Ms. Lorena Aguilar, is a global leader passionate about human rights, inclusion, and sustainable development, with over three decades providing strategic contributions to national and international policies. Leading inclusive collaboration with government counterparts, UN agencies, international organizations, and civil society towards advancing inclusive and equitable sustainable development. Lorena has field experience in more than 50 countries across Latin America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia. Ms. Aguilar also served as Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica. At present, she is the Executive Director of the Kaschak Institute for Social Justice for Women and Girls at Binghamton University. 

H.E. Mr. Fahad Al-Sulaiti, is the Director General of Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), the State of Qatar’s international development provider dedicated to promoting sustainable development and mobilizing humanitarian aid globally inspired by Qatar National Vision 2030. Under his guidance, QFFD will advance innovative finance mechanisms, including concessional loans, grants, guarantees, and investments, to address critical global challenges in health, education, and economic development. Fahad strongly advocates for collaboration with governments, international organizations, NGOs, and the private sector to achieve sustainable, impactful solutions that foster peace, justice, and prosperity. Prior to his current role, Fahad served as Chief Executive Officer, where he played a pivotal role in establishing and steering the organization’s governance, strategy, financial frameworks, partnership models, and overall business plan since its inception in 2012. Under Fahad’s leadership, the organization became a globally recognized player in advancing education, reflecting Qatar’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in education development. Fahad managed an extensive project portfolio spanning 60 countries, leveraging over USD 3 billion in funding and forging partnerships with more than 100 entities, including development banks, UN agencies, official development organizations, international NGOs, and private sector stakeholders. His efforts included fostering strategic collaborations with key development funding nations like the USA, UK, France, Italy, and South Korea, alongside leading global f inancial institutions such as the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, InterAmerican Development Bank, and the African Development Bank. He also focused on strengthening relationships with governments in project implementing countries, delivering tangible impacts on their education systems and reinforcing Qatar’s role in global education development. Additionally, Fahad chaired the board of an international entity based in the United Kingdom, contributing to resource mobilization and project funding on a global scale. With 23 years of professional experience, Fahad’s career includes 12 years in his previous leadership role at Education Above All Foundation and 11 years in senior finance, administration, and project management positions at Qatar Foundation. He also gained expertise in retail, international, and corporate banking at Qatar National Bank (QNB), where he managed multiple overseas operations. Fahad holds a BSc in Business Administration with a focus on accounting and economics and an Executive MBA from HEC Paris in Qatar.

Dr. Mansoor Alawar, is Chancellor of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) and a Member of the Executive Council of the Association of Arab Universities (AARU). A pioneering figure in smart education and governance excellence across the Arab world, he has led transformative initiatives such as the award-winning Smart Campus and the Emirati Programmer programme. From 2014 to 2021, he served as Chairman of the Governing Board of the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE), where he led global efforts to integrate ICT into education. His leadership has shaped excellence frameworks at national, regional, and international levels. Dr. Al Awar has chaired numerous prestigious award juries, including the Mohammed bin Rashid Award for Government Excellence (2024), the Arab Government Excellence Award (2019, 2023), the Egypt Government Excellence Award (2019, 2021, 2024), and the Global Government Excellence Award at the Dubai Government Summit (2022, 2023). He has also chaired the Minister of Interior Excellence Award since its launch in 2011, and served on juries such as the Dubai International Best Practice Award for Sustainable Development (2023) and the Innovators Under 35 Awards (IU35), organized by Dubai Future Foundation and MIT Technology Review Arabia. He is the founder of several pioneering initiatives and institutions that promote innovation and quality in public service and education, including the Middle East eLearning Association (MEEA), the Middle East Quality Association (MEQA), Innovation Arabia, and the Emirates Businesswomen Award. He also established the first Quality Department at Dubai Police, introducing suggestion schemes, self-assessment frameworks, and a public opinion survey center. Dr. Al Awar has received numerous accolades, including the ‘Pride of the Emirates’ Medal (2022), the Golden Order of Merit for Good Governance, and the ICT & Knowledge CEO Excellence Award. A prolific author and speaker, he has published extensively on innovation management, leadership, quality, and the future of higher education. His contributions continue to shape global policy and practice in education and public sector transformation.

Ms. Dominique Bichara, is the Director of Corporate Affairs and Administration in the Corporate Secretariat of the World Bank Group (WBG), where she joined in 1992. As Senior Counsel, she led negotiations for project finance in Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East, North Africa, and the Balkans, as well as regional initiatives on environmental law, legal and judicial reforms. In 2004, she opened the first Bank’s office in Tunisia. In 2010, she was appointed Special Representative of the World Bank Group to the United Nations in New York. In this capacity, she managed the WBG's collaboration with the Office of the UN Secretary-General and all UN Agencies, Funds and Programs, represented the WBG in UN intergovernmental bodies on a wide range of development issues, and led the Bank’s team for the negotiations of the Sustainable Development Goals, Finance for Development and support to fragile and conflict-affected states. Since 2016, she has led corporate affairs, administration and governance matters at the WBG’s Corporate Secretariat, facilitating the operation of all Boards of WBG entities. Before joining the WBG, she was Attorney at Law in private practice in Brussels and Paris, specializing in European business law. She holds a Maîtrise en Droit International from Université d'Aix-en-Provence, France, a Postgraduate Degree in European and International Law from Institut d'Etudes Européennes of Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium, and a Certificate in Common Law from the University of Exeter, U.K. A Belgian and Egyptian citizen, she is married and has two children.

Ms. Emma Codd, is Deloitte’s Global Inclusion Leader, responsible for leading the firm’s global inclusion strategy with a focus on enabling all individuals to succeed and thrive at work. Emma also leads the development and delivery of thought leadership aligned to this strategy, including the annual Women @ Work – A Global Outlook report and the 2024 Disability @ Work – A Global Outlook report. Prior to holding this role, Emma was managing partner for Talent for Deloitte UK and Deloitte NWE for 6 years, alongside her work advising clients on mitigating integrity risk. In 2021, Emma was awarded Honorary Membership by the UK’s Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales for her work championing diversity and inclusion in the UK accountancy profession. She is one of only 11 people to have been awarded this prestigious recognition.

H.E. Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa, is a distinguished diplomat, scholar, and policymaker with over 30 years of experience in multilateral affairs. She was the first woman from Latin America and the Caribbean to be President of the United Nations General Assembly (2018-2019) and has held senior leadership roles in the Government of Ecuador, including Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of National Defense, and the country’s first female Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. Ms. Espinosa has led international negotiations on a wide range of global issues, including peace and security, disarmament, climate change, sustainable development, Indigenous rights, gender equality, and multilateral cooperation. She is currently President of Cities Alliance and Executive Director of Global Women Leaders for Change and Inclusion. Among her numerous global roles, she is a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Crisis Group and the Board of Trustees of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center. She serves as Co-chair of the Climate Governance Commission, Co-chair of the Coalition for the UN We Need, Co-chair of the Debt Relief for a Green and Inclusive Recovery, and member of the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Human Security, among many others. An accomplished academic, Ms. Espinosa was Associate Professor and Researcher at the Latin American Faculty for Social Sciences (FLACSO), where she founded and led the Program on Socio-Environmental Studies. Her academic work focuses on the Amazon, climate change, biodiversity, Indigenous rights, and global governance. She has authored over 50 academic articles, book chapters, reports, and op-eds on sustainable development, foreign policy, peacebuilding, and multilateral reform. She has been the recipient of multiple prestigious fellowships, including from the Robert Bosch Academy, the Ford Foundation, the Society of Woman Geographers, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the German Agency for International Cooperation. Ms. Espinosa’s contributions have earned her numerous international awards, including the Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa from The New School (2025), the Eleanor Roosevelt Award from UNA USA (2022), the Sir Brian Urquhart Award from UNA-UK (2021), and the National Poetry Prize of Ecuador (1990). In 2019, she was named one of the BBC’s 100 most inspiring and influential women globally.

Mr. Ali H. Khalil, is the Chief Executive Officer of Kuwait Financial Centre “Markaz”. He has more than 35 years of experience spent between Kuwait, the United States and France. Prior to that, he was Markaz’s Chief Operating Officer from 2010 to 2020, whereby he oversaw both the Asset Management and the Investment Banking activities, with all their underlying activities. He joined the Markaz group of companies in 1989 as the President of Mar-Gulf Management, a fully owned subsidiary of Markaz located in Los Angeles, California, which manages its USA real estate investment activities. Under his tutelage, the real estate investments activity was expanded to include the MENA region with special focus on the GCC, and later on Europe. He is also the Chairman of the Lebanese Business Council in Kuwait and a Board Member at Kulluna Irada (an advocacy group committed to political reform in Lebanon). Mr. Khalil holds an MBA degree from INSEAD in France, a M.Sc., and a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University, USA.

Mr. Gianpiero Leoncini, is the Executive Vice President of CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, a role he has held since July 2024. As the most senior international officer of the Bank after the Executive President, he is responsible for the institution’s internal operational management, including planning, budgeting, operations control, impact measurement, human capital, technology, physical infrastructure, administration, and corporate strategy monitoring. A Peruvian national, Mr. Leoncini has dedicated over 15 years of his career to CAF. He has held senior positions including Principal Executive and Senior Executive of the Secretariat and External Relations Department; Director of Secretariat and External Relations; Country Representative for Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados; and Chief Advisor to the Executive Vice President. In these roles, he contributed to strengthening CAF’s presence and partnerships across the region, advancing its development mandate, and ensuring effective coordination with member countries and partners. Before joining CAF, he served as Chief of Staff to the Secretary General of the Andean Community and as an Officer in the Directorate of Political and Social Affairs at its General Secretariat. Throughout his career, he has focused on regional integration, multilateral cooperation, and sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Mr. Leoncini holds a degree in political science with a specialization in international relations from the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po) and a master’s degree in public administration from the National School of Administration (ENA) in France.

Ms. Tina Muparadzi, is the Executive Director for the Education and Transitions programming platform at the Mastercard Foundation, a role she has held since April 1, 2024, following a successful secondment to the position. In this capacity, she leads the Foundation’s Education & Transitions Programs, which include the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, Higher Education, Secondary Education, the Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning, and Transitions program areas. These initiatives aim to enable young people to acquire the education and skills they need to transition into meaningful and dignified work. An insider to the Foundation, Ms. Muparadzi previously served as Chief People & Culture Officer, where she was a driving force in staff growth and development, embedding people processes, and building the foundations of the Foundation’s evolved culture. Her leadership helped strengthen the organization’s internal capacity and fostered a culture of collaboration and learning. Ms. Muparadzi brings a diverse background with experience across both the private and development sectors, gained while working in multiple countries and continents. She holds MSc degrees in Organisational Psychology from the University of Bristol, UK, and in Coaching and Consulting for Change from HEC, School of Management, France. In 2019, she completed a doctorate degree in Business Leadership, focusing on the collaboration between academia and practitioners.

H.E. Ms. Patricia O’Brien, is the Ambassador of Ireland to Italy and to San Marino, and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Agencies based in Rome. From August 2017 to November 2021, she was the Ambassador of Ireland to France and to Monaco. From September 2013 to August 2017, she was the Ambassador of Ireland to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva. From August 2008 to September 2013, she was The Legal Counsel and Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs of the United Nations. She previously served as the Legal Adviser to the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland, Senior Legal Adviser to the Attorney General of Ireland and Ireland’s Legal Counsellor to the European Union in Brussels. Earlier in her career, Ms. O’Brien practised law at the Irish Bar and at the Bar of British Columbia, Canada. She also held academic positions and was an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia, Canada, for a number of years. Ms. O’Brien earned her law degrees in Trinity College, Dublin, the Kings Inns, Dublin, and the University of Ottawa, Canada. She is a member of the Irish Bar and of the Bar of England and Wales. She is a Fellow of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies, London and a Fellow of the Foreign Policy Association (US). She is Vice-President of the Dublin University Law Society, a Master of the Bench of the Middle Temple, London and an Honorary Bencher of the Kings Inns, Dublin. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Laws by Trinity College, Dublin in April 2019.

Mr. Dominique Perron, is a Partner in Business Consulting at EY, where he serves as the EMEIA International Development Leader. In this role, he manages EY’s relationships with the United Nations and several international organizations. Prior to joining EY, Mr. Perron began his career in Switzerland and the United Kingdom at another Big Four consulting firm. He later expanded his international experience during a three-year posting in Australia, before returning to Switzerland in 2004. Over the years, he has specialized in Risk, Internal Audit, and Governance Consulting at a global level, which also led him to serve as Global Relationship Partner for the United Nations. In addition to his professional work, Mr. Perron sits on the boards and audit committees of various external organizations, including the University of Geneva. He holds a Federal Diploma from the Chambre Fiduciaire Suisse (CPA).

Ms. Alessandra Sala, is a distinguished research and scientific leader in the field of Artificial Intelligence. She currently serves as the Sr. Director of AI and Data Science at Shutterstock. Alessandra has over 18 years’ experience in research and innovation gained whilst working in academic and commercial environments. Alessandra is passionate in advanced analytics, machine learning, and computational models with the focus of transferring innovation from research to products. Alessandra chairs the AI and Multimedia Authenticity Collaboration, which brings together IEC, ISO, ITU and other standards organizations to foster a unified response to deepfake technology, addressing risks while harnessing the benefits of generative AI. As Co-chair of the UNESCO Women for Ethical AI Platform, Alessandra is working with a strong community of women to foster diversity, inclusion and equality for women and minorities while encouraging a global ethical approach in AI. As Global President of Women in AI (a non-profit do-tank working towards gender-inclusive AI that benefits global society)  Alessandra leads a community of women from 171 countries that empowers women and minorities to become AI & Data experts, innovators and leaders. In an advisory capacity, Alessandra also serves as the Governance Committee Chair at the Science Foundation Ireland Centre for Research Training in Machine Learning. Among several awards, Alessandra won the 2024 Grace Hopper and the 2021 XV International Prize "Le Tecno-visionarie" in the AI - Industrial Research category. In her previous role Alessandra was Head of Analytics Research at Nokia Bell Labs where she was leading research teams in several locations while driving changes across different activities like her contributions to the Nokia AI Ethics Advisory Board.

Ms. Irena Vojackova-Sollorano, is a seasoned leader in international humanitarian affairs, she most recently served as Deputy Director General (ad interim) for Management and Reform at the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Irena brings over 30 years of global expertise in migration management, migration and development, refugee issues, and emergency response. Irena’s career with the United Nations System spans a decade serving in multiple roles. She was tripled-hatted in Iraq as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General (DSRSG), Resident Coordinator (RC), and Humanitarian Coordinator (HC); she also served as the Development Coordination Office (DCO) Regional Director in Istanbul; and previously as RC in Türkiye and Serbia. Irena was a member of the RC system restructuring team during the creation of the DCO within the UN Secretariat. She began her journey in humanitarian aid in the Philippines as a Development Officer/Associated Expert and the Operations Officer. Throughout her distinguished tenure of 23 years with IOM, Irena has held key leadership positions including the Director for Migration Management in Geneva; Regional Director for Southeast Asia in Bangkok and for Central Europe in Vienna. She has opened seven IOM national offices, participated in two IOM reform processes and served on several migration research boards. She holds a Diploma in International Economic Relations from the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna, an MA in History, Geography and International Law from the University of Vienna, and a BA in History and Political Science from the University of Heidelberg in Germany. Irena is proficient in English, German and Czech.