Ethical questions, inspiring stories and first-hand insights into the Special Olympics are among the topics that will by a range of distinguished speakers announced ahead of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Conference – entitled Waves of Change – DEI and Integrity Forum – in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

A year on from its first staging in Belfast, the Conference – which will take place on September 26, once again preceding the European Aquatics Congress – is offering three morning sessions.

The first is entitled Waves of Impact – Stories that Inspire.  

It will feature presentations from Jan Pommer, chief executive of the German Swimming Federation, Densign White, chief executive of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF), Arnoud Strijbis, new director of the Royal Netherlands Swimming Federation (KNZB) and Mary McMorrow, Director of Operations in Swim Ireland.

Sports lawyer Justin Lessard, senior manager of the Aquatics Integrity Unit, will deliver the second topic on the subject of his specialism.

The third section is entitled Athlete Forum: Special Olympic Voices.

It will involve input from Special Olympics skier Mariam Khutsianidze, Special Olympics winter sports coach Anano Baidauri, Zhana Gotsireli, President of Special Olympics Georgia and Matteo Succhi, sports manager for Special Olympics Europe Eurasia.

The sessions will be presided over by EA Bureau member Pernille Blume, who retired in 2022 having won Olympic women’s 50m freestyle gold and 4x100m bronze for Denmark at the Rio 2016 Games and 50m freestyle bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

*Jan Pommer, who is a trained lawyer, has been working in the sports business industry for 25 years. In former roles he worked as Commissioner of German Basketball Bundesliga, as General Manager for Sponsor Partners (a BBDO network company), Managing Director of DSM (sales company of German NOC DOSB), CEO of German Horse Racing and others

*Densign White, awarded the MBE in 2020 for services to diversity in sport, has been chief executive of IMMAF since 2014. He is also Chair, Sporting Equals and Vice Chair of SIGA (Sport Integrity Global Alliance). He was Chair of the British Judo Association from 2001 to 2012). He is a former board member of the British Olympic Association and former Sports Director, European Judo Union.

Densign represented Great Britain in three Olympic Games (1984, 1988, 1992). At the 1987 World Championships he was bronze medallist in the  -86kg category. At the European Championships he won silver in 1987 and 1988, and bronze in 1990.

He was Commonwealth gold medallist at -86kg in the 1990 Games held in Auckland, and was nine times a British Judo champion.

Married to Tessa Sanderson, Britain’s 1984 Olympic javelin champion,  he is actively involved in promoting inclusion and access to sport for under-represented communities.

*Arnoud Strijbis, 46, was appointed as General Director of the Royal Netherlands Swimming Federation (KNZB) in April this year. He has previously carried out the same role for Royal Dutch Archery and the Dutch Curling Association.

As a spokesperson for Ministers, state secretaries and the Mayor of the City of Eindhoven he has much experience in communication, leadership and governance.

At international level he is currently acting as vice-president of World Archery Europe. In Aquatics his main job is to create connections at all levels, between different disciplines, between international and national levels and between all parties in order to further the goal of swimming with fun in a safe environment.

*Mary McMorrow is Director of Operations in Swim Ireland, with responsibility for implementation of the infrastructure pillar of Swim Ireland’s strategy to create an “Island of Swimmers”.

Additionally, McMorrow is the governance lead for the organisation and has been instrumental is Swim Ireland’s continued compliance with the Governance Code, achievement of Active Disability’s Silver Xcessible Award and National Governing Body of the Year in 2023.

She was a member of the Government working group which developed and published the National Swimming Strategy in August 2024 and will lead the delivery of the Strategy through to 2027 on behalf of Swim Ireland.

*Justin Lessard is the Senior Manager of the Aquatics Integrity Unit, an operationally independent unit of World Aquatics established to ensure all ethical issues in the sport are addressed independently and expertly. A member of the Quebec Bar, with more than 10 years of experience in Sport Integrity, he regularly appears before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in matters related to Sport Integrity.

Justin is also the co-author of the book International Sports Justice and was a professor of Sport Ethics at EU Business School. After starting his career in sports law in the legal department of the International Olympic Committee, he worked on some of the biggest doping cases in sport as a lawyer with the Union Cycliste Internationale.

*Mariam Khutsianidze has been actively involved in the Special Olympics movement as a skier for 15 years, winning numerous gold medals. Mariam is married and participates in various initiatives. Her experience and success are a great example of how sport can empower a person and give them the opportunity to achieve their goals.

*Anano Baidaurihas been a Special Olympics winter sports coach (skiing and snowshoeing) for four years. She is involved in all winter sports and stands out for her responsibility and diligence. Anano has ensured the success of many athletes through her hard work, and her communication skills make her an ideal candidate for this forum.

*Zhana Gotsireli is the President and founder of Special Olympics Georgia, which unites thousands of athletes across the country. Her leadership and dedication are crucial for improving the lives of people with disabilities through sport.

*Matteo Secchi comments: “I have always been involved in the world of Special Olympics. I started as a volunteer and moved from partner to coach to manager of my sports team to employee for Special Olympics Italy.

“And I am now Sports Manager for Special Olympics Europe Eurasia. My approach strategically focuses on expanding inclusive sports opportunities by combining grassroots empowerment with regional strategies, ensuring that partnerships result in meaningful, localised impact.”

Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics