MCA20 Speakers & Moderators

Morning Session Speakers - A Decade of Digital Opportunities and Threats

 

Michel Van Bellinghen, Master of Laws (UCL), started off at the university in 1990 as a researcher, then became an assistant under the supervision of Professor Françoise Tulkens, at the UCL Laws Centre for Criminal Law.

He became an assistant advisor at the Ministry of Justice in 1992 under the supervision of Professor Marc Bossuyt and joined the BIPT in 1997. From 1999 to 2003 he held the position of expert at the private office of Rik Daems, who was the Federal Telecommunications Minister at the time, and afterwards took up the function of Assistant Head of the Private Office. From 2003 until 2009 he was nominated Member of the BIPT Council for the first time. Following this mandate he remained closely affiliated to the Council and supervised the legal department of the regulator during a number of years. He has written scientific publications.

In 2013 he held a position on the Council as a Member. In January 2017 he was assigned Chairman of the BIPT Council. Michel Van Bellinghen has been elected to serve as Chair of BEREC in 2021.

 

Roberto Viola is Director General of DG CONNECT (Directorate General of Communication, Networks, Content and Technology) at the European Commission.

He was the Deputy Director-General of DG CONNECT, European Commission from 2012 to 2015.

Roberto Viola served as Chairman of the European Radio Spectrum Policy group (RSPG) from 2012 to 2013, as Deputy Chairman in 2011 and Chairman in 2010. He was a member of the BEREC Board (Body of European Telecom Regulators), and Chairman of the European Regulatory Group (ERG). He held the position of Secretary General in charge of managing AGCOM, from 2005 to 2012. Prior to this, he served as Director of the Regulation Department and Technical Director in AGCOM from 1999 to 2004. From 1985-1999 he served in various positions including Head of Telecommunication and Broadcasting Satellite Services at the European Space Agency (ESA). Roberto Viola has a degree in Electronic Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA).                                                                                                                                             

   

Philippe Defraigne is founding director of Cullen International, a company monitoring regulatory developments in telecommunications, digital economy, media, postal and competition law. He is an economist by training and has spent the last 30 years analysing telecommunications regulation and market developments. He is a regular fixture on the conference circuit, frequently speaking at and chairing events in Europe, Latin America and MENA.

He started his telecommunications career as a researcher at the University of Namur in the 80s. Between 1991 and 1994, Philippe worked for the European Commission where he was mainly involved in the legislative process that lead to the adoption of the ONP Leased Lines Directive. He now travels extensively and advises regulators and operators across 50 countries.                          

  

André Xuereb is a quantum physicist from Malta. He is an Associate Professor at the University of Malta, where he leads the Department of Physics, lectures undergraduate classes in atomic and quantum physics, and leads the quantum research group. In 2020 André was appointed Malta’s first Ambassador for Digital Affairs within the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs; he also co-chairs the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) board, is a European Innovation Council (EIC) ambassador, and is a council member of the Malta Chamber of Scientists as well as the Malta Innovation Forum. André is Chief Scientific Officer of a green mobility startup in Malta and co-owns an educational software startup. Fond of lifelong learning, André holds a bachelor degree in mathematics and physics, a doctorate in physics, and a master degree in knowledge-based entrepreneurship. He is currently reading for a master degree in contemporary diplomacy. In 2020, André was named amongst the Ten Outstanding Young People by JCI Malta.

Marcin Cichy has over 15 years’ experience in the technology, media and telecom (TMT) sector working for both government and industry. He has held numerous high-level positions including President of the Office of Electronic Communications, the Polish Regulatory Authority for telco and postal markets, member of the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, Vice-Chair of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), Vice-Chair of the European Regulators Group for Postal Service (ERGP), Chair of the Eastern Partnership Electronic Communications Regulators Network (EaPeReg), as well as government representative in the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) and the Intersputnik International Organisation of Space Communications.

Marcin is an engineer and analyst specialising in market access analytics, 5G and spectrum, broadband mapping, infrastructure access and regulatory affairs. He conducts scientific research on telco entrepreneurs’ horizontal co-opetition in highly competitive markets and advises TMT providers on navigating the economic and regulatory environment.                                                        

Peter Dunn is Director of European Relations at Cullen International with responsibility for developing and maintaining close relations with Cullen’s clients and other contacts in Europe. Peter also leads Cullen’s postal service and is responsible for developing a new service on sustainability, as well as contributing to the competition law and telecoms services.

Before joining Cullen International in 2010, Peter worked in the UK and Europe for Orange and for Colt; and for Digicel Group in the Caribbean.

Jesus Alonso-Zarate, PhD, MBA, joined i2CAT - an applied research and innovation center located in Barcelona and focused on digital technologies -  in March 2021 to contribute to the definition of EC Research and Innovation Policies and Strategies for the entire organization. Before that, he had been for 16 years with the Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC), where he was an active research group leader working in the area of wireless communications for the Internet of Things (IoT), with particular focus on 5G technologies. He has published more than 160 technical papers in international conferences and peer-reviewed journals. He has participated in more than 40 R&D projects, being principal investigator in many of them. In 2019, he received the Young Research Award by the Spanish Royal Academy of Engineering for his contributions to telecom engineering in the area of IoT and 5G. 

Nicole Darabian joined Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, in 2019. She works in the International team where she specialises in Internet and technology policy. Her responsibilities include building and expanding international engagements with counterparts globally to learn about international regulatory frameworks, share experiences and best practices in cyber security, AI, telecoms diversification and Open RAN.

Prior to Ofcom, Nicole worked at the GSMA, the industry association of mobile operators, where she conducted research and supplied insights on commercial mobile services that impact smallholder farmers and the agricultural industry in emerging markets. Earlier in her career, she also led Partnerships and Marketing between Montreal and New York City at an ed-tech start-up that developed mobile games to teach youth about important global issues, such as water scarcity. Nicole has a Bachelor of Arts in International Development from McGill University and an MSc in Media Governance from the London School of Economics.


Fabiana Di Porto (PhD Law Strasbourg-Perugia) MSc Regulation (London School of Economics) is Associate Professor of Economic Law and Technology at the University of Salento (Lecce) and contract Professor of Innovation Law and Regulation at Luiss University (Rome). Head of the PRIN-funded research project on Algorithmic Disclosure Regulation (www.lawandtechnology.it), she sits on the executive committee of the Academic Society for Competition Law-Ascola, the Global Pandemic Network, and is Editor in chief of the law journal Concorrenza e mercato (Giuffrè-Lefevre).

Formerly Forchheimer Visiting Professor at the Law Faculty of the Hebrew University (Jerusalem), the Federman Cybersecurity Research Center of the Hebrew University and the European University Institute (Fiesole), she has published 5 books, authored over 80 academic articles and book chapters. She has been invited to lecture and present her work at conferences, workshops and seminars on over one hundred occasions in different countries.

In her most recent work, she is experimenting into what AI can bring of good to simplifying law, making public governance and rulemaking future-proof. For that, she is heading a multi-disciplinary research group composed of data scientists, legal scholars and legal philosophers applying algorithmic methods (NLP and ML) to antitrust, disclosure and digitalization processes. On these matters the group is providing advise to several groups and institutions.                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Flavio Arzarello graduated in Computer Engineering from the Politecnico di Torino – and is based in Rome. He worked for many years in Italian institutions, spending 5 years (2013-2018) at the Italian Parliament, lastly as Chief of Staff at the special Committee for the digitalization of the country. In 2018 he moved to the private sector, working as a consultant on digital policies. He joined Meta (formerly Facebook) as Public policy manager for Italy, Malta and Cyprus in January 2021. 

Andrea Stazi is the Regulatory Affairs Lead for South Europe and Academic Outreach Europe at Google. Andrea leads on the regulatory issues and campaigns in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Malta & Cyprus, along with managing the academic outreach in Europe.

He is also an Associate Professor of Comparative Law and New Technologies Law and Director of the InnoLawLab at European University of Rome, and Visiting Professor in Biotechnology Law at National University of Singapore. He authored many scientific publications, most recently the book “Smart contracts and comparative law”, Springer 2021.

Previously he was Advisor to the Chairman of the Italian Communications Authority and to the Italian Undersecretary of Defense, Visiting Professor in Law and Technology at the Singapore Management University, Research Associate at the FLACSO University of Buenos Aires, Max Planck Institute for Competition & IP Law of Munich, Institute for Information Law of the University of Amsterdam, and Coordinator of the Master in Competition and Innovation Law at Luiss University of Rome and Adjunct Professor at the University of Bologna.

He has a Ph.D. in Competition Law, and participated in the Executive Program in Exponential Technologies of the Singularity University.                                                                   

Dr Rainer Schnepfleitner currently heads the Office for Communications in Liechtenstein, where he is responsible for the regulatory frameworks of Electronic Communications, Audio-Visual Media, Signature and Trust Services and Post.

He started his career in telecommunications with the Austrian Regulatory Authority. Later he gained expertise in European antitrust and state aid provisions while working with the European Commission in DG Competition. In 2003 he moved to Swisscom, where he was responsible for fixed and mobile regulatory accounting, before continuing his career as project and product manager where he introduced various mobile navigation solutions. From 2008 to 2018 he worked for the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) in Doha, Qatar, where he was responsible for the regulatory frameworks of Telecommunications, IT, Access to Digital Media and Post.

After finishing his IT degree Rainer received a Master of Business Administration and a PhD in Economics from Vienna Economic University. He also holds a post graduate degree in European Competition Law from King’s College in London.

Afternoon Session Speakers- Delivering Value for All in a Digital World

Bernard Agius is a Manager, Malta Communications Authority (MCA). He is responsible for eCommerce policy and initiatives at MCA. He has over 20 years management experience in both the public and private sectors. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from Durham Business School specialising in ICT adoption and diffusion.

For over a decade, Riccardo Genghini has been actively engaged in the protection of the consumer and privacy in telecommunications and IT and in the protection of the fundamental rights of the individual in a free, pluralistic and digital society. The compatibility between privacy and IT security and the diffusion of open technologies and open standards, transparency and verifiability in on-line transactions are topics in which he has been interested since he was a law student, when he realized the profound impact that information technology would have had on society and on customary and codified law. 

       

Dr Ian Gauci is the Managing Partner of GTG Advocates and Afilexion Alliance. He advises multiple government bodies and operators on various laws and issues, ranging from consumer, competition, data protection, telecommunications, fintech, cryptos and blockchain laws. He was also the legal expert of Malta’s National Blockchain Taskforce and one of the co-authors of the Laws in Malta.

Dr Gauci is recognized by Lexology as the foremost Technology Lawyer and is ranked as Band 1 lawyer in the Chambers and Partners Fintech Rankings. Dr Gauci is also ranked as a Tier 1 lawyer in the Fintech sector by Legal 500.

Dr Gauci lectures Legal Futures & Technology Law, Communications Law and the Masters in Blockchain at the University of Malta. He is also an examiner on Masters and Doctoral dissertations in FinTech, RegTech, Data Protection and ICT.                       

As a CEO of Born Digital, a local development agency specializing in e-commerce services; Calvin Briffa is an expert in understanding how web users behave. With a background in both web development and digital marketing he consults on strategies website managers ought to employ to best serve the needs of their respective audiences.

He is knowledgeable in digital tourism and has a particular fascination in augmented reality, as well as a keen appreciation in how it can affect our day to day lives as consumers, and as a society.                                                                                                                                                                  

Inka Taagehøj is an Accessibility product expert and trainer. While working in product management at Siteimprove, my goal is to ensure success in both internal and external strategic initiatives, that have a goal to help large public organizations and enterprise companies to grow their accessibility maturity, become compliant and maintain a high level of digital inclusion that ensure the best possible website experiences for everyone.

Giuseppe Geresia is Manager for Southern Europe at Siteimprove. He joined Siteimprove in 2018, Giuseppe has over a decade of experience in digital marketing.

During the last 4 years has been working closely to increase the level of web accessibility for Institutions in Southern Europe. Leading different projects of large scale monitoring with Gov and central administrations, he is actively promoting web accessibility and consulting private companies about inclusivity.

He is a member of the International Web Association, a member of e-Accessibility in UNINFO he has contributed and participated in the translation and improvement of the new  EN 301549 (v. 3.1.1).


Stanley Debono has a varied business background spanning finance, ICT and social sciences, having graduated with a BA Hons. in Banking and Finance and subsequently read for an MBA in ECommerce. His past roles include investment management, business development, marketing and communication, service optimisation and software design and development.

As CEO of the Foundation for Information Technology Accessibility (FITA), between 2001 and 2021, he managed to set up multiple collaboration agreements and ensuing services with public and private organisations in order to ensure the effectiveness of ICT products and services while promoting accessibility for all. 

As ICT Accessibility Director at FITA, his key responsibilities include helping define strategy and the service development necessary to carry it out, while expanding the Foundation's business opportunities through a combination of in-house projects and new partnerships.

Samantha Pace Gasan was appointed as the second Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disability last January. In her role as Commissioner she emphasises the importance of unity in the sector in order to strengthen the voice of people with disability, as well as the role played by the different sectors in ensuring that people with disability are included in Maltese society.

She has a degree in Social Policy and Creativity and Innovation. In the latter, Samantha focused her studies on social innovation in small and medium enterprises in Malta.

She experienced the disability sector from different perspectives through her sister who was born with Down Syndrome, and when she also developed an invisible disability.

Despite the challenges of the transition, Ms Pace Gasan looks at life in a positive way, accepts disability as part of her identity and chooses to explore ways that allow her to continue living a good quality of life. 

Michael Debattista is currently holding the position of lecturer at the Malta Leadership Institute. He graduated with a BA (Hons) in Youth and Community Studies in 2012, followed by a MA in Disability Studies three years later with the alma mater being the University of Malta. Mr Debattista is reading for a PhD at the aforementioned University on the use of online dating by emergent adult women.

He has considerable experience in the disability sector. Mr Debattista was the main author of the National Policy on the Rights of Persons with Disability. He is also a former employee at the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability. Presently, he lectures primarily to students reading for the various courses on facilitating inclusive education at the Malta Leadership Institute. 

Moderators

 

Ing. Antoine Sciberras - Moderating the panels on Leveraging Opportunities and Safeguarding Against Threats.

Antoine is the Chief Officer for Spectrum Management and Technology at the MCA, and a Senior Visiting Lecturer with the Faculty of Information and Communication Technologies at the University of Malta. He has more than 20 years of experience across technology, commercial and regulatory domains in electronic and digital communications, telecommunications and the aerospace industries within both public and private sectors roles and is a well-regarded expert in the formulation, review and application of national, European and International regulatory instruments in spectrum management, electronic communications, radiocommunications equipment and the Next Generation Internet.

Antoine holds appointments with Malta’s National Cybersecurity Steering Committee, the competent authority responsible for the Protection from Ionising and Non-Ionising Radiation and previously with the national taskforce overseeing Malta’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy. He is Malta’s representative and Administrative Board member to the European Union Agency for the Space Programme and an active participant and contributor within various regulatory fora, including the International Telecommunications Union, the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications, the European Commission’s Radio Spectrum Policy Group and the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity.

Antoine holds a Masters in Knowledge-based Entrepreneurship and a Bachelors degree in Engineering from the University of Malta, a post-graduate diploma in Engineering Management from Brunel University London and certifications in Regulation from the London School of Economics, ISO 27001 implementation (PECB) and project management (PRINCE2). 

Joseph Seychell - Moderating the panel on Adding Value Through Digital Services.

Joseph Seychell joined the MCA back in 2016 after more than 15 years working in the Information Technology sector and having served customers both in Malta and across Europe.

At the MCA, he manages the MCA’s digital services regulatory programme covering various digital aspects including eCommerce, Trust Services and Webs Accessibility. On the eCommerce front, Joseph is currently working on the drafting of the MCA strategic vision for the coming years. He is also involved in the Authority’s conformity assessment process for eIDAS trust service providers and he drives forward the Authority’s web accessibility monitoring and enforcement process.

Joseph holds various industry IT certifications from major vendors and holds a BSc in Information Systems. He is currently reading for a Master’s degree in Business Management.  

Marica Gatt is the Head of the Primary Education Resource Centre in Malta. She is also a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta lecturing on modules related to Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), assistive technology for learning, low-incidence disabilities, and profound and multiple learning disabilities. Marica was instrumental in setting up ACTU (Access to Communication and Technology Unit), a comprehensive assessment unit established in Malta in 2006, providing access to communication, language and literacy for individuals with complex needs. She has represented the Education Directorates in a number of funded projects including the development of the Maltese text to speech engine and the use of eye gaze technology together with project partners.

In 2016 she was awarded an advanced master class writing workshop at the Monash University Prato Centre, Italy and was also awarded an emerging researcher award travelling to Toronto to present her paper at the ISAAC International Conference in August 2016. In 2018 she presented her paper at the Fifth International IASSIDD Europe Congress in Athens, Greece. Marica has presented her research both in Malta, the UK, Athens and Canada in AAC related conferences including Communication Matters annual conferences in the UK.

Marica completed a BEd (Hons) at the University of Malta in 1996. In 2006 she undertook an accredited course in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in conjunction with the ACE Centre North and Manchester Metropolitan University. In 2007 she completed an MSc in Complex Learning Disabilities at the University of Manchester. Marica passed her PhD subject to very minor corrections in November 2021. Her PhD was about ‘Improving Augmentative and Alternative Communication Use between Mothers, Siblings and Children with Communication Disabilities’. Her supervisors were Dr Jill Bradshaw, Professor Glynis Murphy and Dr Nicola Grove.

Marica has also volunteered in the past with Special Olympics Malta helping in setting up the first edition of the Healthy Athletes program in 2012 and implement the Motor Activity training program (MATP) at her school.