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MEET OUR SPEAKERS

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Hannah Awonuga

- Keynote

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Group Head Diversity
Equity and Inclusion,
Knight Frank

Hannah Awonuga, Group Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Knight Frank, luxury real estate giant, holds global accountability for the organisation's DE&I strategy, fostering greater inclusion in the real estate industry.

Hannah serves as a Non-Executive Director for Progress Together, advocating for socioeconomic diversity in UK Financial Services leadership. She's actively engaged with St. Michael's Catholic secondary college, promoting diversity and inclusion as the DEI lead governor. Her "Meet My Future Self" initiative inspires young girls from underserved background

Hannah's journey began in banking, where she transitioned into DEI with 16 years career honed at Barclays, UK.

She's an award-winning DEI speaker, Top Linkedin Voice 2023 and recognised for her contributions by industry leaders and publications.

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Magdalena Rogl

Diversity and Inclusion Leader, Microsoft
Author and Activist

Magdalena Rogl has been navigating the digital industry for over 15 years  and in 2021, her unwavering commitment to equality, inclusion, and diversity took center when she assumed the role of Diversity & Inclusion Lead at Microsoft, Germany.

 

Her extraordinary career journey, from being a childcare worker to the digital sector, has earned her recognition, including the Digital Female Leader Award and the title of one of the "25 Women Revolutionizing our Economy."

 

Notably, she serves as a Values Ambassador for the non-profit educational initiative, GermanDream, and is a role model for BayFid, the emerging talent development program of the Bavarian Ministry for Digital Affairs.

 

In October 2022, Magdalena released her debut book, "Empathy- Why Emotions Are Essential in the Workplace."

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Magdalena
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Fiona Garvey

CEO

Softonic

Meet Fiona Garvey, the Trailblazing CEO of Softonic!

At the helm of Softonic, a global software titan and a celebrated 'Best Place to Work' in Spain, Fiona is redefining the tech industry landscape. Under her visionary leadership, Softonic stands as a beacon of gender pay equity, boasting a near-zero gender pay gap - a remarkable feat in an industry grappling with a 19% gap across Europe.

Fiona's forward-thinking approach has cultivated a diverse workforce at Softonic, with an impressive 37% of roles held by talented women, shattering the 22% industry average.

With over two decades of experience in business development and sales management in advertising and media, Fiona's expertise is unparalleled. She's not just a leader; she's a profit-driving powerhouse, adept at spotting and nurturing business opportunities. Fiona is more than a CEO; she's a role model, a driver of change, inspiring countless professionals. Her dedication to fostering an environment where everyone thrives is not just admirable – it's revolutionary.

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Mitchell Davis

Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Strategic Programs at 
Autodesk

Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Programs at Autodesk and well-known DEI leader is now focused on building global programs that foster belonging innovation.

Mitchell is an experienced executive coach specialised in DEI practices on a mission to remove barriers and catalyse learning through conscious connection.

With a rich background in corporate social responsibility programs and research on the impact of psychological safety and company culture on team performance, across US and EMEA, he partners with business leaders to grow their organisation through purpose-led leadership, bringing social consciousness and DEI to the centre of the boardroom agenda.

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Sarah Harmon

Strategic Advisor and Board Member

Sngular

Sarah is an American entrepreneur and powerhouse in the STEM world, whose journey spans over 25 years of pioneering digital transformation and spearheading international business growth. Her illustrious career includes leadership roles at tech giants like Microsoft and LinkedIn, as well as at Habitissimo.

As a fervent advocate for ESGs (Environmental, Social, and Governance), Sarah guides companies towards sustainable and ethical futures. She's a board member of Caixabank Pagos y Consumo and the Vice President of the Social Council of UNED, blending her business acumen with a deep commitment to social responsibility.

With honours in championing sustainability and gender equality, Sarah's innovative thinking and strategic vision make her a vanguard in the industry. Her presence on prestigious boards like Women to Watch and Foundation29 is a solid proof of her influential role in driving change.

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Kristen Anderson

CEO

European Women on Boards

Kristen Anderson is the CEO of European Women on Boards (EWOB). Since 2021, she's been steering the EWOB ship with passion and precision, also serving on its Executive Committee. Kristen's journey is nothing short of inspiring. From 2016-2021, she was the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Barilla, where she led a dynamic 12-member D&I Board, driving change across 8 different regions. 

Holding a Master’s in Engineering and with a career in the food industry that spans over 25 years, Kristen is a global leader who's managed R&D teams from Australia to the USA, including stops in Germany, China, India, South Africa, Singapore, and Italy. 

She is now focused on strategic development programs and sponsorship partnerships for training senior women and expanding collaborations with other organisations, as well as an active lobbyist and policy creator for gender equity in European corporate structures.

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Kim Smouter-Umans

Executive Director
European Network Against Racism

A strong voice in Social Advocacy!

As the Executive Director of ENAR since March 2022, Kim Smouter-Umans is a force for positive change. Recently honoured as one of 2023's Most Influential People of African Descent, Kim is a beacon of hope, amplifying the voices of diverse communities to societal change-makers globally. 

With nearly two decades of expertise in policy and advocacy, Kim has been at the forefront of championing social causes. From LGBTQIA+ rights to employment, education, civic engagement, and digital rights, his passion for social justice is unwavering. 
 

Kim's journey of impact has seen him in pivotal roles across prestigious organisations. He's shaped narratives in the European Parliament, advanced societal dialogues at the European Network of National Civil Society Associations, and driven thought leadership at ESOMAR.
 

Academically, Kim is as accomplished as he is professionally. Holding a master's in European Public Affairs and a bachelor's in European Studies from the University of Maastricht, he combines academic rigour with real-world activism.
 

Kim Smouter-Umans is not just a leader; he's a visionary, redefining how we approach social advocacy and championing inclusivity at every step.

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Anita Lettink

Founder HRTech Radar,
Author and Speaker

Anita Lettink is a founder of HRTechRadar and has been recognised as a Top 25 Global Thought Leader, a Top 10 Innovator, and a Top 100 HR Tech Influencer.

 

She is a leading expert on the future of work and the use of state-of-the-art technologies in HR and Payroll. As an international speaker and advisor, she helps companies and workers prepare for the challenges and opportunities of the changing world of work.

 

Author of “Equal Pay for Equal Work" and a Partner at Strategic Management Centre and based in the Netherlands.

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Miguel Castro

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Global DEI Director
SAP

Miguel Castro is a 20 year experienced professional in crafting strategies in diversity, consulting, and international operations, now Senior Director and Global Lead for Diversity and Inclusion at SAP.

Since 2016, Miguel has been directing SAP's global diversity & inclusion office right from Madrid, Spain, bringing a unique blend of cultural insight and to the organisation.

Miguel is also a respected guest professor at the University of A Coruña and a regular voice in the “Program on equality in the public function” across various Spanish Ministries. As an honorary member and former chairman of REDI (the Spanish Business Association for LGBTI Inclusion), and a guide for organisations like PROUTATWORK, Workplace Pride, OUTstanding, and STANPA, his impact has a European dimension.  He has previously lived and worked in Copenhagen, Denmark and Berlin, Germany often seeking to create bridges and deep change that transcends borders.

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Katrina Walker

CEO

CodeOp

As the mastermind behind CodeOp, Katrina isn’t just any CEO – she's a visionary on a quest to shake up the tech world. Born amidst the tech buzz of the San Francisco Bay Area, she ventured across the sea to the vibrant streets of Barcelona in 2016, armed with a passion for data and a dream to ignite change.

 

Diving into the depths of data science, Katrina's journey took her from the cutting-edge Barcelona Supercomputing Center to spearheading projects at eDreams. But that was just the warm-up. With a fervent belief in inclusive tech education, she established CodeOp – an ed-tech powerhouse that's breaking barriers and banking on diversity as the key to innovation.

 

As a luminary guiding UNDP and 4YFN's Women Innovators Programme, she paved paths for aspiring entrepreneurs. Her insights also resonate through the corridors of FAO, where she serves as a guiding light on their Informal Private Sector Advisory Group.

 

Katrina's influence earned her a spot among the "TOP 100: Europe’s most influential women in the startup and venture capital space," a nod from EU-Startups in 2023.

 

When the CEO cap comes off, Katrina's world revolves around her little superstar, Alessandro, and embracing the Catalan sun on exhilarating road biking escapades across Catalunya.

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Claudia Issa

Faculty Professor, Autonomous University of Barcelona
Expert Corporate Inclusion

With a background in clinical and community psychology, interculturality, and diversity management her impact can be seen in prominent organizations such as HP, Nestlé, Allianz Tech, Adevinta, Barcelona Super Computing Centre, BCN City government& more.

 

She also imparts her wisdom as a University Professor in Intercultural Communication and Cross-Cultural Management at esteemed institutions like the Autonomous University of Barcelona and active programs with US-american, italian, venezuelan academia.

Recognized as an International Leader in Mental Health by the USA's Department of State, founder of the Spanish working group at the World Council for Intercultural and Global Competence and chairs the Community Development Committee at SIETAR Europa. 

With a very multicultural background and living experience in several countries, Claudia has undergone a profound experience as a racialized immigrant mother. Her pronouns are she/ella.

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Pawel Adrjan

Director, Economic Research
EMEA & APAC, 
Indeed

Pawel Adrjan, seasoned professional with 20 years of experience in Europe and the US, held key roles in risk management at Goldman Sachs and Barclays.  He's now Director of Economic Research at Indeed, crafting insights for better labor market decisions.

Pawel's renowned for innovative work on the evolving world of labor, collaborating with leading academics, think tanks, and international organizations.

With academic credentials from top universities, he's a Research Fellow in Economics at Regent’s Park College, Oxford, and a member of the Research Advisory Board at Open For Business, dedicated to LGBT+ inclusion.

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Saniye Gülser Corat

Former Director of Gender Equality, UNESCO
Founder, NoBiasAI? 

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Saniye Gülser Corat is the founder of NoBiasAI?, a global think tank with dual objectives: to reflect on a possible paradigm shift in AI from data-driven machine learning (ML) to knowledge-based machine reasoning (MR) and to develop gender audit tools to address gender bias in ML algorithms and datasets.

 

For 16 years, Gülser served as Director for Gender Equality at UNESCO, leading the landmark 2019 study “I’d Blush if I Could: Closing Gender Divides in Digital Skills in Education”. This report sparked a global conversation with the technology sector. She also published UNESCO’s follow-up research “Artificial Intelligence and Gender Equality” which proposed a framework on gender equality and AI. During her role at UNESCO, the 195 member states recognized gender equality as a global priority for the organisation, while also achieving gender parity among senior leadership in 2017, which stood at a mere 9% when she joined.

  
The Digital Future Society named Gülser one of the
top ten women leaders in technology for 2020. In December 2020, she was named the Global Leader in Technology by the Women in Tech global movement. She was included on Apolitical 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy 2021. She is a TED and international keynote speaker, as well as a member of Women Executives on Boards and Extraordinary Women on Boards.

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Barbara De Micheli

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Social Justice Area Coordinator
Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini

Barbara De Micheli, a powerhouse in gender equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Since 2019, Barbara has been leading the charge as the Coordinator and Head of the Social Justice team at Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini.

 

With a Ph.D. in Labour, Innovation, and Organizations, Barbara pioneered Italy's first advanced training course in 'Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion' in 2012 and has since been a force of transformative change across Europe. 

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Viviane Vicente

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Vice President, Client Experience
Cultural Intelligence Centre, Europe

Viviane Vicente, Vice President of Client Experience at the Cultural Intelligence Center, an expert with cross-cultural expertise. Her journey transcends traditional boundaries, navigating through the legal, public, and private security sectors on a global scale for over two decades.

Viviane’s story is one of transformation - from leading international security for ESPN, ensuring the safety of crews across the globe, to pioneering cultural intelligence as a CQ® Master Facilitator. A visionary educator who guides military, nonprofit, and corporate professionals toward mastery in multicultural communication, leadership, and presentation.

Her mission is to empower organisations to embrace equity, belonging, productivity, and innovation by fostering culturally intelligent and psychologically safe environments. Viviane’s approach blends rigorous research with real-world experience, making her a sought-after voice at universities and conferences worldwide.

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Oana Iordachescu

Founder
WeInclude, FairBarcelona

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As founder of WeInclude and FairBarcelona, Oana is committed to amplifying initiatives that create an inclusive and resilient workplace. 

Her goal is to deeply understand key workplace challenges and co-create a path with partners to engage with diverse talent communities, apply inclusive design for work experiences and empower leaders to take action with confidence.
 

With over 15 years of experience in Talent Acquisition and DEI strategies, Oana Iordachescu has dedicated her career to change management and programatic inclusion, influencing leaders in global organisations such as Meta, Booking.com, Criteo or Wayfair to prioritise and invest in DEI programs.

Her experience is complemented by a Masters in HR from the University of Bucharest,

a specialisation in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from the IE University of Madrid

and a Women in Leadership program at Yale University.

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Marcela Ospina López

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Vice President of Sustainability and Culture
Both People & Comms

Marcela Ospina López is an expert in strategic communications, social impact and cultural transformation, with more than 20 years of experience in Europe and Latin America.

As the VP of Sustainability and Culture at Both People & Comms, and a guiding force at EADA Business School in Barcelona where she directs the Master in Communication Management, Marcela has been instrumental in steering multicultural teams through complex projects. 

 

Her tenure at Oxfam Intermón as Director of Communications and Public Engagement until 2020, saw her at the forefront of pivotal women's rights campaigns, underlining her commitment to crafting a fairer, more inclusive society.

Marcela's journey is marked by her ability to inspire and mobilise change within major organisations such as BASF, Bayer, Tous, Caixabank, Cellnex, Ferrer and Nestlé. Through her engaging talks and workshops, she guides leaders and teams towards embracing purpose-driven initiatives that address critical social and environmental issues.

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Mark Ivan Serunjogi

Strategy Director
TheTruthWorks

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With a firm belief that a genuine employer brand is cultivated from the collective experiences of its employees, Mark Ivan believes an attractive workplace is built on inclusivity and is equitable at its best.

 

Mark Ivan has contributed to the organisational cultures of Bitly, Zalando, GetYourGuide, and the Museum of African Diasporan Arts, with over 15 years of hands-on experience in strategic marketing communications, employee representation, and the empowerment of marginalised groups within organisations and products.

 

His expertise is backed by a master's in Management of Creative Business Processes from Copenhagen Business School and is driven by the conviction that positive and profitable workplace experiences are possible for everyone. 

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Xavier Dominguez

AI & Maker Education Specialist, Constructionist, Equitable and Inclusive Action Researcher
IAAC, Fab Lab Barcelona

Xavier is co-leading private and EU-funded educational research projects like TECLA (enhancing students' knowledge, self-efficacy perception, and contextualization in the areas of STEAM to promote equity, inclusion and social justice), RURACTIVE (empowering rural communities to act for change with 4.0 tools, with a specific focus on the needs of the elderly, women, and youth) and POP-MACHINA (the maker movement, digital fabrication, and collaborative production for the circular economy of the European Union).

 

With a Multimedia Engineering background and an entrepreneur by attitude, Xavier co-founded Ambar VS in 2005, focusing on developing tools for the health and pharmaceutical sector. 

 

Since 2017, he has dedicated his career to researching methods and tools that support individuals in developing life skills and competencies through creativity and innovative use of technology, adhering to the principles of circularity, sustainability, and equity.

Xavier lectures in the Master in Design for Emerging Futures at IAAC-Elisava and is a global instructor in the Fab Academy programme. 

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