Ornela Bardhi

Ornela Bardhi is Chair of the MCAA, and she has served on the MCAA Board since April 2024, initially overseeing data governance, digital infrastructure, GDPR compliance, and AI policy. She is also a founding member of the MCAA Western Balkans Chapter, where she has served as Chair, Board member, and Advisor, as well as the MCAA Finland Chapter and the MCAA AI WG. As Head of Research & Data Science at Success Clinic, she leads AI strategy and governance, EU-funded research projects, cross-sector collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and strategic partnerships. Previously, she served as Scientific Advisor to Albania’s Minister of Health, contributing to national health strategy, digital transformation, and AI-enabled healthcare initiatives. She has founded and co-founded two startups and has worked in various countries across government, academia, and industry. Her expertise includes applied AI and machine learning from research to production, AI governance and responsible AI, GDPR and the EU AI Act, digital health and the European Health Data Space, healthcare transformation, and board-level oversight of technology, data, risk, and compliance. Ornela holds a PhD in Applied AI for Medical Data, an MSc in Computer Science and Engineering, and an engineering degree in Computer Engineering.