Chairwoman Marta is a well-respected leader in the technology, payments and fintech industry, passionate about managing and growing businesses as well as developing talents. A result focused leader with a soft spot for the human aspect of the business, she has more than 13 years’ leadership experience in Europe, Africa, North and Central America, in top management consulting as well as leadership roles in commercial, sales and product in telecom blue chips, amongst others Digicel, Vodafone and Safaricom, working on M-Pesa, IOT, Cloud etc. Marta is deputy President and Africa Chairwoman of AIIK-Italian Kenyan Industrial Association and sits in the Board of several African focused Foundations, Companies and Tech start ups. She is engaged in leadership functions for women and diversity and passionate about innovation, fintech, women development and entrepreneurship, with a soft spot for chocolate and traveling. Marta mentors youths and entrepreneurs worldwide and is keen to empower women to transform their lives. Marta studied in Italy, Germany, France, USA, speaks five languages, advices several startups and is a regular speaker at African, South American and International conferences. Marta has 2 dreams:

1. Improve women and children lives.
2. Supporting innovative and successful businesses that deliver huge value to investors.

Cornelius is a well-respected leader and investor in the renewable energy industry and built several successful clean energy businesses and start-ups within Middle East and Africa. He has extensive board level experience from 10 years in Deutsche Bank (among others, youngest board member in Deutsche Bank Italy Group) and several renewable energy associations via pro bono work. By building the international shareholder and partner network of Dii (Desertec Industrial Initiative), he was at the forefront of the renewable energy revolution in North Africa and the Middle East. A keen entrepreneur and investor in emerging markets with recognitions such as “Solar Pioneer 2015” for the Middle East, he is lecturing at several universities including St. Gallen and is a regular speaker at international conferences. He holds an MBA (Dipl. Kaufmann) from University of Passau, and speaks German, English, Italian, French and Russian. “I am glad to be able to work in renewable energy which is also my passion – we can genuinely make an impact with many different things and help people, to make our planet a better place. Having new challenges every day is fantastic and many more mountains to be climbed!”

Michele has a passion for technology and its impacts for improving well-being and welfare. He started in Management Consulting progressively expanding cross-borders, then joined Olivetti ending his term there as VP Marketing for Olivetti Canada. He then joined GE Medical Systems near Paris, leading the European Marketing and Programs organization, witnessing the transition from proprietary systems to open architecture as effect of the disruption triggered by the Internet. In 1995, he created a startup leveraging the Internet within Diagnostic Imaging. The advent of the World Wide Web drove Michele’s move towards ICT, becoming the European Marketing Head for a leader in modem technology. He subsequently joined a Swiss Internet Service Provider and finalized its sale to a leading operator. In 2006, he took the opportunity offered by a leading Networking company to join as Director of Business Development for Sub-Saharan Africa in Nairobi, Kenya. Michele struck important agreements with Governments for the adoption of ICT as a tool for growth in Kenya, Rwanda and Cameroon amongst others. He then opened his second startup in Kenya dedicating his efforts on several infrastructure projects: a PPP broadband network covering the country and the development of alternate sources of revenue for Utilities. He then changed domains and took the VP of Business Development role for Africa for a leading track and trace solution provider working for Tax Authorities in several African countries: under his tenure, the overall excise collection in an African Country rose by a sheer 25% in absolute terms year on year. Michele holds an MBA from Bocconi University in Milan and speaks seven languages.

Grégoire L. Piller is the Director, University Relations & Partnerships at the University of Kigali (UoK). Previously he was the Head of Development and Partnerships at The Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa (SDGC/A) in Kigali. From 2013 to 2016, Grégoire worked at Strathmore University in Kenya in different capacities: Head, Marketing and External Affairs at Strathmore Center for Sustainability Leadership, Head of External Affairs in the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor Research, Deputy Director of the Advancement and External Affairs (fundraising) Department at Strathmore Business School and Executive Manager at Strathmore Business School. Additionally, he is currently the Head of African Affairs for the International Academy for Social and Economic Development (AISES), an academy based in Rome and Brussels; the Vice-President of the Italy-Kenya trade organisation (AIIK) and the Co-Funder and Director of The Sustainable Developement Ventures, an impact investment fund based in Dubai. Grégoire serves in several advisory board, Ongoza Foundation, EshaliAfric, Nyatha Fund, Lorcan Investments, Bushra Energy, Kikisa Limited in Kenya, Diomira Foundation in Italy and Kuwekeza Holdings in Dubai. He has spoken and organized symposia, conferences, seminars and workshops between Europe and Africa. He has represented the Holy See (Vatican City State) at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) 10th Ministerial Conference, the 14th United Nation Conference on Trade and Development, the 6th Tokyo International Conference of Africa’s Development and he was the Head of Delegation of the Holy See during the 2nd High-level Meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation. He is a former Vice-corporal (warrant officer) of the Pontifical Swiss Guard from 2005 to 2013 and was awarded, by Pope Benedict XVI the Benemerenti in 2008 and the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice in 2012. He is a member of the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK), the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and the Project Management Institute (PMI). Grégoire Piller is a native of Switzerland and speaks French, Italian and English.

Anna holds a degree from Trento University in Social sciences. Anna has 25+ years experience in transportation and parastatal companies as well as real estate in Italy. Anna is founding member of AIIK – Italian Kenyan Industrial Association and very active in foundations/charities supporting African and Asian minorities as she is focused in improving people’s lives.