Speakers
Update in progress
Day 1 – 11 june
Gesine Freund
BundesanzeigerGesine is the Head of Data Protection and Compliance at Bundesanzeiger, where she leads a dedicated team that provides counsel on all aspects of data protection law. These aspects include strategic issues related to the latest technological developments, such as artificial intelligence (AI), the implementation of new software, privacy compliance programs, communication with supervisory authorities, and employee training. Her team is also responsible for monitoring and advising on compliance issues, such as whistleblower protection, quality and environmental management.
Gesine is a lawyer by training, holds degrees in German and French law, and studied in Trier and Cologne. Since becoming DPO of Bundesanzeiger in 2016, she has built up a GDPR compliant documentation and implemented the according necessary processes within Bundesanzeiger to safeguard the compliant processing of personal data.
Colleagues appreciate her pragmatic proposals for solutions to complex questions and her ability to mediate between the different disciplines. Gesine joined the EBRA Board in 2021 and has wholeheartedly embraced the intercultural European collaboration and exchange of valuable practical experiences.
Marco Vianello
InfoCamereGraduated in Economics and Business at Venice University, Marco Vianello is in charge of International Affairs at InfoCamere, the Italian Chambers of Commerce company for digital innovation. Throughout his professional career he has contributed to set up, implement and develop the Italian Business Register, coordinating a large number of projects, fostering cross border cooperation with neighbouring countries, and promoting the exchange of best practices at the European level. With a strong background in digital transformation and regulatory frameworks, he has actively participated in international working groups and initiatives aimed at enhancing business transparency and economic development. His expertise spans from corporate data management to digital services for enterprises, always focusing on innovation and efficiency. He is a Board Member of EBRA – the European Business Register Association, the association for business registry and related domains. He also contributes to the XBRL Europe Association, co-chairing the Officially Appointed Mechanisms and Business Register Working Group.
Gabriele Da Rin
InfoCamereGabriele Da Rin has been in charge of Public Affairs at InfoCamere, the Italian Chambers of Commerce company for digital innovation, since 2014. Throughout his professional career, he has notably served as an eGovernment expert in the Simplification Unit of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, contributing to the implementation of reforms concerning the single electronic communication for starting up a business (Comunicazione Unica) and the online one stop shop for businesses (SUAP). He has also held the positions of Product & Marketing Manager, in charge of the launch of InfoCamere’s digital certification services, and Managing Director of Chambersign, an international non-profit association established by Chambers of Commerce to promote digital certification services in Europe. In his free time Gabriele participates in team charity programmes associated with sporting events.
Paolo Ghezzi
InfoCamereGraduated at the University of Pisa in Information Science, he has been the General Director of Infocamere since 2014.
He began his career at Cerved and later joined InfoCamere, the IT company of the Chambers of Commerce, starting as a telecommunications and networking expert and eventually attaining his current position. He is a member of the General Council of Anitec-Assinform and a member of the Executive Committee of Assinter Italia.
Johanna Konrad
Moody’s Analytics Austria GmbHJohanna currently serves as Managing Director at Moody’s, where she leads product management in the Corporates & Governments business unit, developing solutions for Compliance & Third Party Risk Management use cases amongst others. Previously, she headed up the Entity Verification product management team.
Before joining Moody’s, Johanna spent eight years as the COO of Kompany, playing an instrumental role in the growth and scaling of the business prior to its acquisition by Moody’s. Her career also includes management roles in product, commercial, and strategy within the mobile communications sector, in addition to contributing to the launch of several startups. Johanna is an alumna of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, holding an MBA, and the Vienna University of Economics and Business, where she earned her MSc.
Wanja Mössing
Bundesanzeiger Verlag GmbHDr. Wanja Mössing is a Data Science Manager at Bundesanzeiger Verlag GmbH, where he orchestrates the company’s AI and machine learning initiatives. With a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, Dr. Mössing combines academic rigor and practical experience overseeing AI projects in the business register context. Prior to joining the Bundesanzeiger Verlag GmbH, he led the software department at a research start-up, combining ML and psychometric methods. Moreover, he has conducted and published neuroscientific research, employing advanced signal processing techniques and statistics.
Alessandra Procesi
UnioncamereCoordinator of the Business Register and International Conventions for foreign trade Office at the Italian Union of the Chambers of Commerce Industry, Handicraft and Agriculture (Unioncamere), whose general mission is to promote, set up and manage common activities and services for local Chambers of Commerce.
Mrs. Procesi has been working at the Association since 1984 and she has over 30 years’ experience in the management of the ATA Carnet system, she coordinates the activities of the Italian Chambers in this field and in the issuance of all other export documents.
She is now also Coordinator of the Business Register Office and she deals with the activities concerning the implementation of the Business Register rules with the objective to harmonize the standards at national level; to this end, she also oversees all national and international projects connected with the management of the Italian Business Register.
Day 2 – 12 june
Christopher Drake
Business Services DivisionConnecticut Secretary of the State
Christopher Drake has served as the Director of the Business Services Division for the Connecticut (USA) Secretary of the State since 2017. In that role, he oversees the business, personal property and state-level trademark registries, as well as the commissioning of notaries public and the issuance of apostille certificates under the Hauge Convention. He holds an undergraduate degree from Fordham University (Bronx, New York) and a law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law. Chris is admitted to practice law in Connecticut and New York. He previously served as Deputy General Counsel to Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy, a litigation associate for Murtha Cullina LLP, and law clerk to Magistrate Judge Thomas P. Smith (ret.) for the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut.
Yves Gonner
Luxembourg Business RegistersYves Gonner is the Managing Director of Luxembourg Business Registers, which operates the country’s Trade and Companies Register and since 2019 also manages the Register of Beneficial Owners. He has gathered extensive experience over the last 30 years, as an Economic counsellor at the Chamber of Commerce of Luxembourg and Secretary General to the National Export Credit Insurance Agency, as well as in different management positions at a major bank in Luxembourg.
Yves Gonner is also member of the board and the Treasurer of the European Business Registry Association (EBRA).
Antti Riivari
Finnish Patent and Registration OfficeAntti Riivari has been the Director General of the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH) since 2017. Apart from being the Industrial Property Office, PRH is responsible for the Finnish Trade Register, and the oversight of statutory auditors. Mr. Riivari has served in various ministries since 1992. He is a member of the Administrative Council and Chairman of the Patent Law Committee in the EPO, as well as a member of the Management Board of EUIPO. He is also the President of European Business Registry Association (EBRA). He got a master’s degree in law from the University of Helsinki in 1992.
Sarah Whitehead
Companies House UKDr. Sarah Whitehead joined the Civil Service as a patent examiner at the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) in 2009. Since then she has held a variety of policy and operational roles at the IPO, before joining Companies House as Director of Strategy, Policy and External Communications in July 2023. Sarah has experience of domestic legislation, international, trade and innovation policy. In 2019 she was chair of the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents. Prior to her current role at Companies House, Sarah was Acting Director of Business and International Policy at the IPO and Deputy Director for Customer Experience within the IPO’s Business Operations Division. Sarah holds a Masters in Biochemistry from the University of Bath and a PhD from the University of Manchester.
Katerine Wilkins
Transparency InternationalDr. Katerine Wilkins is an anti-corruption specialist with regional expertise covering Russia, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia. As Policy and Advocacy Coordinator at Transparency International, she covers global illicit financial flows and transparency efforts. She holds a Doctorate in Political Science from the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, Germany, an M.P.A. in International Policy, and a B.A. in Russian and Slavic Studies, both from New York University.
Thomas Denfer
AFREC-Alliance francophone des registres du commerceThomas Denfer (40 years old), master’s degree in maritim law, obtained his professional examination of commercial court clerk in 2010. Collaborator with the registry of the Paris commercial court from 2008 to 2011, he was then, from 2012 to 2015, legal director of Infogreffe (the IT organization managing the French business register of the 225 commercial court clerks). Since June 2016 he is clerk of the Paris Commercial Court appointed by the Minister of Justice. Expert in digital maters of legal professions, he was a member and treasurer of the Board of the Federation of Digital Trusted Third Parties (FNTC) from 2016 to 2020. He was elected member of the Board of the National Council of Commercial Court Registrars (CNGTC) in 2018, then vice-president in 2020 and represented France before the FAFT in 2021 to explain the creation of the register of beneficial owners. Elected president of the National Council in 2022, he represented his profession (2.000 agents) for two years with various reforms serving users of commercial justice : creation of an open data movable guaranties register, creation of a code of ethics for public officers, objectives agreement signed with five ministers of the French government for 3 years.
Involved in European and International issues for more than ten years, he led the creation of the European Foundation of Commercial Court Registrars and the launch of the French-speaking Alliance of Business Registers (AFREC) which he currently chairs to promote all ideas and achievements in the service of economic transparency. Since January 2024 he is honored president of the French National Council of Commercial Court Registrars and member of the scientific council of the French Institute of Law and Justice’ studies. In November 2024 he was appointed by the Minister of Justice as member of the steering and evaluation committee of the new experimentation named “economic activities court”.
Nigel Robert Gibbons
NCC GroupNigel, has over 25 years in IT and Cyber Security, advises enterprises and serves as an interim CISO and CIO. Passionate about Cyber Security, protecting privacy and building trust in digital life, he advocates for Cloud Computing and stays abreast of IT and Cyber Security trends. Nigel has held advisory roles have included the Microsoft Global Security and Compliance Partner Advisory Council, Sun Microsystems Executive Council, UK Interoperability Council and the UK Test and Trace Pandemic digital response. As a respected expert in Cyber Security and Cloud Computing, he has provided policy briefings to MPs, Lords, MEPs and EU Commissioners and invited to speak at the Davos World Economic Forum on Corporate Digital Responsibility, Blockchain and AI.
Frederic Meunier
WORLD BANKFrederic Meunier joined the World Bank in 2009 and works as Senior Economist in the Investment Climate Department. His experience spans business entry, entrepreneurship, and property rights. He currently leads the Entrepreneurship database project – which measures trends in entrepreneurship around the world, with a lens on gender disaggregated data. He holds a master’s degree in economics from the College of Europe (Belgium) and a master’s degree in international business from ESSEC business school (France).
Geraldine Spiteri Lucas
Malta Business RegistryDr Geraldine Spiteri Lucas is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Registrar Companies and other Legal Persons, within the Malta Business Registry. Dr. Spiteri Lucas is a lawyer by profession who acquired a Doctor of Laws from the University of Malta and a warrant to practice in the Maltese Courts. She also read a Master’s Degree in European Studies and Comparative Law. Dr. Spiteri Lucas started her career with a leading local law firm, advising local and international clients on civil, commercial, corporate, shipping and aviation law. This resulted in representing various clients in litigation procedures before Tribunals and local courts. Then she moved to the Registry of Companies as Legal Officer and, previously to her appointment as CEO, she used to Head the Legal and Enforcement Unit of the said entity and oversaw its overall function. She sits as member and representative of the European Region on the executive committee of the Corporate Registries Forum, which brings together registries from all across the globe. She is also the Chairperson of the CRF’s Beneficial Ownership Working group and the Chairperson of the National Foreign Direct Investment Screening Office. Dr Spiteri Lucas is also a visiting lecturer and a member of the board of examiners for the Department of Commercial Law at the University of Malta.