H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri was appointed Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under the new government structure approved in July 2020.

He is chairman of the General Civil Aviation Authority, UAE International Investors Council, and CSR UAE Fund’s Board of Trustees.

Prior to his appointment, H.E. Al Marri held important positions in the government as a senior, top-ranking official. He was the Secretary General of the UAE Cabinet since 2017, during which he was instrumental in strengthening the interdependence between the federal and local governments. In this role, he also spearheaded many initiatives to get the pulse of the people and know their sentiments, as well as build the UAE’s long-lasting relations with international organizations such as the World Economic Forum.

H.E. Bin Touq formerly served as the head of Securities and Commodities Authority, and was also the former Director General of the Executive Office of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He was part of the high-profile team that was behind the launch of ‘Area 2071,’ the nucleus of the future envisioned in the UAE Centennial Plan 2071. Furthermore, the UAE Minister of Economy, in his previous post, took part in the unveiling of the Hatta Economic Zone development project and the relaunching of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development.

In addition, he was the CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, enabling him to play a vital role in the successful launch of Dubai 10X and other initiatives of national importance. The Dubai 10X initiative, in particular, aims to strengthen the emirate’s bid to become the city of the future.

H.E. Al Marri is a member of the Boards of Directors of different federal entities. His memberships allow him to actively support the development of priority sectors in the country such as the Golden Visa initiative, which seeks to attract talented individuals from across the world.

The UAE Minister of Economy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Sheffield in the UK. Also, he is a graduate of the UAE Government Leaders Program and Mohammed Bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development.

H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi has been named the Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and SMEs under the new UAE Government structure approved in July 2020. Under this role, H.E. Dr. Al Falasi is at the fore of designing national initiatives to strengthen the UAE’s small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, one of the engines of the national economy, and promote entrepreneurship in various industries. H.E. is also tasked to set a strategic direction and develop a general national policy for the country’s tourism sector.

Before his present position, he was the Minister of State for Higher Education during which he supervised the development of higher education and scientific research in the UAE. He also formulated new policies for the sector as well as streamlined the work of higher education institutions to ensure quality outputs that match the requirements of the labor market. In October 2017, pursuant to the ministerial amendment to the UAE Government, he took on the responsibility of equipping UAE nationals with skills of the future.

H.E. is also the former Chairman of the Federal Authority for Human Resources and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the UAE Space Agency. He represented the space sector at the National Committee for Science, Technology and Innovation.

Other positions he previously held included CEO of Masdar Company; Executive Director of Strategy and Tourism Sector Development at Dubai Tourism; Vice President of the Mubadala Industry Unit; and Consultant for the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company.

H.E. Dr. Al Falasi holds a PhD from Monash University, a Master’s degree from the University of Melbourne in Australia, and a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Engineering from Khalifa University in the UAE.

Her Royal Highness Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was appointed Ambassador to the United States on February 23, 2019 by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. She is the first woman in the country’s history to serve in the role of Ambassador. She presented her credentials to President Donald Trump on July 8, 2019. 

From 1983 to 2005, Princess Reema lived in Washington, DC, while her father Prince Bandar served as Saudi Ambassador to the United States. She attended George Washington University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Museum Studies. 

Princess Reema returned to Saudi Arabia, where she focused on private sector initiatives and the empowerment of women in the Kingdom. In 2000, She co-founded Yibreen, a women’s gym. From 2007 until 2015, Princess Reema was the Chief Executive Officer of Alfa International Company Limited - Harvey Nichols Riyadh, a multi-brand luxury retail company, where she collaborated with leading female recruitment agency, Glowork, and 

commissioned a study on Obstacles for Women in the Workplace, which set the tone for female inclusion in retail, and resulted in opening the first workplace nursery in a retail store, enabling more women to work while caring for children. In 2013, she founded Alf Khair, a social enterprise aimed at elevating the professional capital of Saudi women through a curriculum developed to enable financial self-sufficiency. 

In 2016, Princess Reema left the private sector to begin a career of public service as Vice President of Women’s Affairs at the Saudi General Sports Authority where she developed policies and programs that benefited women and children throughout Saudi Arabia. After a successful year, she was promoted to Deputy of Development and Planning in January 2018. In October 2018, She was also appointed President of the Mass Participation Federation, making her the first woman to lead a multi-sports federation in the Kingdom, a role that she occupied until her appointment as Saudi Ambassador to the United States. 

Princess Reema is excited to take her leadership role to the world stage as Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the United States. 

As part of her philanthropic work, Princess Reema became a founding member of the Zahra Breast Cancer Awareness Association in 2007, which set a Guinness World Record by forming the World's Largest Human Awareness Ribbon at the Princess Noura University in Riyadh in 2015. 

Princess Reema has served as a member of the World Bank’s advisory council for the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative since 2017. She has been a member of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee since 2017, and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Women in Sports Commission since 2018. 

In 2014, Fast Company recognized Princess Reema as the Most Creative Person of the year for “Inviting Women into the Workforce.” Foreign Policy Magazine recognized her as a Leading Global Thinker for the same year, placing her high up in the “Moguls” category. 

She was featured on the Forbes lists of the 200 Most Powerful Arab Women and Most Powerful Arab Women in Saudi Arabia lists for 2014. 

Faisal J. Abbas is the Editor-in-Chief of the Riyadh-based leading Middle East English language daily, Arab News. 

Under his leadership, Arab News (established 1975) relaunched with a more global, more digital direction. It has expanded its international presence through a large network of correspondents and a number of regional bureaus across the world. 

Prior to joining the newspaper in 2016, Abbas has been the Editor-in-Chief of the Dubai-based English language service of Al Arabiya News Channel. 

Abbas is a renowned columnist on Arab-international affairs and has also conducted interviews with a number of world leaders. He appears regularly on international media to comment on regional affairs. 

Abbas has previously written for The Huffington Post and worked with both Asharq Al Awsat and Al Hayat pan-Arab dailies, Future Television of Lebanon and the International Resource Journal in London. 

He has been the recipient of many media awards, including the Next Century Foundation’s Cutting-Edge Award (2009) for efforts in bridging the communication gap between the West and the Arab World and British Council’s UK alumni “Social Impact” award in Saudi Arabia (2017). 

He holds a master’s degree from the University of Westminster and a bachelor degree from the Lebanese American University. He is also a graduate of the Executive Education Program of the Harvard Kennedy School, where he studied Global Leadership and Public Policy. 

Abbas is a member of the editorial board of Al Arabiya News Channel, an associate fellow of the Cambridge Union Society and a member of the British Society of Authors. 

In 2017, he published his first Arabic book called ‘Arabi/Englizi’ which describes London through Arab eyes. 

Mohammed Abudawood is the Executive chairman of M H A Abudawood Group, investing in FMCG, institutional marketing, manufacturing and distribution in the ME region. The group has many activities in Industrial consulting, private equity investments, specifically in Fintech, Cybersecurity, new technologies like communication and security among others.

His work experience consists of major global brand’s marketing, manufacturing, selling and full planning in three markets: Saudi Arabia, the USA, and the UK.

Educated at both the University of Arizona and Harvard Business School, Abudawood  Executive Chairman  of M H Abudawood Group, board member of several private Companies  in Saudi Arabia. Was a board member of several publicly traded firms in Insurance, and publicly owned firms in Realestate,m development, or banks  like Barclays. In addition to being chairman of many governance committee. He has been a visiting lecturer on governance, marketing, and family businesses issues.

Has been active for 2 decades on public agendas like women empowerment in Saudi, family businesses transformation, sustainability and ESG.

With over 10 years of experience in the art industry ranging from acquisition to exhibition and museum design to experience innovation, Nora works on developing and expanding creative industries, developing cultural assets and establishing global partnerships to further RCU’s cultural strategy. Nora has led the planning, design, and development of Desert X AlUla—a curated art in the landscape exhibition in partnership with Desert X—and pioneered the first AlUla Design Award to enhance product design and development within AlUla. Currently, Nora is overseeing the implementation of RCU’s museum development strategy and large-scale permanent art installations.

Nora began her career in the art auction business then joined Ithra, the Dhahran-based international cultural hub, where she served as Head of Museums, managing the development of various galleries. She was part of the pilot team that launched a cultural diplomacy program to create an international platform to support Saudi talent globally. Her other initiatives included a creative solutions programme and international art exhibitions. In 2018 Nora joined the Saudi General Entertainment Authority as part of the sector development team with a focus on local content where she worked on key cultural diplomacy programs.

She holds a Master of Science in Arts Management from Boston University and a Bachelor of Science in Visual Communication from the American University of Sharjah.

Al-Jedea brings extensive experience of international affairs, strategic advisory, and communications. Prior to joining SRMG, Al-Jedea worked across a wide array of fields including tourism, international development, foreign policy, and strategic partnerships. She also served as international affairs advisor for senior officials at the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition to serving as the Director of Public Diplomacy at the Saudi Embassy in Washington and spent several years with the United Nations in New York.

Al-Jedea led the establishment of the first UNWTO Regional Office project located in Riyadh to serve the Middle East and African regions, which entailed leading international negotiations and management of key stakeholders. She also served as a foreign policy advisor to KSA’s leading ministers where she led strategic efforts in building partnerships and coalitions with external stakeholders nationally and internationally across different political contexts, for example, establishing partnerships with governments across the Middle East and Europe supporting the tourism sector’s recovery in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Al-Jedea also led negotiations between Saudi Arabia and France to co-finance 200 million Euros worth of development projects in the Sahel region, in addition to an agreement between Saudi Arabia and the UK to co-finance 100 million pounds worth of development projects in the horn of Africa. While working at the KSA embassy in DC, Al-Jedea led the cooperation between USA and KSA in areas related to women empowerment as part of her mandate as director of public diplomacy

Al-Jedea holds a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Syracuse University, and a master’s degree in Conflict Resolution and Negotiations from Columbia University, as well as a master’s degree in International Relations.

He has held a broad range of position in Saudi media for almost thirty years, including CEO of a PR Firm, Saudi Television news anchor, talk show host, radio announcer and journalist. Almaeena also held a series of senior positions in Saudia Airlines.

As the Editor-in-Chief of Arab News, the largest English- language newspaper in the Middle EAST, Almaeena steered the paper through the Gulf Crisis and pioneered bringing the newspapers back to a liberated Kuwait. Under his direction, the paper was first in 2003 to send a Saudi reporter to Iraq to report extensively from the front lines. Arab news was the only Saudi newspaper to have the reporter in Tahrir square during the Arab spring.
As a journalist, Almaeena has represented Saudi Media at Arab summits in Baghdad , Morocco and elsewhere. In 1990, he was one of four journalists to cover historic resumption of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Russia. He also traveled to China as part of this diplomatic mission.

Highly regarded for his views, Almaeena’s political and social columns appear in Gulf News – Dubai, Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Eqtisadiah, Arab News, Times of Oman, Asian Age, Al Arabia , Makkah and the China Post and Saudi Gazette. His interest in sports attracted him to the successful promotion of squash and tennis tournaments in the Kingdom.

In 1982, Almaeena became the Editor-in-Chief of Arab News. He stepped down in 1993 to head the Saudi Public Relations Company (SRPC) a position he held for five years. He returned to the top editor’s post of Arab News in 1998 and continued until October 2011.

In April 2012, He joined as the Editor in Chief of Saudi Gazette, English daily published from Jeddah and continued in the position until the end of April 2014.

Mr. Almaeena was awarded the highest civilian Awards Sitara- e-imtiyaz (Star of Excellence) by the government of Pakistan in January 2009 and Doctorate in Humanities from Mindanao University in the Philippines in 2009 .

He is also a visiting non resident scholar at the University of Central Florida.

Lama AlShethry is the Editor-in-Chief of Sayidaty Magazine and AlJamila, she holds a master's degree in marketing communications from Middlesex University in Dubai and a bachelor's degree in translation from King Saud University in Riyadh.

Prior to joining Sayidaty, Alshethry was the digital content manager at Hia magazine for 5 years. AlShethry’s experience in media includes print, electronic and digital platforms. She is an advocate of quality of content, and believes that media must be versatile in executing and delivering via various means.

Ms. Al Tamimi has always been driven to be a catalyst for positive impact and is committed to bringing new solutions and an entrepreneurial mindset to her work. With a rich academic and professional background, spanning both public and private sectors, her work centers at the intersection of strategy, policy, and communication, and focuses on enhancing sustainable socio-economic development.

She currently serves as Deputy for the Saudi Human Rights Commission in charge of International Cooperation and Partnerships, and concurrently serves as Vice-Chair of the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, where her work in crafting the Kingdom’s national anti-trafficking strategy, and overseeing its implementation, was recognized by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for its contribution to the fight against trafficking in Saudi Arabia and beyond.

In her previous capacity as Advisor to the Minister of Media, she established, incubated and headed the Center for International Communications, establishing the country's first international engagement platform of its kind. Prior to that, Ms. Al Tamimi served as Advisor to the Saudi Ambassador to Berlin, where her portfolio covered public affairs, strategic communications, and bilateral engagement across various fields including G20 engagement groups.

Ms. Al Tamimi served as an executive team member at the  Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), where she instituted and led International Operations, responsible for increasing the Authority’s global footprint through the establishment of 10 global offices. As the Strategy Officer of SAGIA’s National Competitiveness Centre, she championed and oversaw various public- and private-sector initiatives to increase competitiveness in the country. She also co-created the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils with U.S.A. Council on Competitiveness, establishing SAGIA as one of the founding organizational members. In addition, she served as part of the SAGIA- founded Global Competitiveness Forum's leadership team, which CNN declared as the global stop before Davos in 2010.

Ms. Al Tamimi holds an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she is a Sloan Fellow in Global Leadership and Innovation. She has an MSc in International Management for Middle East North Africa from SOAS University of London, and a BA in International Relations from Tufts University. She has frequently represented her country as part of government delegations and at various international and intercultural fora.

Xavier brings 25+ years of combined management consulting and operational experience in the energy, fintech, high-tech, media and telecommunications industries in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. He has led large teams of professionals and effectively steered P&L both from start-ups and multinational corporations.

Extensive experience as an advisor to top executives of leading public and private organizations across multiple domains including: innovation, digital transformation, corporate and commercial strategy, business and operational turnaround, consumer analytics and organizational development.

Prior to joining Accenture, Xavier was the CEO of International Operations in Cash Credit, an innovative FinTech player in the lending space, leading the company expansion from Eastern Europe to the Middle East, Far East and Africa. Before, he was a Partner and Group COO of Delta Partners Group, and had senior roles in Diamond Cluster (today Oliver Wyman), Ono and Hewlett-Packard.

At Accenture, as a Global Energy Account Lead, Xavier is part of the Global Leadership Council and runs the Innovation Network in the Middle East. In the past, he led the services of Strategy & Consulting across all industries and the build-up of Accenture Digital practice in the Middle East, rolling out signature programs combining the creation, development and running of experiences (i.e. such as Expo 2020 Dubai. Xavier has featured as a keynote speaker in leading conferences on the topics of Energy Transition, Future Workforce, Digital Transformation, Blockchain, Innovation and Insurtech in multiple countries.

He holds an MBA from ESADE in Barcelona and MSc in Electrical Engineering and BSc in Telecommunications from La Salle Engineering in Barcelona. Xavier has lived in 4 continents and led assignments in over 30 countries.

Cyba Audi is Anchor of the business morning show “Al Sabah Maa Cyba.” She joined Asharq News Services in August 2020 as Senior Anchor and Editor-at-Large. Cyba is also the founder and CEO of “Saba Consultants” a leading firm in strategic communications, reputation building and investor relations, providing positioning strategies, visualizations and digital communications to government and corporates in the GCC.

Cyba began her career in 1995 in London, United Kingdom where she worked as a private banker with Groupe Banque Indosuez before joining Merrill Lynch in 1999 as a Financial Consultant for HNWIs.

Cyba is a versed moderator at international forums and conferences including the World Economic Forum, Global Humanitarian Forum and the Union for the Mediterranean. She

also provides executive coaching to high-ranking government officials and corporate leaders.

Christiane is a senior news anchor at the 24 hours pan Arab news Chanel Alhadath, which is part of the Dubai based al-Arabiya news network specialized in covering the hot areas in the most troubled areas in the Middle east and north Africa

Al-Arabiya launched this news channel in 2014 to cope with the extensive amount of news caused by the consequences of the so-called Arab spring

Christiane is one of the main anchors in the channel since it launched, she gained a massive experience in dealing with the breaking news and continuous news coverage from different angles including social, political, humanitarian, economical, military and geopolitical

As part of her work, Christiane regularly discusses hot topics with different types of guests from journalists and eye-witness to analysts, politicians and decision makers, aiming to explore the different aspects of the story

Prior to joining al-Arabiya, Christiane worked in MTV Lebanon as field reporter, she also contributed in some of the top ranking online news services in the country

Christiane had always a soft spot towards public speaking training, she was the program coordinator in the MCF media institute which organizes workshops, seminars, conferences and trainings for journalists (TV, Radio, Social Media) as well as for politicians (interview, debate, public appearance)

Christiane gets regularly invited to provide on camera media training for spokespersons and US government employees, conducting mock interviews, giving feedbacks and counselling at the end of the training

Christiane is passionate about reading history, philosophy and literature

She holds a master degree in French literature in addition to her bachelor degree in journalism from the Lebanese university

She is fluent in Arabic, French and English

Simon joined First Abu Dhabi Bank in January 2018 and brings with him over 30yrs of global financial markets experience. Over his career as an economist, Simon has built up a wealth of multi-asset, global macroeconomic investment strategy knowledge, working in both London and New York, and now the United Arab Emirates. Simon worked previously for BNP Paribas, RBC and National Australia Bank in London, and for Bear Stearns in London and New York.

Bi-lingual in French, his primary focus as Chief Economist at First Abu Dhabi Bank is on global (G10 / MENA / GCC) macroeconomic issues, covering rates, FX , credit and commodities and in particular how these are relevant to investment strategies within the MENA/GCC region.

Simon’s views are regularly requested by the major financial news channels and the written press. Simon is a regular guest host on Bloomberg television and radio as well as CNBC television. In addition, he is often quoted in the Financial Times and other leading financial publications.

Former Director of the International Olympic Committee and Senior Advisor for the Dubai Expo Bid and Organising Committees, Philippe Blanchard is a leading expert in Technology and mega-events.

He is the CEO of Futurous, the Games of the future. A new Festival of competitions for teams of male and female, athlete and para-athlete, sports and esports, mankind and robots, in the Metaverse and the physical world.

Philippe also provides his expertise to manage innovative projects and digital transformation: Bid and Organising committees, forward-thinking governments and corporations.

Jean-Pierre Le Calvez founded Novonda, a consulting and training firm with a conscience, to bring his real-world expertise to organizations and leadership teams.  Recently, he has been working on the African Continent on issues of health, gender, and economic equity.

Jean-Pierre has extensive global management, marketing and communications experience in the business and human development fields.  He has held several senior key marketing positions for major global companies, start-up ventures and large not for profit organizations.  Until June 2019, he held the position of Global Head for Customer Marketing, Alliances and Partnerships for Hewlett Packard, working with partners to drive preference and demand for HP’s products and solutions.

Before this, as Vice President of Marketing for HP’s Printing and Personal Systems Group in Europe, Middle-East and Africa, ($19B) he was responsible for the total marketing investment envelope across all products and business lines, delivering fully integrated and end-to-end customer focused strategic marketing programs.

Prior to coming to HP, he was Global Head of Advocacy and Communications at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, where he was instrumental in launching the International Finance Facility for Immunisation as well as the Advance Market Commitment for pneumonia vaccines. Before that, his previous positions included: Chief Marketing Officer for Philips' Adelante Technologies and Senior Director, WW strategic marketing and analysis at Palm.

At Apple, Jean-Pierre was responsible for marketing communications, entertainment and PR relations as well as government affairs for the entire EMEA region.

Jean-Pierre is on the Board of Directors of Flare, a London based blockchain company and has been an early investor in a number of technology companies. He is also on the Advisory Board of the UK’s Black Business Institute. He has led - and participated in - many trainings and spoken at numerous conferences on issues of management, unconscious bias, gender equity, sustainability, marketing and communications as well as innovative financing for development.

Sélim Chidiac has been the Chief Executive Officer of the L’azurde Company since February 2010, when it was acquired by a Private Equity Consortium led by Investcorp. Sélim led the Company through a solid turn-around and strong growth story which helped make the Company a publicly listed entity in June 2016 on the Tadawul stock exchange in Saudi Arabia. It was 9 times over-subscribed with institution investors and 3 times over-subscribed with retail investors. The Group has more than 2,000 employees across the MENA region and focuses on the design, manufacturing, marketing, wholesale and retail distribution of jewelry. In 2018, L’azurde executed the 3^rd largest M&A transaction in KSA by acquiring the KSA franchisee of the global jewelry brand TOUS.

Prior to joining L’azurde, Sélim was Chief Executive Officer for Red Bull North America, based in Los Angeles. During his eleven-year career at Red Bull, he managed the business in North America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Before joining Red Bull, he worked with Procter & Gamble Switzerland and Austria, implementing growth strategies across European markets.

Sélim has a comprehensive background in management and business development and holds several business degrees from prestigious establishments in France and the UK, and has attended executive education courses in several business schools like Insead, Harvard Business School, IMD Lausanne, UCLA Los Angeles and London Business School. Sélim has a solid experience at Board level through his roles at Red Bull, L’azurde and is a Board Director at Theeb Car Rental.

Kamal is a versatile leader and a polyvalent talent. He is the current COO and  co-founding partner of TOUGHLOVE Advisors, an advisory firm focusing primarily on supporting SMEs and FOBs. He is also the former COO of Publicis Communications and Executive Regional Managing Director for Leo Burnett UAE, Kuwait and the Lower Gulf. He has 40+ years of leadership, communication, advertising and Marcoms industry experience.

With experience spanning the Middle East region and North America and significant dealings with leaders across multiple continents, Kamal brings considerable expertise, a solid track record in leading teams, managing through complexity, developing communication, inspiring creative development, delivering against aggressive growth targets and building reputation. Perhaps one of Kamal’s biggest strengths is the ability to work with and help grow people.

Kamal has also served as an adjunct instructor at the American University of Dubai, lecturing on integrated marketing communications and advertising. He has also been involved in the activities of the local marketing and communications industry and has served on the International Advertising Agency UAE Chapter’s board for eight years and is currently a member of the board of The Marketing Society. He often writes and provides commentary about a variety of industry topics.

Beyond his industry activities, Kamal currently serves as a coach for Endeavor and sits on Local Selection Panels. He also is a mentor with Cartier Women Initiative and supports women entrepreneurs. He is also a non-executive Board Advisor with Sacred Groves.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Kamal graduated in 1985 from the American University of Beirut with an MBA. Kamal holds an ACTP certificate from the University of Texas at Dallas Executive and Professional Coaching Program as well as holding an ACC certification from the ICF.

With almost a decade of experience working with private and government owned entities in areas of Regulatory
Compliance, Corporate Governance, quality assurance and organizational excellence Samia, has successfully proven
positive impact and lead business transformation

She participated in the ESG Index MENA wide Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Index in cooperation with
Standard Poor's with the support of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) She has designed and delivered
workshops and awareness sessions to senior decision makers on effective governance in public sector

Her passion for progression have been the driving force behind her achievements and continue to fuel her ambition to help
reinforce the adaption of leading governance and financial ethical standards practices in the region Her prime objective is
to help companies to develop sound and globally recognized corporate governance frameworks and support sustainable
development

In her current role as the CG Advisor and Head of research at Hawkamah the Institute of Corporate Governance, Middle
east She is in charge of leading entities advisory engagements, where she works closely with clients in assessment and
development, advisory and succession planning across multiple industries She has conducted and published research
reports, surveys and white papers on a variety of topics of importance locally and globally - to identify policy issues and
recommend leading practices In parallel with her role at Hawkamah she is a lead auditor with Anti Bribery and Anti
Corruption (ABAC) Center of excellence, she provides audit and expertise services on existing compliance and Anti-bribery
Anti-corruption management systems to assess effectiveness and vulnerabilities, while ensuring compliance with Internal
Standards, FCPA rules, UK Bribery Act laws, Anti-Money Laundering regulations, and all other global, regional and local
regulations

She is a Certified Train the Trainer - Institute of Leadership and Management (UK) and IRCA (The International Register of Certificated Auditors) Lead Auditor ISO 9001:2015 QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM and ISO 37001:2016 ANTI-BRIBERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS In addition to other accreditations related to Anti Money Laundry (AML) and Counter Financing Crimes

Vanessa Eastham Fisk is a full time Independent Non-Executive, currently sitting on boards at ABC International Bank plc, UK; ila Bank, Bahrain; Almarai Company, KSA; Banque Saudi Fransi, KSA; Special Advisor to the AlOmran family KSA and Independent supervisory board member of the family office, Narmo Capital and most recently she has joined the board of TPL REIT Management Co Ltd, Pakistan.

Vanessa focuses on companies which have a strong innovation and/or transformation agenda, with her current portfolio spanning both traditional and new digital enterprises. In particular she has a keen interest in those businesses deploying newer technologies to gain competitive advantage and is an active Board Advisor and Mentor to a number of the Middle East’s emerging Fintech and Regtech start-ups.

Prior to pursuing a non-executive career, Vanessa spent over 20 years in a wide variety of Senior Executive Director positions across multiple geographies.  During 18 years at Barclays Bank PLC, Vanessa undertook roles of Chief Operating Officer & Chief Risk Officer for the Middle East; Director of Strategy & Transformation at Gerrard Investment Management Ltd; Chief Risk Officer for the Corporate Bank and Head of the Regional UK Leveraged Finance businesses. More recently Vanessa spent 5 years as Wholesale Banking Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer for Standard Chartered Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan.

Vanessa graduated with a BA Hons in Accountancy and Finance from Huddersfield University, undertook her post grad in Leadership Studies at Exeter University and after leaving Standard Chartered completed the International Executive Programme in Global Corporate Governance at Insead Business School, Fontainebleau, Paris. For the last 3 years, Vanessa has also been a visiting guest speaker on the Insead Executive MBA program, Corporate Governance module.

Saqr Mashhor Ereiqat is a consultant focusing on fintech, blockchain solutions, healthcare, and innovation management. A thirteen-year veteran of IBM in Middle East and Africa, he is the former Head of Public Sector Consultancy in Dubai, where is recognized as a pioneer in enterprise blockchain, being a co-author of the first IBM blockchain for government methodology and helped define the official government blockchain strategy of Dubai. While at IBM, Saqr led projects in 23 countries across Europe, Middle East & Africa where he worked with both public and private sector entities to define, create, and implement their blockchain strategies.

Former clients include DHL, Shell, Airtel, Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA), Smart Dubai Government and The Prime Minister's Office. In the field of healthcare, Saqr has advised several large hospital conglomerates on their technology strategy and set up the National Health Lab for Emerging Technology for the Saudi Arabian Government.

Since 2021 Saqr serves on the Advisory Board of the Global Innovation Institute. He is currently working with the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), the Arab Youth Center, and the Founder Institute as a mentor supporting start-ups in the region. As of 2022 he is part of founding Crypto Oasis Team, defining the largest blockchain ecosystem in the region.

Hassan M. Fattah is director of communications at Crescent Petroleum, overseeing all aspects of reputation, CSR and community engagement at the region's oldest privately owned upstream oil and gas company.

Hassan has been at the center of key public affairs, financial communications and senior advisory efforts across the region for over 2I years. He was a partner with Brunswick Group between 2014-2017, where he led global and institutional accounts including Mubadala, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Emirates Global Aluminium, TDIC and various crisis communications programs.

As director of communications at GEMS education in 2013, he helped reorganise the company's communications and narrative, helping launch new branding and communications for the world's largest private education company, helping launch a preeminent education and skills forum, and setting the foundation for the Global Teacher Prize administered by the Varkey Foundation.

As a renowned journalist, Hassan covered the changing dynamics of the Middle East for some of the world's leading publications. He has focused particular attention on the demographic shifts and youth culture that has fuelled the region's economies and politics in recent years.

Between 2007 and 2013, Fattah helped launch The National, the regional English-language newspaper published in Abu Dhabi, and served as editor-in-chief of the paper between 2008-2013. He served as Middle East correspondent for The New York Times between 2004-2007, breaking key stories and setting the regional coverage agenda.

He was raised between Beirut, Amman and San Francisco and is fluent in Arabic and English. He holds a B.S. in Mineral Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley and a Masters in Science from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Farah Foustok is the Chief Executive Officer of Lazard Gulf Ltd. based in Dubai. She began working in the investment field in 1994. Prior to joining Lazard in 2014, she was Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of ING Investment Management Middle East from 2008. 

Farah was a co-founder of Reach in 2013 and is now an Advisory Committee member. In 2015 Farah co-founded and chaired the Steering Committee for the MENA chapter of the 30% club and is now a Global Advisory Committee member. In 2019, Farah was awarded International Investment Woman of the Year by Women in Investment Awards, London. Farah is also a member of Room to Read’s Middle East board. Farah is a finance leaders fellow of the Aspen Institute and in January 2020, Farah launched TARA, a non-profit foundation, to connect female University students to the corporate world; increasing women’s participation in financial services. 

Farah holds an MBA from Imperial College London and a BSc Hons in Mathematics from King’s College, London. 

Mike is the CEO of Aviv Clinics Dubai, and a highly experienced strategic healthcare leader. He is passionate about enhancing people’s lives through healthcare, dedicating the past two decades to leading healthcare organizations in the UK, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Prior to joining the Aviv team, Mike served as Chief Operating Officer of Saudi Medical Care Group, operating a network of hospitals and clinics across the Kingdom. He has held executive positions in public and private healthcare organizations across the GCC, where he specialized in the mobilization and management of operations. Mike holds an MSc in Leadership and Management from the University of Leicester.

Hussein Freijeh is the General Manager of Snap Inc. for the Middle East and North Africa region. In his current role, Hussein is in charge of developing and implementing effective strategies to drive Snap Inc's business activities and plans in MENA. Previously, he was the Managing Director of Yahoo Middle East, Africa and Turkey, where he helped advance the company’s strategic objectives. Prior to that, Hussein played an instrumental role in establishing Maktoob as one of the largest companies in the Middle East, before it was acquired by Yahoo in 2009. Hussein holds a BSc in Computer Science from the Lebanese American University.

Michael, a highly-respected media industry executive for more than 50 years, was appointed CEO of twofour54 Abu Dhabi, the Emirate’s media and entertainment hub, in January 2020.

As CEO, he leads the twofour54 team in building and developing a vibrant ecosystem of local and global partners that enables and inspires the most creative and innovative content. Today, more than 600 media companies from around the world, including CNN, SkyNews Arabia, Unity Technologies and Ubisoft, call twofour54 home.

Michael joined twofour54 from Image Nation Abu Dhabi, where he served as CEO from February 2011.  Michael oversaw Image Nation’s business strategy and operations and played a vital role in managing and forging key international partnerships.  Previously, he had also spent four years as a member of the Executive Committee of Abu Dhabi Media Company.

His media career began at Time Inc. where he worked for TIME, Fortune and Time-Life Television for over a decade.

From there, Michael helped co-found what would eventually become Lorimar-Telepictures – a leading independent television company in the U.S.

His other previous roles included CEO of Central European Media Enterprises and Global Head to Media & Telecommunications Investment Banking for ING.

Paritosh is our Head of Blockchain/Cryptocurrency services.  His role includes overseeing all functions at the firm, including risk and management consulting, audit and tax, with respect to the impact the technology has on our clients.  He is also an Audit Partner in KPMG’s Financial Services Practice and the Audit Innovation Leader for the Lower Gulf, and specializes in banking and asset management, serving a wide range of clients.  He was previously a Partner with KPMG in Canada, where he held similar roles, including National Leader for Blockchain.   He specialized in banking and asset management, serving a wide range of clients from a large Schedule 1 bank in Canada to trust companies, fintech companies, hedge and mutual funds. Paritosh joined KPMG in Canada in 2004 and was previously with KPMG in Zambia.

Paritosh is the lead partner at KPMG Lower Gulf for any offerings relating to Blockchain/Cryptocurrency technology solutions to clients in the Lower Gulf.   Since he joined the Lower Gulf, he has been involved in assisting many cryptocurrency exchanges register with the regulators, with internal audit, technology governance reviews, cyber.  He is also in the middle of starting up a crypto community in the UAE, with key stakeholders as members.

Prior to this, he held a similar role with KPMG in Canada where he was involved in discussions and provision of services to clients on how blockchain technology could impact them, positioning applicable use cases for major clients including consortiums, providing overview of governance structures.  He ws also responsible for liaising with our key alliances, such as IBM, Microsoft and other technology firms to assess potential collaboration for blockchain projects with clients.   Paritosh also used to sit on the Ontario Securities Commission’s FinTech Advisory Committee.

Paritosh was also instrumental in driving acceptance of crypto related activities in the Canadian firm.  Paritosh was the lead partner on one of the public listed crypto engagements, one of the first to be accepted by any big four in Canada.  He was also key in KPMG being appointed as a technical advisor by one of the Canadian regulators in the industry.  He also sat on the CPA Canada Task force for crypto related activities.

Paritosh has experience in servicing large financial institutions globally. He is also an audit partner in Financial Services and is spearheading audits of some large banks in the UAE.   He was also one of the engagement partners on Canada’s five largest financial institutions and has been very involved in some of the challenges and issues facing the financial services industry.  Paritosh’ s clients include large Banks, including Schedule 1, 2 and 3 banks in Canada and Banks abroad.  His experience includes personal and commercial banking, credit risk and wealth management.  He has also been involved with the Bank’s securities offerings.  Paritosh has also been previously involved with the audit of Canadian-based custodian, CIBC Mellon Trust Company, and also with the audit of Canada’s primary securities clearing agency, Canadian Depository for Securities Limited.

Paritosh has years of experience with investment funds, including Canadian reporting issuer funds, in particular exchange traded funds, pooled funds, hedge funds, U.S. and offshore hedge funds and private equity funds.

Paritosh is also the Audit Innovation Leader.  The role includes keeping abreast of new technologies, understanding the impacts they are having on our clients, including regulatory, and the impact they would have on the audit and accounting profession.

Sanjeev Gupta is the Executive Chairman of GFG Alliance, a collection of global businesses and investment owned Sanjeev and his family. GFG Alliance has three core industry brands; LIBERTY Steel Group, ALVANCE Aluminium Group and SIMEC Energy Group. GFG Alliance also holds investments in financial services and property held within a Family Office. Sanjeev and his wife Nicola are the founders of the GFG Foundation – a registered charity that aims to develop industrial skills among young people. GFG Alliance has revenues of $20bn and employs 36,000 people across 30 countries.

Born into a family of industrialists in Punjab, India, Sanjeev was educated in the UK and graduated with an MA in Economics and Management from the University of Cambridge. While still an undergraduate, he founded LIBERTY House Group in 1992 as a global commodities trader, growing rapidly across different geographies.

In 2015, Sanjeev started his industrial journey buying and restarting his first steel mill in the UK. Since then, he has built a collection of global businesses with major assets in metals, engineering, mining, and renewable energy spread across the world with a particular focus on Europe, Australia, USA and Asia.

Sanjeev’s strategy is based on long-term investment focused on economic, social and environmental sustainability. At the heart of this are his low-carbon GREENSTEEL and GREENALUMINIUM strategies, which combine metal recycling with renewable energy. In 2019 Sanjeev announced LIBERTY Steel Group’s ambition to become Carbon Neutral by 2030 – the most ambitious target of its kind by a major steel producer.

Dr. Mohamad is the Chief Executive Officer of Amanat Holdings. He joined the Company in November 2017, initially as the Chief Investment Officer, and has since led several successful transactions valuing c. AED 3 billion jointly, including seven acquisitions and two profitable divestments. These transactions are based on the strategy he defined and implemented for exiting minority investments where the path to control is challenging or limited, capturing specialized opportunities, and expanding investment platforms where Amanat can act as an influencer shareholder. Additionally, he steered Amanat's VC strategy, positioning the Company as a regional leader in the digitalization of both sectors, healthcare and education.

Hamade also managed and supported the growth of Amanat's result-driven and capable team; together, Amanat's new identity was launched, moving from the classic look and feel to a younger, fresh, progressive approach.

In 2021, Dr. Mohamad led the way to a transformative year in Amanat, resulting in a remarkable, operational and financial performance in the Company's history by delivering the highest net profit of AED 281 million (28x yoy) and the highest distributed dividends of AED 150 million.

Dr. Mohamad sits on several boards and committees, playing an essential role in driving growth and, value creation initiatives across Amanat's portfolio; 8 investments operated by a total of c. 2.4K skilled, employees and generating a total revenue of c. AED 1.4 billion in FY2021.

Dr. Mohamad is recognized as a thought leader, sharing his insights through multiple media business avenues. He is an active speaker at the WEF Global Future Council's committee and other global and regional conferences. Hamade shares thoughts, opinions, and market updates through Amanat CEO Monthly, Op-Eds, panels, and interviews. Furthermore, he contributed to numerous juries identifying the most promising and impactful startups.

Dr. Mohamad has been featured in multiple global and local publications being one of the market leaders, and he is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization.

Prior to joining Amanat, Dr. Mohamad served as Chief Investment Officer of VPS Healthcare, a group comprising over 20 hospitals and 100 medical centers across the UAE, Oman, and India. Before joining VPS, Hamade was a Principal at TVM Capital and Chief Strategy Officer of one of its portfolio companies.

Dr. Mohamad holds an MD and a BSc in Biology from the American University of Beirut and an MBA from Cornell University in the USA. He also holds a Research Fellowship Certificate in ENT Surgery from Harvard Medical School.

Christine Harb serves as the Vice President of Marketing at Visa Inc. and is responsible for building Visa’s brand strategy across Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA). In her role, she oversees integrated media and creative campaigns, drives operational efficiencies and fosters Visa’s digital transformation and rollout of innovative products and solutions.

Christine is a highly experienced executive in the marketing and digital industry and brings more than fifteen years of experience to Visa. Before joining the company, she served as Global Luxury Lead and Head of Marketing MENA at Facebook. Earlier, she has held different leadership roles at top-class marketing brands such as Nike and Red Bull. She holds an MBA from IE Business School and a Masters in Marketing from Panthéon-Sorbonne Paris I.

Christine believes in the power of brands to serve people while being a force for good through community impact, diversity and inclusion and environmental sustainability. She is part of a career advisory board and regularly coaches middle management leaders.

Dr. Maliha Hashmi is winner of the prestigious Forbes Health Leadership Award of 2022 and part of the World Leaders Award recipients. She is also one of the Top Seven Most Talented Female Health Leaders of the MENA region. She is well-known as one of the dedicated and esteemed leaders in the region who has committed herself to bringing positive change, wellness and growth to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Dr. Maliha Hashmi served as the Executive Director and Co-Head of the Health, Wellbeing and Biotech Sector at NEOM, where she also served as the Executive Director for all Strategic Partnerships. Dr. Maliha Hashmi also served as the Deputy Chair of the NEOM Covid-19 Leadership Taskforce. She also has Senior Executive Advisory roles in various KSA entities where she advises on healthcare and education. Dr. Maliha Hashmi serves as a Board Member of the prestigious Advisory Board for Arab Health: the largest multi-disciplinary congress in the MENA Region. Dr. Maliha Hashmi is also a Board Member of the Halal Certification Authority part of the Saudi Food Drug Authority. She is also an Advisory Board Member of social impact investing in the Kingdom. Dr. Hashmi also serves as a Leading Expert & Council Member for the Prestigious Global Future Council on Health & Healthcare at the World Economic Forum. Furthermore, Dr. Maliha Hashmi serves as a Leading Expert & Council Member for the Global Future Council on Longevity at the World Economic Forum. Dr. Hashmi is a also a Leading Expert and Council Member for the Emerging Technologies Councils in the MENA Region which is part of the Big Innovation Center, an award winning global innovation technology think tank. Dr. Maliha Hashmi, is also an esteemed delegate of the V20, where V20 is a global platform of value experts and practitioners that has come together on the sidelines of the G20 presidency to actively engage with the process of the Group of Twenty (G20). She is also a regular contributor for Forbes. Dr. Maliha Hashmi has held Senior Executive roles in various sectors and globally renowned organizations and is a well-known name in the region for health & wellbeing. Dr. Maliha Hashmi received her Doctorate and Master’s Degrees from Harvard and MIT. Dr. Maliha Hashmi is listed as one of the top 20 women in the Nation in the United States of America for her achievements making it into the Who’s Who in America List.

Julien is also the Founder & CEO of Special Edition, a Content Creation company that operates across the GCC on content creation and events. Special Edition manages content creation and event for prestigious brands like the French edition of Arab News, Top CEO, TRENDS and other prestigious regional clients.

Born in Beirut, Julien spent most of his life in Paris, France. He completed his early studies in Paris and holds an Economics degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois (USA). Julien launched the publishing and media company Mediaquest in 1997 with his brother, Alexandre Hawari. Currently, Julien is a Board of Director for Mediaquest.

Julien site on the board of Wemind, a technology platform that combines loyalty, big data, and A.I. Wemind leverages consumption to fuel the impact economy. It aims at expending the financial system through repurposing electronic payments toward social initiatives.

Julien’s professional achievements include launching multiple brands in the region, north Africa and Europe. Among them TRENDS, the leading English-language international magazine on Arab affairs, Saneou al Hadath, redesigning Arabies… transforming the company into a powerful player in the Middle East and North Africa. Mediaquest quickly expanded to a powerhouse with the launch of Haya MBC, Marie Claire Arabia, Communicate in association with Advertising Age, and many other media brands. Mediaquest acquired brands as well like GMR, AMEinfo, Raceweek, F1, Policy and many other brands. He has played a key role in the expansion of Mediaquest and the opening of the media company’s offices in Dubai, Beirut, Riyadh, Algiers, Tunis and Paris.

With strong experience in building and growing startups in the Middle East and North Africa region, he managed the launch and growth of Mediaquest across the region and across digital and traditional platforms along with event management.

He played a crucial role in establishing iconic business events such as annual conference on the business of luxury – arab luxury world. He has also steered the efforts to institute annual TOP CEO conference & awards – a transparent and audited rankings of the chief executives of the GCC-listed companies – with the aim of celebrating Arab business leadership and promoting corporate governance in cooperation with INSEAD Business School.

Through his unique management style, Julien has nurtured and mentored several people in the organization who have now become the pillars of strength and leaders in their own right.

A regular attendee of World Economic Forum Davos Conference, Julien is well versed in the global business and technology trends along with having thought provoking insights on the world around us.

Experienced in building and federating stakeholders to create value is associated with a strong focus on execution and results.

Julien is passionate about digital media, social innovation, Arab youth issues and world developments.

Director of Sorbonne Centre for Artificial Intelligence Abu Dhabi, and founder of DataXchange, Valerie Hawley brings over 12 years’ experience in disruptive innovation based on technology adoption. Working in the UAE for 10 years, she generates practical solutions to complex issues, utilising her knowledge of AI, digitalisation and innovation. She is founding partner Middle East of True Global Ventures, and sits on the Academic Board of the Masters of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at HEC Paris. As Head of Innovation at Daman, she successfully implemented architect-productive partnerships with Plug&Play, DOH and ADGM. As part of The Change Initiative, she received the LEED Platinum Prestigious Award for Most Sustainable Building in the World, with the design and implementation of a “living laboratory” retail space for sustainable building solutions and eco-friendly products. Hawley is a multi-faceted entrepreneur, lecturer and advisor with experience across emerging and established markets.

Thomas Hughes is the Executive Director of Meta’s Oversight Board. He was previously the Executive Director of ARTICLE 19, an international human rights organisation that defends and promotes freedom of expression and information worldwide. Before that, Hughes was the Executive Director and founder of Diversity, an international advertising network for online news media in human rights-restricted countries and a co-founder of VirtualRoad.org, a secure hosting service that protects the websites of news media and civil society organisations. Prior to this, he has worked as the Deputy Director of the media development organisation International Media Support (IMS), and has also had roles with the European Commission, United Nations and Organization for Security Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Hughes has been an advisor on human rights to previous UK Foreign Secretaries and is a governor at the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD).

Ahmed Galal Ismail is the Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim - Properties, a leading real estate operator and developer with a portfolio of shopping malls, hotels and mixed-use communities across the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Oman, Bahrain and Lebanon. Majid Al Futtaim Properties is a member of Majid Al Futtaim, a regionally diversified lifestyle conglomerate that manages US$ 16 billion in assets and is active across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. 

Prior to assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim - Properties, Mr. Ismail served as Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim - Ventures for a decade. In this role, Mr. Ismail oversaw seven business verticals including Leisure and Entertainment, Cinemas, Fashion, and Consumer Finance. He was instrumental in the expansion of the group’s cinemas business to regional markets, with the notable inclusion of Saudi Arabia in 2018. 

Mr. Ismail started his career with Procter and Gamble in Egypt and Germany before joining Booz Allen Hamilton where he was named Principal and advised organisations in the retail, media, tourism and transportation sectors. 

A passionate advocate of building entrepreneurial eco-systems, Mr. Ismail serves on the Board of Endeavor, a global non-profit dedicated to high-impact entrepreneurship. Mr. Ismail is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Industry Action Group on Real Estate and is an active commentator and thought leader. 

Mr. Ismail holds an MBA with distinction from London Business School and a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the American University in Cairo. 

Mansoor has over 27 years’ experience in a variety of strategic management roles within public and private organizations. With diversified International experiences and recognitions he has established himself as a professional expert in disciplines including Operations Management, Organization Development and Business Development

The past 20 years have been spent within the strategic Organization and Business development environments, namely developing Strategies, Systems, Standards, Skills and Structures and delivering operational Excellence.

In his present role, Mansoor is playing a pivotal role in serving the UAE national agenda of employability- as the CEO of ADGM academy. Closely working with financial and digital authorities, Mansoor has devised flagship programs which are structured around, up-skilling, re-skilling and employability.

He is qualified in the field of change management, utilizing an approach that merges and aligns a creative outlook with practical application. Mansoor has a strong interest in talent management and the development of leadership within organizations, where he has won number of awards and Executive appreciations.

Mansoor had been an active member of the Institute of Directors (IoD), Chartered Institute of Management (CMI), The Chartered Institute of Public relations (CIPR), and Institute of Business Consulting.

Mansoor is also an experienced practitioner of Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) and Investor in People (IiP) Excellence framework himself, and has first-hand experience of the challenges and benefits improving management practices and culture can bring.

Mansoor has spoken at conferences and Training sessions in London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Nigeria and the United States of America.

Khalid Abdulla Janahi is currently the Group Chief Executive Officer of Dar Al-Maal Al-Islami Trust (DMI Trust) with over 35 years of experience in banking and financial services. He is also the Chairman of Solidarity Group Holding, Naseej Co., Faisal Private Bureau (Switzerland) SA, the Islamic Investment Company of the Gulf (Bahamas) Ltd, and Ithmaar Development Company. Mr Janahi is a board member of Faisal Islamic bank of Egypt and Ithmaar Bank. Mr Janahi was previously a Partner of PwC, Vice-Chairman of the Arab Business Council, World Economic Forum and a member of the Bahrain Economic Development Board and has served on a number of other boards including the Centre for International Business and Management, University of Cambridge. Mr Janahi holds a BSc in Computer Science & Accountancy from the University of Manchester and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (UK).

Yasar is a strategy advisor focused on Emerging Markets, with experience in Public Sector Modernization, Technology for Development, and Education.

Yasar is a former Partner at Bain & Company (head of Public Sector practice in Middle East) and prior to that, a Partner at PwC, leading the Middle East Strategy Group and the PwC Global Education Practice. Before PwC, he served as Strategy Director at the Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Dubai. He was also the founding Executive Dean of the Dubai School of Government, and a Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University. He also Co-Chaired of Global Agenda Council on the Future of Government (at the World Economic Forum 2012-2019).

In 2009, Yasar was nominated as Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum (WEF), and in 2012 was the founding curator of the Dubai Global Shapers hub (WEF). Dr. Jarrar worked as a Research Fellow at Cranfield School of Management (UK) after obtaining a Ph.D. in Manufacturing and Engineering from Birmingham University (UK). He is a published author, and a speaker at global events.

Katie Jensen is an international Broadcast Journalist, Keynote Speaker and Communications Coach based in Dubai, UAE. With a 15-year career in front of the television cameras, Katie’s magnetic professionalism and personality has inspired, informed and entertained millions of people both on screen and in person.

From one on one interviews with Presidents, Prime Ministers, captains of industry or Hollywood celebrities for national broadcast, to holding the attention of thousands of conference attendees as Moderator, Host and MC, Katie has mastered the art of asking the questions people want to hear, and the message that your business needs.

Katie Jensen’s international broadcasting career has spanned more than 15 years in television, including five years with one of Australia’s highest rated morning news shows and as a News Anchor for Dubai One TV for the last decade.

Katie regularly hosts live network specials for Dubai One including the UAE's Mission to Mars, the Expo 2020 bid live from Paris, the World Government Summit, the Dubai International Film Festival and the Dubai World Cup.

Katie has hosted hundreds of events in the region and around the world, sharing the stage with the likes of Sir Patrick Stewart, Sir Ben Kingsley, Jeremy Irons, Katy Perry and many more.

She has worked with organisations like Majid Al Futtaim, Harpers Bazaar Arabia, Grazia, Masdar, HSBC, UNHCR, the International Renewable Energy Agency, Nokia, Citrix , Emirates NBD, Property Finder and The World Travel Awards as a Moderator, Host and Keynote Speaker.

Fady Kassatly is a Partner with KPMG in the Middle East and leader of the firm’s Digital and Innovation Solution Group in the Lower Gulf.

Mr. Kassatly has more than 26 years of strategy, business and technology experience, gained through various consulting engagements in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Today, he draws upon this vast experience to advise top government leaders and senior business executives on a variety of topics.

In his advisory capacity Mr. Kassatly has led major engagements focused on business strategy, new operating models, governance,

and organization restructuring. Over the last 12 years, his focus has been mostly on digital transformation, innovation, e-government, smart government, as well as ICT. He also led projects focusing on the design and implementation of Enterprise Solutions such as ERP and CRM, with a focus on Cloud and shared services.

Further adding to this skill set, Mr. Kassatly is highly experienced in performance management, HR transformation, and PMO institutionalization and management. In the customer management context, customer strategy, customer engagement and relationship management also feature amongst his areas of expertise, along with social media, change management across various sectors, with a particular focus on the public sector.

Prior to joining KPMG in 2020, key highlights of Mr. Kassatly’s career comprised of senior leadership positions including Senior Vice President and Partner at Booz Allen Hamilton, senior principal at Booz & Company and prior to that senior management consultant with Deloitte Consulting from 1999 to 2006 in Montreal. Since 2011, he has been a member of the Young Arab Leaders organization.

an MSc. in management science from HEC Montréal and a BComm. in

management from McGill University.

• Mohammed Khammas serves as the group CEO of AAG and its international Holdings.
• MK joined AAG as manager, Head of Mining Department.
• MK Then served as Managing Director of AAG- industrial division which included 12 divisions.
• In time he lead Strategic Planning where he spearheaded strategy and business development for all of AAG
businesses worldwide.
• MK moved to heading the group as CEO which included 36 subsidiaries both locally and internationally.
• Developed the first regional and largest Outlet mall destination globally (Dubai Outlet Mall) part of a 10 million
square feet development in Dubailand
• Developed one of the largest Fitness chains in the region based in the UAE
• Started Human-X subsidiary which focused on everything that is Human Centric and included new Age media
entities.
• He worked with and then acquired the first and largest social Media aggregator (The Audience) servicing and
strategically working on major projects from Mega consumer events to Fortune 500 companies and strategic global
projects
• Created the First Arab owned global gaming company (Studio-Ex/Camelot) over Social Mediums which was then
acquired by Disney and boosted Disney Gaming studio offering.
• Created Rethink Leisure which served as a main creative designer and curator for Disney, Universal, Marvel, Lotte

Experienced businessman, environmentalist, and philanthropist with a demonstrated history of working in the executive office industry. Skilled in Public and Motivational Speaking, Strategic Planning, Leadership, and Community Outreach. 

Member of several boards of directors, namely Jeddah Company, Estidama Environmental Services Co, Middle East Health Care Co, Saudi Enaya Cooperative Insurance (Chairman), National Food Industrial Co (LUNA), Oriental Food Industrial Ltd (Nigeria), United Warehouse Logistics, National Committee of Gypsum Manufacturers (Saudi Council of Chambers of Commerce), Advisory Board of Effat University, YPO Gold, Saudi-German Business Group, executive member of Committee of International Trade (CIT - Saudi Federation of Chambers of Commerce), Member of Society of Handicapped Children, Member of Economic Sustainability Committee (Prince Majed Society for Social Development), and Member of the Minaret Business Organization. 

Chairman & CEO of Amkest group, a Saudi holding company, established in 1983, with interests in building materials manufacturing & trading, real estate development and management, and investment in renewable energy 

Chairman and major shareholder of Saudi Global Gypsum Company Ltd (3G), established in 2005, with a state-of-the-art Gypsum Plaster plant in Yanbu Industrial City, Saudi Arabia inaugurated by the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz September in 2005 

Chairman and Co-Founder of Qaderoon Business Disability Network – a Saudi nationwide social services organization – empowering employers to include persons with disability as equal effective members of the workforce – Qaderoon is a guest member of UN ILO Global Business Disability Network 

Formerly served as President of the Khashoggi Foundation, VP-Group Affairs at Zahid Group of Companies, CEO of Omar Kassem Alesayi & Partners (OMACO), Strategic Advisor to Emaar Economic City (KAEC), Advisor to Omar Kassem Alesayi Group (OKAG), member of the International Relations Committee (Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry), Chief Coordinator of Saudi Outreach Program, Member of the International Boards of Young Presidents' Organization, World Presidents' Organization (now YPO Gold), Managing Director of National Gypsum Company, Industrial Advisor to Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA), Chairman of Modern Computers and Communication Company, Member of the Building Materials Committee of Riyadh Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Member of the Board of AMIDEAST (Educational Advisors based in Washington DC) 

Rabih is Managing Partner & Chief Exit Officer with Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP, www.mevp.com), one of the leading Technology VC asset managers in MENA. MEVP is an institutional asset manager regulated by both DFSA and ADGM. Rabih has extensive experience in venture capital, private equity and advisory, having executed more than US$5 billion in transactions and raised more than US$2 billion in capital.

Previously, Rabih was CEO of DIC Emerging Markets, in charge of the investment portfolio in MENA, Turkey, Asia and Latin America. DIC is the international investment arm of the Dubai–based conglomerate Dubai Holding.

In New York, Rabih was a founding member of the Media & Telecom Group with Banc of America Securities, focusing on M&A, where he led broad financial advisory and restructuring services for several major corporations. He also worked for Prudential Securities as an Equity Research Analyst covering the Oilfield Services & Equipment sector.

In San Francisco, Rabih was a Senior Engineering Manager with URS Corporation, the world’s largest engineering design firm, where he developed new service offerings for the Technology, Biotech and Energy sectors.

Rabih received his MBA from Columbia University and his MS in Structural Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He also received a Bachelor of Engineering with Distinction from the American University of Beirut.

Dr. Selda Konukcu is the Sr. Director, Global Strategic Accounts, Honeywell Connected Business where she leads digital transformation across buildings medium for enterprise customers. She also serves as the Board Member of International Aviation Womens Association and Advisory Board member of the Emirates Aviation Business School. Selda has 18 years of global experience covering various roles in the defense, commercial aerospace, aviation, energy and marine sectors with RR & GE prior to Honeywell.
Dr. Selda holds a PhD and MSc from Loughborough University; BSc & MSc from METU in Aerospace Engineering and MBA from INSEAD.

 Huda Al Lawati’s career has spanned 18 years in private equity and investments across emerging markets. 

Huda is the Founder and CEO of Aliph Capital, a GCC focused investment manager enabling traditional businesses bridge the technology gap through active ownership and digital transformation. Prior to founding Aliph, Huda was a Partner at Gateway Partners Group where she was a member of the Investment Committee and led deal origination, execution and portfolio management in the Middle East and Africa regions. Prior to Gateway Miss Al Lawati was Chief Investment Officer for Savola Group, one of the largest publicly-listed strategic investment holding groups for food & retail businesses in the Middle East and North Africa region. At Savola, where she was responsible for business and investment strategy, portfolio management, M&A and investor relations. She built a professional investment team; led restructuring efforts for ailing subsidiaries; initiated digitization programs; instituted capital allocation, portfolio management, investor relations and M&A processes; and completed M&A and disposal transactions of US$ 500m. Prior to Savola, Huda was a Partner and Chief Investment Officer for MENA at the Abraaj Group, where she deployed over $1 billion in equity capital into MBOs, LBOs, venture capital, growth capital and structured equity transactions and arranged over US$1.5 billion in acquisition and related financing across a broad range of sectors. 

She is currently a board member at Tim Hortons Middle East (Africa) as well as an Independent member on the board and risk committee of Hala (ADGM and CMA regulated fintech company), the investment committee of Al Ula Development Company (a subsidiary of PIF) and advisory boards of two family offices in Saudi and UAE. She has served on the boards of Panda Retail Company, Herfy (Tadawul), AlKabeer, Savola Foods Company, SMG, The Entertainer and Kudu. She has served on several audit and renumeration committees. 

As a keen contributor to the community, she is also a member of the board of directors the Young Arab Leaders and has been a member of the board of directors of the Middle East Investor Relations Association. She is member of the Young Presidents Organization and a member of the advisory board of Global Ventures. 

Miss Al Lawati holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Economics (Honors) from Brown University. 

Dr. Celeste Lo Turco is a Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) and Sustainability Expert.

She is currently based in Dubai where she works as Director for PwC in the ESG & Sustainability field.

Dr Celeste Lo Turco started her career working for the SWFs Strategic Committee of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the SWFs Law Centre. She became then the advisor for the Italian Municipalities National Association on the development of the national economy through the relationship with SWFs.

Former United Nations analyst with a specialization in Security and Middle-East Political Affairs, she worked within the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI).

The Middle East has been her house for more than ten years. She started in the United Arab Emirates working as Vice President Strategy for Future Holding, a Middle Eastern family office based in Dubai, moving then to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where she worked as a Director at NEOM. She is currently focusing on ESG and Sustainability practices as a Director for PwC based out of Dubai.

A Georgetown University Fulbright Visiting Researcher, she holds a PhD in Political Theory and

a master’s degree in International Relations, Markets and Institutions of the Global System.

She is an active writer about SWFs, sustainability, and global economics.

Ms. Elham held a Bachelor with honor degree in Business Administration, American University in Cairo with 37 years of banking experience.  Ms. Elham joined Commercial Bank of Kuwait in the year 2000 as Manager, International Banking Division and progressively held top-executive positions holding the position of GM – New York Branch, Acting GM – International Banking, GM – International Banking.

Ms. Elham was assigned to take over the duties and responsibilities as Acting CEO from June 2010 until February 2012. She was promoted to Deputy CEO in April 2012.  Then on 1/11/2013 she was appointed as Acting CEO. She was confirmed as CEO of the Bank from 20^th November 2014.  In her capacity as CEO of the Bank she is in charge of directly supervising and leading the profit centers/ divisions at the Bank in addition to the  support departments such as (Operations, ITD, HRD, etc.). Ms. Elham is responsible for the preparation and development of the policies pertinent to the Bank’s plans and strategies that are in line with the Bank’s objectives and vision. Ms. Elham directs and controls the development of the Bank’s operations in accordance with strategic guidelines, thus contributing to the achievement of the Bank’s mission, strategy, goals and objectives.  Ms. Elham is the Chairperson in various Executive Committees such as the Credit & Investment Committee, ALCO, and Management Committee and participates in the meetings of the Board related committees.

Before joining Commercial Bank of Kuwait, Ms. Elham worked in a number of Kuwaiti financial institutions. She possesses extensive knowledge in all banking & financial areas and banking industry trends in Kuwait on the back of her extensive experience and proven record of accomplishment exceeding 37 years in the banking sector.

Iyad Malas is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in various senior roles, spanning many countries and industries, including real estate, retail, leisure & entertainment, financial services, and investments.

Iyad Malas has been based in Dubai, UAE since 2007, and is currently Chief Executive Officer of Al Ghurair Group.  Prior to this he was a Partner for 5 years in Gateway Partners, a private equity firm with offices in Singapore and Dubai. At Gateway Partners he worked on a number of deals, including an investment in Tim Horton’s Middle East and the setup of a real estate company in Africa. Iyad served as CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Trust, the family investment office and took over as Group CEO at Majid Al Futtaim Holding (MAF) in 2009 during the global financial crisis and he led the group through a decentralized business structure. Major strategic decisions included: taking full control of the Carrefour franchise business in the Middle East, while expanding the territory into Africa and Central Asia; buying out the cinema and credit card businesses; and leading the effort to get MAF’s bonds rated with an investment grade rating, leading to accessing the global debt markets. Under Iyad’s leadership, the MAF group increased EBITDA by 2.7x over four years.

Prior to Dubai, Iyad lived in the United States, Egypt and India. In Egypt, Iyad served as CEO of Fleming CIIC and then COO and Head of Asset Management at EFG Hermes, an Egyptian Investment Bank. With 16 years at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), his roles included Regional Director for South Asia, where he led initiatives for long-standing investments that were integral to the region’s development.

Iyad is fluent in Arabic, English and French and is a qualified Chartered Financial Analyst. Iyad holds an MBA from George Washington University, Washington DC and a BA from the American University of Beirut.

Franck Mandon is an emerging technologies consultant specialized in brand development. Over his over 25 years experience in digital media and innovating industries, across UK, Lebanon, France and Belgium, he’s always been eager to build and share the next brand experience; one that makes sense, that shapes the way we engage and communicate with society.

Franck has been an early believer in the potential of blockchain technology and NFTs to better serve the creator economy. He provides today his expertise to develop, and evaluate strategic opportunities for companies willing to join the Web3.0 bandwagon.

Matthew Miller is a Senior Managing Director at Teneo, the CEO Advisory firm, based between the Dubai and Riyadh offices, where he leads the government communications practice and advises senior leaders of public institutions and family offices on reputation risk and positioning.

To date, Matthew’s career has moved through mature and emerging markets, working in professional services firms in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He has developed an expertise in global cross-border partnerships, deals and networks. His specialties include strategy, public policy, communications, branding and leadership development.

Previously, Matthew was Managing Director at RA&A (part of WPP plc), a strategic communications firm specializing in nation branding and the organization of multi-stakeholder conferences and events for governments and foundations.

Earlier in his career, Matthew was a Global Leadership Fellow at the World Economic Forum, based in Geneva and New York, and a management consultant with Oliver Wyman and the Trium Group. Matt has served as a Next Generation Trustee of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and was selected as a “99 under 33 top foreign policy leader”.  He is a active global member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO-Mosaic) and holds degrees from Brown University, the Yale School of Management and the London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

Gretchen Moxcey is a Partner and Chief Human Resources Officer at KPMG Lower Gulf, where she leads the People, Performance and Culture function in support of over 2000 Partners and employees in the UAE and Oman.

Gretchen is responsible for business growth by leading all aspects of the people strategy to ensure KPMG builds a culture that attracts, develops and retains the best talent. She has three decades of human resources experience, including over twenty years in Big Four professional services.

She has received recognition for building an award-winning Global Mobility and Immigration center of excellence, and HR implementations in digitization, process improvement, offshoring and business process outsourcing.

Before life in professional services, Gretchen was with Fidelity Investments, responsible for leading HR strategy and operations across retail and institutional brokerage businesses in the US and UK.

She started her career with Bank of America where she led learning and development for the consumer bank.

Gretchen is an MBA from Babson College, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Finance from Simmons University, both in the US, and is GPHR certified.

On a personal front, she is a mother of three and enjoys building and restoring residential and commercial properties.

Ambareen Musa is the CEO and founder of Souqalmal.com. Before founding Souqalmal.com in 2012, Musa set up the consulting arm of MasterCard Middle East and Africa. Previously Musa held had various roles including marketing, financial literacy, customer advocacy and e- commerce for GE’s financial arm, GE Money. She led the first online financial literacy initiative in the U.K., Moneybasics.co.uk., later relocating to the Middle East in 2008 where she consulted for Bain & Company Middle East, focusing on financial services projects such as growth strategies for banks in the region.

May Nasrallah is the Founder and Executive Chairman of deNovo Corporate Advisors, an Independent, Middle-East focused, corporate finance advisory firm, offering international bulge bracket expertise to MENA-wide and centric corporates and institutions.

deNovo Corporate Advisors under May’s leadership has over the past 10 years established its reputation and track record as the pre-eminent independent, regionally headquartered boutique advisory firm. deNovo has successfully executed numerous sellsides, buysides, stake sales, restructurings, valuations, fundings, capital structure and strategic reviews on behalf of its continuously growing client base. May and deNovo’s advice is consistently sought by the region’s leading family groups, corporates and sovereign wealth funds as well as global firms seeking regional acquisitions. deNovo entered a Strategic Alliance to enhance global coverage with PJT Partners in 2020, and with Bank Itau in 2019.

May has also served as a non-Executive Chairman and Senior Advisor to BlackRock across the Middle East region, between 2020 and 2022, supporting development of BlackRock’s strategy in the region and fostering relationships with key regional stakeholders, including clients, regulators and governmental bodies.

Prior to founding deNovo, May spent over 15 years at Morgan Stanley in numerous Investment Banking roles and geographies including New York, Hong Kong, London and Dubai. Most recently, she was Head of Investment Banking for the Middle East and North Africa region, where she established, led and grew Morgan Stanley's inaugural investment banking presence in the Middle East, based in the DIFC, Dubai. She retired from the firm in late 2009.

May graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Dual Degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. May further received her Masters in Management and Finance from MIT's Sloan School of Management.

May currently holds the following Non-Executive positions: Board Member of the Dubai International Chamber of Commerce, Member of the International Advisory Council for PJT Partners, Independent Board Member for The Kanoo Group Holding Company, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Lebanese Professional Diaspora Organization “LIFE”, Member of the International Advisory Council of the Middle East Institute (MEI) and Member of MIT MENA Senior Advisory Board.

Notable Highlights:

▪ Ranked one of 50 most Influential Women in the Middle East in 2019 by Financial News

▪ Named Businesswoman of the Year for the UAE in 2015 at the Arab Woman Awards Ceremony

▪ Ranked in top 500 Most Influential Arabs in Arabian Business magazine in 2013 and 2012; Ranked in top 100 most influential Arab Women

▪ Featured in the Financial Times’ List of The Leading Business Women in the Arab World

▪ Featured in the Women and Leadership Publication Case Study in the National Newspaper’s Celebration of the 100th International Women’s Day

Noor Nugali is the Assistant Editor-in-Chief at Arab News, the Middle East’s leading English-language daily. She has successfully covered foreign policy, the diplomatic community, and has obtained several high-level interviews and exclusives for Arab News.

During the Saudi held presidency of the G20, she moderated  two panels: “G20: To reconnect the world” with HE Saudi minister of state, Adel Al-Aljubair and HE UAE minister of state, Reem Al-Hashimi. As well as, “Nordic Perspective: women’s empowerment.”

Nugali joined Arab News in October 2017. Prior to that, she had worked for three years at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She has also been a reporter and freelance feature writer for both the Saudi Gazette and The National, a UAE-based English daily. Nugali has also covered, moderated and participated as a panelist at several major events and forums in the Kingdom.

Noah Raford is currently the Futurist-in-Chief and Chief of Global Affairs for the Dubai Future Foundation. He is responsible for identifying emerging opportunities, strategic partnerships, and future initiatives for the Government of Dubai, as well as leading the Foundation’s thought leadership and partnerships activities.

Previously, Noah was the Chief Operating Officer of the Dubai Future Foundation and Acting Executive Director of the Museum of the Future. He was also an advisor on futures, foresight, and innovation in the UAE Prime Minister’s Office, a senior strategy consultant at Monitor / GBN, Co-founder of the technology foresight company Futurescaper, the North American Director for Space Syntax Limited, and the Senior Research Advisor to Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment.

Some the work-related projects he has lead recently include:

The Museum of the Future
The Dubai Global Blockchain Council
The Dubai Future Accelerators
The “Office of the Future”; the world’s first fully functional 3D printed building
The Dubai 3D Printing Strategy
The Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy
The Dubai Future Academy
The UAE Drones for Good Award
The UAE Robotics for Good Award
Noah completed his PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), his masters at the Bartlett School of Architecture, and his undergraduate degree at Brown University. He has served as a member World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Agenda Council on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, a Senior Research Fellow at the London School of Economics, a fellow at the Bartlett School of Architecture, and as a member of the International Futures Forum.

Dr. Nour E. Raouafi is a Ph. D. in Astrophysics and the Project Scientist of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe mission. Before joining the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in 2008, Dr. Raouafi worked at the Turin Observatory (Italy, 2001), the Max-Planck Institute for Solar System Research (Göttingen, Germany – 2002-2005), and the National Solar Observatory (Tucson, Arizona – 2005-2008). His research spreads over a wide range of solar and heliospheric areas, emphasizing the dynamic solar corona by analyzing spectral and imaging observations, theory, and modeling. Dr. Raouafi contributed to diverse research areas, e.g., solar magnetic fields, spectroscopy, polarimetry, coronal plumes and jets, coronal mass ejections [CMEs] and shock waves, solar wind, solar energetic particles, and comets. He authored and co-authored tens of peer-reviewed papers and meeting proceedings.

Michael is a growth and innovation focused senior executive with global executive board expertise, who combines the agility and spirit of startups with proven corporate governance & best practices to amplify business growth and to guide public & private healthcare entities towards a consumer-centric healthcare provision, enabled by technology. Bridging the worlds of technology and healthcare, Michael worked over a decade for Cerner Corp. in leadership roles in EMEA and is currently leading the healthcare advisory & investment firm Anvano. He holds an MBA from INSEAD, and a B.Sc. from the University of Applied Sciences Karlsruhe. He sits on several advisory boards, is a thought after keynote speaker and active in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, as he firmly believes that digital partnerships and ecosystems are imperative to transform healthcare in the most impactful way.

Dr. Christiane Schloderer serves as Board member and CFO to NEXSYS-ONE, a SaaS company based in Dubai. NEXSYS-ONE provides software solutions (SaaS) for the Telecom's and other related industries globally. She is contributing to the company’s scalable and international growth with financial, strategic and governance experience.

She is Chairwomen of the Board of Trustees of the German International School in Abu Dhabi and Board Member and interim CFO for an international SaaS company.

Christiane has founded Growth Partners, a niche consulting company, focusing on strategy, governance, and financial performance. Growth Partners works with Owners, Boards and Management, particularly of family businesses and owner led businesses. Projects covered include trading, e-commerce, software, manufacturing, and project management companies in various industries from telecom, food and beverage, digital marketing, fashion and cleantech. This included a transformation project at a family business in KSA.

Christiane was a board member of Rolaco Group, a Saudi based family company. Christiane worked closely with the family in bridging between family mission and company’s needs. She was involved in major restructurings of the governance structure.

Prior, she was the CFO at Nokia Al Saudia, a Riyadh based Joint Venture of Nokia and a Saudi family. Part of her role was to align strategy and governance between the two partners. During her tenure the company grew from 500 to 1000 employees. She held further positions as turnaround manager and senior advisor structured finance in Nokia Siemens Networks.

Christiane is the UAE ambassador of INSEAD’s global International Director Network (IDN), a network of around 30 qualified directors locally and 1000+ globally. She is a certified INSEAD International Director (IDP-C) with INSEAD Alumna status, received a doctoral degree from the University of Federal Armed Forces Munich in Germany (thesis on innovation management), and holds a master-equivalent degree in business administration with specialization in corporate finance and tax from the European Business School in Germany.

“Today, the biggest wars to fight are against the lack of education, racial discrimination, crumbling cities, enormous disparity of wealth and privilege, and for our children. Foundation Holdings has embarked on a journey to develop care and service delivery models which seek to strengthen human capital and promote accessibility, affordability and quality.”

Founder CEO at Foundation Holdings:

Abhishek Sharma serves as the Founder Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Foundation Holdings, a strategic, global investment firm focused on building sustainable, industry defining companies in the impactful healthcare and education sectors across India and the GCC. Foundation Holdings employs a long-term partnership and engagement approach to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) measures to drive value and measurable impact over time.

In 5 years, Abhishek has raised ~USD 200 million to spearhead 10 acquisitions creating eight industry-defining portfolio companies that are focused on positive social benefit impact locally and regionally. Together these portfolio companies have strengthened human capital by employing over 12,000 people and have touched the lives of 13.5 million people while generating over USD 200 million in revenue through enabling greater access to affordable, quality healthcare and education.

Abhishek has over 20 years of investment experience including as a Founder member of Amanat Holdings PJSC (largest GCC healthcare and education listed SPAC), Bank of America, Lehman Brothers, Ithmar Capital and Sun Capital. He has an established track record of sustainable investment returns having led the IPOs of Al Noor Hospitals and Amanat Holdings, garnering subscriptions of USD 800mn and USD3.8bn respectively.

Awards and Accolades:

• 'Emerging Indian CEO in the UAE' at the 2017 UAE-India Economic Forum Awards and as the ‘Emerging Indian CEO for Private Equity and Investments’ in 2018.
• Forbes Middle East 2018 list of the “Top 100 Indian Business Owners in the Arab World” list.
• 2020 Economic Times Promising Entrepreneurs of India.
• Abhishek was instrumental in the formation of Right Health, the largest primary healthcare platform in the UAE with over 60 healthcare facilities impacting over 1 million lives each year at the base of the pyramid.

Board of Director Memberships:

Abhishek serves as a Board of Director of numerous companies across the GCC and India including Foundation Holdings, Ryan EduNation, ProMedEx and Shifa Al Munthaza Polyclinic Group as well as Board Observer of AlTibbi Ltd. Abhishek is also a member of the Healthcare Digital Task Force with Global Ventures (a UAE-based venture capital firm, investing in founders and ideas scaling across emerging markets). Additionally, Abhishek is also a member of the Healthcare and Education Steering Committee for the non-profit Indian Business and Professional Council (IBPC) and a member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO).

Personal:

Abhishek set up the Atharv Foundation in India after his son, the Foundation is dedicated to providing education to children in need. He is also a donor and volunteers with Dubai Cares, The Clinton Foundation & Bloomberg Foundation.

Marketa is a Partner at KPMG Lower Gulf, and leads the People and Change Advisory Practice. She has a wealth of experience in the areas of talent management, HR transformation and organization design. Marketa has delivered numerous projects in the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UK. Her sector expertise covers retail, hospitality, energy & utilities and the public sector.

Marketa advises senior executives  on how to rethink business design to achieve and sustain increased performance, ensuring that structures, processes, systems, and capabilities all support key objectives. She works with her clients to understand and develop the unique critical skills and capabilities needed across the workforce to achieve an organization’s long term goals.

Marketa has led several human capital function transformations, resulting in HC becoming recognized as a strategic enabler, delivering sustainable organizational change and enhancing business performance.

Prior to joining KPMG, Marketa worked in consulting roles with RP International in the UAE and PSD Group in London, the UK.

She holds a Master’s degree in International Economic Relations from the University of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic, and she is a PRINCE 2 practitioner. She is also certified in psychometric assessments and business culture transformation.

Prakash is a serial Entrepreneur from Singapore who has built and sold companies.

He is currently the CEO and cofounder of Enjinstarter. A launchpad focused on Blockchain Gaming, Entertainment and the Metaverse. They have invested into more than 50 companies and have helped 40 of them to raise capital via their launchpad. They have raised more than USD$ 10.5M since inception in April 2021.

Prakash is a passionate ecosystem builder who believes in the value of establishing solid relationships in mutually beneficial partnerships.

Omer is the Founder of Odin Financial Advisors, a leading investment banking advisory firm in Turkey with transaction experiences in the Middle East, Russia, and select European markets. Odin Financial Advisors completed US$4.5 billion in transaction volume since its inception and raised capital in private and public international markets with representations of renowned private equity firms, family offices, and industrial conglomerates. Omer is also the Founder of Aventio MB, a technology investment focused merchant banking platform. Since its inception in 2016, Aventio MB invested in ten technology companies located in the US, UK, Brazil, Colombia, The Netherlands, Singapore and Turkey. Out of these investments, Aventio MB generated average annual equity returns of 45% on a USD basis from five exits. Under Omer’s leadership, Aventio MB specializes in Fintech, e-commerce, SaaS category verticals.

Omer started his career working for Citibank/Salomon Smith Barney and UBS Warburg investment banking divisions in New York, NY between the years 1999 and 2003. During his tenor in New York, Omer concentrated on M&A and leveraged finance advisory transactions in TMT, general industrials, and healthcare industries in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Omer then moved to Istanbul in 2004 where he worked as a Vice President in HC Istanbul Securities’ –an independent investment banking boutique focusing on Turkish M&A advisory services, between the years 2004 and 2005, before founding Odin Financial Advisors in 2006.

Omer has a B.A. dual degree in Political Science and Economics from Connecticut College in the U.S. Omer received an award of excellence for his outstanding achievements by the Political Science Association of the U.S. in 1999.

Anand is an advisor with a senior career across 4 continents specialising in regional & global brand launches. Combining innovation techniques for leading teams with a cultural branding focus, he has designed & led the following strategic launches for significant business impact:

• He headed the SONY VAIO division’s team to launch IT products & services to global Fortune 50 clients. Within a year had contributed to a net increase of 12% of the European sales budget.
• Appointed by the Board of Samsung to conceive & drive the launch of their brand in Scandinavia. Tasked with reaching the No. 1 position within 5 years, his strategy and team approach succeeded in 4 years with sales of $1B annually.
• Upon successful conclusion of his Global MBA, INSEAD appointed him as their first Global Chief Communications Officer. He became a member of the team that took the school to the No.1 global ranking for the first time in the University’s history, and personally redesigned the student experience in key areas to take social media hits from 16k to over a million.

For 5 years he has been based in Dubai, and today he is retained by the Ministry of Economy to advice on brand & communication strategies for the national launch of Federal policies establishing ESG in the UAE business community. In addition, he is employed by the likes of PWC and business schools such as IE/FT to coach & implement innovation processes & culture change, and has done so for senior management at large national organisations such as ADNOC, G42, Disney, Chalhoub, Richemont Group in UAE, and MISK, Tahakom, STC, in Saudi Arabia.

Cecilie Fjellhøy shot to fame after starring in Netflix’s number 1 documentary “Tinder swindler”.

She met conman Simon Leviev on Tinder and the two had a whirlwind romance that resulted her being swindled out of £150,000.

The thirty-three-year-old was originally raised in Asker, Norway but now resides in London working as a UX designer for a software development company.

Fjellhoy has also founded and runs an organisation which supports victims of fraud, called action: reaction.

Pernilla Sjoholm  shot to fame after starring in Netflix’s number 1 documentary “Tinder swindler”.

She is a Swedish public personality.

While searching for love Sjöholm found named Simon Leviev  (real name Shimon Hayut).

Swedish business owner Pernilla had just split from her fiancé when she fell for the fraudster after finding him on the dating app Tinder. She lost at least $45,000.

Sjoholm now lives in Stockholm and has spread awareness on the risks of scammers such as Simon.