Speakers

Lord (Chris) Holmes of Richmond M.B.E.

Member, House of Lords, UK Parliament

Lord Chris Holmes of Richmond MBE is a Member of the House of Lords and a leading parliamentary voice on digital technology, AI, innovation, inclusion and public policy. His legislative work covers science, innovation, data, digital assets, online safety, digital markets, equality, ESG and technology for public good. In 2025, he introduced a Private Member’s Bill proposing the regulation of artificial intelligence, and has co-authored House of Lords Select Committee reports on AI, digital skills, democracy and digital technologies, social mobility and financial inclusion. He is also Britain’s most successful Paralympic swimmer, with nine gold medals, including six at a single Games.

Brando Benifei

Member of the European Parliament, co-rapporteur-EU AI ACT

Brando Benifei is an Italian Member of the European Parliament serving his third term. During the previous mandate, he was co-rapporteur for the Artificial Intelligence Act, a role for which he received the Best MEP of the Mandate Award from The Parliament Magazine in March 2024.

In 2024, he was re-elected with around 65,000 preference votes. He currently serves as Coordinator of the Committee on International Trade (INTA) for the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, and as Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with the United States (D-US).

He is also Co-Chair of the AI Working Group, where he focuses in particular on issues related to artificial intelligence regulation and broader digital policy.

In addition, he is a member of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) and a substitute member of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI), where he continues to closely follow digital and technological policy developments, including the two digital Omnibuses.

Gabriele Mazzini

Architect and Lead Author, EU AI Act

Gabriele Mazzini is the architect and lead author of the EU AI Act. As Team Leader at the European Commission until 2024, he designed the Act, led its drafting, and served as principal advisor through the negotiations with Parliament and Council. Today he is a Fellow at MIT Connection Science and a leading voice in AI governance and regulation across the world.
Before joining the European Commission, he studied and worked for eight years in the United States, where he was a senior executive at the Millennium Villages Project, an initiative across sub-Saharan Africa deploying science and technology-based interventions to alleviate extreme poverty led by economist Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, and advised early stage technology start-ups working on emergency communications and smart energy solutions. He also served in the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice. Gabriele holds law degrees from Harvard Law School, the University of Pavia and the Catholic University of Milan. Currently he is a fellow at MIT Connection Science initiative.

Alex Engler

Executive Director, Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy & Ex-Director AI Policy, White House

Alex Engler is Executive Director of the Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy and a leading expert on AI policy, algorithmic accountability and technology regulation. His work focuses on how governments can regulate AI systems, improve public-sector use of algorithms and address the societal impact of emerging technologies. He has written extensively on AI governance, public policy and regulatory design, including the challenges of overseeing automated decision-making and foundation models. At the World AI Regulation Summit, Alex brings a strong US policy perspective on AI regulation, democratic accountability and institutional readiness.

Bojana Bellamy

President, Centre for Information Policy Leadership, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Bojana Bellamy is the President of Hunton’s Centre for Information Policy Leadership (CIPL), a preeminent global privacy and data policy think tank located in Washington, DC, London and Brussels. At CIPL, Bojana works with global business and technology leaders, regulators, policy and lawmakers to shape global data policy and practice, and develop thought leadership and best practices for responsible and trusted use of data and technology in the 4th Industrial Revolution. With more than 25 years of experience and deep knowledge of global data privacy and cybersecurity law, compliance and policy, Bojana has a proven industry record in designing strategy, and building and managing data privacy compliance programs. Bojana was the recipient of the 2019 International Association of Privacy Professionals’ (IAPP) Vanguard Award, which recognizes privacy professionals for outstanding leadership, knowledge and creativity in the field of privacy and data protection. In 2021 Politico recognized Bojana in its inaugural list of top Tech28 people shaping digital policy and technology in Europe and beyond. She was also one of 20 privacy experts to participate in the transatlantic “Privacy Bridge Project” from 2014-2015 that sought to develop practical solutions to bridge the gap between European and US privacy regimes.

Currently, Bojana sits on a number of advisory and industry boards, including the Mercedes-Benz Advisory Board for Integrity and Sustainability, the UK Government Expert Council for International Data Flows, the Thomson Reuters’ Practical Law Data Protection Consultation Board, as well as the Advisory Board of the Tech, Law and Security Program (TLS) at the American University Washington College of Law. She also was selected as a member of the Global Privacy Assembly Reference Panel. Bojana participates in many industry groups and is a regular speaker at senior corporate and governmental events and conferences. In 2024, Bojana was awarded the Award for Achievement by the PICCASO Awards Europe for playing a crucial role in shaping global data policy, advising governments, and contributing thought leadership at high-profile events globally.

Prior to joining CIPL, Bojana served for 12 years as the Global Director of Data Privacy at Accenture, and worked for eight years as Principal Consultant with Privacy Laws & Business consulting and auditing projects for private and public sector clients in the UK and abroad.

Dr. Mark Leiser

Academic, Author, and Technology Consultant; Riga Graduate School of Law/DigiData Consulting

Dr. Mark R. Leiser is a legal academic, regulatory theorist and internationally recognised expert in artificial intelligence, digital regulation and consumer protection. He is Associate Professor of Digital Regulation & Disruptive Technology at the Riga Graduate School of Law. His research examines how AI systems exercise power through automated inference, behavioural manipulation and data-driven decision-making, and how these practices affect autonomy, consumer welfare, privacy and fundamental rights.

A leading authority on dark patterns and deceptive design, Dr Leiser has shown how manipulation operates not only through user interfaces but also within system architecture and AI-driven environments. A current research focus is NeuroAI and the legal consequences of using neurodata, biometric signals and behavioural proxies to model or predict thoughts, emotions and intentions. His forthcoming book, Artificial Intelligence, NeuroData, and Society: Law at the Edge of Cognition (Bloomsbury Academic, September 2026), examines cognitive inference, mental privacy, and the limits of existing AI, data-protection and human-rights frameworks.

Dr Leiser is also the author of Dark Patterns, Deceptive Design, and the Law. He has advised international and public bodies, including the European Commission, the OECD and the UK Competition and Markets Authority, and holds a PhD from the University of Strathclyde.

Dr. Elise G. Annett

Research Fellow - AI Systems, Disruptive Technology, and Future Warfare, National Defense University

Dr. Elise Annett a Research Fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) of the National Defense University. Her research analyzes how advances in artificial intelligence, autonomy, and other disruptive technologies are reshaping military power, altering the dynamics of strategic competition, transforming command-and-control structures, and redefining the future battlespace. Recognized for her work in AI-enabled command and control, autonomous and agentic systems, human-machine teaming, and military AI governance, Dr. Annett develops frameworks for integrating advanced technologies into defense and national security operations. Her research focuses on helping military organizations leverage AI to achieve decision advantage, enhance operational effectiveness, and strengthen strategic readiness while preserving human accountability, command authority, and responsible oversight.

Dr. Annett developed SYNTHComm (Synthesized Command and Control), an original command-and-control framework that integrates human and machine cognition across military decision-making. Designed for AI-enabled operations, SYNTHComm embeds commander intent, governance mechanisms, and accountability structures directly within human-machine workflows, ensuring that authority, responsibility, and operational outcomes remain aligned. The framework addresses a defining challenge of twenty-first-century warfare: preserving human judgment and command responsibility as autonomous and AI-enabled systems assume increasingly consequential roles in planning, decision-making, and operational execution.

A graduate of Georgetown University, Dr. Annett holds a Doctor of Liberal Studies in Artificial Intelligence and National Security Studies and a Master of Professional Studies in Higher Education Administration, in addition to a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Philosophy from The Catholic University of America. Her interdisciplinary background combines expertise in technology, cognition, ethics, governance, and organizational systems, enabling her to address the complex challenges associated with integrating artificial intelligence into defense institutions, military operations, and national security strategy.
 
In recognition of her contributions to the field, Dr. Annett received the National Science Foundation (NSF) Cyber SMART Distinguished Dissertation Award for her research on human accountability in AI-enabled command systems and the development of the SYNTHComm framework. Cyber SMART (Science, Management, Applications, Regulation, and Training) is an NSF Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) established at Georgetown University to advance multidisciplinary research spanning technology, governance, policy, management, and cybersecurity. The award recognizes exceptional doctoral scholarship that bridges disciplines and addresses complex challenges at the intersection of computing, governance, and society.
 
Through her research, scholarship, and professional engagement, Dr. Annett contributes to the development of concepts, governance frameworks, and command models that are helping shape the future of military decision-making, strategic competition, and warfare in the age of artificial intelligence.

H.E. Prof. Saeed Aldhaheri

Director, Center for Futures Studies, University of Dubai President, Robotics & Automation Society, UAE

H.E. Prof. Aldhaheri is a leading voice in ethical and responsible AI, with a global footprint in AI governance, foresight, and digital transformation, with more than 30 years of leadership experience across government, academia, and international institutions. He currently serves as Chair Professor at the School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), China, director of the Center for Futures Studies at the University of Dubai, and President of the Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) in the UAE. He holds a UNESCO co-Chair on Anticipatory Systems, and Chair of the AI Working Group for the Citiverse Initiative in collaboration with ITU, UNICC, and Digital Dubai.

He has advised several governments on AI strategy, foresight, and innovation policy. Artificial Intelligence Governance Network (AIGN) ranked him among the world’s top 20 AI Governance Influencers in 2025.

He is the author of the book Digital Nation: How the UAE is building a future based on tech innovation, and he has written several articles and reports that were published in Harvard Business Review Arabia, MIT Technology Review Arabia, MIT Sloan Management Review, Times Higher Education, Human Futures of the World Futures Studies Federation, and Dubai Policy Review-Journal.

Timothy Kang

Commissioner, MSA-CESS; Head of Delegation, G7 Hiroshima AI Process (Korea/US)

Timothy Kang is Commissioner with the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), where he helps shape high-stakes accreditation decisions for over 3,000 schools across 117 countries, aligned with U.S. Department of Education–recognized standards. He serves as Head of Delegation for the Partners Community within the G7 Hiroshima AI Process Friends Group, bringing together governments, research institutions, and companies to advance safe, secure, and trustworthy AI.

He developed the Reliance Authorization Framework for AI governance, which defines the institutional control point at which AI-generated outputs become formally authorized for use in consequential decisions. His work focuses on moving global AI governance from principles to operational decision systems, with emphasis on verification procedures, authorization roles, and decision documentation.

A Forbes Technology Council member and global advisor on AI accreditation and responsible AI adoption, he has contributed to OECD and G7 AI governance discussions and advises institutions on implementing practical governance architectures for advanced AI systems.

Mohamed Shareef

Senior Advisor for Digital Transformation at Nexia Maldives and the former Minister of State for Environment, Climate Change and Technology

Mohamed Shareef is a Senior Advisor for Digital Transformation at Nexia Maldives and the former Minister of State for Environment, Climate Change and Technology for the Maldives. Bridging policy, practice, and research, he brings extensive executive experience in public administration to the forefront of global technology policy. Having previously served as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communication, Science and Technology, and as Chief Information Officer at the National Centre for Information Technology (now the Maldives Digital Service), he has a proven track record of advancing digital public infrastructure and governance in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

As a policymaker and researcher, Shareef focuses on the unique sovereign requirements and structural constraints of SIDS in the era of artificial intelligence. He advocates for digital transformation that moves beyond physical hardware deployment to prioritize structural process optimization and workflow re-engineering. His recent academic and policy work - including strategic analyses of agentic AI models and his recent research on the "Amplified Sovereignty Paradox"- examines how AI alters national autonomy and institutional authority. By critically evaluating global AI frameworks against the operational realities of island nations, Shareef offers standards-grade, equitable governance models that balance technical controllability with responsible digital inclusion.

Sandra Maximiano

Chairwoman, ANACOM-Portugal’s National Communications Regulator

Sandra Maximiano is Chairwoman of ANACOM, Portugal’s national communications regulator, and Co-Chair of the ITU International Advisory Body. Her regulatory work sits at the intersection of digital infrastructure, connectivity, consumer protection, market oversight and international cooperation. She is also Associate Professor of Economics at ISEG, University of Lisbon, where she co-coordinates XLAB, the Behavioral Research Lab, and serves as Visiting Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Coimbra. With a PhD in Economics from the University of Amsterdam, her work brings together behavioural economics, public policy, information management and regulatory decision-making in digital markets.

Jeni Tennison

Executive Director, Connected by Data

Jeni Tennison OBE is the founder and Executive Director of Connected by Data, campaigning for community voices in data and AI decisions. She is a Senior Fellow at CIGI, an adjunct Professor at Southampton’s Web Science Institute, and Chair of the UK Government Digital Service’s Responsible AI Advisory Panel. Previously, Jeni spent nine years at the Open Data Institute, serving as CEO, and co-chaired the GPAI Data Governance Working Group. She sits on the board of Creative Commons, holds a PhD in AI, and received an OBE for services to technology and open data.

Reema Patel

Founder/CEO of Elgon Social and researcher based at the ESRC Digital Good Network

Reema Patel is a leading voice in democratic innovation and AI governance. She currently works on the Digital Good Network, Public Voices in AI, and she directs the Global Citizens' Assembly. She is also an EDI associate to the Wellcome Trust, advising the trust on the development and implementation of their equity framework. Previously, Reema was a founder of the Ada Lovelace Institute and leader of the Citizens Economy program at the RSA. Reema directed the Global Science Partnership for climate action as part of the UK's COP26 Presidency.

Conny Dorrestijn

NED, Singer Capital Markets and Worldpay BV

Conny Dorrestijn Prins has built a 30-year career at the intersection of innovation and financial services, with deep experience in payments, banking infrastructure and fintech scaling. She is a Non-Executive Director at Singer Capital Markets, where she chairs the Remuneration Committee, and a Member of the Supervisory Board at Worldpay (NL entity).

She previously served on the Non-Executive Board of Augmentum Fintech plc until May 2026, following its acquisition by Verdane. Her background combines operational scaling experience, including the growth and sale of Clear2Pay to FIS, with board-level governance across listed and private companies.

Conny is a Founding Partner and shareholder of BankiFi and remains actively involved as a non-executive. She also advises founders, investors and scale-ups through ABN AMRO Techstars, is a founding angel investor in Arches Capital, and serves on the Advisory Board of Guzco.ai. She brings an independent, commercially grounded perspective on innovation, regulation and the responsible use of AI in financial services.

Dr. Sepideh “Sepi” Chakaveh

Course Director and Lecturer in Data Science University of Oxford

Dr. Sepideh “Sepi” Chakaveh is Rapporteur for the World AI Regulation Summit 2026, and Course Director and Lecturer in Data Science at the University of Oxford. She is a Research Common Room Member of Wolfson College and has held senior academic and scientific roles in the UK and Germany, including at Imperial College, the Max Planck Institute, the Fraunhofer Society and the University of Southampton, where she co-founded and directed the Southampton Data Science Academy. Her work spans artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity and digital innovation, with a focus on translating advanced research into practical impact. She is also the inventor of PixselChat, a sovereign AI telecommunications platform with real-time translation across text, voice and video.

John Howell

Founder, Dragon Network

Founded in 1993, the Dragon Network provides advisory services in political economics specialising risk, regulation and compliance. Its clients include MDBSs, EU institutions, central banks, government departments and regulators as well as commercial organisations. It has close links to various research clusters at Oxford University. He was a founder member of the UK National Audit Offices Regulatory Expert Committee and acted as independent reviewer for various governments in Europe and Asia, as well as the benchmarking of international institutions.

Emmanuel Daniel

Chairman and Founder, TAB Global

Emmanuel Daniel is the Chairman and Founder of TAB Global, a strategic intelligence, research and events organisation known for convening senior industry and policy leaders across global markets. He is an author, entrepreneur and long-time commentator on finance, technology, regulation and institutional transformation. Through TAB Global and The Asian Banker platform, he has built high-level forums that connect regulators, policymakers, financial institutions and technology leaders. At the World AI Regulation Summit, Emmanuel brings his experience in global convening and agenda-building to shape a serious international platform for AI regulation dialogue.