John Higgins CBE - Chairman

John is a digital leader with a strong technical background and awareness of current technology issues. He is chair of Sardina Systems, a global cloud software provider and became Chair of the Global Digital Foundation in 2017. He is a Past President of the BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT. He holds advisory roles with BCW, a global communications company; the EU’s Intelligent Cities Challenge and the University of Warwick’s European university collaboration, Eutopia. He was Director-General of DIGITALEUROPE, the association for the digital technology industry in Europe until 2017, following nine years leading its UK member association, TechUK. He was appointed CBE for his services to the IT industry.

Paul MacDonnell - Executive Director

Paul co-founded Global Digital Foundation in 2016 and leads our research and stakeholder engagement on the social and economic impact of digital innovation. His primary work concerns the impact of digital platform regulation on: employment, economic growth, and human rights. He is currently undertaking a study of the future of online-speech regulation. Prior to joining Global Digital Foundation, Paul was head of European policy at the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) in Brussels. Before that he spent 12 years as director of regulatory policy and EU affairs at Insurance Ireland, the industry association of the national and international Irish insurance industry. In 2015 he launched an initiative, supported by the OECD, to develop a workplace auto-enrolment pension for all Irish workers. Paul began his career with Hill & Knowlton’s government affairs division in London where he provided advice to a number of Fortune 500 companies. In 2001 he co-founded an economic policy forum in Dublin, Open Republic, which, as well as hosting events aimed at policy-makers and politicians on such issues as pensions, taxation and the EU, was the Irish publisher of the Economic Freedom of the World Report. Paul has extensive broadcast and print media experience and has contributed articles to The Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, The Critic Magazine, Economic Affairs, EurActiv, EU Observer, and Europe’s World. He holds a BA in Medieval & Renaissance English Literature and Philosophy from Trinity College Dublin, an MBA from University College Dublin, and a masters degree in Classics from the University of Exeter.

DR. ROB WORTHAM — DIRECTOR, AI

Rob is a Director of the Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour (AISB), the largest and longest established AI academic society in the UK. Until Sept 2022, Rob was Director of Studies and Senior Lecturer in Robotics and Autonomous Systems at the University of Bath, UK. With overall responsibility for the MSc Robotics and Autonomous Systems programme his teaching responsibilities included robotics software, hardware and AI; his work is frequently cited in academic literature. In 2020 the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) published an extended version of his PhD thesis, Transparency for Robots and Autonomous Systems: Fundamentals, Technologies and Applications. Rob was instrumental in the creation of IEEE 7001-2021 — the IEEE Standard for Transparency for Autonomous Systems which cites his work. A chartered engineer, chartered information technology professional, and a Fellow of the British Computer Society (BCS) he holds BSc and MEng degrees in Electrical & Electronic Engineering. Following research into ways to improve the transparency of AI and robotic systems, he was awarded a PhD in Intelligent Systems in 2018.

CATRIONA GRAY — HEAD OF RESEARCH, AI

Catriona Gray is a Fellow of Global Digital Foundation and a PhD candidate at the University of Bath’s Centre for Doctoral Training in Accountable, Responsible and Transparent Artificial Intelligence (ART-AI). A social scientist by training, she holds degrees in law (University of Manchester), sociology (University of Glasgow), and migration studies (University of Oxford). Her research is broadly concerned with the adoption, use and regulation of AI in the public sector. Her doctoral thesis examines decision-making about the adoption of AI technologies within an international humanitarian organisation.

IVA TASHEVA, SENIOR EXPERT ADVISOR, CYBERSECURITY

Iva Tasheva, is Senior Expert Advisor for Cybersecurity at Global Digital Foundation, where she contributes to the work of the Foundation to promote and provide tools for better cybersecurity across countries, sectors and society. 

Iva is the co-founder and cybersecurity lead at CYEN, a family-owned micro consultancy established in Brussels in 2018. CYEN helps public and private sector organisations manage cybersecurity governance, risk and compliance (GRC). Iva has experience in the public, digital, transport, banking, medical devices and non-profit sectors. She is certified ISO 27001 Lead Implementer and ISO 27799 Lead Manager.

In addition to her work for CYEN, she is a Member of the EU Cybersecurity Agency (ENISA) Ad-Hoc Working Groups on Enterprise Security and on Cloud Security (Certification), adviser to Obelis (representation of non-EU based manufacturers in a successful EU Market entry), a Board Member of the DPO Circle (community of GDPR and data security professionals), and a volunteer at the Belgian Chapter of Women4Cyber. She was shortlisted for Belgium’s Cyber Personality of the Year 2022 Award by the Belgian Cybersecurity Coalition.

Follow Iva Tasheva (or CYEN) on LinkedIn for updates on cybersecurity policy and implementation. Follow 'CYEN - Cybersecurity' on YouTube for monthly cybersecurity top experts' interviews.

EMMANUEL AMOS, DIRECTOR, NORTH AFRICA

Immediate Past Vice President of the Information Technology (Industry) Association of Nigeria, ITAN where he chaired the ITAN Strategic Initiative Committee, in 2011 Emmanuel became the World Summit Awards (WSA) Eminent National Expert for Nigeria. A member of the World Summit Awards (WSA) Grand Jury, he has been working in collaboration with United Nations Global Alliance for ICT, UNGAID since 2010, with special reference to Nigeria (SPACE4Nigeria: Anti-Corruption Portlet Service) as country coordinator. He is a founder of the SmartAfrican Innovation Network—a platform to identify individuals, and organisations with web and mobile innovations likely to have the highest positive impact on African society. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Information Management, IIM, a member of AIESEC Alumni Nigeria, a member of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, and a life member of the Nigeria Computer Society, NCS.

PATRICE CHAZERAND — DIRECTOR EU AFFAIRS

Currently a director at DIGITALEUROPE, Patrice Chazerand was formerly Secretary-General of the Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE), the trade body of PC and videogames publishers operating in Europe between 2002 and 2009. He established PEGI, the pan-European system of harmonised rating of digital content dealing with topics including:  internet content, protection of minors, privacy, freedom of expression, intellectual property, competition law, and net neutrality. In 1999, Patrice set up the Brussels office of Viacom which he ran as Vice President, European Affairs until 2002. From 1989 to 1995, he was Director, Public Affairs, at AT&T France, and subsequently Managing Director from 1995 to 1999. Patrice spent the first fifteen years of his career with the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, seven of which were at the Embassy of France in Washington DC. He holds an MBA from HEC, France’s top business school, and a degree from Sciences Po Paris.