UP Your Game

With over 27 years of experience in the communications industry, Maria is the owner and CEO of United Partners, a leading PR and marketing agency in EMEA. Maria is also the co-founder of United Partners Public Affairs, a division that provides strategic counsel and advocacy services to clients across various sectors and markets. In addition, Maria is the founder of UPN, an international network of PR and marketing agencies united for effortless growth and delivering multi-national PR and marketing solutions.

Public Relations & Communications Analyst, Global PR Speaker Svetlana Stavreva is the IPRA President 2019-2020, IPRA Board Member, member of Forbes Communications Council and a long-term Public Relation & Communication Professional at IBM.

Georgi Ivanov is a marketing and communications strategist with a twist — he started as a CFO. After cutting his teeth in financial consulting at Ernst & Young and climbing to C-level finance roles, he made an unconventional pivot from spreadsheets to storytelling. Now leading brand strategy and communications at fintech leader Payhawk, Georgi brings a rare combination of financial acumen and marketing strategy to the table. As an AI strategy expert, he helps position Payhawk as a thought leader at the forefront of artificial intelligence in financial technology.

Rosemary Ravinal is a TEDx Speaker, public speaking coach and author who works with high-profile leaders in Spanish and English to fulfill their fullest potential when they speak. She is recognized as “America's Premier Bilingual Public Speaking Coach” after decades as a communications leader, spokesperson and media personality for companies such as Republica-Havas, TelevisaUnivision, MSNBC, Ericsson, History Channel, Discovery Channel, Lifetime, AT&T and Avon. Her TEDx talk, Slay the Dragons of Bad Communication has close 300,000 views.

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Ivan Fernandes is a strategic advisor to agencies, founders, and investors navigating growth, capital, and exit decisions. With over 15 years’ experience across marketing, digital transformation, and private equity-backed growth, he brings a sharp, execution-first mindset to every engagement.

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Caleb Gardner is an author, entrepreneur, and global expert in technology, politics, and change management, who helps leaders navigate disruption and lead through uncertainty. After leading digital strategy for President Barack Obama—growing the @BarackObama Twitter account to the most followed in the world—Caleb co-founded 18 Coffees, a strategy consulting and training firm. As managing partner, Caleb uses his 20+ years of experience with global clients like Comcast, Bose Corporation, Weber Shandwick, Sirius XM, and United Way Worldwide to help leaders around the world transform their companies in the face of uncertainty and change.

Business Administrator from CESA. MBA/MIBS from the University of South Carolina. Professor of Advanced Marketing at CESA. Founder of Position Strategic Communications, a company acquired by Edelman Worldwide.

Ferro served as Vice President of Marketing at Microsoft Colombia, was a member of several boards, an advisor to six ministers, and a social and technological entrepreneur. He established the Consumer Communications department as Senior Vice President / Partner at FD Gravitas-FTI Consulting.

Zineb El Ouazzani is a former top-ranked athlete, corporate leader, entrepreneur and dynamic speaker known for her powerful personal journey and ability to translate it into actionable inspiration. With a background that bridges elite sports, global tech, and community impact, Zineb speaks to the heart of reinvention and resilience. Her message challenges marketers and communicators to look beyond strategy—to the stories that shape identity, inspire change, and connect us more deeply to purpose.

Juha is the founder and CEO of Netprofile, Finland’s leading PR and Content a Marketing agency focused on B2B technology. Juha brings in 20+ years of experience in crafting business-boosting marketing and communications strategies and leading award-winning campaigns in Finland and internationally.

Dan Brahmy is the CEO and co-founder of Cyabra, the industry leader in AI-powered disinformation detection, helping Fortune 500 companies, top brands, and governments safeguard their online reputation.

A visionary entrepreneur, Dan has pioneered Cyabra's fight against AI-driven disinformation, leveraging cutting-edge technology to expose fake profiles, harmful narratives, and manipulated content. He has advised corporate executives and regulators on mitigating digital risks, positioning Cyabra as the go-to platform for brand protection and crisis management.

Danil Nevsky, a globe trotter currently living in Barcelona, is the Founder of Indie Bartender. Nominated #2 among the Top 100 Most Influential in the Hospitality Industry 2024 and addressing to himself as ‘The Independent Bartender’, has a diverse range of international experiences over 15 years in the hospitality industry spanning 14 countries. Indie Bartender, the global online education platform by Danil Nevsky, in 2025 has launched a new resource called the Cocktail Menu Collection.

An Expert Witness in reputation and cited as 'among the 100 most influential people in PR’, Sandra is Group CEO of Echo Research which provides brand and reputation research for clients globally and values reputation for listed companies.  Frequent speaker and contributor to books and articles on reputation, Sandra is Ambassador to the International Integrated Reporting Council <IR>, a Chartered Manager and Companion of the Chartered Institute of Management, Partner Member of the Market Research Society, and Visiting Professor on Reputation at NYU. 

Entrepreneur and expert in public relations and communications. Passionate about helping tech businesses grow their brand. Co founder and Partner at Cloudberry.

Natalya is a founder of Life by Design Academy who developed a transformational holistic coaching and training model that boosts energy and performance, optimises health and wellbeing for leaders and their teams. She combines executive coaching with clients in India, Europe, USA and Latin America with her 20 years’ experience in business development, sales & marketing and international management.

Expert in Strategic Communication and Reputation, Economic and Corporate Diplomacy. Eco-entrepreneur and international consultant. Committed to Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability. Trainer in corporate diplomacy and negotiations techniques.

We live in challenging times, where growth doesn’t happen by accident. It requires clear intention, planning, and bold leadership. Bart is here to share his proven framework for agency leaders who want to not only survive but thrive. With his unique mix of creativity and business acumen, he’ll challenge us to rethink how we lead, scale, and future-proof our agencies. His session will be a must-attend for anyone serious about steering their business with vision and impact.

As the Senior Director for Global External Relations, I play a pivotal role managing Grifols’ reputation to ensure the company continues to be a revered name for innovative, lifesaving plasma medicines and diagnostic solutions.

In a rapidly evolving biopharma sector in which patient demand for plasma-based treatments continues to grow, I ensure key stakeholders – media, institutions, etc. – reflect the company’s recent achievements and growth potential.

Flávia Apocalypse is the Communications Leader for Kyndryl LATAM. She has worked in Communications for over 20 years. Before joining Kyndryl, Flávia led Internal Communications and Workforce and Field Enablement at IBM, as well as coordinated media relations. Flávia has expertise in strategic communications, having led and developed numerous internal and external communication projects and worked extensively with executive communications, helping build a strong and positive leadership presence for several of the company’s managing directors throughout her career.

With over 27 years of experience in the communications industry, Maria is the owner and CEO of United Partners, a leading PR and marketing agency in EMEA. Maria is also the co-founder of United Partners Public Affairs, a division that provides strategic counsel and advocacy services to clients across various sectors and markets. In addition, Maria is the founder of UPN, an international network of PR and marketing agencies united for effortless growth and delivering multi-national PR and marketing solutions.

Aline Badr is a Global Executive Coach and Reputation Advisor with clients in the EU, Africa, Asia and North America. She helps C-level and high-potential executives gain lasting influence and impact. Aline developed a leadership coaching model that delivers clarity, confidence, and credibility for her executive clients, and combines her 25 years of brand, reputation management and executive coaching experience.

Jenny Plant is the owner of Account Management Skills Ltd, a training company helping client-centric agency owners make client retention and account growth more predictable. Jenny’s training programmes are aimed at those responsible for agency account growth - including Client Services Directors looking to hardwire repeatable account growth processes into the business.

Juha is the founder and CEO of Netprofile, Finland’s leading PR and Content a Marketing agency focused on B2B technology. Juha brings in 20+ years of experience in crafting business-boosting marketing and communications strategies and leading award-winning campaigns in Finland and internationally.

Public Relations & Communications Analyst, Global PR Speaker Svetlana Stavreva is the IPRA President 2019-2020, IPRA Board Member, member of Forbes Communications Council and a long-term Public Relation & Communication Professional at IBM.

Entrepreneur and expert in public relations and communications. Passionate about helping tech businesses grow their brand. Co founder and Partner at Cloudberry.

Richard Fogg is a PR and marketing consultant who thrives on tackling complex technology B2B PR and marketing challenges. Each day, he is driven by a passion for assisting outstanding companies with innovative technologies and bold ideas in gaining the recognition, reputation, and rewards they deserve.

Patryk Nowak, the Head of Sales at Prowly, a tool designed for PR specialists. He excels in helping professionals build personalized, long-term relationships with journalists. Patryk emphasizes the use of technology to provide insightful data, validating the impact of PR efforts with concrete numbers.

Pedro Janela is the Chairman and founder of WYgroup, currently with a portfolio of 7 companies and more than 450 employees. Founded in 2002, WYgroup is now the largest Technology Marketing group operating in Portugal with billings in excess of 28M Euros.

Raina Lazarova is the Co-Founder and COO of Ruepoint – a global media intelligence provider, helping PR & Communications professionals demonstrate the value of their work through data-driven media insights, and an outcome-based approach to media measurement and evaluation.

Managing Director and Business Development specialist with an outstanding track record in the communications, creative and health innovation industries. Bronwen has been responsible for winning and growing some of the world's most ambitious brands and businesses.

Natalya is a founder of Life by Design Academy who developed a transformational holistic coaching and training model that boosts energy and performance, optimises health and wellbeing for leaders and their teams. She combines executive coaching with clients in India, Europe, USA and Latin America with her 20 years’ experience in business development, sales & marketing and international management.

Jeff Berkowitz is the founder and CEO of Delve, Washington’s preeminent competitive intelligence and risk advisory firm. Delve helps heavily regulated and highly scrutinized sectors − including energy and utilities, life sciences, financial services and beyond − anticipate and mitigate public affairs challenges.

25+ experience in corporate affairs, communications, and public affairs, both in large multinational organizations and start-ups, covering a wide area of disciplines (brand PR, media relations, stakeholder management, internal communications). Have lived and worked in both developing and developed markets.