Ingrid Vanden Berghe

Administrator General, National Geographic Institute, Belgium, Co-Chair, UN-GGIM,

Ingrid Vanden Berghe holds an agricultural engineering degree specializing in soil sciences from KULeuven. After some years in advisory roles in politics, she was appointed General Administrator of the National Geographic Institute of Belgium in 2002, a function she still holds today. Ms. Vanden Berghe was President of EuroGeographics from 2012 to 2018, is visiting professor at KULeuven, board member of several research organizations, and chairs the board of technology research organization VITO. She has represented Belgium on the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) since its establishment in 2011 and was elected co-Chair at the 2020 session.

Amb. Syed Akbaruddin

Dean, Kautilya School of Public Policy, GITAM, India

Amb. Syed Akbaruddin is serving as the Dean of the Kautilya School of Public Policy since June 2021. This followed the end of a distinguished diplomatic career which culminated upon the completion of his tenure as the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations in April 2020. Amb. Akbaruddin was the Official Spokesperson of India’s Ministry of External Affairs from 2012 to 2015. He has the distinction of also serving as an international civil-servant at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna during 2006-2011. Since his retirement Amb. Akbaruddin has written and spoken extensively on global public policy issues.

Betelhem Dessie

CEO, Anyone Can Code, Ethiopia

Betelhem Dessie is one of Ethiopia's leading youth technology education entrepreneurs. At only 23, she has been named the young pioneer in the Ethiopian emerging tech scene by CNN and BBC and included in the list of African innovators to watch for in 2019 by Quartz. Ms. Dessie is the CEO of iCog Anyone Can Code, a subsidiary of iCog Labs - Ethiopia's first artificial intelligence and robotics lab, working on community outreach and research with a focus on tech education and entrepreneurship. The projects at iCog Anyone Can Code are aimed at decentralizing, democratizing, and equipping children and youth with the necessary skills to innovate and create utilizing emerging technologies.

David Henderson

Chief Geospatial Officer, Ordnance Survey, United Kingdom

David Henderson is the Chief Geospatial Officer at the UK's Ordnance Survey and a member of the Executive Board where he leads the continuous development of Ordnance Survey's core strategic strengths, technical capabilities and geospatial data assets. A geospatial professional and Honorary Fellow of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, Mr. Henderson joined Ordnance Survey in 2003 and has fulfilled a variety of technical and leadership roles. He has led the UK's delegation to the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) since 2016 and is a Vice-Chair of the UN-GGIM Europe Regional Group.

Sergio Fernandez de Cordova

Executive Chair, PVBLIC Foundation, USA

Sergio Fernandez de Cordova is the Founder and Chairman of PVBLIC Foundation and a Permanent Observer to the International Youth Organization for Ibero-America (OIJ) to the United Nations. As Chairman of PVBLIC he leads the foundation’s engagement with governments from the Vatican to the White House to the United Nations, and multinationals; public and private. As a UN Permanent Observer, Mr. Cordova leads all multilateral engagement and partnership integration across the UN system. In all his work, public and private, he leads the global development and policy work behind structuring Public Private Partnerships (PPP) that embrace social change; making sure the next generation have a seat at the table — using media, data and technology to drive that change.

Colin Low

Chief Executive, Singapore Land Authority, Singapore

Colin Low is the Chief Executive of the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), whose mission is to optimise land resources for the social and economic development of Singapore. As Chief Executive, Mr Low oversees the SLA’s management of state land and properties and the national land information database. He also steers the agency’s development of geospatial data, policies and technologies to foster innovation that supports the social and sustainability efforts of the Government, enterprises and community. Mr Low has over 20 years of experience in global real estate and hospitality investment, fund and REIT management.

Devleena Bhattacharjee

Founder & CEO, Numer8 Analytics, India

Devleena Bhattacharjee is an Indian data scientist with 15+ years of experience in using data and the power of data science to solve real-world business problems across different domains, including climate change and food security. Her second data science start-up, Numer8 Analytics, uses satellite data along with other sensor data to build profitable, traceable, and sustainable fisheries. Numer8''s Ofish product reduces fishing operations costs by up to 45% including increasing revenue by 10% and providing access to low-interest group loans. However, Numer8''s focus on the marine ecosystem goes beyond fishing, into generating additional livelihood options for fisherfolks while being sustainable and environmentally friendly, like seaweed.

Stefan Schweinfest

Director, Statistics Division United Nations, United Nations

Stefan Schweinfest is the Director of the Statistics Division at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The Division is the Secretariat for the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM). Mr. Schweinfest supported the work of the Statistical Commission to develop the global indicator framework to monitor progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), subsequently adopted by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the General Assembly of the United Nations. He played a key role in the negotiations leading to the 2011 ECOSOC resolution to establish UN-GGIM and has actively involved himself with global geospatial information management since, including the development of the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework.

Deirdre Dalpiaz Bishop

Chief, Geography Division, US Census Bureau, USA

Deirdre Dalpiaz Bishop is Chief of the Geography Division at the U.S. Census Bureau, where she leads the development of a national geospatial database. This database of addresses, roads, and boundaries creates the foundation for census taking and surveys. Ms. Bishop received her masters degree in public administration from New York University and her bachelor's degree in urban studies from Lehigh University. She is the President of the U.S. National Section of the Pan American Institute of Geography and History, and is Head of the U.S. Delegation for the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM).

Albert Momo

Vice President and Executive Director, Trimble,

Albert Momo is the Vice President and Executive Director of Trimble in charge of emerging markets and funded projects. In this role, he is at the forefront of Trimble international expansion, pursuing projects financed by multilateral development banks, intergovernmental organizations, bilateral development organizations, export credit agencies, private companies, and local governments in emerging countries. Albert is a member of the Applied Sciences Advisory Committee (ASAC) of NASA. He is a former Chair of the Trimble Foundation and a member of the Board of Directors of the Cadasta Foundation.