Carlo Nordio is an Italian essayist, politician, and former magistrate who has served as Italy’s Minister of Justice since 2022 in the Meloni government. Throughout his career, he has played key roles in several judicial investigations and served as an advisor to important parliamentary committees, including those focused on terrorism and the mafia. Nordio chaired the Committee for Criminal Code Reform from 2002 to 2006 and coordinated the Parliamentary Committee on the Status of Local Administrators in 2007. Elected to the Chamber of Deputies with the Fratelli d’Italia party in 2022, he was also a prolific newspaper author and columnist for three decades, publishing around a thousand editorials primarily on justice and politics. He has chaired the Campiello literary prize jury and received numerous prestigious awards for both legal and literary contributions, such as the Silone, Falcone and Borsellino, and Cimitile prizes.

Yulian Kritsak is a youth policy expert and civic activist with deep expertise in advocacy, non-formal education, and public participation. He founded the NGO “3.5 percent” and serves on the Supervisory Board of the Ukrainian Youth Foundation. Formerly, he chaired the National Youth Council of Ukraine and played a key role in shaping the Government Youth Strategy 2020–2030.On the international stage, Yulian worked as a youth rights expert with the European Youth Forum. He has led over 70 advocacy projects and collaborated with prominent organizations such as UNICEF and the European Union. He holds academic degrees in international economic relations and law.

Nataliia Shapoval is the Chairman of the KSE Institute, the policy research division of the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE). She has eight years of experience leading and conducting policy-oriented economic research across diverse areas including public procurement, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, strategic private sector development, government economic strategies, regional policy, and international trade. Nataliia contributed to the Ukraine reform monitoring project of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and serves on the Editorial Board of VoxUkraine. She was CEO of the Kyiv School of Economics from 2019 to 2020 before taking on her current leadership role at the KSE Institute.

Kyrylo Kryvolap is the Managing Partner of Civitta Ukraine and Co-founder of the Centre for Economic Recovery. With over 20 years of experience spanning private sector and government initiatives, he leads major reform projects in economic policy, healthcare, energy, e-governance, and human capital at Civitta Ukraine, part of a global consulting network with offices in 21 countries.In 2020, Kyrylo co-founded the NGO Centre for Economic Recovery (CER), an analytical think tank that supports public institutions with strategic insights and policy recommendations. Under his leadership, CER has co-developed key initiatives including the National Economic Strategy 2030, the COVID-19 economic stimulus program, the Ukraine Facility Plan, and has organized significant events such as the Human Capital UA Forum and URBD London sessions.

Chief of the International Banks Division in Intesa Sanpaolo since July 2024, leading 11 Commercial Banks in12 countries in Europe and North Africa. Graduated in Economics at the University of Pisa. She began hercareer at MPS, focusing on innovative distribution strategies. At Citibank Greece, she specialized in directchannels and business line integration. She then worked with AT Kearney in Greece, China, and Egypt andmanaged international events for Olympic Committees in Athens, Turin and the USA. In 2007-2015, sheheld commercial leadership roles at MPS and Generali. In 2015, she joined Fideuram Intesa SanpaoloPrivate Banking, driving the creation of an innovative business model in Private Wealth Management. Herlast role was Head of Innovation & Transformation leading digital transformation initiatives. She is amember of the Investment Committee of Neva SGR since 2019 and served on the Board of Isybank S.p.A.from 2022 to 2025.

Mariateresa Maschio, born in Padua in 1967, holds a degree in Public Relations from IULM University in Milan. She is a mother of two daughters. Since 1990, she has been actively involved in her family’s agricultural machinery business, initially with Maschio and later Maschio Gaspardo, holding various roles within group companies.Her experience extends to Terranova Spa and, following the acquisition of Carraro F.lli Spa in 1998, to Mascar Spa—a company based in Grumolo delle Abbadesse (VI) specializing in haymaking and sowing machinery, offering a full range of round balers, wrappers, pneumatic, and mechanical seeders. Mariateresa currently serves as Managing Director and Commercial Director of Mascar Spa.Since 2018, she has been a director at FederUnacoma and was appointed President of the Federation in July 2023.

Giuseppe Carli, 57, is the CEO of KWS ITALIA, a leading company specializing in the research, production, and marketing of seeds. He graduated from the Agricultural Technical Institute “Duca degli Abruzzi” in Padova and began his career in the seed sector, progressing through roles from sales executive to senior management. Throughout his extensive experience, Carli has been dedicated to promoting innovative, sustainable, and competitive agriculture.He currently serves as President of Assosementi, the Italian association of seed companies and plant raisers, where he fosters dialogue between private enterprises and public institutions, particularly focusing on research and regulatory approval of New Genomic Techniques (NGTs). Driven by the belief that collaboration is key to tackling future challenges, Carli emphasizes respect for the land, science, and the vital role of the national agricultural supply chain in his work.

Dr. Kateryna Levchenko serves as the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy and is a member of the Gender Equality Commission of the Council of Europe. She is the National Coordinator for the Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security. Dr. Levchenko chairs the Inter-Agency Working Group on Combating Sexual Violence Related to Russia’s Armed Aggression against Ukraine and Assistance to Survivors (IAWG). She is also Deputy Chair of the Commission on Coordinating the Interaction of Executive Authorities to Ensure Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men, Chair of the Supervisory Board for the Project on Providing Urgent Interim Reparations to Survivors of Sexual Violence linked to Russian aggression, and Deputy Coordinator of the Platform on Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Recovery.

Mathias Cormann is the 6th Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), appointed in 2021. Before his current role, he served as Australia’s Minister for Finance, Leader of the Government in the Australian Senate, and Federal Senator representing Western Australia. Throughout his political career, Cormann has been a strong proponent of open markets, free trade, and a rules-based international trading system.Born and raised in Belgium, he earned a law degree from the Flemish Catholic University of Louvain (Leuven) and also studied at the University of Namur and the University of East Anglia. He migrated to Australia in 1996. Between 1997 and 2003, he worked as Chief of Staff and Senior Adviser to various Australian Ministers and the Premier of Western Australia. From 2003 to 2007, he held senior management roles at HBF, a major Western Australian health insurer.

European Commission Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and PreparednessRoxana Mînzatu leads efforts to strengthen Europe’s human capital by advancing social rights, closing skills and labour gaps, ensuring quality jobs and fair transitions, promoting education and equality, supporting youth, tackling poverty, and fostering lifelong learning and workforce adaptability. She also champions a new culture of preparedness to help societies adapt to change and societal risks.Elected to the European Parliament in June 2024, Ms. Mînzatu previously served as Romania’s Minister of European Funds and Secretary of State for Programs Financed by Public and European Funds. From 2016 to 2020, she was a Member of the Romanian Parliament and in 2015 was appointed President of Romania’s National Agency for Public Procurement.Her political career began in 2004 as a county councilor in Brasov, later serving as Deputy Prefect. Ms. Mînzatu holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Bucharest (2002) and a Master’s in European Integration from Dimitrie Cantemir University (2005).

Head of the Italian Civil Protection DepartmentHe has held key roles at the Central Directorate of Health - Department of Public Security, Ministry of the Interior, and at the Italian Civil Protection Department. His work included developing directives for disaster assistance, coordinating technical panels, and overseeing healthcare and logistics projects, especially for events with significant local impact.During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ciciliano was a member of the Italian government’s Technical-Scientific Committee (CTS). In September 2023, he was appointed Extraordinary Commissioner to address social decay and youth distress in Caivano. Since July 2024, he has been leading the Italian Civil Protection Department.

Minister of Finance and National Revenue, CanadaFrançois-Philippe Champagne currently serves as Canada’s Minister of Finance and National Revenue. He has held several key cabinet positions, including Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry; Minister of Foreign Affairs; Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; and Minister of International Trade. Prior to his political career, Champagne was Vice-President and Senior Counsel at ABB Group, a global leader in advanced technology operating in over 100 countries.

Dr. Álvaro Lario has served as President of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) since October 1, 2022, leading efforts to scale investment in small-scale agriculture and rural resilience. Under his leadership, IFAD became the first UN fund to obtain a public credit rating and access capital markets, broadening its resources to support the world’s poorest rural communities. A Spanish development finance specialist with over 20 years of experience, Dr. Lario previously served as IFAD’s Associate Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer and earlier led capital markets operations at the International Finance Corporation. He also has experience in private-sector asset management and academia. Dr. Lario holds a PhD in Financial Economics from Complutense University of Madrid, a Master of Research in Economics from London Business School, and a Master of Finance from Princeton University. In 2024, he was appointed Chair of UN-Water, the UN system’s coordination mechanism for water and sanitation.

Stefan Schleuning began his role as Head of Cooperation and Head of Unit at the EU Delegation to Ukraine on 1 September 2023. Prior to this, he served as an advisor to the Director of the Ukraine Service at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) and was Head of Unit at the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI), where he managed Rapid Response operations across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.Mr. Schleuning previously held the position of Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation in Kyiv from 2018 to 2020. His career includes postings in Brussels, East Africa, and Southeast Asia. He holds a Master’s degree in History from Heidelberg University.

CEO, Enabel — Belgian Agency for International CooperationJean Van Wetter leads Enabel, Belgium’s agency dedicated to international cooperation. Enabel collaborates with Belgian and global partners to address critical challenges such as climate change, social and economic inequalities, urbanization, peace and security, and human mobility. With over 20 years of experience, the agency works across sectors including education, healthcare, agriculture, environmental protection, digitalization, employment, and governance.Enabel operates more than 170 projects across over 20 countries in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, employing over 2,200 staff. It partners with governments, the European Union, private sector entities, civil society, research institutions, and businesses to promote sustainable development and global citizenship.

Amy E. Pope, from the United States, began her five-year term as the 11th Director General of the International Organization for Migration on 1 October 2023, becoming the first woman to hold this position.DG Pope is recognized as a transformative leader in international migration policy, with extensive expertise managing complex organizations and large-scale budgets. She has a strong technical understanding of migration challenges covering the full scope of IOM’s work, and a proven ability to translate policy into effective action.Before joining IOM, she served as Senior Advisor on Migration to U.S. President Biden in 2021; Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Homeland Security Advisor from 2015 to 2017; and Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director on Transborder Security from 2013 to 2015. At the White House, she crafted and implemented strategies addressing migration surges, human trafficking, disease outbreaks like Zika and Ebola, and climate crisis preparedness.DG Pope has also held roles at the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Senate and was a Partner at the London law firm Schillings.

Cecilie Terese Myrseth, born on July 27, 1984, in Harstad, Norway, is the current Norwegian Minister of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, appointed on April 19, 2024. She holds a professional degree in psychology (Cand. Psychol) from the University of Tromsø. Prior to her current role, she served as Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy from October 16, 2023, to April 19, 2024, and was the Labour Party’s spokesperson on fisheries policy. Myrseth has been a Member of the Norwegian Parliament since 2017, participating on the Business Committee and the Health and Care Committee until October 2023. She has been a member of the Labour Party’s central committee since 2019 and has held leadership positions within the Troms Labour Party as well as roles in the Troms county council and county executive.

Odile Renaud-Basso was elected as the 7th President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on 2 November 2020, becoming the first female head of a multilateral development bank.Before joining the EBRD, she was Director General at the French Treasury, where she led the development of France’s economic policies, focusing on European and international financial affairs, trade policies, financial regulation, and debt management. In this role, she served as Vice-President of the European Economic and Financial Committee, deputy to the G7 and G20 groups, and as the French Governor or Alternate Governor of the World Bank, EBRD, and Asian Development Bank. She also chaired the Paris Club.Odile Renaud-Basso graduated from the Paris Institut d’Études Politiques (Sciences Po) and is an alumna of the École Nationale d’Administration.

Oleksandr Shubin has been Vice-President of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine since 2016 Currently, Oleksandr is the First Deputy Chair of the National Joint Representative Body of Trade Unions of Ukraine, Deputy Co-Chair of the National Tripartite Social and Economic Council, Leader of the Trade Union National Collective Bargaining Team, and Co-Chair of the Ukraine-EU Civil Society Platform. He is active in working bodies of the International Labour Organization (ILO), European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), and International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and is a member of the Enlargement Committee of the European Social Economic Committee (ESEC) from Ukraine.

Alain Berset became Secretary General of the Council of Europe on 18 September 2024.Before this role, he served as an elected Minister in the Swiss Federal Council from 2012 to 2023. During his tenure, he led the Federal Department of Home Affairs, overseeing health, social affairs, culture, equality, and anti-discrimination. Notably, he was Switzerland’s Minister for Public Health throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Berset served twice as President of the Swiss Confederation (in 2018 and 2023), representing Switzerland at the United Nations Security Council and the Council of Europe’s 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government, where he signed the Reykjavik Declaration.Prior to joining the Federal Council, he was the youngest elected member of the Swiss Council of States in 2003 and served as its President from 2008 to 2009. He also held the position of Vice-Chair of the Socialist Group in the Federal Parliament from 2005 to 2011.

Melis Ekmen Tabojer is the Managing Director for Policy Strategy & Delivery at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). She previously led the EU Banks and Structured Finance Team and before that headed the Insurance and Financial Services Team until 2021, overseeing numerous financial sector investments across MENA and Turkey.Before joining EBRD in 2010, Melis held senior roles in investment banking, including Vice President at Morgan Stanley in Financial Institutions Group (FIG) M&A, as well as positions in Morgan Stanley’s Fixed Income Securitised Products Group, Standard Chartered Bank, and financial institutions teams at Garanti Bank Turkey and Ottoman Bank. She also served as a Board Member of Union Bank Albania from 2017 to 2022.

Alisa Kovalenko is a Ukrainian award-winning documentary filmmaker and human rights activist. She is a board member of SEMA Ukraine, an NGO supporting women survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Her documentaries—including My Dear Theo, We Will Not Fade Away, Home Games, and Alisa in Warland—have gained international recognition, being featured at major festivals like CPH:DOX, Berlinale, IDFA, and Sheffield Doc Fest, and have received numerous awards. She is a member of both the European and Ukrainian film academies.Since 2019, Kovalenko has served on the board of SEMA Ukraine and, since 2024, is part of the SEMA Global Network of Victims and Survivors to End Wartime Sexual Violence. From March to July 2022, she actively participated in combat missions as a soldier in an assault volunteer unit on the front lines in Kyiv and Kharkiv regions.In 2023, she began collaborating with SEMA Ukraine on Traces, a full-length documentary aimed at documenting CRSV crimes in Ukraine and creating a multi-portrait narrative of collective trauma, recovery, and the fight for justice by women survivors.

Vannia Gava has been a member of the Italian Parliament since 2018 and currently serves as the Vice Minister for the Environment and Energy Security. Her portfolio includes responsibilities for circular economy, mitigating hydrogeological instability, remediation of contaminated sites, environmental authorizations, and energy efficiency in buildings.She previously served as Undersecretary of State for the Ministry of the Ecological Transition in 2021 and for the Ministry of the Environment, Land and Sea in 2018. Before entering national politics, Gava worked in the private sector as a sales manager and held local government roles, including city councilor and deputy mayor of Sacile, where she managed agricultural and environmental policies.

Amedeo Teti is a public manager with dual training as a lawyer and economist. He is regarded as one of Italy’s foremost experts in international trade, with deep knowledge in industrial policy, energy, incentives, and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). He specializes in intellectual property rights, particularly the international protection of geographical indications and the "Made in Italy" brand. Teti has also worked extensively on anti-counterfeiting policies and possesses expertise in the internal market and consumer protection.Since January 2024, he has served as Head of the Market and Protection Department at the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy. In 2024, he was Head of the Department for Business Policies. Since 2022, he has coordinated Italy’s National Foreign Investment Attraction Unit for the government.

ASSOLOMBARDA is Vice President of Small Industry at Assolombarda, the leading industrial association in Lombardy. She is also CEO of C.A.T.A. Informatica, a firm specializing in IT consultancy and digital solutions. With a degree in Economics and an MBA from SDA Bocconi, she brings over two decades of experience in innovation and enterprise development. Under her leadership, Assolombarda’s Small Industry Committee has launched strategic initiatives to accelerate digital transformation, support SME internationalization, and integrate ESG principles into business models. She also chairs Assolombarda Servizi and sits on the Board of the Politecnico di Milano Graduate School of Management. Macellari is recognized for building stronger industry-academia links and promoting access to finance and digital tools for SMEs—critical drivers of resilient recovery and growth, including in Ukraine’s reconstruction.

Renato Brunetta is President of CNEL (National Council for Economics and Labour) since April 2023 and a Full Professor of Labour Economics at the University of Rome, Tor Vergata. Since March 2022, he has served as President of the Venice World Capital of Sustainability Foundation, appointed by Prime Minister Mario Draghi.Brunetta’s honors include being named Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur in 2023 for his contributions to Italian and European politics and receiving the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2024. He was President of the Ravello Foundation from 2011 to 2014. Born in Venice in 1950, he has combined academic excellence with a long-standing political career focused on economic and labour issues.

Adolfo Urso is the Minister for Enterprise and Made in ItalyAdolfo Urso has served as Italy’s Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy since 22 October 2022.Urso was elected to the Italian Parliament for five consecutive terms, serving from 1994 to 2013. He held the position of Deputy Minister for Economic Development twice: from 2001 to 2006 and again from 2009 to 2010, both times with responsibility for Foreign Trade during Berlusconi’s second and fourth governments. From 2021 to 2022, he chaired the Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Republic (Copasir).

Michele Ziosi is the Chief Global Affairs & Sustainability Officer at Iveco Group, bringing over 20 years of experience in institutional relations and sustainability across Europe.Joining CNH Industrial in 2014 as Vice President of Institutional Relations for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific, Michele transitioned to Iveco Group in 2022 as Chief Public Affairs & Sustainability Officer. He has served on the board of NGVA Europe for many years and currently sits on the boards of the World Energy Council Italy and the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

Head of the Officers' Management Division, Italian Navy Personnel Directorate (2014–2016).Head of the Personnel Division, Italian Navy Staff (2016–2018).Head of the Personnel Division, Italian Defence General Staff (2018–2021).President of the Centre for Higher Defence Studies – Graduate School (2021–2024).Head of the Defence Cyber Training Centre (2021–2024).Editor-in-Chief of the Strategic Leadership Journal (2022–2024).Co-Director of the International School of Science Diplomacy at the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture in Erice (2023–2024).Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (2024–2025).Since 4 May 2025, he has been serving as National Armaments Director.

Deputy Minister of Finance of Ukraine for European Integration. He leads Ukraine’s cooperation with the EU and IMF, oversees SME financing initiatives, and advances customs and fiscal reforms aligned with EU standards.

Denys Maslov has served as Chairman of the Committee on Legal Policy in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine since 2022. He was a judge at the Dnipro District Court in Dniprodzerzhynsk from 2016 to 2018 and practiced as an attorney from 2010 to 2020. Elected as a member of parliament in 2019 with the “Servant of the People” party, Maslov has authored and co-authored key legislative initiatives in judicial reform, constitutional justice, digitalization of justice, and lobbying regulation. He is one of the lead drafters of legal reforms aimed at aligning Ukraine with EU accession requirements.

Sergii Marchenko has been Ukraine’s Minister of Finance since March 2020. Since 2002, he has held various roles within the Ministry of Finance, State Fiscal Service, Finance and Banking Committee, and the Cabinet of Ministers Secretariat, and served as Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of Ukraine. In 2023, he chaired the Boards of Governors of both the World Bank and the IMF, and currently co-chairs the Steering Committee of the Ukraine Donor Platform (UDP), coordinating support for Ukraine’s immediate financial needs. He holds an M.Sc. in Public Finance Management from the Academy of State Fiscal Tax Service of Ukraine and a Ph.D. in Economics from the Scientific and Research Financial Institute of the Ministry of Finance.

Vito Pertosa is Chairman and sole shareholder of ANGEL Holding, an Italian industrial group renowned internationally for designing and developing high-tech solutions in Rail, Aerospace, and Digital Mechatronics. He also serves as President and CEO of MER MEC S.p.A., specializing in advanced rail technologies including signalling, train measurement systems, electric traction, and telecommunications. Pertosa is a Scientific Expert for the European Commission’s DG CONNECT “Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Policy Coordination” Unit and advises the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy on technological innovation. He is a board member of the National Foundation for Sustainable Mobility (MOST) and has been honored as Knight of the Order of Merit for Labor and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic for his contributions to industrial and scientific advancement. He holds an Honorary Master’s Degree in Automation Engineering from the Politecnico di Bari.

Alessandra Ricci has been CEO of SACE since 2022, leading the company through a major transformation focused on sustainability, innovation, and creating well-being for the community. She brings extensive international experience in project and export finance, with a long career supporting Italian economic policies spanning export, strategic infrastructure development, pandemic emergency measures, and the Green New Deal. After 10 years as Project Finance Manager at Mediocredito Centrale, Ricci joined SACE in 2005, advancing through roles to become Chief Marketing & Business Officer. In 2017, she was appointed CEO of SIMEST, a financial company aiding the internationalization of Italian firms. Returning to SACE in 2020, she led the Garanzia Italia Program, supporting liquidity for companies affected by the pandemic, and the Green New Deal Program to drive Italy’s green transition. Today, Ricci is recognized as one of Italy’s most influential women.

Teresa Czerwińska has been Vice-President of the European Investment Bank since March 2020, overseeing the constituency countries Poland, Hungary, and Croatia, as well as the Eastern Partnership countries: Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. She is responsible for areas including science, education, innovation, the digital economy, and the InvestEU programme. Before joining the EIB, Czerwińska served on the management board of the National Bank of Poland and was Poland’s Minister of Finance, during which time she was also a Governor of the European Investment Bank. Earlier, she was Undersecretary of State responsible for the state budget at the Ministry of Finance, and from 2015 to 2017, she served as Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Teresa Czerwińska is a Professor of Economics at Warsaw University, specializing in finance and risk management, and earned her habilitation degree from the Faculty of Management at the University of Gdańsk in 2010.

Andrzej Domański, born in 1981 in Kraków, is the Minister of Finance of Poland and a member of the Polish Parliament’s 10th term. He graduated from the University of Economics in Kraków and has extensive experience in the Polish capital market as an analyst, fund manager, investment director, and board member of domestic and international financial institutions. From 2008 to 2019, Domański managed equity funds and held leadership roles at KBC TFI, Noble Funds TFI, and Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych Eques Investment TFI, overseeing capital markets, fund management, and macroeconomic and equity analyses. Between 2020 and 2023, he advised the biotechnology startup Auxilius Pharma and served on supervisory boards, including as Chairman of Auxilius Pharma’s board. He was chief economist at the Civic Institute and co-authored the Civic Platform’s economic program. A three-time winner of the "Alfa" award for best stock market fund manager and recipient of the "Złoty Portfel" award from the stock market newspaper Parkiet, Domański holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification. He has lectured on behavioral finance at Łazarski University and on climate crisis strategies at SWPS University in Warsaw. Privately, he is a father and husband who enjoys jogging and chess.

Mr. Gert Jan Koopman is the Director-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood at the European Commission, bringing decades of experience in EU economic policies, budget management, and enlargement strategies. He began his career as a lecturer in economics at Utrecht University before joining the CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Advice. At the European Commission, Koopman has held key leadership roles, including Director-General for Budget, overseeing the EU budget, and Deputy Director-General for State Aids, where he shaped competition law. He has worked closely with EU leadership on administrative reform, transport policy, and economic governance. Born in the Netherlands, he holds cum laude degrees in Economics and Classics from the University of Amsterdam and is fluent in Dutch, English, and French.

Matteo Patrone is Vice President of Banking at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), responsible for the effective delivery of the Bank’s investment, advisory, and policy engagement activities across its countries of operation. Previously, he served as Managing Director for Eastern Europe and Caucasus, overseeing operations and policy initiatives in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and leading the crisis response to the war in Ukraine. With a 30-year career spanning merchant banking, private equity, management consulting, and engineering, Patrone joined the EBRD in 2008 as a senior banker in the Corporate Equity team. He served as Director for Serbia (2012), Regional Head for Romania and Bulgaria (2015), and was appointed Managing Director of Eastern Europe and Caucasus in 2018. Before EBRD, he was Managing Director of the private equity division at Finanziaria Internazionale, an Italian merchant bank, investing across diverse sectors. Patrone also worked as Senior Manager at Accenture Strategic Services in Milan and held roles at Leonardo (formerly Finmeccanica) and ENI in the UK and Italy. Born in Genoa, Italy, and having lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he holds an MBA from INSEAD and an MS cum laude in Mechanical Engineering from Genoa University.

Dr. Alex Lissitsa is the President and founder of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB) since 2007 and has served as CEO of IMC, one of Ukraine’s top-10 crop producers listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, since 2013. A respected authority on trade openness, land reform, and wartime food security, he advises parliamentary and ministerial bodies and leads the “Agrokebety” talent program, which prepares young professionals for modern agribusiness management. Dr. Lissitsa holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from Humboldt University of Berlin, completed post-doctoral research at the University of Queensland, and earned his first degree in Enterprise Economics from Ukraine’s National University of Life and Environmental Sciences.

Maurizio Martina is the Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), where he advises the Director-General on external partnerships, logistics, and operational support. He leads FAO’s engagement with the EU, Italy, and UN partners, mobilizing resources and innovation for agri-food system transformation and rural resilience. Before joining FAO in 2021, Martina served as Italy’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry from 2014 to 2018, was Delegate for Expo Milano 2015, and a Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, sitting on the Agriculture Committee. His earlier roles include Under-Secretary of State for Agriculture and Secretary-General of the Democratic Party. Born in 1978, the Italian national holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Macerata. He continues to champion inclusive and sustainable agri-food policies supporting recovery, climate action, and rural livelihoods worldwide.

Christophe Hansen has served as the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food since December 2024, leading the EU’s efforts to make farming more competitive, resilient, and climate-smart. His mandate includes shaping a long-term vision for agriculture and food, modernizing the Common Agricultural Policy, securing fair incomes and investments for farmers, and strengthening Europe’s food sovereignty and rural vitality. Before joining the European Commission, Hansen was a Member of the European Parliament from 2018 to 2024, where he acted as the EPP Coordinator on the International Trade Committee and served as a Quaestor. He previously chaired Luxembourg’s parliamentary Committee on Environment, Climate and Biodiversity and was Secretary-General of the Christian Social People’s Party. Born in Luxembourg in 1982, Hansen holds a Master’s degree in Geo- and Environmental Sciences from Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg and speaks six European languages.

Vitalii Koval has served as Ukraine’s Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food since September 5, 2024, spearheading reforms to enhance export capacity and support post-war rural recovery. Prior to this, he chaired the State Property Fund from 2023 to 2024 and governed Rivne Oblast between 2019 and 2023, where he led major infrastructure reconstruction efforts. His earlier career includes leadership roles in agriculture, transport, and construction companies from 2006 to 2019, following experience in commercial banking from 2004 to 2006. Born in 1981, Koval holds a Master’s degree in Banking from Ternopil National Economic University (2003) and an MBA from Lviv Business School of the Ukrainian Catholic University (2017). In 2021, he completed the Aspen Institute Kyiv’s Responsible Leadership program. His current mandate focuses on restoring Ukraine’s agri-food value chains, promoting public-private investment, and aligning national food systems with EU sustainability standards.

Pavlo Titko is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of the Order of Malta Relief Service in Ukraine, a charitable organization with over three decades of experience in humanitarian and social initiatives. He currently oversees projects providing psychosocial support to war victims, especially children, and delivers humanitarian aid and emergency response. As coordinator of the Order of Malta Relief Service network in Ukraine, Pavlo leads efforts not only to assist those affected by war but also to implement social projects for children and the elderly, promote youth and volunteer development, and provide comprehensive support to veterans and people with disabilities.

Arnaud Thysen is the Director General at European Business Summits (EBS). With a strong academic background as an Assistant Professor at UCLouvain and pursuing a Ph.D. at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, he joined the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB) during the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council. He later co-founded a platform to develop European Business Summits by creating sector-specific meetings in areas such as energy, health, trade, digital/AI, and demographics, as well as regional meetings for key decision-makers. EBS fosters partnerships across the business community, EU and governmental bodies, global organizations, academia, and civil society. Among its events, the EU-Ukraine Business Summit has quickly become a leading forum in Brussels, promoting high-level dialogue with the private sector.

Kata Tüttő – President of the European Committee of the RegionsKata Tüttő is a Hungarian politician, economist, and public servant with over 20 years of experience in local governance, European policymaking, and sustainable urban development. Since February 2025, she has served as President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), the EU’s assembly of local and regional representatives. In this role, she champions the voices of cities and regions in shaping Europe’s future and promoting social, economic, and territorial cohesion.Alongside her CoR presidency, Ms. Tüttő continues to serve as a member of the Budapest City Council. From 2019 to 2024, she held the position of Deputy Mayor of Budapest, where she focused on environmental and climate issues.She holds degrees in economics, international relations, and finance from Hungarian universities.

Andreas Schaal is the Director for Global Relations and Co-operation at the OECD and serves as the OECD Sherpa to the G7, G20, and APEC. In this role, he supports the OECD Secretary-General in advancing global governance and leads engagement with over 100 partner countries to promote adherence to OECD standards. With more than 20 years of experience in international economic policy and diplomacy, Mr. Schaal oversees OECD relations with key partners such as Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, and South Africa, as well as regions including Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Since joining the OECD in 2008, he has held senior roles including Head of the Sherpa Office and G20 Sous Sherpa. Prior to his OECD career, he held various leadership positions within the German Federal Government. A German national, he holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from the University of Konstanz and is a Senior Fellow at Renmin University of China.

State Secretary at Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). A senior SPD politician and former Minister of State at the Foreign Office, he now leads Germany’s international development efforts, with a strong focus on Ukraine’s recovery, green transition, and sustainable finance. He also chairs the Supervisory Board of GIZ, reinforcing strategic donor coordination.

Aru Deshmukh is the Global Procurement Strategy Director for Advanced Performance Materials at Chemours, bringing over 20 years of experience in procurement, supply chain management, and operational leadership within the chemicals and advanced materials sectors. Aru has led global initiatives to enhance supply chain resilience, integrate regional operations, and optimize sourcing strategies, directly supporting the secure supply of critical raw materials for high-tech and industrial applications. At DuPont, Aru managed international supply chain operations for fluoroelastomers and elastomers and oversaw a global SAP upgrade to align production and logistics across North America and Europe. Previously, Aru held strategic roles at CompassRed, Hexcel, and LyondellBasell, focusing on data-driven procurement, aerospace materials, and safety and environmental compliance. Aru holds a Bachelor of Science from Carnegie Mellon University, is APICS Certified in Supply Chain, and holds a Six Sigma Black Belt, with a professional commitment to resilient, secure, and sustainable material value chains.

Serhii Voitsekhovskyi is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of leadership experience in Ukraine’s retail and investment sectors. He spent more than 16 years in top management at ATB, Ukraine’s largest retail chain, where he led strategic initiatives and large-scale operational transformations. Since 2018, he has been a Board Member at BGV Group Management, an investment company founded by Hennadii Butkevych, where he oversees strategic development and investment attraction across sectors including mining, processing, energy efficiency, retail, and real estate development. Under his leadership, BGV Group has invested over $100 million in Ukrainian mining projects, aiming to position Ukraine as a global leader in critical raw materials. He is also a co-founder of KOLO, Ukraine’s fastest-growing convenience store chain. Mr. Voitsekhovskyi holds a Master’s degree in Finance and an Executive MBA from Kyiv-Mohyla Business School.

Alex Sobel, appointed in January 2025 as the UK Trade Envoy for Ukraine, supports bilateral trade, investment, and economic recovery between the two countries. Representing Leeds Central and Headingley in Parliament, Sobel brings extensive experience in economic diplomacy, environmental policy, and international cooperation. As Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ukraine, he has led aid convoys, advocated for UK support, and contributed to the finalization of the 100-Year UK–Ukraine Partnership. He previously served as Shadow Minister for Tourism and Heritage and for Nature Recovery and the Domestic Environment. A University of Leeds graduate, Alex champions sustainable trade and helps UK businesses enter new markets.

The Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine, overseeing industrial development, export promotion, and recovery support initiatives. With a strong background in public procurement reform and infrastructure modernization, he plays a pivotal role in driving Ukraine’s economic resilience. One of his key achievements includes managing over 2,000 procurement processes worth approximately UAH 2 billion, and launching the “Procurement Armor” system to ensure continuity and transparency during wartime.

Yegor Perelygin was appointed Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine in April 2025. He brings extensive leadership experience from Ukraine’s mining and banking sectors, having held senior executive roles in the titanium industry since 2021, including CEO of the state-owned United Mining and Chemical Company. Mr. Perelygin holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the European Institute of Higher Education in Management (ISEG) in France, with affiliated programs at ISM Paris and St. John’s University in New York, and completed his secondary education in Dublin, Ireland. An expert in critical minerals, he specializes in attracting foreign investment, structuring international resource agreements including offtake contracts, and leading strategic business transformations. He is also a frequent lecturer on global critical mineral supply chains and advocates for Ukraine’s reindustrialization and strategic positioning in the global raw materials sector at international forums.

Eva Spina is the Director General and Head of the Department for Digital Connectivity and New Technologies at the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. She also serves as Director of Communication Technologies and Cybersecurity at the Ministry of Economic Development. Since 2014, Eva has led national and international spectrum policy and frequency coordination, representing Italy at key global and European institutions including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), and the European Union’s Radio Spectrum Policy Group. In 2017, she chaired the ITU Council. Her leadership extends to cybersecurity, where she has managed Italy’s National Computer Emergency Response Team, overseen certification of secure digital products, and contributed to European cybersecurity cooperation. Currently, she plays a central role in implementing Italy’s laws on 5G network security and critical infrastructure protection, with expertise relevant to the governance and certification of secure, high-tech systems reliant on critical raw materials like rare earth elements essential for telecommunications and digital infrastructure.

Reem Alabali Radovan is the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany since May 2025. Prior to her current ministerial role, from 2022 to 2025 she served as the Federal Government Commissioner for Anti-Racism, and from 2021 to 2025 as Minister of State for Migration, Refugees, and Integration. Since 2021, she has also been a Member of the German Parliament representing the constituency of Schwerin – Ludwigslust-Parchim I – Nordwestmecklenburg I.Her earlier career includes roles as Integration Officer (2020–2021) and political staff member (2018–2020) at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Integration and Gender Equality of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. She worked as a clerical officer at the State Office for Internal Administration of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (2015–2018) and held various positions at the German Near and Middle East Association (NUMOV) and the German Orient-Institute between 2012 and 2014. Reem holds a degree in political science from Freie Universität Berlin (2008–2013) and completed her higher education entrance qualification (Abitur) at Gymnasium Fridericianum Schwerin in 2008.

Maria Tadeo is the European correspondent for Le Grand Continent, a leading international affairs publication based in Brussels. With over a decade of experience, she covers the European Union and has interviewed numerous heads of state, ministers, diplomats, and intellectuals. Maria has actively participated in major events such as the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano and London and hosted the Ukraine donor conference in Paris under the French presidency in 2022. She holds a first-class degree in journalism from City University London and a master’s degree in financial journalism. Fluent in four languages, Maria regularly contributes to international debate forums.

Tommaso Foti is the Minister for European Affairs, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), and Cohesion Policies of ItalyFrom November 2022 to November 2024, he led the parliamentary group of Fratelli d’Italia in the Chamber. Throughout his parliamentary career, he has held key roles, including membership of the Provisional Parliamentary Committee for National Security (October–November 2022), the Parliamentary Inquiry Commission on the disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi and Mirella Gregori (March–May 2024), and the VIII Committee on Environment, Territory, and Public Works (November 2022–December 2024).On December 2, 2024, Tommaso Foti was sworn in as Minister by President Sergio Mattarella.

Since 1 December 2021, he has served as Director General for Economics, Statistics and Research. His career began in 1992 at the Economic Research Department of the Bank of Italy, where he worked on developing the quarterly econometric model and producing Italy’s macroeconomic forecasts. From 1998 to 2006, he worked at the European Central Bank (ECB), initially analyzing the euro area economy and later focusing on monetary policy, serving as Deputy Head of the Monetary Policy Strategy Division and contributing to the 2003 review of the ECB’s monetary policy strategy.Between 2006 and 2008, he was Economic Adviser to Italy’s Minister of Economy and Finance, responsible for budget law preparation, launching Italy’s first Spending Review, and organizing international meetings. Returning to the Bank of Italy in 2008, he undertook various roles including preparing analyses for the Board, participating in the EU Economic and Financial Committee, and establishing the Financial Stability Unit, which evolved into the Financial Stability Directorate. In 2012, he became Deputy Head of the Market Operations Directorate.From 2015 to 2021, he was Director General for Macroprudential Policies and Financial Stability at the ECB, chairing the Eurosystem’s Financial Stability Committee and co-chairing the Basel Committee’s Macroprudential Supervision Group. He has authored numerous studies on monetary policy, inflation expectations, consumption and savings, pension systems, financial sector analysis, and macroprudential policy.

Luigi Federico Signorini is the Senior Deputy Governor of Banca d'Italia and President of the Insurance Supervisory Authority (IVASS), appointed by Presidential Decree on 12 March 2021. In his role, he acts as the alternate for the Governor of Banca d'Italia in key European and international forums, including the Financial Stability Board (FSB), the European Central Bank (ECB) General Council, the senior management of the Bank for International Settlements, and the G7 and G20 meetings. As President of IVASS, he also serves as a member of the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB).

Matteo Piantedosi is the Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Italy, appointed on October 22, 2022, under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government. A law graduate qualified to practice law, he began his career in April 1989 with the Civil Administration of the Interior, initially serving eight years as chief of staff at the Prefecture of Bologna.

Natalia Karbowska has over 27 years of experience in development, focusing on civil society and women’s rights. Since 1997, she has worked in various leadership roles, including Women’s Program Director at the International Renaissance Foundation (Open Society Foundation) in Ukraine, Director of the Women’s Economic Empowerment Project at Winrock International, and Deputy Director of USAID’s “Healthy Women of Ukraine” Program. She is the co-founder and strategic development director of the Ukrainian Women’s Fund, the country’s only women’s fund, which under her leadership has granted over 14 million euros to women’s rights organizations in Ukraine and neighboring countries. Natalia received the 2022 Hillary Rodham Clinton Award for Advancing Women, Peace, and Security from Georgetown University. She champions the belief that the voices and ideas of women and girls must lead social change and views women’s funds as vital in providing access to resources, expertise, and structural support.

National President of CNA Construction. Graduated as a surveyor in 1986 from the Technical Institute of Bologna, he qualified as a freelance professional in 1991. He is a director of CO.ESA IMMOBILIARE Srl, a company active in the building sector in Bologna, inherited from his father and specializing in construction, renovation and real estate operations. He has held prominent roles in several real estate companies, including vice president and president. Also active in the associative world, he has been president of the Construction Union of CNA Emilia Romagna and currently of CNA National Construction, as well as holding positions in bilateral construction bodies. Engaged in the sector both as an entrepreneur and as a representative, he firmly believes in the importance of associationism for the growth and development of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Vice President of Italian International Contractors and President of International SME’s Group, Associazione Nazionale Costruttori Edili (ANCE). He is a leading advocate for international SME participation in reconstruction, playing a key role in mobilizing Italian construction expertise and industrial capacity—particularly through the "Industrial Ramstein" initiative — to support Ukraine’s recovery and infrastructure modernization.

Stefano Lo Russo, Ph.D., is the Mayor of Torino and the Metropolitan City of Torino, a geologist, and a Full Professor of Engineering Geology at the Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering at Politecnico di Torino. Since becoming a full professor in 2017, he has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and presented at international conferences. Lo Russo was first elected to the Torino City Council in 2006, serving as Democratic Party group leader and later as Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning from 2013. After being re-elected in 2016 and leading the opposition, he was elected Mayor in 2021. In 2024, he was appointed Vice President of ANCI, responsible for European and International Affairs, and serves as the National Coordinator of Democratic Party Mayors. He is also Regional Vice President of Metropolis and a member of the Steering Committee of the OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth. Additionally, he participated in the 7th edition of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative’s Yearlong Mayors Program (2023–2024).

Kjetil Tonning is the Honorary President of FIEC (European Construction Industry Federation) and currently chairs the FIEC-EIC Task Force on Ukraine. He served as FIEC President from 2018 to 2020, First Vice-President from 2017 to 2018, and Vice-President responsible for Technical and Environmental Affairs from 2010 to 2018. A Norwegian civil and structural engineer (M.Sc.) and business economist (BBA), Tonning has over 30 years of leadership experience in national and international construction companies, consulting engineering firms, the Norwegian army, and public administration. He currently serves as Area Manager for Heavy Construction at Veidekke Entreprenør AS, Norway’s largest construction company, which employs 7,400 operatives, 224 apprentices, and 100 trainees. Tonning also holds numerous honorary chairmanships and board positions across regional, national, and European contractor and engineering professional associations.

Dr. Riccardo Barbieri Hermitte has been the Director General of the Treasury at Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance since January 2023. In this role, he oversees public debt management, banking and financial sector policies, macroeconomic analysis and forecasting, economic and fiscal policy formulation, and coordinates Italy’s European and international financial relations, including with multilateral development banks, the IMF, and the OECD. He serves as Italy’s deputy at the G7, G20, and IMF-World Bank meetings, and is a member of the European Union’s Economic and Financial Committee (EFC), the Euro Working Group, and the Board of Directors of the European Stability Mechanism. Dr. Barbieri chairs the SCIMF sub-committee of the EFC, coordinating the EU’s position towards the IMF, and is a board member of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Italy’s national development bank. He began his career as an academic economist at Bocconi University in Milan, where he graduated with honors in Economics and Social Sciences, and earned a Ph.D. in Economics from New York University. He also accumulated 25 years of experience in financial markets, including senior roles at JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America.

Edmondo Cirielli is Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy. He holds degrees in Law (University of Parma), Political Science (University of Salerno), and Internal and External Security (University of Roma Tor Vergata). A Brigadier General in the Carabinieri Auxiliary Corps, he received military training at the Nunziatella Military School in Naples, the Military Academy in Modena, and the Carabinieri Officers School in Rome.With over 30 years of parliamentary experience, Deputy Minister Cirielli has served on key committees including Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Justice in the Italian Chamber of Deputies. He has also held roles as Commissioner in the Office of the President of the Chamber and as President of the Province of Salerno.Since 2022, he has overseen development cooperation, relations with Europe and Africa, UN agencies and organizations, aerospace policy, and arms export controls within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Hanna Wróblewska – Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of PolandBorn in 1968, Hanna Wróblewska is an esteemed art historian and curator. A graduate in art history from the University of Warsaw, she began her career in the early 1990s at the Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Poland’s leading institution for contemporary art. Over the years, she rose through the ranks, starting in the education department, later becoming deputy director, and serving as director from 2010 to 2021. During her tenure, she also acted as commissioner of the Polish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.In 2022–2023, she served as Deputy Director of the Warsaw Ghetto Museum, and in December 2023, she was appointed Director of the Department of Cultural Institutions at the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. On 13 May 2024, she assumed office as Minister of Culture and National Heritage.Hanna Wróblewska is a member of the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts and the Polish National Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM).

Rob O’Donovan is Senior Vice President at Eurasia Foundation (EF), where he leads the Foundation’s Digital Governance practice, including its flagship anti-corruption e-governance program in Ukraine. With nearly three decades of experience in international development, Rob previously led EF’s business development team, securing several multi-million-dollar awards. Between 2006 and 2010, he served as Senior Program and Evaluation Officer, assessing the organizational capacity of the seven local foundations in the Eurasia Foundation Network, including East Europe Foundation in Ukraine. From 2001 to 2006, Rob was based in Tbilisi, Georgia, serving as EF’s Regional Director for a cross-border initiative fostering collaboration among civil society organizations from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. He began his career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in southeast Kazakhstan in 1996. Rob holds a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Vermont and an M.S. in Development Management from American University.

With 30 years of experience in the field of local democracy and governance, she has served since 1999 as Secretary General of the European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA), where she has actively promoted local democracy, empowered civil society, and supported good governance across Europe, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and the Mediterranean. Under her leadership, ALDA has grown to over 350 members, thousands of partners, and a team of 110 staff. A senior European consultant specializing in local governance—particularly participatory processes and decentralization—she has also published several books, most recently 30 Years of Local Democracy. She served three terms as President of the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) until June 2023 and continues as a board member. She plays a strategic role in institutional relations with the European Commission, the European Committee of the Regions, and the Congress of the Council of Europe. Active in Ukraine since 2012, she currently coordinates a flagship support programme and serves as expert adviser for the local and regional dimension of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2025

Roberto Gualtieri, currently serving as Mayor of Rome, has held numerous high-profile roles in European and Italian politics. Elected to the European Parliament in 2009, he played a key role in the Brexit negotiations and chaired the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. In September 2019, he became Italy’s Minister of Economy and Finance, where he led efforts to mitigate the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, supported families and businesses, and helped shape the EU’s economic response, including the launch of the Next Generation EU programme. Deeply connected to his native city, Gualtieri ran for mayor out of a personal commitment to make Rome more liveable, inclusive, and globally relevant. Since taking office, he has worked to relaunch the city on the international stage and improve quality of life for residents and visitors alike. In February 2022, he was appointed Extraordinary Commissioner by decree of the President of the Republic to oversee preparations for the 2025 Jubilee of the Catholic Church in Rome

Viktor Pavlushchyk is the Head of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) of Ukraine, appointed on 27 February 2024 by a Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers following an open competitive selection. Born in Vinnytsia in 1985, he holds degrees in Law from the National Academy of the Security Service of Ukraine (2008) and in International Business from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (2014).Prior to leading NACP, Pavlushchyk served at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) from its inception in 2015 until early 2024. There, he advanced from detective roles to becoming head of the detective department. Earlier in his career, from 2008 to 2015, he held various operational and managerial positions within Ukraine’s Security Service.

Svitlana Grynchuk is the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine since 2024. She previously served as Deputy Minister of Energy (2023–2024) and Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection (2022–2023), and earlier as Director of the Climate Change and Ozone Protection Department (2016–2019). Between 2019 and 2021, she acted as a non-governmental adviser to the Prime Minister and Ministry of Finance on environmental and climate policy. Grynchuk began her career as a lecturer and researcher in economics and finance, earning a PhD in Economics in 2014. She has played a key role in Ukraine’s implementation of the Paris Agreement and in advancing the country’s environmental integration with the EU. She holds a Master’s degree in Finance from the Chernivtsi Institute of Trade and Economics (2008) and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Law, and Management from the University of Clermont-Ferrand, France.

ilippo Grandi has served as the 11th United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees since 1 January 2016, leading one of the world’s largest and most impactful humanitarian organizations. Under his leadership, UNHCR provides protection and assistance to over 114 million forcibly displaced and stateless people across 135 countries, with a global workforce of 19,000 staff—90 per cent of whom work in challenging field conditions. The agency’s needs-based budget for 2024 stands at US$10.8 billion.

Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna, is a prominent figure in the Catholic Church and a long-standing advocate for peace, social justice, and interreligious dialogue.Zuppi spent over a decade as parish priest of Santa Maria in Trastevere, a key Roman parish deeply connected to Sant’Egidio, and played a crucial role in peace negotiations, most notably helping to mediate the end of Mozambique’s civil war. In 2012, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Rome and Titular Bishop of Villanova. In 2015, Pope Francis named him Archbishop of Bologna, where he has since led the diocese with a focus on inclusion, Eucharistic renewal, and youth engagement.On 22 May 2022, Pope Francis appointed him President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference. Known for his pastoral humility, ecumenical commitment, and dedication to nonviolence, Cardinal Zuppi remains one of the most influential voices in the contemporary Catholic Church, embodying the Church’s mission at the intersection of faith, justice, and peace.

Amy Pope became Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on 1 October 2023, making history as the first woman to lead the organization in its 73-year existence. She brings a distinguished record of leadership and expertise in global migration, crisis response, and policy reform. Early in her five-year term, she set IOM on a new strategic trajectory to better respond to the increasingly complex migration landscape—balancing urgent humanitarian needs with long-term resilience and crisis prevention.

Mario Giro is a seasoned Italian diplomat, mediator, and expert in international cooperation and interreligious dialogue. He served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from February 2016 to May 2018 under the Renzi and Gentiloni governments, overseeing Development Cooperation and relations with Africa. Previously, he was Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs (2013–2014) in the Letta government, responsible for Latin and Central America, cultural promotion, and Italians abroad.

Arnold Kreilhuber is the Regional Director of the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Europe Office. An Austrian national, he brings over 15 years of expertise in environmental diplomacy, policy, and law. He began his career at the regional and national levels before joining UNEP in 2005, where he has held a series of progressively senior roles, including Deputy and Acting Director of UNEP’s Law Division from 2019 to 2021. His key achievements include leading the Montevideo Environmental Law Programme, advancing the governance of natural resources, integrating human rights and environmental considerations, and supporting the implementation of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). In 2012, he led the organization of the first World Congress on Justice, Governance and Law for Environmental Sustainability at the Rio+20 Conference.

Nataliya Andrusevych is the Chair of the Governing Board of the Resource and Analysis Center "Society and Environment," a leading Ukrainian think tank focused on environmental and climate policy. She has extensive expertise in monitoring and evaluating Ukraine’s European integration processes in the field of environmental protection, both nationally and regionally. Since 2006, she has led numerous environmental policy research projects and co-authored a wide range of publications on European and international environmental law. Her work has played a key role in assessing Ukraine's implementation of environmental commitments under the Ukraine–EU Action Plan, the Association Agenda, the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, and the broader path toward Ukraine’s future EU membership.

Nadia Petkova was appointed Managing Director for Impact and Partnerships at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in July 2024. In this role, she advises the President and senior management on matters related to transition impact and additionality of EBRD operations, while overseeing the reporting and measurement of transition results. She joined the EBRD in 2001 through the International Professionals Programme and later worked in the Agribusiness team in both London and Türkiye. In 2017, she was appointed Director of the Regional Network, SME Finance and Development, leading a decentralised team of over 150 staff across EBRD regions. During her tenure, she spearheaded key strategic initiatives, including the simplification of the Bank’s approach to small deals and the launch of the Supply Chain Financing programme.

Acting Administrator and Under Secretary-General, Associate Administrator, UNDP. Mr. Xu has been serving as the Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP since 2019. Mr. Xu brings to the position nearly three decades of experience in the field of international development. He has fulfilled various roles within the organization, working in various field and headquarters assignments in Asia-Pacific, Europe and Central Asia. Before his career at the United Nations, Mr. Xu worked in the field of civil engineering in China and the United States

Margot Wallström is a prominent Swedish political leader and diplomat, known for her extensive contributions to international affairs, gender equality, and environmental policy. She served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden from 2014 to 2019, and previously held two terms as a European Commissioner: for the Environment (1999–2004) and for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy (2004–2010). She co-chairs the High-Level Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of the War alongside Andriy Yermak. In 2010, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed her as the first Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Wallström was elected to the Swedish Parliament in 1979 and went on to serve as Minister for Youth, Local Authorities and Consumer Affairs (1988–1991), Minister of Culture (1994–1996), and Minister of Social Affairs (1996–1998). She also served as Chair of the Ministerial Initiative of the Council for Women World Leaders in 2007.

Antje Grotheer has been a member of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) since 2020, where she serves as Rapporteur on key European policy areas including the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, the Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021–2027, the Revised Schengen Agenda, and the Enlargement Package concerning Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova. She also chairs the CoR Working Group on Ukraine. A lawyer by profession, Grotheer is President of the Bremen State Parliament, where she has served since 2011, and has been active in various committees, notably the Committee for Federal, European, International Affairs and Development Cooperation. Additionally, she is a member of the Executive Committee (ExCom) of the CPMR North Sea Commission, where her leadership supports regional cooperation and strategic development across the North Sea area.

Alex Sobel MP serves as the United Kingdom’s Trade Envoy to Ukraine, working to strengthen and expand the bilateral trading relationship between the two countries. He is also the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ukraine and represents Leeds Northwest as a Member of Parliament. Notably, his constituency has a special connection to Ukraine, as the city of Leeds is twinned with Kharkiv.

IFC Director Europe, leading efforts to mobilize private sector investment, promote green growth, and enhance financial inclusion across Central and Eastern Europe. With over 20 years in development finance—including key roles at EBRD—she has driven record-breaking donor support and crisis-response programs for Ukraine, coordinating closely with multilateral partners to scale investments in sustainable and resilient economies.

Stephen Doughty MP was appointed Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories in the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office on 8 July 2024. A Welsh Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth since November 2012, he has built a career focused on international affairs, development, and human rights. He studied at Lester B. Pearson United World College in Canada, Oxford University, and St Andrews University, and worked for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and members of the former National Assembly for Wales. During the previous Labour government, he served as Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for International Development. In Parliament, Doughty has served on the Wales, Home Affairs, Arms Export Controls, and International Development Committees, chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group for HIV and Aids, and was a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly.

Mr. Marco De Fazio is the Managing Director of Leonardo’s Electronics Division, with a distinguished career spanning over three decades in the defense and aerospace industry. Since graduating in Electronic Engineering in 1991, he began his career in 1992 as a Radar System Analyst Engineer and steadily advanced through roles in engineering and program management, with a focus on Naval and Air Defence Systems, particularly radar technologies. His leadership trajectory includes positions such as SVP of Radar and Systems Engineering at Selex SI and System Engineering Director at Selex-ES Land and Naval System Division. From 2013 to 2017, as SVP of the Naval & Air Defence Systems Line of Business, he oversaw major international naval programs and large-scale modernization initiatives as a Combat System Integrator. He has held top executive roles, including Managing Director for both the Electronics ITA and Defence Systems Business Units. Mr. De Fazio has also served on the Boards of Directors of several key companies, including OSN S.p.A., LDO UK Ltd, Elettronica S.p.A., and JV LRMV, and held Chairman roles at Larimart SpA, Vitrociset SpA, and the CIO consortium, reflecting his broad influence across the defense industry.

Ros Eales is the Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). In this role, she coordinates the UK Government’s support to Ukraine, spanning humanitarian aid, economic assistance, and early recovery and reconstruction efforts. She also oversees development programming across the broader Eastern Europe and Central Asia region. Previously, Ros served as Chief Operating Officer for the UK-hosted 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), Chief Executive Officer of the UK-Africa Investment Summit, and Director for International Relations at the Department for International Development (DFID).

Maja Bakran Marcich has served as Deputy Director-General in the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport at the European Commission since 1 December 2016. In this role, she is responsible for coordinating activities related to investment, and innovative and sustainable transport, in alignment with the Commission President’s priorities. Between 1996 and 2016, she held various positions in Croatia’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. From 1999 to 2011, while based in Brussels, she oversaw the horizontal coordination of Croatia’s EU accession negotiations. Upon returning to Zagreb in 2011, she led the establishment and management of the national coordination system for European Affairs and was appointed Assistant Minister for Europe in 2015.

Mathieu Mori, born in 1980 in France, has over 15 years of experience in political organisations and European institutions. In 2020, he was appointed Director of the European Union programme “Interreg North-West Europe,” which supports hundreds of projects across cities and regions in Europe. On 25 October 2022, he was elected Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe for a five-year term. The Congress serves as the Council of Europe’s political assembly dedicated to promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law at the local and regional levels across its 46 Member States.

Dr. Anna Jarosz-Friis is Director of the Ukraine Service (Directorate D) in the Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST) at the European Commission. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing EU economic support to Ukraine and coordinating the country’s accession negotiations. Prior to this, she worked in the Commission’s budget department, where she led strategy, interinstitutional relations, and communication, and was part of the core team behind the creation of NextGenerationEU and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. Her previous experience includes leading a unit in DG Competition focused on State aid in the energy sector—particularly support for renewables and capacity mechanisms—as well as heading a Financial Crisis Taskforce unit managing bank restructuring and resolution during the financial crisis. She also served in the private office of Joaquín Almunia, then Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Competition. Earlier in her career, she contributed to the development of state aid rules for banks and negotiated subsidy provisions in the EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. Anna holds a PhD in economics and worked in academia in Poland and Denmark before joining the European Commission in 2002.

The Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP has served as Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government since 5 July 2024. She was elected as the Member of Parliament for Ashton-under-Lyne in May 2015 and has been a prominent figure in British politics, known for her strong advocacy on social justice, community empowerment, and workers' rights.

André Sobczak is dedicated to empowering cities in EU decision-making through his leadership at Eurocities, following two terms as Vice-President of the Nantes Metropolitan Area. With a strong background in academia, he has championed social and ecological transformation, leading initiatives on gender equality, precarious employment, and sustainable development. He promotes a model of multi-level cooperation that brings together the public sector, businesses, and civil society to generate tangible, positive impact for communities across Europe.

Dr. Jakob Granit has served as Director-General of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) since September 2023. Prior to this role, he was Director-General of the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management for seven years, where he led national efforts in blue economy, water governance, ocean, and fisheries management. With over 30 years of global experience in sustainable development, Dr. Granit has worked across research, policy, and management, including roles at the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility Scientific and Technical Panel (STAP), and Sida. He has also contributed to applied research at the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Stockholm International Water Management Institute, and served as Chair of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). He holds a Ph.D. in Physical Geography from Stockholm University and has published over 50 research papers and reports on sustainable development. Dr. Granit has a strong focus on innovation, digitalization, and business development to support green and blue growth. His international experience spans Europe, the U.S., Eastern and Southern Africa, the Middle East, the Southern Oceans, and the Baltic Sea, with long-term postings in Singapore, Zimbabwe, the U.S., and Belgium.

The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, born on 1 January 1956 in Etterbeek, Brussels, holds a degree in commercial engineering from the Solvay Business School at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. A long-standing figure in local governance, he has served as a local councillor for Uccle (Brussels) since 1986 and was Deputy Mayor of Uccle from 1990 to 2018. He is an Honorary Vice-President of the Brussels Parliament and a former President of the Union of Belgian Towns and Municipalities.

Agostino Scornajenchi has served as CEO of Snam, a leading European gas infrastructure operator specializing in transportation, storage, and regasification, since May 2025. Prior to this role, he was CEO and General Manager of CDP Venture Capital Sgr, a company owned by CDP and Invitalia, from October 2023 to 2025. From 2017 to 2023, he was Chief Financial Officer of Terna, Europe’s largest independent electricity transmission system operator, and during that time also served as Executive Chairman of Brugg Cables AG. Earlier in his career, he was Head of Strategic Planning and Control at Poste Italiane Group (2015–2017), CFO of Engie Energy Southern Europe, CFO of Aceaelectrabel, and Head of Management Control for the Generation Division of the Enel Group. A graduate in Economics and Business from LUISS Guido Carli University, Scornajenchi has also served as Chairman of ANDAF, Italy’s leading association of CFOs, since 2021.

Jaco Cilliers has served as the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine since November 2022. Prior to this role, he managed UNDP’s Bangkok Regional Hub from 2019 to 2022 and was Chief of Regional Policy and Programme Support for Asia and the Pacific from 2017 to 2019. He also served as UNDP Country Director in India and Deputy Resident Representative in Uzbekistan. Before joining the UN, Cilliers worked with Catholic Relief Services as Deputy Regional Director for Southern and Central Africa, focusing on conflict, peace, and reconstruction, and held leadership roles with development organizations around the world, including in wartime Bosnia and Herzegovina. In parallel with his development work, he has taught at George Mason University, Sabanci University, Nelson Mandela University, and the University of Notre Dame. He holds a Ph.D. and Master’s degree in recovery, reconstruction, and peacebuilding from George Mason University, and BA degrees from Nelson Mandela University. He is married with two children.

Dario Scannapieco is the Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) since May 2021, and CEO of CDP Reti since July 2021. Born in Rome on August 18, 1967, he graduated with honours in Economics and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1997. He began his career at Telecom Italia in 1992, working in the Planning and Strategic Control department. From 1997 to 2002, he served as Advisor to the Director General of the Treasury at the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance, and from 2002 to 2007, as Director General for Finance and Privatisation. From 2007 to May 2021, Scannapieco was Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), and from 2012 to 2021, he served as Chairman of the European Investment Fund. Since July 2023, he has been President of the European Long-Term Investors Association (ELTIa), which brings together 32 major National Promotional and European Financial Institutions, including the EIB. Throughout his career, he has also served on various boards of directors and international committees.

Giuseppe Busia is a jurist and lawyer who has served as President of the National Anti-Corruption Authority (ANAC) since September 2020. He also holds key international roles as President of the Network for Integrity and the European Network for Public Ethics (ENPE), and serves as Vice-President of the Executive Committee of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA). Prior to his current position, he was Secretary General of the Personal Data Protection Authority and previously General Secretary of the Public Contracts Supervisory Authority. From 2006 to 2008, he served as Director and Secretary of the Unified Conference of State, Regions, and Local Authorities. Busia lectures at several Italian universities, has authored numerous scientific publications, and has been a registered freelance journalist since 1995.

Valdis Dombrovskis has served as European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, as well as Implementation and Simplification, since December 2024. In this role, he is responsible for coordinating and implementing the EU’s economic policies, reducing administrative burdens, and ensuring better application of EU rules. From 2019 to 2024, he was Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for An Economy that Works for People and also held responsibility for Trade. He previously served as Vice-President of the European Commission from 2014 to 2019, overseeing the Euro, Social Dialogue, Financial Stability, Financial Services, and the Capital Markets Union. Before his roles in the Commission, Dombrovskis was Prime Minister of Latvia from 2009 to 2014, becoming the country’s longest-serving elected head of government. He also served as Latvia’s Minister of Finance (2002–2004), a Member of the European Parliament (2004–2009, 2014), and held seats in the Latvian Parliament (Saeima). Born on 5 August 1971 in Riga, he holds degrees in physics from the University of Latvia and economics from Riga University of Technology, along with a master’s in physics. Before entering politics, he worked as Chief Economist at the Bank of Latvia and conducted academic research in Germany, Latvia, and the USA. In 2011, he co-authored How Latvia Came Through the Financial Crisis with Anders Åslund. In recognition of his public service, he was awarded the Order of the Three Stars, Latvia’s highest state honour, in 2014.

Allan Pagh Kristensen is the Head of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) in Ukraine, a position he has held since 2020. The EUACI is an EU-funded programme co-financed and implemented by the Government of Denmark, providing capacity building and support to Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions, the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories, the Agency of Restoration, local governments (through the Integrity Cities initiative), civil society, and investigative media. A senior Danish diplomat, Kristensen brings deep expertise in foreign and security policy, reform processes, and EU integration. Prior to joining the EUACI, he served as Deputy Director of the European Neighborhood Department at the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and held diplomatic postings in the Middle East, Ukraine, the Baltic States, and with the OSCE and the UN in Vienna. He holds a degree in economics from the University of Copenhagen.

Benno Albrecht has been serving as Rector of Università Iuav di Venezia since 2021 and will remain in office until 2027. A graduate of Iuav, where he studied under Vittorio De Feo, he later collaborated with prominent architects Vittorio Gregotti and Leonardo Benevolo. Albrecht has received numerous architectural awards, won design competitions, and presented his work in Italy and internationally. He has lectured at universities and institutes across Europe, Asia, and Latin America, including in Indonesia, Argentina, Vietnam, China, Japan, Colombia, and Peru. A prolific author, his writings focus on sustainability in architecture, with notable works such as Cities Under Pressure, Conservare il futuro, Il Pensiero della Sostenibilità in Architettura, and Africa Sustainable Future. Together with Leonardo Benevolo, he co-authored The Origins of Architecture and The Boundaries of the Human Landscape. Albrecht has also curated major exhibitions for the Milan Triennale, including Exporting the Historical Core (with Anna Magrin), Africa Big Change Big Chance, and contributed to The Architecture of the World alongside Alberto Ferlenga and Marco Biraghi.

Bastian Veigel is the GIZ Programme Director of U-LEAD with Europe, a Team Europe initiative supporting decentralisation and regional development in Ukraine. A senior expert at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, he brings extensive regional experience across Southeast and Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, China, and the Middle East. His work focuses on public administration reform, municipal development, EU structural policies, and legal approximation to the EU Acquis. Since 2017, Veigel has led U-LEAD with Europe, a programme funded by the EU and its member states—Germany, Denmark, France, Poland, and Slovenia—and implemented by GIZ. Under his leadership, the initiative has played a key role in supporting Ukraine’s decentralisation reform and empowering municipalities to actively contribute to the country’s recovery, reconstruction, and long-term modernisation.

Angelo Cito has served as President of the Italian Taekwondo Federation (FITA) since 2016, following over two decades as its Secretary General. Under his leadership, FITA has become one of Italy’s most dynamic sports federations, leveraging modern communication strategies, organizing national and international tournaments, and securing strong Italian participation in the Olympic Games. As a member of the World Taekwondo Ad-Hoc Competition Rules Reform Committee for the LA28 Olympics, he plays a key role in shaping global competition standards. Cito is also a champion of digital innovation, using platforms like TikTok to promote the values of sport, equality, and youth engagement, significantly expanding FITA’s reach and visibility. Known for his expertise in sports diplomacy, he has facilitated dialogue between South and North Korean representatives at Casa Italia.

Oleksandr Androshchuk is a Ukrainian Armed Forces veteran, Invictus Games gold medallist, and Head of the NGO “Gentlemen.” His leadership and resilience serve as a source of inspiration for both youth and defence communities. Following his military service, he co-founded “Gentlemen” to promote adaptive sports—particularly wheelchair rugby—as a means of physical and emotional rehabilitation through teamwork and community. Androshchuk actively advocates for comprehensive support programs for veterans, people with disabilities, and young people, working closely with policymakers to strengthen veteran reintegration into society and the workforce. He champions youth initiatives by positioning veterans as mentors and promotes inclusive approaches across sports, education, and the broader social sphere.

Julian Kritsak is the Founder and Head of “3.5%,” a youth-driven public organization that brings together trainers, experts, and community leaders to implement initiatives in education, activism, and local development. He leads the organization’s mission to build community capacity and foster local leadership through non-formal education and civic engagement programs. Under his guidance, “3.5%” delivers strategic consultations, training sessions, and support for youth-led initiatives, strengthening institutional frameworks within communities. Kritsak also plays a key role in designing and promoting local and regional development strategies, with a strong focus on youth participation and resource mobilisation, ensuring that young people are central to shaping sustainable and systemic solutions for Ukraine’s future.

Vladyslav Rashkovan has served as a member of the IMF Executive Board since 2017, acting as Alternate Executive Director and representing Ukraine along with 15 other countries. Prior to his role at the IMF, he held senior positions in the banking sector, including Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Ukraine, where he led major financial sector reforms and the institutional transformation of the central bank. He also served as Chief Financial Officer at UniCredit in Ukraine, contributing to turnaround and transformation projects across Central and Eastern Europe. His earlier career included academic and consultancy work, as well as significant contributions to the non-profit sector through roles on the National Reform Council and in leadership positions with the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine and the Kyiv School of Economics. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Rashkovan has focused on coordinating international financial support for Ukraine, helping to build recovery architecture and design financing mechanisms for the country’s post-war reconstruction and modernization at both national and municipal levels.

Antonella Bassani is Vice President for the Europe and Central Asia Region at the World Bank Group, where she leads the Bank’s strategic, financing, and knowledge initiatives across the region. With over 30 years of experience, she brings a unique combination of operational insight and financial expertise, having overseen complex development projects and multidisciplinary teams across East Asia and the Pacific, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East and North Africa. Prior to her current role, she served as Vice President for Budget, Performance Review, and Strategic Planning, and previously as Director for Strategy and Operations in two regions—East Asia and Pacific, and Middle East and North Africa—where she led efforts in delivering innovative financing and high-quality knowledge services. She also played a central role in mobilizing Bank resources, including two successful replenishments of the International Development Association. Antonella began her career at the OECD in Paris before joining the World Bank through its Young Professionals Program in 1993. She holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in International Economics from Johns Hopkins University and is widely recognized for her leadership in shaping effective strategies, financing solutions, and global partnerships.

Dr. Pilvi Torsti, Director of the European Training Foundation (ETF) since 2023, is a Finnish academic and policymaker leading transformative education and training reforms across EU partner countries. She applies systemic thinking, inclusion, and innovation to strengthen youth development and economic adaptability, with a strong focus on social cohesion in times of rapid change. Under her leadership, the ETF is modernising vocational education and training systems through policy dialogue, data-driven institutional support, and practical analytical tools. She has played a key role in expanding the reach of the Youth Guarantee in Ukraine and the Western Balkans, tailoring interventions for vulnerable youth to improve employment outcomes and foster social inclusion. Dr. Torsti also champions cross-sector partnerships between ministries, employers, civil society, and youth stakeholders to guide educational reforms in transition countries. Her work advances digital transformation in education, promoting lifelong learning and youth-friendly access to digital platforms.

Manuela Di Centa is a two-time Olympic champion and a prominent Italian advocate for youth, sport, and social policy. Following her legendary skiing career, crowned by two Olympic gold medals in 1994, she served in the Italian Chamber of Deputies, where she advanced legislation focused on youth empowerment, social inclusion, and the transformative power of sport. A leading voice in sports diplomacy and sustainable territorial development, she promotes sport as a driver of national identity, resilience, and intergenerational cohesion. Di Centa actively contributes to initiatives of the UN, IOC, and EU to expand youth access to education, mobility, and leadership through cultural and sports cooperation. She has spearheaded regional programmes engaging young people in mountainous and rural areas, while strongly advocating for gender equality, anti-discrimination measures, and mentorship for young women in sport and public life.

Olha Kharlan is one of Ukraine’s most celebrated athletes, a two-time Olympic champion and seven-time World Champion in sabre fencing. Beyond her sporting achievements, she actively promotes youth engagement and healthy lifestyles, serving as an ambassador for physical culture through educational initiatives and public outreach. Kharlan mentors young athletes, instilling values of leadership and patriotism, and collaborates with state institutions and civil society organizations to strengthen Ukraine’s national sports system. Her efforts have helped expand the popularity of fencing among young people, embedding the values of discipline, teamwork, and national pride in communities across the country.

Andrea Abodi has served as Italy’s Minister for Sport and Youth since October 2022, leading national policy on sport, youth development, healthy lifestyles, and active citizenship. A seasoned public servant and strategist, he places strong emphasis on aligning youth policy with Italy’s broader goals of recovery, inclusion, and social cohesion. He oversees the Youth Component of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), advancing initiatives in youth entrepreneurship, digital skills, mobility programmes, and the creation of inclusive youth spaces. Under his leadership, the National Youth Council has been institutionally renewed to enhance its strategic impact and oversight capacity. Abodi has also forged cross-ministerial and regional partnerships—particularly with the Ministries of Education and Labour & Social Policies—to support youth employment and integration. At the same time, he manages the National Sports Development Plan, investing in infrastructure—especially in vulnerable communities—and promoting sport in schools as a tool for cultivating leadership, well-being, and social unity.

Glenn Micallef has served as European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture, and Sport since 2024, leading a new EU policy agenda focused on ensuring that social and economic well-being is distributed equitably across generations. He is driving the development of the “Cultural Compass,” a strategic framework to guide the role of culture in European society, and is architecting a new European Sports Model grounded in solidarity and inclusivity. In his portfolio, Micallef promotes strategic foresight—integrating trend analysis, scientific research, and technological innovation—to anticipate future generational needs. He also leads an EU-wide action plan against cyberbullying and oversees the implementation of the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child, tackling issues such as social media impact, excessive screen time, and youth civic engagement.

Laura Frigenti is the CEO of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and a senior executive with 30 years of experience in global development, gained across multilateral organizations, government, nonprofit, and the private sector. Her leadership roles at the World Bank, where she worked extensively in the human development sector, as head of the Italian development agency, and most recently as head of a large practice in a global consulting firm, have given her deep insight into the challenges GPE addresses and the broader global development landscape in which it operates. A multilingual professional, Laura speaks Italian, English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Matvii Bidnyi, Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine since 2024, is a dedicated leader who rose through the ranks—from national sports champion to government official. A three-time National Champion and World Junior silver medalist in bodybuilding, he combined his athletic achievements with a strong commitment to public service. After years of coaching and managing sports clubs, he joined the Ministry of Youth and Sports, where he now leads efforts focused on sports reform, innovation, international cooperation, and youth empowerment. From 2025 to 2027, he represents Europe on the Executive Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency, promoting clean sport and global collaboration.

Andriy Chesnokov is the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, a career diplomat and youth policy expert who focuses on European integration and youth empowerment. In his current role, he leads Ukraine’s adoption of the EU’s Youth Guarantee initiative, aimed at securing employment and training opportunities for young people. His previous roles include positions at Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Presidential Administration, and as a counselor at the Permanent Mission of Ukraine in Vienna. Chesnokov holds a Master’s degree in international economic relations and a Ph.D. in economics. In 2023, he was elected Chair of the Supervisory Board of the National Anti-Doping Center. For his work in youth policy, he received the Cabinet of Ministers’ Award for youth development.

Carlo Monticelli, an Italian national, has served as Governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) since 18 December 2021, following his election by the Bank’s member states on 11 June 2021, after six years as Vice-Governor for Financial Strategy. Before joining the CEB, he spent over a decade at the Italian Treasury, where he represented Italy in major international fora and institutions, including as EFC member, G7 Deputy, G8 Financial Sous-Sherpa, G20 Deputy, IMFC Deputy, FSB member, and OECD WP3 member. As Head of International Financial Relations, he served for many years as Alternate Governor for Italy at the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and sat on the Boards of the European Investment Bank and the Italian Export Credit Insurance Agency (SACE). Prior to his work in government, he held roles in both the private and public sectors, including as Head of European Economics at Deutsche Bank Global Markets Research in London and as Deputy Director in the Research Department at the Bank of Italy. Mr. Monticelli holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Ancona, an M.Sc. in Economics from the University of York, and pursued postgraduate studies at Oxford University (Brasenose College). He has been a visiting professor at the Graduate Institute in Geneva, a visiting scholar at MIT, and currently teaches at Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA). A regular speaker at academic and policy conferences, he has published in international journals and authored several books, including Reforming Global Economic Governance (Routledge, 2019).

Gelena Savruk is a civic leader and PhD in Economics, serving as Managing Partner of the Mohyla Strategic Agency (MSA) and Deputy Dean of Kyiv-Mohyla Business School (kmbs). With over 15 years of leadership experience in corporate governance, she has held executive roles in major companies and chaired supervisory boards. At MSA and kmbs, she leads flagship educational programs such as the “School of Strategic Architect,” which equips senior leaders with system-design methodologies, and “Strategic Leadership in the Security and Defense Sector,” which focuses on decision-making under complexity and risk. She is the creator of influential frameworks including “Grand Strategy,” “National Security Systems Design,” and “Ecosystem Strategies,” widely used by state and international institutions for policy and resilience-building. A finalist for the national “Woman of Ukraine” award, she was also honored as a Knight of the Order of Princess Olga, III Class, for her notable contributions to defending Ukraine’s sovereignty.

The Head of the Office of Children and Youth “DIyMO” under the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, she is a director of social and educational programs and projects, and a dedicated consultant on children’s rights, child care system reform, mentoring, and youth work—especially focused on children and young people with experience in alternative care and upbringing. She serves as a member of the Care Leaders Council at the Better Care Network and is part of the Expert Council under the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman). Her work emphasizes building effective, rights-based support systems for children and youth, and in recognition of her impact, she was featured in Forbes Ukraine’s “30 Under 30” list.

Oleksandra Matviichuk is a human rights lawyer and head of the Center for Civil Liberties, which defends freedom and human dignity in Ukraine and across the OSCE region. She has extensive experience in building horizontal civic structures for mass engagement in human rights advocacy, as well as in documenting violations during armed conflicts. Matviichuk has authored numerous reports for UN bodies, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the OSCE, and the International Criminal Court. Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, she co-initiated the ‘Tribunal for Putin’ project to document international crimes under the Rome Statute across all regions of Ukraine, including occupied territories. In 2016, she received the OSCE Democracy Defender Award, and in 2017, became the first woman to join the Ukrainian Emerging Leaders Program at Stanford University. Her work has been globally recognized: in 2022 she was awarded the Right Livelihood Award, the Sakharov Prize from the European Parliament, was named one of the 25 most influential women in the world by the Financial Times, and received the Nobel Peace Prize for the work of the Center for Civil Liberties. In 2025, she was also honored with the Dutch Auschwitz Award.

Vlaho is Director and Head of the Real Estate Team at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), where he has worked for the past 14 years. A seasoned banker and real estate executive with more than 25 years of experience, he previously served as Development Director at Trigranit Development Corporation, the largest real estate developer in Central and Eastern Europe, and began his career in investment banking at BNP Paribas in London. He holds an MBA from Imperial College, University of London, and has completed executive education at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. The EBRD operates in nearly 40 economies across three continents and has invested over €214 billion in more than 7,400 projects.

Svitlana Blinova is the Coordinator and Team Leader of the Cities4Cities initiative, which she has led since 2022. Now a key component of the “International Municipal Cooperation” stream under the Polaris Programme, funded by Sida and implemented by SALAR International, the initiative has grown into a network of over 600 Ukrainian municipalities and has facilitated more than 70 peer-to-peer partnerships with cities across seven European countries. Under her leadership, the Cities4Cities Academy was launched as a digital, EU-oriented learning platform offering training in project management, EU funding opportunities, and international cooperation, with over 4,500 participants engaged to date. Her work is focused on developing practical tools, fostering international collaboration, and empowering Ukrainian municipalities to become capable, resilient, and equal partners within the European community.

Serafino Corti, PhD, is the Coordinator of the Technical-Scientific Committee of the National Observatory on the Condition of People with Disabilities and serves as Director of the Disability Department at Fondazione Sospiro. He is a Professor of Psychology of Disabilities and History of Psychology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and at Sigmund Freud University of Vienna (Milan campus). He also holds the position of Vice President of SIDIN (Italian Society for Neurodevelopmental Disorders), sits on the Board of Directors of the Italian Foundation for Autism, and is a member of several scientific committees of national associations. Dr. Corti has authored and co-authored numerous scientific articles, book chapters, and volumes in both Italian and English, with a focus on interventions supporting families of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as on the application of contextualist models and quality of life frameworks in services for people with intellectual disabilities and autism.

Conor Coleman is the Head of Investments at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), where he leads the agency’s investment strategy and also serves as Chief of Staff, acting as the principal advisor to the CEO and a senior leader in strategic and operational management. He brings extensive experience in global capital markets and cross-border investment, having previously been a founding member of the investment team at Fortinbras Enterprises LP, where he managed a diverse portfolio with a focus on equity, credit, and special situations, and held senior roles including Chief Compliance Officer and Director of Middle East Operations. Earlier in his career, he worked in the Debt Advisory & Restructuring Group at Jefferies and at Beach Point Capital Management. His board experience includes positions at Melanbo HoldCo and Peninsula Real Estate.

Francesco Giorgino is an Italian journalist and university professor. At Luiss University in Rome, he teaches Content Marketing & Brand Storytelling and Political Marketing, and serves as the Director of the second-level Master's degree in Political and Institutional Communication and Marketing. In addition to his academic work, he is the Director of the RAI Research Center.

Sergiy Nikolaychuk has served as Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine since July 2021, overseeing monetary policy, economic analysis, statistics and reporting, as well as international cooperation. He has had a long-standing career at the National Bank of Ukraine, where he worked from 2004 to 2019, rising from the position of economist to Director of the Monetary Policy and Economic Analysis Department. From September 2019 to April 2020, he served as Deputy Minister for Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine, and between April 2020 and July 2021, he headed the Macroeconomic Research Department at ICU Group. In addition to his public service, he is actively engaged in academia as a Distinguished Professor of Practice at the Kyiv School of Economics and a visiting lecturer at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, where he also earned his Ph.D. in Economics in 2004.

Massimiliano Giansanti, a 50-year-old agricultural entrepreneur based in Rome, is the President of Confagricoltura, first elected in 2017 and reconfirmed in 2024, and currently serves as President of COPA, the EU Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations. Since 2020, he has held leadership roles within COPA, first as Vice President, then as First Vice President in 2022, and was elected President in September 2024. He is the CEO of his family business, Agricola Giansanti, and of Gruppo Aziende Agricole Di Muzio, managing farms in the Rome, Viterbo, and Parma provinces, together with his mother and three brothers. His operations focus on cereals, milk, livestock products, and agro-energy; in Parma, they produce GI Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, while in Rome they supply high-quality milk to Centrale del Latte. Giansanti has been a member of the national board of Confagricoltura since 2011 as Vice President and has also served as President of Confagricoltura Rome and Vice President of Confagricoltura Lazio.

Mariana Yevsyukova is a legal and human rights expert with over 20 years of experience in gender equality, child protection, and anti-trafficking. She has worked with La Strada–Ukraine, ECPAT International, and held positions within Ukrainian government institutions, including Parliament and the Ministry of Interior. A committed advocate for women’s rights and diaspora engagement, she serves as the Representative of the WFUWO to the UN in Geneva, Vice-Chair of the Council of La Strada–Ukraine, and Co-founder of the Ukrainian Women’s Initiative in the UAE. Her work combines policy, legal advocacy, and cultural diplomacy to elevate the voices of Ukrainian women on the global stage. She has authored over 25 publications and frequently speaks at international forums, using her leadership in community initiatives and international platforms to promote solidarity with Ukraine and empower Ukrainian women worldwide.

Jessica Rosencrantz has been Sweden’s Minister for European Affairs since 2024. From 2010 to 2024, she served as a Member of Parliament, holding various key positions, including Chair of the Committee on EU Affairs and the Committee on Social Insurance, as well as Deputy Chair of the Committee on Transport and the Committee on Environment and Agriculture. She holds a Master of Science in Economics from the Stockholm School of Economics.

Graduated cum laude in Political Science and International Relations, with a PhD in State Theory and Comparative Political Institutions from the Faculty of Law at the University of Rome “La Sapienza,” she is a Full Professor of Constitutional Law at the Guglielmo Marconi University of Rome, where she also serves as Vice-Rector and Member of the Board of Directors. A member of 11 leading national and international academic institutions, she has participated as an invited speaker in over 130 high-level conferences and seminars. Author of six monographs and numerous peer-reviewed publications, she has received an international award for scientific excellence. With over two decades of experience in governance roles, she has served as Chairman and Board Member in prominent national and international high-tech companies in the Aerospace and Defense sectors. She currently sits on the Boards of Enel S.p.A., Guglielmo Marconi University, and the Center for American Studies. Since December 2023, she has been serving as Director General of the Agency for Defense Industries.

Barbara Rambousek is the EBRD’s Director for Gender and Economic Inclusion. She established the Bank’s approach to integrating economic inclusion into its mandate, aiming to address inequality through private-sector investment and policy engagement. Her work focuses on creating equitable access to employment and skills, entrepreneurship and finance, and key infrastructure services, with attention to the specific needs of women, youth, aging populations, migrants, and other underrepresented groups. Ms Rambousek brings 20 years of leadership experience in designing and delivering multisectoral inclusive development programmes and strategies across Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Asia, and the United Kingdom.

Orazio Schillaci, MD, is the Italian Minister of Health since October 2022. A 59-year-old physician, he previously served as Rector of the University of Tor Vergata in Rome from 2019 and is a full professor of Nuclear Medicine, as well as the former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the same university. In 2020, he was appointed to the Scientific Committee of the National Health Institute. Throughout his career, he has held roles in numerous scientific bodies, authored more than 350 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, and served on the editorial boards of several international scientific journals.

Kęstutis Budrys is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. Prior to this role, he served as Chief National Security Adviser to the President of Lithuania and Head of the National Security Group, as well as Secretary of the State Defence Council and Chairman of the Intelligence Coordination Group, beginning in 2022. With more than 20 years of experience in national security, he previously served for six years as Deputy Director of the State Security Department, where he was responsible for technological intelligence disciplines, intelligence analysis, and threat prevention. From 2009 to 2015, he was Adviser to the President on intelligence and defence policy, and before that, he held senior positions in the field of intelligence analysis. Mr Budrys studied at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University, holding a BA in Political Science and an MA in International Relations, and completed internships at universities in the USA and Canada.

Ms. Kirsi Madi is the UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director for Resource Management, Sustainability and Partnerships at UN Women. With more than 30 years of experience in the United Nations system, she has worked across international development, humanitarian action, gender equality, partnerships, governance, inter-agency coordination, intergovernmental processes, and organizational development. Prior to joining UN Women, she served as Chief of Staff and Director of the Office of the UNICEF Executive Director, and held senior roles including Secretary of the Executive Board, Deputy Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, and Chief of National Committee Relations in the Private Fundraising and Partnerships Division. From 2016 to 2019, she was Director of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and from 2002 to 2005, Chief of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Secretariat at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Before joining the UN in 1991, Ms. Madi worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, where she served as the focal point for Women in Development.

Harry Boyd-Carpenter is the Managing Director of the Sustainable Infrastructure Group at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a role he assumed on 1 January 2025. He leads a team of over 200 staff working across the power, energy, transport, and social and municipal infrastructure sectors in all of the Bank’s countries of operation. Before joining the EBRD, he was an Associate in the project finance team at Allen & Overy LLP and also worked for the European Agency for Reconstruction in Pristina. He is a graduate of the University of Oxford.

Adriano Roccucci is the National Person in charge for Italy of the Community of Sant’Egidio and serves as the humanitarian aid coordinator for the Community in Ukraine. A member of Sant’Egidio since 1978, he held the position of General Secretary from 2003 to 2019 and Vice President from 2019 to 2025. He is also a full professor of Contemporary History at the Department of Philosophy, Communication and Performing Arts of Roma Tre University and is the author of several books and articles on East European history.

Arvid Tuerkner is the Managing Director for Ukraine and Moldova at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), where he oversees the development of the Bank’s programme for Ukraine, focused on five key wartime and reconstruction investment priorities: energy security, vital infrastructure, food security, trade, and private sector support, along with policy dialogue to assist Ukraine and Moldova in their progress toward EU membership. Ukraine is a priority investment destination for the EBRD. Mr Tuerkner joined the Bank in January 2009 from the German development bank DEG and, prior to his current role, led EBRD operations in Türkiye. His academic background includes postgraduate professional training at the German Development Institute and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Free University of Berlin.

Bob Saum is the World Bank Country Director for Ukraine and Moldova, based in Kyiv. Previously, as Chief Financial Management Officer, he led the operational engagement with UN agencies and advanced “fit for purpose” implementation of World Bank-financed operations in fragile, conflict and violence-affected environments to maximize impact and results. He also led the development of the World Bank’s first operational use of AI, designed to review and analyze accountability issues. His earlier roles include Country Director for Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Bangladesh; Director of Regional Integration in South Asia; Adviser to the Managing Director; and Manager for Financial Management in South Asia. His career began at EY, followed by relief and development work with NGOs in Pakistan, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and East Jerusalem. Bob holds a Master of International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Piero Cipollone has been a member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank since 1 November 2023, responsible for the Directorate Banknotes, the Directorate General International and European Relations, and the Directorate General Market Infrastructure and Payments. Before joining the ECB, he served as Deputy Governor of the Banca d’Italia and as a member of the Board of the Italian Institute for the Supervision of Insurance, as well as the Coordination Group for the Cross-border Payments Programme at the Bank for International Settlements; previously, he was also an Executive Director on the Board of the World Bank Group. Mr Cipollone graduated with honours in economics from the Sapienza University of Rome, holds a Master of Arts in economics from Stanford University, and was a visiting scholar at the economics department of the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of several books, and his research has been published in international journals such as the American Economic Review, the Journal of the European Economic Association, and the Journal of Policy Modeling.

Jarno Habicht is the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative and Head of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine since November 2018; he previously served as WHO Representative and Head of the WHO Country Office in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan (2015–2018) and the Republic of Moldova (2011–2015). He has worked for the WHO since 2003 at the country level and has been involved in numerous international initiatives on health systems and public health. Earlier in his career, he was a Health Specialist for the Estonian Health Insurance Fund and worked as a consultant and researcher for various health projects and health information initiatives of the Department of Public Health at the University of Tartu and the Ministry of Social Affairs in Estonia. He holds a Diploma in Medicine (MD) and a Doctor in Medicine (PhD) from the University of Tartu, Estonia, and over the past decades, he has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and books.