsch is the Innovation Manager at Fraunhofer HHI and Chair of the newly established ITU/WMO/UNEPO/UNFCCC/UPU Global Initiative on Resilience to Natural Hazards through AI Solutions (the successor to the ITU/WMO/UNEP Focus Group on AI for Natural Disaster Management). In her past role at the American Meteorological Society, M. Kuglitsch was the Lead Technical Editor for several journals (including the Journal of Hydrometeorology and Journal of Physical Oceanography) and the Senior International Outreach/Communications Specialist. As a researcher, M. Kuglitsch has investigated past climate change, extreme weather events, and regional climate model projections. M. Kuglitsch has experience in fluvial and limnological field work, geochemical laboratory methods, applied mathematics and statistics, and climate change.
Celeste Saulo Secretary General, World Meteorological Organization Professor Dr. Celeste Saulo, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is a globally renowned meteorologist and the first woman and Latin American to serve as Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). She has a distinguished academic and professional career, having earned a degree in Meteorology from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) in 1987 and a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences in 1996. With a passion for the co-production of knowledge and a commitment to addressing societal needs, Dr. Saulo has held several leadership positions in academia and public service. She was appointed Director of Argentina's National Meteorological Service (SMN) in 2014, where she led significant organizational reforms. Her tenure focused on fostering national, regional, and international collaboration, with an emphasis on inclusivity and equity. Dr. Saulo has made substantial contributions to meteorological science, authoring over 60 peer-reviewed papers and serving as principal investigator for numerous research projects. She has been an active participant in international scientific panels, including the World Weather Research Program (WWRP) and the World Climate Research Program (WCRP).In 2018, Dr. Saulo was elected Second Vice-President of the WMO, followed by her election as First Vice-President in 2019. In 2023, she was elected as WMO's Secretary General for the 2024–2027 term. Her achievements have been recognized through numerous awards, including the Konex Award and honorary membership in the American Meteorological Society.
Tiago Quintino Head of Development Section, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Dr. Tiago Quintino is the Head of Development at ECMWF, leading the delivery of high-throughput software infrastructure critical to the Centre’s operational forecasting capabilities, from observation acquisition to product dissemination. His work supports the European Commission’s Destination Earth initiative by developing cloud-native services that bridge High-Performance Computing with AI/ML applications and end-users. Spanning over 25 years in Aerospace and Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP), Dr. Quintino’s career currently focuses on optimising massive NWP data workflows to enable the convergence of HPC and machine learning towards Exascale computing.
Soichiro Yasukawa Chief of the Disaster Risk Reduction Unit, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Soichiro Yasukawa is a seasoned expert in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and International Development. With a strong background in implementing the Sendai Framework for DRR, he played a vital role in the Japanese government''s response to the 2011 earthquake. Soichiro has extensive experience in policy implementation for earthquake safety, both in Japan and abroad.In International Development, Soichiro excelled in supervising projects on DRR and Built Environments, securing funds from various sources. His expertise as a JICA expert contributed to formulating projects and introducing best practices. In Infrastructure Management for Urban Development, he showcased project management skills from evaluation to maintenance, along with a deep understanding of technical and policy regulations.As of January 2022, Soichiro is the Chief of the Disaster Risk Reduction Unit at UNESCO, coordinating efforts across different sectors to enhance global knowledge on disaster risk reduction. His responsibilities include areas such as Early Warning Systems, Technology and Innovation, School Safety, Cultural Heritage Resilience, Built Environment Safety, Nature-based Solutions, Risk Governance, and Post-disaster Response. Prior to his current role, Soichiro served as a Programme Specialist at UNESCO from 2011 to 2021, focusing on the Sendai Framework for DRR. His career also includes key positions in the Japanese government, where he analyzed regional conditions and formulated strategies for sustainable growth. Soichiro''s expertise extends to supporting local governments in mitigating natural disasters through effective infrastructure investment plans.Overall, Soichiro Yasukawa''s career highlights his significant contributions to disaster management, international development, and urban infrastructure.