European
Cyber
Agora

Alena Kudzko is Executive Director of the GLOBSEC US Foundation, which also houses the organization’s flagship GeoTech Center. Her work focuses on the intersection of technology, security, and geopolitics – with a particular emphasis on national resilience and competitiveness. She leads cross-national initiatives that address how governments and companies can collaborate to secure essential technologies and reduce vulnerabilities in an era of global contestation. Over the past decade at GLOBSEC, Alena has shaped the organization’s work on security, defense innovation, and geostrategic competition. She has led high-level dialogues with policymakers, industry leaders, and experts across Europe and the United States, helping to reframe debates on national security, competitiveness, and global partnerships.

Alexis Prokopiev is the Director of the Department of Governance and Democratic Innovation at Make.org, an independent European civic tech organization, a role he has held since 2019. He also serves as Vice-President of Civic Tech Europe (ACTE), where he contributes to shaping the future of civic participation across the continent.

Based between Paris and Brussels, Alexis leads Make.org’s efforts to foster participatory democracy and innovative governance solutions. His career spans academia, public institutions, and civil society: he has taught Public Economics at Sciences Po Paris, worked for the French National Assembly, and collaborated with several NGOs.

Anahita is part of Microsoft’s Responsible AI Public Policy and European Government Affairs teams, which seek to advance effective and interoperable public policy that helps Microsoft, our customers, and the world secure the benefits while ensuring trustworthy development and deployment of AI. Anahita specializes in EU policy on AI and data protection, with a focus on Microsoft's AI Act compliance and participation in the General-Purpose AI Code of Practice. Before joining the Office of Responsible AI, Anahita worked on data protection and human rights due diligence as part of Microsoft's European Government Affairs team. Prior to joining Microsoft, Anahita focused on cybersecurity and privacy law and policy issues at Dell Technologies. Anahita has a BA in Government and Art from Colby College, and an MA in International Relations and Global Conflict Studies from Leiden University.

Andreea Calbeaza is Senior Manager, Government Affairs, part of Microsoft’s Corporate, External and Legal Affairs (CELA) department and working at the intersection of digital and green transformation of Microsoft customers. With over a decade of experience across public policy, civil society, and business, Andreea has previously held roles at the Open Society Foundations, the Romanian Ministry for Social Affairs, and the Secretariat of the Council of the European Union. She holds an MA in Public Policy from the Université Libre de Bruxelles and an MBA in Digital & Sustainability Transformation from the Berlin School of Economics and Law.

Dr Andrea Calderaro is the Director of Cyber Diplomacy at the EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), leading the EU Cyber Direct programme. His work focuses on technology and foreign policy, particularly cybersecurity, cyber diplomacy, and the transnational governance of emerging technologies. His publications include the book "Internet Diplomacy: Shaping the Global Politics of Cyberspace" (ed., 2022) and articles in Third World Quarterly, IJEP, Policy & Internet, and European Security.

He has contributed to bilateral and multilateral cyber dialogues including the UN OEWG, IGF, and WSIS, and has supported cyber capacity-building initiatives across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and LAC. He has served on advisory boards for UNESCO, the European Commission, the UK FCDO, the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE), and the OECD. Currently on leave from Cardiff University where he is Reader/Associate Professor in International Relations, he has held positions at Caltech, FGV Rio de Janeiro, LUISS, and the European University Institute, from which he holds a PhD and MRes in Social and Political Sciences.

Nick Ashton-Hart is the representative of Cybersecurity Tech Accord to the UN and APCO’s Senior Director for Digital Economy Policy based in New York. He is active in the General Assembly’s global cybersecurity discussions and was a lead negotiator for the private sector in the UN Cybercrime Convention negotiations. Over his 25-year public policy career he has been active in high-stakes multilateral negotiations across multiple digital economy domains from representing 38 European member-states at the ITU, various states in WTO ecommerce talks and the tech sector’s de-facto Geneva representative for 15 years. Prior to his career in public policy he was a manager of popular musicians including the Godfather of Soul, James Brown and multi-platinum electronic pop pioneers Heaven 17.

Alberto Di Felice is Policy and Legal Counsel at DIGITALEUROPE, the leading trade association representing digitally transforming industries in Europe. With comprehensive expertise in digital regulation, he oversees the development of the association’s policy content and thought leadership. He also ensures compliance as DIGITALEUROPE’s data protection and antitrust officer. Alberto previously led DIGITALEUROPE’s work in cybersecurity, AI, privacy, data, consumer policy and telecoms regulation. He also spent seven years at Qualcomm, addressing key issues in EU technology policy. A Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/E), Alberto holds advanced degrees in law, European studies and diplomacy.

Andrea Liebman is a Senior Analyst at the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency (MPF), where she focuses on the implications of social media, artificial intelligence, and the evolving digital landscape. She advises on threats and vulnerabilities linked to foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) and contributes to the agency’s strategic analysis for government and other relevant actors.

She also serves as an official spokesperson for MPF, representing the agency nationally and internationally across a broad range of issues in psychological defence. In this capacity, she is regularly invited to high-level forums to share Swedish perspectives on digital resilience, strategic communication, and the safeguarding of democratic societies.

Her background spans more than a decade of international work with the United Nations, International IDEA, and other multilateral organizations, with a focus on strategic communication, crisis management, and security policy. She has also led the communications department at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs.

Andrea holds Master’s degrees in Journalism and International Relations.

Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard is Denmark’s Tech Ambassador. She spearheads Techplomacy – a pioneering initiative elevating technology and digitalization to a crosscutting foreign and security policy priority of the Danish government. Anne Marie and her team have a global mandate and a physical presence in Silicon Valley and Copenhagen, transcending borders and regions in rethinking the traditional understanding of a diplomatic representation.

Prior to her appointment, Anne Marie worked at World Economic Forum in Geneva (2017-2020) where she led the World Economic Forum's work on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Global Public Goods. Her focus was on mobilizing technology companies, governments and civil society to collaboratively tackle the barriers that prevent emerging technology from scaling responsibly to help solve society’s biggest challenges.

Before joining the World Economic Forum, Anne Marie co-founded an innovation house for student entrepreneurship; co-founded Democratic Capital; worked as political advisor in the Danish Parliament; and served on the Board of Directors of Copenhagen Business School and The Danish Consumer Council.

Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard holds a M.Sc. in International Development from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in International Business & Politics from Copenhagen Business School and is a 2017 Global Leadership Fellow with the World Economic Forum.

Prof. Antonio Calcara is Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB) and the Head of the Geopolitics and Technology Programme and Research Professor at CSDS, where he leads the European Research Council project Competition in the Digital Era (CODE): Geopolitics and Technology in the 21st Century. His research has appeared in International Security, Security Studies, Review of International Political Economy, Governance, Journal of European Integration and European Security. He is the author of “European Defence Decision-Making: Dilemmas of Collaborative Arms Procurement” (Routledge).

Astrid Ziebarth is deputy managing director & senior fellow, GMF Technology in the Berlin Office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. She focuses on the question of how digitalization and emerging technologies impact society, with a special focus on migration and migration policy as well as on the future of work.

She does so by leading and coordinating international and interdisciplinary network projects using user-centric design, and by doing analysis and research. Astrid has a Master in North American studies, sociology, and anthropology.

Barbara Gallo is the Head of the Hybrid Threats and Cyber Division at the European External Action Service (EEAS). She has been working on EU policies and initiatives in the field of security and defence, including cybersecurity and hybrid threats, for over 12 years. She served as Member of Cabinet responsible for security and defence in the Cabinet of former High Representative/Vice President Josep Borrell and previously as Political Assistant to the EEAS Deputy Secretary General for Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and Crisis Response. Prior to joining the EU institutions, Barbara has been working on international, development and humanitarian issues, including at the United Nations, Red Cross and NGOs, both at headquarters and in the field.

At NATO HQ, Ben heads work on Alliance Cyber Strategy and Policy. In his role he chairs NATO’s Cyber Defence Committee and coordinates Alliance responses to malicious cyber campaigns at the political level. Before joining NATO, Ben was responsible for cyber policy at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). In his role he guided efforts in developing and operationalizing confidence building measures (CBMs) to reduce the risks of conflicts stemming from the use of cyber capabilities between States.

Christian is Head of the Cyber Coordination Unit in the Directorate-General for Communications, Content and Technology in the European Commission. He is responsible for supporting the coordination of situational awareness and response to cyber crises among relevant Commission services and EU institutions bodies and agencies, as well as cooperation with Member States. Previously he oversaw a study into the future of digital advertising and its impact on privacy, drafted the Data Act proposal, the EU cybersecurity strategy and the roll out of interoperable contact tracing apps during the COVID pandemic. He was head of the Private Office of the European Data Protection Supervisor from 2015-2020 advising on privacy-related legal and policy developments in the EU, including online manipulation, digital monopolies, digital ethics and scientific research. He moved to Brussels in 2008, after several years of advising the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales on senior judicial appointments, discipline and complaints handling, succession planning and constitutional reform matters. He also served for several years as private secretary to the Chairman of the UK Labour Party.

Lea Pavlovic is Manager at Logos Public Affairs in the Defence, Space and Aviation team, where she leads the team’s defence policy activities and manages the European Defence and Security Conference. She was previously Strategy Manager for Space & Defence at Access Partnership, focusing on regulatory compliance and market access within the Space & Spectrum Policy Practice. Lea also served as Vice Chair of the Space, Security and Defence Committee at AmCham EU and founded and led the Space Practice at APCO Worldwide.

Dimitri van Zantvliet is the Cybersecurity Director / Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Dutch Railways (NS). He serves as member of the advisory board of the Dutch NCSC, the Dutch CISO Circle of Trust, is co-founder of the Dutch CISO Foundation and CISO Community, is co-chair of both the Dutch and European Rail ISAC and the Rail CISO Forum. In addition to being an international speaker and columnist, Dimitri is a cyber lecturer, editorial board member of the Global Railway Review journal and advisory board member of Cybersenate. As an Ambassador to the Global Council of Responsible AI and an angel investor in several startups, he actively contributes to the advancement of technology, cybersecurity- and AI governance.

With three decades of experience as a CIO, CTO, and CISO, Dimitri has worked across multinational corporations, local governments, the Dutch Olympic Committee, and now Dutch Railways. A lifelong engineer, he holds an international master’s degree in business administration and a range of esteemed cybersecurity certifications, including CISSP, CRISC, CISA, CISM, CDPSE, CIPP/E, CIPM, and FIP.

Dimitri combines technical expertise with strategic vision, making him a prominent voice in the cybersecurity and AI governance critical infrastructure landscape.

He has been quoted and featured in major publications and outlets, including Computable, Global Railway Review, Enterprise Security, ICT Media, CISO Series, Enisa, CIO.inc, Helpnet Security, CIO TV, IB Magazine and Cybercrime Info.

Freddy Dezeure, Deputy CISO – Europe since August 2025. Contributes to Microsoft’s cybersecurity and resilience strategy, ensuring implementation across the products and services relevant to the European Market. Coordinates activities to implement security by default. Independent Advisor (2017-2025), Official at the European Commission (1987-2017), CIO of a private company (1982-1987). Founder of CERT-EU, EU MITRE ATT&CK User Community and CISO Metrics Working Group. Startup advisor and Board trainer.

"Melanie is an Associate Professor in International Security in the Department of Political Science at University College London where she teaches her flagship course “From Cyberwarfare to Robots: The Future of Conflict in the Digital Age” that examines the nexus of disruptive tech and building defence and resilience. She also teaches courses on international negotiation and tech diplomacy, as well as problem-solving for policymaking at HM Treasury.

She provides practical insights and thought leadership for policymakers across the full spectrum of cyber policy, tech geopolitics, and defence innovation challenges. Having spent four years at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, where she set up the cyber policy function, she has advised leaders globally on cyber resilience policy, the geopolitics of the internet, space, AI, and compute, the rise of tech companies as geopolitical actors, data governance as well as the future of defence."

Mrs. Gabrielle Miséré is Deputy head of the international cybersecurity policy unit at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. She was previously political counselor at the French Embassy in Beijing from 2020 to 2023. Gabrielle has joined the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2016, she served at the Asia Directorate from 2016 to 2018 and at the Directorate for Strategic, Security and Disarmament Affairs from 2018 to 2020. Gabrielle is a graduate from the Institut d'études politiques d'Aix-en-Provence and the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO).

Georgi Dimitrov is responsible for the Digital Education unit in the European Commission, Directorate General for Education and Culture. He joined the European Commission in 2008 and was first involved in various roles in setting up the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). He then helped to develop and launch HEInnovate, an initiative by the European Commission and the OECD aimed at supporting universities to become more entrepreneurial. He led the development of the first Digital Education Action Plan adopted in January 2018 and also of the new Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 that was adopted in September 2020. Before joining the Commission, Georgi worked for a leading multinational telecommunication company and in a software start-up in Germany. Georgi studied at the University of Bonn (M.A.), the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (PhD) and the Open University UK (MBA in Technology Management).

Paul Timmers is professor at KU Leuven, focusing on geopolitics and technology. He authored studies on digital industrial policy, cybersecurity strategic autonomy, resilience/ security of telecoms and digital supply chains, AI governance. He is co-author of the recent EuroStack report on digital sovereignty for Europe. He is member of the advisory council of the Netherlands’ National Digitalisation Strategy.

Paul Timmers was Director at the European Commission responsible for legislation and funding for cybersecurity, e-ID, digital privacy, digital health, smart cities, and e-government. He was cabinet member of European Commissioner Liikanen. He is former research associate at the University of Oxford and Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Estonian eGovernance Academy.

Marco Criscuolo is NATO’s Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary General and Director Strategy and Policy with the Cyber and Digital Transformation Division. He leads strategy and policy efforts to advance the Alliance’s agenda on cyber defence, digital transformation, and hybrid resilience, as well as developing and coordinating the Alliance’s efforts on countering cyber threats.

From 2021 to 2025, he held the position of Deputy Director NATO Digital Staff, launching the Alliance's digital transformation initiative, through the development of policy, strategies and standards for digital technologies, as well as a reform improving digital governance and management.

From 2012 to 2021, he covered various roles in the NATO Office of Security, Joint Intelligence and Security Division, primarily as Head of the Security and Policy Oversight Branch but also as Director NATO Office of Security ad interim. His responsibilities spanned across the domains of Personnel, Physical, Protective, Information, Industrial, and Cyber Security.

In 2006, he joined NATO as civilian of the International Military Staff and served until 2011 in NHQC3S as Information Assurance and Cyber Defence Principal Policy and Technical Advisor.

From 1991 to 2005 he worked as Officer of the Italian Air Force, fulfilling various roles primarily about digitalization and information management in the Air Force Staff, the Ministry of Defence and NATO.

Marco Criscuolo holds a Master of Science Degree in Technology Management and a second level Master in Geopolitics, Economic Globalization and International Institutions.

Gosia Loj is the Deputy Head of the Security and Technology Programme, where she leads the Artificial Intelligence and Science and Technology teams.

Prior to this, she served in the UK government since 2018 at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, where she held several leadership roles including Head of the AI Safety Summit, Head of UK Cyber Strategy and International, and Head of Global Governance, spearheading UK’s efforts in setting global norms and frameworks on AI, data governance and emerging technologies in multilateral fora. She also set up and led the UK’s G7 Presidency, Digital and Technology Track during in 2021 and was appointed Vice-Chair for the Committee on Digital Economy Policy at OECD from 2021-23.

Before joining the British civil service, Gosia held various roles across the UN system in Geneva, as well as within the European Commission and NATO in Brussels.

Gosia holds a Master’s in International Development from the University of Amsterdam, a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Politics and Economics from the University of Bath and a Diploma in Technology and Innovation from MIT.

She is a dual Polish–British national and speaks English, Polish, Spanish and Portuguese, with working proficiency in French.

"Freeke is a seasoned executive at the forefront of quantum and deeptech innovation. She has a proven trackrecord of building ecosystems at the intersection of policy, academia, and industry. As co-founder and first director of Quantum Delta NL, the Dutch national quantum initiative, she spearheaded its €615M Ecosystem Approach, one of the largest public investments in quantum worldwide.

In 2024, she joined Qblox as partime Government Affairs Officer and was elected in May 2025 as Vice-President of QuIC. In parallel she launched an independent consultancy, advising leading organizations including NATO on quantum supply-chain vulnerabilities.

Beyond her executive roles, Freeke serves on advisory boards for the European Innovation Council (EIC) and OrangeQS, and is a two-term Co-Chair of a WEF Global Future Council.

As a trained Delft Systems Engineer, she was in senior leadership positions at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs before dedicating herself to Europe’s quantum technology landscape.

Henri van Soest is a senior analyst at RAND Europe and a professor of policy analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy. He focuses on emerging technology governance and energy and natural resources governance. He has also worked extensively on critical infrastructure protection. societal resilience, space, cybersecurity, and economic security. At RAND, he has managed studies involving global teams for a wide range of clients including the European Union, the UK government, and the Dutch government. Van Soest previously worked as a researcher in energy policy and digitalisation at the University of Oslo, as an analyst in the cleantech startup sector, and as a corporate governance and corporate social responsibility analyst in a multinational bank. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge, with a thesis on the governance of cybersecurity in the European electricity system.

Agustin Diaz-Pines is Deputy Head of the Unit “Future Connectivity Systems” at DG CNECT (European Commission), responsible for the policy and strategic developments in 5G and 6G communication networks as part of the Digital Decade strategy to foster investment, innovation and European leadership in the field.

His previous roles at the European Commission include policy development in electronic communications and policy assistant to the Director of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Industry at DG CNECT, and merger review in the telecoms, ICT and media sectors in DG Competition.

Previously he worked as a telecommunications economist at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, Paris). He started his career at the Spanish government (State Secretariat for Telecommunications and the Information Society), involved in national and European ICT policy.

Agustin holds a Masters in Telecommunications Engineering from the Madrid University of Technology and a PhD in Management/Economic Sciences from École Polytechnique/Paris-Saclay in Paris (France).

"Mark is the EU advocacy lead for international human rights organisation ARTICLE 19. ARTICLE 19 is a global civil society organisation that works for a world where all people everywhere can freely express themselves and actively engage in public life without fear of discrimination. To protect free expression online, we advocate for pro-competitive solutions to dilute corporate power and guarantee diversity, openness, and fairness.

Based in Brussels, Mark oversees advocacy across a broad range of files where freedom of speech and access to information issues arise; files include inter alia, the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) as well as work on the European Commission's proposed Anti-SLAPPs Directive.

In the past Mark was Team Leader for the European Commission on a data protection project overseeing implementation of data protection legislation in non-EU states, with a focus on the Global South and Asia. Mark was also a Regional Director for an US development finance non-profit managing teams across the Middle East (Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Egypt) over a 4.5-year stint and before Brussels, spent 4 years as an EU policy advisor in London for the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). He has an undergraduate degree in Economics & Finance and master’s degrees in European Economics and Public Affairs and Public Policy. He is currently taking a postgraduate in EU Competition law at King’s College, London

Based in Brussels, Ian Lesser is Distinguished Fellow and Advisor to the President at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). Dr. Lesser has served in a range of leadership positions at GMF, including as Vice President and Acting President of the organization. As Director of Ian Lesser BV, a private company, he has led the Brussels office of GMF and GMF’s work on the Mediterranean and the wider Atlantic. Dr. Lesser also holds the Chair in Transatlantic Affairs at the College of Europe in Bruges. Prior to joining GMF, Dr. Lesser was a Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and Vice President and Director of Studies at the Pacific Council on International Policy. He came to the Pacific Council from the RAND Corporation, where he spent over a decade as a senior analyst and research manager specializing in strategic studies. From 1994-1995, he was a member of the Secretary’s Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State. A frequent commentator for international media, he has written extensively on foreign and security policy issues. He serves on the advisory boards of the Antwerp-America Foundation, the NATO Defense College Foundation and the Delphi Economic Forum, and has been a senior fellow of the Onassis Foundation, a visiting fellow of the Luso-American Development Foundation, and a senior advisor to the Commander, US European Command. Dr. Lesser received his D. Phil from Oxford University.

James Sullivan is the Director of Cyber and Tech at RUSI, a leading defence and security think tank. He founded and has grown a research group that shines a light on critical cyber and technology issues, partnering with governments, the private sector and academia to advance global policy debate and publish evidence-based research.

Jeremy Rollison is Director of EU Government Affairs within Microsoft’s Corporate, External, & Legal Affairs (CELA) group. Based in Brussels, he focuses on cloud policy related to the EU Digital Single Market (DSM), with a particular emphasis on data issues and corresponding public policy covering privacy, cybersecurity, and the cross-border provision of online services. Prior to joining Microsoft, he worked in the Government Relations team at Nokia in the company’s EU representative office, and was previously Director of the European Digital Media Association (EDiMA) in Brussels. He has over a decade of public policy experience in Brussels at the company, association, and consultancy levels, focusing and engaging with EU stakeholders on issues related to the development and delivery of digital and online services in the Internal Market and corresponding EU regulatory policy.

Francesca Bosco is Chief Strategy Officer at the CyberPeace Institute, where she leads multistakeholder initiatives to strengthen digital resilience and cybersecurity capacity across sectors. With over 18 years of experience at the intersection of international law, human rights, and cyber policy, she has held senior roles at the United Nations and the World Economic Forum. Her work focuses on systemic risks and opportunities from emerging technologies such as AI and quantum computing, and she has led programs addressing cybercrime, critical infrastructure protection, disinformation, and the misuse of technology. Francesca connects global policy frameworks with operational implementation, ensuring that cybersecurity and cyber capacity building efforts are context-specific, sustainable, and aligned with development priorities. She advises leaders and boards on integrating cybersecurity into governance to foster responsible technology use, leads initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion in the field, and connects global policy with practical, on-the-ground implementation. As Chief Strategy Officer at the CyberPeace Institute, Francesca leads the development of strategic programs and multistakeholder partnerships to strengthen digital resilience across sectors.Her work bridges the technical and policy dimensions of cybersecurity, with a focus on mitigating harms from cyberattacks and disinformation, and ensuring emerging technologies like AI serve the public good. Her expertise lies in connecting global policy frameworks with operational support, ensuring that cybersecurity capacity building and technical assistance efforts are sustainable, context-specific, and aligned with development priorities.

He was formerly in government relations at Zoom Video Communications. Prior to that, Baums held other positions within the corporate world, most recently as Head of the Global Strategy Program at HP and as Head of Government Relations Europe/Middle East/Africa at HP. Ansgar also worked for SAP AG, the German Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications, and New Media – Bitkom, and Germany's Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

Ansgar holds a master's degree with distinction in international strategy and economics from the University of St. Andrews and a postgraduate diploma in political science from the Free University Berlin.

Dr Raluca Csernatoni is a research Fellow at Carnegie Europe in Brussels, Belgium, where she specialises in European security and defence, with a focus on emerging and disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). At Carnegie Europe, she is a Team Leader and Senior Research Expert on new technologies for the EU-funded project, EU Cyber Diplomacy Initiative - EU Cyber Direct (EUCD), and leads Carnegie Europe’s research on ‘The EU’s Techno-Politics of AI’. Csernatoni is currently a Professor on European security and defence, focusing on new technologies, at the Brussels School of Governance (BSoG) and its Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) and Vesalius College (VeCo), at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium. At the CSDS, she is a Senior Researcher on digital technologies for the Horizon Europe project, ‘Indo-Pacific-European Hub for Digital Partnerships: Trusted Digital Technologies for Sustainable Well-Being’ (INPACE). She is also Co-Leader of the Flemish Research Council (FWO) Research Network ‘Technology, Security and Conflict’ (2024-2029). Since 2022, Csernatoni is Co-Leader of the ‘Governance of Emerging Technology’ Research Group with the Centre on Security and Crisis Governance (CRITIC) at the Royal Military College Saint-Jean, Canada.

Between 2022 and 2025, Csernatoni was invited to join as a Visiting Professor on European security, new military technologies, and the future of warfare by the Department of International Relations of Central European University (CEU) in Vienna, Austria. Previously, Csernatoni was a Postdoctoral Researcher and Lecturer with the Department of International Relations at the Institute of Political Studies at Charles University in Prague, Czechia. Csernatoni researched EU security, defence, and technological policies at the Faculté des Sciences Sociales et Politiques of Université libre de Bruxelles, at the Royal Higher Institute for Defence’s Centre for Security and Defence Studies, and at the International Security Information Service Europe in Brussels. She was also a Research Fellow in the Study Program on European Security at the Institute for European Politics in Berlin, Germany, and conducted research at the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance in Maastricht, The Netherlands. Csernatoni holds a PhD and a Master’s degree in International Relations from the CEU.

Her academic articles appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as the International Journal of Cyber Diplomacy, Journal of Political and Military Sociology, Minds and Machines: Journal for Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy and Cognitive Science, Global Policy, Geopolitics, European Foreign Affairs Review, European Security, Critical Military Studies, Global Affairs, and European View. Her co-edited book, Emerging Security Technologies and EU Governance: Actors, Practices and Processes, was published with Routledge Studies in Conflict, Security and Technology Series in 2020.

Dr. Joana de Deus Pereira is a United Nations Mandate Holder on the Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries, appointed in July 2024. She is a Senior Research Fellow at RUSI Europe, specialising in counter-terrorism and preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE), delivering capacity-building and policy advice across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Central and Southeast Asia. Joana led the EU Thematic Trainings on P/CVE and was research coordinator for the Radicalisation Awareness Network Policy Support (RANPS) team.

She is also Adjunct Professor at Sciences Po (Paris), lecturer at NATO’s Centre of Excellence for Defence Against Terrorism, and a board member of the NOVA School of Law War & Law Lab. Her current research and policy engagement focus on how mercenary and private security practices intersect with cyber capabilities, information operations and other transnational risks.

She is a co-founder of the Private Military and Security Companies (PMSC) Research Group at King's College London, holds a Ph.D. in War Studies from King’s College London, focusing on the privatisation of security in Angola and Nigeria, and was a post-doctoral MSCA Fellow.

Fanta Orr serves a Director within Microsoft Global Affairs, where she works to advance responsible state conduct in cyberspace. This policy-focused role comes after five years as a cyber threat analyst and Director of Intelligence Analysis in various groups, including the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center, driving analysis intended to expose and spur global action against state-sponsored digital threats.

Ms. Orr was the principal author of Microsoft’s April 2022 Special Report on Ukraine, collaborating with the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center and the AI for Good Research Lab to illuminate the hybrid dimensions of the conflict. She remains actively engaged in monitoring the progression of hybrid conflict and its implications for policy. Prior to her tenure at Microsoft, Ms. Orr dedicated nearly fourteen years to the United States government in national security roles.

Mahé Dersoir has been working at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs since 2021. Before joining cyber diplomacy in 2023, he previously held a position as Policy Officer for the Ambassador for Digital Affairs. Today, he particularly focuses on cyber capacity building efforts and cyber proliferation issues.

Liz is a UK diplomat in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with ten years of experience in London and overseas. Her roles have included postings in Brussels, Tallinn, San Francisco, and as Deputy Head of Mission in the British Embassy Santo Domingo from 2018 to 2022. She is currently First Secretary based at the UK Mission to the EU (UKMis), with a Europe-wide regional role on issues including resilience and the Pall Mall Process.

Pablo Rice is the Head of the Cyber and Emerging Technologies Governance programme at the Paris Peace Forum. In this capacity, he is coordinating the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace, one of the main multi-stakeholder initiatives to advance common norms for human security in the ICT environment. His fields of expertise include cyber and hybrid policy, law of armed conflicts, arms control law and AI risks governance.

"Johannes joined Siemens in 2016 as Senior Director for EU Government Affairs. His main focus lies on EU policy and legislation linked to Digitalization, Cybersecurity and the Data Economy.

Johannes has extensive experience in Public Affairs and Communications, having worked in Brussels and Washington, D.C. over the past ten years.

He holds degrees in International Relations and Business from Universities in Germany, Spain, France and the UK.

Joyce is the deputy director of the International Security Programme at Chatham House, where she plays a leading role in shaping the programme’s research and strategic direction. She oversees a portfolio of work on arms control, technology and security, cyber policy and conflict prevention, and manages a team of researchers contributing to these areas.

Alongside her leadership responsibilities, Joyce is also a Senior Research Fellow specialising in cyber policy. Her research focuses on international cyber diplomacy, state behaviour in cyberspace, cybercrime, and the intersection of technology and security. She is also the commissioning editor for the Journal of Cyber Policy.

Prior to joining Chatham House, Joyce worked with the United Nations, the International Federation of Red Cross as well as other non-profit organizations.

Joyce received her Master’s degree in International Law from SOAS, the University of London.

Julia Tréhu is a Paris-based program manager and fellow with GMF Technology. Her focus is on US and European digital and technology policy, including technology-related trade and investment policy, platform regulation, data governance, and artificial intelligence. Tréhu holds master’s degrees in international political economy from the London School of Economics and in international security from Sciences Po Paris, and a bachelor’s degree in history from Princeton University.

Gunnar Halley is an Assistant General Counsel in the Microsoft Global Affairs group at Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters, where he leads the Telecom regulatory team. He provides regulatory and compliance guidance for Microsoft’s global network facilities that connect its data centers including subsea and terrestrial fiber optic cables, and coordinates with regulatory and national security agencies overseeing those facilities. He and his team also provide global telecom-related product development and compliance guidance across more than 45 countries for Azure, Teams, and Outlook, among other products and services, which includes telecom-specific guidance relating to privacy, cybersecurity, and anti-fraud and managing relations with telecom regulatory authorities. Before joining Microsoft, Gunnar practiced telecommunications law at law firms in Washington, DC. He graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service with a degree in International Economics and earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Representing Amadeus IT Group, Benjamin Ledwon is responsible for industry affairs at EU and DACH level. Previously, he worked at Deutsche Telekom, Bitkom and as assistant in the European Parliament, primarily on digital policies and regulations. Benjamin has a bachelor's degree in History and International Relations from the University of Exeter, a master's degree in Political Science from the London School of Economics and a LLM in competition from the Brussels Law and Policy Study Center.

Kia Slæbæk Jensen is the Chair at the Horisontal Working Party on Cyber Issues during the Danish Danish Presidency of the Council of the European and has over seven years of cybersecurity policy experience. Kia specialises in cybersecurity preparedness, legislation and international collaboration, and has been closely involved in the negotiation of major EU cybersecurity initiatives including the NIS2-directive, the Cyber Resilience Act and the Cyber Solidarity Act. Prior to joining the Danish Permanent Representation, Kia led the work regarding EU issues and collaboration at the Danish Centre for Cyber Security.

Laila Reenberg, Director General of the Danish Resilience Agency Laila Reenberg is Director General of the Danish Resilience Agency, a new agency under the Danish Ministry of Resilience and Preparedness. Laila Reenberg has over 25 years of executive experience in the Danish Ministry of Defence, including roles as Director of the Danish Emergency Management Agency and Director of the Danish Ministry of Defence Personnel Agency. She holds a Master of Laws (cand.jur.) from the University of Copenhagen.

Petya Barzilska is Head of Policy at EIES, leading policy analysis and research. Petya has a decade of experience in the fields of political risk, energy policy, conflict, and energy transition risks as an analyst, researcher and risk consultant. Prior to joining EIES, Petya was the Sovereign Research Lead at ISS ESG, where she led a team of analysts conducting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) sovereign research for sustainable investment solutions and analyses. She has worked on EU trade, energy and security policy, and the implications of geopolitical events on supply chains and energy transition as part of S&P Global Market Intelligence and IHS Markit, providing analysis for stakeholders in the energy, financial, mining, manufacturing and public sectors.

Lindsay Gorman is the Managing Director and Senior Fellow at the German Marshall Fund’s Technology Program. Her work focuses on US-China technology competition, including AI policy, quantum information, advanced telecommunications, cybersecurity, transatlantic information, and democratic responses to autocratic technology interference. Most recently, Lindsay served as a senior advisor in the Biden White House, where she crafted and led US technology initiatives and national security strategy. Lindsay is currently a member at the Council on Foreign Relations and a security fellow at the Truman National Security Project. She regularly delivers briefs and keynote addresses across the Atlantic on China’s digital technologies and how to build democratic approaches to emerging technologies.

"Enrique Sánchez Bautista got his PhD in 2015 in Experimental Quantum Physics in the Institute of Photonic Sciences in Barcelona. In 2016 he concluded studies in European Diplomacy in the school of Diplomacy in Spain, where he completed a thesis on the relations between the European Union and the European Space Agency. After completing the programme in Leadership in Public Administration at IESE Business School, and another in Leadership in Political Management, he moved into EU policy and strategy, first joining the European Commission in 2017 in the EU Space Programmes Directorate and then serving as Head of Policy at the European Physical Society.

In 2019, Enrique was appointed head of the EU Quantum Flagship's office in Brussels, where he has played a key leadership role in shaping European policy on quantum technologies. His efforts have supported major initiatives including the creation of the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure, the Quantum Computing and Simulation Infrastructure, and the EU Quantum Chips initiative. In 2020, Enrique led and coordinated together with Professor Tommaso Calarco the process that brought together over 500 stakeholders to create the European Quantum Industry Consortium, being awarded in 2021 with the AMETIC "Business Excellence in Quantum Technologies" prize.

Enrique has been a consistent bridge between the scientific community and policymakers, contributing strategic vision and coordination to advance Europe's leadership in quantum technologies. As such, Enrique had an instrumental role in the signature of the European Declaration on Quantum Technologies in 2023, which was the seed of the Quantum Europe Strategy launched on July 2nd 2025. Since then, he is coordinating the High Level Board of experts that advise Executive Vice-president Henna Virkkunen on the implementation of the Quantum Europe Strategy.

Tomas Jakimavicius is Director of European Government Affairs within Microsoft's Corporate, External and Legal Affairs (CELA) group. Based in Brussels, he focuses on Digital Infrastructure, Cloud, Quantum and Industrial regulatory policies impacting Microsoft and its customers’ use of and access to Microsoft’s products and services. Tomas has over 15 years of a wide-ranging senior level experience in both private and public sectors. In his career, he held leadership and advisory positions in trade associations and private sector companies and served as a diplomat representing Lithuania at the Council of the European Union with a focus on EU digital tech policies. He holds an MSc in Leadership & International Relations from Boston University and an MSc in Enterprise Information Systems from the University of Westminster.

Louise Marie Hurel is a research fellow in RUSI’s Cyber and Tech team, where her work focuses on cyber diplomacy, tech supply chain security, cyber attribution, cybersecurity companies’ role in statecraft and cyber capacity building. Louise also leads RUSI’s Partnership for Responsible Cyber Behaviour. Her doctoral research at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) focuses on the history of private authority and the political economy of private companies in cybersecurity. For more than half a decade, Louise Marie led Igarapé Institute’s Digital Security Programme, coordinating multiple efforts to connect national, regional and international cyber policy discussions. In addition to her research, Louise is a Senior Associate Fellow at both Virtual Routes, co-chair of the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE) Strategic Steering Committee, an appointed member of Brazil’s National Cybersecurity Committee and a member of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research's Roundtable for AI, Security and Ethics (RAISE). In 2023, Louise was nominated as a 35 under 35 Future Leaders by CIDOB-Santander.

"Luka is Advanced AI Policy Officer at CFG, focusing on how developments in advanced AI and global political trends shape governance, security and defense policies, and international cooperation.

His work focuses on how advanced AI and global political trends shape EU governance, security and defence policy, and international cooperation. He analyses legislative pathways, engages with key EU institutions and stakeholders, and helps design risk-conscious, politically feasible policy strategies. Luka also leads outreach efforts to position CFG in critical AI policy debates, develops briefings for decision-makers, and supports high-level advocacy and coalition-building across the AI ecosystem.

He holds degrees from Georgetown University and DePauw University and has worked across public, private, and non-profit sectors. A native of Zagreb, Croatia, Luka is a frequent media commentator on transatlantic relations, security, and defence, with appearances on CNBC, Euronews, and Voice of America.

Marta Przywała is a Lead of AI and Cybersecurity Policy in SAP EU Government Affairs. She has almost 10 years of experience in a variety of cybersecurity policy, advisory, and research roles in both the private and public sectors. Marta joined SAP in 2020. Since then, she has worked in multiple tech and industry policy areas. Before joining SAP, she gained experience in the European Commission’s DG CNECT in the cybersecurity policy unit among others. Marta is a graduate of a Franco-Polish MA double-degree program in political science and is a graduate of Aspen Young Leaders Program.

Katarzyna Prusak–Górniak, legal advisor, Head of Digital Affairs Unit in the Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU, cyber attache, Vice-chair of the Governing Board of the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC). Responsible for matters relating to cybersecurity, digital identity, trust services, cloud and data protection. Former director of the Legal Department in the Ministry of Digital Affairs.

Maria Laura Frigotto is Full Professor of Organization Studies at the University of Trento, specializing in organizational resilience as a multidisciplinary concept at the intersection of organization studies, sociology, and sustainability. Her research examines novelty in organizations — from serendipitous breakthroughs to disruptive shocks — and its role in resilience. Since 2020, she has convened an annual track on organizational resilience at the European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Colloquium. Her studies have been published in major journals, and her research on resilience has led to a co-edited Palgrave volume (2022) and a forthcoming special issue of Research in the Sociology of Organizations (2026) that brings together leading scholars from neighboring fields to strengthen resilience’s theoretical foundations and clarify its distinctions from related concepts.

Max Smeets is the Co-Director of Virtual Routes, and serves as Managing Editor of Binding Hook. He also holds research positions at ETH Zurich, the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation. Max is the author of Ransom War: How Cyber Crime Became a Threat to National Security and No Shortcuts: Why States Struggle to Develop a Military Cyber Force.

Nemanja Malisevic joined Microsoft in 2014. He leads the company’s efforts related to digital diplomacy, aimed at advancing responsible behaviour in cyberspace for a peaceful, stable, and secure online world.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Mr. Malisevic worked more than 10 years for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) where he was the Organization’s first Cyber Security Officer. Before that, he led the Organization’s efforts dealing with combating terrorist use of the Internet.

Mr. Malisevic holds a Bachelor degree (B.A) from the University of Wales (Cardiff, UK) and a Masters degree (M.Litt.) from the University of St. Andrews (St. Andrews, UK).

In his spare time he does burpees. Lots.

Laurens Cerulus leads POLITICO Europe’s team of reporters covering cybersecurity, privacy and data protection issues as Cybersecurity Editor. He also supports the broader team of reporters covering technology issues as Deputy Technology Editor.

Laurens started at POLITICO Europe as a Web Producer in April 2015 to work on our multimedia and data journalism. He moved to a reporter role on the technology team in April 2016, covering telecoms, data protection and cybersecurity issues as a reporter, senior policy reporter and global cybersecurity correspondent.

Prior to joining POLITICO, Laurens worked at EU affairs publication EURACTIV and reported stories from Brussels for international media including the BBC World Service, Deutsche Welle, The Independent, Sunday Times, European Voice, Monocle and others.

He is a graduate of City University London’s journalism department and holds master’s degrees in history and international politics. He is a Belgian, born in Leuven.

Dr. Tatjana Evas is a Team Leader on technical requirements, conformity assessment and regulated products in the European Commission (DG CNECT), AI Office Artificial Intelligence Regulation and Compliance Unit. She is one of the key members of the European Commission’s drafting, negotiating and implementing team for the AI Act, primarily overseeing the technical requirements, standardization, conformity assessment, market surveillance, and cybersecurity. Furthermore, she is responsible for the coordination and development of guidance on the relationship between the AI Act and sectoral legislation, notably on medical devices, machinery regulation, cybersecurity, and automotive legislation. Dr. Evas’ portfolio in the Unit also includes technical work with standardization organizations (CEN/CENELEC JTC-21 and ISO SC-42) and international cooperation on AI. From 2022 she holds a position as vice-chair of the OECD Working Party on Artificial Intelligence Governance (AIGO) and represents the Commission in work with the G7, UN, Canada, and the United States. Tatjana holds a PhD in law from the University of Bremen (Germany). Before joining the European civil service in 2015, she had professional experience in academia and the non-governmental sector, working on the intersection of technology and law.

Rob Spiger is Director for Cybersecurity Policy at Microsoft, leading global efforts to advance cyber resilience, security by design, and regulatory harmonization. With over two decades at Microsoft, Rob has shaped industry standards and driven transformative policy initiatives—including representing Microsoft in the European Union Cyber Resilience Expert Group and contributing to the CISA Secure by Design Pledge.

Rob is recognized for building coalitions across industry, government, and academia, mediating complex compromises, and connecting technical governance to policy advocacy. Rob holds degrees in computer science with honors and electrical engineering from the University of Washington and remains committed to fostering innovation and trust in the global cybersecurity ecosystem.

Anna Schwendicke is head of the BSI's market surveillance.

Since September 2021, market surveillance has been monitoring the compliance of these products while they are certified and can take action on an ad hoc or ad hoc basis.

Market surveillance is part of the supervising NCCA in the CSA and has been closely following the genesis of the CRA. BSI is working on guidance for the CRA in form of the technical guideline TR 03183.

BSI will be notifying authority and market surveillance authority under the CRA in Germany.

Felix Reda (he/they) is Senior Director of Developer Policy at GitHub. He has been shaping digital policy for over ten years, including serving as a Member of the European Parliament from 2014 to 2019. His professional focus is on the sustainability of the open-source ecosystem. Felix serves on the board of the Open Knowledge Foundation Germany and Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte (GFF). He holds an M.A. in Political Science and Communications Science from the University of Mainz, Germany.

Siddhi Pal (she/her) is a Senior Policy Researcher at interface, where she leads evidence-informed research on AI talent and competitiveness that shapes European technology policy. She regularly briefs policymakers while driving public discourse through speaking engagements at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the UN General Assembly, and EU institutional venues. With degrees in Public Policy from Oxford and Social Psychology from LSE, she previously served as Policy Advisor at the UK's Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, developing strategies for an inclusive digitally-skilled workforce. As an Ingka (IKEA) Young Leaders Forum Advisory Member and Diplomatic Courier Expert Network member, she advises on strategic issues at the intersection of business, sustainability, and inclusive innovation.

Siggi Stefnisson leads Technology at Gen, including core technology as well as the teams driving the security engines that shape the company’s vision for Cyber Safety. Prior to his roles as Cyber Safety CTO, Siggi served as the head of the Threat Labs team and transformed the organization with over 100 security experts focused on developing new methods to counteract malware threats.

Before joining Avast in March 2021, Siggi was the Vice President of Threat Research at Cyren, where he spent over 7 years honing his cybersecurity expertise. With more than 25 years in the industry, he started as a virus researcher in 1996 at FRISK which was acquired by Cyren (formerly Commtouch) in 2012. His work involves advanced threat analysis and the development of best practices in cybersecurity. Throughout his career, he’s had a passion for mentorship and building high-performance teams while using technology as an enabler to bring the best out of people.

Siggi is a member of the Computer Antivirus Research Organization (CARO), an organization established in 1990 to research and study malware.

Stéphane Duguin is the CEO of the CyberPeace Institute. Humanitarian, entrepreneur, investigator, he spent two decades tracking how criminals groups and terrorists organisation weaponise disruptive technologies, such as Al, against vulnerable communities. Stephane leads the CyberPeace Institute to provide free cybersecurity for the most vulnerable and hold threat actors to account for the harms they cause. Prior, at Europol, Stephane led major international counter cybercrime, terrorism and hybrid threats operations, and investigated threat actors deploying cyberattacks, illegal content and disinformation techniques.

Stéphane Duguin is a member of the Incubation Advisory Board of the Open Quantum Institute, the Global Forum on Cybercrime Expertise (GFCE), the Tech4Trust initiative, the Fighting Terrorist Content Online (FRISCO) and the Global Cyber Alliance (GCA).

Stéphane has published a book, over 50 articles, book chapters, conference papers, and commentary essays exploring themes like AI, cybercrime, disinformation, and OSINT techniques. Holding numerous keynotes, he shed light on criminal innovation in the age of technology, notably briefing the United Nation Security Council on the cyberthreats against international Peace and Security.

Stéphane served in EUROPOL as senior manager in the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), the European Internet Referral Unit (EU IRU), and the Europol Innovation Lab.

Steven Everts joined the EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) as Director in September 2023. Prior to joining the EUISS, Dr Everts was at the European External Action Service (EEAS) where he served as Senior Advisor to the HR/VP on Strategy and Communications. Previously, he was a Senior Advisor in the Asia-Pacific Department of the EEAS, acting as the Alternate EU SOM for the ASEM process. He was also a Member of the Cabinet of HR/VP Catherine Ashton with responsibility for Asia and the Pacific, Turkey, and the general issue of how to frame and strengthen the EU's relations with its strategic partners. Between 2005 and 2009, Steven Everts worked for SG/HR Javier Solana, both as his Personal Representative for Energy and Foreign Policy and as a Member of his Cabinet. Before his time at the EU, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the London-based Centre for European Reform and Director of the CER's transatlantic programme, which covered the full range of US-European relations. He holds a DPhil in International Relations from the University of Oxford and an MA in Political Science from Leiden University in the Netherlands.

Ann Sander Nielsen is currently the Danish EU Council Presidency chair responsible for cyber and digital diplomacy. A career diplomat, she has previously worked on supporting Ukraine, as well as EU industrial policy and competitiveness. Before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Ann worked at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment, dealing among other things with G7/G20 multilateral negotiations on climate and the environment, and gained experience at the Cabinet of European Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager. Ann holds an MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics and a BA in Political Science from the Free University of Berlin.

Torsten Schack Pedersen is the Danish Minister for Resilience and Preparedness. Together with the responsible sectors, the Ministry of Resilience and Preparedness is in charge of preventing, withstanding and addressing incidents, crises and catastrophes as well as other large-scale events, which challenge the vital functions of society.

The minister has long-standing political experience from the Danish parliament (Folketing). He has held a wide range of spokesperson positions, including on economy and finance, trade and industry, immigration and integration, as well as telecommunications and fisheries. He has also served as vice-chairman of the Finance Committee and the Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Committee.

Torsten Schack Pedersen holds an MSc in Economics from the University of Copenhagen and, prior to his ministerial career, worked as an independent businessman in the communications sector.