The room
A curated line-up chosen for what they've done, not for a slide deck. The forum runs under the Chatham House Rule — confirmed and invited voices are listed here as line-ups firm up.
Founder & Host
Future Media
Founder of Future Media, reporting on the collision of Big Tech and Big Media in the dawn of AI. A former newsroom leader in the UK and Australia and founder of a global AI start-up, his analysis reaches senior decision-makers across 120+ countries and has surfaced in board papers, regulatory findings and major tech court cases.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a global news agency that provides reliable, comprehensive, real-time coverage of the stories shaping our daily lives, drawing on a unique network of journalists based in 210 locations around the world.
Former Australian Federal Communications Minister
Paul Fletcher & Associates
Architect of Australia's News Media Bargaining Code — the world's only working code of its kind, now delivering hundreds of millions a year to publishers. Paul Fletcher is a former Australian Federal Minister for Communications and a leading commentator on communications, technology and digital policy. He served in the Australian Parliament from 2009 to 2025, representing Bradfield in Sydney, and held a series of senior ministerial and cabinet positions in the Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments. (Parliament of Australia) From 2019 to 2022, Fletcher served as Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, and subsequently as Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts.
Chairman & CEO
Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Fabrice Fries is Chairman and CEO of Agence France-Presse (AFP), one of the world’s leading international news agencies. During his tenure, Fries has overseen AFP’s transformation, with a focus on strengthening its global news and video offering, expanding digital verification and fact-checking capabilities, diversifying its client base and restoring the Agency’s financial performance. He has also placed the fight against disinformation and the continued digital transformation of journalism at the heart of AFP’s strategy. (AFP) Before joining AFP, Fries held senior leadership positions across the media, technology and communications industries, including Havas, Vivendi, Atos and Publicis.
Founding Partner
Geradin Partners
Founding partner of Europe's leading specialist competition, regulatory and litigation firm for media. Geradin Partners secured the €2.95bn EC AdTech fine against Google and leads the €2.1bn follow-on damages claim on behalf of 34 European news media companies.
Vice President, CRA, European Competition Practice
Charles River Associates (CRA)
Mikaël Hervé is a VP in CRA's European Competition Practice, where he applies econometric and statistical analysis to competition and damages questions with a focus on digital and media markets. He has advised publishers, broadcasters, and ad tech firms in high-level profiles matters against Google and Meta. These include damage claims in relation to AdTech, ‘pay for content’ disputes, Search, GDPR breach, in France, UK, Australia, Canada, Netherlands, Germany, and Spain. He regularly acts as a testifying expert before national courts and arbitration tribunals. He has advised clients in antitrust proceedings before competition authorities including the European Commission, the French Autorité, the UK CMA. He is a graduate of ENSAE Paris and HEC Paris.
Partner
Geradin Partners
Prof. Dr. Thomas Höppner is a Partner at Geradin Partners and a leading European expert in competition law, digital regulation and antitrust litigation, with more than 20 years’ experience advising clients across the technology, media and network industries. Based in Berlin, Thomas has worked on some of the most significant competition and regulatory disputes involving Big Tech, including matters concerning Google’s search, advertising and Android businesses. He has represented media companies, publishers and industry associations in major competition cases and has particular expertise at the intersection of competition law, digital markets, intellectual property and regulation.
CEO
Impress
Lexie is a New Zealand qualified barrister and solicitor who has worked in all forms of media regulation. She has previously worked at the Advertising Standards Authority and at the New Zealand Office of Film and Literature Classification, an independent state media regulator, in a semi-judicial capacity. She is currently CEO at Impress the Royal Charter approved self-regulatory body for the press in the UK, and is a trustee for the Charitable Journalism Project.
Director of Regulatory Relations & Big Tech
Amedia
Karen Rønde is the Director responsible for EU policy at Amedia & CEO of Danish Press Publications’ CMO since 2022. Previously, she was the political head for Netflix in the Nordics and a judge at the High Court. She ran her own law firm from 2018 to 2021 and was Head of Legal at Viaplay Sport as well as at Viaplay. Karen has also worked as a lawyer at Bech-Bruun, hosted DR’s Deadline, and was a member of the Danish Parliament.
The full line-up is curated per city and confirmed closer to each event. Interested in speaking, or nominating a voice for the room?