Prof. Dominic Orr
Head of Data Policy, Data Governance in Africa Initiative, GIZ African Union
Dr Dominic Orr is a specialist in data governance and socio-technical innovation, with a career-long focus on designing inclusive, safe, and enabling frameworks at the intersection of technology, society, and human development. He brings extensive experience as a policy advisor to international organisations including the OECD, UNESCO, and the World Bank.
Since 2020, he has worked as a Team Lead in German Development Cooperation (GIZ), currently supporting the African Union Commission and AUDA-NEPAD in translating the AU Data Policy Framework into operational data governance frameworks at national and regional level. Earlier, he led the development of GIZ’s atingi digital learning platform, which grew to serve more than 1.5 million users across emerging markets and was recognised by the United Nations as a Global Changemaker for SDG4 in 2024.
Dr Orr is also Associate Professor of Open Education at the University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia.
Amanda Shivamba
Director for Data Protection and Compliance, DHL, Sub-Saharan Africa Region
Amanda is an accomplished legal professional with a Bachelor of Laws and a Master’s in Public International Law, and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional registered with the International Association of Privacy Professionals. With extensive experience practicing law in both Eswatini and South Africa, Amanda has specialized in labour law, human rights, and data protection, bringing a dynamic and diverse legal perspective to their work. Currently serving as the Director of Data Protection and Compliance for DHL in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, Amanda is a recognized expert in data protection legislation across Africa and has hands-on experience implementing compliance frameworks in sectors such as finance, retail, civil society, and logistics.
Driven by a passion for navigating Africa’s complex legal landscape, Amanda combines a strong foundation in law with a commitment to advancing data privacy, human rights, governance, and ethical compliance throughout the region. She is also dedicated to leveraging technology and artificial intelligence to drive innovative solutions that foster transparency and accountability.
Ralph T O’Brien
Principal and Founder, Serious Privacy Ltd
Ralph is a trusted advisor on Global Privacy and Security compliance, practices and management. He believes good information governance adds business value to achieve business objectives and return on investment. His role includes acting as a senior level “translator” between IT, business and compliance professionals, thought leadership, business development, partnerships and product development. His experience includes strategic GDPR adoption programmes, advisory services and assurance delivery in global multinational environments.
Prior to that, he has been an experienced Product and Services business development lead, Principal Consultant and Manager, delivering training, consultancy and audit of data protection, business continuity and information security – Management of consultancy and audit teams across multiple topics, responding to tenders and delivering solutions proposals. He is a BSi lead assessor and BCS/ISEB lead tutor in information security management.
He has worked in a wide variety of industry sectors including the with a focus on Defense, Public Sector, Pharma and Financial Services, representing both multinational corporations and boutique specialist consultancies.
Assoua Cauffi Silvere
Head of Compliance and Rights Protection Department, The Telecommunications/ICT Regulatory Authority of Côte d’Ivoire (ARTCI)
Assoua Cauffi Silvère is a legal consultant specializing in innovative technology law, personal data protection, and economic intelligence. He is a recognized expert in the digital economy, with over 15 years of professional experience and more than a decade of leadership in compliance, data protection, and rights protection at the Telecommunications/ICT Regulatory Authority of Côte d’Ivoire (ARTCI), Côte d’Ivoire’s Data Protection Authority.
He holds internationally recognized certifications from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), including Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E), Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM), and Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP). He also serves as President of the Knowledgenet Côte d’Ivoire Chapter.
Mr. Silvère holds an MBA in Strategic Management and Legal Intelligence from the École de Guerre Économique in Paris, as well as a Master’s degree and DESS in Business Law and Taxation from the University of Abidjan-Cocody.
He has actively contributed to international privacy and digital governance initiatives through engagements with organizations and networks including the African Network of Data Protection Authorities (RAPDP/NADPA), the Association Francophone des Autorités de Protection des Données Personnelles (AFAPDP), the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA), and Smart Africa.
In recognition of his contributions to the telecommunications and digital sector, Assoua Cauffi Silvère was awarded the title of Knight of the Order of Merit of Posts and Telecommunications of Côte d’Ivoire.
Janine McKelvey
Co-founder of Woman in Law and Data (WiLD) & PICASSO Advisory Board Member
Janine has spent many years leading multidisciplinary teams of data lawyers, compliance, governance and assurance professionals #gettingdatadone.
Most recently she was General Counsel for Data, AI & Security for BT Group across 180 jurisdictions. Her team were responsible for advisory and assurance obligations relating to existing and emerging data and digital laws. She was also their Group Data Protection and Ethics Officer.
Prior to joining BT, Janine was an SVP of Legal and Business Affairs at Warner Bros. for many years, and in private practice with Pinsent Masons (UK) and Bowmans (RSA).
Janine is a dual qualified English and South African lawyer and an advocate for responsible technology. She is also co-founder of Woman in Law and Data (WiLD) and a PICASSO Advisory Board member.
Noriswadi Ismail
Senior Director of Data Privacy Policy and Regulation, GSMA
As Senior Director, Data Privacy of Policy and Regulation at the GSMA, Noriswadi Ismail (Noris) serves as global lead, expert and thought leader on data protection and privacy issues and as primary point of contact for all GSMA advocacy related questions and developments.
Noris has 26 years of experience as regional compliance, technology policy, and regulatory affairs counsel and in global consulting firms as GDPR, EMEA & APAC and Global Data Privacy practice leader, practitioner, fractional Data Protection Officer, and AI Responsibility Leader in London. He is former Asia and European International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Advisory Board and Diversity in Privacy Section IAPP Advisory Board member. Noris engage with African Data Protection Authorities in African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA)-RAPDP conference, global Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) in the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA), the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona and Kigali, the GSMA Capacity Building training, and in-country advocacy workshop.
Rimini H. Makama
Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management – Nigerian Communications Commission
Rimini Haraya Makama is the Executive Commissioner (Stakeholder Management) of the Nigerian
Communications Commission, where she brings two decades of experience operating at the
intersection of government, technology and policy across Africa and beyond. A commercially
minded and politically astute leader, she was recognised in 2014 on the Forbes 20 Youngest Power
Women Under 40 in Africa list. From 2016 to 2023, she held a number of roles at Microsoft, most
notably as Government Affairs Director for MEA Emerging Markets, where she helped architect
the policy frameworks that opened the door to public sector cloud adoption across the region and
shaped how governments approach digital transformation. A respected voice on AI ethics and
digital policy, she has spoken at the UNESCO Forum on Artificial Intelligence and represented
Microsoft on the US Chamber of Commerce Digital Economy Task Force and the SMART Africa
Alliance.
Earlier in her career, Ms Makama led communications strategy for West Africa at Africa Practice,
advising blue chip multinationals and engaging directly with senior government stakeholders across
the region. Prior to that, she began her professional journey in international law at INTERPOL’s
Office of Legal Affairs in Lyon, France. Her writing on technology and AI has appeared in The
Guardian, Financial Times, and Punch, among others. She holds an LLM in International Law and
World Order from the University of Reading and an LLB from the University of Jos, and she is a
member of the Nigerian Bar. Beyond policy, she is a film enthusiast and executive producer, with
credits on festival circuit favourites Green White Green (TIFF 2016) and The Lost Okoroshi
(TIFF 2019).