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.

Mete Coban MBE became the Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy in July 2024, overseeing the Mayor’s world-leading climate action plan for the capital.

Before becoming Deputy Mayor, Mete was a Councillor and Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment, and Transport in the London Borough of Hackney, delivering a £61 million Green New Deal to tackle the climate crisis. He is best known for pioneering Hackney’s Community Energy Fund, providing clean, green, community-owned energy to 39 not-for-profits.

Mete is widely credited with making politics more accessible to young people as the Founder of the youth-led charity My Life My Say. He led the Give an X voter registration campaign, which resulted in over 488,000 newly registered voters ahead of the UK General Election in July 2024. 

In the New Year's 2020 Honours List, Mete received an MBE for services to young people, recognising his efforts to make politics and democracy more accessible to the younger generation. Mete also serves as a Trustee at the London Marathon Foundation and My Life My Say.

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.

Jeannette Ickovics is the Samuel and Liselotte Herman Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Professor of Psychology at Yale University.  Dr. Ickovics’ research, funded with >$40 million from NIH, CDC, and private foundations investigates the interplay of complex factors that influence individual and community health, especially for those traditionally underserved. She is author of nearly 250 publications in maternal health, mental health, and community health. Her newest work focuses on global climate resilience, health, and equity in collaboration with the Resilient Cities Network and the Sustainable Markets Initiative.  At the Yale Center on Climate Change and Health, she is Director of the Program on Climate Change and Urban Health. Dr. Ickovics is the recipient of numerous awards for research and mentorship.  She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association where she also serves as Chair of the Board of Scientific Affairs, and an elected member of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research.

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.

Berglof sets the vision and strategy for the Economics Department and leads the planning, implementation and supervision of its work plan in support of the Bank’s mandate. He is the Bank’s inaugural Chief Economist. Prior to joining AIIB in September 2020, he was Director of the Institute of Global Affairs, London School of Economics, and Chief Economist of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development from 2006 to 2015, where he was part of creating and co-led the Vienna Initiative, a European crisis response team credited with mitigating the impact of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. He is an expert in transition economics and institutional transformation through private sector development. He holds a PhD in Financial Economics and an MA in Business and Economics, both from the Stockholm School of Economics. Berglof is a national of Sweden.

Glyn is Bupa’s Group Director of Sustainability and member of Bupa's Strategic Development Forum. Bupa's purpose is helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world. 

Reporting into Bupa’s Chief Sustainability and People Officer, Glyn is responsible for the design and implementation of Bupa's global sustainability strategy, which recognises the intersection between, and interdependence of, human health and the health of the planet, and is focussed on creating healthier societies through delivering preventative care, increasing access through digital innovation, making communities healthier through cities and nature, and reducing the impact of healthcare delivery. Glyn also directs delivery of Bupa’s science-based targets and net zero commitments and solutions delivering on Bupa’s climate, health and nature ambitions. 

Glyn previously held roles in strategy and legal teams at Bupa, and was admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2009 (although is not currently practicing law). 

He is fluent in English and German and has worked in Africa, Asia and Europe. 

Karl Astbury works at the intersection of climate resilience, health, and equity, serving as Lead for Climate & Health at the Resilient Cities Network. Based in Greater Manchester, he collaborates with cities around the world to address the interconnected challenges of climate change, public health, and inequality - from reducing extreme heat risks to supporting community-led adaptation in flood-prone neighbourhoods. 

Karl oversees key global initiatives, including Resilient Cities: Reimagining Health and Urban Pulse, which bring together city leaders, researchers, and private sector partners to integrate health into climate strategies and develop practical, evidence-based solutions. He has also designed and is delivering the Resilience for Communities programme, embedding local action and community voices into policy change whilst unlocking investment for community resilience and wellbeing. 

His work spans strategic partnerships with the Rockefeller Foundation, Yale University, the Sustainable Markets Initiative, the Z Zurich Foundation and other partners committed to advancing whole-of-society resilience. Previously, he led Greater Manchester’s first Resilience Strategy and oversaw regional emergency planning, bringing together diverse sectors to prepare for and adapt to complex urban shocks and stresses. He is a regular contributor to global discussions on climate, health, and equity, advocating for approaches that ensure resilience benefits those who face the greatest barriers.

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.

Kristen is Head of Strategy, Prevention, and Community Resilience at the Greater London Authority. Her role involves integration of resilience across policy and programmes and ensuring that resilience practice in London centres people and communities. Before that, she worked for more than 15 years coordinating climate change adaptation partnerships, as Manager of the London Climate Change Partnership, Director of Climate South East, and Chair of Climate UK. Her major interest is in bringing together people and ideas from across sectors to respond to social and environmental resilience challenges. In particular, she is interested in the social justice issues raised by climate change and other crises, and the need to incorporate equity in resilience policy and planning.

Pooja Agrawal is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Public Practice. Public Practice is a not-for-profit organisation that builds the skills and capability of the public sector to improve the quality, equality and sustainability of places.

She is an architect and planner who worked as a public servant at Homes England and the Greater London Authority. She also co-founded the social equality platform Sound Advice and co-published Now You Know, a compendium of fifty essays exploring spatial and racial inequality. She is a Trustee at Open City and a Fellow at the Institute of Innovation and Public Purpose. 

In 2023, she received the “London Design Festival Innovation Award”,  the “AJ100 Contribution to the Architecture Profession Award” and UKREiiF’s ‘People and Skills Torchbearer Award’. Over the years, she has repeatedly been included in the Planner’s Woman of Influence list of recognition.

A respected strategist and leader, Ruth has over 25 years’ experience of delivering growth, change and positive impact with and for charities and purpose-led organisations.  

Ruth built her career in fundraising, winning multiple awards for her innovation and results. At charities including Crisis, Friends of the Earth and Christian Aid, Ruth ran large fundraising departments, diversifying and growing income in every organisation she led. Ruth then built highly successful fundraising departments and programmes from scratch for two start up organisations - Canal & River Trust and Prince’s Trust International - before transitioning from fundraising to philanthropy. 

Ruth joined Comic Relief to lead their global grant-making, social impact investing and advocacy. She was promoted to Interim Chief Executive and led the organisation through Covid-19. During this time Ruth not only increased Comic Relief’s income to over £100m in a single year for the first time in years, she also introduced the green (non-plastic) red nose and led their work on EDI and culture change that saw them root their grant-making in lived experience. Ruth’s career as a CEO continued as joined Refuge where she developed their first multi-year strategy, transformed their internal culture, secured vital new funds both through social impact investment and through new statutory sources as well as delivering significant policy change through advocacy and campaigning. 

Ruth has served on the Boards of multiple major non-profit organisations including Oxfam GB and Greenpeace UK. She currently serves on the Board of the UK’s National Emergencies Trust, where she is the lead Trustee for fundraising. 

After a year working in the private sector, leading global impact for The Conduit, Ruth now works across charities, grant-makers, family offices and purpose-led organisations, supporting them to increase their sustainability and impact. Ruth has led consultancy projects for a wide range of commercial and non-profit clients.  

Ruth has particular expertise and interest in issues of social and environmental justice and is a regular columnist on sustainability for New Food magazine and on leadership for the Directory of Social Change.