The composition of GPA Open Session involves the Programme Advisory Committee. The Programme Advisory Committee has been selected by the KVKK for the Assembly to be held this year with the kind acceptance of the esteemed names who are experts and have keen interest on privacy issues. The Committee members provide their valuable advices on a number of issues including the session contents, keynote speakers and panelists for the design of the Open Session of the 44th GPA.
Alessandra Pierucci is a lawyer and has been working for several years at the Italian Data Protection Authority, in particular on EU-related and international matters.
Since 2016 she is Chair of the Council of Europe Consultative Committee of Convention 108 in which she has been actively involved for many years by representing Italy.
She worked at the “Media and Information Society Division” of the Council of Europe where she dealt with data protection and freedom of expression in respect of new media and Information Society, and gender equality in the media.
At European Union level, she contributes regularly to the activity of the European Data Protection Board, in particular by coordinating the work of subgroup on data protection in the financial sector.
She participated in several projects on data protection and gave legal advice in the field.
As part of her research activity, she has published several papers concerning fundamental rights and data protection issues on juridical journals and books. She has taught data protection in post graduate courses in some European universities.
Dr. Ali Taha Koç was born in Ankara in 1980.
After finishing his undergraduate degree in 2001 at Bilkent University, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering with full scholarship, he completed his master's and doctorate studies in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Texas at Dallas with full scholarship.
Koç joined Intel, USA in 2006 as a research and development (R&D) engineer. During his tenure at Intel, he developed 61 patents, published 23 scientific articles, and developed and managed several international projects. In 2013 Intel awarded Koç as one of the top 10 most patent inventor.
After returning to Turkey in 2014. He started to work as the Chief Counselor of the Prime Ministry and in the same year he was appointed as the Head of Information Technologies of the Presidency. He also managed the formation of the State Information Coordination Center (SICC) in the Presidency Security Policies Department, and started the information flow from all ministries and security units to the Presidency.
With the Presidential decree published in the Official Gazette dated 12 September 2018, he was appointed as the Head of Digital Transformation Office.
In addition to his duties at the Presidency, he is also a board member for Türksat Satellite Communications Cable TV and Business Inc. Koç teaches graduate and doctorate courses at the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Bilkent University.
He is also a licensed pilot, fluent in English, married and has a child.
Caitlin Fennessy is Vice President and Chief Knowledge Officer at the International Association of Privacy Professionals. In this role, she guides the strategic development of IAPP research, publications, communications, and programming. Prior to joining the IAPP, Caitlin was the Privacy Shield Director at the U.S. International Trade Administration, where she spent ten years working on international privacy and cross-border data flow policy issues. Caitlin also served as an adjunct professor of international privacy law at the University of Maine School of Law and University of New Hampshire School of Law. Caitlin has a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree in social policy from Northwestern University.
Elif Küzeci is an Associate Professor of Public Law at Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul. She holds an LL.M degree in Public Law from Ankara University in 2004 with a dissertation on “Freedom of Expression on the Internet”. She has received her Ph.D. in Public Law from Ankara University with a dissertation on “Data Protection”. She has taught theory of state, IT law, and data protection law at the Bahçeşehir University since 2010. Between 2014 and 2016, she taught IT law as an adjunct professor at Istanbul Technical University.
Her research interests include legal aspects of the Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), transformational effects of ICTs, data protection, and surveillance. In 2016, she was invited as an expert to the Turkish General Assembly's Parliamentary Commission on the Personal Data Protection Act.
Küzeci is the author of three books: Human Rights and Public Freedoms (Ankara: Turhan Publishers, 8th edition, 2019; co-author with Prof. Ahmet Mumcu), Personal Data Protection (Istanbul: On İki Levha Publishers, 4th edition, 2020), and Digital Elephant: An investigation into the intersection of information technology, the government, and the law (Istanbul: Inkilap Publishers, 2021). She has published several articles and book chapters, both in Turkish and English.
Estelle Massé is Europe Legislative Manager and Global Data Protection Lead at Access Now. Her work focuses on data protection, privacy, surveillance and telecoms policies. In particular, Estelle leads the work of the organisation on data protection in the EU and around the world.
She is a member of the Multistakeholder Expert Group of the European Commission to support the application of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). She is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Data Policy and of the Reference Panel of the Global Privacy Assembly.
She graduated with a Master in European Law from the University of Granada, Spain.
Graham Greenleaf AM is Professor of Law & Information Systems at UNSW Australia in Sydney, where he researches and teaches the relationships between information technology and law. He is a co-founder of the free access law service, AustLII (Australasian Legal Information Institute), and a researcher in AI applications to law. He has been involved in privacy issues since the mid-1970s. His 2014 book, Asian Data Privacy Laws analyses data privacy laws in all 28 countries in Asia. He is Asia-Pacific Editor for Privacy Laws & Business International Report, where he publishes regular surveys of the world’s privacy laws. He is co-editor of the monograph series Oxford Data Protection and Privacy Law. He has completed numerous consultancy projects for the European Commission on data privacy in Asia-Pacific countries. He was an invited speaker at the ‘launch’ of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on 25 May 2018. He represents the Australian Privacy Foundation as an Observer on the Consultative Committee of data protection Convention 108.
Hasan Tahsin FENDOĞLU, completed his Primary and Secondary School education in Elazığ and in Istanbul. He finished three years’ lycee in one year, with a Turkey’s degree. His undergraduate studies at the Law Faculty of Istanbul University (1978). He completed his masters at the University of Marmara. He wrote his doctoral thesis on the topic Fundemental Rights and Liberties at Istanbul University and obtained the qualification of Ph. D in Public Law. He passed the language exams in two languages. He achieved the Associate Professor degree at the university with his thesis on the topic Independence of Judiciary and his other relevant works on 3 October 1995. On 7 April 2004 he became a Professor of Law as his thesis on the Development of Democracy in Turkey and European Union and his other relevant works were considered. On 30 July 2010 he became Professor of Constitutional Law at Inonu University. The author worked in several different internationl projects and acted as the head and the executive of the “Project to Support to the Implementation of the Reforms made in Human Rights Area in Turkey.” which was implemented by the Council of Europe at the coordination of Human Rights Presidency. The Project also included activities for Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Interior. His was the President of Human Rights Presidency. His works are on constitutional law and human rights. The author has more than 20 books published and he also has more than 100 presentations and articles delivered in Turkish, English and Arabic at scienfic meetings at the national and international level.
Mr Edwards is UK Information Commissioner.
He was educated in New Plymouth, New Zealand and achieved a Bachelor of Laws and Masters in Public Policy at the University of Wellington.
He worked as a solicitor and barrister for more than 14 years, including time as a policy adviser to the New Zealand Prime Minister and Cabinet around Freedom of Information.
From February 2014 to December 2021 he was New Zealand Privacy Commissioner. During that time he chaired the International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners (now known as the Global Privacy Assembly), and was a member of the OECD’s Informal Group of Experts on Children in the Digital Environment.
Mr. Durán is a lawyer graduated from the Universidad Javeriana (Colombia), he has held studies in Commercial Law and also has master degree in Economic Law from the same University. Furthermore, he holds a L.L.M from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (United Kingdom).
Within the private sector, Mr. Durán has worked as an attorney in several law firms, and also has served as a member of the Board of Directors at different companies. He has also been a university professor.
Marc ROTENBERG is President and Founder of the Center for AI and Digital Policy. Marc has served on many international advisory panels, including the OECD AI Group of Experts. Marc helped draft the Universal Guidelines for AI, a widely endorsed human rights framework for the regulation of AI. Marc is the author of several textbooks including the AI Policy Sourcebook and Privacy and Society (West Academic 2016), and the forthcoming Law of Artificial Intelligence (West Academic 2023). He teaches privacy law and the GDPR at Georgetown Law. Marc has spoken frequently before the US Congress, the European Parliament, the OECD, UNESCO, judicial conferences, and international organizations. He is a graduate of Harvard College, Stanford Law School, and Georgetown Law.
Michael McEvoy was appointed to a six-year term as Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC by unanimous motion of the Legislative Assembly in 2018. Immediately prior to his appointment he helped lead the Information Commissioner’s Office of the United Kingdom’s investigation into Cambridge Analytica and Facebook. Commissioner McEvoy joined the OIPC in 2007, adjudicating more than 50 inquiries under provincial access and privacy law before his appointment as Deputy Commissioner in 2013. He was a public-school trustee for 12 years, a role that included two terms as President of the British Columbia School Trustees' Association and one as President of the Canadian School Boards' Association. He has chaired Greater Victoria’s United Way campaign and presently serves on the board of the Victoria Conservatory of Music. He obtained a Juris Doctorate from the University of Manitoba in 1985 and a Bachelor of Arts in 1980 from the University of Winnipeg. Commissioner McEvoy has been a member of the Law Society of British Columbia since 1986
Murat KARAKAYA was born in 1973 in Çorum. He graduated from Ankara University, Faculty of Political Sciences. He completed his postgraduate degree in the field of public administration at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, University of Indiana, USA. He worked in various units of the Prime Ministry between 1996 and 2010. He served as the Director General for Press and Information and as an advisor to the Prime Minister. He is married with two children.
He was elected as a Member of the Board of the Protection of Personal Data by the decision of the Council of Ministers on 11 October 2016.
Mr. Noboru (Nobi) Yamaji was appointed to Commissioner for International Cooperation of the Personal Information Protection Commission, Japan, in April 2019 and leads the enhancement of international cooperation with his global business experience.
He has had management experience at the global corporations. Prior to his appointment to the Commissioner for International Cooperation, he had been working on a global scale at Mitsubishi Corporation, one of the largest trading companies in Japan, and its subsidiaries including in Australia, the UK and New Caledonia. After that, in 2010, he was appointed as President and Representative Director of Rio Tinto Japan Limited. Since 2016, he has been also serving as the Chairman and Representative Director of Dampier Salt. He was the Vice Chair of Australian and New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Japan till Dec 2021 Now also serves as the President Japan, Kin Gin Gold Exploration Pty. He graduated from Keio University, London School of Business Strategic Leader Program and China Europe International Business School SL Forum. He is fluent in English, French and now taking up Chinese.
Patricia Adusei-Poku, the Executive Director of the Ghana Data Protection Commission; She is a seasoned privacy practitioner, program manager, information governance and risk expert in the public, private and non-profit sectors globally. Some of her recent appointments include the Head of Data Protection at the London 2012 Olympic Games and Global Director for Data Protection & Privacy at World Vision International. Currently the Co-Chair (with UK ICO Commissioner, John Edwards) on the Common Thread Network (CTN) of Commonwealth Data Protection Authorities and the President of the Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA). Patricia holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA - Project Management & Consultancy), MSC-International Public Policy, BSc (Hons) Computing Science, A Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) issued by the globally recognized International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), Certified Practitioner in European Union General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR). She enjoys reading, travelling and charity work.
Paul NEMITZ is the Principal Adviser on Justice Policy in the European Commission. He was appointed in April 2017, following a 6-year appointment as Director for Fundamental Rights and Citizen’s Rights in the EU Commission. As Director, Nemitz led the reform of Data Protection legislation in the EU, the negotiations of the EU – US Privacy Shield and the negotiations with major US Internet Companies of the EU Code of Conduct against incitement to violence and hate speech on the Internet. He is a Member of the Global Council on Extended Intelligence of the IEEE and the MIT in Boston. His 2018 Article “Constitutional democracy and technology in the age of artificial intelligence”, downloaded more than 20000 times from the UK Royal Society Website, and his 2020 book “Prinzip Mensch – Macht, Freiheit und Demokratie im Zeitalter der Künstlichen Intelligence“ (www.PrinzipMensch.EU), co-authored with Philospher and Journalist Matthias Pfeffer, lay the ground for a global approach to Tech regulation based on Democracy, Fundamental Rights and the Rule of Law.
Pınar Çağlayan Aksoy is an associate professor of Civil Law at Bilkent University Faculty of Law, Ankara. She received her LL.B. degree from Bilkent University Faculty of Law and her LL.M. and Ph.D. from Ankara University Faculty of Law. She is a member of Blockchain Turkey Platform, Istanbul Blockchain Women Society, and the University of Zurich Blockchain Center. As a member of the European Law Institute, she acts as a member of the Consultative Committee for the project titled "Blockchain Technology and Smart Contracts". Dr. Çağlayan Aksoy has authored and edited books and published articles on international sales law, comparative contract law as well as tort law. Her current research deals with contract law, tort law, protection of personal data as well as the legal implications of the newly emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence, and distributed ledger technology.
Prof. Ulrich Kelber is the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information in Germany. After having been elected by the German Federal Parliament, the "Bundestag", for this function, he started his first term in January 2019. Before that he was a Member of the Bundestag for nearly twenty years. During that time he held the government function of the Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection for five years from 2013 to 2018. Ulrich Kelber is a professional computer scientist and has been providing advice as a knowledge management consultant to an IT company since 2002. In July 2019, Ulrich Kelber was appointed as a Honorary Professor for Data Ethics at the Centre for Ethics and Responsibility of the University of Applied Sciences Bonn-Rhein-Sieg ("Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg").
Wojciech Wiewiórowski was born on June 13th 1971. In 1995 he graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Gdańsk, and in 2000 he was awarded the academic degree of Doctor in constitutional law. After graduation he was editor and then publisher in legal publishing houses. In 2002 he began to work as lecturer at Gdańsk College of Administration, and since 2003 he was assistant professor and head of Legal IT Department at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Gdańsk. Since 2006 he has been working for public administration. He was among others adviser in the field of e-government and information society for the Minister of Interior and Administration, as well as Vice-president of the Regulatory Commission of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church. In 2008 he took over the post of the Director of the Informatisation Department at the Ministry of Interior and Administration. He also represented Poland in committee on Interoperability Solutions for European Public Administrations (the ISA Committee) assisting the European Commission. He was also the member of the Archives Council to the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. He is a member of the Polish Association for European Law. In 2010 he was elected by Polish Parliament for the post of the Inspector General for the Protection of Personal Data (Polish Data Protection Commissioner) which he served by November 2014 being reelected for the second term in 2014. Vice Chairman of the Working Party Art. 29 since February till November 2014. The author of numerous studies, publications and lectures in the field of personal data protection, IT law, e-government and legal informatics. His areas of scientific activity include first of all Polish and European IT law, processing and security of information, legal information retrieval systems, informatisation of public administration, electronic signature and application of semantic web and legal ontologies in legal information processing.