Truffle Speaker 2022

Credins Bank, IT Director

Valbona Dhjaku has been involved in the technology aspects of banking since 2001. Valbona joined the Credins Bank, the first private bank in Albania, in 2005 where she led the modernization and digitalization of the banks information systems and services.
Currently, Ms. Dhjaku is responsible for the infrastructure, information systems and the online channel for Credins Bank, the second largest bank in Albania.
Since more than 20 years, in addition to her professional career, Prof. Dhjaku teaches both Information Systems and Computer Science at the University of Tirana.
Prof. Valbona Dhjaku holds both a Ph.D and Master’s degree from the University of Tirana and speaks Albanian, English and Italian.

Partner, Baby Giant Hollyberg

Chris DiGiovanni earned his production stripes at MTV in the fast pace of New York City’s live action scene before moving west to join the then upstart CG house Pixar. He spent almost a decade at Pixar, which included 7 features, 3 as animation manager and 8 short films. His crews’ efforts yielded 22 Academy Award Nominations, 7 Oscars and 7 Golden Globes for Pixar.

After his career at Pixar, Chris returned home to New York where he was named Production Manager at Blue Sky Animation Studios, working with Steve Carell and Jim Carrey on Dr. Seuss’ “Horton Hears a Who” (20th Century Fox). In 2008, Chris joined the team of Starz Animation in Toronto, to work along side Tim Burton on “9” (Focus Features), and Elton John on “Gnomeo and Juliet” (Touchstone). Chris reunited with Director Jimmy Hayward in 2011, as First Assistant Director on the 2013 release of “FREE BIRDS” (Relativity) at Reel FX Studios and went on to produce Golden Globe nominated “Book of Life” with Jorge R. Gutierrez, Guillermo Del Toro and Aron Warner.

Co-Founder & CEO, Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD)

Sasha Havlicek is Co-Founder and CEO of ISD, having spearheaded ISD’s pioneering research and data analysis, digital education, policy advisory, training, tech and communications programmes. With a background in conflict resolution and an expertise in extremism, digital information operations and electoral interference, she has advised a range of governments at the highest levels and has spearheaded partnerships with the UN, EU Commission and Global Counter-Terrorism Forum. She has also worked with the private and civil society sectors to promote innovation, including developing major programmes run in partnership with Google, FB and Microsoft.

Sasha serves as an expert advisor to the UK Counter-Extremism Commission and the Mayor of London’s counter-extremism programme, and is a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations. Sasha previously served as Senior Director at the EastWest Institute where she led conflict resolution programming. Sasha has testified before US Congress, the UK Parliament and is a regular commentator in the media (CNN, BBC, Channel 4 News and other networks).

University of California, Berkeley – Chair of Travers Department of Political Science, Co-Director, Institute of International Studies

Susan D. Hyde is a Professor of Political Science at University of California, Berkeley, and the Avice M. Saint Chair in Public Policy. She studies international influences on domestic politics, teaches courses on international relations and comparative politics, and is active in promoting policy-relevant research.

She is an expert on international election observation, election fraud, and democracy promotion. Her research on election observation included serving on missions with several organizations in Afghanistan, Albania, Indonesia, Liberia, Nicaragua, Pakistan and Venezuela, and she has worked with the Carter Center, the National Democratic Institute, Democracy International, the International Republican Institute, and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems on democracy promotion issues and researching how democracy promoting organizations can evaluate the effects of their work.

She earned her Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego in 2006, was a professor at Yale University from 2006-2016, and held residential fellowships at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. and Princeton University’s Niehaus Center for Globalization and Governance. She was recognized with the Karl Deutch Award from the International Studies Association in 2018 and delivered the 2017 Linfield College commencement address, where she received her BA in 2000. From 2016-2018 she served a three year elected term as the Executive Director of the Evidence in Governance and Politics network. She currently serves on the editorial boards of International Organization, American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Experimental Political Science, and the Journal of Politics.

Portfolio Manager, DNB Asset Management

Audun Wickstrand Iversen is a portfolio manager who covers multiple sectors searching for companies with a disruptive approach to existing business models.

Before rejoining us in 2019 he started several companies and sat as a board member, chairman, and CEO in unlisted and listed companies at Oslo Stock Exchange. In his previous career with us during 2001-2007 he was Portfolio Manager in several top-rated mutual funds. Before that, he was a top-ranked Financial Analyst in DNB Markets (1996-2001).

Audun has a four-year program in economics and business administration consisting of three years at the bachelor/undergraduate level and one year at the master level (Siviløkonom). He also holds a two-year degree in Strategy from Norges Handelshøyskole (NHH) and a Master of Art from the University of Oslo.

President Emeritus of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC and Senior Fellow at the German Marshall Fund

Jackson Janes is senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund and president emeritus of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC, where he has been affiliated since 1989.

Dr. Janes has been engaged in German-American affairs in numerous capacities over many years. He has studied and taught in German universities in Freiburg, Giessen, and Tübingen. He was the director of the German-American Institute in Tübingen (1977-1980) and then directed the European office of The German Marshall Fund of the United States in Bonn (1980-1985). Before joining AICGS, he served as director of Program Development at the University Center for International Studies at the University of Pittsburgh (1986-1988). He was also chair of the German Speaking Areas in Europe Program at the Foreign Service Institute in Washington, DC, from 1999-2000 and president of the International Association for the Study of German Politics from 2005-2010.

Dr. Janes is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and the Atlantic Council of the United States. He serves on the advisory boards of the Berlin office of the American Jewish Committee, Beirat der Zeitschrift für Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik (ZfAS), the Robert Bosch Foundation Alumni Association, and the American Bundestag Intern Network (ABIN) in Washington, DC. He is a member of the board of the German American Fulbright Commission and serves on the Selection Committee for the Bundeskanzler Fellowships for the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. He is a member of the Cosmos Club in Washington DC.

Dr. Janes has lectured throughout Europe and the United States and has published extensively on issues dealing with Germany, German-American relations, and transatlantic affairs. In addition to regular commentary given to European and American news radio, he has appeared on CBS, CNN, C-SPAN, PBS, CBC, and is a frequent commentator on German television. Dr. Janes is listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in Education.

In 2005, Dr. Janes was awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Germany’s highest civilian award.

Independent Advisor and Investor

Courtesy of CAIA

Thomas H. Kjaergaard is an ESG pioneer and veteran who headed Danske Bank Group’s Responsible Investment programme from 2008-2017. After leaving Danske Bank Kjaergaard teamed up with Nordea Life & Pension Denmark in 2018, as Head of Investment Governance and ESG. The company that in 2018 spun out of the Nordea Group to become Velliv Pension, the third largest commercial pensions company in Denmark with appr. 350.000 customers and EUR 40 bn AuM.

Kjaergaard has been engaged in many UN PRI and IIGCC working groups, and founded Dansif in 2009 where he also served two terms as chairman of the board. He currently works as an investor and independent advisor to professional investors and as external lecturer at Copenhagen Business School. Finally, he is a columnist at Finans.dk, one of the largest business media outlets in Denmark.

Chairman & CEO of the Lorange Network, Chairman S. Ugelstad Invest, Honorary President, IMD

Prof. Dr. Peter Lorange is founder, Chairman and CEO of the Lorange Network, where he is currently active in cutting edge, digital business knowledge transfer for business owners, entrepreneurial families and larger private investors. He was formerly owner and President of the Lorange Institute of Business. The Lorange Network was transferred to the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in late 2021.

Prof. Dr. Lorange is a successful entrepreneur and owner of a highly diversified family office, S. Ugelsatd Invest, after having sold his shipping company in 2006. He
is also regarded as one of the world’s foremost business school academics. For 15 years, Lorange was the President of IMD, Lausanne, one of Europe’s leading business schools. He was Professor of Strategy at IMD and held the Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Chair of International Shipping. In recognition of Peter Lorange’s incredible achievements, he has been named IMD Honorary President. Additionally, IMD is establishing a Peter Lorange Chair, with the purpose of pursuing IMD’s global
legacy in supporting entrepreneurial families.

In addition to his academic background, he has gained extensive shipping know-how as director on several shipping company boards (Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines,
Kvaerner, Seaspan). He also has board experience from ISS, Keystone Solutions(Oslo), Globalpraxis, Copenhagen Business School and many others.
Lorange was educated at the Norwegian School of Economics, Yale University (MA in Operations Management) and Harvard Business School (DBA). In addition, he is the recipient of 6 honorary doctorates. Moreover, Prof. Dr. Lorange has written or edited over twenty books and more than 120 articles. His areas of special interest are global strategic management, strategic planning and entrepreneurship for growth. He has conducted extensive research on multinational management, strategic planning processes, and internally generated growth processes.

Research Lead at 21Shares

Eliézer leads the research department at 21Shares, a $2 billion digital asset management firm. He provides insights into crypto markets and patterns associated with the global economy and geopolitics. His research is often featured in Bloomberg, Business Insider, and other leading news outlets to build crypto products and tokens ahead of market trends and help financial institutions, journalists, regulators, and the community navigate the cryptoasset industry. Experienced as a Venture Capital Associate in New York investing in seed and early-stage companies, including a billion-dollar Fintech startup, Eliézer’s experience in crypto started in 2014. He obtained his master’s degree in International Business and wrote his master’s thesis on how the Bitcoin network could improve financial inclusion in developing economies.

Managing Partner, Enabling Qapital

Xavier Pierluca is an investment professional with 25 years’ experience, 18 of which are in the field of impact investing managing both private equity and debt funds. He has structured and raised several funds in access to energy, microfinance, fintech, SME finance, and healthcare for over USD 700 mn with family offices, DFIs and Institutional Investors through plain vanilla and blended finance structures.

Prior to launching Enabling Qapital, he was a founding Partner at SIMA where he structured, raised and is managed one of the largest solar off-grid solar debt fund. He also engages in Corporate Finance Advisory and has led the valuation and fundraising of one of the largest global microfinance group.

Xavier holds a Masters in Public Administration from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and a BsBA from Northeastern University. He is fluent in French, Spanish, and proficient in Romanian and Italian.

Vanderbilt University-Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies

Professor Gretchen Selcke is the Assistant Director of Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies at Vanderbilt University. Her research interests include Latinx literature and culture, Afro Hispanic literature, and Latinx entrepreneurship. Currently, she is completing a book-length manuscript on contemporary Latinx narratives. As a Library Dean’s Fellow for the Manuel Zapata Olivella Special Collections Correspondence at the Jean and Alexander Heard Library at Vanderbilt, she helped create an online exhibit of representative correspondence and documents from four linear feet of Zapata Olivella’s personal archives. Professor Selcke is the Secretary/Treasurer of the Latinx Studies Section of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA). In addition, she serves on the editorial board of the Afro-Hispanic Review.

 

Bluesky Owner – FinTech Investor, Advisor and Leadership Coach

Lisa Sennhauser-Kelly is an experienced corporate leader in a career spanning 3 decades and 3 continents. Now an advisor to corporate as well as FinTech startups, Lisa has previously enjoyed a career as a senior finance professional in Australia, Europe, and North America. She has a proven ability to influence and impact, across complex global organizations. As a result Lisa was promoted to both Executive Director as well as Managing Director in UBS, and later became CFO of a spin-off from UBS, Equatex Global financial services now a part of ComputerShare.

An Aussie, Lisa lives with her Swiss husband and two children in Zurich and is passionate about growing individuals and their organizations. In addition to her financial expertise, Lisa is an accredited Professional Certified Coach (PCC) by the International Coach Federation, an EMCC Accredited Coach at Senior Practitioner level, and a Marshall Goldsmith Certified Stakeholder Centred Coach.

Distinguished Professor, UCLA Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Institute of Environment and Sustainability / Co-Executive Director, Congo Basin Institute / Director, UCLA Center for Tropical Research

Thomas B. Smith is founding director of UCLA’s Center for Tropical Research, founding co-executive director of the Congo Basin Institute, and is a distinguished professor in the UCLA Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. Smith has more than 35 years of experience working in tropical rainforests. A central focus of his research investigates how biodiversity is generated and maintained in tropical rainforests and the results of Smith’s research point to new and more effective ways of prioritizing regions for conservation. In 2015, he led the effort to create the Congo Basin Institute (CBI), a unique partnership between the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture and UCLA. CBI is UCLA’s first foreign affiliate and serves as a regional nexus for interdisciplinary research, education, and training focused on finding solutions to the critical issues facing Africa’s Congo Basin, including those related to climate change, water and food security, biodiversity conservation, and human health. Smith has published over 230 papers, received more than a dozen honors, and served on the National Geographic Society’s Committee for Research and Exploration for 12 years.

Center for MEMES, UCLA, Anderson School of Management, Executive Director

Jay Tucker is a marketer, educator, and technology leader with over 20 years of experience in the technology, academic and entertainment sectors. At UCLA’s Center for Management of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment and Sports (MEMES), Jay is responsible for the Center’s vision, thought leadership, educational offerings and major events – including the annual PULSE conference. In this role, Jay has forged powerful partnerships with Hollywood studios, technology innovators, and executives from the sports and music industries in order to identify the trends and opportunities that will shape the industry. Most recently, Jay has launched a partnership with Real Madrid University (created by Real Madrid C.F. and Universidad Europea de Madrid) to deliver jointly produced educational programs for senior executives and rising leaders.

Jay has also worked to connect underserved communities to career pathways in technology and entertainment. He advises a number of non-profit organizations focused on skills and leadership development, and launched a partnership with Howard University that provides fellowships for students interested in participating in the MEMES Summer Institutes – a series of courses focused on the business of entertainment. Jay is also passionate about helping executives and entrepreneurs embrace disruption, drive innovation, and build powerful solutions. He founded Silicon Beach @ USC, a two-day event featuring a venture competition and a conference focused on innovation, investment, and new ventures related to technology and digital content. He also serves as an advisor to Versus Systems and The Hollywood Post and actively supports the Silicon Beach community in Southern California.

President & CEO, Japan Society

Joshua W. Walker, PhD became President & CEO of Japan Society in December 2019. Previously, he worked at Eurasia Group, the world’s leading political risk analysis firm, where he served as global head of strategic initiatives and Japan in the Office of the President. Prior to that, he was CEO and president of the USA Pavilion of the 2017 World Expo in Astana, Kazakhstan; founding dean of the APCO Institute; and senior vice president of global programs at APCO Worldwide, a leading global strategic communications firm based in Washington, D.C. Before joining the private sector, he worked in numerous roles at various U.S. government agencies, including the State Department and the Defense Department. He is Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, and professor of Leadership and the American presidency at George Mason University and the Reagan Foundation. He was also Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and co-founded the Yale Journal of International Affairs. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond, a master’s degree from Yale University, and a doctorate from Princeton University. Dr. Walker grew up in Japan where his parents still serve as missionaries, came to the United States when he was 18, and is bicultural and bilingual

University of Washington and the Co-Director of the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute

Dr. Karina L. Walters (MSW, Ph.D) is an enrolled citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is a Katherine Hall Chambers University Professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work, an adjunct Professor in the Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, and the Co-Director of the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute (IWRI) at the University of Washington. Dr. Walters has over 25 years of experience in social epidemiological research on the social determinants of Native American and Two-Spirit health well as expertise in designing culturally derived chronic disease prevention studies (substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, obesity, and diabetes prevention). She has written landmark papers in the field of traumatic stress and health, historical and intergenerational trauma, and developed the Indigenist Stress-Coping model.

Methodologically, she has expertise in Indigenist methodologies and in designing community and land-based, culturally derived interventions. Dr. Walters has served as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on over 34 NIH studies (22 as PI) from diverse NIH institutes. Dr. Walters received her B.A. (sociology) in 1987, her M.S.W. in 1990, and her Ph.D. in 1995 from the University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to UW, Dr. Walters served on faculty at Columbia University School of Social Work (1995-2001).

KfW Development Bank, Director, Global Equity and Funds

Jan Martin Witte is Director of the Global Equity and Funds department of KfW Development Bank. As such, he oversees the Bank´s impact investment portfolio globally, with equity investments across ~60 funds and ~25 financial institutions, and a total investment volume exceeding EUR 3 billion in climate finance, SME funding, capital market development and biodiversity protection.

Prior to his current appointment, Jan served in different roles at KfW Development Bank, including as Director of the Central Africa and Regional Funds department; as Director of the Pretoria Office in South Africa; as Head of Division for Infrastructure in Southern Africa); as well as Senior Project Manager for Energy in East Africa (based in Kampala, Uganda). Before joining KfW in 2009, Jan Martin was co-founder and Associate Director of the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi) in Berlin, Germany. Jan Martin has published widely on issues of energy policy, international development, UN reform, global governance, and transatlantic relations.

Jan Martin holds a PhD and MA in international relations and international economics from the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University.

Advisor, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department, Asian Development Bank

Mr. Yamadera has been serving the Secretariat of the Asian Bond Markets Initiative (ABMI) of ASEAN+3 since 2014.
He has vast experiences in capital market development, payment systems, fintech, cybersecurity, and regional financial cooperation.
Currently, he leads the ASEAN+3 Bond Market Forum (ABMF), a common platform to foster standardization and harmonization of the bond markets. He also leads the Cross-border Settlement Infrastructure Forum (CSIF) to create cross-border linkages among the central banks and central securities depositories.
Mr. Yamadera has over 25 years of professional experience in central banking including research, banking supervision, and financial cooperation at the Bank of Japan.
Mr. Yamadera obtained his BA in Law, Keio University, Japan; M.Sc in Public Administration and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom; and M.Sc in Systems Management from Tsukuba University, Japan.