Programme

His 23 year career at BCG has focused on innovation, strategy, and globalisation. He was based in Beijing from 2002-2012 and Hong Kong from 1996-2002, and has worked across Asia, and extensively in Silicon Valley. Mr. Michael has served many global companies as clients on issues of strategy, organisation and IP issues in emerging markets, in sectors including high tech, medtech, and energy. Mr. Michael is the co-author of a major report entitled "The Mobile Revolution: How Mobile Technologies Drive a Trillion Dollar Impact", which was released at Davos in January 2015. He is also the author of the reports "Beyond the Great Wall: Intellectual Property Strategies for Chinese Companies", and "Facing the China Challenge in Intellectual Property". Mr. Michael has a forthcoming article in the MIT Sloan Management Review on IP Partnership Business Models, co-authored with David Kappos and John Villasenor. Mr. Michael serves on the Board of two start up companies, and previously served on the Strategy Advisory Board of China Mobile Corporation. Mr. Michael has a BA from Harvard and an MBA from Stanford. He was also a Rotary Scholar at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Kirill Varlamov is a head of Internet Initiatives Development Fund (IIDF), created by the current President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. IIDF was established in March 2013. IIDF main goals are financial and consulting support of internet projects at all stages of development, searching and selecting startups and growing them to a highly valuable business. Kirill is also a CEO at Naumen, company cofounded with Аleksandr Davydov in 2001. Naumen is one of the leading companies in software development in Russia. Born in 1974 in a city of Sverdlovsk, Kirill graduated Ural State Technical University in 1996, attended classes at Bradley University, Peoria, IL. In 2012 Kirill graduated Moscow management school Skolkovo as Executive MBA. In November 2012 Kirill became a winner at national finals of Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur Of The Year” in IT section. That contest is being held for 27 years in 140 cities of 50 countries around the world.

Alexander Galitsky is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Almaz Capital Partners. Almaz Capital Partners has offices in Moscow, Russia and Menlo Park, CA, and is backed by Cisco Systems, EBRD and IFC. He is a well-known innovator, entrepreneur and investor in Russia/CIS, Europe and the USA. Prior to Almaz, Alexander formed the ICT investment practice at Russian Technologies, one of the first venture capital funds in Russia, and made a several private successful investments. His past and current investments include: Parallels, Yandex, QIK (sold to Skype), Vyatta (sold to Brocade), Acumatica, Jelastic, NavMaps (sold to TeleAtlas), 2Can, Alawar, AlterGeo, SJLabs (sold to VocalTec), EverNote, GridGain, WikiMart, etc.Prior to his investment career, he founded and headed five successful high-tech companies as CEO, including ELVIS+, TrustWorks Systems (sold to Hamsard), EzWIM (sold to TMT Ventures), ELVIS Telecom (sold to Telenor), NPC ELVIS. He specialized in WiFi, Virtual Private Network technology and product development on the Global market in partnership with Sun Microsystems and was a pioneer of the Russian Internet industry in 90s.

Carlo D'Asaro Biondo began his career as a consultant at Macfin Management Consultants. He joins KPMG Consulting Italy in 1994 where he becomes Chief Executive Officer France in late 1998. Following the sale of KPMG Consulting, he joins Unisys as Vice President and MD EMEA Telecommunications and Media at the end of 2001. In February 2004, he joins AOL Europe as Senior Vice President in charge of strategy. A few months later, he is appointed CEO of AOL France, and moves on to become CEO of AOL Europe in 2006. He supervised all the key transformations of the company's services. In early 2007, Carlo becomes CEO of International Operations at Lagardère Active Digital where he established and rationalized international activities of print, media and television assets of Hachette division. Carlo joins Google in July 2009 where he manages operations in Southern and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa for five years. Since January 2015, Carlo is President EMEA strategic relationships. Carlo has dual French and Italian nationality. He graduated from La Sapienza University in Rome (Italy) and lives in Paris with his wife; they have five children between them.

Born in Leningrad in 1977. In 1999 graduated from the faculty of law of the St.-Petersburg state university cum laude. Ph.D of jurisprudence. In 2004 - 2005 - counselor of the Minister of economic development and trade of the Russian Federation. Since 2005 - the head of Secretary of the Chairman of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation, and in 2006 - 2010 - the head of the machinery - the manager of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation. The senior lecturer of the civil law department of the faculty of law of the St.-Petersburg state university. The author of more than 30 scientific publications on civil law problems.

August 11, 1964: born in Chelyabinsk.1987: graduated from Chelyabinsk Medical University.1987–1996: work in the medical sphere.1998–1999: counsel to the Chairman of the Management Board of RIA Vesti.1999–2004: press secretary of the Minister of Healthcare of the Russian Federation.January 2004: defended his Candidate of Science thesis on “Propaganda of a healthy lifestyle”.2004–2006: assistant and then press secretary of the Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov.2006: graduated from the Russian President Academy of Public Administration, Law Department.2006–2007: Deputy General Director of Federal State Unitary Enterprise All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company.2007–2008: Director of the Department of the Press Service, Information and Protocol of the Government of the Russian Federation.2008: appointed Deputy Minister of Communications and the Media of the Russian Federation.By directive of Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin No. 702-r dated May 3, 2012, appointed Head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Informational Technology, and Mass Media.Speaks English and French.Married with six children.

Alberto Colzi earned his Engineering degree from Pisa University in Italy, and his post-graduate degree in Business Administration from Durham University, United Kingdom.Alberto Colzi joined Abbott Italy in 1991. Until 1998, he held various positions in the Marketing and Service organization. In 1998, Mr. Colzi was promoted to Commercial Director, Latin America and in 1999 was named General Manager, Abbott Chile. In 2004, he was promoted to Regional Director, Southern Europe and in 2006 he was named General Manager, Abbott Italy.In 2010, Mr. Colzi was appointed Vice President, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and in 2013, he became responsible for Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa Operations for AbbVie, shortly following the separation of Abbott into two publicly traded companies: Abbott and AbbVie.

Chris was appointed to the newly-created function of President for International at the Motion Picture Association as of January 2015. He is responsible for coordination of the MPA’s international offices (EMEA, Asia-Pacific, Canada, Brazil & Mexico). In his role as President Chris represents the MPA in a number of national, regional and international industry federations and rights management entities. Chris joined the organization in 1995. From 1995 through 2014 he was in charge of MPA’s regional office for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The office’s principal areas of activity include work on legislative and regulatory issues at the European and national levels, development and implementation of content protection strategies, coordination of region-wide content protection activities in coordination with national partners, advocating the development and respect of digital rights management, collaboration with other rights holder groups to promote intellectual property rights, negotiation and administration of collective management agreements. Prior to joining the MPA Chris spent sixteen years working in the U.S. Government on international trade issues. When he left the Government, he was the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Europe, responsible for trade relations with the region. He led U.S. delegations in negotiations with the European Union and national governments on a variety of trade issues. Prior to that, Chris was appointed to the newly created position of Assistant US Trade Representative for Trade and Environment, pioneering efforts to integrate health and environmental principles with those of international commerce. He held a series of other trade positions in the 1980-s, including three years in the US Mission to the EU in Brussels. Chris holds a Masters Degree in international affairs from Georgetown University, as well as a degree from the University of Wisconsin in economics. He speaks English, French, and Croatian and has conversational Italian and Spanish language skills. He was born in Milwaukee in 1955, is married and has one child.

Carsten Fink is the Chief Economist of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) based in Geneva. Before joining WIPO, he was Professor of International Economics at the University of St.Gallen. He also held the positions of Visiting Professor at the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (Sciences Po) in Paris and Visiting Senior Fellow at the Group d’Economie Mondiale, a research institute at Sciences Po. Prior to his academic appointments, Mr. Fink worked for more than 10 years at the World Bank. Among other positions, he was a Senior Economist in the International Trade Team of the World Bank Institute, working out of the World Bank’s office in Geneva and an Economist in the Trade Division of the World Bank’s research department, based in Washington, DC. Mr. Fink’s research work has been published in academic journals and books. He holds a doctorate degree in economics from the University of Heidelberg in Germany and a Master of Science degree in economics from the University of Oregon in the United States.

Born on February 7, 1977. In 1998 graduated from Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University. Bachelor of Management (diploma with honours). 1998—2000: State University — Higher School of Economics. Master of Economics (diploma with honours). 1999—2000 — Leading Specialist of the General Analytical Division of the Department for Enterprise Reforming of the Ministry of Economy of the Russian Federation. 2000—2003: postgraduate studies, State University — Higher School of Economics. 2000 — Expert of the Centre of Strategic Development (CSD). 2002—2004: Deputy Head of the Department for Programs of Economy Development and Cooperation with International Financial Organizations of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. 2004—2006: Research Assistant of the Academy of National Economy under the Government of the Russian Federation. 2004—2006: Director for Development of the Centre of Strategic Development Foundation. 2006—2008: Head of the Department for Economic Policy and Competitive Ability of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. January—July 2008: Assistant Minister, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation. July 2008—November 2010: Director of the Strategic Program Management and Budgeting Department of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. November 2010 – July 2012 — Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. Since July 2012 – State Secretary, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.