{"id":1914,"date":"2023-12-04T14:39:12","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T14:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/itu-d\/sites\/innovation-alliance\/?page_id=1914"},"modified":"2025-09-21T11:22:31","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T11:22:31","slug":"board-members","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/itu-d\/sites\/innovation-alliance\/board-members\/","title":{"rendered":"Board Members"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \"Background\n
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Digital Innovation Board<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n
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One of the Three Vehicles of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The Alliance establishes the Digital Innovation Board to provide strategic guidance, expertise and advocacy regarding its mission of building critical local enablers and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in digital development, to create a more inclusive and equitable digital future for all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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As the Alliance is accelerating innovation capacity and creating linkages at the national, regional and global level, the Board will advance the efforts of the Alliance at the global stage, leading the dialogue on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in digital development with relevant stakeholders and prospective partners, including UN agencies, governments and private sector.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Co-Chairs of the Board<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/center><\/div><\/center>
Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava<\/div>
Director<\/div>
Telecommunication Development Bureau<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/center><\/div><\/a>
X<\/a>

Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava<\/p><\/div>

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Co<\/strong>smas Zavazava took office as Director of the\u200b\u00a0<\/strong>Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT)\u00a0<\/strong>at the International Te\u200blecommunication Union (ITU) on 1 January 2023.
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\r\nWith more than 30 years in telecommunications, including over 20 years in ITU’s Development Sector, Dr Zavazava has promoted and implemented impactful information and communication technology projects around the world.
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\r\nPrior to his election as BDT Director, he served as ITU’s Chief of Partnerships for Digital Development , overseeing development-related projects, strategic partnerships, and resource mobilization between 2019 and 2022, while launching new initiatives that have boosted the engagement of industry, private-sector and academia members in ITU’s work.
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\r\nPreviously, as ITU’s Chief of Projects and Initiatives, he oversaw development projects focused on gender, youth, and people with special needs, along with capacity building, emergency telecommunications, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and e-waste management.
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\r\nEarlier, Dr Zavazava headed the Republic of Zimbabwe’s Government Telecommunications Agency and served as a senio\u200br diplomat. He also taught MBA classes at the UK’s Nottingham Trent University.
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\r\nThroughout his career, he has focused on closing the digital and skills divide and accelerating digital transformation to achieve socio-economic development for all.
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\r\nDr Zavazava holds a PhD in Multilateral Trade from Business School Lausanne (Switzerland), and a Master of Laws degree in Telecommunications and Information Technology from the University of Strathclyde (UK), as well as a Master’s in International Relations from Webster University (US), and an MBA from the University of Zimbabwe. He also holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and diplomas in Telecommunications and Systems Engineering.
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H.E. Mr Amit Agrawal<\/div>
Secretary (Vice-Minister)<\/div>
Ministry of Communications – Department of Telecommunications | a.i. Co-Chair of the Digital Innovation Board
India (Republic of)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/center><\/div><\/a>
X<\/a>

H.E. Mr Amit Agrawal<\/p><\/div>

Board Members<\/strong><\/div>
Friday 01<\/div>
09:00 – 09:00<\/div>
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H.E. Mr. Amit Agrawal is the Secretary to the Government of India in charge of the Department of Telecommunications. A member of the Indian Administrative Service, he has held senior leadership positions in the Government of India and in the States of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, with responsibilities across economic policy, technology, innovation and technical education.<\/p>
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He previously served as Secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, CEO of the Unique Identification Authority of India, and Director General of the National Informatics Centre. He is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur and has served on the boards of several regulatory and public sector institutions.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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H.E. Mr Bosun Tijani<\/div>
Minister<\/div>
Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy
Nigeria (Federal Republic of)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/center><\/div><\/a>
X<\/a>

H.E. Mr Bosun Tijani<\/p><\/div>

Board Members<\/strong><\/div>
Friday 01<\/div>
09:00 – 09:00<\/div>
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Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani is the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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\r\nAn accomplished entrepreneur and business leader, Dr. Tijani is a pioneer in the African startup ecosystem and has been instrumental in driving innovation and fostering the growth of tech startups across the continent.
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\r\nHe is the co-founder and former CEO of Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), the leading pan-African technology and innovation center with presence in Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and Namibia. Founded in 2010, CcHUB has played a pivotal role in nurturing startups through mentorship programs, funding initiatives, and access to essential resources.
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\r\nUnder his leadership, CcHUB became a vital catalyst for the African tech ecosystem, promoting collaboration, knowledge sharing and the development of groundbreaking solutions to local and global challenges. Dr. Tijani’s visionary leadership, passion for technology, and commitment to fostering a thriving startup ecosystem have made him a respected figure in the African tech communities. His dedication to creating opportunities and driving innovation continues to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs in Nigeria and beyond.
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\r\nPrior to CcHUB, he led the networking and coordination of leading innovation agencies across Europe as European Innovation Manager at PERA, with the aim of standardizing the varying methodologies for commercializing research results. He had also previously worked at the International Trade Centre, in Geneva Switzerland overseeing the design and implementation of technical support programmes geared towards enlightening and assisting exporters in Sub-Saharan Africa in maximising the use of information and communication technologies for export marketing.
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\r\nDr. Tijani is an exemplary scholar who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Jos, a Masters degree in Information Systems and Management from Warwick University and a Doctorate degree in Innovation and Economic Development from the University of Leicester. He is also an adjunct professor at the Wits School of Governance, South Africa.
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\r\nHis PhD research focussed on contributing to a better understanding of how the network perspective to innovation capacity serves as a contextually relevant
\r\nframework for explaining the adoption and adaptation of innovation in developing countries and offers an alternative path to how African countries can effectively organise to strengthen their innovation ecosystems.
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\r\nHe was a member of the UK Advisory Committee on Digital Access Africa, a Committee member for NESG on Science and Technology and a member of the Expert Advisory Group to the European Commission on mainstreaming technology and innovation in the relationship between Europe and Africa.
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\r\nDr. Tijani is a Desmond Tutu Fellow and fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law at the prestigious Stanford University and is happily married with three children.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/center><\/div>\n\n

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Board Members<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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H.E. Ms Enkelejda Mu\u00e7aj<\/div>
Deputy Minister<\/div>
Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy
Albania (Republic of)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/center><\/div><\/a>
X<\/a>

H.E. Ms Enkelejda Mu\u00e7aj<\/p><\/div>

Board Members<\/strong><\/div>
Friday 01<\/div>
09:00 – 09:00<\/div>
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Ms. Enkelejda Mu\u00e7aj is the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Energy in the Republic of Albania since November 2021.
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\r\nMs. Mu\u00e7aj held the position of General State Advocate from March 2020 to June 2021. For a period of 20 years (December 2000 – February 2020), she practiced as a lawyer at the international law office Tonnuci & Partners, during which she provided legal expertise in Telecommunication, Intellectual Property (Copyright and Industrial Property), Company Law, Contract Law, Tax Law, Mining Law, Administrative Law, related to the harmonization of national legislation with International Intellectual Property law and is specialized in the preparation and interpretation of trade contracts international, concession contracts as well as project financing contracts.
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\r\nMs. Mu\u00e7aj was graduated in law from the Tirana University (1998) and has a master\u2019s degree in Intellectual Property Law from University of Turin (Italy) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (2007); Diploma in International Practice on Capital Markets and Credit, and Diploma in International Mergers and Acquisition operations issued by the International Bar Association and College of Law of England and Wales.
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\r\nMs. Mu\u00e7aj was a lecturer in the course of Intellectual Property at the University of New York Tirana (2013-2016) and is fluent in English and Italian.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Ms Marsha Caddle<\/div>
President and Chief Economist<\/div>
The Bold Centre
Barbados<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/center><\/div><\/a>
X<\/a>

Ms Marsha Caddle<\/p><\/div>

Board Members<\/strong><\/div>
Friday 01<\/div>
09:00 – 09:00<\/div>
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Marsha Caddle is a Barbadian economist and public policy strategist who now serves as Barbados’ Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology.
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\r\nA former Minister for Economic Affairs and Investment in Barbados from 2018-2022, she helped lead Barbados\u2019 2018 economic recovery programme, which saw the country\u2019s depleted foreign reserves increase eightfold by the end of the term, and its debt and arrears fall by a third following an international and domestic debt restructuring. She was ministerial negotiator on climate finance for the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) in Glasgow, 2021, introducing in the outcome document for the first time the use of specialized instruments like redistributed Special Drawing Rights for scaled up finance in climate vulnerable nations. She also led the first reform of physical planning and land use policy in over 50 years.
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\r\nShe has led the Governance practice at the Caribbean Development Bank, the Poverty Reduction Programme at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Eastern Caribbean, and the Economic Security and Rights Programme of the then United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Caribbean.
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\r\nIn her current role, she is leading the establishment of a data and technology industry in Barbados, driven by the distribution of AI computational power to startups and research technologists, to help them build solutions to local and global problems. She is also responsible for developing and guiding execution of Barbados\u2019s Sustainable Industrial Policy, ensuring a just, low-carbon transition at the center of the country\u2019s economic growth and diversification.
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\r\nShe is a pioneer economist in gender equitable macroeconomic policy frameworks, and is a member of the International Association for Feminist Economics (IAFFE) and the International Working Group on Gender, Macroeconomics and International Economics (GEM-IWG).
\r\nMarsha Caddle is a two-term elected Member of Parliament in the Barbados House of Assembly.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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H.E. Ms Aur\u00e9lie Adam-Soule Zoumarou<\/div>
Minister<\/div>
Ministry of Digital Economy and Communications
Benin<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/center><\/div><\/a>
X<\/a>

H.E. Ms Aur\u00e9lie Adam-Soule Zoumarou<\/p><\/div>

Board Members<\/strong><\/div>
Friday 01<\/div>
09:00 – 09:00<\/div>
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Ms. Aur\u00e9lie Adam-Soule Zoumarou is a telecommunications and ICT professional with experience at SFR France, Accenture, ARCEP Benin, and GSMA Africa. She contributed to Benin\u2019s participation in the 2015 ITU World Conference and, as GSMA\u2019s Senior Policy Manager for Africa, worked to expand mobile services to millions across the continent.<\/p>
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She holds a Master\u2019s in Telecoms and ICT Engineering from Telecom Sud Paris, a Certificate in Public Policy and Leadership from Syracuse University, and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Information Science and Communication at Universit\u00e9 Bordeaux Montaigne.<\/p>
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A Mandela Washington Fellow, she was appointed in 2017 as Benin\u2019s Minister of Digital Economy and Communications, tasked with positioning the country as a digital hub for West Africa to foster growth and inclusion.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Mr Nestor Rios Rivero<\/div>
Former National Executive Director<\/div>
Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications and Transportation (ATT)
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/center><\/div><\/a>
X<\/a>

Mr Nestor Rios Rivero<\/p><\/div>

Board Members<\/strong><\/div>
Friday 01<\/div>
09:00 – 09:00<\/div>
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He is a lawyer graduated from the Universidad Mayor de San Andr\u00e9s and has a Master’s Degree in Business Management with a Mention in Telecommunications from the Camilo Jos\u00e9 Cela University of Madrid \u2013 Spain, in addition to a second Master’s Degree in Mining Law from the Mining Chamber of Peru and other postgraduate courses in mining, telecommunications, and management.
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\r\nFrom 2006 to 2009 he held positions in the Superintendence of Telecommunications \u2013 SITTEL, and from 2010 to 2013 in the legal area of the Telecommunications and Transport Regulation and Oversight Authority \u2013 ATT. He also served at the Mining Administrative Jurisdictional Authority \u2013 AJAM from 2013 to 2019, assuming executive positions such as General Counsel, National Coordinator, Legal Director a.i. and others.
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\r\nIn March 2021, in recognition of his work and academic career, he was appointed by the President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Luis Arce Catacora, as Executive Director of the Telecommunications and Transport Regulation and Oversight Authority (ATT), a position from which he has been carrying out committed and genuine work at the service of the Bolivian people. Finally, at the 25th Plenary Assembly of the Latin American Forum of Telecommunications Regulators \u2013 REGULATEL, held in Peru in 2022, he was elected president for the 2024 management of this important international organization.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Mr Carlos Manuel Baigorri<\/div>
President<\/div>
National TelecommunicationsAgency (Anatel)
Brazil (Federative Republic of)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/center><\/div><\/a>
X<\/a>

Mr Carlos Manuel Baigorri<\/p><\/div>

Board Members<\/strong><\/div>
Friday 01<\/div>
09:00 – 09:00<\/div>
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Anatel\u2019s President Carlos Baigorri has a degree in Economic Sciences from the University of Bras\u00edlia (UnB), with a Master’s and Doctorate in Economics from the Catholic University of Bras\u00edlia (UCB).
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\r\nActing in the telecommunications area since 2006, he was a consultant and analyst of sector information in an association of mobile operators. He has also served as an undergraduate professor at the Catholic University of Brasilia (UCB), at the Institute of Higher Education of Bras\u00edlia (IESB), and at the Brazilian Institute of Capital Markets (IBMEC). He wrote articles and book chapters published in Brazil and abroad.
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\r\nHe has been a career permanent employee at Anatel since 2009, where he was previously nominated Executive Superintendent, Competition Superintendent, Obligations Control Superintendent, and Head of Technical Advisory.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Dr Li Tian<\/div>
Head of Standards Strategy of ZTE & Vice-President of China Association for Standardization<\/div>
ZTE Corporation
China (People’s Republic of)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/center><\/div><\/a>
X<\/a>

Dr Li Tian<\/p><\/div>

Board Members<\/strong><\/div>
Friday 01<\/div>
09:00 – 09:00<\/div>
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Dr. Li Tian is currently the Head of Standards Strategy of ZTE Corporation, Vice President of China Association for Standardization. He is actively involved in various global standardization organizations including ITU, 3GPP, IEEE, where he served as the rapporteur for several 5G related work items.
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\r\nHis research interests are in the field of ICT technology, and his team contributed significantly to advanced technologies like radio access, AI\/ML, future networks, video coding, automobile electronics, network security, etc. Dr. Tian received his B.Sc degree in 2009 and Ph.D degree in 2015, both in Tongji University, China. From 2013 to 2014, he was a visiting researcher in University of Bologna, Italy. He is the first author of a book and contributed to multiple book chapters, with over 50 academic papers published and over 100 patents held globally. He has also delivered multiple keynotes in various academic and industrial events.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/center><\/div><\/center>
Cinthya Arias Leit\u00f3n<\/div>
Council President<\/div>
Superintendence of Telecommunication (SUTEL)
Costa Rica<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/center><\/div><\/a>
X<\/a>

Cinthya Arias Leit\u00f3n<\/p><\/div>

Board Members<\/strong><\/div>
Friday 01<\/div>
09:00 – 09:00<\/div>
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Manager of the General Markets Directorate with eleven years of experience in the Superintendence of Telecommunications (SUTEL) from Costa Rica, where she has had- among other responsibilities-, the creation and establishment a system of sectorial indicators since the beginning of the opening of the Costa Rican market to competition. As part of her work at Sutel, she has directed important and diverse work teams in the field of access and interconnection, the application of the sectorial competition regime, economic studies and analysis and development of new regulation.\u00a0 More recently, she has been involved in the definition of strategies and of the regulatory body as Coordinator of the institutional regulatory Agenda.
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\r\nShe has also experience on market monitoring and market studies for the Costa Rican export products and services.
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\r\nShe is also alternate Commissioner at Coprocom, which is the national authority of competition in Costa Rica.
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\r\nEconomist and Master in Business Administration, Senior Management and Telecommunications studies.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Mr Bocar Ba<\/div>
CEO<\/div>
SAMENA Telecommunications Council<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/center><\/div><\/a>
X<\/a>

Mr Bocar Ba<\/p><\/div>

Board Members<\/strong><\/div>
Friday 01<\/div>
09:00 – 09:00<\/div>
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