Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, senior fellow, has been associated with the Institute since 2002. Before joining the Institute, he worked with the Danish Ministry of Defense, the United Nations in Iraq, and in the private financial sector. He is a graduate of the Danish Army's Special School of Intelligence and Linguistics with the rank of first lieutenant; the University of Aarhus in Aarhus, Denmark; the Columbia University in New York; and received his PhD from Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies. He is coeditor of Transatlantic Economic Challenges in an Era of Growing Multipolarity (2012), author of The Accelerating Decline in America's High-Skilled Workforce: Implications for Immigration Policy (2007), coauthor of US Pension Reform: Lessons from Other Countries (2009) and Transforming the European Economy (2004), and assisted with Accelerating the Globalization of America: The Role for Information Technology (2006). His current research focuses on European economies and reform, immigration, foreign direct investment trends and estimations, pension systems, demographics, offshoring, and the impact of information technology.

As founder and president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), Robert D. Atkinson leads a prolific team of policy analysts and fellows that is successfully shaping the debate and setting the agenda on a host of critical issues at the intersection of technological innovation and public policy.

He is an internationally recognized scholar and a widely published author whom The New Republic has named one of the “three most important thinkers about innovation,” Washingtonian Magazine has called a “tech titan,” Government Technology Magazine has judged to be one of the 25 top “doers, dreamers and drivers of information technology,” and Business 2 Community has cited as a thought leader on manufacturing issues.

A sought-after speaker and valued adviser to policymakers around the world, Atkinson’s books include Big is Beautiful: Debunking the Mythology of Small Business (MIT Press, 2018); Innovation Economics: The Race for Global Advantage (Yale, 2012), and The Past And Future Of America’s Economy: Long Waves Of Innovation That Power Cycles Of Growth (Edward Elgar, 2005). He also has conducted groundbreaking research projects and authored hundreds of articles and reports on technology and innovation-related topics ranging from tax policy to advanced manufacturing, productivity, and global competitiveness.

As a respected policy expert and commentator, Atkinson has testified numerous times before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and he appears frequently on news and public affairs programs. Among others, these appearances have included interviews on BBC, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, NPR, and NBC Nightly News.

Atkinson holds a Ph.D. in city and regional planning from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he was awarded the prestigious Joseph E. Pogue Fellowship. He earned his master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Oregon, which named him a distinguished alumnus in 2014.

Lin Ruiqi was born in 1972 and joined Huawei in 1997. She has held many senior positions at the company over the past two decades, including head of the Moscow Office, key account department director, director for market expansion in the CIS and Central and Eastern Europe regions, vice president of the CIS Region, vice president of the China Region, and vice president of the Public Affairs and Communications Dept. She is now senior vice president of Huawei. 

Ms. Lin has a bachelor's degree from the Harbin Institute of Technology, an EMBA from the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, and a doctor's degree from Beijing Normal University.

After gaining experience in the largest Ukrainian bank, Maryna has joined Roland Berger in 2008, focusing on Digital and Consumer Products. Her recent consulting work was centered on digital transformation, marketing strategy, logistics, and public studies. She carries out projects for electronics producers and retailers, public sector institutions and industrial companies in Russia, Ukraine and other Eastern and Central European countries.

Maryna holds degrees from Kyiv National Economic University (Ukraine) and Newcastle Business School (The United Kingdom).

Long Term industrial experience in ICT, Telecommunication industry. Working in Huawei for more than 15 years with regional and global roles as top management and senior business development, business management.

EXPERIENCE

Aug 2015 –, Huawei Central Asia Region

President, Enterprise Business Group

Successfully leading the whole Huawei Enterprise business with a great business growth. Manage a resource of more than 100 staff and multi-million USD business. 

Aug. 2013 – Jul. 2015, Huawei Turkey

Country manager, Turkey Enterprise Business Group

Built and managed enterprise business in Turkey from scratch to team of 40 and growth the business 200% within two years. Developed the team know-how pool of IT and Telecom vertical markets. Initiate Business Development in Energy, Transport, Public and Govt Domains, branding system integration and solution provision services. Managed contract Negotiations, RFI /RFP responses and project agreements. Manage the whole cycle of business development and over reaching the business target.

Aug. 2011 – Aug 2013, Huawei Central Asia Region

Regional Solution Sales Director, Enterprise Business Group

Manage the whole GTM for enterprise business in CA region, manage a team of 40 presales and technical experts to support the sales. Manage the contract negotiation, marketing, solution design and so on. 

April. 2004 – July 2011, Huawei Head Quarter

Global Core network Sales Department Director

Manage the whole global core network sales for more than 7 years and gain a significant sales, manage all the GTM, MKT, business development of global core network business. 

EDUCATION

June 2003

Southwest Jiaotong University, China

MS in Electrical Engineering

LANGUAGES

Olzhas Sartayev was born in 1981. He graduated with honors from the Republican Physics and Mathematics School (Almaty). Graduated with honors from Middle East Technial University (Ankara, Turkey), Faculty of International Economic Relations. Graduated from the Institute of Investment Banking (New York, USA), a course in financial modeling.

He began his career with the leading specialist of international management of Kazkommertsbank JSC (2003-2005).

2005-2006. Head of Capital Markets Department of Bank Caspian JSC.
2006-2007. Head of Project Financing Department of Halyk Bank.
2007-2009. Head of Kazimir Partners Kazakhstan office.
2010-2011. He was engaged in private business.
2011-2015. Advisor to the Minister of Industry and New Technologies of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
2015-2016. Managing Director for Investments of JSC "NC" KazAvtoZhol ".
2016-2017. Deputy Chairman of the Board of LLP "Astana LRT".
2017-present Chairman of the Board of “Astana Innovations” JSC.

Born in Frunze, USSR.

1995: Graduated from Economic Faculty of National State University of Kyrgyzstan, 

1997: Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (1997), master of economics.

1996 – 2000: State Tax Inspection of Kyrgyz Republic, Tax Inspector - Auditor.

2000 – 2002: Prime – Minister’s Office of Kyrgyz Republic, Referent; Expert.

2002 – 2005: Debt Enterprises and Banking Resolution Agency (DEBRA) under the Government of Kyrgyz Republic, Deputy Director.

2005 – 2008: National State Agency for Physical Culture and Sports under the Government of Kyrgyz Republic, State Secretary.

2008 – 2009: Ministry of Science and Education of Kyrgyz Republic, Deputy Minister.

2009 – 2011: National Agency of Communications of Kyrgyz Republic, State Secretary.

2011 - 2013 : State Agency of Communications under the Government of Kyrgyz Republic, Head Of Agency.

2013 – 2015: OJSC “Kyrgyztelekom”, Chairman of the Board.

2015 – 2016: State Property Management Fund of Kyrgyz Republic, Chairman.

2017 - present: Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications of CIS countries, Deputy CEO.

State Civil Service Advisor of the 1st Grade.

Married, has 2 daughters and son.

A citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan. He was born in 1981. He graduated from Kazakh National Research Technical University after K.I.Satpaev (KazNRTU) and the Institute of Management. He started his career in 2001 as a leading specialist in RSE "Center for Informatization of Financial Systems". He worked as a project manager in the framework of the state program for the formation of the Electronic Government in the National Information Technologies JSC, an employee of Kazakhtelecom JSC. He held the position of Deputy Chairman of the Board in National Information Technologies JSC, Chairman of the Board of NIT, Deputy Chairman of the Board of JSC National Infocommunication Holding Zerde, Chairman of the Board of NIT, Chief Director for Transformation and Personnel Policy of NAK JSC Kazatomprom. "In 2017 he was appointed Chairman of the Board of JSC" NIH "Zerde." He does not have a part-time job.

Received his B.Sc. degree in Civil Engineering in Bogazici University. He has been serving for leading Telco companies, Nokia, Samsung, and Huawei over 17 years in key roles. His career started in Eastman Kodak as Sales Manager in 1996. He has got the Samsung Award of Honor in 2013 for overcoming challenging conditions to win in Turkey’s mobile phone market. By developing creative marketing programs and original sales initiatives, he enhanced Samsung’s brand status to the result of brand’s domination in Turkey market. In Nokia, he had been responsible for reaching net sales and volume targets for MP, M and ES and contributed to hold brand’s solid leader position in Turkey market over 10 years. 

Selcuk Mirza has born in Ankara in 1971, he is married and has a daughter.