Brussels Forum Session: Perspectives on a New Atlanticism

Ginny Badanes is senior director of Democracy Forward, an initiative within Microsoft’s Technology and Corporate Responsibility organization that focuses on addressing ongoing challenges to the stability of democracies globally. The initiative includes efforts to protect elections, political parties, campaigns, and NGOs from cyber-enabled threats. The Democracy Forward team also leads Microsoft’s work to improve the information ecosystem, which involves combating disinformation, expanding news distribution, increasing media literacy, and working with community-based programs and newsrooms to use technology to expand their reach.  

Badanes has spent her career at the intersection of politics and technology. Before joining Microsoft in 2014, she was vice-president of political services at CMDI, where she advised presidential and senate campaigns in their efforts to leverage data and technology to improve their finance and treasury operations.  

Ginny was named to Washingtonian’s 2021 and 2022 “Most Influential People” list for national security and defense. She is a graduate of Duke University.

Brussels Forum Session: The Future of Transatlantic Economic Competitiveness

Ann Mettler has more than two decades of experience in high-level public policy and strategy, operating at the intersection of technology, innovation, foresight, and entrepreneurship. 

At Breakthrough Energy, Mettler works with European partners to accelerate clean tech innovation in pursuit of climate neutrality and a net-zero emissions future. Previously, she served as director-general at the European Commission, where she ran the internal strategy department reporting directly to the President. An entrepreneur at heart, Mettler set up her own think tank, which she ran for more than a decade. Her career began at the World Economic Forum, where she led the Europe department.  

Mettler has lived and worked in Germany, Greece, the United States, Switzerland, and Belgium. She holds MA degrees in political science and European law and economics, and graduated with distinction from the University of New Mexico, USA, and the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University in Bonn, Germany.

Brussels Forum Session: The Future of Transatlantic Economic Competitiveness

Bruce H. Andrews has more than 30 years of public policy and government relations experience. He is corporate vice president and chief government affairs officer at Intel Corporation, where he leads Intel’s global government affairs group and oversees the company’s government affairs and public policy functions and strategies.  Prior to Intel, Andrews served as senior vice president and managing partner, co-leading global government affairs, at SoftBank group.  

Andrews served previously as managing director at Rock Creek Global Advisors, an international economic and trade policy advisory firm. He served as deputy secretary of the US Department of Commerce from 2014 to 2017, and chief of staff to the Secretary from 2011 to 2014. Prior to the Commerce Department, Andrews served as general counsel of the Senate Commerce Committee for Chairman Jay Rockefeller, and vice president of Governmental Affairs for Ford Motor Company, where he oversaw US federal and state government affairs. Before that, he was one of the founding members of Quinn Gillespie & Associates. Additionally, Andrews was an attorney at Arnold & Porter, legislative director to Congressman Tim Holden and started his career with Senator Alan Cranston.  

Andrews is a graduate of Haverford College and the Georgetown University Law Center.

Brussels Forum Session: Opening Dinner: A Shared Cause, A Meal Shared—Voices from the Region

Andrii Zhupanyn is a member of the Ukrainian Parliament from President Zelenskyy’s “Servant of the People” party and chairman of the parliament’s Subcommittee on Natural Gas. Before joining Ukraine’s legislative body, Zhupanyn spent nine years working as an attorney in prominent Ukrainian law firms, most recently as a senior associate at DLA Piper Ukraine.  Zhupanyn holds an LL.M. degree from Leiden University and is currently studying part-time in the Executive MBA program at London Business School. 

Zhupanyn is a key figure in the development of Ukraine’s energy policy. As chairman of the parliamentary subcommittee on natural gas, he was the main author and key presenter of the draft law on unbundling the Ukrainian gas transportation system from Naftogas, Ukraine’s largest gas extraction company, , and incorporation of an independent gas transmission system operator (TSO). Zhupanyn also prepared and presented key changes to the legislation allowing the production of biomethane (that is, renewable natural gas) in Ukraine. 

Currently Zhupanyn is working on the draft law that is aimed at securing a green transition of Ukraine’s energy sector. He also chairs a multipartisan group of Ukrainian members of parliament called “United for Recovery”. 

Ināra Mūrniece has served as the defense minister of the Republic of Latvia since December 14, 2022. Prior to that, she was the speaker of the Saeima—the unicameral Latvian parliament—beginning in 2014. As a member of parliament since 2011, she has chaired the Committee on Human Rights and Public Affairs and the National Security Committee, and was a member of the National Upbringing Committee and the Social Cohesion Committee. She has also served as a member of National Security Council of Latvia. Mūrniece began her career as a journalist at Latvia’s largest daily newspaper, Latvijas Avīze, where she worked predominantly on issues of national defense and security. She holds a bachelor’s degree in translation from the School of Economics and Culture and a qualification from the University of Latvia.

Brussels Forum Session: Opening Dinner: A Shared Cause, A Meal Shared—Voices from the Region

Daria Chekalova is deputy head of Divchata-NGO Girls and has worked in the sphere of women’s, girls’, and children’s rights for four years. Her previous experience includes managing campaigns to raise awareness of key issues and supporting projects that aim to improve children’s digital literacy and prevent sexual abuse online. 

At NGO Girls, Chekalova leads several humanitarian response projects and is responsible for grantwriting, business development, and partnership communications. She is passionate about developing the NGO's capacity and visibility, along with that of other local grassroots organizations, and advocating for women and children. 

Chekalova obtained a bachelor's degree in linguistics from the Kyiv National Linguistics University and a master's degree in international communications from the Kyiv Shevchenko National University.