Welcome Address: Mr. Michael Gill, Executive Director, ATAG
Michael Gill is executive director of the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), the only global association that represents all sectors of the air transport industry. Its mission is to promote aviation's sustainable growth for the benefit of global society.
He was appointed as Director, Aviation Environment of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in November 2013, with responsibility for developing and implementing IATA's work in the environment field, particularly in the areas of climate change, noise, biofuel commercialisation and the IATA environmental assessment programme.
Prior to that, he spent six years as senior legal counsel in IATA, supporting IATA's external affairs portfolio. In that role, he led IATA's delegation to three ICAO diplomatic conferences on airline regulatory and security issues.
Before joining IATA in May 2007, Michael was an aviation lawyer in private practice at the Paris Bar, acting for airlines and their insurers.
He holds law degrees from both King's College, London and the Sorbonne University in Paris, as well as a masters degree from the University of Edinburgh. He is admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales and an avocat in France.
Moderator: Mr. James Wiltshire, Head, Policy Analysis, Economics Department, IATA
James is responsible for IATA's economic analysis of aeropolitical issues around the world to inform and support the industry's discussions with governments and regulators. James also leads on IATA's efforts to understand and measure the role of air transport as a catalyst for economic and social development.
Prior to joining IATA in 2013, James worked for more than 10 years in the UK Transport Ministry across a range of roles and transport modes and led the UK CAA's policy analysis immediately before moving to Geneva.
SPEAKERS
Ms. Irena Zubcevic, Chief, SIDS, Oceans & Climate Branch, Division for Sustainable Development, DESA
Chief of the Small Island Developing States, Oceans and Climate Branch of the Division for Sustainable Development of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Irena Zubcevic worked in the Croatian foreign service from 1993 to 2008 when she started working in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs as a senior sustainable development officer. She was part of the team that supported the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio in 2012 and its follow-up processes as well as negotiations of the post-2015 development agenda that resulted in the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development in September 2015. She was acting chief of branch that provides support to the high-level political forum on sustainable development which has a central role in implementation of the 2030 Agenda and sustainable development goals. Currently she works, as chief of branch, on issues including small island developing states, oceans, climate, cities and transport. She has over 20 years of experience in sustainable development and has written papers in this area, the recent one in the Global Sustainable Development Report 2016 on inclusive institutions.
Mr. Henry Gourdji, Head, Strategic Planning, Coordination and Partnerships, ICAO
Henry joined the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 1999. ICAO is a United Nations specialized agency mandated to establish and maintain the international standards for safe, efficient and economical international air transport.
Since joining ICAO, Henry has been with the Air Navigation Bureau and has principally managed one of ICAO's leading programs, the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP). In 2014 he was appointed as one of the Bureau's Deputy Directors; responsible for the management of all monitoring and oversight activities within ICAO Member States, and reporting on their capability of meeting their international obligations to ensure effective safety oversight of the States' civil aviation industry.
He was recently appointed as Head of Strategic Planning, Coordination and Partnerships within the Office of the Secretary General primarily to coordinate high-level and cross-cutting policies and programmes among the different Bureaux and Offices at Headquarters as well as Regional Offices of the Organization. His Office is also responsible for facilitating the development of partnerships, as well as to leverage such strategic partnerships in air transport systems' enhancements in Member States and the mobilization of resources needed to implement necessary improvements.
In 2011 he was the recipient of the Flight Safety Foundation President's Citation award for his contribution to world aviation safety. Prior to joining ICAO, he held various management positions with Transport Canada and was the Chief Executive Officer of an aviation firm in Montreal.
Henry holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautics and an advanced degree in military defense studies. He holds a Canadian aircraft maintenance and engineering licence for airframe and powerplant maintenance and is an active pilot with a multi-engine rating. He has recently retired from 30 years of military reserve service with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Ms. Adriana Mihaela Udroiu, State Secretary, Ministry of Regional Development, Public Administration and European Funds, Romania
Adriana Mihaela UDROIU is a State Secretary within the Ministry of Regional Development, Public Administration and European Funds in January 2017 and has worked in the central and local public administration 17 years. Over the past 2 years he has coordinated a ministry project with U.N.D.P. financed by G.E.F, "Improving energy efficiency and reducing the dioxide emission in the homes of low-income communities in Romania".
She is member on thw Boards ROMATSA, the one state company under the autority of the Ministry of Transport responsible for the provision of air traffic services.
Licensed in electrical engineering, It and she has a master in project management in public administration.
Dr. Charles Schlumberger, Air Transport Specialist, World Bank Group
Dr. Charles E. Schlumberger, a Swiss national, is the Lead Air Transport Specialist of the World Bank in Washington DC. In this function he is responsible for the Bank's policy and development priorities in the field of air transportation. He supervises or participates directly in several air transport projects globally, which range from air transport infrastructure financing, air carrier restructuring and/or privatization, air transport safety and security projects, and air transport policy advice to governments.
Prior to his appointment to the World Bank in 1998, Dr. Schlumberger has held the position of Vice-President at Union Bank of Switzerland, responsible for international credit restructuring. Prior to his activities in financial institutions, he was the CEO of a Logistics and Transport Group in France, and worked as a lawyer on aviation related matters in Switzerland.
Dr. Schlumberger graduated in 1986 with a Law Degree from Basel Law School, focusing on Aviation Law and Bankruptcy Procedures. He further holds an MBA from Harvard Business School in Boston, USA, and received a degree of Doctor of Civil Law from the Institute of Air and Space Law of McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He is also an active FAA and EASA licensed pilot and certified flight instructor, and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Ms. Jane Hupe, Deputy Director, Enviroment, Air Transport Bureau, ICAO
Jane Hupe is the ICAO Director responsible for the environmental programme of the Organization. Ms. Hupe has been at the forefront of ICAO's efforts to define and promote policies and standards for an environmentally sustainable aviation which encompasses aircraft noise and aircraft engine emissions, local air quality and climate change, sustainable energy and market-based measures. Her responsibilities include directing ICAO environmental activities, and serving as the Secretary of the ICAO Council's Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP). Ms. Hupe coordinates aviation and the environment activities with other International Organizations and she is also in charge of the Strategy on assistance and capacity-building of ICAO Member States in this area.
Contributing to the IPCC work as a lead author on aviation-related issues, she received a certificate acknowledging her contribution to the IPCC's award of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Prior to joining ICAO, Ms. Hupe served as advisor on environmental matters to the Brazilian Aviation Authorities for 15 years. Ms. Hupe has a Master's degree in Aviation from the École Nationale de L' Aviation Civile (ENAC), Toulouse, France, and many other post-graduate degrees, including in environmental auditing.
Ms. Regina Asariotis, Chief, Policy and Legislation Section, Division on Technology and Logistics, UNCTAD
Regina Asariotis is Senior Legal Affairs Officer and Chief of the Policy and Legislation Section (Trade Logistics Branch) in the Division on Technology and Logistics of UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), where she is responsible for the Secretariat's work in the field of transport law and policy (see unctad.org/ttl/legal). This includes work, since 2008, on the implications of climate change for maritime transport and ongoing technical assistance with a focus on climate change impacts and adaptation for key coastal transport infrastructure, notably seaports and airports, in Caribbean SIDS. Before joining UNCTAD in 2001, Regina was a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Southampton, and member of the University's Institute of Maritime Law, where she taught international maritime and trade law for more than 10 years. She holds a law degree from the University of Augsburg, an LL.M from the University of Southampton and a Dr. jur. from the University of Hamburg and is a Barrister (England & Wales) and Attorney at Law (Greece).
Ms. Tanya T. Bedward, Director, Projects Unit, Ministry of Transport and Mining, Jamaica
Tanya Bedward is the Director of Projects at the Ministry of Transport and Mining in Jamaica where she has worked for in excess of thirteen (13) years. She has tremendous knowledge and experience in transport administration at the Central Government level, spanning the areas of transport planning, transport policy development, projects development and implementation, government procurement among others.
She is a Director on the Boards of the Toll Authority of Jamaica, as well as that of the Airports Authority of Jamaica. Bedward has also been integrally involved on several teams, tasked with evaluating the airport system within Jamaica, with a view to developing and streamlining various policies to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness and competitiveness of the island's aviation sector.
Tanya Bedward has also taught at the University of Technology (Jamaica) on a part time basis for a number of years. She currently resides in Jamaica.
