Romania Digital Communications and Media Forum 2026

Bio coming soon…

Ms. Armela Krasniqi is the Chair of Audiovisual Media Authority, elected by the Albanian Parliament, with 83 out of 140 votes, on 07.07.2021.

Ms. Krasniqi is a professor in Journalism and Communication, in Bachelor and Master programs, at the Universities of Pristina and Albania.

On June 2024 Ms. Krasniqi was elected Vice President of European Platform of  Regulatory Authorities, EPRA.

During the period from December 2022 to September 2023, she is appointed as the Vice President of the Mediterranean Network of Regulatory Authorities (MNRA).

Since September 2023, Mrs. Krasniqi holds the position of President of the Mediterranean Network of Regulatory Authorities (MNRA).

Ms. Krasniqi has a long career in media and communication holding positions in both private and public sectors. Her previous duty was as General Director of Albanian Telegraphic Agency. During this period, she was elected by 32 European news agencies as a member of the board of the European News Agencies (EANA).

Madam Krasniqi has also been President of ABNA – SEE (Association of the Balkan News Agencies Southeast Europe). She has been the organizer of several international conferences, among which we highlight: “News agencies vs fake news” where the “Tirana Declaration on fake news” was drafted and signed by 13 European news agencies, as well she had an active participation in conferences: “How can the media survive in the digital age”; “Media of the future”; “The possibilities of news agencies in the fight against disinformation”, ect.

Earlier, Ms. Krasniqi has contributed in some of the most important audio and audiovisual media and institution as news director, author, moderator, spokesperson, senior management body in the civil service. She holds several qualifications from the University of Perugia, the Presidency of Umbria (Italy) in 2000 and the Cabinet Office and Number 10 London (United Kingdom) in 2016.

In the institutions where she has served was appreciated for the positive impact and the spirit of cooperation. Armela Krasniqi Ms. Krasniqi graduated in 1999 from the Faculty of Journalism at the University of Tirana (Albania).

She is married and has two sons. Additionally, Mrs. Kraniqi’s career and contribution are well-known in the field of media and international organizations.

Ms. Armela Krasniqi’s career also includes two poetry volumes: “The end of portrets” published in 1992 and “Eclipse of silence” published in 1995.

Dr. Bogdan Chirițoiu is the President of the Romanian Competition Council since 2009. In 2019, Bogdan Chirițoiu became member of the Administrative Board of the European Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and since 2026 he is the Chair of the ACER Administrative Board.

From 2005 to 2009 he has served as Presidential Advisor and he was the Head of the Romanian Delegation to the EU Economic Policy Committee. He holds, since 2008, a PhD in Economics at the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest. Bogdan Chirițoiu has a MA in political science (Central European University, Budapest, 1997) and a MSc in European Studies (London School of Economics and Political Science, 1998).

Dr. Chirițoiu is a lecturer on Public Administration and European Studies at the University of Bucharest, since 1999.

George Michaelides has more than 20 years of experience in ICT, and currently heads the Cyprus national regulatory authority (OCECPR) for Electronic Communications and Postal Services as well as the regulatory authority for Network and Information Security (NIS) for Critical Information Infrastructures (CIIs). In addition, he is tasked to setup and operate the National CSIRT. His office is also the coordinating body for the implementation of Cyprus Cybersecurity Strategy.

As part of his regulatory duties Mr Michaelides is a Board member of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), the European Mediterranean Regulators Group (EMERG) and the European Regulators Group for Postal Services (ERGP). For more than 14 years he has been working for multinational organizations holding various regional senior ICT roles, accountable for the provision of impeccable service through reorganizations, outsourcing and the implementation/adoption of IT Best Practices.

Mr Michaelides holds a B.Eng in Computer Engineering and an MSc in Communications Systems.

Horia Cucu is an Associate Professor at POLITEHNICA Bucharest and the CEO of Zevo Tech, specializing in the practical application of Artificial Intelligence and Speech Processing. With a career spanning over 15 years at the intersection of academia and industry, Horia has directed 16 research projects and authored over 100 scientific publications focused on deep learning and spoken language technology. He is the founder of Zevo Tech, a speech AI start-up that translates cutting-edge research into high-impact commercial solutions, including AI-based voice bots and sophisticated call analytics platforms.

A recipient of the Romanian Academy Prize “Mihail Drăgănescu” for developing the first large-vocabulary automatic speech recognition system for the Romanian language, Horia’s work is defined by solving the technical challenges of digital communication. As a patent holder and tech leader, he focuses on the architecture and deployment of scalable AI systems that enhance how we process, understand, and optimize human speech in the digital age.

Ionut is a Principal at Frontier Economics, advising clients on competition, telecoms, media and digital matters across the UK and Europe, with a particular focus on Central and Eastern Europe.

Ionut has advised on several large‑scale and high‑profile matters, including Phase II merger filings, abuse of dominance investigations and follow‑on damages cases before the European Commission, the UK Competition and Markets Authority, and national competition authorities across Europe.

Ionut holds an MSc in Economics from Birkbeck, University of London, and an MSc in Computational Data Analytics from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Josip Popovac was born in 1974. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Zagreb. Mr. Popovac spent most of his career at Croatian Radio Television (HRT) – working there over the past twenty years as a Producer, Line Producer of HTV’s Drama Program, and HTV’s Executive Producer. From 2009 to 2011, he was the acting Director General of HRT, managing business operations, and representing the institution. From 2011 to 2012, he was the President of the Management Board and interim Director General of HRT, responsible for all segments relating to management of this public radio and television institution. He was also responsible for the implementation of decisions made by HRT’s Program Council and Supervisory Board. From 2010 to 2013, he served as the President of the European Association of Public Service Media in Southeast Europe. During 2013, he was HRT’s Line Producer, and from 2013 to 2017, he was at the helm of the Production Management department and the Assistant Director of HRT’s Production.

Mr. Popovac joined the Electronic Media Council, moving from the position of Manager of HTV’s Selection and Procurement Department. On June 29^th, 2018, the Croatian Parliament appointed Mr. Popovac a Member of the Electronic Media Council. At the same Parliament Session, the decision was also made to appoint Mr. Popovac President of the Electronic Media Council and Director of the Agency for Electronic Media from September 1^st, 2018. In 2022, he was re-elected for a five-year term as Director of the Agency and President of the Electronic Media Council.

At the end of March 2026 the Act on the Implementation of the Regulation establishing a common framework for media services in the internal market and amending Directive 2010/13/EU, i.e. the act ensuring the implementation of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), entered into force. Despite the direct applicability of EMFA and its primacy over national legislation, the need to adopt a national implementing regulation emerged.

The resulting implementation act transformed the Electronic Media Agency into the new Media Regulatory Authority, establishing a stronger independent regulatory body with expanded responsibilities and consolidating regulatory oversight over the entire media sector. Thus, the Electronic Media Council became the Media Council, and Josip Popovac became the President of the Media Council and Director of the Media Regulatory Authority.

Head of Government Affairs CEE, Cisco Systems. Member of the Management Board of Digital Poland Association. Co-Chair of Digitization Committee at American Chamber of Commerce in Poland. Assistant Professor at Warsaw University of Technology. 

Liliana Vițu was appointed the Chair of the Audiovisual Council, Moldova’s regulatory body for TV and Radio, in December 2021 for a six-year mandate.

Ms. Vițu started her career in 1999 as a BBC World Service correspondent in Moldova. In 2009, she was appointed the director of the News and Debates Department at the public TV channel “Moldova 1” to promote long overdue reforms at the public broadcaster.

As Prime-minister Spokesperson from 2013 to 2015 she ran nationwide public communication campaigns on the EU-Moldova Association Agreement and visa free regime. Her experience includes consulting in media development for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, UNDP Uzbekistan, OSCE Tajikistan and working as a Project Director for Internews in Kyrgyzstan.

In 2011 she was the first journalist to be nominated by the US Embassy for the Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists, USA. In October 2023 Russia banned her from entering the country for fighting its propaganda and disinformation in her role at the Audiovisual Council.

Lynn Robinson became Director General of the International Institute of Communications (IIC), in March 2020.

Lynn is an experienced senior director and trustee / non exec-director, having held key senior leadership positions in the technology, built environment, regulation, accreditation and dental industries. She has extensive experience of professional membership bodies working within the full spectrum including, Regulatory bodies, Industry associations and Chambers of Commerce. Lynn is a well-known and established ambassador in these areas having led on many strategic programmes to aid engagement, growth, retention, change management, stakeholder and political engagement.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mantas Martišius is the Chairman of the Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania (RTCL), appointed by a resolution of the Parliament (Seimas) of the Republic of Lithuania.

In 2007, he defended his PhD in Communication Sciences at Vilnius University. His doctoral dissertation, titled “The Impact of Information Warfare on Lithuanian Mass Media (in the context of the Second Gulf War)”, was the first PhD thesis in Lithuania on the topic of information warfare. Since 2006, he has been lecturing at Vilnius University (with interruptions), where he teaches courses on propaganda and information warfare.

From 2018 to 2021, and again since 2024, he has served as Chairman of the Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania. Previously, he held the positions of Deputy Chairman (2017–2018) and Member of the Commission (2013–2017).

He is a member of the Board of the Geostrategic Security Studies Centre in Lithuania and frequently participates in various state and non-governmental expert groups.

Mari Velsand is Director General at the Norwegian Media Authority since 2017. Before that, she for more than 20 years held different management positions in the Norwegian media industry. Mari has been engaged in international work in the media field; until 2025 she was Chair of the Executive Board of EPRA (The European Platform of Regulatory Authorities), and she is currently President of the European Audiovisual Observatory. Mari Velsand is journalist by profession and holds a Master’s degree in Management.

Marko Mišmaš has been serving as the Director of the Agency for Communication Networks and Services of the Republic of Slovenia (AKOS) since 2023. His extensive professional background is rooted in over two decades of industry experience. Prior to his role at AKOS, the incoming BEREC Chair 2026 held various positions in telecommunications, smart metering, and the automotive industries, most recently as R&D Director in the private company Iskra Mehanizmi and before that as R&D Director in the company Iskraemeco. Marko Mišmaš holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ljubljana.

Mieke focuses on connectivity and space policy, supporting Amazon Leo’s mission to deliver fast, reliable internet connectivity to customers and communities beyond the reach of existing networks. Based in Brussels, at the heart of European policymaking, she works on the intersection between regulation, policy and technology, shaping forward-looking frameworks for digital infrastructure and satellite connectivity.

Prior to joining Amazon in 2025, Mieke served as a senior Advisor on EU digital and telecommunications policy at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU. During the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2024, she chaired legislative negotiations between the EU Member States and conducted trilogue discussions with the European Parliament on key telecom legislation. She previously worked at the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT), where she covered international telecom and digital regulatory developments. In 2021, she had a leading role within BEREC (the European Body of Regulators for Electronic Communications).

Mieke holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Philosophy from Ghent University and a postgraduate degree in Corporate Finance from KU Leuven. Since 2020, she has also been a guest lecturer at the European Institute of Public Administration in Maastricht.

A leader with over 20 years of international experience and more than half in the telecommunications industry, Nedim Baytorun is the CEO of Vodafone Romania as of April 1^st, 2025. During his prior mandate as Consumer Business Unit Director, he has been instrumental in transforming the retail infrastructure and delivered a new channels expansion strategy, including digital, reshaping the customer experience and starting the transformation of Vodafone Romania into a Tech Retailer.

After an international career at Danone Group in Turkey and the United States, Nedim joined Vodafone Turkey in 2013 and has held several strategic roles in the commercial and marketing areas. Subsequently, he joined Vodafone Albania as Consumer Business Director, a role in which he coordinated the company’s strategic transformation. Throughout his presence there, he was involved in major digitalization projects, including the launch of the first digital trading platform on the local market.

Bio coming soon…

Peter Matzneller is Manager of Global Affairs at Netflix. In this role, he focuses primarily on key issues of European media regulation and is the main contact person for media regulatory authorities in the EU.

From November 2015 to February 2023, Peter Matzneller was Legal and European Affairs Officer at the Joint Office of the German Media Regulatory Authorities in Berlin. In this capacity, he also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the European Platform of Regulatory Authorities (EPRA) from May 2021 to February 2023.

Previously, Peter Matzneller was Managing Director of the Institute for European Media Law (EMR), based in Saarbrücken and Brussels.

Valeriu Ștefan Zgonea has taken the position of President of ANCOM starting 11 May 2023 for a 6 year-term.

Mr Zgonea has activated within the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics (ICI Bucharest) during 2018-2023 and has held four mandates of deputy in the Chamber of Deputies of the Romanian Parliament between 2000-2016. In the 2000-2004 parliamentary term, he was a member of the Committee for Information Technologies and Communications, while from 2006 to 2016 he held the posts of quaestor and secretary of the Chamber of Deputies. Furthermore, Mr Zgonea has been Vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies between 2010 and 2012, then President of the Chamber of Deputies in the 2012 – 2016 parliamentary term.

Valeriu Ștefan Zgonea graduated from the National Institute of Constructions and has various specializations in cyber diplomacy and infrastructures in the context of digitalization at education institutions such as European Security and Defence College, King’s College and George Marshall European Center for Security Studies and N.E.S.A.