Jan Kleijssen

Representative, Committee on Artificial Intelligence, Council of Europe, France

Jan Kleijssen firmly believes in promoting and protecting our shared values of Human Rights, Rule of Law and Democracy.  He brings with him 40 years of accumulated institutional knowledge in all main sectors of international co-operation :  Judicial, Parliamentary and Intergovernmental.

 

 Having obtained Master’s Degrees in International Law (Utrecht) and in International Affairs (Ottawa) and performed military service as an officer in the Royal Netherlands Navy, Jan joined the Council of Europe in 1983 as a Lawyer with the European Commission of Human Rights. Subsequently he served for some 9 years as Secretary to the Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly, playing a major role in the accession procedure for new member states. 

 

Moreover, as Director of the Private Office, from 1999 until 2004, he was responsible for major reforms, political initiatives and crisis management.

 

Fluency in English, French, German and Italian alongside his native Dutch, reinforce Jan’s multicultural outlook. A strong awareness of different cultures, their traditions, behaviour, values and beliefs has provided him with invaluable insights into the multiple layers of human identity, indispensable to skilled, empathic communication and worldwide networking.

 

Until February 2023 as Director of Information Society -Action against Crime he led some  200 highly qualified and motivated international staff staff,  responsible for standard-setting, monitoring and co-operation activities on a wide variety of issues, such as : Freedom of Expression, Data Protection, Artificial Intelligence, Internet Governance, Cybercrime, Terrorism, Criminal Law, Prison Management, Fighting Corruption and Money Laundering. 

 

He served as the Council of Europe Internet Governance coordinator since 2018. On his initiative, the Council of Europe gave a partnership status to a still growing number of major global and regional private companies and associations. The marketing software platform, Onalytica, included Jan among the 2019 Top 100 influencers on the regulation of new technologies. 

 

Since his retirement from the Council of Europe in February 2023, Jan has been working as an independent consultant . He was appointed member of the Advisory Board of ALLAI, a Foundation for Responsible AI. The Center for AI and Digital Policy awarded Jan the 2023 AI Policy Award Government in Washington DC. He regularly speaks at high-level conferences and at universities worldwide.

 

Throughout his career, Jan has been acknowledged for his ability to deal impartially with highly sensitive issues, and for clarity on procedural matters. He deviates from the trodden path to find creative and acceptable solutions and obtain concrete results.     

 

As a keen marathon runner, Jan has a strong grasp of the need for preparation, resilience, commitment and endurance in achieving success.

Sean Hosman

Chief Executive Officer, Vant4ge, United States

As a justice-impacted serial entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in the correctional industry, Sean Hosman has a unique perspective on both business and second chances. Using technology to drive criminal justice reform is one of his many passions, and he is dedicated to finding solutions to improve all of the lives impacted by the criminal justice system. In 1998, he founded Vant4ge, a human services and predictive analytics technology company that has revolutionized correctional care and case management. He also founded Persevere, a national non-profit that teaches justice-involved individuals to code behind prison bars, and provides wrap-around support services and comprehensive life transformation for their families.  Finally, Sean founded Banyan Labs, a technology development company that hires Persevere graduates. Each business plays a vital role in increasing public safety and improving outcomes in the criminal justice system, while also bringing hope, skills, and opportunity to justice-involved individuals. Through his work with these companies, Sean is focused on changing lives and stopping the cycle of multi-generational incarceration. Sean is also the father of three amazing children, and a grandfather to one perfect grandbaby. He received both his bachelor’s and his law degree from Brigham Young University, and is licensed to practice law in both Utah and Colorado. 

Marjorie Rist

Chief Solutions Officer, Vant4ge, United States

With 25+ years in the correctional industry, including three years spent as a chief probation officer in California, Marjorie Rist brings depth and breadth of experience to her role as Chief Solutions Officer of Vant4ge. Her extensive involvement with adult and juvenile facilities and working with justice-involved individuals in the community has given her first-hand experience in all decision-making points from pretrial to parole. Through her work, she exercises a deep understanding of how to balance science and technology with operational practice to support data-driven decision-making. As the co-founder and current advisor of Persevere, a non-profit that teaches justice-involved individuals to code behind prison walls, she helps bring hope, skills, and opportunity to people who need it most. She is an active member of the American Correctional Association (ACA), International Community Corrections Association (ICCA), International Corrections and Probation Association (ICPA), and the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA). She has a bachelor’s degree in management from St. Mary’s College of California.