Speaker Biographies

 

Dr. Fang Liu is the Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), having been appointed for a three-year term beginning August 2015.

Prior to her appointment as Secretary General, Dr. Liu served for eight years as the Director of ICAO’s Bureau of Administration and Services (ADB). During her tenure, she contributed extensively to ICAO’s Senior Management Group and also participated in the High-Level Committee on Management within the United Nations common system. She transformed the administration of ICAO by enhancing efficiencies, improving governance, and providing effective management and support in areas such as human resources, language services, and conference and information technology services.

Prior to joining ICAO, Dr. Liu served the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC), where over the course of twenty years she successively held the posts of Legal Counsel, Deputy Director, Director and Deputy Director General, Department of International Affairs and Cooperation. She was responsible for China’s international air transport policy and regulations, bilateral and multilateral relations with international and regional organizations including ICAO, the World Trade Organization, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the European Union, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

During her career with the CAAC, Dr. Liu was elected chair of the Aviation Group of the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and was nominated by China to sit on the Air Transport Regulation Panel in ICAO. She also served as an expert on mediation and dispute resolution. She was chief negotiator for the Chinese government for bilateral and multilateral air transport agreements with foreign countries.

Dr. Liu earned a PhD in international law at Wuhan University, China, and a Master’s degree in air and space law at Leiden University, the Netherlands. She is the Director of the Association of Air Law of China and of the Association of Private International Law of China, and has published articles and delivered lectures on a wide range of topics in international air transport regulation and air law. She speaks Chinese and English and has knowledge of French.

​Mr. Henrik Hololei is an economist by training and holds degree from TalTech (Tallinn Technical University). He has also studied in Aarhus University in Denmark.

He held various positions in the Estonian Government Office between 1995 and 2004 and was mainly responsible for coordinating the work for the Estonian accession to the European Union, working directly with the Prime Minister. In 2001-2002 he was Minister of Economy. In 2002-2003 he represented the Estonian Government in the Convention on the Future of Europe. In 2004 he moved to the European Commission as Head of Cabinet of Vice President Siim Kallas. Vice -President Kallas' first mandate 2004-2010 dealt with Administration, Audit and Anti-Fraud while during his second mandate he was responsible for Transport. From November 2013 he was Deputy Secretary General of the European Commission and represented the European Commission in the Committee of Permanent Representatives.
On October 2015 he became Director-General for Mobility and Transport in the European Commission.
He has participated in ICAO Assemblies in 2010, 2013 and 2016.

Throughout the years, he was been awarded the Grand Cross of the Lion of Finland from the President of Finland, Order of the White Star (3rd class) from the President of Estonia, the Chevalier de l'Ordre du Mérite from the President of France, Order of Honour (Ordinul de Onoare) from the President of Moldova and the Commander of the Cross of Recognition (3rd class) from the President of Latvia. In May 2014, the Estonian European Movement named him "European of the Year". In September 2018, TalTech named him as the "Alumni of the year".

In addition he holds positions of Member of the Supervisory Board of the Estonian School of Diplomacy and Member of the Board of "Hermes Air Transport Organisation".

​Mr. Darby LaJoye is the Executive Assistant Administrator for Security Operations. Prior to assuming his current role in September 2016, he served as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the office.

As Executive Assistant Administrator, LaJoye oversees a workforce of over 50,000 employees worldwide, and a budget of approximately $4 billion. Reporting through the Deputy Executive Assistant Administrator, four Assistant Administrators are responsible for Domestic Aviation Operations, International Operations, Surface Operations, and Operations Management to protect the nation's transportation systems. LaJoye is responsible for mitigating the dynamic threat against global and domestic transportation systems by implementing an array of countermeasures, including the latest technology, passenger and cargo screening canines, explosives experts, and other specialized programs. LaJoye is responsible for checkpoint and baggage screening operations impacting millions of passengers at approximately 440 airports every day, oversight of more than 280 international airports conducting last points of departure operations to and from the United States, and a surface network that encompasses freight railroad, passenger rail, mass transit, maritime, and pipelines. LaJoye also oversees TSA's global compliance mission, with key officials and Inspectors in offices around the world ensuring all modes of transportation, including aviation, mass transit, passenger and freight rail, highway and motor carrier, maritime, pipeline, and air cargo, are in compliance with domestic and international regulatory requirements.

Previously, LaJoye served as the Federal Security Director in Los Angeles where he managed the largest field staff, with nearly 3,000 employees, and sat on several executive boards from universities and law enforcement organizations. LaJoye also served as the Federal Security Director in New York and held other management positions within operations throughout his tenure. He joined TSA in 2002 and was instrumental in the federalization of airports throughout the Northeast and Midwest regions.

Before joining TSA, LaJoye served in the U.S. Army in various light infantry and airborne units. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Richmond, earning a degree in Human Resource Management. He attended the Harvard Business School for Executive Education and has a master's degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College, as well as a master's degree in Criminal Justice and Public Administration from Liberty University.

​Mr. Steven Berti is Chief, Aviation Security Policy (ASP) Section for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), where he has worked since August 2001. He has been in the aviation field since 1986, when he joined the United Kingdom’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) which led to his involvement in the investigation of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. That experience led to his move to aviation security, in which he has enjoyed performing in a variety of roles involving audit, inspection and test programmes, as well as policy development at both national and international levels.

He is a Business Studies graduate from Farnborough College of Technology, UK and holds a Master of Science degree in Corporate Security Management from Cranfield University, Royal Military College of Science, UK.​

​Ms. Casie Antalis currently serves as the first Chief of Staff of the National Vetting Center (NVC).  The NVC was established pursuant to National Security Presidential Memorandum Nine (NSPM-9) which was signed on February 6, 2018.  The NVC provides a coordinated process to facilitate how intelligence and sensitive USG information is used for national security and border security missions. The NVC began initial operations in December 2018.

Prior to this position, Casie served as the Director for Security Screening and Vetting on the Border and Transportation Security Directorate in the National Security Council (NSC).  She directed and coordinated U.S. Government policy development in security and immigration vetting, watchlisting, biometrics, and information sharing.  Casie previously held in positions at the National Counterterrorism Center in the Directorate of Intelligence and the Directorate of Strategic Operational Planning, and was the Deputy Group chief for Screening and Vetting prior to her assignment at the NSC.  Casie has over 15 years of experience in immigration and national security vetting and has served at the National Ground Intelligence Center, the National Joint Terrorism Task Force and Department of State Diplomatic Security Service.

​Mr. Ryu Yonaha started his government career as a technical official in April 2001 immediately after graduation from Aeronautical Safety College. Prior to starting his career in Aviation Security, he worked as an officer for safety for more than 15 years nationwide and engaged in airport surface operations, slot management, search and rescue coordination, ramp inspection, etc. He has especially worked for many years at Tokyo International Airport and engaged in renewal project of access control system to enter the SRA, when starting his career in Aviation Security. He joined the Aviation Security Office in April 2017, and has been dealing with international matters and international cooperation related to Aviation Security.

​Dr. Narjess Abdennebi is Chief, Facilitation Section for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, located in Montréal. In this role she is responsible to develop Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) related to the facilitation of the international air transport system, found in Annex 9 – Facilitation, and to manage all the activities related to the ICAO Traveller Identification Programme (ICAO TRIP) Strategy, which includes the development of specifications for Machine Readable Travel Documents (MRTD), the management of the ICAO Public Key Directory (PKD) and implementation of the Advance Passenger Information (API) systems.

When joining ICAO in 2008, Narjess was appointed as Chief, Economic Analysis and Policy Section, responsible during seven years for matters related to air transport regulation, economics of airports and air navigation services, aviation data and economic studies of ICAO. Prior to this appointment, Mrs. Abdennebi has held a variety of marketing, sales and market research positions in the air transport industry, notably in a regional air carrier and in Airbus where she worked for over seven years.

She holds a PhD in air transport economics from Cranfield University, a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from École Nationale de l’Aviation Civile (Toulouse, France), as well as a Research Master degree in transport Economics from École des Ponts Paris Tech (Paris, France) and a Master degree in air transport management from the business school ESC (Toulouse, France).​

Mr. David Dodson is currently the Director of the Global Targeting Advisory Division of the National Targeting Center, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Field Operations (OFO). The Global Targeting Advisory Division is responsible for the Automated Targeting System-Global (ATS-G), which provides strategic foreign partners with a traveler risk management system similar to that used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.  The Global Targeting Advisory Division also provides support for the World Customs Organization (WCO)'s Cargo Targeting System program.

Mr. Dodson joined the U.S. Customs Service as an Inspector in January 1996.  Initially assigned to Los Angeles International Airport, Mr. Dodson worked in Passenger Operations as well as the Contraband Enforcement Team (CET), the Passenger Enforcement Rover Team (PERT), and the Passenger Analysis Unit (PAU).  During the course of these assignments, he became recognized as an expert user of TECS (formerly the Treasury Enforcement Communications System) and the Automated Targeting System – Passenger (ATS-P) systems.  In September 2002, Mr. Dodson was selected as one of the first permanent employees for the National Targeting Center (then the Office of Border Security).

In May 2004, Mr. Dodson was assigned duties as a program manager for ATS-P, where he oversaw the development of system modifications, and provided expertise to internal and external groups on the role and capabilities of ATS-P in the traveler targeting process.  In October 2007, he and the ATS-P program were assigned to U.S. Customs and Border Protection's newly-created Office of Intelligence and Operations Coordination, later renamed the Office of Intelligence and Investigative Liaison (OIIL).  In October 2012, Mr. Dodson became the Director, Passenger Targeting within OIIL's Targeting Division, with responsibilities for various modules of the Automated Targeting System.  As part of a CBP realignment in 2015, the OIIL Targeting Division was transferred to OFO's National Targeting Center.

Mr. Dodson has successfully negotiated numerous international and U.S. government interagency agreements, and has spoken on the topics of advance traveler information and traveler risk management at various international fora.  In January 2017, Mr. Dodson and the ATS-G team received Certificates of Merit from the WCO for their work on "Data Analysis for Effective Border Management".

Mr. Dodson received a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in History and Economics from the University of California – Santa Cruz.

​Mr. Jonathan Mineault is the Manager of the Passenger Protect Program with Transport Canada. Mr. Mineault leads a team responsible for preventing people who have been deemed an immediate threat to transportation security, or people that are attempting to travel abroad to commit certain terrorism offences, from boarding flights from Canada or boarding flights destined to Canada.   In his role as Manager, Mr. Mineault is responsible for national security related matters in respect of Canada's civil aviation transportation system. He joined Transport Canada in 2013 and has, and continues to, serve in various civil aviation operational related positions. Prior to Mr. Mineault joining Transport Canada he worked in the communications industry for more than 10 years.

​Mr. Simon Watkin is responsible for policy and legislation on processing and use of passenger, crew and service information at the UK Home Office.  He negotiated the EU Directive on use of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data in 2015 and oversaw its transposition into UK law in 2018.  He worked on the preparation of UN Security Council Resolution 2396 (2017) and is supporting its implementation as a member of the ICAO PNR Task Force established to develop new global standards for the use and protection of PNR data. Since 2011 he has also led the implementation and expansion of the UK's Authority to Carry ("No Fly") Scheme.  In 2017, Simon was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his services to border security receiving his honour from HM The Queen.

He is increasingly working on new concepts for passenger identity management, combining biographic and biometric information to create globally-interoperable and verifiable digital identities, and enabling secure transfer of accurate passenger data from operators to governments – respecting fundamental rights and protecting private data.

​Mr. Vladimir Borisovich Chertok is Advisor of Head of the Federal Authority for Transport Oversight.

He graduated from Moscow Aviation Institute. V.B. Chertok works in the field of civil aviation since 1972.

He worked during 30 years at the State Research Institute of Civil Aviation and conducted ground and flight tests of board life support systems, survival and safety for crews and passengers almost in all types of modern civil aircrafts.

As a test engineer in test flights flew more than 338 hours.

In recent years, he had held various supervisory positions in the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, the Federal Authority for Transport Oversight, and dealt with issues of aviation and transport security.

Currently, he is in charge of state control and oversight for compliance of legislation and international treaties of the Russian Federation in the field of protection from acts of unlawful interference in all types of transport, aviation security and flight safety in civil aviation.

Under the leadership of V.B. Chertok established the system of state oversight and control in the field of aviation (transport) security and the operation service with the functions of the Crisis Management Center and the Coordination Center for Aviation Security in the complex of Russian transport system.

Since 2006, V.B. Chertok has been the national aviation security coordinator of ICAO audits in the Russian Federation for provision of aviation security in civil aviation, and he is also designated member of the ICAO Aviation Security Panel from Russian Federation and chairman of the EUR/NAT AVSEC Group.

​Mr. Nuno Miguel Fortes has a degree in Military Science by the Military Academy of Lisbon, and postgraduate degree in Air Law, by the Higher Institute of Legal and Social Sciences and Catholic University of Lisbon.

He has considerable experience on security, facilitation acquired during his significant amount of time spent on the regulatory side of Aviation Field. He been leading the Cape Verde CAA Security and Facilitation Area for 5 years.

In 2008, he joined the Civil Aviation Agency as an AVSEC inspector. Within Cape Verde CAA he attended several AVSEC courses acquiring skills and competences that enabled him to actively participate in quality control activities, instruct innumerous AVSEC courses, conduct AVSEC staff certification, deliver technical advice to government and CAA board members. He also drafted  key nationals AVSEC regulations such as National Civil Aviation Security Program (NCASP), National Civil Aviation Training Program (NCATP),National Civil Aviation Quality Control Program (NCAQCP), National Facilitation Program (NFP) PNFTA and other documents relevant aviation security documents.

He has an AVSEC PM course and has been an ICAO Certified Auditor since 2015, having participated in audits (USAP-CMA) in Nigeria, Ghana, Sao Tome and Principe, and Guinea-Bissau and most recently in Angola.

He has been actively participating in technical support missions in various countries, in international AVSEC workshops and courses.

Mr. Fortes was the National Coordinator for USAP-CMA audit that the State of Cape Verde received last March.

Mr. John Velho has been the Head of International Operations in charge of foreign assessments and compliance inspections in the International Programs Branch of Transport Canada Aviation Security since May 2017. He leads a team responsible for conducting inspections, audits, risk assessments; and providing assistance to States to address challenges and security concerns. Mr. Velho has been working in the field of aviation security for more than 17 years, during which he has gained extensive experience through various positions related to aviation security oversight & quality assurance, training, risk assessments, screening, and incident management.

​Ms. Poppy Khoza has extensive years of experience in the field of aviation and now holds the position of the Director of Civil Aviation / (CEO), having worked in various management portfolios. She has over 14 years’ experience in senior management positions in aviation with her academic progression being largely in strategic leadership and business administration, coupled with aviation–related training. Her experience cuts across both the industry and the Regulator.

Ms. Khoza serves as a member in various aviation structures nationally and internationally. Until very recently, she served for two years in a row, as the Chairman of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Aviation Security Panel, a historical position for a woman. This is after she served as Vice Chairman for two consecutive terms in the same Panel. She also co-chaired the ICAO AvSec Panel Working Group on Air Cargo Security.

She is the winner of the Top Empowered Public Service 2016. She is also the recipient of the 2015 Best Chief Executive Officer in Transport Award. Ms. Khoza is also the winner of a 2012 Meritorious Award as South Africa’s Most Influential Woman in Business and Government and was a finalist for the 2014 Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government award.

Under her stewardship, the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) scooped, three years in a row, the Best Performing Institution in Transport award, i.e. among all modes of transport in South Africa. The SACAA has also received the South African Auditor-General’s Clean Audit Award for five consecutive years. The SACAA was furthermore bestowed with the Top Performing Public Service Award at the 2015 National Business Awards. In March 2017, her organisation won the Public Service Award at the 16th annual Oliver Empowerment Awards.

Under Ms. Khoza’s leadership, the SACAA continues to make strides in improving aviation safety and security in South Africa as was witnessed during the recent ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) audit, which was conducted in May 2017. South Africa did not attract any significant safety concern, and in fact, tremendous improvement was noted in most of the areas that were assessed. She has transformed the entity and it now boasts 50% capable women executives, a historical achievement under her stewardship. She continues to be invited as a speaker at various platforms on aviation and women empowerment both locally and internationally. Ms Khoza is passionate about meaningful change and aspires to provide good leadership in the aviation sector in the interest of continued outstanding performance.

​Mr. Hugo Porter, after serving in the New Zealand Police for 25 ½ years, joined the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority in May 2007.

Hugo is responsible for security oversight of aviation participants including aerodromes, airlines, NZ Airways, the Aviation Security Service, regulated air cargo agents as well as giving advice to the Ministry of Transport to inform the Minister of Transport.

Hugo first attended the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Security Panel in 2009. Hugo has been the New Zealand ICAO Avsec Panel Representative since 2010. That same year, he also took over being the Rapporteur of the Working Group on Guidance Material.

He was Chair of the ICAO Aviation Security Panel 2017 - 2018.

Hugo also chaired the ICAO Regional Aviation Security Co-ordination Forum for the Asia Pacific Region for 4 years.

​Mr. Richard Skinner is the General Manager of the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy (HKAA), Airport Authority Hong Kong. Richard is responsible for the strategic development of the HKIAA and to ensure it supports both the domestic growth of Hong Kong's aviation industry as well as establishing Hong Kong as a regional aviation training hub for Asia Pacific.

Richard holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Plymouth University, UK and a Master of Business Administration, Aerospace Management from the Toulouse Business School, France. Richard has spent 28 years in the Hong Kong Police Force of which 11 years were in senior management positions.  While in the Hong Kong Police, Richard was seconded to the Hong Kong International Airport as the Assistant Executive Director AVSEC Operations and later became the Director of Aviation Security Training for the Aviation Security Company Ltd (AVSECO), prior to joining the Airport Authority Hong Kong.

​Ms. Anne Marie Pellerin is the Founder and Managing Partner of LAM LHA. Anne Marie combines strategic thinking and technical know-how to advise senior executives on some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities in the aviation and security sectors. Having served as a senior executive in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in both the U.S. and Europe, she is uniquely positioned to navigate U.S., European, and global regulatory environments and related trends. As part of her time with DHS, Anne Marie served as Executive Director of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration’s Checkpoint of the Future Program, overhauling the agency’s passenger security strategy and launching multiple new domestic and international partnership initiatives including security scanner/advanced x-ray deployment, mobile boarding pass and risk-based passenger screening. Anne Marie began her career working for former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen as a consultant at The Cohen Group.  She has a Masters in foreign policy from Georgetown University and a bachelors in history/German from Wake Forest.

​Ms. Kun Yu has been continuously working in the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) Security Bureau since 2005, first serving in General Office and then transferred to Law and Standards Division.

When serving in the General office from 2005-2011, she was responsible for international corporation. She participated in about 15 regional and ICAO meetings and conferences, engaged in more than 50 multilateral and bilateral corporation projects, hosted about 10 international meetings about specific security subject.

Since 2011 to now, Ms. Yu has been working in Law and standards Division, and has been appointed to be the Deputy Director in 2017. Her division is responsible for legislative and monitoring work related to aviation security of China, also for training of national inspectors and auditors. She is also responsible for adapting the 13-16 amendments of Annex 17 in China, by reviewing and revising Chinese related regulations and documents.

Moreover, her division is responsible for all the connections between CAAC Security Bureau with ICAO. Ms. Yu participated in every annual meeting of the ICAO Aviation Security Panel (AVSECP) from 2012 to 2018 as an assistant to the China panel member, and has been nominated to became the official China panel member since 2019. She is also member of several ICAO working groups. Ms. Yu was certified by ICAO as a USAP Auditor in 2017.

​Mr. Michael (Mike) Woodall joined IATA on secondment from the U.K. Department for Transport (DfT) in January 2013 having spent the previous 2 years crafting U.K., E.U. and ICAO regulatory text in response to the aviation security 'Cargo Bomb Plot" of October 2010.

During his initial 2-years with IATA he successfully oversaw the creation of the IATA Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) and the formal accreditation of the IATA CEIV Independent Validator training course by many EU States. He also led a successful global information and awareness campaign to assist carriers, ground handlers, regulated agents, known consignors, shippers and many State entities to fully appreciate, plan for, implement and comply with the new inbound E.U. air cargo security regulations (ACC3/RA3/KC3) that he helped to bring into force.

Prior to responding to the cargo security incident, he worked for 28 years across various U.K. Government Departments in security and project delivery roles. During his time with the U.K. Department for Transport, he was dedicated to security (all areas); predominantly in the aviation and intelligence fields as a compliance, audit, project delivery, regulation or policy expert. As such, Mr. Woodall has represented U.K. interests at a wide variety of policy, regulatory and compliance events including ICAO, E.U. and ECAC forums. In addition, he has deployed operationally to many locations around the world to conduct on-site aviation security audits, inspections, gap and vulnerability assessments, tests, evaluations and other bespoke activities as tasked or requested.

In various capacities, he has been actively involved in responding to numerous terrorist events, notably: 9/11, Operation Overt (liquid explosives plot), 7/7 (London suicide bombing attacks) and 21/7 (attempted repeat of the London suicide attacks), Flight 253 (the 'underwear' bomber), Richard Reid (shoe bomber) and various other terrorist/transport related issues during his career.   

Mike currently holds the position of Principal, Security Consulting & Capacity Development where his primary aim is to assist carriers, airports, States, donor organizations and any other entities wishing to identify, create, deliver or improve their aviation security initiatives e.g. audits, inspections, compliance analysis, risk assessment/management (TRAM), security management systems (SeMS) and/or gap and vulnerability assessments.

​Dr. Sarah Merks is a Research Scientist at the Institute Humans in Complex Systems at the School of Applied Psychology of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland and at the Center for Adaptive Security Research and Applications in Zurich. Her main research focus is on the human factor and the human-machine interaction in airport security.​

​Mr. Adam Troczynski started his carrier in aviation security working between 2006 and 2009 for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Poland. He predominantly dealt with national quality control activities and supported the development of security screeners' training and certification systems.

Upon leaving the Polish CAA in 2009 Adam joined the national Polish air carrier LOT where he had overall responsibility for aviation security operations and compliance. During this period, he was conducting internal security quality control activities across the LOT outstation network while also delivering flight, cabin and ground personnel security training and awareness. He was also responsible for guiding key stakeholders through the security risk assessment process.

Throughout his professional career Adam has consistently adopted a collaborative approach when engaging with internal, national and international security partners – ensuring that his aviation security subject matter expertise enabled and facilitated stakeholders to evaluate, deliver and maintain security performance via a risk management and evidence-based approach to security delivery.

As such in 2015 Adam joined IATA. Adam's primary focus is currently on revamping and enhancing existing international standards and designing associated processes to ensure aviation security risk assessments are robust, effective and suitably applicable across the entire aviation industry. He is currently supporting airlines, ground operators and other relevant stakeholders in advancing the Security Management System (SeMS) concept and further developing and enhancing IATA Standards and Recommended Practices as detailed within IOSA and the IATA SeMS Manual.

​Ms. Nathalie Herbelles is Head of Security and Facilitation at Airports Council International (ACI), based in Montreal, Canada.

In her role, she is ACI’s point of contact for global airport security and facilitation issues, representing the world’s airports and helping deliver the association’s priorities.
Prior to this role, Nathalie helped coordinate the airline industry’s Security and Facilitation positions at the International Air Transport Association (IATA), at global level in Montreal and within Asia-Pacific in Singapore.
She has also worked for the Association of European Airlines, Air France, the European Commission and the Spanish Airport Authority AENA.

A French national, Nathalie has a legal background and holds a Master’s Degree in Air Transport Law and Management from Aix-Marseille University in France.

​Ms. Sonia Hifdi, 39, is an engineer in physics and transportation within the French Civil Aviation Authority. She graduated in transport economics, in airport management and in resilience and crisis management. 

She started her career as the head of the explosives detection unit within the French civil aviation technical center in 2004. 

After 5 years, she moved to the office of security measures to manage security policy of air carrier.  

During 3 years she was the head of the office of security measures with the aim of defining the national AVSEC policy, to ensure the coordination with the main departments within the French government in charge of aviation security. 

Since January 2019, she is in charge of defining AVSEC guidelines and implementation within the French oversight authority of France.

Between 2013 and 2019 she was the chair of the ECAC Guidance Material Task Force. 

Since 2011 she is the French representative to the ICAO Aviation Security Panel and the co-rapporteur of the ICAO working group in innovation in Aviation Security. She is the current chair of the ICAO Aviation Security Panel. 

​Ms. Catherine Piana is the spokesperson for Private Security Services across Europe (since 2014) and for Aviation Security Services internationally since 2016.

At a strategic time for private security industry, she aims to increase its visibility and demonstrate its willingness and ability to contribute to the global security offer, in partnership with public law enforcement agencies and relevant stakeholders, so as to form a security continuum.

Her priorities as the Director General of ASSA-i and CoESS, include Transport Security, Insider Threat, the protection of Critical Infrastructure as well as of public spaces. Catherine coordinates the work on all these issues, and is active in the standardisation activities on behalf of the private security industry, as the Chair of CEN TC 439 “Private Security Services” and a member of ISO TC 292 “Protective Security”.

A professional European lobbyist since 1990, Catherine has been in a European Association leadership role since 1997.

​Ms. Jennifer Sullivan joined Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) as the Senior Director, Corporate Security in January 2018 after a 28-year career in the aviation business.   

Jennifer is responsible for all aspects of the security program at MLSE which is the parent company of the National Hockey League's Toronto Maple Leafs, the National Basketball Association's 2019 NBA Championship winning Toronto Raptors, Major League Soccer's Toronto FC, the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts as well as numerous development teams.    MLSE owns or operates the venues in which its teams play and train, including Scotiabank Arena in downtown Toronto, BMO Field, and Coca-Cola Coliseum.

Prior to joining MLSE Jennifer held senior positions at both the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) and the Vancouver Airport Authority (YVR).  Prior to embarking on her career in airports, Jennifer spent 15 years in the Canadian Air Force primarily as a Navigator on the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. 

Jennifer has a Bachelor's of Administration in Political Science from the University of Toronto and a Master of Business Administration from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. 

Jennifer was a member of the Airports Council International (ACI) World Security Standing Committee, the Chair of the Canadian Airports Council Security Committee, and a former member of the ACI World Safety & Technical Standing Committee and the Smart Security Management Group. 

​Mr. Pete Cooper is CEO of Pavisade, giving independent cyber strategy advice to multi-sector businesses and bodies such as IATA and international organisations. Prior to the commercial sector, Pete was a Royal Air Force fast jet pilot and the Strategic Cyber Operations adviser to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Govt where he developed and delivered strategies to counter complex cyber threat actors.  Pete holds a Post Grad in Cyberspace Operations and has published on the topic of developing legal active cyber defence strategies to disrupt advanced cyber threat actors.

He is also a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Atlantic Council Cyber Statecraft Senior Fellow and the founder and Director of the UK's only student cyber strategy challenge, designed to develop and highlight the next generation of cyber security leadership.  Additionally, in 2018 he was judged 12th on a list of global cyber security influencers by IFSEC.

As well as advising IATA and on the recently published ICAO Cybersecurity strategy, he is also the author of 'Finding Lift, Minimising Drag', which explored the cybersecurity challenges facing the global aviation sector and advised how regulation, policy and strategy should be developed nationally and internationally to counter the next generation of threats and adversaries.  The findings are still being used and have been incorporated into both national and international policy in multiple regions.

​Mr. Daniel Golston currently serves as the Policy Analyst for the CBRNE and Vulnerable Targets Sub-Directorate at INTERPOL. Prior to this appointment, Daniel worked at INTERPOL’s Chemical and Explosives Terrorism Prevention Unit. Before his time at INTERPOL, Daniel worked in the Conventional Arms Programme and the Emerging Security Threats Programme at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research in Geneva. He holds a Master of Philosophy in International Relations and Politics from the University of Cambridge.

​Mr. Sylvain Lefoyer became the Deputy Director of Aviation Security and Facilitation in the Air Transport Bureau of the International  Civil  Aviation  Organization (ICAO)  on 1 March 2017. He leads teams responsible for developing Aviation Security and Facilitation policy and Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), conducting audits of Member States’ aviation security activities, assisting States that are unable to address serious security deficiencies highlighted by those audits, and implementing the Traveler Identification Programme (ICAO TRIP) Strategy.

Sylvain has extensive experience at the senior executive level in policy and regulations development, strategy, oversight, critical incident management and organization development in aviation security and facilitation.

Previous to his role in ICAO, Mr. Lefoyer’s career in transport safety and security spans more than 25 years. He held various positions, including a Deputy Regional Director for Ground Transport Safety, Security and Defence in the Regional Directorate for Equipment and Urban Planning in the Paris metropolitan area and the Deputy Head of Aviation Security and Defense in the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC). Prior to that, he was enhancing his career in air traffic management from 2005 to 2011, in risk prevention and management from 2002 to 2004, and in maritime transport safety and security from 1992 to 2001.

He holds a Master’s Degree in electronics from Paris University and a Master’s Degree in public administration from École des Ponts ParisTech.

​Ms. Anne-Maria Seesmaa of Finland was appointed Associate Legal Officer in the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) of the Security Council in July 2016, becoming a Legal Officer in April 2018. Her role is to provide expert support on law enforcement and border-security issues within the framework of CTED's efforts to monitor, promote and facilitate Member States' implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions on terrorism.

Ms. Seesmaa served from 2011 to 2015 as Senior Adviser on counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism issues in the Police Department of the Ministry of the Interior of Finland, representing Finland on the European Union Terrorism Working Group and coordinating Finland's position on counter-terrorism, including its implementation of the relevant UN resolutions. Ms. Seesmaa also worked on issues relating to reducing the supply of illegal drugs, representing Finland (police) on the EU Horizontal Working Party on Drugs and at numerous international forums, including the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. She has also worked in the areas of foreign relations from the police perspective and EU and UN policing, including police participation in civil crisis-management operations. Ms. Seesmaa has also actively engaged in work to advance transnational law enforcement cooperation and the sharing of related best practices, including by preparing and participating in meetings of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council, the Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI) and the Law Enforcement Working Party. In 2016, Ms. Seesmaa acted as Project Expert for the Police University College of Finland within the framework of an EU-China peer-to-peer study on police-to-police cooperation.

From 2010 to 2011, Ms. Seesmaa served as Senior Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, responsible for issues relating to international counter-terrorism cooperation, representing Finland on the EU External Working Group on Terrorism and on the Council of Europe Committee of Experts on Terrorism. Ms. Seesmaa also drafted instructions in matters relating to EU sanctions and participated in the implementation of sanctions and the provision of related information. In 2009, Ms. Seesmaa served in the Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations, in New York, working on legal issues, including in the context of the work of the Sixth Committee of the UN General Assembly.

Ms. Seesmaa earned a Master's Degree in Law from the University of Helsinki in 2008 and studied European Law and International Relations at the University of René Descartes, Paris. A native Finnish speaker, she is also fluent in English and French.

​Mr. Kevin Sawyer is the senior manager responsible for Aviation Security at CAAi, part of the International Group of the UK CAA. Kevin has worked at the UK CAA since 2014 working in Aviation Security regulation and oversight focussing primarily on Threat and Risk and the development of the National Aviation Security Programme. Prior to this, Kevin spent 12 year at the UK Department for Transport where he worked in a variety of security roles including security compliance, policy and strategy, vetting and personnel security and special event planning. Kevin has recently completed a Master’s degree in Risk, Crisis and Disaster Management with a focus on the development of security culture.

Ms. ​Kirsty Wells, UK CAA Aviation Security Compliance Manager (SeMS)

Kirsty Wells joined the CAA in April 2015 as team manager for the SeMS team.  Previously she worked at Heathrow Airport and so holds significant knowledge of Airport/Air Carrier working practices. Over the last 4 years at the CAA she has been instrumental in the development of the SeMS framework and its promotion to industry. In addition to SeMS she is also prominent within the CAA futures work, taking the UK regulator towards a performance based assurance model and risk based monitoring programme.

​Dr. John Hird joined EUROCONTROL in 1992, and led engineering teams in both the Karlsruhe and Maastricht ATC centres, working on the development of Flight Data Processing Systems, developing air traffic statistics tools, and modernising legacy systems processing airspace environmental data.

Since 2006, he has been involved in Air Traffic Management Security, providing support to ANSPs, Regulators, State Authorities and Industry on methods, tools, and regulatory requirements. He was a co-developer of the EUROCONTROL "Security Risk Management Toolkit" and the associated training course.

He worked in the SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) programme, managing projects developing security reference material, and coordinating security activities in the programme. He is a security champion in the SESAR 2020 programme.

John is currently a member of the Civil Military Coordination Unit in EUROCONTROL's Directorate for European Civil-Military Aviation (DECMA). He is Security co-chair of the ACARE Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda (SRIA) Working Group 4 on Safety and Security, participates in the EU OPTICS2 programme, and has participated on the advisory boards of European Commission Research and Innovation projects in aviation. He has co-authored several research papers with other ATM Security specialists.

John obtained a BSc (Hons) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Strathclyde University in 1981, and a PhD in Digital Signal Processing from the same institution in 1990. He is a Chartered Engineer.