​​Mr. Sylvain Lefoyer, Deputy Director, Aviation Security and Facilitation, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

Sylvain Lefoyer is Deputy Director in charge of Aviation Security and Facilitation in the Air Transport Bureau of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) since 2017.

He leads teams responsible for developing Aviation Security, Cybersecurity, Border Security and Facilitation policies, Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), conducting audits of Member States' aviation security activities, assisting States that are unable to address deficiencies highlighted by those audits, and implementing the Traveler Identification Programme (ICAO TRIP) Strategy.

Sylvain is Secretary of the ICAO Aviation Security Committee (ASC), of the International Explosives Technical Commission (IETC) and of the Aviation Security Panel of experts, and Chair of the ICAO Secretariat Study Group on Cybersecurity.

Previous to his role in ICAO, Sylvain's career in maritime, ground and air transport safety and security spans more than 25 years in the French ministry of transports.

He holds a Master's Degree in applied physics and electronics from Paris University and a Master's Degree in public administration from École des Ponts ParisTech.

Mr. Mohamed Khalifa Rahma was appointed Director, Air Transport Bureau of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on 5 May 2020. He is responsible for the management of programmes to achieve three of ICAO's five strategic objectives: security and facilitation, economic development of air transport and environmental protection.

Before his appointment, Mr. Rahma was the Regional Director of the ICAO Middle East Regional Office since March 2016. During his tenure in the Middle East Office, he was instrumental in strengthening regional and inter-regional collaboration in aviation industry. This effort includes, enhancing risk awareness and response, promoting technologies while fostering new innovations, and improving oversight and quality assurance. Mr. Rahma continues to significantly increase cooperation among member States, international and Regional organizations.

Prior to joining ICAO, Mr. Rahma was the Undersecretary of International and Internal Affairs at the Ministry of Civil Aviation of Egypt and previously the advisor to the Egyptian Minister of Civil Aviation.

During his tenure at the Egyptian government, Mr. Rahma played a substantial role and led influential projects that actively supported and enhanced aviation capacity and efficiency in Egypt. He developed cooperative relationships with government bodies and investors while paving the way for future business partnerships and opportunities.

Mr. Rahma was a board member of various companies including Cairo Airport Company, Aerotel Company and EMAC Aqaba Company and chaired many strategic committees under the umbrella of the Ministry of Civil Aviation for special projects and has continuous presence in high level national and regional committees.

Mr. Rahma has 30 years of aviation experience in various fields including aviation management, airline management, operation, safety, training, corporate communication, and crisis management. He holds an MBA in Aviation Management and is fluent in English and Arabic.

​​Mr. Eric Yatar, Executive Director, International Policy & Programs, Transportation Security Administration, United States; and Rapporteur of the ICAO Working Group on Threat and Risk (WGTR)

Eric K. M. Yatar is the Executive Director of International Policy & Programs for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the United States. In this capacity, he provides overall direction, management and leadership of the agency's policies and programs for the mitigation of international transport security risks and to raise the global aviation security baseline through bilateral, regional and multilateral engagement across governments and with international organizations and industry stakeholders. He provides strategic direction to four primary functional areas: International Plans & Programs; Multilateral Policy & Engagement; International Industry Representatives & Engagement; and Transportation Security Sector Assistance.

Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Yatar was the TSA Representative & Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Attaché based in Sydney, Australia, with an area of responsibility that includes: Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and the South Pacific Islands. In this role, he served as the principal liaison to relevant foreign government counterparts, working to ensure alignment and consistency between the security requirements of the United States and the countries in the Region, in light of international standards; and, when necessary, he served as the onsite coordinator for the DHS response to transportation-related terrorist incidents and threats. He also served as the principal advisor on transport security affairs to the U.S. Ambassador and other Embassy officials, and was the Department's senior representative in the Region. Mr. Yatar previously held the position of Senior Counsel for International Law in TSA's Office of Chief Counsel, in which he served as a principal legal advisor to the agency on its international programs, operations, policies, and related issues.

​Dr. David Scharia, Chief of Branch, Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), United Nations

Dr. David Scharia served in various roles in CTED since its establishment in 2005 and is a member of CTED senior management team at Director level since 2016. Dr. Scharia heads the thematic expertise and research branch of CTED. He manages a large group of international counter-terrorism experts at all levels, advising the Security Council on all counter-terrorism matters, including, legal and criminal justice matters, law enforcement and border control, financing of terrorism, gender and terrorism, incitement to terrorism, CVE and human rights.

Dr. Scharia oversees CTED's engagement with civil society, human rights organizations and academia and demonstrated a longstanding commitment to these values. He co-chaired the UN Global Compact Working group on Gender alongside co-chairing the UN Global Compact Working Groups on Resource Mobilization, Monitoring and Evaluation. Dr Scharia oversees CTED work on new technologies and counter-terrorism – including terrorists' use of the internet, "cyber-terrorism", artificial intelligence, drones, the use of biometric technology for counter terrorism, IOT, API/PNR and digital evidence. He was recently selected as member of the International Advisory Committee Member of the Global Internet Forum on Counter Terrorism (GIFCT).

Before joining the U.N., Dr. Scharia served as lead Attorney in major counter-terrorism cases before the Supreme Court of Israel and oversaw the work of team of prosecutors at the Supreme Court Division of the Attorney General office. He also represented the Attorney General office at the Law and Constitution Committee of the Israel Knesset in connection with counterterrorism legislation and headed the counter terrorism investigations unit at the Attorney General office. Dr. Scharia also headed the Inter-ministerial Counter-Terrorism task force established to improve rule of law compliance, coordination, communication and cooperation between the Attorney General's office, the police and the security services.        

Dr. Scharia contributed, in leadership roles, to many non-governmental organizations and initiatives including the World Economic Forum where he served twice as Member of the Global Future Council on Russia (artificial intelligence and smart cities) and as co-Chair of the WEF Global Future Council on the safety and Security of IOT. He served on the Advisory Boards of Rutgers University Program on Cyber- Security, the International Institute for Counter Terrorism (ICT) and several other civil society organizations, academic institutions, and think-tanks.        Dr. Scharia holds LLB, LLM (with distinction) and PhD from Tel Aviv University. He successfully concluded the Executive program on Leading Organizations and Change at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He served as National Security Scholar in Residence at Columbia University and as visiting fellow at the NYU Center for Global Affairs. He is the author of two highly acclaimed academic books on law and counter terrorism and numerous articles. His articles and books have been published in academic forums including Oxford University Press, Harvard National Security Journal and Hebrew University Press.  

Mr. Peter Nilsson IPMc, Head of Airpol, Police Commissioner

Peter Nilsson is a Police Commissioner and Head of Airpol. Airpol is the European Network, financed by the European Commission, for Airport Police and Border Guard Units at EU airports. Airpol is working specifically with counter terrorism and airport policing/security in general for law enforcement, first responders. Airpol collaborates with a large number of law enforcement organizations globally to develop working methods as well as with other important aviation-related organizations and is also a discussion partner for the industry that develops new technological solutions.

Nilsson has a Law Degree (LL.M.) from the University of Uppsala and a Master Degree in Sociology and Political Science from University of Leeds and University of Lund. He graduated at the Swedish Police College in 1991. After various positions both within and outside the police he was appointed Head of Border Police including the role of Airport Police Commander at Arlanda Airport (27 M passenger/year) in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2005. He managed successfully this unit (485staff/30 M Euro) for ten years.

Nilsson has extensive experience in airport security, airport policing and counter-terrorism after working more than 15 years in an international environment.

Nilsson was in 2016 awarded the International Police and Public Safety Medal by the 9/11 Award Committee at a ceremony in San Diego, US. The same year he was awarded the PPA Cross, Medal of Merit by the Estonian Ministry of Interior for services made to Estonia and the Estonian Police.

​Ms. An De Lange, Head of the Strategic Department & International Policy Coordinator, Belgian Civil Aviation Authority; and Rapporteur of the ICAO Working Group on Training (WGT) 

An De Lange is currently the Head of the Strategic Department of the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the international policy coordinator.  She has been the Belgian member of the ICAO AVSEC Panel and also the Facilitation Panel since 2015 and she is the Rapporteur of the ICAO AVSEC Panel Working Group on Training (WGT). The WGT supports the continuous development of ICAO AVSEC training polices and materials. This includes the determination of global AVSEC training needs and priorities, which in recent years as focused on the implementation of a strong and effective security culture and mitigating threats to aviation (including the insider threat).

Before she joined the Belgium CAA in 2011 she worked for the Justice Department on security related matters. 

​Moderator 

Ms. Eleanor Travers, Aviation Security Manager, Aviation Security Division, Irish Aviation Authority, Ireland

Eleanor Travers leads the Aviation Security Division in the Irish Aviation Authority, which is the appropriate authority in Ireland for the purposes of EC Regulation 300/2008.

Eleanor has worked in aviation throughout her career initially in airport operations and latterly in aviation security. She worked at international level with the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) based in Paris before returning to Dublin to work for the authority. The authority's Aviation Security Division is responsible for processing approvals, conducting compliance monitoring, certifying personnel and coordinating aviation security matters with more than 400 regulated entities.

She is currently the chair of ECAC's Guidance Material Task Force and is committed to promoting information and experience exchanges that improve the effectiveness of the national and global aviation security system.

​Mr. Fernando Vistrain Lorence, Chief Executive Officer, Norman Manley International Airport, Jamaica

Fernando Vistrain Lorence is the Chief Executive Officer at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica, where he has been stationed since February 2019.

Fernando holds a Master's degree in Business Management and has a background as an Aeronautical Engineer. With more than 19 years in the aviation industry, he started his professional career in 2003 with Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP) as a Security Analyst and throughout his professional career he has grown and taken on increasingly responsibility within the Group. These include being the Chief Executive Officer at Aguascalientes International Airport, Operations Manager at Puerto Vallarta International Airport and Deputy Director at Guadalajara International Airport, the most important airport in the Group.

Fernando is currently enrolled in the AMPAP programme to become certified as an International Airport Professional.

​Ms. Carol Sharkey, Chief Risk Officer, Ryanair 

Carol has worked at Ryanair since 1995 and was appointed to her current position of CRO in May 2018 having held the position of Director of Safety and Security since 2014. In this role, Carol is responsible for oversight and development of the Ryanair Safety and Security Management System.