Agenda

Yolanda Martínez currently works as International Telecommunications Union (ITU) overall lead for GovStack Initiative, helping governments accelerate the digitization of government services. In the public sector, Yolanda led the national digital strategy of Mexico, the digital government unit at the federal level, and the Zapopan digital city program at the local level. She has led several digital transformation initiatives in the private sector while at Deloitte Consulting. In the international arena, Yolanda led the Office of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Chile, has collaborated with United Nations agencies and joined OECD as a peer reviewer for the digital government strategies of various Latin American countries. Yolanda has been recognized by @political as one of the twenty most influential people globally in digital government. She holds a Ph.D. degree in information and knowledge society from the Open University of Catalonia (UOC).

Cora Bay is the Country Engagement Lead of the GovStack Initiative at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and an important member of the GovStack team. She has a diverse professional background, having previously worked with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Washington and the Global Education Office at the University of New Mexico. Cora holds a Bachelor’s degree in Intercultural European and American Studies, Latin American Studies, and Business Economics from the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg. She also earned a Master’s degree in International Relations from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. In her current role, Cora leverages her extensive experience and academic background to drive international cooperation and digital transformation through the GovStack Initiative. 

Noémie Bürkl is the head of the Digitalisation Unit at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in Berlin since February 2023, leading digital innovation in the realm of economic development. With a rich background in international relations and policy, she previously served as the deputy head of division for Multilateral Policy, co-headed the German-Bilateral Cooperation at the German Embassy in Cairo, and contributed her expertise as a senior policy officer at the Federal Foreign Office and a technical program officer at the International Organization for Migration. Noémie's academic journey spans across continents, having studied International and European Relations in France and Canada, and completing a master’s degree in international economics and politics at Charles University in Prague. Her dedication to leveraging digital technologies for economic development and cooperation underscores her commitment to shaping a more connected and prosperous world.

Bayan Khassenova is the Project Manager at the National Information Technology JSC in Kazakhstan. With a diverse background in the organization, she has previously served as the Lead Engineer and HR Manager. Bayan holds a Bachelor's degree in Marketing/Marketing Management from Regent University London. Her multifaceted experience and academic background equip her with the skills to drive projects and initiatives within the organization effectively.

Minister Lizcano has a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University and an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT, boasting impressive credentials. He's also a lawyer with a specialization in Management, Government, and Public Affairs from Colombia's top universities in collaboration with Columbia University. With 23 years of high-government experience, including serving as a Senator (2010-2018) and President of the Senate (2016-2017), Lizcano brings a wealth of expertise. Appointed by President Gustavo Petro, he became Director of the Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic (DAPRE) in August 2022 and later assumed office as Minister of Information and Communications Technologies in May 2023.

Dr. Riham Moawad has over 25 years of experience in the ICT industry, focusing on Digital Transformation and Strategic Business Development. She heads the Strategy Office for Digital Transformation at Egypt's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), where she has worked for over a decade. Dr. Moawad holds two DBAs from Cairo University in National Branding and Investment, and Strategic Marketing and Nation Branding. She also has an MSc in IT, specializing in Human-Computer Interaction from the University of Nottingham. Additionally, she is part of the GovTech Innovation Lab - Egypt and a board member of Beta Capital Consulting.