Paul served as the Executive Secretary of South Africa’s post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Paul also co-founded the International Centre for Transitional Justice, an organization that works in over 40 countries that have endured massive human rights violations under repression conflict. Paul is also a co-founder and CEO of Maiyet, an ethical luxury fashion brand that cultivates traditional design and culture by partnering with global artisans. Most recently, Paul co-founded The Conduit, which serves as a home for those committed to improving the world by harnessing the power of creativity and entrepreneurship. The Conduit serves as a home for a diverse community of people passionate about social change. 

Lina Liakou is the Global Director of the Resilient Cities Network, where she leads engagement with 101 member cities worldwide and directs the organization’s strategy and resilience practice. Her work focuses on advancing urban resilience by operationalizing knowledge, enabling peer-to-peer learning, and building the capacity of city practitioners. A recognized expert in urban governance and resilience, Lina brings decades of experience in shaping inclusive, adaptive, and future-ready urban systems. 

Before R-Cities, Lina served as Deputy Mayor and Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Thessaloniki, Greece. In that role, she spearheaded strategic partnerships with the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, and the World Bank. Earlier in her career, she was Chief Executive of the Metropolitan Development Agency of Thessaloniki, where she oversaw the coordination of national and international urban development projects. 

Lina is trained as an architect and urban designer at the Bartlett School of Architecture in London and was named a Marshall Memorial Fellow (2015) by the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Susan Aitken was elected as Leader of Glasgow City Council in 2017, forming Glasgow’s first ever SNP-led City Government. She was first

Leader of the Council, Glasgow elected as a councillor for the Langside ward in 2012, following a career in public policy and communications. Susan was reappointed to a second term as Council Leader following the 2022 Scottish Local Government elections. Under her leadership, Glasgow has hosted the UN Climate Summit COP26 and will host the Commonwealth Games in 2026. She was awarded Scottish Local Politician of the Year in 2019 for her work to end historic gender pay discrimination and Scottish Council Leader of the Year in 2021 for her leadership on climate issues. Susan was selected as one of 40 global city leaders for the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative Class of 2023. In February 2024, Susan was announced as chair of the global Resilient Cities Network.

Lauren Sorkin is the Executive Director of the Resilient Cities Network where she oversees global efforts to strengthen cities in the face of the complex and interconnected challenges. Leading a team of urban resilience professionals in New York, Rotterdam and Singapore in collaboration with Chief Resilience Officers in 40 countries, her work builds on the unique capacity, breadth, and legacy of the 100 Resilient Cities Program to enhance the resilience of communities and critical infrastructure. She also serves as an advisor and spokesperson on urban resilience, sustainable finance, climate risk, holistic health and women’s leadership. Previously with the Asian Development Bank, Sorkin led the Bank’s first ever climate change investment plan before moving to the ADB’s Vietnam Office to mainstream climate risks and opportunities in the country’s $7 billion portfolio. Before joining the ADB, she led knowledge management efforts for two USAID programs: the Eco-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program in China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam; and the Initiative for Conservation in the Andean Amazon in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. She has published work on biofuels, climate change, urban resilience, infant mortality, and HIV/AIDS. Sorkin holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Tufts University, a Master of Science in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics and is a certified yoga instructor and holistic health counsellor. Sorkin currently resides in Barcelona with her two children. 

Mayor Beam Furr is the elected Commissioner for Broward County Commission District 6. He has been selected for his second term as Mayor of Broward County by his Commission colleagues. Working to protect and preserve our beautiful South Florida environment has been a top priority for Commissioner Furr since day one. This includes serving as the Co-Chair of the Broward County Climate Change Task Force, helping to enact Broward County’s Climate Change Action Plan, developing regional approaches to resiliency and rising sea levels, increasing sustainability and reducing emissions through electric vehicles, the creation of the Kristen Jacobs Southeast Florida Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area, and protecting our Everglades from oil drilling and fracking. He currently serves as the County representative and Co-Chair on the Broward County Solid Waste and Recyclable Materials Processing Authority. Commissioner Furr is the recipient of the Environmental Service award from the national Sierra Club.

A banker and financial expert, started his career with HSBC, moved between Jordan and Palestine in several senior financial positions. Kassis served as CEO for The Palestine Mortgage and Housing Corp, advisor to the Governor and board member at the Palestine Monetary Authority, financial advisor at Palestine Investment Fund, PIF, for SME loans guarantee fund and affordable housing, Kassis established two Fintech start-ups in 2020 & 2021Ambassador for the UCLG, packed of government, Treasurer of Metropolis. Kassis served on the boards of many public and private companies, schools and universities. Kassis is married and has two daughters. He earned his International Executive MBA from Kellogg / Northwestern University - Chicago and has an undergraduate degree in finance and banking.

Dato’ Ir. Rajendran Anthony was born in Penang Island and is a civil engineer by profession. He started his career at the Municipal Council of Penang Island (now the City Council of Penang Island) in 1986. He has a B.Eng (Hons) degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. In 2002, he was seconded to the State Economic Planning Unit to Head of the Traffic Section. Subsequently he was appointed as the General Manager of the State Public Transport Company in 2007. He returned to the City Council in 2009 as the Chief Engineer and was promoted to the Deputy Director of Engineering post in 2011 and the Director in 2018. 

Based on his experience and performance in various positions and capacities, Ir. Rajendran was appointed as the City Secretary in 2022 has held the helm of the City Council of Penang Island as the Mayor from May 2023. His vision is to make Penang Island a Progressive, Resilient and Happy City. 

Ir. Rajendran is an experienced engineer in Highways and Bridges Construction, Traffic Planning and Management, Public Transport Planning and Operation; and Solid Waste Operations and Management. He also oversees the Digital Transformation of the City Council of Penang Island. He is a professional engineer with practising certificate registered with the Board of Engineers Malaysia. In 2024, he was conferred the Honorary Fellow of The Institution of Engineers Malaysia for his contributions to the engineering profession and the institution.

Before being handed the "Innovation, Attractiveness, prospective Paris 2030 and resilience" delegation, Penelope Komites used to be in charge of green spaces, biodiversity, urban agriculture and funeral affairs. During her previous term, she been handed the delegation regarding disabled people, following her lifelong associative commitment which had brought her to be France's Greenpeace general director for 5 years.

Dame Jo da Silva has earned global recognition as an engineer who has applied her knowledge and design expertise to improve safety, promote inclusivity, and enhance resilience of communities, cities, and infrastructure globally. Jo is currently Global Sustainable Development Director at Arup leading business transformation in response to the climate, biodiversity and equity crises. Jo founded Arup International Development to direct Arup’s expertise and creativity to improving human development outcomes in the global south. She has led the planning, design and implementation of buildings, infrastructure, and urban regeneration projects globally, and worked extensively in crisis and disaster contexts for non-governmental, UN agencies and multi-laterals. She has an honorary doctorate in humanitarian engineering from Coventry University and was awarded the Gold Medal by the Institution of Structural Engineers in 2017, and in 2021 was recognised as a Royal Designer for Industry for sustainable design. She was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to engineering and sustainable international development.

Dr. Mahmood is a medical professional with over 20 years of experience in health crises, disaster response, and conflict settings. She is Professor and founding director of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health in Malaysia.  Prior that that, she served as Special Advisor to Malaysia’s Prime Minister on Public Health, Under Secretary General for Partnerships at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and led the World Humanitarian Summit Secretariat at the United Nations. She also founded MERCY Malaysia, an international humanitarian organization in 1999, and served as the independent Chair of Oxfam International.

Dr Folayinka Dania is the Chief Resilience Officer for Lagos State and the Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Resilience Office (LASRO). She coordinates the implementation of the Lagos Resilience Strategy in collaboration with other State Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies with the goal of ensuring that the State continues to thrive, adapt and grow sustainably. She was previously the State’s Deputy CRO and during her tenure she supervised the development of the Lagos Resilience Strategy by the multi-disciplinary LASRO team. Prior to joining LASRO, she served at the State Ministry of Health in various capacities, leading and developing State health programs. Dr Dania holds a bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Lagos and a master’s degree in Public Health from Imperial College London.

Elaine Tan holds a leadership role as Research Director at the Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore, with key portfolios in urban resilience, climate change, ageing, health, and social research. With her expertise, she is appointed to serve on the esteemed Resilient Cities Network (RCN) Global Steering Committee and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Singapore Executive Committee. Previously, Elaine held key positions at the Urban Redevelopment Authority, including Director, Strategic Research and Director, Architecture & Urban Design Excellence. She also played a pivotal role in establishing the President's Design Award and the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, which have received high-profile recognition. In 2024, Elaine established the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Network to amplify its global impact. Through her work, she continues to drive innovation and excellence in urban development and research.

Mar Jiménez, the Commissioner for European Affairs at Barcelona City Council, leads initiatives that connect local governments with European institutions, the Mayors for Housing coalition and the Mission 100 Climate Neutral Cities. She is also an Op-Ed Contributor for La Vanguardia, offering insights on European affairs and urban policies. Previously, she served as Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Barcelona, shaping international and green transition strategies. She played a key role in NetZeroCities, being senior coordinator focused on the city suport on behalf of Eurocities. With over two decades of experience in government and media, she holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Barcelona and another in Communication from Universitat Ramon Llull. She pursued PhD studies in Economics and further honed her expertise at ESADE and INSEAD. Passionate about European values, she bridges policy-making, media influence, and city leadership for a fairer and more sustainable Europe.

Louise Hénault-Éthier is Division Chief for Adaptation, Biodiversity, and Resilience at the Office of Ecological Transition and Resilience of the City of Montréal. She holds a BSc in Biology and PhD in Environmental Sciences. As an associate professor at Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), she specializes in phytotechnologies, entotechnologies, climate change adaptation, and circular economy. She has led carbon sequestration projects, authored technical guides on green infrastructure, and contributed to key municipal initiatives such as Montréal’s Zero Waste Vision and Québec’s Carrefour de l’Eau. Louise serves on the boards of Recyc-Québec and has served on the Québec Society of Phytotechnology. She is a member of the Canadian committee for the new ISO biodiversity standard. She participated in international missions and forums, including the UN Biodiversity COP and ICLEI’s Resilient Cities events in Montreal.

As the Chief Resilience Officer at Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Kathryn leads the development of policies and strategies in urban resilience and crisis response for 11 local authorities. She also heads up the partnership team spearheading work for the multi-agency Greater Manchester Resilience Forum. Kathryn is a member of the Resilient Cities Network Global Steering Committee, UNDRR’s Regional Coordinating Committee for Europe and Central Asia for the Making Cities Resilient 2030 initiative, and the International Board of the Counter Terrorism Preparedness Network. Kathryn is a Commissioner for the National Preparedness Commission, Co-Chair of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management’s Global Urban Resilience Steering Committee and sits on the Local Government Association’s Resilience Advisory Network. She is a member of the University of Manchester’s Urban Institute Local Advisory Board together with the Strategic Board overseeing the SALIENT Research and Coordination Hub. Kathryn holds a medical degree and has previously held a wide range of positions in local government.