Aleksandre Jejelava is an experienced Mentor, Coach, Inspirational Speaker (TEDx and others), and Consultant. More than 50,000 people have attended Aleksandre's public meetings and inspirational speaking sessions. General Manager with 20+ years of experience in Functional and Project management in both the public and private sectors.
Successful track record of top management positions and large, complex projects in Georgia and Internationally.
An educator with 15+ years of experience in academic teaching and professional training in a number of subjects, including Personal and Professional Development, Leadership, Productivity, Motivation, General and Project Management, MIS, Entrepreneurship, and Strategy.
Deep industrial expertise in Education, Banking, Public Sector, International Projects, and Information Systems and Technologies.
MS in Mathematics, MBA in General Management; Certified international Coach and Project Manager (PMP).
Kurt Bratteby is director of the Department of international relations at the Swedish Institute. He has long experience as a public servant working in international relations and public diplomacy. A graduate from Stockholm University, he is fluent in English, German, French and Swedish.
The Swedish Institute (SI) is a public agency that promotes interest and trust in Sweden around the world. SI seeks to establish cooperation and lasting relations with other countries through strategic communication and exchange in the fields of culture, education, science, and business. SI works closely with Swedish embassies and consulates.
SI's department for international relations enables collaborations, knowledge development and experience exchange with the target audiences of SI. Rooted in Swedish skills and profile issues, we build lasting relations and active networks with talents, opinion leaders and decision makers worldwide.
Tatiana is the CEO of UN Global Compact Network Ukraine and Chair of the Regional Network Council for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Tatiana has been leading the UN Global Compact Network Ukraine for 8 years. Under her leadership, the team of talented managers implements international and local projects aimed at rebuilding Ukraine better.
Tatiana obtained her LLM from Chicago Kent College of Law of Illinois Institute of Technology and her PhD from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine). She graduated from a substantive number of sustainability, leadership, and strategy programs at Harvard Business School. Tatiana has 17 years of legal practice.
Dimitri Tskitishvili is the founder and chairperson of the Georgian Progressive Forum - a research organization (think tank) focused on the socio-economic sphere.
In 2013, Dimitri Tskitishvili was awarded the degree of Master of International Sciences of the University of Wyoming, USA. Before that, he worked at different times in the administration of the President of Georgia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2008-2012, Dimitri was the vice president and regional coordinator of one of the largest youth political organizations in the world - the International Union of Socialist Youth.
In 2016-2020, Dimitri was a member of the Parliament of Georgia and the main directions of his activities included international relations, protection of labor and other social rights, issues of gender equality.
Cristina Sánchez - Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network Spain; Global Network Council co-chair and Board Member - UN Global Compact.
Cristina is in charge of leading the team, identifying and managing strategic partnerships, designing actions aimed at attracting new members, as well as acting as a referent for the organisation before relevant interest groups.
She joined Network Spain in 2007. Since then, she has been responsible for strategic planning, project coordination and financing of the organisation. She has also been responsible for coordinating the board and ensuring compliance with the association's integrity and good governance measures. She has also acted as a Spanish representative in the UN Global Compact, a function that has led her to actively participate in the different international working groups of the UN Global Compact, as well as in forums, conferences and training programmes related to sustainability.
With a degree in History from the Autonomous University of Madrid, Sánchez holds a Master's degree in Contemporary European Studies from the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), as well as a Master's degree in International Relations and Foreign Trade from the Ilustre Colegio de Politólogos y Sociólogos de Madrid.
Fleur Ristroph joined USAID Georgia as the Private Sector Engagement Advisor in 2023. Previously, she led the West Africa team at the U.S. African Development Foundation, an organization that invests in and provides technical assistance to businesses, farmer cooperatives, and entrepreneurs. She has consulted in the private equity and agribusiness sectors in the United Kingdom and Côte d’Ivoire and has experience in international trade and U.S. foreign assistance at Millennium Challenge Corporation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She has lived in Cameroon, Guinea, and Haiti, advising small businesses and microfinance institutions. Fleur holds an MBA from Oxford University, where she chaired its Impact Investing Network.
Daniela Bernacchi is an Executive Director UN Global Compact Network Italy.
After nearly twenty-year career in the marketing of large and distinguished multinationals operating in the publishing, entertainment, and energy sectors Bernacchi continued her professional experience in the non-profit sector. Until February 2019 she was CEO of two leading Italian NGOs, namely WeWorld and then Cesvi, focusing on humanitarian and development programs. She was also member of the Board of «Alliance2015», a network which brings together 8 European NGOs. Since September 2019 she is Executive Director of UN Global Compact Network Italy, the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative in the world. From 2020 to March 2022, she covered the position of Alternate to the Chair of the Western Europe countries for UNGC. In the same period she joined the Sustainability Advisory board of Edison until December 22. Since November 2022 she has been appointed board member at Snam Foundation engaging on energy, education and food poverty.
Tea Melikadze has more than 15 years of experience of working in the infrastructure and energy sectors, for both public and private sectors. She is an Associate Director in EBRD’s Sustainable Infrastructure Group, covering the Caucasus region. Tea is in charge of project development and portfolio management for various infrastructure sub-sectors, inter alia transport, water, wastewater, and waste management.
Tea was one of the originators of the EBRD Green Cities, which offers more than € 5 billion of EBRD and donor support to cities in the EBRD region to address their most pressing environmental challenges through targeted investment, policy actions and capacity building. Launched in 2016, to date ca 60 cities joined EBRD Green Cities, committed toward their transition to green, low-carbon and resilient futures.
Mamuka Salukvadze is Founder and Director of City Institute Georgia (CIG).
Mamuka Salukvadze is a doctor of architecture, urbanist. He has multiyear experience working in public and private structures in the direction of urban development. Since 2015, he has been the founder and director of the City Institute Georgia, an organization working in the field of urban development and spatial planning. Important projects implemented under his leadership and participation are: "Updated Tbilisi Land Use Master Plan"; „Development of Gori Land Use Master Plan”; „Analysis of the efficiency of transport solutions in the central district of Tbilisi”; „Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan of Batumi Municipality”, etc. Since August 2021, his company has been working on the following important project: “Spatial Development and Development Management Documentation for Batumi City Municipality”.
Dr. Dariusz Prasek is the Director of Sustainability Advisory Services, Member of the Executive Board of Georgian Society of Nature Explorers “Orchis”, Member of Advisory Board of the Association of Sustainable Development Experts (ASDE) in Ukraine and Member of the Inter American Development Bank Invest (IDB Invest) Advisory Panel.
Dr. Prasek is an independent consultant in sustainable financing, environmental, social and governance areas with an experience in around 4000 investment projects across a number of sectors. Till recently he held a position of a Director of Operations at the Environment and Sustainability Department in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). He was responsible for coordinating environmental and social due-diligence and monitoring of various Bank’s investment operations. Dr. Prasek has been the key contributor to the development and implementation of the EBRD’s Green Economy Transition Strategy which includes the implementation of the provisions of Circular Economy in the Bank’s supported projects. Before joining the Bank, he was an Advisor for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit). Dr. Prasek holds a Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the Warsaw University of Technology, and from 1987 to 1991 was Assistant Professor at that university's Institute of Environmental Engineering. Dr. Prasek has published numerous articles in the fields of solid waste management, circular economy, environmental management, environmental aspects of project financing and is a member of many professional organizations. Dr. Prasek is a member of the United Nations Advisory Board on Circular Economy and Independent Expert on Development Financing at IDB Invest.
Anne Toft Sørensen is the Ambassador of Denmark to Georgia and Armenia since September 2022. She is an experienced diplomat who previously worked in the Balkans, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belgium and Canada.
Her main areas of expertise include: Ukraine, Russia, the Caucasus, EU policies, democracy and human rights, sustainable development, defence & security policies and crisis management.
Anne holds a Master degree in International Studies and a Bachelor degree in Anthropology and Political Theory from Aarhus University, Denmark.
Pär Larshans is the Director of Sustainability of Ragn-Sells.
In 2023, the Minister of Climate and Environment of Sweden appointed him to the transparency council at Swedish Chemicals Agency. Also, he is a Co-chair of WG Circular Economy at the International Chamber of Commerce and a board member of Water Europe.
In 2020 he had two different government appointments at Ministry of Industry in Sweden and Ministry of Environment in Sweden.
Award winner in communication, social sustainability, and intrapreneurship. In 2013 and 2014, 2020 listed by Trust Across America as one of Premier Thought Leaders. In 2013 given the Swedish award - intrapreneur of year, but already in 2009, he did receive the Green award in London for sustainability Communication, international category for “putting the carbon on the menu” to the company.
Since 2007 requested as international speaker on: leadership, inspiration for change, sustainability, and circular economy. ”A circular economy is about collaboration, if you try to win by yourself, you will definitely lose./Pär Larshans". Gdansk Polen April 2019.
Cristina Ritter is an attorney-at-law specialized in business administration with a professional career of 18 years in both the United Nations and the private sector. She recently joined the UN Global Compact, as the Head of Governance and Anti-Corruption (2022).
Prior to this position, Ms. Ritter worked for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) since 2014, where she provided technical assistance in various continents on the international standards and tools to address corruption and money laundering, while engaging in international cooperation and asset recovery.
Over the years, she was designated Global Coordinator of the Integrity Component of CRIMJUST, a UNODC flagship programme against drug-trafficking, she became responsible for the Americas at the Corruption and Economic Crime Branch (CEB) and served as Regional Anti-Corruption Advisor twice. In this context, she engaged with chambers of commerce, compliance associations, private sector entities and companies in over twenty countries to promote business integrity. She also fostered private-public sectors dialogue, achieving the adoption of multiple anti-corruption policies, legal frameworks and national strategies.
Her formal education includes an MBA in Strategic Management (Argentina / France) and a Magna Cum Laude Degree in Law and Political Science (Panama). She is fluent in Spanish, English and French.
Natalia Voutova has extensive experience working for the Council of Europe and OSCE on human rights and legal policies in Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine. She also worked for Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) in Chechnya during the first conflict (1995) gathering information on human rights violations and coordinating humanitarian assistance. Natalia has also wide knowledge and experience related to international
humanitarian law. Since 2001 Natalia held the position of Special Representative of Council of Europe Secretary General to Armenia, Deputy Representative of the Council of Europe to Ukraine, Head of Council of Europe Office to Armenia and later to Georgia. She has wide experience in conflict and post-conflict zones (Armenia, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Chechnya, Georgia, and Ukraine working with state actors and non- governmental organisations. Natalia has an MSc in Behavioural Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She uses behavioural insights and applied theater to raise awareness against discrimination, domestic violence, as a way to fight stigma and negative attitudes. Natalia is also a researcher in the field of benevolent sexism and in her most recent study she examines benevolent sexism in Georgia, as well as the social role of women in Georgia and Armenia. As a manager of a large multinational team, Natalia uses behavioural insights in both human resource management and into results-based project management. She also holds an MA degree in Law from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridsky”, an
MA degree in International and European Law from Pantheon-Assas University (Paris II), and an LLM in Human Rights from University of Strasbourg.
Sophio Tabatadze is the managing compliance officer at Danske Bank. Sophio has more than 10 years of experience working in Financial Crime Compliance. Before joining Danske Bank, she held various positions at Telia Company and implemented Ethics and Compliance and Anti-Bribery and Corruption programs in the company’s operations in the Nordics, Baltics and Eurasia.
Antonio Hautle is the Executive Director and Network Representative at UN Global Compact Network Switzerland since 2015. Prior to this position, he was the director of Fastenopfer from 2001 until 2013 and the director of the Social Department of the State of Lucerne from 2013 until 2015. Hautle has a background in Philosophy, Business Ethics and Catholic Theology and holds a Master in Business Administration from the University of Geneva.
Bergljot Hovland is the Ambassador of Norway to Georgia since August 2023 and to Armenia since January 2024. Prior to this she worked as a Deputy Director at the High North, Polar Affairs and Resources Section under the Department for Security Policy and the High North of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2018-2023). Previously she worked as a Senior Advisor at the Section for Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Regional Organisations under the same Department, and at the Section for Human Rights and Democracy under the UN Department. She has also served in Russia and Switzerland and worked as a Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (2008-2010).
Before entering the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway in 2003, Hovland worked as a Project Coordinator for the Norwegian Resource Bank for Democracy and Human Rights (NORDEM) at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Oslo (2000 – 2003). She holds a master’s degree from the University of Bergen, Norway, where she studied Russian language and literature, Social Anthropology and spent one year as an Erasmus student in Germany, at the University of Göttingen’s Department for Turkish and Central Asia studies.
Sophiko Skhirtladze is the Project Management Specialist and Development Finance Corporation (DFC) Liaison at USAID/Georgia, where she oversees a substantial economic growth portfolio. Her previous roles include being a Lead Economist and Head of the Private Sector Development Policy Research Center at the International School of Economics in Tbilisi and consulting with The World Bank, GIZ, UNDP and other international organizations. She holds a PhD in Economics from the Catholic University of Milan, an MA in Economics from Southern Methodist University, and another MA in Economics from the International School of Economics in Tbilisi.
Giorgi Cherkezishvili is the Head of Secretariat at The Investors Council. Before joining the IC Secretariat, Giorgi worked on different high-level positions, both in the public and private sectors. He served as Chief Investment Officer at Wings & Freeman Capital; Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia; Head of Investment Department at JSC Partnership Fund; and held different positions at Corporate Banking Department of JSC Bank of Georgia.
Giorgi holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, specialization in Global Management from Grenoble Ecole de Management and Caucasus School of Business (Joint MBA Program); as well as Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in International Economic Relations from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.
Tina Rohner is the Senior Investment Specialist at the Private Sector Operations Department of the Asian Development Bank.
She is part of ADB’s Private Sector Financial Institutions Division which provides development impact capital to banks and microfinance institutions in developing Asia. Based in Georgia since 2017, Tina focuses on the Central and West Asia region and works with financial institutions to further financial inclusion and access to finance for MSMEs. Prior to joining ADB, Tina worked for Goldman Sachs in both Singapore and San Francisco focusing on equity capital markets in Asia and principal investments in the technology sector.
Salome Tvalodze is the Head of the Sustainable Finance Division at the National Bank of Georgia. Salome joined the NBG in 2011 and held various positions, including the head Macro-financial Modeling and Analysis Division and a chief economist at the Macroeconomic Research Division. Salome has been leading the development of the NBG’s Sustainable Finance Framework since 2017. Ms. Tvalodze is the NBG’s representative at the NGFS and SBFN. At SBFN, she is a Co-chair of the Data & Disclosure Working Group and a member of the Sustainable Finance Instruments Working Group. She is also a member of the GRI Banking Sector Standard Technical Committee.
Salome obtained an MS in economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MA in economics from the International School of Economics, ISET. Salome is a Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR) Certificate holder from the GARP. Ms. Tvalodze is a Ph.D. candidate working on incorporating ESG considerations into the macro-financial analysis. She has many years of teaching experience and, currently, is a visiting lecturer at Tbilisi State University.
Tamar Rodonaia is a corporate communications expert. She has long-term experience implementing corporate communications and corporate responsibility policies in Georgia.
She worked for the World Communications Group Telia’s member “Geocell” for 12 years, leading the company's corporate social responsibility strategy. At present, she is an independent consultant in CSR and corporate communications. In 2016-2024 she undertook consulting for different NGOs witch subjects such as: increasing awarness for enviromental protection, women's empowerment, communication programs and in the subject of social entrepreneurship development and promotion.
Tamar Rodonaia received her education in social and political sciences and is currently pursuing a PHD in social responsibility development. She is a Associate Professor, at the Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA).
Tamar is a co-founder of the Anagrama’s Communications Group, one of the main aims of which is to show the importance of developing corporate responsibility to the private sector and maximize interest in the development of this field.
Lika Shavishvili is the Communications Manager at British Embassy Tbilisi. Lika has been working at the British Embassy Tbilisi since 2006. In the last few years, Lika is leading Embassy’s external communications, media relations and digital diplomacy work. Among other areas, Lika’s direct expertise is in strategic communications, design of communications campaigns and working on ways to address disinformation. Lika has decade long experience of working on development and assistance programmes, including on Human Rights; Judicial reform; peaceful prevention and resolution of conflicts; media development and supporting building of democratic institutions.
Previously Lika worked in private as well as public sector. Lika has a law degree (LL.M) and background in teaching law at high education institutions.
Nana Sajaia is a journalist and TV producer. Since 2019, she has been working as a political producer for the highest-rated broadcaster in the United States - Fox News. From 2014 to 2018, she was a journalist and editor for the Georgian edition of “Voice of America” in Washington, DC, where she covered Georgian, Eurasian, and American policies on Television, Radio, and the Web Platforms.
Prior to continuing her career in the United States, she was the news and web editor of Liberali magazine in Georgia, the chief editor of Radio Hot Chocolate, and the managing editor of the English-language newspaper “Georgia Today”.
She has collaborated with international media outlets in Georgia such as BBC, FRANCE 24, and TRANSITIONSONLINE. She has taught journalism at Tbilisi State University, Georgian Institute of Public Affairs, and Caucasus University.
She is a recipient of several awards - including the U.S. Federal Broadcasting Superior - Gold Medal.
She holds a Master's degree in Journalism and Media Management from Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) and a Master's Degree in Mass Communication from North Dakota State University, where she studied in 2007-2008 as an Edmund Musk Graduate Fellow with the sponsorship from the US Government.
