Agenda

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.

 Dr. Hyoung Jun Kim began his career in 1988  at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI)  where he currently holds the position of Research Fellow. Previously,  he served as Senior Vice-President and led the Intelligent Convergence Research Lab at ETRI. Over the course of 37 years, Dr. Kim has gained research experience in a range of ETRI divisions, such as the Info-Communications Technology Division, IT Strategy Research Division, Information & Telecommunications Technology Division, and Protocol Engineering Centre. Presently, he also serves as the Chair of both ITU-T SG20 and the APT Standardization Program (ASTAP) within the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity.. In the past, he has held roles as Vice-chair and WP chairs of SG20 and SG13, Rapporteur of Q25/16 and Q9/13, etc. Dr. Kim’s research and academic achievements are extensive, with over 450 standard proposals, more than 150 academic journal and conference papers, over 100 patents, and 20 official technology transfers to domestic companies under his belt. He has received three National President’s citations in 2003, 2009 and 2023, in addition to numerous Certificates of Appreciation from international standard-related organizations, including ITU-T. Notably, Dr. Kim earned his second and third National President’s Award at the “World Standards Day 2009 in Korea and 2023 in Korea” in recognition of his dedication to international standardization.​

 Dr. Okan Geray has more than 25 years of experience in consulting and advisory roles across various industries. He has consulted for a number of organizations in Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, South Africa, Turkey and Dubai. He worked at A.T. Kearney global management consulting firm for 6 years and was a member of the Global Telecommunications and Higher Technology core team before he joined Dubai Government in 2002. He has worked as the Strategic Planning Advisor in Dubai eGovernment, Dubai Smart Government, Smart Dubai Office and recently Dubai Digital Authority. His responsibilities include Strategic Planning, Strategic Performance Management and Policy Making among others. 
Dr. Geray is the U4SSC Chair (U4SSC is a UN initiative coordinated by ITU, UNECE and UN-Habitat and supported by other 16 UN bodies, that help support the development of institutional policies and strategies which encourage the use of digital technologies to facilitate digital transformation and ease the transition to smart sustainable cities).  He is leading several thematic groups globally for U4SSC namely “Guidelines on Strategies for Circular Cities”, “City Science Application Framework”, “AI in Cities”, “Enabling People-Centered Cities through Digital Transformation”, and “Digital Wellbeing”. 
Dr. Geray is the Co-Rapporteur of the ITU Study Group 20, Question 7 on “Evaluation and assessment of Smart Sustainable Cities and Communities” and also Working Party 1 Vice Chair. He is the Steering Committee Chair of the Global Initiative on Virtual Worlds and AI – Discovering the Citiverse, which is co-founded by ITU, UNICC and Digital Dubai. He is a member of the IEC-ISO-ITU Joint Smart Cities Task Force (J-SCTF). He co-chaired the Working Group “Economic, regulatory & competition aspects” in the ITU Focus Group on metaverse (FG-MV). He was also the Co-Chair of the “Data Economy Impact, Commercialization and Monetization” Working Group, part of the ITU Focus Group on Data Processing and Management. 
 
Dr. Geray holds a double major B. Sc. degree in Industrial and Computer Engineering from Bosphorus University in Istanbul Turkey, an M.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering and a Ph.D. degree in Systems and Control Engineering from the University of Massachusetts in the US. He has published several journal and conference papers and was an adjunct lecturer in management for 15 years. ​

 Kamelia, holding an MBA, has in-depth experience in executive administration of non-profit organisations. She is a lawyer, specialized in Swiss law relevant to international organisations and international public law, including expertise on the United Nations. Kamelia also has a direct experience of intergovernmental multilateral negotiation and diplomacy.

Before joining the Global Cities Hub, Kamelia was Executive Manager at the Geneva Academy. She also worked as Special Assistant to the President of the UN Human Rights Council for three years. She was a Visiting Programme Director at Wilton Park. Previously to that, she worked at the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations Office in Geneva.

Before moving to the public sector, Kamelia worked for two years in the private sector in a Geneva-based private bank as a compliance officer. She’s a part-time Senior Consultant in AxLR.ch

Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Ph.D., J.D.,LL.M., M.Sc., is a globally recognized expert in AI, Big Data, behavioral science, and talent analytics. She advises senior executives at Fortune 500 companies, global law firms, and public institutions on using advanced analytics and behavioral insights to optimize decision-making, develop high-performing talent, and shape future-ready workforce strategies.

At Harvard University, she holds dual appointments at the Law School and the Kennedy School of Government and serves as Faculty Chair of the Executive Leadership Research Initiative for Women and Minority Attorneys (ELRIWMA), where since 2011 she has led pioneering research—using AI and Big Data—at the intersection of leadership, organizational behavior, decision science, and talent strategy. She is the author of Diversity Dividend (MIT Press, 2023) and the forthcoming Building a Thriving Future: Metaverse and Multiverse (MIT Press, 2025)—a strategy-driven guide to the AI-powered Metaverse, offering business and government leaders practical frameworks to lead digital transformation and build adaptive, human-centric digital ecosystems that support talent growth and innovation.

As CEO of People Culture Drive Consulting Group, she leads a global behavioral science and AI firm that developed I.D.E.A., a patented platform that enhances talent analytics by ensuring consistency, fairness, and transparency in performance evaluations and succession planning—transforming how organizations identify, retain, and advance top talent.

She advises international institutions including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the World Bank, the United Nations ITU), and the European Commission. Her research and publications have received multiple honors, including awards from federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services for her behavioral and data visualization tools, and a 2017 Azbee Award of Excellence from the American Society of Business Publication Editors.

Dr. Cecchi-Dimeglio has authored over 70 peer-reviewed journal articles and regularly contributes to leading business and legal publications including Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Business Insider, Bloomberg Law, Reuters Legal, and Forbes, where she is a senior contributor on leadership, strategy, and AI. Her insights and tools are used by organizations worldwide to transform how they hire, evaluate, and promote talent.

Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, and she is widely recognized for her thought leadership on AI-powered talent development, workforce transformation, and data-driven decision-making.

Dr. Yong Jick LEE is a managing director of Center for Accessible ICT, Republic of Korea. He leads the center, which provides research, domestic and international standard development, ICT solution development, and corporate consulting on ICT accessibility for persons with disabilities and digital inclusion for all. He majored in Computer Science as an undergraduate and in Management Information Systems in the doctoral program. He has over 20 years of experience developing and researching ICT accessibility solutions for persons with disabilities. His research interests include technology development and policy research on accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities. He also participates in international standardization activities through ITU-T Study Group 20 - Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart Sustainable Cities and Communities (SSC&C) as a Rapporteur of Question 8 (Human-centric digital services enabled by IoT and SSC&C related to digital health, accessibility and inclusion), and APT Standardization Forum (ASTAP) Expert Group on Accessibility and Usability (EG-AU) concerning the accessibility and inclusion of emerging digital services.

 PhD (UMIST, UK) works at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain) in the TransMedia Catalonia Lab. She has written and edited many books, near 100 academic papers and almost the same number of book chapters --all on Media Accessibility. Leader and participant of numerous EU funded research projects focusing on media accessibility. She works in standardisation and participates in the UN ITU IRG-AVA - Intersector Rapporteur Group Audiovisual Media Accessibility. She has been working on Immersive Accessibility for the past 6 years first in a project called ImAc, which results are now further developed in TRACTION, MEDIAVERSE, MILE, and GREENSCENT. She led until December 2022 the EU network LEADME on Media Accessibility. She was the Co-Chair of Study Group on Accessibility and Inclusion in the ITU Metaverse Focus Group, and she is leading the Digital Inclusion and Accessibility track of the ITU Virtual Worlds. She is now working on AI and accessibility in the three funded projects MOSAIC, ALFIE, and SPICE.
 
For more info please go to: https://webs.uab.cat/pilarorero/

 Teppo Rantanen, Executive Director of Economic Policy, Competitiveness and Innovation at the City of Tampere, is focusing on industries such as semiconductors, defense, energy and experience economy, which shape the strategic economic policy of the city. He leads Tampere through collaboration in extensive international networks towards a human-centric citiverse. His approach to leading the Citiverse involves leveraging new technologies such as digital twins, XR technologies, data, AI, and connectivity to create a seamless digital layer over the physical city environment, benefiting both people and businesses. He is also a co-chair of the UN Virtual Worlds Initiative on the Citiverse. From 2002 to 2014, Teppo served as Deloitte Finland’s Chief Executive Officer and from 2014 to 2016 in London as a member of Global Technology, Media and Telecommunications Leadership Team. He currently serves on the board of Business Finland, which helps Finnish companies grow and succeed globally.

Samia is an expert in creative and digital training engineering, as well as innovation management. As the founder of NET-INFO, DigiArtLivingLab, AfricanGameDev, and Africa Metaverse Academy, she has over 25 years of experience in software engineering. Currently, she serves as a Senior Technologist in Information Systems at the Higher Institute of Technological Studies in Nabeul, where she is dedicated to promoting digital creativity and social innovation in Africa. Additionally, she presides over the Creative and Digital Industries Group within CONECT (Confederation of Citizen Enterprises of Tunisia). She is also an Unreal Authorized Instructor from Epic Games.

Cristina Bueti is the ITU Focal Point on Smart Sustainable Cities and AI-powered Virtual Worlds. She is also the Counsellor of ITU-T Study Group 20 “Internet of Things, digital twins and smart sustainable cities and communities” and serves as TSB/ITU focal point for Latin America. Cristina Bueti graduated from the Faculty of Political Science, Law and International Cooperation and Development of the University of Florence, where she completed postgraduate studies in International Cooperation and Telecommunications Law in Europe. In 2003, Ms. Bueti built on her academic credentials by completing a specialized course in peace keeping and international cooperation with special focus on telecommunications at the Faculty of Laws, University of Malta, before joining the International Telecommunication Union in Geneva in January 2004. As part of the International Women’s Day 2016, she was named as one of the ten Geneva-based inspirational women working to protect the environment. She has authored over 40 reports on telecommunication and emerging technology issues. A native Italian speaker, Cristina is also fluent in English, French and Spanish.

Paola Cecchi Dimeglio is a globally recognized authority in inclusive decision-making, specializing in Big Data and AI. Her expertise spans behavioral and data science, AI, Big Data, and diversity strategy, making her a highly sought-after advisor to leading organizations worldwide. She guides senior leaders at top global corporations and nonprofits, helping them develop strategies and interventions to enhance their people strategy through data analytics.
At Harvard University, she holds dual appointments at the Law School and the Kennedy School of Government. She serves as the Faculty Chair of the Executive Leadership Research Initiative for Women and Minority Attorneys (ELRIWMA), which she co-founded in 2014 at the Center of the Legal Profession. This program is a leader in diversity research, leveraging Big Data and AI to drive innovative interventions.
Her groundbreaking book, Diversity Dividend (MIT Press, 2023), provides a comprehensive roadmap for fostering diversity through AI and Big Data. Her forthcoming book, Building an Inclusive Future: Navigating the Metaverse and Multiverse (MIT Press, 2025), continues her exploration of inclusion in emerging technological landscapes. She has authored over 70 peer-reviewed journal articles and frequently contributes to prominent outlets such as Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Business Insider, and Forbes, where she is a senior contributor covering leadership strategy and AI.
Paola also holds several advisory roles, including co-chairing the steering committee of the Global Initiative on Virtual Worlds and serving as Chair of Sustainability, Accessibility, and Inclusion for AI, Big Data, and Metaverse regulation at the UN's International Telecommunication Union. She advises the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the European Commission.
Her consulting firm, People Culture Data Consulting Group, operates in five global cities and provides cutting-edge behavioral science solutions using AI and Big Data. Notably, her firm developed I.D.E.A., a patented software platform for unbiased performance reviews, revolutionizing how companies manage talent.
She holds a J.D., LL.M., M.Sc., and a Magistère-DJCE degree in Common and Civil Law from universities in France, Belgium, and the U.S. She practiced law with Landwell & Associés (now PricewaterhouseCoopers International Ltd.) and Baker & McKenzie before earning two Ph.D.s in Social and Economic Sciences (summa cum laude) from Stanford University. Prior to joining the Harvard faculty, she held a postdoctoral appointment at Harvard Law School and the Kennedy School.