CEO, Global Coalition on Aging and Managing Partner, High Lantern Group

Michael W. Hodin, Ph.D. is CEO of the Global Coalition on Aging, Managing Partner at High Lantern Group, and a Fellow at Oxford University’s Harris Manchester College. He has spoken internationally on the topic of aging, including at G20, APEC, Davos, and the World Knowledge Forum (WKF). He is also a blogger on Medium.

From 1976-80, Mike was Legislative Assistant to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. During this period he was also a Visiting Scholar at Brookings Institution, on U.S. Foreign Economic Policy. He was a senior executive at Pfizer, Inc. for 30 years, where he created and then led its International Public Affairs and Public Policy operations and served on Management Boards for a number of its businesses.

Mike is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and from 2010-2013, was Adjunct Senior Fellow with a focus on population aging. In 2013, Mike was invited by then-Committee Chairman Bill Nelson (D-FL) to lead a Members’ Roundtable with the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. Mike was also the recipient of the 2012 Fred D. Thompson Award from the American Federation for Aging Research. He sits on the Boards of the Foreign Policy Association, Business Council for International Understanding, NYC Blood Center, American Skin Association, American Federation for Aging Research and Emigrant Savings Bank, where he is Chairman of its compensation committee. Mike was a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Ageing. And he sits on the Advisory Board for the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging.

Mike holds a BA, cum laude, Cornell University, M.Sc.in International Relations from The London School of Economics and Political Science, and M.Phil and Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University.

Executive Director

Melissa Gong Mitchell is Executive Director of the Global Coalition on Aging, the leading business voice on aging policy and strategy, aimed at reshaping how global leaders approach and prepare for the 21st century’s profound shift in population aging.

GCOA uniquely brings together global corporations across industry sectors to promote good public policy and market-based solutions centered on healthy and active aging. In her role, Melissa is responsible for the operations and management of the Coalition, internal and external communication strategies, and member and stakeholder outreach and development, including fostering relationships and aligning partners across industry, academia, the NGO community, advocacy organizations, governments and global institutions. She is a member of the Professions Working Group that advises the Age-friendly New York City Commission and has previously served as a member of the Benefit Committee of the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Melissa is a Managing Director at High Lantern Group, a strategic consulting firm that helps position organizations, their leaders and their ideas in the public arena. Her 15 years of public affairs experience includes specialties in policy-related and CEO-level strategic communications, advocacy campaigns and coalition building.

Previously, Melissa was Director of Industry Relations and Strategic Outreach at the U.S. Travel Association, responsible for grassroots development and industry initiatives, having driven multiple campaigns leading to positive legislative outcomes. Prior to U.S. Travel, she served as Executive Director of the Travel Business Roundtable, a CEO-based advocacy organization, and an associate at Prime Policy Group (formerly BKSH & Associates), a Washington-based government affairs firm. Melissa holds an MBA from Georgetown University and a BA in Journalism and Psychology from the University of Mississippi.

Director of Communications

Susan Wile Schwarz is the Director of Communications for the Global Coalition on Aging and a Senior Director at High Lantern Group, a strategic consulting firm that helps position organizations, their leaders, and their ideas in the public arena. Prior to joining the Global Coalition on Aging and High Lantern Group, she spent nearly 15 years as a healthcare analyst and communications strategist. Most recently, she established the communications practice and advised on research design for a global health economics think tank, advisory group, and implementation partner to governments and the private sector. She also worked as a policy and research analyst at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. As an independent consultant, Susan advised nonprofit organizations and mission-driven businesses on management, research, communications, partnership opportunities, and growth strategies. She has a Master’s of Public Health from Emory University and a Bachelor’s degree from Columbia University.

President, Europe

Mario Ottiglio is the President for Europe of the Global Coalition on Aging and leads the Geneva, Switzerland office of High Lantern Group. He brings over a decade of leadership at global health organizations – spanning the public and private sectors to meet the public affairs needs of clients across Europe and Asia. Mario focuses on the global reputation strategies of firms, trade associations and international institutions, especially in the pharmaceutical, healthcare and life sciences sectors. He holds experience in managing trade associations and building consensus among diverse interests for creative public affairs solutions. In addition, he has extensive knowledge of the United Nations system.

Previously, Mario served as the Director of Public Affairs, Communications & Global Health Policy at the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA). In this role, he acted as a spokesperson for the global R&D biopharmaceutical industry, promoting active, cross-sector dialogue with key stakeholders. Mario was often involved with high profile media and authored several thought pieces. Prior to that, he worked in public institutions and private firms across a range of issues. An Italian national, he holds a MA in Political Sciences and International Relations. Mario speaks English, French and Italian.

Former Director, Ageing and Life Course, World Health Organization

John Beard led the World Health Organization’s work on ageing and life course for ten years, from 2009. He now works as a change agent with academia, policymakers, and the private sector to make the world a better place in which to live and age. He has a number of ongoing formal appointments including as Chief Advisor to EIT Health (the European Institute for Innovation and Technology); a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Futures Council on Human Enhancement and Longevity; visiting academic positions at universities in China and Australia; and a number of private sector initiatives related to population aging.  Prior to commencing with WHO, he was Senior Epidemiologist at the New York Academy of Medicine, a clinical professor at the University of Sydney, and manager of Public Health for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Chairman of the Board, East Office of Finnish Industries, and Former Prime Minister of Finland

 Esko Aho is Executive Chairman of the Board of the East Office of Finnish Industries, a non-profit company of 25 leading Finnish corporations. In addition, he is Chairman of the Board of Cinia Oy and Adven Group. In May 2016, he was elected to the Supervisory Board of Sberbank, Russia´s biggest bank.

Mr. Aho was a Member of the Finnish Parliament for 20 years, from 1983 to 2003. He chaired the Centre Party from 1990 to 2002 and was elected Prime Minister in 1991 at the age of 36, making him the youngest PM in Finland’s history. Under his leadership, Finland joined the European Union. 

After his political career, Mr. Aho served as President of the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra and then moved on to Nokia Corporation as Executive Vice President of Corporate Relations and Responsibility. Up to the present he has been a Consultative Partner at Nokia. 

Currently, Mr. Aho serves as elected member of the Executive Board at the International Chamber of Commerce. He is an invited member of Club de Madrid, an independent organization of former heads of state and government dedicated to strengthening democracy. 

Throughout his career, Mr. Aho has been active in the world of academia. He has been a Resident Fellow and later Senior Fellow at Harvard University. He is a visiting lecturer at Beijing University and a member of the Industrial Advisory Board at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA). He is Executive in Residence at Aalto University, where he works at the Department of Management Studies at the School of Business. He is a visiting lecturer at PSIA, Paris School of International Affairs. He also is a member of the International Advisory Board, NTU Institute of Science and Technology for Humanity, Nanyang Technologia University, Singapore. Mr. Aho holds honorary doctorate degrees from the University of Vaasa, Finland, and the University of Alberta, Canada. 

Trinity Brain Health and ADAPT Centre, Trinity College Dublin

Sabina Brennan, psychologist, filmmaker and science communicator has made a substantial impact in raising awareness of the importance of brain health and dementia risk reduction, both nationally and internationally. Her projects aim to increase the societal impact of research by translating complex scientific content and research findings into easy-to-understand practical information.

Sabina’s work has been covered extensively in the media. She is a regular contributor on TV and Radio and receives frequent invitations to speak nationally on topics related to ageing.

Sabina also serves on numerous government, advocacy and advisory committees including the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, SAGE (advocacy for older adults) the HSE for dementia awareness, Department of Health for Healthy and Positive Ageing). At Trinity College Dublin, she is a member of the Equality Committee and chairs the Age Friendly Trinity Working Group. She has been engaged as a consultant to advise the Irish government on how best to support vulnerable older Irish emigrants to promote brain health, support active aging and address social isolation.

Science Foundation Ireland presented Sabina with their inaugural award for Outstanding Contribution to STEM Communication. She was a finalist in the US-Ireland Research Innovation Awards for research with socially isolated older adults.  She also received an Innovation award from the Provost of Trinity College Dublin in recognition of the social impact of her work.

Founder and Director, Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab

Vice President, Remnin University China

Bio forthcoming

Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy, American Enterprise Institute

Nicholas Eberstadt holds the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) in Washington DC, and is Senior Adviser to the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) in Seattle, WA. He is a noted commentator and researcher in the areas of demographics, foreign aid, poverty, economic development and development policy, infant mortality and health disparities in the United States, and health and mortality (including HIV/AIDS) in foreign nations. With special expertise on Korea, East Asia, and Russia and other former Soviet republics, Dr. Eberstadt regularly consults for governmental and international organizations, and he has frequently offered expert testimony before Congress. He has served, inter alia, on the Board of Scientific Counselors for the US National Center for Health Statistics and the President’s Council on Bioethics. His most recent books are Men Without Work: America’s Invisible Crisis (2016) and Population, Poverty, Policy: Essential Essays from Nicholas Eberstadt, Volume I (2018). Mr. Eberstadt earned his AB, MPA and Ph.D. from Harvard and his M.Sc. from the London School of Economics. In 2012 he was awarded the prestigious Bradley Prize.

Former Member, UK House of Lords, and President, International Longevity Centre - UK

Until her death in 2022, Baroness Sally Greengross was a crossbench (independent) member of the House of Lords since 2000 and Co-Chairs four All-Party Parliamentary Groups: Dementia, Corporate Social Responsibility, Continence Care and Ageing and Older People. She was the Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Choice at the End of Life, and was Treasurer of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Equalities.  Sally was also Chair of the cross-party Intergenerational Fairness Forum.

Sally was Chief Executive of the International Longevity Centre – UK; was Co-President of the ILC Global Alliance from 2010-17 and later their Special Ambassador; and was a Commissioner for the Equality and Human Rights Commission from 2006-12.

Baroness Greengross was Director General of Age Concern England from 1987 until 2000. Until 2000, she was joint Chair of the Age Concern Institute of Gerontology at Kings College London, and Secretary General of Eurolink Age. She was an Ambassador for Alzheimer’s Society, SilverLine and HelpAge International.

Baroness Greengross is a Member of several advisory boards including Home Instead’s Global Strategy Council; Fujitsu’s Responsible Business Board; and BlackRock Retirement Institute’s Advisory Council.

She was President of the Pensions Policy Institute and the Association of Retirement Housing Managers; Honorary Vice President of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, a Vice President of the Local Government Association and Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and the Institute & Faculty of Actuaries.

Sally was Patron of several organizations, including the Association of Retirement Community Operators; Care & Repair England; the National Network of Clinical Ethics Committees; the Ransackers Association; the Association for Ageing & Education; and Age UK Westminster. Sally held honorary doctorates from nine UK universities.

Her work on aging has been recognized by the UN Committee on Ageing and she received an outstanding achievement award from the British Society of Gerontology as well a British Geriatric Society Medal. Sally was UK Woman of Europe in 1990 and has been an Ambassador for the Prince of Wales supporting responsible business practice.

CEO, Board Member, Health and Global Policy Institute; Consultant, Project HOPE

Ryoji Noritake is the CEO, Board Member of Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), a Tokyo-based independent and non-profit health policy think tank established in 2004. He also serves as a pro-bono consultant for Project HOPE, a US-based medical humanitarian aid organization. Through HOPE and HGPI, he has led health system strengthening projects in the Asia-Pacific region and engaged in US Navy’s medical humanitarian projects. His focus is a multi-sectoral approach for health issues such as public-private partnerships and civil-military coordination. Mr. Noritake was a Working Group Member for the World Health Organization’s “Expert Consultation on Impact Assessment as a tool for Multisectoral Action on Health” in 2012. He is a graduate of Keio University’s Faculty of Policy Management, holds a MSc in Medical Anthropology from the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He is currently a Visiting Scholar at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, a member of Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Policy Discussion Roundtable for Super Ageing Society.

Advisor, Malaysian Healthy Ageing Society, and Dean, Perdana University School of Occupational Therapy

Professor Nathan Vytialingam is an occupational therapist who has been in practice for the last 42 years. He graduated from the British College of Occupational Therapists in 1976 and pursued his post-graduate studies in Australia, obtaining his post-graduate Diploma in Health Sciences in 1983 and Master’s in Applied Science (Health) in 1984 under a Kellogg Fellowship.  He has worked in London, Singapore, Australia, and Malaysia in areas of rehabilitation specializing in Physical Rehabilitation. His area of interest is in age care especially in the areas on healthy aging.

He was instrumental in organizing 1st World Congress on Healthy Ageing in 2012, which has led to other countries organizing global conferences on healthy aging. The World Congress on Healthy Ageing is held once every three years, globally. He was instrumental in organising the 1^stASEAN Conference on Healthy Ageing in Sarawak, Malaysia in 2017, which now will be held biannually in the region.

Currently, he is one of the advisors for Malaysian Healthy Ageing Society (MHAS) and Dean of the Perdana University School of Occupational Therapy (PUScOT). He was awarded an Honorary Fellowshipby the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) in Cape Town, South Africa in 2018. The Honorary Fellowship is regarded by WFOT as the highest functioning award for outstanding contributions and distinguished service to the profession of occupational therapy at a local and international level and he is the first to receive the award in the region.

Founder and CEO, Pinetree Care Group

In 2004, Ninie Wang founded Pinetree, focusing on business model innovation, professional service and talent development in providing home healthcare services for the aging population. She has published various papers on the long-term care service model, has participated in the drafting of various senior care industry standards and policy papers, and was a co-researcher of the continuous healthcare model together with top academic and medical institutions in China as well as internationally. She is Council Member of the China Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, China Social Welfare Service Standard Committee Member as well as Member of Presidium for National Union of Long-term Care, and was elected as Standing Director of China Association for Life Care in 2011.

In 2013, she was elected Deputy Director of Elderly Health Service and Long-term Care Association, China Geriatric Care Research Center. In January 2014, she became National Senior Service Industry Advisory Committee Member. Most recently, she joined the Expert Team of WHO-China Biennial Collaborative Projects 2016-2017, Research Project on the Current Situation of Integration of Health Care with Social Services for Older People and Strategies for Promotion. Ms. Wang is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. In 2014 she was awarded “Excellent Young Scholar” by China Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics. She is also a Fellow of the China Fellowship Program and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.