HLS – Meet the speakers – Internal

Date of Birth: September 27, 1959, born in Kyoto Prefecture.

Elected three times to the House of Councilors via proportional representation.

• Mar. 1983 – Graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law


• Apr. 1983 – Joined Sumitomo Corporation


• Jan. 1992 – Acquired qualification as an attorney in New York


• Sept. 2000 – Joined the SATO Shinji Office


• Nov. 2003 – Appointed as Secretary to SATO Shinji, a member of the House of Representatives


• Dec. 2004 – Served as counsel at the Foreign Law Office of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP


• Apr. 2008 – Appointed as a part-time lecturer at Nihon University Law School


• Apr. 2014 – Specially appointed research fellow at the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, the University of Tokyo


• Dec. 2014 – First elected to the House of Councilors in the 22nd general election


• Jul. 2016 – Elected to the House of Councilors in the 24th general election


• Aug. 2016 – Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Liberal Democratic Party


• Oct. 2018 – Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Parliamentary Vice-Minister for the Cabinet Office (in the 4th Reshuffled Abe Cabinet)


• Sept. 2020 – Advisor to the Prime Minister on Economic and Foreign Affairs (in the Suga Cabinet)


• Jul. 2022 – Elected to the House of Councilors in the 26th general election


• Oct. 2022 – Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in the House of Councilors


• Jan. 2024 – Chairman of the Cabinet Committee in the House of Councilors


• Nov. 2024 – State Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications (in the 2nd Ishiba Cabinet)

His Excellency, Haitham Alohaly, was appointed Vice Minister of the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology (MCIT) in 2018. Prior to his appointment, the Vice Minister held a number of senior management positions with Cisco Saudi Arabia, finishing his time with the organisation as Managing Director.

While Managing Director for Cisco Saudi Arabia, His Excellency managed both public and private sector partnerships, playing an active role in client digital transformation journeys. In this role, His Excellency assisted clients from across the Government, Healthcare, Education, and National Security & Defense sectors. His Excellency was also a long-time member of Cisco Saudi Arabia’s CSR board.

Prior to joining Cisco in 2006, His Excellency was Deputy GM for the ECDL foundation in Saudi (2003-2006), where he focused on the education sector and helped establish an IT literacy program.

His Excellency holds a bachelor’s degree in Electric Engineering from Seattle University.

Hon. William Kabogo Gitau is a visionary Kenyan leader, entrepreneur, and experienced public administrator with a strong track record in governance and economic transformation.

He served as the first Governor of Kiambu County (2013–2017) and as Member of Parliament for Juja Constituency (2002–2013), where he spearheaded development initiatives across infrastructure, healthcare, education, and digital access.

As Governor, Hon. Kabogo implemented groundbreaking reforms that led to a 225% increase in county revenue—growing from KES 800 million to KES 2.6 billion through automation and enhanced transparency in public finance.

He launched digital inclusion programs such as the Kiambu WiFi initiative, expanded urban infrastructure, and strengthened healthcare systems with modern equipment and emergency response capabilities.

He is also a successful entrepreneur with investments in logistics, real estate, retail, and shipping, and a strong advocate for youth empowerment and sustainable development.

Hon. Kabogo holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance from Punjab University, India.

He continues to be a prominent voice on digital transformation, inclusive growth, and innovative governance across Africa.

H.E. Mr. ZHANG Yunming, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China, takes charge of the development, regulation and security of information and communication industry.

Mr. ZHANG, a researcher-level senior engineer, holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s degree in public administration.

Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar is a graduate of Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad, India. He ranked 27th out of 60,000 students who took the EAMCET medical school entrance examination, one of the most competitive examinations in the country. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania, and obtained the highest percentile scores in most board examinations. During his postgraduate training, he represented the state of Pennsylvania in a national medical knowledge competition for 2 years. He then worked at Johns Hopkins University – Sinai Hospital for about 5 years as an attending physician, teaching residents and medical students.

He is also the founder of UWord, an online learning platform for high stakes competitive exams in the US. In 2020, he won the Ernst and Young Award of “Entrepreneur of the Year” in the US. Also, he is a member of Forbes Business Council.

Dr. Pemmasani has worked in a free medical clinic providing care to uninsured/underinsured patients in the Indian community of Dallas. In India, he helped provide free and clean water to residents of the Palnadu in the Guntur district, for over 10 years, and donated land for a community hall in his father’s village. He has also provided educational funding to a number of children and adults besides giving charitable donations to local community organizations. In addition, through the CSR and foundation activities, he continues the philanthropic activities focusing on education, global crisis, and service basic needs.

Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar joined Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in year 2013 to serve the common people. He has been elected as Member of Parliament from Guntur Lok Sabha constituency in 2024. For more details, pl visit website www.drpemmasani.com

The Honorable Michael B. Halkitis was born in Nassau, Bahamas. He attended St Augustine’s College and began his post-secondary education at the College of the Bahamas, now University of The Bahamas and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of Western Ontario. Mr. Halkitis qualified as a Chartered Financial Analyst in 1995.

Mr. Halkitis was first elected to The Parliament of The Bahamas in 2002 and again in 2012. He currently serves as Minister of Economic Affairs and Leader of Government Business in The Senate.

His portfolio responsibilities include Promotion of Financial Services, Small Business Development, Ease of Doing Business, Consumer Protection and International Trade.

Currently, he oversees the nation’s trade, financial services industry, aims to improve our country’s ease of doing business, and directs our country’s digitization efforts.

President of the Communications Regulatory Authority, State of Qatar
Chair-designate, ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (PP-26)

Appointed in October 2023, Engineer Ahmad Abdulla AlMuslemani leads the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) in Qatar, bringing over 18 years of expertise in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector to steer regulatory policies and digital infrastructure development. His leadership at CRA strategically aligns Qatar’s digital transformation with the Third National Development Strategy and Digital Agenda 2030.

Before assuming his current role, Engineer Ahmad Abdulla AlMuslemani served as the Chief Executive Officer of MEEZA, a leading Qatari company in the Information Technology sector. Under his leadership, MEEZA experienced substantial growth in revenue and profits, and solidified its status as a premier provider of data centers and managed IT services across the Middle East and North Africa region. AlMuslemani led several strategic initiatives that significantly improved the company’s operational and departmental functions, including sales, marketing, and finance. He played a pivotal role in transitioning MEEZA from a private entity into a publicly traded company on the Qatar Stock Exchange, thereby expanding its market presence and enhancing the quality of its services. This transition marked a significant milestone in the company’s evolution and highlighted AlMuslemani’s exceptional ability to drive corporate growth and transformation initiatives effectively.

Prior to his tenure at MEEZA, AlMuslemani worked at the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, as well as Qatar National Broadband Network (QNBN), where he managed commercial operations. He directed teams responsible for Sales, Account Management, Business Development, and Product Development, contributing to the company’s service expansion and growth within the local market.

AlMuslemani’s educational background has greatly enhanced his ability to lead major projects in big data, the Internet of Things, and cloud computing. He has also played a key role in developing 5G networks, which improve high-speed and reliable telecommunications in Qatar. He holds a Master’s degree in Communication Systems from the Swiss Institute of Technology, a Master’s in Management from HEC Paris in Qatar, and a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Ohio State University, USA.

His contributions extend beyond the CRA, both locally and internationally. AlMuslemani serves on the boards of the Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZA) and the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), where he plays a pivotal role in fostering cross-regulatory collaboration and promoting Qatar’s economic diversification. In 2024, he was selected as Chair-designate for ITU-PP26, entrusted with guiding international deliberations to advance the ITU’s mission of connecting the world in a meaningful and sustainable manner. This role reflects Qatar’s commitment to inclusive digital development and to strengthening global cooperation in the ICT field.

Mr. ‘Akau’ola was recently appointed to the CEO for MEIDECC, effective on the 7^th September 2023. He is responsible to the Minister for Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications and the Public Service Commission for implementing government policies and decisions, for managing the administrative; operational; and broader functions and activities of the Ministries, and for developing and leading programs to continually improve the effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery outcomes; To comply with the Accountability and Functions of CEOs as outlined in Sections 13A and 13B of the Public Service Act 2010 (as amended).

Prior to becoming the CEO for MEIDECC, he was the CEO for the Ministry of Public Enterprises for over 8 years, Deputy CEO for Public Enterprises for 2 years, and have worked up his careers in many top executive positions within government such as: – the Director of Corporate Services for the Ministry of Infrastructure, Acting CEO for the Ministry of Transport, Acting CEO for Public Service Commission, Acting CEO for the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Acting CEO for Marine & Ports, and Deputy Secretary for the Ministry for Marine and Ports.

Mr. ‘Akau’ola was also engaged in other professional activities such as Consultancy to the Pacific Aviation Safety Office, Port Vila, Vanuatu, and was also Project Co-ordinator on Oil Spill Cleaning Project for the Ministry of Marine and Ports, Tonga. He was also a Technical Advisor for the Community and Youth Development groups.

He also led the implementation of the Organizational and System changes in the consolidation process of the Ministry of Transport and later to the Ministry of Infrastructure.

Mr. ‘Akau’ola has attained a BA in Economics, Public Administration and Management (1999); and a MA in Business Administration (2023) from the University of the South Pacific. He also attended special trainings in the business reform and transport sector such as – Good Governance and Privatization (Singapore Context); Business Continuity Plan; Audit Techniques for Lead Auditors (Civil Aviation); Chief Aircraft Accident Investigation; International Maritime Conventions and Ship Safety Inspection; Marine Environmental Conversation; Ocean Governance (Policy, Law, and Management); Maritime Accident Investigation; Maritime Security Auditors; Advanced Maritime Administrator (Flag State Implementation); Comprehensive Hazard and Risk Management; etc.

Mário Augusto da Silva Oliveira, born on April 6, 1964, is Angolan, graduated in Telecommunications Engineering.
He had a long career in the Sonangol Group, having started at Sonair as a technician in 1991 and then held several positions at MSTelcom as Commercial Director in 2006, Operations Director in 2009, Engineering Director in 2012 and member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors.

He was Vice-President of the Angolan Handball Federation, President of Zone 6 SADC of the African Handball Confederation, member of the Executive Committee of the African Handball Confederation and member of the Angolan Olympic Committee. He has completed several technical, management and leadership training courses in Angola and Europe, and has participated in several international trade fairs, workshops and work visits in the telecommunications sector. He is fluent in English and Spanish.

His career in the Government began in October 2017 with his appointment as Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Information Technologies and he currently serves as Minister of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication.

Dr.Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck currently serves as the chairman of National Broadcasting & Telecommunications Commissioner of Thailand.

He has a strong background as a cardiologist in Academic Medicine.

His most recent post was the deputy dean at Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University.

Sarana was born and raised in Bangkok. He went to Assumption College for secondary school. He got his medical degree from Chulalongkorn University. After medical school he enrolled in the Residency Training in Internal Medicine at LA county/USC medical center and Fellowship in Cardiology at Kaiser Parmanente Hospital, both of which were in Los Angles. He got additional years of training in interventional cardiology at the Hospital of the Good Samaritan Los Angeles.

He returned to Thailand in 1993 and has established cardiac intervention services at Ramathibodi Hospital where he has worked until April 2022. He has a passion in teaching medicine and challenging young physicians, from students to fellows, is part of his art. He worked his way up in Academia and proudly received his Clinical Professorship in 2018.

Apart from medicine and cardiology he was selected to enact new and revise old laws at the National legislative Assembly. Because of his experience in Science, Legislation and in consumer protection such as medical device suitability and his study work on hospital expenses he was picked by the selection committee to be NBTC commissioner and later received the royal endorsement to be NBTC Chair

Meutya Viada Hafid, B.Eng., M.IP., is a distinguished Indonesian public figure whose career spans engineering, journalism, and politics. Born in Bandung on May 3, 1978, Meutya has demonstrated a commitment to national service and communication throughout her multifaceted professional journey.

She began her academic pursuits with a Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Driven by a keen interest in public affairs and governance, she furthered her studies by earning a Master’s degree in Political Science from Universitas Indonesia, graduating with honors (Cum Laude).

Meutya’s early career in media laid a solid foundation for her role in public communication. Between 1998 and 2001, she worked as a PR announcer for Radio Suara Indonesia in Sydney. Upon returning to Indonesia, she became a journalist for Metro TV from 2001 to 2008, covering critical international and national events solidifying her reputation as a brave and dedicated reporter.

Meutya has held numerous influential positions. She has been a Member of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) since 2010, serving through several legislative periods. Her leadership roles include Vice Chair of Commission XI and Commission I, Vice Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Body (BKSAP), and ultimately Chair of Commission I from 2019 to 2024. In 2024, she was appointed Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, further cementing her role in shaping the nation’s digital transformation and public discourse.

Throughout her career, Meutya has received multiple awards recognizing her courage, journalistic excellence, and contributions to public service. These include the 2024 “Alumni of the Year” award from the Australian Government, the 2023 National Broadcasting Literacy Figure award, and earlier distinctions such as the Elizabeth O’Neill Journalism Award, Women of Courage (Singapore Caucus), and several accolades for her role in media and democracy advocacy.

Fahmi Fadzil is a Malaysian leader of the new generation who is currently the Minister of Communications. He is serving his second term as a Member of Parliament for the Lembah Pantai constituency. Born in 1981, Fahmi graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering (BSChE) from Purdue University in Indiana, USA.

Upon assuming his new role in the Ministry, he faced challenges such as addressing internet coverage issues in rural areas and overseeing the implementation of the 5G network in Malaysia. Additionally, he played a key role in the transition from a Single Wholesale Network to a Dual Network approach for the 5G rollout.

In addition to telecommunications, the Ministry is responsible for postal services, broadcasting, media, and the creative industry. As Communications Minister, Fahmi’s work also focuses on improving media ethics, protecting press freedom, and addressing the welfare of media practitioners, re­ecting his strong commitment to the media industry.

In February 2025, the Malaysian Media Council Bill, championed by Fahmi, was approved by the lower house of Parliament, marking a signi‑cant milestone in the country’s media governance.

Fahmi played a pivotal role in the installation of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim as the 17th King of Malaysia. In his capacity as Chairman of the Special Committee for the King’s Installation Events, Fahmi was instrumental in organising and overseeing the ceremonies associated with the King’s ascension. In March 2025, he was conferred the Darjah Kebesaran Panglima Mahkota Wilayah (Commander of The Order of The Territorial Crown), which carries the title “Datuk.”

Fahmi also serves as the government spokesperson.

Before entering politics, he was an award-winning theatre practitioner and writer.

2024 till date, Director General Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority
2022 till 2024, Regional Director Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Lahore
2019 till 2021, Director Coordination PEMRA
2017 till 2019, Regional General Manager PEMRA
2009 till 2017, Deputy General Manager PEMRA
2002 till 2009, General Secretary Ameer Begum WelfareTrust

Dr. Chris Baryomunsi is Uganda’s Minister of ICT and National Guidance and a passionate advocate for inclusive digital transformation. He is at the forefront of implementing Uganda’s Digital Vision, championing policies that ensure universal, meaningful, and affordable connectivity to accelerate socio-economic development and close the digital divide.

With a multidisciplinary background as a medical doctor, public health expert, and demographer, Dr. Baryomunsi brings a people-centered lens to ICT policymaking – prioritizing accessibility, digital inclusion, and the ethical use of technology. He has spearheaded initiatives that expand broadband access, support rural connectivity, empower youth through digital skilling, and strengthen the resilience of national ICT infrastructure.

Under his leadership, Uganda continues to position ICT as a strategic enabler for inclusive growth, sustainable development, and regional digital integration. He has also served in ministerial roles in Health and Housing, consistently linking technology to essential services.

Dr. Baryomunsi holds a PhD in Public Health and advanced degrees in Demography and HIV/AIDS Management. With prior experience in academia and international development organizations including UNFPA and GTZ, he combines technical expertise with a global development perspective.

As a Member of Parliament since 2006, Dr. Baryomunsi remains committed to harnessing ICT for inclusive governance and meaningful participation in the digital age.

His voice continues to shape regional and global dialogue on leveraging connectivity for a sustainable digital future.

Deputy Minister, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of Türkiye

Born in İstanbul in the year 1977, Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan received his Bachelor degree from the Electronics Engineering Department of Istanbul University Faculty of Engineering; Faculty of Law of Bahçeşehir University and Diplomatic Studies of Oxford University – St Antony’s School. He completed his Master’s Degree at Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Communications Engineering Department of Technical University of Munich and at Biomedical Engineering Department of İstanbul University Institute of Science and Technology. He also received his PhD on Biomedical Engineering at the İstanbul University Institute of Science and Technology.

He started his career in İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality in 1995 and worked in private companies in Türkiye, Germany and USA in the fields of chip manufacturing, cell phone design and R&D. He carried out studies in entrepreneurship by working under the initiative of Silicon Valley and he gave lectures on Information Law and New Trends in Informatics in many universities in Türkiye and Germany.

Dr. Sayan has given many lectures in conferences about research subjects and he has many articles published in scientific journals.

Having worked as Advisor to the Prime Minister and Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister between the years of 2007 and 2014, he was appointed as the Member of the Board of the Information and Communications Technologies Authority (BTK) in January 2014. He worked as the Chairman of the Board & President of BTK between August 2015 and July 2018. Dr. Sayan has been the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure since 21 July 2018. He has been re-appointed for a second term on 22 June 2023. He is responsible for the activities of the Directorate General of Communications, Directorate General of European Union and Foreign Relations, Informatics Department and Transport, Maritime and Communications Research Centre in the Ministry. Additionally, the activities of Information and Communications Technologies Authority-BTK and Türksat Inc. are also within his responsibility. Dr. Sayan has been Vice Chairman of Board of Directors of Türk Telekom since June 2024.

He speaks English, German and French. He is married and has 3 children.