Steering Committee
Driving Collaboration and Implementation
The Steering Committee plays a central role in advancing the mission of the Global Initiative on Virtual Worlds and AI. Composed of experts from cities, international organizations, academia, and industry, the Steering Committee supports the Initiative’s coordination, stakeholder engagement, and technical delivery—translating strategic guidance into practical outcomes.
Chair
Okan Geray
Chair of United for Smart Sustainable Cities Initiative (U4SSC) and Senior Digital City Strategy Advisor, Dubai Digital Authority
Vice-Chairs
Bertrand Levy
Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships, The Sandbox
Teppo Rantanen
Executive Director of Economic Policy, Competitiveness and Innovation, City of Tampere, Finland
Paola Cecchi Dimeglio
Professor, Harvard University
Ernesto Faubel
Chair of European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDIC) on Local Digital Twins
Martin Brynskov
Founding Board Director and Standardisation Lead, Open & Agile Smart Cities & Communities (OASC)
Anish Sethi
Chief, Digital Solutions Centre, UNICC
AnaMaria Meshkurti
Tech Investor and Strategic Board Member, AMVS Capital
Roland van der Heijden
Program Manager Digital City, City of Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Terms of Reference for the Steering Committee of the Global Initiative on Virtual Worlds and AI – Discovering the Citiverse
The Secretariat maintains an up-to-date list of Steering Committee Members, available here.
Responsibilities of the Steering Committee
Steering Committee Members contribute to the success and sustainability of the Initiative by:
- Identifying the needs and priorities of cities in the context of the evolving digital landscape;
- Approving of the creation of new tracks and appointing its leadership;
- Proposing and creating new working groups under the Tracks and spearheading the appointment of Track Leaders;
- Proposing future projects and initiatives for consideration;
- Promoting the work of the Initiative at the international, regional and local level;
- Encouraging city stakeholders to join the Initiative;
- The Steering Committee shall report to the Executive Committee and present for approval to the Executive Committee;
- Supporting the Secretariat when required.
Membership to the Steering Committee is voluntary and does not carry the expectation of employment at the ITU, UNICC, Digital Dubai, and relevant sponsors of the Initiative.
Steering Committee Documents (Restricted Access)
A dedicated SharePoint page provides Steering Committee members with access to working documents, meeting notes, and other materials.
Access Steering Committee Documentation Here (login required)
*If you are a Steering Committee member and need access credentials, please contact the Secretariat at virtualworlds@itu.int.