Verity Freeman is an Associate in Global Counsel’s tech, media and telecoms (TMT) team. She works with clients to help shape their policy and engagement strategy across a range of issues including AI, digital competition, digital economy, online safety and public sector digitisation.
She previously worked for political intelligence company DeHavilland where she focused on culture, media and sport policy.
Involved in process of policy driven decisions and forming regulations at government level that shape telecom/Internet landscape in my country. I am also active on regional forums of Internet Governance including APrIGf, APSIG, ISOC islamabad Chapter and pkSIG.
Involved in educating people on policies and reforms done to make Internet available for everyone as well as safe and protected use of Internet.
Saba Shaukat is a pioneering international business and technology executive with over 25 years of experience. She specialises in leveraging frontier technologies to drive transformative change and has a deep expertise in transitioning FTSE 250 companies into the next wave of growth and profitability.
Currently, Saba is creating an AI Agency and heads Engagement and Innovation at the Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE), a joint venture between the Home Office and QinetiQ on AI, data analytics, deep fakes, economic crime and emerging technology. She helps the Government in accelerating digital transformation initiatives to drive disruptive innovation and implement policies to enhance security, national resilience, and UK prosperity.
Previously, Saba was the Group Director of Technical Capability and Innovation at QinetiQ plc, where she led a team of top scientists and engineers. She focused on frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous systems, cyber technologies, immersive augmented reality, human-machine teaming, advanced materials, quantum computing, lasers, and human behaviour.
Throughout her career, Saba has driven transformational technologies resulting in over £1 billion in new revenue. She has extensive international experience in strategy and commercial development and has held several board positions as a Non-Executive Director and Trustee. She recently became a Board Fellow at the world-wide renowned Royal College of Art(RCA), the leading school in innovation design engineering with the capability to tackle complex challenges faced by society and the planet.
Saba’s career also includes significant roles at Capita, BT, Vodafone, Deloitte Consulting, and PwC, where she contributed to global market entry strategies, business turnarounds, and new technology ventures for both enterprise and consumer sectors.
An alumna of Harvard University’s Kennedy School for Executive Leadership Training and the London Business School with an MBA, Saba is a thought leader and board advisor. As a former regional board member of The Prince’s Trust, she has inspired young people from disadvantaged communities to win national entrepreneurial awards.
Saba is also a contributor to the bestselling book, The Power of Purpose. She is dedicated to embracing disruptive ideas and advancing skills, science, and technology for societal good amid rapid technological change.
In her spare time, Saba is an avid sailor, traveller, and explorer of new science and technological innovations for the 21st century.
Community communicator and journalist dedicated to working with grassroots communities. My passion lies in listening to others, learning through active participation, and leading with a focus on building trusted relationships and fostering collective care. I am also the co -creator of one of the first communication and resource projects centered on digital security for Indigenous and Black/Afro communities in LAC called Convite https://noisradio.co/convite
I enjoy building regional networks with an intersectional approach, where journalists and Digital Rights defenders connect with artists. I collaborate with community communicators, journalists, and social and environmental leaders across Latin America and the Caribbean.
As a co-founder of Nois Radio, a communication collective, I am deeply interested in exploring sound universes and creating engaging radio and podcast experiences. We produce radio programs that blend soundscapes with voices, music, live sounds, and performative actions. Together with different members of grassroots communities we create communication projects to strengthen community well-being and promote social and climate justice. Her work intersects technology, communication, culture, environment, and social change. Before joining The Engine Room, she served as a program officer for the Americas at Internews.
Nana Adjoa is a lawyer, technology enthusiast and social development activist. Nana Adjoa has served as the Secretary to the National Communications Authority, the national regulator of the electronic communications industry in Ghana. She works closely with the Chairperson, the Board and Management to ensure the efficient running of the corporate governance structures of the Authority. Prior to her employment with the National Communications Authority, she was in 2018 appointed the Executive Director of the National Folklore Board, the state institution responsible for protecting the intangible cultural heritage of Ghana. During her tenure, she facilitated the passage of the folklore user fees into law and the Folklore Board also gained international recognition.
She was also a speaker on telecommunications at the 2023 International Bar Association Communications and Competition Conference in Rome, Italy and the 2023 International Bar Association Conference in Paris, France.
She is a board member of the Institute of ICT Professionals of Ghana as well as the Street Children Empowerment Foundation and a member of Women in Mining Ghana. She is also the founding director of the Social Bridge, an NGO that engages in social intervention projects. Nana Adjoa was a board member of the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), the authorised body, legally permitted to assay, buy and sell precious minerals and to license agents in Ghana. She was also a member of the board of directors of the PMMC Jewellery Limited.
Nana Adjoa was called to the Ghana Bar in 2015. She has Certificates in Sustainable Dispute Resolution, Sustainable Development and International Anti- Corruption from the University of Milan, Italy and a Masters in Business Administration. She also has a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Certificate (MITx) in Policy for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Her legal expertise spans advisory services to international and Ghanaian clients on high profile transactions across various fields including corporate and commercial law, minerals and mining law, intellectual property law and labor law; due diligence reporting; drafting and review of legal documents, and providing clients with company incorporation and company secretarial services. She has worked with reputable law firms in Ghana namely Kulendi@Law, and JLD & MB Legal Consultancy. She was one of the two young female lawyers selected in 2017 to participate in the ASLA (Association of Legal Studies Associates) Lioness of Africa Project where she worked with Freshfields Bruckhaus Derringer and NCTM Studio Legale in Italy.
Nana Adjoa has also represented Ghana at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), UNESCO, the Commonwealth and Open Society Initiative. She has also published an article in the International Bar Association Newsletter and was a speaker on telecommunications at the 2023 International Bar Association Communications and Competition Conference in Rome, Italy, and at the 2023 International Bar Association Conference in Paris, France.
Nana Adjoa Adobea Khartey
Senior Partner, Afrimore Advisors
LL.B, MBA, MSc (Comm. & Int’l Marketing), Cert. Int’l Space Law, Cert. AI & Tech Policy,
Cert. Dispute Resolution, MIoD
Nana Adjoa Adobea Khartey is a highly accomplished lawyer and governance strategist
with over a decade of legal leadership across telecommunications, fintech, intellectual
property, and regulatory policy. she brings exceptional cross-jurisdictional insight and a
deep understanding of legal systems in emerging and developed markets.
She is the co-founder and senior partner of Afrimore Advisors, a law firm headquartered
in Accra. As head of the corporate and technology practice of the firm, she provides top-
tier legal advisory to fintechs, ISPs, and digital platforms, shaping financial structures, IP
protections, and data privacy frameworks aligned with international standards such as
GDPR. She is recognised for her ability to lead legal innovation—leveraging digital tools
to enhance compliance, mitigate legal risks, and drive business growth.
Nana Adjoa previously served as Company Secretary of the National Communications
Authority (NCA), where she led governance reforms, spearheaded regulatory
transformation, and established the Authority’s first Dispute Resolution Committee—
significantly reducing litigation and fostering industry collaboration. Her tenure as CEO
of the National Folklore Board was equally transformative, culminating in the passage of
national legislation on folklore user fees, partnerships with UNESCO and Marvel Studios,
and a 60% increase in sector revenue through strategic IP licensing.
A boardroom mainstay, she has held non-executive directorships with government and
private sector institutions including the Precious Minerals Marketing Company and the
Institute of ICT Professionals Ghana. She is also the founder of the Adobea Khartey
Mentorship Series—empowering young women into leadership with an impressive track
record of advancement.
Certified in Negotiation, Mediation, and Sustainable Dispute Resolution from the
University of Milan, she is a strong advocate for alternative dispute resolution and conflict
transformation. Nana Adjoa is also a proud member of the Institute of Directors (Ghana
and UK), promoting excellence in corporate governance.
Nana Adjoa is an active global voice in legal innovation, having spoken at the
International Bar Association conferences (Paris, Rome and Mexico City), and
contributed to international legal discourse through publications on digital regulation
and space law. She holds certifications from MIT, Berkeley Law, McGill University, and
the University of Milan, and continues to serve on international committees in law,
space, and technology.
With a unique blend of legal, governance, and communication expertise, Nana Adjoa
Adobea Khartey offers clients trusted counsel at the intersection of law, innovation, and strategy.
Melanie is an Associate Professor in International Security in the Department of Political Science at University College London where she teaches her flagship course “From Cyberwarfare to Robots: The Future of Conflict in the Digital Age” that examines the nexus of disruptive tech and building defence and resilience. She also teaches courses on international negotiation and tech diplomacy, as well as problem-solving for policymaking at HM Treasury.
She provides practical insights and thought leadership for policymakers across the full spectrum of cyber policy, tech geopolitics, and defence innovation challenges. Having spent four years at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, where she set up the cyber policy function, she has advised leaders globally on cyber resilience policy, the geopolitics of the internet, space, AI, and compute, the rise of tech companies as geopolitical actors, data governance as well as the future of defence.
Melanie is an accredited mediator and prior to joining UCL worked as a solicitor in the International Disputes department of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, covering Public International Law, International Arbitration, and International Corporate Investigations, as well as teaching mediation and negotiation techniques.
Mariam Salukvadze served as an Inspector of Especially Important Cases in the Department of Human Rights Protection where she oversaw investigations evaluated investigation quality and planned preventive mechanisms for high-priority crimes. Holding the rank of Lieutenant Grade she specialised in cybercrime monitoring and contributed to the development of policy documents. A Chevening Scholar
Laveena is a global technology and telecoms analyst at Economist Intelligence, this is the research and analysis business of The Economist Group. Based in the London office, she delivers industry, geopolitical and macroeconomic insights to clients in the government, corporate and academic sectors. In this role she also oversees client relations and partnerships for corporate clients in India.
She is a seasoned industry analyst with over a decade of experience and in 2021 Onalytica named her among the industry’s top 10 technology analysts. She is a sought-after public speaker and has presented at conferences in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Her expertise lies in topics such as geopolitics of technology, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, 5G, cybersecurity, digital wallets and sustainability in technology.
She often shares her comments on industry trends and latest developments with news media such as the BBC, Nikkei Asia, South China Morning Post, Al Jazeera and CNA Singapore. Prior to this role, Laveena covered corporate strategy, start-ups and the tech industry in India as a financial correspondent for a business magazine.