Rupak Chattopadhyay has been President and CEO of the Forum of Federations since 2011. He was previously a member of the Consultative Group on the Study of Intergovernmental Relations and Dispute Resolution Mechanisms, Inter-State Council, Government of India. In 2004/5 he was Advisor to the Chairman of the Observer Research Foundation. He is on the editorial board or the Indian Journal of Public Administration and is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Federal Studies at the University of Kent. Over the last two decades he has contributed as an expert in support of political and constitutional reforms in Ethiopia, Mexico, Myanmar, Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tunisia and Yemen. He holds master’s degrees in economics and political science from the University of Ottawa and the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) and did his doctoral work in political science at the University of Toronto. Rupak has authored, co-authored and edited a number of books and papers on federalism including Unity in Diversity: Learning from Each Other (Viva Books 2008), Finance and Governance of Capital Cities in Federal Systems (McGill Queens UP 2009) and Governance and Finance of Metropolitan Area in Federal Countries (Oxford UP 2013). Recently he co-authored a comparative study on Apex Level Intergovernmental relations (World Bank 2019) for submission to the Fifteenth Finance Commission of India.
Ifor Ffowcs-Williams is a renowned expert in cluster-based economic development with experience in over 50 countries. He offers remote coaching for cluster managers, conducts workshops, and speaks at global conferences on competitiveness, innovation, and economic development. Ifor is the author of the ‘Cluster Development Handbook’ and has worked with prestigious clients like the World Bank, OECD, and UNDP.As the Founder and Past President of TCI Network, he has a strong presence in the global cluster development community. His expertise spans across various countries including Australia, India, USA, and many others, where he has helped in establishing regional cluster development initiatives. Ifor has served on numerous advisory boards and has a background in both academia and practical experience in the field of cluster development. He is currently the CEO of Cluster Navigators Ltd and continues to be actively involved in shaping cluster development strategies worldwide.