Dr. Rafael Pérez Colón

Dr. Rafael Pérez Colón is an internationally recognized authority on ICT, digitalization, and innovation policy, with more than three decades of experience advancing digital transformation in emerging economies. He has worked extensively across the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, advising governments, multilateral institutions, and technology firms on the design of digital ecosystems, cybersecurity strategies, public-private partnerships, and e-government solutions.

From 1997 to 2014, Rafael held a series of executive positions at Microsoft Corporation, culminating in his role as Worldwide Senior Director for International Organizations. In this capacity, he led collaborations with multilateral development banks, the United Nations system, and national governments to implement digital infrastructure, smart city, and education sector transformation projects. Following his tenure at Microsoft, he founded HisKēn Ventures, a Madrid-based consultancy specializing in ICT for development, and has since advised the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and Asian Development Bank on national innovation strategies, cybersecurity, and public sector digital readiness. He was also a member of the International Expert Board for the World Bank-supported modernization of Uzbekistan’s national innovation system.

At TIV, Dr. Pérez Colón assists clients in developing digital transformation strategies, designing secure and scalable infrastructure, and integrating emerging technologies into national innovation systems. He brings his expertise in policy, partnerships, and public sector modernization to support projects that advance e-government, smart cities, and inclusive growth. His work emphasizes both the technical and governance dimensions of digital ecosystems, ensuring solutions that are sustainable and globally aligned. In addition, Rafael is committed to knowledge sharing, serving as an associate professor at UNED and IE Business School and mentoring policymakers and innovators in the responsible adoption of digital technologies, and serves on the Spanish Network for Sustainable Development Advisory Board, connected to the UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and on the International Advisory Council of Fundación Metropoli.