Agenda

Moira Whelan is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab). Moira is a founding partner of BlueDot Strategies and specializes in international engagement and technology. Moira has more than 15 years in senior positions at the forefront of building and executing communications strategies in the nonprofit and national security community.

Moira served as the U.S. State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Digital Strategy under President Obama, where she oversaw the flagship social media platforms to engage U.S. and international audiences and led multiple teams to guide the communications approach on major U.S. initiatives.

Before joining USAID, Moira worked at the Department of Homeland Security where she directed the National Joint Information Center and also served as Chief of Staff in the Office of Gulf Coast Rebuilding. She was a founding member of the National Security Network, a nonprofit advocacy organization. She has held the position of communications director both at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and, prior to that, on the House Committee on Homeland Security Democratic Staff. Moira started her career in editorial and legislative outreach roles at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Honourable Emma Inamutila Theofelus is a young, 28-year-old Namibian woman who serves as a Member of Parliament and the Minister of Information and Communication Technology in the Republic of Namibia. She has been recognised as the BBC 100 Most Influential Women in the World 2021, among other distinctions.

Before her appointment, Honourable Emma was always policy adjacent and was a Youth Activist around issues of gender, children’s rights, and sustainable development and against youth unemployment. She holds an LLB Honours Degree from the University of Namibia, a diploma in Business Management from Amity University and a diploma in African Feminism and Gender Studies from the University of South Africa. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in ICT Policy and Regulation at the University of Witwatersrand.

Honourable Emma is currently a council member of Nala Feminist Collective where she is championing digital justice on the African continent. She was further nominated for the One Young World Politician of the Year Award 2020 & in 2021. In her current role, Honourable Emma plans to better communicate the activities and programs of the Government of the Republic of Namibia, create a more digitally literate nation, increase access to the internet among Namibians and assist in preparing the Namibian nation for the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Mr. Marash Dukaj was born in 1985 and finished his primary and secondary education in Tuzi, Montenegro. He pursued a four-year study program at the University of Montenegro, specializing in teaching. He furthered his education and obtained a Master's degree in School Psychology from the European University of Tirana.

During his professional career, Mr. Dukaj served as a primary school teacher in various schools in Tuzi. He also contributed to the media field, working as a journalist and editor at TV Boin. Additionally, he spent six years as a Director General in the Ministry of Education. His dedication to community service extended to several leadership roles in the Municipality of Tuzi.

Mr. Dukaj's commitment to continuous learning is evident through his participation in numerous seminars, training sessions, and educational programs focused on education and human rights. He is an alumnus of the School of Democratic Leadership and successfully completed the School of Political Studies of the Council of Europe.

Since 28 April 2022, Mr. Dukaj has held the esteemed position of Minister of Public Administration, where he applies his expertise and leadership skills to contribute to the development and improvement of public services.

His contributions to various conferences and forums, both in the country and abroad, showcase his engagement and active involvement in the field.

With proficiency in Albanian, Montenegrin, and English, Dukaj effectively communicates on a multilingual level, further enhancing his capabilities as a leader.

Mr. Dick Christophe Ng Sui Wa, appointed Chairperson of the Information and Technologies Authority (ICT Authority) in February 2020, brings a wealth of legal and leadership experience. A practicing Barrister since 1991, he holds an LLB Honours from the University of London and completed his Master of Business Administration in Innovation and Leadership in 2021. He has held various high-level positions in state institutions, including Commissioner of the Independent Police Complaints Commission and Chairman of the Trust Fund for Specialised Medical Care and the Mauritius Film Development Corporation.

Under his leadership, the ICT Authority has prioritized bridging the digital divide, implementing initiatives such as providing free WiFi zones across Mauritius and donating ICT equipment to NGOs. Mr. Ng Sui Wa aims to position Mauritius as a leader in ICT regulation in Africa, fostering international cooperation and signing agreements with regulators worldwide. He has actively participated in international forums, advocating for ICT development and inclusion. His commitment to sustainable partnerships aligns with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, particularly the goal of leaving no one behind.

Dr. Eng. Jacek Oko serves as the President of the Office of Electronic Communications in Poland, bringing extensive experience as a scientist and manager. Affiliated with the Wroclaw University of Science and Technology and the Wroclaw Centre for Networking and Supercomputing, his expertise lies in the technical, economic, and legal dimensions of telecommunications services and data communication networks, alongside a focus on Internet development, convergence of telecommunications, information technology, and media, as well as issues pertinent to the information society. Dr. Oko's leadership underscores a commitment to navigating the complex landscape of electronic communications while advancing Poland's role in the digital era.

Appointed by the Swedish Government, Dan Sjöblom is the Director-General of the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) since February 1, 2017.  

He was the Chair of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) for 2020 and also vice Chair of The Eastern Partnership Electronic Communications Regulators Network (EaPeReg) in 2021. He is the Chair of The European Regulators Group for Postal Services (ERGP) in 2024.

Prior to taking up his position, Mr. Sjöblom was the Director General of the Swedish Competition Authority from 2009 to 2017. He is also board member of the Swedish Broadband Council.

Mr. Sjöblom performed various functions as a civil servant at the European Commission between 1996-2009. He holds a Master of Laws from Stockholm University.

Andrew Sullivan joined the Internet Society as President and Chief Executive Officer in September 2018.

He has focused on Internet infrastructure and standards since 2001, when he worked to launch the .info Internet top-level domain. Because of that experience, he was part of the team that collaborated with the Internet Society to launch the Public Interest Registry, and take over the operation of the .org top-level domain. He was then a principal contributor to the Variant Issues Project (VIP) undertaken by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The VIP was an effort to bring together several different, previous efforts in support of internationalized domain names. In 2012 he joined Dyn (later, Oracle Dyn) to establish Dyn Labs and then to manage the DNS development and architecture departments. Throughout his career, he has worked to establish and maintain the Internet's critical value as an interoperable, neutral platform.