organising committee

ORGANISING COMMITTEE

Meet CC FORUM's Organising Committee

Max Studennikoff

Chairman

A serial entrepreneur, resident in France with an MBA degree from Imperial College, London, Max has been in business for over 25 years. He set up and successfully developed a number of start-ups in such areas as international events management, property development, hospitality and education. Max is currently organising a series of high profile sustainable investment conferences across the globe whose mission is connecting the savviest of the investors with the brightest of startups. He is a sought-after speaker at major international conferences, an investor and an advisor to several global projects.

Ken Lukins

Chief Ken Lukins, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired), Founder and Senior Owner of Lukins International, has 45 plus years in oil and hazardous materials response, law enforcement, occupational safety and health, drug enforcement, maritime security, anti-terrorism, emergency response and hazardous materials operations. Throughout his career he has responded to numerous incidents of national and international significance in over 100 countries to include the EXXON VALDEZ oil spill in Alaska and the Deep Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Ken has been involved in humanitarian operations including serving as President of the Board of Directors for United Way of Southeast Alaska, and as President of the Chief Petty Officersโ€™ Association and was involved in the humanitarian operations in Haiti after the devastating earthquake of 2010. He has volunteered his services to MERCY SHIPS, training their crew and staff on security and safety in West Africa.

Professor Michael Mainelli

Professor Michael Mainelli KStJ OMRI FCCA FCSI(Hon) FBCS; Chairman, Z/Yen Group; President London Chamber of Commerce & Industry - Scientist and economist promoting societal advance through better decisions about technology and finance; former senior partner BDO, director Ministry of Defence research; Lord Mayor of London 2023-2024, Sheriff 2019-2021.

Dr Karen Sumser-Lupson

Dr Karen Sumser-Lupson is a leading international expert in ocean governance, maritime security, and blue economic development, bringing over three decades of distinguished service to the sector. Her academic credentials include a PhD specializing in maritime risk management, an MSc, GDL (Law) a PGDip, and CertEd. Dr Sumser-Lupson is a member of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, London. Her career demonstrates a sustained commitment to mitigating climate change, advancing global security, and unlocking sustainable development opportunitiesโ€”particularly for Africa and vulnerable island statesโ€”through innovation, education, and international partnership.

Christine Koetsier

Christine Koetsier is an international board and executive searcher, strategy consultant and entrepreneur , and mother to three grown sons. She honed her strategic talent expertise during a 15-year tenure at a leading global search firm. Simultaneously, she developed the Soul Language Method, repositioning soulโ€”our Self Truthโ€”at the core of existence. Both endeavors culminated in GEM. PARTNERS and SOUL.PARTNERS, offering Strategic Talent Services for Sustainable Solutions. Recently, Christine unveiled the first edition of her book, 'The Soul IDโ€”how to spur your success by leveraging ancient wisdom for purposeful personal growth.'

Enzo di Taranto

Enzo di Taranto is a visionary investor and sustainability strategist. A former diplomat, recipient of multiple awards, Enzo has been managing for three decades multi-billion sustainability programmes, including as Campaign Manager of the United Nations Secretary-General in New York. Since 1990, Enzo di Taranto has been featured in major global media outlets for his work fostering the โ€œAgenda 2030 for Sustainable Developmentโ€ in conflict and disaster zones worldwide, from Colombia, Nicaragua and Haiti, to Laos, Mali and Sudan. More recently, he has been articulating โ€œPLANET GOLDโ€ โ€“ an innovative eco-investing portfolio โ€“ and promoting the concept of โ€œSustainable Luxury Livingโ€ in key industries, such as: Real Estate, Hospitality, Energy, Technology, Wellness and Fashion.

Neal Sperling

Neal Sperling is the founder and CEO of a global strategic advisory service that has advised startups to very high net worth individuals. He has been referred to as a โ€œWorld Class Problem Solverโ€ and a โ€œWorld Class Connectorโ€ by 5-time New York Times international best-selling author Robert G. Allen. Neal has been privileged to go on to connect with nearly 60 billionaires, a former President of the United States, U.S. Vice-President, governors, mayors, heads of state, prime ministers and 15 Nobel Laureates.

Barbara Dietrich

Diplomatic World (of which Ms Barbara Dietrich is the owner, CEO and Editor-in-Chief) is the only magazine published on paper in or around Brussels (with four editions a year distributed in high-quality paper form), counting amongst its subscribers all the Embassies in Brussels, all Members of the European Parliament, the DGโ€™s of the European Commission, the European Council, Members of the Belgian Government, the Belgian Royal Family and other Heads of State plus many influential economic forums and organizations, advocacy and consultancy bureaus and think tanks in Brussels, providing this community and a wider public of interested readers with profound and trendsetting insights in the latest diplomatic, international and European evolutions and tendencies (with a special focus on cultural diplomacy, diplomatic economy, trade, business, art and health). The high-level content of Diplomatic World is based on a full-time engagement and direct/constant contacts with European and international officials - from Ambassadors and Ministers to European Commissioners, Prime Ministers and national and EU Presidents โ€“ of Barbara Dietrich. Through the high-quality paper publication, followed and circulating intensively inside the Brussels bubble and in other diplomatic capitals, and through the further online dissemination of the editions published under the supervision of Ms Barbara Dietrich, Diplomatic World has a very wide reach and can claim the status of a key diplomatic-journalistic medium and very influential global think tank and opinion-maker.

Lawrence Freiberg

Over the past thirty five years, Lawrence was an executive with various entertainment companies including CEO, President, Vice President, and Promoter executive positions with Jackson Music Studios, Hulett Entertainment, Planet View, Concerts West, Total Music Group, Sneak Peek Music, World Peace One, The Watchers, World TV Productions, The Gateway, Yikes & The Time Ditto, One Earth One People with Lee Tiger and Chief Max Osceola who helped The Seminoles acquire Hard Rock International. Lawrence was a partner on Earth Now for COP 28 in Dubai. He is now CEO of SOUL PLANET, โ€œSocial Media Reimaginedโ€ app will be released in 2026 along with the โ€œWe The World Tourโ€ and concert events coinciding with Americaโ€™s 250th Birthday. As partners, Lawrence has had television and film producing partners whose credits included Star Search to Star Trek and music partners whose credits include Prince to U2.

Michele Bonjovanni

Michele Bongiovanni is the CEO and Founder of HealRWorldยฎ LLC (a fintech for good and private company ESG big data social impact business) , Disruptive Data Network (a human trafficking big data sharing consortium), Angels.Incโ€“a social impact media business, and the founder of Music4ClimateJustice (a non-profit initiative dedicated to raising funds for climate refugees, adaptation and resiliency.) Micheleโ€™s led corporate strategy, marketing, and online product development/management for over 25 years in the financial services sector and as an innovator has created multiple patents for Fortune 500 companies. Michele feels very blessed to have been able to leverage her passion for innovation and entrepreneurship at BlackRock, Dow Jones & Co., D&B, McCann Erickson & Merrill Lynch & Company.

Samir Ceric

Samir Ceric, investor, entrepreneur, senior executive, mentor, philanthropist, mental health campaigned and public speaker; an influential figure in the world of investment, tech, blockchain and AI, recognised for his pioneering role in digitalising the sports industry. Ceric, who is involved in a number of tech companies as an investor, board members or advisor, has an extensive expertise on the evolving intersection of sports and technology. Ceric recently set up a sports venture entity, a pioneering investment platform dedicated to acquiring and transforming sports teams globally. Ceric is a chairman and principal of a seventh-generation family office, values-driven family business embodying a deep commitment to trust, growth and innovation.

Norah Casey

Broadcaster, impact investor, entrepreneur and philanthropist Norah Casey was formerly a Dragon in the popular television series Dragonsโ€™ Den and is a well-known radio and television broadcaster. Norahโ€™s business expertise is extensive having acquired and grown multiple business to multi-million euro global success stories, with a wide range of business investments in Ireland and internationally. She has mentored leading global business leaders, politicians and public figures. Her corporate expertise includes leadership, corporate teambuilding, mentorship, innovation and strategy. Her specialty areas are womenโ€™s empowerment, impact investment and sustainability in film production.

Dr Konstantin Pavlidis

Konstantin is a global visionary bridging the gap between Human Potential and Technology. With over 4 decades of experience as a Science Educator and Health expertโ€”fusing Integrative Medicine, Neurobiology, Cognitive Science and Clinical Psychology โ€”he is now focusing on the intersection of AI with Learning and Mental Health. He is currently exploring how the economics of AI is shaping our future well-being and influencing global Consciousness. Discover his latest innovation JV project- "Integrative AI EdTech"- at orassydataviv.com.

Kumardev Chatterjee

Kumardev Chatterjee is a serial technology founder, investor and author with more than 25 years of strategy, deep-tech and executive leadership across start-ups and Fortune 500 companies in Europe, the United States and Asia. He is Founder and CEO of Blue Hat Founders, and founded and chaired the European Young Innovators Forum, recognised for its work by President Obama and Chancellor Merkel. He built Unmanned Life from a three-person London start-up into a global company working with leading telcos and Fortune 500 partners, and was the first Director of Emerging Technologies for NEOM, where he co-created the Cognitive Metaverse. The World Economic Forum appointed him an Expert on Entrepreneurship and the European Commission an Expert on Technology and Innovation, and he co-authored the EU book โ€œDigital Minds for a New Europeโ€ alongside Vint Cerf and Eric Schmidt. Inducted into London's Progress 1000 list of most influential tech leaders, he advises governments, intergovernmental institutions and sovereign wealth funds, and has spoken at 10 Downing Street, the US State Department, the United Nations and the World Economic Forum. Kumardev is an active Investor in AI, Deep Tech, Climate, Sustainability and Web3 and has founded and presides over global investment networks and summits.