Data and AI for Sustainable Development: Building a Smarter Future

Speakers

• 

  Johannes Jütting

  LinkedIn profile

  Executive Head of PARIS21

  Dr. Johannes Jütting is the Executive Head of the PARIS21 Secretariat, a global partnership promoting the better use and production of data in developing countries, hosted at the OECD.

  Before joining PARIS21 in 2012, he headed the Poverty and Social Cohesion Team at the OECD Development Centre for 10 years, where he spearheaded innovative work in the areas of employment, social cohesion, gender and global development. He was a member of the UN General Secretaries Expert Group on Data Revolution, has co-chaired the program committee of the first World Data Forum and publishes extensively in academic journals, as well as in his Huffington Post blog. Johannes Jütting was awarded a PhD from Humboldt University and is a visiting professor at Passau University, Germany.
• 

  Haishan Fu

  LinkedIn profile

  World Bank Chief Statistician and Director, Development Data Group

  Haishan Fu is Chief Statistician of the World Bank Group and Director of the World Bank’s Development Data Group.

  In this dual role, she leads and coordinates the Bank’s development data agenda, including oversight of cutting-edge global data public goods, pioneering public-private partnerships, globally trusted technical advisory services, and innovative financing solutions, including the World Bank-hosted Global Data Facility. A lifelong advocate for unlocking the power of data to improve lives, Haishan has been at the forefront of the global data discourse as a prominent thought leader, expert advisor, and academic and policy researcher for over three decades. Prior to joining the Bank, she led statistical development programs at UNESCAP and was the Chief of Statistics of UNDP’s Human Development Report. Haishan holds a Ph.D. in Demography from Princeton University and a B.A. in Economics from Peking University.
• 

  Jim Tebrake

  Deputy Director of the Statistics Department, IMF

  Jim Tebrake is currently the Deputy Director of the Statistics Department at the International Monetary Fund.

  His main responsibilities include overseeing the Fund’s new Data Gaps Initiative, Climate change statistics program as well as oversight for the economic and environmental accounting frameworks. Jim’s current research includes developing improved frameworks and methods to account for financial innovation, the informal economy, globalization, digitalization, well-being and sustainability.
  
  Prior to joining the IMF in August 2019 Jim held several positions at Statistics Canada including, Assistant Chief Statistician, Economic Statistics and Director General of the Macroeconomic Accounts Branch.
  
• 

  Indermit Gill

  World Bank Group Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Development Economics

  Before starting this position on September 1, 2022, Indermit Gill served as the World Bank’s Vice President for Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions, where he helped shape the Bank’s response to the extraordinary series of shocks that have hit developing economies since 2020.

  Between 2016 and 2021, he was a professor of public policy at Duke University and non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Global Economy and Development program.
  
  Gill led the World Bank’s influential 2009 World Development Report on economic geography. His work includes introducing the concept of the “middle-income trap” to describe how countries stagnate after reaching a certain level of income. He has published extensively on key policy issues facing developing countries—among other things, sovereign debt vulnerabilities, green growth and natural-resource wealth, labor markets, and poverty and inequality.
  
  Gill has also taught at Georgetown University and the University of Chicago. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago.
  
• 

  Karan Bhatia

  LinkedIn profile

  Global Head, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Google

  Karan Bhatia leads the global public policy function at Google – a 450-person team based in
  more than 50 countries around the world. In this role, he serves as principal advisor to
  Google’s CEO, board and senior management on policy issues and leads the company’s work
  with policymakers and key political stakeholders in the US and around the world.

  Karan Bhatia leads the global public policy function at Google – a 450-person team based in
  more than 50 countries around the world. In this role, he serves as principal advisor to
  Google’s CEO, board and senior management on policy issues and leads the company’s work
  with policymakers and key political stakeholders in the US and around the world.
  Before joining Google in 2018, Bhatia served as President of GE’s Government Affairs & Policy
  function. During his 10 years at GE, Karan helped drive the company’s significant expansion
  into government-facing global markets. He supported more than $40 billion in
  government-related industrial orders globally, secured international regulatory approvals for
  critical mergers and acquisitions, and led the company’s policy advocacy efforts on issues
  ranging from climate change to international trade.
  Earlier in his career, Bhatia served in senior positions in the US Government, including at the
  Departments of Commerce and Transportation, shaping US international economic policy. His
  last role was as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, overseeing U.S. international trade policy
  with respect to Asia and Africa. Prior to his government service, he was a partner in the
  Washington, D.C. law firm Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, where he was a member of the firm’s
  international and corporate groups.
  Bhatia has written and spoken widely on international economic policy, taught at Georgetown
  University Law Center, and testified on many occasions before Congress. He currently sits on
  the boards of the Urban Institute, the US Global Leadership Coalition, and the Partnership for
  Public Service.
  Bhatia holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton, a master’s from the London School of
  Economics, and a law degree from Columbia University. He and his wife Sara have two grown
  sons.
• 

  Jane Munga

  Fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  Dr. Jane Munga is a fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Jane leads the technology stream in the Africa program. Her research focuses on the continents digital economy, the digital policy environment, inclusion, and digital partnerships.

  Her research seeks to provide new knowledge and perspectives that can help catapult Africa’s digital transformation.
  
  Jane’s career has focused on policymaking emphasizing on the potential of digital technologies for digital transformation. Jane has previously worked for the Government of Kenya as an Advisor in the Ministry of ICT Innovation and
  Youth Affairs, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Interior. She also served as an Economic Expert at the National Communications Secretariat, an ICT policy advisory body for the Government of Kenya. In this position, she developed digital policies and programs, including Smart Africa’s Digital Economy Blueprint for Africa. These achievements earnedher the Head of State Commendation (HSC), conferred by the President of Kenya. Jane holds a Doctor of Philosophy in political science and government and master’s degrees in economics and management from the University of Alabama and bachelor’s degrees in international studies and business administration from Stillman College, USA.
  
• 

  Shaida Badiee

  LinkedIn profile

  Managing Director, Open Data Watch

  Shaida Badiee is the managing director of Open Data Watch, an NGO focused on monitoring and promoting open data and strengthening development data systems.

  With over four decades of experience in the field, Shaida has been instrumental in the advancement of numerous initiatives. At the World Bank as the director of the Development Data Group she led the start-up of the World Development Indicators and the World Bank’s Open Data initiative. She has played a key role in the start-up of various thriving organizations including PARIS21 and Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data. She was an active member of the UN Secretary General 's advisory group on data revolution, co-chairs the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Data Network and as senior advisor to Data2X, works intensively on gender data issues and support to countries to close gender data gaps. She is the co-chair of the Program Committee for the UN World Data Forum that will take in Colombia in November 2024.
• 

  Oliver Wise

  LinkedIn profile

  Chief Data Officer and Acting Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, US Department of Commerce

  Oliver Wise is Chief Data Officer and Acting Under Secretary for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

  In this position, Wise is responsible for leading the Commerce Department's data strategy, providing policy direction and oversight to the Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau, and advancing capacity for evidence-based decision-making.
  
  Wise was the founding director of the City of New Orleans Office of Performance and Accountability, the City’s first data analytics and performance management team. In the private sector, Wise served in product management and strategic roles at Tyler Technologies and Socrata.
  
  Wise’s work has been recognized with awards from the American Society of Public Administration, Bloomberg Philanthropies, CDO Magazine, the International City/County Managers Association, Government Technology Magazine, FedScoop, and Harvard University.
  
  He is also a co-founder of the Santorini-based Atlantis Books and is most proud of his incredible family.
  
• 

  Ani Gevorkian

  LinkedIn profile

  Director, Responsible AI Public Policy, Microsoft

  Ani Gevorkian is tech regulatory lawyer based in Washington D.C. She currently serves as a Director of Responsible AI Public Policy at Microsoft. She previously supported Microsoft's quantum computing program.

  Ani Gevorkian is tech regulatory lawyer based in Washington D.C. She currently serves as a Director of Responsible AI Public Policy at Microsoft. She previously supported Microsoft's quantum computing program. Prior to joining Microsoft, Ani practiced at Covington & Burling, focusing on privacy and communications regulatory matters. She received her JD from Harvard Law School and her BA from the University of Pennsylvania.
• 

  Yusuf Murangwa

  Director General, National Statistical Institute of Rwanda

  Yusuf Murangwa is the Director General of the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) and the Chair of the PARIS21 Board. He is a professional statistician and operational researcher with more than 15 years of experience in statistics development.

  He has worked on a wide scope of statistics including: labour, education, economic, prices, agriculture, population and censuses and poverty statistics to mention but a few. As the Director General since 2009 he is focused on building the capacity of the national statistics system in Rwanda and advocating for the use of evidence in policy and decision-making.
  
  His focus going forward is developing administrative data systems, use of technology in statistics production to improve quality, timeliness and efficiency and establishing an enabling environment for big data and the data revolution in Rwanda. He is playing the leading role in the application of new technology to improve and modernize the national CRVS systems in Rwanda.
• 

  François Fonteneau

  LinkedIn profile

  Deputy Head of PARIS21

  François has 15 years of international experience working on data production and use with developed and developing countries.

  François started his career in PARIS21 as the Coordinator of the Accelerated Data Program funded by the World Bank, contributing to the International Household Survey Network on survey microdata management and open data. François was recently working with FAO where he coordinated a statistical capacity building G20 initiative and led the development of AGRIS, an innovative survey initiative. He holds a Masters Degree in Agriculture Economics from INA-PG, France and a Masters Degree in Econometrics from ENSAE, France.
• 

  Brian Fung

  LinkedIn profile

  Technology Reporter, CNN

  Brian Fung is a technology reporter who covers the intersection of business and policy. A native of Washington, D.C., Brian spent almost six years at The Washington Post, where he wrote extensively about the media industry’s struggle to adapt to the Internet; the battle over net neutrality; and the rise of novel innovations such as self-driving cars.

  Prior to The Post, Brian served numerous roles at Atlantic Media, where he was the technology correspondent at National Journal and an associate editor at The Atlantic. He is a graduate of Middlebury College and the London School of Economics, and speaks two dialects of Chinese. Brian is fond of cycling and backcountry camping, and when he’s not on a hiking trip, likes to play board games and video games with friends at his home in Washington.
• 

  Gayle Smith

  LinkedIn profile

  Gayle Smith lived and worked in Africa as a reporter and for international organizations for almost 20 years, and has served as a top advisor on international issues for three American presidents. She is one of the world’s leading experts on global development and global health security

  During the pandemic, Smith took on a temporary role to serve as the U.S. State Department’s Coordinator for Global COVID Response & Global Health Security. She served as the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development during the Obama Administration, and on the National Security Council during the Obama and Clinton Administrations. She served as the CEO of the ONE Campaign for seven years, until January 2024.
  
• 

  Samuel Annim

  Government Statistician, Ghana Statistical Service

  Professor Samuel Kobina Annim is a Professor of Economics at the University of Cape Coast and the Government Statistician of the Republic of Ghana.

  His area of academic interest is Micro-Development Economics and Applied Micro-Econometrics.
  
  At the Ghana Statistical Service, his leadership has been geared towards country specificity and user satisfaction through an expansion of the scope and diversity of statistics for national and international development. The anchoring pillars of his national have been Change, Automation and Novelty.
  
  Among his recent accomplishments are the conduct of Ghana’s first digital Population and Housing Census, maiden use of Computer Assisted Telephone Interview during the COVID-19 pandemic, exploration of diverse non-traditional data sources and collection of the Services’ first nation-wide panel data on livelihoods.
  
• 

  Laura McGorman

  LinkedIn profile

  Director, Data for Good, Meta

  Laura McGorman is the Director of Data for Good at Meta, a program that shares privacy preserving datasets with governments, researchers, and non-profits around the world to assist with economic development, crisis response, and climate change.

  Prior to joining Meta, Laura held positions during the Obama Administration at the US Department of Commerce, Opower, the World Bank and USAID. She has a BA from Columbia University and a Masters in Development Economics from Harvard.
• 

  Golestan (Sally) Radwan

  LinkedIn profile

  Chief Digital Officer, UNEP

  Golestan (Sally) Radwan (B.Sc., MBA, M.Sc.) is a Computer Scientist with expertise in AI and emerging technologies.

  Prior to UNEP, Sally served as Advisor to the Egyptian Minister of ICT, where she led the development and implementation of Egypt’s national AI strategy. During this time, she served as an expert and delegate of Egypt to several international organizations working on AI Policy and Regulation including UNESCO, WIPO, ITU, and OECD. She also championed and led two working groups within the African Union and League of Arab States to unify regional efforts around Responsible AI. Sally previously held several executive positions in the technology industry over 17 years, working in Germany, Austria, the UK and the US for companies including Novell GmbH, Avaya Inc. and NTT Data Europe. She earned a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering from Cairo University and an MBA from London Business School, as well as an MSc in Clinical Engineering and Healthcare Technology Management from City University of London. She is currently finalizing her PhD thesis, focusing on AI explainability and its ethical considerations in metagenomics at the Royal Holloway University of London.
• 

  Ilya Gorelik

  LinkedIn profile

  Vice President, Head of Reliable AI Lab at EPAM Systems

  Ilya Gorelik is a seasoned technology leader with over 25 years of experience in managing large-scale software projects. At EPAM, he is responsible for the RTC (real-time computing) and RAIL (reliable AI) Labs, driving cutting-edge IP-focused solutions and innovation.

  Ilya Gorelik is a seasoned technology leader with over 25 years of experience in managing large-scale software projects. At EPAM, he is responsible for the RTC (real-time computing) and RAIL (reliable AI) Labs, driving cutting-edge IP-focused solutions and innovation. Ilya previously founded and served as CEO of Deltix, a provider of solutions for quantitative finance and algorithmic trading, which was acquired by EPAM in 2020. His career also includes roles as Senior VP of Engineering and CTO of PTC, Advisory CTO for HighRoads and number of other technology companies. Ilya holds Ph.D. in Computational Mechanics from Moscow Technical University
• 

  Jeff Danforth

  LinkedIn profile

  Program Chief

  Jeff Danforth is a Program Chief in the Statistics Department of the IMF leading the project to replace the Fund’s legacy data management and dissemination system.

  An economist, with a passion for data, Jeff has 20 years’ experience in various positions across the IMF and Canadian government.
• 

  Abeba Birhane

  Senior Advisor, AI Accountability & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Mozilla Foundation & Trinity College Dublin

  Abeba Birhane is a cognitive scientist, currently a Senior Advisor in AI Accountability at Mozilla Foundation and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the School of Computer Science and Statistics at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

  She researches human behaviour, social systems, and responsible and ethical AI – work for which she was recently featured in Wired UK and TIME on the TIME100 Most Influential People in AI list. Birhane also serves on the United Nations Secretary-General’s AI Advisory Body and the newly-convened AI Advisory Council in Ireland.
• 

  Anita Gurumurthy

  LinkedIn profile

  Founding member and Executive Director, IT for Change

  Anita Gurumurthy is a founding member and executive director of IT for Change where she leads research and advocacy on data and AI governance, platform regulation, and feminist frameworks on digital justice.

  Anita serves as an expert on various bodies including as the co-chair of the T20's thematic group on Platform Regulation and Global Digital Cooperation, Council of the Platform Cooperativism Consortium at The New School – New York, and has been on the United Nations Secretary-General’s 10-Member Group on Technology Facilitation and the Paris Peace Forum’s working group on algorithmic governance. Anita is also a Board member of global justice organizations such as the ETC Group, and University centers such as the Tech & Policy Lab at the University of Western Australia, and International Development and Social Change program of Loughborough University.
• 

  Sian Rasdale

  LinkedIn profile

  Chief Statistician and Deputy Director, Centre for Data and Analysis, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, UK Government

  Sian is the Chief Statistician in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), she also co-leads FCDO’s Centre for Data and Analysis. She has worked for over 20 years in the UK government and Scottish Government, predominantly in analytical and statistical roles.

  Prior to her current role she was Deputy Director, FCDO Head of Global Science, leading a range of FCDO work to develop bilateral and regional science partnerships in support of UK priorities and co-led the UK’s Science and Innovation Network of 145 officers in 70 locations internationally. Sian has led a number of international facing departments in both FCDO and DFID including the Evidence Department, the Evaluation Unit and the Finance and Performance department and has extensive experience as a government statistician.
• 

  Wolfgang Fengler

  LinkedIn profile

  CEO of World Data Lab

  Wolfgang Fengler is the Chief Executive Officer of World Data Lab. He spoke at TEDx Vienna and launched population.io (endorsed by Bill Gates) as well as worldpoverty.io, two real-time big data models.

  The German weekly DER SPIEGEL called him a "big data virtuoso". Previously, he served as the World Bank’s Lead Economist in the Nairobi office. A native German, Wolfgang has been previously a staff member of the World Bank for more than 20 years, during which he lived in four continents: First in North America working at the World Bank’s headquarters in Washington DC, then in Asia as a Senior Economist in the Indonesia office, followed by Africa, and finally in Europe as part of the World Bank’s new hub in Vienna. Wolfgang has published extensively on social and economic issues. He also co-authored "Delivering Aid Differently" (with Homi Kharas, Brookings) and "Africa’s Economic Boom" (with Shanta Devarajan, Foreign Affairs). Prior to joining the World Bank, he set up Africa Consulting, LLC, and was a Fellow at the Research Institute for International Relations. Wolfgang gained a PhD from the University of Hamburg (Germany).
• 

  Aniket Bhusan

  Senior Analyst, Global Affairs Canada

  Aniket Bhusan is a senior analyst in the Economic Development bureau in the Multilateral and Global Issues branch at Global Affairs Canada. His specialisations include data and statistical capacity; digital public infrastructure and digitalization; and taxation and revenue mobilisation in developing countries.

  Aniket Bhusan is a senior analyst in the Economic Development bureau in the Multilateral and Global Issues branch at Global Affairs Canada. His specialisations include data and statistical capacity; digital public infrastructure and digitalization; and taxation and revenue mobilisation in developing countries. Prior to joining GAC, he led and built a data platform and was a research professor in international affairs at Carleton University (in Ottawa, Canada). Over the past 15 years his work has been at the intersection of data, technology and international affairs, spanning across the public, private and non profit sectors.
• 

  Luis Aranda

  LinkedIn profile

  Economist & Policy Analyst, OECD

  Luis Aranda is an Artificial Intelligence policy analyst and economist at the OECD, which he joined in 2017. At the OECD, Luis has contributed to the scoping of the OECD AI Principles as well as to the creation of the OECD.AI Policy Observatory and network of experts, which help countries implement the Principles.

  Before joining the OECD, Luis worked as a Strategist and Business Program Manager at Microsoft, where he contributed to the design and development of corporate level strategy and its implementation through innovative, accelerated-growth projects. Luis has also worked as an engineer for Grupo Bimbo and the United Nations. His work and research interests lie at the intersection between technology, inclusion and policy. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, a Master’s in applied mathematics and a PhD in economics.
• 

  Krista Jones Baptista

  LinkedIn profile

  Executive Director, Data2x

  Krista Jones Baptista is the Executive Director of Data2X. She is a data and digital inclusion specialist with 20 years of experience in the international development sector. Krista serves on the UN Foundation Digital Impact Alliance’s Advisory Committee for the Principles for Digital Development. Previously, as Global Director of DAI Global LLC, she led the organization’s Center for Digital Acceleration (CDA).

  Krista Jones Baptista is the Executive Director of Data2X. She is a data and digital inclusion specialist with 20 years of experience in the international development sector. Previously, as Global Director of DAI Global LLC, she led the organization’s Center for Digital Acceleration (CDA). In that role, she led DAI’s work in data initiatives and digital development and oversaw a portfolio of digital projects and offerings across verticals and clients, including donors, private sector customers, and foundations. Krista serves on the UN Foundation Digital Impact Alliance’s Advisory Committee for the Principles for Digital Development supporting industry and sector engagement and capacity building related to the Principles for Digital Development. A regular speaker on topics including women in tech, digital for development, the Principles for Digital Development, and leading technology teams, Krista has served as a mentor and judge for innovation challenges and competitions. Krista is also an adjunct professor at SAIS where she teaches graduate students on Digital Development: Innovative Uses of Technology in Emerging Markets. Previously, Krista worked in management consulting where she worked with organizations on data driven leadership and management competency projects. She holds a Master of Arts in international economics from the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and an undergraduate degree in cultural geography from Clark University.
• 

  David Satola

  LinkedIn profile

  Lead Counsel, The World Bank

  David Satola is Lead Counsel, Innovation & Technology, in the World Bank’s Legal Department. He leads the WB Human Rights TF project examining the human rights impacts of AI components WB-financed operations. He also leads the WB initiative to combat cybercrime.

  David Satola is Lead Counsel, Innovation & Technology, in the World Bank’s Legal Department. He leads the WB Human Rights TF project examining the human rights impacts of AI components WB-financed operations. He also leads the WB initiative to combat cybercrime (www.combattingcybercrime.org) and represents the Bank at GFCE’s Working Group on Cybercrime, the e-Commerce Working Group at UNCITRAL, as well as the Bank’s Observer delegation to the Government Advisory Committee (GAC) at ICANN, as well as various UN initiatives including the UN ODC Ad Hoc Committee, the IAWG on AI and the UN Tech Envoy’s Consultative Network on AI. He is also a member of the AIIB’s Digital Infrastructure Regulation Forum. He is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Asia-Pacific Cybercrime Capacity Building Hub (hosted by the Korea Supreme Prosecutor’s Office), and co-Chair of the Cyberspace Law Committee of the American Bar Association’s, Section of Business Law.
• 

  Christine Zhenwei Qiang

  Global Director for Digital Development, The World Bank

  Christine Zhenwei Qiang is Global Director for Digital Development under the Infrastructure Practice Group of the World Bank. She heads a team supporting digital transformation in developing countries to drive shared prosperity and reduce poverty.

  Her team advises policy makers and regulators, works closely with private sector and development partners, and designs investment and technical assistance programs to improve digital connectivity and use of digital technology to address development challenges in client countries. The team collaborates with other Global Practices and across the World Bank Group to expand access to digital infrastructure, boost digital industry and capabilities, ensure the availability and use of digital platforms, and help build the foundations needed for digital economies to thrive. The team also works to strengthen cybersecurity and data protection and leverage the potential of digital technologies to enhance environmental sustainability.
  
  Christine joined the World Bank Group in 1998. Prior to her role as Director, she was the Practice Manager in the Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation (FCI) Global Practice for West and Central Africa, Practice Manager of the Global Investment Climate unit in FCI, and Practice Manager of the Global Investment and Competition Unit in the Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment (MTI) Global Practice. She was also Lead Economist at the Policy Division of the Global ICT Department of the World Bank Group. During her tenure, she edited the first two Global Information and Communications Reports (2006, 2009), and oversaw the publication of the first two Global Investment Competitiveness Reports (2017/18 and 2019/20). She has also published journal articles, book chapters and reports on broadband investment, private sector development, IT-enabled services, trade, foreign direct investment, competition, regulatory reforms, productivity and competitiveness.
  
  Christine holds a Ph.D. in economics and a Master’s in computer science and engineering from the Johns Hopkins University.
• 

  Christopher Maloney

  LinkedIn profile

  Program Officer

  Chris Maloney is a Program Officer in the Gender Equity and Governance Program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation in California.

  He manages a portfolio of grants that aim to increase the use of high-quality data and evidence in social and economic policies that affect developing countries, primarily in Africa. His particular focus is on the data revolution, and data governance therein.
  
  Prior to Hewlett, Chris held several senior leadership positions at USAID and the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and was originally a management consultant for McKinsey & Company and Genesis Analytics, based in Johannesburg. He holds an MBA and MPA/ID from Harvard University, and a BA from Stanford.
  
  
• 

  Peter Addo

  LinkedIn profile

  Head of Emerging Tech Lab, Agence française de dévelopement (AFD)

  Dr Peter Addo is an experienced data scientist, and has an extensive background in working with data, and emerging technologies in the developing contexts.

  Currently, he is the lead on Artificial Intelligence, and serves as the head of the Emerging Tech Lab at the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group, Paris, France. He leads efforts to provide strategic advisory and actionable research on harnessing data and the emerging technologies for a sustainable development agenda, both broadening and deepening current action of Groupe AFD.  He formerly worked at the French National Center for Scientific research (CNRS) as a researcher, and at the French National railway company (SNCF) as the Lead Data Scientist. He holds a double PhD in Applied Mathematics and Economics.  Member of several expert networks including the OECD Network of AI Experts.
• 

  Craig Hammer

  LinkedIn profile

  Senior Program Manager, Development Data Group, Development Economics, The World Bank

  Craig Hammer is a Senior Program Manager with the Development Data Group at the World Bank. He specializes in governance reforms, and in particular on open government and open data initiatives.

  His work at the World Bank has included strengthening laws, policies, and regulations focused on access to information, open government data, and data-driven decision-making for improved public service delivery to traditionally marginalized and underserved communities in more than 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, South Asia, and Central Europe.
  
  Craig is a co-author of the World Development Report 2021: Data for Better Lives, a Secretariat member for the World Bank’s Data Governance Body, and manager of the World Bank’s Global Data Facility, which is the Bank’s primary financing mechanism to support low- and middle-income countries’ data priorities alongside the Bank’s core lending portfolio. He is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations; a member of the Society for the Policy Sciences; a Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science; and a member of the Council of Editors for the Journal of Law and Politics. He has published books, chapters, and refereed journal articles on topics including development data, law, and governance.
• 

  Audrey Poupon

  LinkedIn profile

  Communications Coordinator for PARIS21

  Audrey Poupon serves as the Communications Coordinator for PARIS21, a global partnership which promotes the better use and production of statistics throughout the developing world, hosted by the OECD.

  With a background in communications, Audrey plays a pivotal role in shaping the partnership's messaging and outreach efforts. Her expertise lies in crafting compelling narratives that highlight the importance of data in driving evidence-based decision-making and fostering sustainable development.
  
  Audrey has been at the OECD for over 10 years, working in areas ranging from international tax cooperation to education policy.
  
  Audrey has a degree in public and political communications from Sciences Po Bordeaux.