 Jaroslaw Ponder, Head of the International Telecommunication Union Office for Europe
Mr. Jaroslaw K. Ponder, is the Head of the Office for Europe at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), representing ITU in Europe and directing actions, projects, initiatives and experts groups targeting 46 countries of the Europe Region. His portfolio includes Regional Initiatives for Europe, designed by the European Member States and focusing on the ICT Infrastructure, Digitization, Digital Inclusion, Accessibility, Innovation and Cybersecurity.
During his professional career, Mr. Ponder has held official positions in the public sector and has been a leading contributor to legislative projects, which influenced public policy. Since 2004, he has been working for ITU holding diverse positions in the General Secretariat, Telecommunication Development Bureau, and Regional Presence, addressing the complexity of information society development and digital transformation at national, regional, international level, including United Nations level.
For several years, Mr. Ponder has managed ITU's work in the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) process, establishing the annual WSIS Forum, WSIS Prizes, WSIS Stocktaking, and others. In his current role, Mr. Ponder has established several formal coordination mechanisms facilitating the work of UN agencies in advancing digital transformation at the national and regional level.
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 Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITUMs. Doreen Bogdan-Martin was elected Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau in November 2018 and took office on the 1 of January 2019. She is a strategic leader with 30 years of high-level experience in international and inter-governmental relations, and a long history of success in policy and strategy development, analysis and execution. From 2008-2018, she led the Strategic Planning & Membership Department of ITU, and also served as Coordinator of United Nations Affairs. She was one of the architects of the annual Global Symposium for Regulators and leads ITU's contribution to the EQUALS Global Partnership for Gender Equality in the Digital Age. She serves as Executive Director of the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, and is leading ITU's collaboration with UNICEF and others on the GIGA project to connect the world's school. She holds a Master's degree in International Communications Policy from the American University in Washington, DC and a post graduate certificate in Strategies for Leadership from the Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland. She is an affiliate of the Harvard University Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, and a Generation Unlimited Champion. She serves on a number of advisory bodies, including the Geneva- Tsinghua Initiative, the SDG Lab Advisory Board, and the UN Technology Innovation Labs. She is also an amateur radio operator. Ms Bogdan-Martin is married with four children.
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 Cristiana Flutur, Co-President of CEPT and Chairman of Com-ITU, Head of International Affairs Unit ANCOM RomaniaMs. Cristiana Flutur joined the National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM) in 2012, as an expert in the Unit for International Relations and European Affairs. In June 2019, she was appointed Director for International Affairs within ANCOM, managing the activity of three units which cover issues such as relationship with international and regional organisations, translations and bilateral cooperation, EU affairs, the organization of events and travels, respectively. Ms. Flutur is the first woman to hold the position of chair of the Committee for ITU Policy (Com-ITU) and co-president of CEPT (The European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations), for a period of three years that started in June 2018. Furthermore, she has acted as European vice-chair of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2018 (PP-18) and main coordinator for the European Common Proposals and Positions for PP-18. Ms Flutur is an Economics graduate from the Faculty of Finance and Banking, Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and holds a master's degree from the same university in European Economics. She has an extensive experience in the public sector, in both national and international institutions. |
 Andra Mocanu, Cybersecurity Consultant at ITU Office for EuropeMs. Andra Mocanu is a Cybersecurity Consultant at ITU Office for Europe. Prior to joining the ITU, she worked in marketing for a business management software provider in Romania. Ms. Mocanu is a History graduate from the Faculty of History, University of Bucharest and holds a master's degree from the same University in Diplomatic Techniques. She is also a graduate of UNU-Merit and Maastricht University with a master's degree in Public Policy and Human Development, specializing in social entrepreneurship. |
 Antonia Baskakov, Project Management at the ONE Campaign
Ms. Antonia Baskakov works in project management on the issues of vaccine equity, Germany's G7 presidency and the Agenda 2030 at ONE, an international NGO fighting extreme poverty. Prior to joining ONE, she was the Strategic Advisor to the Executive Director of the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy where she managed projects on transatlantic relations, peace and security, and feminist international law. She has worked in a variety of human rights-related fields, including legal research with a focus on genocide prevention and response at Berkeley Law School and Stanford Law School for Professor Dr. Beth Van Schaack, the current U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice. As the UN ITU's Youth Envoy, she's also co-leading the ITU's policy working group with the aim of creating an inclusive digital future that is fully aligned with the Agenda 2030. Antonia double-majored in History and Literature with a thematic focus on human rights and a regional concentration on the US at University College London, Heidelberg University, and Potsdam University.
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 Xhoana Shehu, Policy Officer, European Telecommunication Network Operator's (ETNO) AssociationMs. Xhoana Shehu joined ETNO in September 2020 as an intern in Regulatory Affairs and became Policy Officer in March 2021. She supports the work of the regulatory and public policy team, particularly on digital infrastructure, data economy, spectrum policy and international affairs. Before joining ETNO, Xhoana completed internships at the French General Secretariat for European Affairs (SGAE), working on foreign affairs and VoteWatch Europe. She holds degrees in European Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges and Sciences Po Grenoble.
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 Klorenta Janushi Pashaj, Head of Communication and Information Dissemination Unit, National Authority for Electronic Certification and Cyber Security, Council of MinisterAwarded as Top 100 "Women of Influence in Cyber Security in Europe", Ms. Klorenta Janushi Pashaj is the President of Women4Cyber Albania, an initiative which aims to promote, encourage and support the participation of women in cyber security. She participates actively in national and international discussion of cyber security and works every day to change the historical data of underrepresentation of women and girls in cyber security labor market. She holds the position of Head of Communication and Information Dissemination Unit at the National Authority for Electronic Certification and Cyber Security, Council of Minister. Ms. Pashaj is the first Albanian expert accepted by European Commission in its FUTURIUM Women4cyber Register. |
 Oleksandra Deineko, Associate Professor of Sociology V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, and Guest Researcher at Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research (NBIR) OsloMet UniversityMs. Oleksandra Deineko is an Associate Professor of Sociology at V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, and a Guest Researcher at the Norvegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research (NBIR) at Oslo Metropolitan University. In 2015 she became a candidate of Science in Sociology. In 2020 she obtained her Master's degree in Law. She is also a Board Member of Sociological Association of Ukraine, Head of Youth Sector. She is interested in digital society, postsocialist transformations, sociocultural expertise of reforms, decentralisation, border studies, social cohesion, risk, youth and value issue, sociology of law.
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 Alia El-Yassir, UN Women Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia and Representative to TurkeyMs. Alia El-Yassir is UN Women Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia and Representative to Turkey since September 2018. She has been working with UNIFEM/UN Women since 1997. She previously worked as the UN Women Special Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), managing a complex portfolio of programmes and projects, as well as supporting the UNCT and HCT on establishing coordination mechanisms for tackling gender equality and women's empowerment issues. She is part of the UNDG roster of gender experts and has supported other UNCTs in this capacity. Before joining UN Women, she briefly worked with UNDP and was engaged in the education field. In addition to volunteering with a number of women's and human rights NGOs, she has worked on educational media for children. Alia El-Yassir graduated from McGill University in Montreal and pursued post-graduate studies in Education and Anthropology, with a specialization on Gender Studies at Ben Gurion University of the Negev.
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 Valentina Dominguez, Web developer intern at ITUMs. Valentina Dominguez was born in March 1999. At an early age she started participating in leadership and innovation activities. At the age of 17 she started studying information systems engineering at the "Universidad Abierta Interamericana" in Argentina. After two years she started her first job in the IT world as a Frontend Developer and participated in mentoring programs to help low-income women to get jobs in IT. Realizing the potential of these women, Valentina decided to start helping women around her to take their first steps in STEM. Currently, Valentina works as a Web developer intern at ITU and in the Legal IT department of a Swiss company. About to finish her Bachelor studies and planning to start his master studies in IT Business Analyst. In her spare time, she is dedicated to organizing and participate in activities together with the Generation Connect Europe Youth Group with the aim to contribute to make a change in people's lives and end the connectivity gap. In the future, she would like to open a foundation in underdeveloped countries where women find a safe and accessible place to develop in the STEM world. She is fully committed to bridging the gender gap. |
 Evisi Kopliku, Expert on Competitiveness at Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)Ms. Evisi Kopliku is an Expert on Competitiveness at Reginal Cooperation Council (RCC), focusing mainly in the areas of industrial development and women economic empowerment. She holds a Bachelor and Master in Banking and Finance from Eastern Mediterranean University (North Cyprus) and Master of European Economics from the College of Europe (Bruges, Belgium). She has worked as an advisor to the Minister of Economic Development, Tourism, Trade and Entrepreneurship, focusing mainly on FDIs, entrepreneurship support (with particular focus on women and youth), economic and international cooperation and european integration. She was Director of the European Integration and Projects Department in the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, including heading the IPA unit and responsible for donor coordination and project management. Evisi was the (Albanian) national contact point for COSME Programme; national coordinator for the Small Business Act; co-coordinator with Croatia of the “Sustainable tourism" pillar of EUSAIR and board member of the Southeastern European Center for Entrepreneurial Learning (Zagreb, Croatia). Evisi has completed a one-year training at the Center for International Development of Harvard University, on the development of FDI policies and development of economic zones in Albania; as well as various trainings in FDI promotion, women entrepreneurship support and other similar topics in Austria, Japan, Portugal, etc. She has worked with different think-tanks and international organizations in the implementation of projects focusing on entrepreneurship/SME support, circular economy, competition policy, etc.; and has been a part-time lecturer and researcher in Eastern Mediterranean University, Uiversity of Tirana, University of New York Tirana and Canadian Institute of Technology.
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 Nazrene Mannie , Executive Director at GAN GlobalMs. Nazrene Mannie, the Executive Director of GAN Global is a specialist in the field of social policy focusing on youth employment and skills development. She has been appointed as an International Gender Champion and has worked closely with organizations such as the Global Alliance for Youth, private sector companies, and international development entities such as the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the World Economic Forum to drive forward the agenda for agile workforce development within the context of the future of work.
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