Ivo A. Ivanov is Chief Operating Officer of the DE-CIX Group AG and also – as Chief Executive Officer of DE-CIX International – responsible for the global business activities of the Internet Exchange Operator. Ivo has more than 15 years’ of experience in the regulatory, legal and commercial Internet environment.

Ivo joined DE-CIX in January 2007. In recent years, Ivo has been deeply involved in the establishment DE-CIX sites in Istanbul, Palermo, Madrid, Marseille, New York, Dallas, Dubai (UAE-IX powered by DE-CIX) as well as Mumbai (Mumbai IX powered by DE-CIX), and several DE-CIX consultancy projects in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Ivo has an educational background focused on Law and Business. Fluent in German, English, Russian and Bulgarian, he graduated from a German business school in 1995 and holds two Law degrees, from the Universities of Sofia (Bulgaria) and Bonn (Germany). After graduation, he worked as a lawyer, with a focus on e-commerce law, IP law, telecommunications law and data protection law.

Current Role: 
• CEO of MEO (2022 – present)
• CEO of Altice Dominicana (2018-2022)
• Chief Audit Executive of the Altice Group in Switzerland, overseeing operations in France, the United States, Israel, Portugal, and the Dominican Republic (2016-2016)
• Several manager positions in the areas of auditing, operational consulting and organizational transformation, having led teams and projects in various geographical areas (since 2003)

Fast Facts
Ana Figueiredo led the following initiatives or events:
• The MEO network demonstrated the greatest resilience in Portugal during the energy blackout in April 2025.
• MEO ensured the success of the first mobile voting in the European elections in Portugal (2024).
• MEO was the first and only operator worldwide to launch an offer that integrates telecommunications and energy. (2024)
• MEO ensured a network of excellence for 1.5 million pilgrims at World Youth Day in Lisbon (2023)
• MEO received the Reputation Awards from the consultancy firm Onstrategy and Best Mobile Network in several Portuguese cities awarded by Umlaut

Vital Statistics & Education
• Degree in Business Administration and Management from the Higher Institute of Economics and Management (ISEG)
• MBA from the Catholic University and Nova Business School (Lisbon MBA)

Matthieu Bourguignon is the Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise – Europe for Nokia. In this role, Matthieu leads the Nokia European team providing 4th Industrial Revolution enablement solutions, including Industrial-grade 5G private mobile networks, mission-critical IP, Optical and Fixed Access, and cloud-native software for customers in asset-intensive industries and the public sector.

Prior to joining Nokia, Matthieu was a strategic analyst at Dassault Electronique and held critical sales leadership roles at Alcatel-Lucent, supporting Communication Service Provider customers in both France and Asia. During Matthieu’s tenure at Alcatel-Lucent, he held the role of Deputy CEO of Alcatel-Lucent France from 2013 to 2015.

Matthieu is a graduate of the French ENSEEIHT Engineering School of Toulouse and holds a master’s degree in business strategy and management from HEC (Hautes Etudes Commerciales) in Paris. He also holds an Executive degree in Marketing in Telecommunications from INSEAD.

Florian Tursky is an Austrian politician and expert in digitalization, communication, and politics. He served as the Secretary for Digitalization and Telecommunications in the Austrian Federal Government and was instrumental in launching significant digitalization projects, including the introduction of ID Austria and the implementation of important EU regulations in the digital sector.

Tursky holds multiple master's degrees in communication, management, and digital business & tech law. He is currently the Acting Chairman of the Vodafone Institute Europe and an Executive Fellow at the Global GovTech Center in Berlin.

Alexa von Busse is a presenter specialising in digitalisation and artificial intelligence. The business graduate and journalist frequently speaks with government officials and CEOs in Germany and Europe on topics related to the transformation of our economy, society and cities. Representatives from the worlds of science, business and politics discuss defence and cyber security, industry and climate protection, finance and health with her.

Bernd Meurer is a seasoned technology executive with extensive experience at BT since November 1998, currently serving as Chief Technology Officer – Major Account CTO, where thought leadership and driving innovation agendas are key responsibilities. Meurer possesses a profound understanding of customer business strategies and brings broad expertise in digital transformation, IT architectures, and service offerings. Previous roles include Head of Sales Engineering and Unit Manager for Client Network & IT Design at BT Germany, as well as Project Manager positions at agiplan and Stadt Köln. Academically, Meurer holds a Ph.D. in Physics from both the Max-Planck-Institute Stuttgart and the University of Stuttgart, complemented by a Diplom-Physiker degree from the University of Cologne.

Rod Evans is NVIDIA’s Vice President for Supercomputing, HER Cloud and AI for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

He joined NVIDIA in 2018 and has overseen strong growth in the High-Performance Computing and Artificial Intelligence businesses at NVIDIA across Europe. Rod is a highly accomplished international
business leader and draws on more than 30 years of experience in the IT industry.

Before joining NVIDIA, Rod led the European direct sales force at Intel Corporation and previously held European Vice President Positions at Silicon Graphics, Rackable Systems, Copan Systems and EMC.
Currently based in Reading, United Kingdom; he has worked in the UK, USA, and Germany.
Rod is a British national and alumnus of Queen Mary University, London.

Dr. Arne Gausepohl is member of the executive committee of the OHB Group – one of the most successful space and technology companies in Europe. He is responsible for the Business Unit DIGITAL.

OHB DIGITAL focuses on critical infrastructure, operations, and innovative, satellite data-based services. The aim is to make space data accessible to all relevant industries. With more than 500 employees, OHB DIGITAL serves customers in the three main segments: Ground segment (e.g., satellite ground stations, satellite operations, telescopes & antennas), Security (cyber security products and services) and Geospatial Analytics.

In addition, he serves as managing director at European Spaceport Company. The aim of the initiative is to create an efficient launch facility for small launch vehicles with a floating launch platform.

Previously, Dr. Arne Gausepohl worked for Telefónica Deutschland, where he and his teams were responsible for several brands in the partner management unit. In his career to date, he has focused on strategy and sales topics as well as the digitization of business models in various industries.

Dr. Arne Gausepohl studied business administration at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management in Vallendar, ESSEC in Paris and the University of Gothenburg. He received his PhD in sales management from the chair of Prof. Dr. Ove Jensen at WHU.

With nearly a quarter-century of immersion in the Internet engineering sector, my journey has led to co- founding TransmissionCo, where we specialize in high-capacity DWDM optical transmission services. At the helm as Managing Director, I channel my expertise in DWDM and IP/MPLS networking, network design, and engineering to empower and interconnect communities across Africa.

My tenure as Head of Engineering at SEACOM honed my ability to lead complex network infrastructure projects and foster innovation. TransmissionCo benefits from this rich background, positioning us as a key player in expanding Africa's digital landscape. Our mission resonates with my personal commitment to quality, sustainability, and the advancement of regional connectivity.

Miguel Pinto Luz was born in Lisbon on 8 March 1977. He is married and has three children.

He graduated in Electrotechnical Engineering and Computers from Instituto Superior Técnico in 2000.
He has an MBA from AESE Business School/IESE (Navarra University).

Over the last few decades, he has held several management, leadership and teaching posts, namely: President of the Alfredo de Sousa Foundation; Vice Mayor of Cascais; Member of the board of the Inclusive Community Forum; President of SEDES Lisboa; Vice-President Regional Tourism Body; Director of the Paula Rego Foundation; Chair and director of various companies and agencies of the local and inter-municipal corporate sector; Researcher for the INESC-ID Information Systems Groups; Guest lecturer at Nova School of Business and Economics and Instituto Superior Técnico.

He was Secretary of State for Infrastructure, Transports, and Communications during Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho’s Government.

Party-wise, he is currently Vice-President of the Social Democratic Party and over the last almost thirty years of party life he has taken on the roles of national advisor, member of the national political committee, and leader at the council and district level for Social Democrats. He was Minister of Infrastructure and Housing in the previous Government.

Steven Tjitrotaroeno is Chief Commercial Officer and a member of the Management Board of Telesur, Suriname’s leading telecommunications provider. Since joining the company in 1995, he has held a range of technical and leadership positions across transmission, mobile and fixed networks, data communications, intelligent networks, and interconnection services.

Steven holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering/Information Technology from Anton de Kom University of Suriname, an MBA from Maastricht School of Management, and a Master's degree in Telecommunication Management from Arden University.

With more than 30 years of experience in the telecommunications sector, Steven brings deep expertise in network operations, digital connectivity, commercial strategy, and innovation. Known for his collaborative leadership style, he is passionate about building high-performing teams and delivering technology solutions that support economic growth and digital transformation.

Diego Cabezudo is a telecommunications and cloud entrepreneur with nearly three decades of international experience across telecom, cloud, and infrastructure.

He began his career in telecommunications before founding and later exiting a wireless broadband company, and went on to serve as Chief Operating Officer of FON and Chief Executive Officer of AGS. In 2011, he founded GIGAS, building it into an international cloud and telecom operator across Europe and Latin America, and led the company through its initial public offering. He holds an MSc in Telecommunications Engineering and an MBA from London Business School.

As Chief Operating Officer of Alto Infrastructure, Diego focuses on execution, connecting strategy with how the business runs day to day, from operations and commercial alignment to scaling the platform across markets.

Fátima Caçador is a Portuguese journalist and communications professional specialised in technology, innovation, digital transformation, and entrepreneurship. She is widely recognised for her work with SAPO TEK and for her long-standing involvement in covering the technology sector, startups, AI, connectivity, cybersecurity, and digital trends. Throughout her career, she has moderated numerous conferences, executive panels, and high-level discussions, bringing a dynamic, informed, and engaging approach to every conversation. Her deep knowledge of the tech industry and strong communication skills make her a valuable addition to the Atlantic Convergence programme.

Samuel Mungadze is an experienced tech writer and journalist, and is currently the editor for ITWeb Africa, a South African-based continental business technology publication. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, he has established a reputation for generating in-depth, incisive news reporting on the convergence of ICT policy, cyber security, telecommunications, and digital transformation. Throughout his long career in technology media, he has interviewed major tech figures including CEOs of leading telecoms and ICT companies, start-up founders, opinion leaders, and analysts.

Luciano Charlita de Freitas is a Senior Digital and Artificial Intelligence Specialist at the World Bank, with over 25 years of experience in digital development, policy, and infrastructure. He holds a PhD in Economics from Hiroshima University and works at the intersection of digital transformation, artificial intelligence, cyber security, and public sector innovation, leading and supporting projects across Brazil and Latin America.

Rear Admiral Nuno António de Noronha Bragança was born in Lisbon on June 15th, 1963. Having attended Naval School, he graduated in 1988. He specialised in Communications and Electronic Warfare, holds a Master’s degree in Management and Organizational Behaviour and took, besides other courses, the ESDP Foundation Training Programme, the Joint General Staffs Course and the Promotion Course for General Officer.

He was the commanding officer of an OPV, the N.R.P. “Limpopo”, having previously held positions on board of several naval units. Ashore, he was Commander of the Cadet Company of the Student Corps of the Naval Academy, Director of the Naval Radio Station of Ponta Delgada Azores and held a position at the Chief of the Navy Staff in the Personnel and Organization Division. He was Aide-de-Champ and Navy Military Advisor of His Excellency the President of the Republic, Officer in the European Union Military Staff in Brussels, Director of the Navy Communications, Data and Cipher Centre in Lisbon.

Held the position of Commander of the Navy Headquarter Facilities, Head of the Resources Division of the Chief of Navy Staff and Chief of Cabinet of the Director General of Maritime Authority.

Between August 2018 and September 2019, he held the position of Commander of the Navy Permanent Task Group for West Africa, having commanded the National Force Deployed for the Open Sea Mission 18.2 and 19.1, developed in the Gulf of Guinea region.

He was, between February 2020 and July 2021, the Military Advisor to the National Defense Commission of the Portuguese Parliament having assumed on 30 July 2021 the position of Chief of Cabinet of the Admiral Chief of Navy Staff and National Maritime Authority.

In January 2022 took office as Deputy Director General of the Maritime Authority and Deputy Commander of the Maritime Police.

Elisabeth Braw is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, focusing on geopolitics and the globalised economy as well as greyzone and hybrid threats. She’s also a columnist with Foreign Policy and Politico Europe and the author of the award-winning Goodbye Globalization: The Return of a Divided World(Yale University Press). Her latest book, Undersea War, will be published by John Murray Press and Basic Books in October 2026.

At the Atlantic Council, Elisabeth leads the Threats to the Global Maritime Order initiative. She was previously a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). She’s the author of God’s Spies, about the Stasi’s church division (2019) and The Defender’s Dilemma: Identifying and Deterring Gray-Zone Aggression (2022). She is also a member of M&C Saatchi World Services’ advisory council, a member of GALLOS Technologies’ advisory board, an adviser to Willis Towers Watson’s research arm, a member of the Aurora Forum’s steering committee and a member of the UK National Preparedness Commission. Before joining academia, she worked in the private sector following a career as a journalist. She is a regular op-ed contributor to the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Times (of London).

Mohamad H. Ibrahim is a visionary leader in the field of network and satellite communication. With over 15 years of experience in the Internet Service Provider (ISP) business, he has played a pivotal role in connecting countries across Africa. His passion for providing reliable, secure, and affordable connectivity has driven the success of Interfiber Networks.

Mohamad holds a strong background in ICT (Information and Communication Technology). He founded several Internet service providers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R.Congo), contributing significantly to bridging the digital divide in the region. His expertise lies in leveraging leased circuits on the West African submarine cable to connect African countries.

As the CEO of Interfiber Networks, Mohamad leads a dedicated team focused on expanding connectivity throughout Africa with services such as IP Transit, Internet Connectivity, and Active Circuits.

Daan Juijn as Director for Research leads the Research team at the Arq Foundation, an independent think tank based in Brussels that advises European institutions and member states on AI policy and governance. His work spans AI scenario development, geopolitical strategy, and foundational research on how AI systems may reshape economies and societies. Before joining the policy world, Daan served as a Strategic Advisor at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.

With nearly 30 years of experience in the telecommunications sector, she holds a degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in International Development and Cooperation. A specialist in managing and expanding business across multiple geographies, she leads strategic negotiations, global partnerships, and international connectivity and digital infrastructure projects that strengthen the company’s presence in the global market.

Philippe Dumont is a member of ‘2020 Capacity Power 100’ an elite group of the most influential people of the wholesale carrier community. He is a CEO with over 25 years of international experience in the Telecoms industry. His strong leadership style is supplemented with an entrepreneurial attitude and long term vision.

Philippe was President & CEO of ASN (Alcatel Lucent Submarine Networks),  a worldwide leader for turnkey telecoms submarine cable systems, for 6 years and has also served for 5 years as President of the Wireless Transmission activities at Alcatel Lucent.

He is currently the CEO of EllaLink, a €180m project that has been designed to satisfy the growing traffic demand  between Europe and Latin America. The system will offer the first ever large scale, direct fibre route between the two continents, bypassing the congested routes of the North Atlantic.

Carlos Eduardo Sedeh is a senior executive with extensive leadership experience in the telecommunications and IT infrastructure sectors. As a business owner and strategic leader, he specializes in structuring multi-sector corporate solutions, managing large-scale fiber optic networks, and driving M&A and capital growth initiatives. Known for his technical and financial acumen, Carlos focuses on expanding regional connectivity, optimizing enterprise infrastructure, and scaling high-value telecom assets.

Christine Bölsche is Chief Digital & Information Officer at the European Space Agency (ESA). She leads ESA’s digital transformation agenda, driving the strategic use of digital technologies, data and artificial intelligence to strengthen mission delivery, organisational effectiveness and digital resilience. At the intersection of space, technology and European strategic autonomy, she focuses on building trusted digital capabilities that support Europe's ambitions in an increasingly connected and contested world.

Charles Oliveira is the CEO of Dot a Dot Solutions and Neutra+, companies focused on digital infrastructure, connectivity, and innovation in the telecommunications industry. He holds degrees in Business Administration, Marketing, and Information Technology, as well as an MBA in International Business Management.

With extensive experience in strategy, business development, and executive leadership, Charles leads the expansion of operations across network infrastructure, data centers, CDNs, managed services, and digital transformation initiatives.

Throughout his career, he has spearheaded innovation projects, built strategic partnerships, and developed solutions for internet service providers, enterprises, and corporate customers, contributing to the advancement of Brazil's telecommunications ecosystem.

Abhii Dabas is an entrepreneur, investor, and the Founder & CEO of INTRIC Technologies, a cutting-edge PropTech and Wealth-Tech platform revolutionizing how investors connect with global real estate opportunities. With a dynamic portfolio spanning FinTech, Recruitment-Tech, and EdTech, Abhii is at the forefront of innovation, building transformative ventures that reshape industries. A recognized User Experience specialist, he advises governments and leading global corporations, helping them craft seamless digital experiences that drive impact. His deep passion for real estate investment has led him to acquire properties across multiple cities worldwide, giving him unparalleled insights into global market trends.

Ismael Clemente has experience as a real estate professional since 1998.

Prior to founding MERLIN, he worked at Garrigues, Bankers Trust REIB, DB Real Estate and RREEF, as Managing Director, having participated in transactions with a total volume of approximately 5,000 million euros in all types of real estate assets. These include the sale and leaseback of the Tree portfolio, the largest real estate transaction in Europe in 2009.

Ismael has been CEO of MERLIN since its foundation.

He holds superior degrees in Law and in Economics & Business Administration, with a specialisation in Finance, from ICADE (E-3) and is member of the Spanish Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI)

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President of the Board of Directors of the Association for the Development and Training of the Sea of the Azores and Executive Director of the School of the Sea of the Azores since October 2022. She holds a degree in Education, a Master’s degree from the University of the Azores, and is currently pursuing a PhD at the same institution. She also holds postgraduate qualifications in Leadership in Sustainable Blue Economy and Records Management.

Dawit Bekele is the Regional Vice President for Africa at the Internet Society, an organization that works for an open, globally connected, and secure Internet for everyone. Prior to joining Internet Society, he worked at Addis Ababa University in teaching and research positions in computer science. He also started and ran a private company for Internet-related services. Dawit is an Ethiopian citizen with a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science and a master’s degree in business leadership.

Wilfried Dudink, Senior Director of Strategy & Development for Network Service Providers, leads strategic initiatives in edge computing, satellite systems, and submarine cables. He drives business and market development across Africa, strengthening global connectivity. Wilfried’s insights reflect deep expertise in internet infrastructure and emerging technologies shaping the future of digital ecosystems.

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Since February 2024, joined Siemens Energy in southwest Europe business development team, leading Portugal market, coordinating infrastructure business in the region and supporting major customers.

Since 2011, working on the Energy Transition, leading EDP networks business strategy team and several projects on smart grids, renewables integration, flexibility, storage… Fostering cross-team collaboration and permanent overview on the energy sector, capturing the best value creation opportunities.

Since 2003, after my Electrical Engineering graduation, I started on the telecom sector, working first for Siemens R&D, and then as a wireless engineer and product manager for Huawei. After my MBA I joined Navigator marketing division in the Paper industrial sector.

I love to travel around the world, immerse myself in different cultures and interact with people in 7 languages. Early riser who takes too many photos and is always up for a good challenge!

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He is currently the Vice-President of the Observatory of Digital Ecosystems and Infrastructures (OEID).

From 2020 to 2023, he coordinated the Navy’s department at the Military University Institute (IUM).

Between 2017 and 2020, he was the head of the Portuguese Armed Forces’ Cyber Defense Center(CCD) and served as the national representative on the Steering Committee of the Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence (CCDCOE) in Tallinn. In 2018 and 2019, he also acted as the National Leader of the CWIX exercise, NATO’s largest interoperability exercise.

A specialist in Communications and Electronic Warfare, he served in the Navy on various classes of ships and within the Navy General Staff. His final position was as Director of the Navy’s Communications, Data, and Cipher Center (2015–2017). He has completed several professional courses, most recently the Strategic Leadership in the Global Societal Security Programme, at the Swedish Defence University (SDU).

He collaborates with various institutions on topics such as cyberspace – including geopolitics, operations, security – and hybrid threats. He holds a PhD in International Relations, Strategy, and Security Studies from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FCSH), with a dissertation titled “Deterrence in Cyberspace – a Model for the Portuguese Armed Forces.”

He is also the first Portuguese Alumni at the George C. Marshall Center.

Edward is a successful entrepreneur who is well recognised for his commitment to the development of the African Internet.

Often called on for business and leadership advice, Edward is a member of the Institute of Directors in Southern Africa (IoDSA), and serves on multiple boards of pan-African technology companies.

Since co-founding Workonline Communications in 2006, Edward has successfully led the company to becoming the leader in the provision of wholesale connectivity and IP transit services in sub-Saharan Africa. Edward most notably also co-founded businesses such as Yafibr (formerly AIK Group) in 2020, as well as Magic Space Dust and Unicorn Factory in 2021.

As Chief Executive Officer, Tesh sets the strategy for the company and leads the talented team creating Europe’s leading data centre platform. Tesh is a digital infrastructure and data centre industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience in development, finance, sales, marketing, and real estate. Before joining AtlasEdge, he served as CEO of Africa Data Centres, where he led the company’s hyperscale expansion, making it one of the continent’s largest operators. Prior to this, Tesh held various executive roles at CyrusOne, eventually becoming the company’s CEO. During his tenure at CyrusOne, annual revenue grew from $221 million in 2012 to over $1 billion by 2020. His previous roles also include Chief Marketing and Business Officer for Telx, founder of NYC-Connect, and various management positions at Abovenet, Sprint, and Metromedia Fiber Networks.

Luís is Cleantech for Europe's Policy Manager and leads Cleantech for Europe Policy team. He is an experienced professional with more than 10 years working in climate and energy transition regulation. Previously, Luís worked at the European Parliament for over five years, developing his expertise on climate and sustainability. Luís graduated from University of Porto in both Engineering and Innovation Economics and Management and is now pursuing his PhD in Management, with a focus on sustainability.

Lourenço Sousa Coutinho is an Associate Director at CBRE Portugal, specializing in real estate and infrastructure investment banking. He leads the Data Center Capital Markets business division in Portugal and has been involved in some of the most relevant transactions in the sector. With a background in M&A advisory, structured finance, and corporate strategy, he supports global investors in executing complex, highvalue projects shaping the future of the Portuguese and Iberian markets.

Wouter is an internet pioneer with 20+ years of industry experience. Wouter cofounded in 1997 the first carrier neutral data centre in Amsterdam – SpeedPort, modelled after AboveNet and the Palo Alto Internet Exchange in California. In 1999, he was part of the founding team of Interxion, which became Europe’s leading data centre operator 20 years later. He initiated the Swiss Internet Exchange Swiss-IX in 2001, and the French France-IX in 2009. In July 2016, whilst at Interxion, he founded PAIX to focus 100% on the data centre opportunity on the African continent. He initiated and co-founded the Africa Data Centres Association in 2018, and is currently a board member. Wouter grew up in Mali and Burkina Faso and graduated from Imperial College London with a Masters in Software Engineering, and received his MBA from INSEAD.

Dr. Sanjay Basu has worked in technology for more than 30 years and currently leads the AI infra, Generative AI , and GPU Cloud Engineering teams at Oracle Cloud.

Sanjay holds a Doctorate in organizational behavior and a double master’s in management & computer engineering. He is working on his second PhD in Artificial Intelligence.

He is a Life Member of ACM, AAAI, AAAS, and IEEE, and a Fellow of IETE. He is a prolific writer and author of 5 technical books and holds 6 US patents.

Simone Maria Parazzoli is co-author of The Agentic State, the first framework mapping how agentic AI will transform government. Previously he worked at the OECD, advising governments on AI adoption and innovation. He holds an MPP from Bocconi and Sciences Po. He’s now focused on accelerating the safe adoption of transformative AI across the public sector.

André Guerra is currently the Head of R&D and Innovation at Open Cosmos, leading the definition and execution of the company’s technology roadmap. He is a senior research and development manager with a strong multidisciplinary background, that has led space system developments at CEiiA and served as an invited professor at the University of Porto. He holds an MSc in Aerospace Engineering and a PhD in Physics, focused on microsatellite constellations bridging connectivity and Earth Observation domains.

He is Co-Founder and former Chief Scientific Officer of Connected, where he led the development and in-orbit demonstration of a proprietary narrowband IoT payload for space-based connectivity solutions.
Following its rapid growth, Connected was acquired by Open Cosmos, a multinational space company whose vision is to use satellites to understand and connect the world.

Dr. Jason Black leads the teams who are driving the delivery of NVIDIA’s end-to-end data center-related software and infrastructure that power today’s most comprehensive cloud and edge data center deployments. Formerly, Black was at Uber Technologies, where he was Head of Global Network Infrastructure covering data center, backbone, PoP, and cloud for the production and advanced technology group networks. Before his time at Uber Technologies, he was Senior Director of Network Engineering and Operations at Yahoo! He is a technology and business visionary with hands-on experience in growing multi-billion-dollar web-scale companies as well as his previous start-ups.

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Peter Garforth, runs a specialist consultancy company, Garforth International llc, based in Toledo, Ohio, and Brussels, Belgium. The company, advises major companies; cities, communities, property developers and policy makers on developing competitive approaches that reduce the economic and environmental impact of energy use.

Vincent is the driver of the company’s efforts in expanding EllaLink’s subsea cable network, after successfully leading the Sales and Marketing team of the EllaLink project since its inception.

Vincent has been a member of Alcatel Submarine Networks’ Sales and Marketing team for 9 years. Previously, held various international positions within the Alcatel-Lucent Group in India and Chile.​

Vincent is a graduate of the Mines Telecom Nord Europe. ​

He is fluent in French, English and Spanish.

Filipe de Oliveira Lopes is an experienced professional with 18.2 years of work experience in sales and business development. He has a strong background in renewable energy, solar energy, and wind engineering. Based in Portugal, Filipe has held various leadership positions in sales and account management, leading sales and account managers to develop product sales, new client services, and solutions. He has also worked at companies like MCA, ISQ, INCM Imprensa Nacional – Casa da Moeda, and GE. Filipe's expertise lies in driving business growth and implementing effective business strategies.

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Olafur is an infrastructure strategist specializing in EU-based sovereign cloud solutions. He focuses on the deployment of immersion-cooled servers and secure, open-source development stacks. With deep expertise in EU-wide hardware integration, he is dedicated to building a digitally autonomous future for European enterprise and public sectors.

With over 20 years of experience in the IT and telecommunications industry, Vladimir Prodanovic serves as a Principal Program Manager at NVIDIA, where he leads data center readiness for GPU deployments and operational excellence. Before joining NVIDIA, he spent nearly 11 years at Microsoft, overseeing global GPU and high-performance computing (HPC) deployments and managing programs across multiple regions.

Vladimir’s career includes leadership roles at KPN, B2, and other pioneering technology companies, where he developed deep expertise in business development, IT infrastructure, and network planning.

He holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Delft University of Technology. With a strong blend of strategic insight and hands-on experience, Vladimir is a respected authority in the advancement of digital infrastructure.

Guilherme Reis is Managing Director for Iberia at Digital Realty, overseeing the company’s operations and growth strategy across Spain and Portugal.
Based in Madrid, he leads Digital Realty’s continued expansion in the region, including its Madrid and Barcelona campuses and the company’s entry into Lisbon. With more than 15 years of international experience across technology, data and analytics, Guilherme focuses on strengthening customer and partner relationships while supporting growing demand for AI-ready, interconnected and sustainable digital infrastructure across Iberia and the broader Mediterranean region.

James is a leading lawyer focusing on digital infrastructure, digital regulation and technology law. He also co-heads Fieldfisher’s cybersecurity practice and advises clients on the increasing web of digital regulation in the UK and the EU (privacy, telecoms regulation, cyber security, operational resilience, data use and access).
Legal 500 recognises James as a leading individual in technology law.

I am a Partner in Fieldfisher’s Munich office and Co-Head of Fieldfisher’s Energy and Natural Resources group, focusing on Corporate and Energy Law.

Andrei Robachevsky is Technical Director of the Internet Integrity Program at the Global Cyber Alliance (GCA), where he develops collaborative approaches to address cybersecurity weaknesses in Internet infrastructure, working with operators, researchers, and policy stakeholders. Before joining GCA, he served as Senior Director of Technology Programs at the Internet Society until February 2024, where he was instrumental in launching the Mutually Agreed Norms for Routing Security (MANRS) initiative to improve the security and resilience of the global routing system. Earlier, he was Chief Technical Officer at the RIPE NCC, overseeing IT strategy and the K-root DNS root server.

A longtime contributor to Internet governance and technical communities, Robachevsky served on the Internet Architecture Board (IAB) from 2010 to 2012 and participated in the CRISP team in 2014. In November 2024, he was elected to the Number Resource Organization Number Council (NRO NC) and since January 2026 he is representing MANRS at the European Commission’s Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Internet Standards Deployment.

João Razori is Director of Products, Solutions, and Edge Strategy at Ascenty, with more than 18 years of experience in the Data Center and Telecommunications industries. Recognized for his strategic leadership across the Latin American market, he leads the Solution Architecture, Product Management, and Edge Strategy teams, driving initiatives in connectivity, interconnection, and digital infrastructure.

Throughout his career, João has led the definition and execution of strategies that strengthen digital ecosystems, bring together enterprises, cloud providers, and telecommunications carriers, and accelerate digital transformation across diverse markets throughout Latin America.

Dr. Daniel S. Hamilton is President of the Transatlantic Leadership Network and directs its Atlantic Basin Initiative of African, European, South, Central and North American Eminent Persons, research institutes and private sector leaders that explores the changing dynamics among the four continents of the Atlantic Basin with regard to digital connectivity, energy, economic growth, human development, and human security.

He is Senior non-resident Fellow at the Brookings Institution and a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute of Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies. Recent publications include The Transatlantic Digital Economy 2024 and The promise of a free and open Atlantic. He has held a variety of senior positions in the U.S. Department of State, and serves on several international advisory boards.

I am a Partner in Fieldfisher’s Hamburg office and co-head of the international Technology Sector Group, specialising on Technology, Data Protection and IT Law.

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Adolfo Cartaxo is a Full Professor in the Department of Information Science and Technology at Iscte – Lisbon University Institute (IUL). He is the coordinator of the Multicore Fiber – Applications and Technologies (MATCH) European doctoral network and LUMIRing (Lisbon Underground Multicore Fiber Ring) project.

Paul Rendek is currently a Director at Dstream Group, a strategic management consulting group specialised in the IT industry. He has 30+ years of experience in a global capacity in the Internet industry and a solid understanding of the Internet’s technical aspects, business development, and public policy.

He was part of RIPE NCC’s Senior Management Team, responsible for developing organisational strategies and maintaining the RIPE NCC’s external relations and public affairs activities, overseeing outreach to RIPE NCC & RIPE members, industry partners, governments, law enforcement and regulators.

Paul was one of the founders of the Middle East Network Operators Group (MENOG) and the Eurasia Network Operators Group (ENOG). He was also appointed to the Consolidated RIR IANA Stewardship Proposal (CRISP) team to produce the Internet Number Community response to the IANA Stewardship Transition Coordination Group’s RFP.

As an Internet governance expert passionate about Internet development, he was an appointed representative of the Internet technical community in the global Internet governance arena.

Before his employment at the RIPE NCC, his position at EUnet, the first commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Europe, and GEANT, the pan-European network for research and education have ensured that he has been a known face in the Internet community since 1993.

Vinay Nagpal has been leading the development of digital infrastructure solutions on a global scale for over 29 years. As the CEO of InterGlobix, a global consultancy, advisory and media firm advancing digital infrastructure and leading economic growth, he has been leading global initiatives focused on the convergence of data centers, subsea fiber, and terrestrial fiber.

Nagpal is a former executive with Digital Realty, DuPont Fabros Technology, TATA Communications, Verizon Business, UUNET, CanWest Global Communications, and Intrinsyc Software. He is currently part of leadership and advisory teams for the Internet Ecosystem Innovation Committee (IEIC), Loudoun County Economic Development, Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), Total Telecom Submarine Networks EMEA, DE-CIX, RTI Cables, SMU M.S. in Datacenter Systems Engineering, SubOptic, PTC and
previously GPX India, LINX NoVA, the QTS Richmond NAP and the Open-IX Association.

Nagpal has an MBA in Information Systems, a bachelor’s in computer science, and a Higher Diploma in Software Engineering. He has authored white papers, blogs, and industry publications on data centers and connectivity services. He has been a keynote speaker, panelist, and moderator at several renowned digital infrastructure conferences worldwide.