Digital Transformation

As the Regional Director of Microsoft’s 4Afrika Initiative, Amrote Abdella spearheads Microsoft’s investments in Africa across 54 countries. She works closely with the internal teams in the Middle East and Africa – and globally – to enable and accelerate digital transformation opportunities across the continent. Before becoming Regional Director, Amrote was 4Afrika’s Director for VC & Startups, where she worked closely with startups supporting the innovation ecosystem in Africa. Prior to joining Microsoft, Amrote worked with the World Economic Forum in Geneva, as an Associate Director for Africa. She also served as a Financial Analyst at the World Bank in Washington, and worked in micro-finance with the Global Hunger Project, an NGO based out of New York. In 2017, Amrote was named one of Africa’s Top 100 Young Business Leaders, ranking 12th out of 100 leaders under 40 who are playing a major role in driving the continent’s economic development. In 2019, she appeared on the same list, this time ranking 10th. In 2018 and 2019, she was also recognized by Jeune Afrique as one of the top 50 influential leaders shaping digital evolution and supporting start-ups in the African continent. Amrote holds a Masters degree in International Economic Development from the Heller School at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, and a Bachelor of Arts from Davidson College in North Carolina.

Dan Bryant is Senior Vice President for Global Public Policy and Government Affairs at Walmart, leading the company’s global public policy efforts and its government affairs activities in Washington, D.C. and internationally. From 2012 to 2015, Dan was a partner at Covington & Burling, where he chaired the Public Policy and Government Affairs Practice Group. From 2005 to 2012, Dan served as Senior Vice President for Global Public Policy and Government Affairs at PepsiCo, where he led the company’s worldwide government affairs team and oversaw its global public policy efforts. Prior to joining PepsiCo, Dan served as Assistant Attorney General for Legal Policy and Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Department of Justice, having been unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate for both positions. In these posts, he was responsible for planning and coordinating implementation of major legal policy initiatives and advising the Attorney General on legal and policy matters. He also served as Counselor to the Attorney General. Dan received the Edmund Randolph Award, the highest award that the U.S. Department of Justice confers on attorneys. Prior to his service at the U.S. Justice Department, Dan was Majority Chief Counsel on the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee and served on the U.S. Senate Government Affairs Committee, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Dan has taught law at George Washington University’s School of Law, Washington, D.C., and Columbia Law School, New York. He received his bachelor and Juris Doctor degrees from American University, Washington, D.C., and his master’s degree from Oxford University (Keble College), England. Dan also attended La Universidad de Sevilla, in Spain. He serves on the boards of the National Committee on US-China Relations (NCUSCR), the Brazil-US Business Council, and the Council of the Americas as well as a variety of education-related non-profit boards. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Dan and his wife Aerin live in the Washington, D.C. area and have four children.

Hans-Paul Bürkner is Chairman of The Boston Consulting Group. He was previously President and Chief Executive from 2003 to 2012. He joined BCG in 1981 and was a member of the teams that opened BCG’s Düsseldorf (1982) and Frankfurt (1991) offices. Before becoming the firm’s CEO, he was head of BCG’s global Financial Services practice, Chair of the Practice Areas, and a member of the Executive Committee. As CEO, Hans-Paul has driven BCG’s expansion by geography, industries and functions. Among others, he has established the Social Impact Initiative and the Public Sector Practice. The Social Impact Initiative supports WFP, The Gates Foundation, Save the Children, Teach for All, WWF, and the Yunus Foundation, besides hundreds of local NGOs. Through the Public Sector Practice, BCG supports governments in addressing critical issues in education, employment, social welfare, taxation, etc. He has counted among his clients many of the world’s leading companies and public entities during his more than 30 years at BCG. He has worked with them to redefine their strategies and organizations, spearheaded major global expansion initiatives, and supported them in the fundamental restructuring of their businesses. Hans-Paul studied economics, business administration, and Chinese, receiving a Diploma from the University of Bochum, an MA from Yale University, and a DPhil from the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. Today, he retains offices in Bangkok, Beijing, Frankfurt, Jakarta, Moscow and Mumbai. Besides his extensive travel to the countries where BCG operates in order to support key clients and teams, he is strongly engaged in global and regional conferences such as the World Economic Forum events in Europe, Asia and Africa, and the China Development and Boao Asian Forums. Hans-Paul is also Chair of the Centre for Public Impact, a new global not-for-profit BCG foundation that connects governments and their partners around the world to share and develop ideas that result in better outcomes for citizens. As the co-chair for various taskforces of the B20, he moderates a multitude of public and private institutions to provide input for the G20 leaders meeting.

Börje Ekholm assumed this role on January 16, 2017. He knew the company and the industry well after having been a Board member of Ericsson for nearly 10 years (first elected 2006) Born 1963. Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden. Master of Business Administration, INSEAD, France. Nationality: Sweden and USA. Board Member: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, Alibaba Group and Trimble Inc. Background: CEO of Patricia Industries, a division within Investor AB (2015–2017). Prio to assuming this position in 2015 he was President and CEO of Investor AB between 2005–2015. Formerly Head of Investor Growth Capital Inc. and New Investments. Previous positions also include Novare Kapital AB and McKinsey & Co Inc. He holds a honorary Doctorate at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden and since 2017, member of the Steering Committee of the World Economic Forum Digital Communication Governors. Member of the Board of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce New York.

Klaus Rosenfeld (b. 1966) was appointed CEO of Schaeffler AG in June 2014. He joined the Schaeffler Group as CFO and was appointed Member of the Supervisory Board of Continental AG in 2009. Prior to that Klaus Rosenfeld was appointed Member of the Board of Managing Directors of Dresdner Bank AG.

Diane Wang is founder and chairperson of DHgate, one of the leading B2B cross-border e-commerce platform in China founded in 2004. By connecting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from every corner of the world with high-quality products, DHgate takes a stand for fair world trade, upholds diversity and creativity. Diane has leveraged over 30 years of business and digital experience to drive DHgate’s mission to empower every people through digitalization. The critical focus is accelerating digital transformation for MSMEs and partners, and empowering women and societies through digital inclusion. Under her leadership, the company has actively engaged 2.2 million sellers and 31 million buyers from 222 countries/regions, with 32 million products available. Before this, she served as the youngest senior executive at Microsoft China and the only female with a high position at Cisco. In 1999, as the first generation of e-commerce entrepreneurs in China, she established Joyo.com, China’s first B2C trading platform. Diane is passionate about driving the digital inclusion agenda for MSMEs and women, collaborating with international associations and agencies. She is Co-chair of Business 20 (B20) Digitalization Taskforce of B20, Member of B20 Women in Business Action Council, Member of APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) China, Chair of APEC Women Leadership Summit, BRICS Women’s Business Alliance Chinese National Chapter Member, Member of High-level Advisory Council of World Internet Conference, and Chair of 50 Cross-border E-Commerce Leaders in China, to name just a few of her external positions.