Agenda

Mahmoud Badawi has been serving as the Assistant Minister for Digital Transformation since January 2025.
 
In this capacity, Badawi is responsible for overseeing the implementation of key digital transformation initiatives carried out by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) across various state sectors. His role also includes the preparation and monitoring of strategic action plans aimed at advancing digital transformation efforts and expanding the digitization of government services.
 
Badawi holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer and Information Sciences from Ain Shams University and brings with him 19 years of extensive experience in the fields of information technology, business administration, and strategic planning.
 
Prior to his current position, Badawi served as the Chief Executive Officer of Post Connect and the General Manager of Managed Services at Giza Systems. His career also includes significant tenures at IBM. He was instrumental in designing and developing organizational structures for various departments and companies specializing in IT services and digital transformation.
 
Throughout his career, Badawi has led teams of up to 300 multi disciplined specialists and has developed deep expertise in a range of technical domains, including blockchain, cybersecurity, data science, DevSecOps, Cloud and Digital Solutions

Robert Opp is the inaugural Chief Digital Officer and Director of the Digital, AI and Innovation Hub at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), working across 170 countries and territories. He leads UNDP's global agenda on technology and systems transformation, helping governments build inclusive digital economies and translate emerging technologies into development impact. His portfolio includes the G7-endorsed AI Hub for Sustainable Development, established with the Government of Italy and initially focused on Africa. He has also led UNDP's own digital and AI transformation.

Previously, Robert was Director of Innovation and Change Management at the World Food Programme (WFP), establishing WFP's Innovation Accelerator and scaling technology-enabled approaches to humanitarian action, including ShareTheMeal. Earlier at WFP, he held operational, policy, and leadership roles, including managing emergency food assistance programmes in Angola. He was also a Senior Consultant with Boston Consulting Group in Singapore.

Mariya Gabriel is the former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria (2023–2024). As European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth (2019–2023), Ms Gabriel led the “1 million talents in deep Tech” initiative and well as the Digital Education action Plan. As European Commissioner in charge of the Digital Economy and Society (2017-2019), she notably spearheaded the European Artificial Intelligence Strategy and the Digital Europe Program. A former Member of the European Parliament (2009-2017), she notably served as a member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. She has held both teaching and research positions at the Bordeaux Institute of Political Studies.

Dr. Derrick Muneene is the Team Lead for the Assessment, Planning and Partnerships Team within the Insights, Capacity and Operations Unit of the Department of Data, Digital Health, Analytics and AI at the World Health Organization (WHO) Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. He has over 25 years of progressive experience in global digital health, health information systems, digital transformation, public health informatics, digital health governance, capacity development, and strategic partnerships.

Chat Garcia Ramilo is the Executive Director of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC). She has organisational, management and gender expertise developed from over 30 years of leading multi-country and multi-disciplinary projects, programmes and networks on internet, digital technologies, human rights and development.
 
The Association for Progressive Communications is a trusted convenor and diverse network founded in 1990 with staff, members and partners active in 60 countries. The APC community of feminist and human rights advocates, policy change actors and people centred technology practitioners work together towards building a transformative movement to ensure that the internet and digital technologies enable social, gender and environmental justice for all people. 

Ms Garcia Ramilo comes from the Philippines and previously worked in migration, ethnic and multicultural issues and women’s rights in the Asia-Pacific region.

Christopher S. Yoo is the Imasogie Professor in Law & Technology; Professor of Communication; Professor of Computer & Information Science; the Founding Director of the Center for Technology, Innovation & Competition; and the Faculty Co-Director of the Penn Center of Media, Technology, and Democracy at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of 4 books and over 130 other scholarly works and has taught at over a dozen universities around the world.

Professor Yoo received his A.B. from Harvard University, his M.B.A. from UCLA, and his J.D. from Northwestern University. Before entering the academy, Professor Yoo clerked for Justice Anthony M. Kennedy of the Supreme Court of the United States and Judge A. Raymond Randolph of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. He also practiced law with the D.C. firm of Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells) under the supervision of now-Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts, Jr. He previously taught at the Vanderbilt Law School, where he founded the Technology and Entertainment Law Program.

He is frequently called to testify before the U.S. Congress, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, foreign governments, and international organizations. He recently served as a member of the Federal Communication Commission’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee, a Consultant to the Administrative Conference of the United States, a member of the Board of Advisors for the American Law Institute’s (ALI’s) Project on Principles of Law for Data Privacy and the Restatement of Principles for a Data Economy (joint with the European Law Institute), and as a Non-Governmental Advisor to the International Competition Network. He is currently an Advisor to the ALI’s new project on Principles of the Law, Civil Liability for Artificial Intelligence (AI), co-leader of an initiative to create technically implementable AI standards, and the Co-Chair of the ITU’s inaugural Academic Advisory Body on Emerging Technologies.

Dr. Hilda J. Mwakatumbula is Head of Digital Economy at GIZ's Support to the East African Community (EAC) Programme, where she leads thel EU–EAC Digital Economy, E-Commerce, E-Payments and Public E-Services (DEEP) Programme, a regional initiative advancing an integrated, inclusive and competitive digital market across East Africa. She works closely with the EAC Secretariat, Partner States, central banks, private-sector actors and development partners on cross-border payments, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), data governance, digital trade and regional digital transformation. She has also contributed to global and continental digital policy initiatives, including through the Global Technical Working Group on DPI Safeguards, and has advised or contributed to the work of the World Bank, UNECA, ITU and the African Union. Dr. Mwakatumbula is a contributor and co-author of several regional and national reports, including the State of Instant and Inclusive Payment Systems (SIIPS) in Africa, the World Bank's Tanzania Gender Assessment and Zanzibar Poverty Assessment. She holds a PhD from Waseda University, Japan, with a focus on ICT Economics, Trade and Policy.

Akua Gyekye is Microsoft’s Head of Government Affairs for Africa, responsible for shaping the company’s public policy agenda and leading a team of policy professionals across the continent. Together, they focus on key policy areas including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data privacy, cybersecurity, digital safety and integrity, and international trade. The team engages with governments, civil society, and industry leaders to help shape inclusive and future-focused technology policy across Africa.

Akua brings over 20 years of cross-sector experience in public policy, technology, law, finance, and international development, with a career that spans the private sector, multilateral institutions, and government affairs. She joined Microsoft from WhatsApp, where she led public policy and government affairs across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Prior to that, she spearheaded election integrity efforts at Meta in Africa and played a key role in establishing and expanding the company’s first Africa Policy Team. She also created and implemented pan-African campaigns on digital connectivity and online safety.

Gitanjali Sah is the Head of the WSIS and Stakeholder Engagement Division at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). With more than 20 years of experience in digital policy and development, driving innovative, evidence‑based approaches to harness technology for inclusive, resilient, and sustainable progress across the UN system—including roles at ITU, UNESCO, and UNDP—she has played a central role in advancing digital cooperation, WSIS implementation, and inter‑agency coordination. She is an experienced leader in multistakeholder engagement, strengthening inclusive collaboration among governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, the technical community, and international organizations to build people‑centered, development‑oriented information and knowledge societies. She holds an M.Phil. in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge and a Master’s in Political Science from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), India. She is widely recognized as a leader in shaping global digital development agendas.