Speakers 2022

H.E. Zayed R. Alzayani was reappointed as Minister of Industry and Commerce in June 2022.
Prior to his appointment, His Excellency spent 25 years with his family’s business, in which he progressed up the ranks until leaving to join The Government of Bahrain. His Excellency left as Chairman of Alzayani Investments Group, Euro Motors, Zayani Motors, Zayani Leasing, Zayani Properties, Alzayani Industries and Orient Motors.
In addition, he also occupied the post as the Managing Director of First Motors, Board Director of Midal Cables, Aluwheel, Metalform, Intersteel, as well as an Independent Director on the board of Saudi National Insurance Company (SNIC).
His Excellency served as Chairman of the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) until 2016 and as Board Director of Edamah until December 2018 and Chairman of car dealers association. Also, His Excellency served as The Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority since December 2014 until June 2022.
His Excellency received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from University of Bahrain, and his MBA in Finance from Boston University and was a Board Member of Boston University President International Advisory Board up to December 2014.
His Excellency currently serves as the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Chairman of the Executive Council of the Arab Tourism Organization since June 2020, Chairman of Gulf Air (National Carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain) and Chairman of SME Development Board.
His Excellency sits on the board of Economic Development Board (EDB), Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company since March 2015, and acts as Minister-in-charge of Bahrain Bourse since February 2016, a Board member of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) since October 2017 and a Board member of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports since August 2019 , a member in the Supreme Council for Environment since December 2019
In addition to being a member of Cabinet, His Excellency also sits on Cabinet Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs and Fiscal Balance, Cabinet Committee for Development Projects and Infrastructure, Cabinet Committee for information and communications technology as well as Mumtalakat Board Audit Committee.

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HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani, a prominent member of the ruling family in the State of Qatar,
has held the Chairmanship of Qatar Chamber of Commerce &
Industry (QCCI) since May 2006. Under his chairmanship, QCCI has flourished and developed into one of the most active chambers in the Gulf Region, playing a decisive role in representing, promoting and safeguarding the interests of the business community in Qatar.
HE Sheikh Khalifa also chairs the International Chamber of
Commerce Qatar (ICC Qatar). His efforts in promoting the
country to foreign businessmen and investors have strengthened Qatar’s trade with countries around the world, providing Qatari companies and businessmen with valuable opportunities. A firm believer in free trade and laissez passer economics, HE Sheikh
Khalifa has worked tirelessly to identify new business opportunities, create strategic partnerships and cultivate existing relationships.
HE Sheikh Khalifa was the recipient of the prestigious International Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Merchant of Peace’ award in March 2017, in recognition of the role he played in the creation of ICC and QCCI’s World Trade Agenda Initiative. HE Sheikh Khalifa has participated in G20 summits, in Amiri and Ministerial delegations to foreign countries, and hosted the 8th World Chambers Congress.
HE Sheikh Khalifa holds a BSc in Economics and Political Science from Portland State University in the United States. After his graduation, he held several senior government positions. He currently holds the positions of Head of the “Protect competition and Prevent Monopolistic Practices’” Committee at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry ; Chairman of Al Dar Exchange Company; Chairman of General Takaful Insurance Co.; First Vice Chairman of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce; Vice Chairman of the Arab French Chamber of Commerce, First vice chairman and member of the Executive Committee of the Arab British Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Qatar General Insurance & Reinsurance Company; Member of ICC Executive Board, Member of ICC G20 CEO Advisory Group, Member of the ICC Global Network Committee (NetCom); Member of the Board of Trustees of the Arbitration Center of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Active Board Member of several Arab-Foreign Joint Chambers of Commerce and the Union of Arab Chambers. Second vice-chairman of the Federation of Gulf Chambers of Commerce (FGCC). H.E also chaired the Federation of Gulf Chambers of Commerce (FGCC) during the period 2014-2016

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Simon Penney was appointed as Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for the Middle East in May 2018. In January 2021 he was also appointed as Her Majesty’s Consul General (HMCG) to Dubai.

Simon has spent many years in the banking sector with extensive experience leading corporate and financial institution groups and teams across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Simon’s previous roles in the Middle East include Head of Corporate and Investment Banking at First Gulf Bank and Chief Executive Officer, Middle East and Africa with the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Simon has also worked for ABN AMRO Bank in South Africa and the UK, in consulting at PwC and in project finance within the construction industry.

Simon holds an MBA from Nottingham University and a construction management degree from Reading University.

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Dr Khaled Hanafy is the “Secretary General of the Union of Arab Chambers” and Professor of Economics and International Business. He held several Governmental, academic, business and consultancy positions, most recent of “Minister of Supply and Internal Trade in Egypt”, “Chairman of Internal Trade Development Authority” and “Dean of College of International Transport & Logistics” in the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport.
He was awarded “The Best Minister” for two consecutive years according to top surveys, in recognition of developing a New Food Subsidy System serving more than 70 million Egyptians.
Dr Hanafy had a remarkable contribution in developing the Egyptian internal trade, through launching a number on initiatives that were reflected in developing internal trade and in making it more efficient. These initiatives include: “Egypt's Food Industries”, “Consumer Complexes E Linking Project”, “Gameeti Project”, “Internal Trade and Logistics Zones” and “Upgrade The Egyptian Storage Capacity”.
Dr Hanafy was the Chief Editor of the Economic constitution of Egypt. He was Chairman and board member of several holding companies in the private and governmental sectors. He participated in and headed a number of consultancy projects for the Arab League, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, the United Nations, the International Labor Organization and the European Union. He was also an Economic Advisor for the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce and provided consultancy services to several national & multinational organizations.
He holds a PhD degree in International Trade and a MSc degree in Regional Development. He also holds many diplomas in International Trade, & Business Administration from top American universities. On the academic level, Dr Hanafy is a Professor of Economics and International Business and has a wealth of profound publications.

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The Rt Hon Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean is a senior Labour member of the House of Lords and a business leader. Formerly Deputy Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Symons was a Minister in the UK Government from 1997 until stepping down in 2005. Among her government posts she was Minister for the Middle East, Minister for International Trade and Minister for Defence Procurement, and the Prime Minister’s envoy to the Gulf.

Previously a trade union general secretary, she was an Equal Opportunities Commissioner and a governor of the London Business School. As well as working closely with DLA Piper, Baroness Symons is now involved with a number of other commercial organisations, including roles as a non-executive director of British Airways, and as an advisor to other companies, including those with strong Middle East links, and with a number of not-for-profit organisations, including the International Red Cross.

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Mr Bandar Ali Reda joined the Arab British Chamber of Commerce, on 1st March 2019, as Secretary General and CEO, becoming the fourth person to lead the Chamber since its foundation almost five decades ago.

As CEO, Mr Reda contributes his expertise by drawing on his wealth of experience as a diplomat and extensive time spent in the private sector to ensure the Chamber moves to the next level.

Mr Reda has a distinguished professional career of more than a decade in banking and corporate industry at SABB HSBC Saudi Arabia, prior to senior positions in the diplomatic service of his country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he served as Commercial Attaché in the UK & Europe, based in London, and in Italy and as part of the Saudi delegation to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in Paris.

Mr Reda holds a BA in Economics and Business Administration from Orlando, USA. He has been an Executive Member of the Saudi-Italian Business Council, the Council of Saudi Chambers; a Member of the Business Youth Committee, Jeddah Chamber of Commerce; a Member of the Saudi Economy Association; and a Member of the Saudi Arabian legal accountants. Mr Reda has demonstrated his experience and abilities in his roles in both public and private sectors.

Since taking up his post, Mr Reda has successfully steered the Chamber throughout the difficult months of the pandemic and lockdown, a period which presented unprecedented challenges for international trade and the business community. Under Mr Bandar Reda’s guidance and leadership, the Chamber not only continued all its activities uninterrupted but extended its services during this period and has reinforced its reputation as the leading strategic business services organisation in the UK dedicated to strengthening Arab-British trade and building closer business co-operation.

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Andrew is a hard-wired technology expert who has helped hundreds of clients create seamless, trusted applications for the fintech, commercial and advertising sectors.

Understanding the power of agile development and secure, highly performant software, his company, Arishi delivers solutions that are practical, imaginative and robust, with the flexibility to adapt to changing regulatory conditions.

Combining enthusiasm, experience and humour, Andrew is an inspiring speaker on technology. He has written for magazines and spoken at conferences, on how startups should use technology, mobile payments and the sometimes awkward union between technology and business.

Andrew has delivered ground-breaking technology across a variety of areas within financial services and artificial intelligence that others couldn’t, wouldn’t (or just plain didn’t) develop, often years ahead of the competition.

Arishi has become highly regarded in industries across the globe, where split second improvements in performance, usability and visual appeal are becoming increasingly important – government, health, finance, fintech, advertising, and international business, to name a few. Arishi has delivered exceptionally performant digital projects for major clients in the Middle East and has now established an office in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

When he’s not immersed in the virtual world, or pursuing his passion for retro computers, Andrew enjoys spending as much time as possible with his family, who all enjoy exploring the GCC region.

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Executive Chairman & Founder of MadfooatCom company with more than 25 years of experience in IT, banking and consultancy. Prior to MadfooatCom, Nasser was a Consulting CIO to the Director General of ISTD – DAI Jordan Fiscal Reform II USAID project.

Nasser worked on managing the e-Channels and ePayments at AlRajhi Bank in Saudi Arabia. Nasser also worked as a Senior Consultant at Accenture, KSA and as a Senior Test Engineer at Microsoft – USA.

His diversified experienced in the financial industry gave him deep insight’ into the Fintech sector; its challenges and its criteria for success allowing him to develop the MadfooatCom company’s vision which became the national operator and manager for the electronic bill presentment and payments in Jordan “eFawateerCom” for the Central Bank of Jordan .
Nasser was awarded King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein Medal of Excellence in 2017 for establishing MadfooatCom/eFawateerCom and won Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashed best service company award in the Arab world in Dubai. Nasser was selected as an Endeavor Entrepreneur in 2014, a member of the American Entrepreneurs’’ Organization (EO) in Jordan, won EY Entrepreneur of The Year Award for 2013 and he was awarded Queen Rania National Entrepreneurship Award in 2012.

Nasser holds a B.Sc. In Electrical Engineering from the University of Jordan.

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Education
• Master’s degree in criminal sciences, University of law of Toulouse, France (2004).
• Degree in legal sciences, Faculty of Legal, Political and Social Sciences of Tunis (2003).
• Admitted to Tunisian Bar in 2005.
• Managing partner of Mrabet Avocats law firm since 2006.
• Attorney before the Tunisian Supreme Court since 2018.

References:
• Legal assistance to national airline company TUNISAIR for the sale and lease back agreement (2020);
• Legal assistance to Amen Bank for the transfer of the entire shares constituting the share capital of Al Farabi clinic;
• Legal assistance in the constitution of a joint venture company between the Tunisian-Kuwaiti
• Development Consortium (KIA; Kuwait Investment Authority) and Echiffa Holding to constitute a Real-estate subsidiary, Echiffa Immobilier in November 2017.
• Legal counsel on behalf of the Tunisian state for the sale by Al Karama Holding of its direct and indirect interests in the Carthage Cement Company in June 2017;
• Legal assistance to Groupe Médical les Oliviers ( GMO) in the sale of controlling stake in the
• capital of the company in favour of the Tunisian-Kuwaiti Development Consortium (KIA);
• Counsel at the initial Public Offering of DELICE DANONE company in April 2014 (A first in the history Of Tunis Stock Exchange);
• Intervention during the Private Equity transaction relating to the sale of 49% of the capital of SAH (LILAS)to the investment fund Emerging Capital Partners ( ECP) in 2008);
• Council of Amen Bank for the transfer of the entire shares constituting the share capital of Al Farabi clinic in February 2018.
• Joint venture between the Tuniso-Kuwaiti Development Consortium (KIA; Kuwait Investment
• Authority) and Echiffa Holding to constitute a real-estate subsidiary, Echiffa Immobilier in November 2017.
• Tunisian council state for the sale by Al Karama Holding of its direct and indirect interests in the Carthage Cement Company in June 2017.
• Sale of a controlling stake in the capital of the company, Groupe Médical les Oliviers (GMO), in favour of the Tuniso-Kuwaiti Development Consortium (KIA).
• Intermediary council at the initial public offering of the Délice Danone company in April 2014,
• following the OPO mechanism (exclusivity in the history of the BVMT)
• Intervention on the block sale of the capital of the company GIF in December 2009.
• Intervention during the Private Equity transaction relating to the sale of 49% of the capital of SAH (Lilas) to the investment fund Emerging Capital Partners in 2008.
• Intermediary council at the initial public offering of the SOPAT agribusiness company in December 2007.

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Dr Imran Zawwar is a business strategist and heads the Middle East portfolio at Cranfield School of Management as a Regional Director. He has led several executive and corporate development engagements/programmes and has worked on several key projects helping governments and other business entities.
Imran is also a well-respected academic and a member of the Strategy thought leadership group at Cranfield School of Management. His research focuses on the strategic interaction between technological innovation and the role entrepreneurs play in helping the countries to grow. His teaching, research and consulting interests include business strategy, digital transformation and business model innovation.

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Jess sits in the Health team, and her focus is engaging with, investing in and supporting Europe’s most promising health tech companies.

“The gap between health and life expectancy is widening and to improve quality of life in later years we need a more decentralised, preventative and personalised approach to healthcare.”

Prior to joining Octopus Ventures in June 2021, Jess led the health tech investing team at Legal & General supporting leading health innovations. She invested balance sheet capital into early-stage health tech businesses and supported scale up via board representation in her portfolio.

Earlier in her career Jess invested into and was a banker in a range of alternative asset classes including renewable energy, real estate, and Venture Capital Funds. Jess has a passion for sustainability and delivering social impact alongside economic value.

Outside of work Jess can be found enjoying London’s restaurants, cycling, running, trying out the newest fitness class on offer, or in the park running around with / after her dog.

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Charles Clarke was Member of Parliament for Norwich South from 1997 to 2010. He served as Education Minister from 1998 and then in the Home Office from 1999 to 2001. He then joined the Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio and Labour Party Chair. From 2002 to 2004 he was Secretary of State for Education and Skills and then Home Secretary until 2006.
Charles was previously Chief of Staff to Neil Kinnock, Leader of the Labour Opposition and a councillor in the London Borough of Hackney, chairing the housing committee.
He now holds Visiting Professorships at Lancaster University and Kings College London and works with educational organisations internationally. He is a consultant on international education reform for Cambridge Partnership for Education and co-leads the Baltic Geopolitics programme at the Cambridge University Centre for Geopolitics.
In 2011 the Centre for European Reform published his ‘The EU and Migration: A Call for Action’. In 2014 he published ‘The Too Difficult Box’, an analysis of the problems which need to be overcome in promoting change, and in September 2015 two studies in political leadership, ‘British Labour Leaders’ and ‘British Conservative Leaders’; in 2015 he wrote, with Professor Linda Woodhead, “A New Settlement, Religion and Belief in Schools”; in 2020 he wrote, with Professor Ed Byrne, “The University Challenge”.
Mr Clarke read mathematics and economics at Kings College Cambridge and was then President of the National Union of Students.

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Darren Ward is a serial entrepreneur who has been involved in many start-ups in the Mobility as a Software Solution (MASS) space. He has worked with many ride hailing and delivery solution including Gett, Addison Lee, Wheely and iGo which was acquired by UBER in 2021. Darren is currently the CEO of UVA UK, a ride hailing app that is community driven and born in KSA. Darren also loves snowboarding and in his younger days was an instructor in Meribel France.

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Mr Sameer Abdulla Nass is the current Chairman of the Union of Arab Chambers (UAC) assuming the position in September 2022 when the chairmanship of the UAB officially passed from the UAE to Bahrain.
Mr Nass has been Chairman of Bahrain Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI) since 2018.
He has a strong belief in the role of the Chamber as the true voice of the business community and leads the BCCI in its efforts to contribute towards developing the national economy of Bahrain.
Mr Nass is the Chairman of the Nass Group, a leading Bahrain business corporation which is an integrated construction solutions provider with operations in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Mr Sameer Abdulla Nass is a member of the Board of Directors of the ABCC.
He is a former member of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), the National Initiative for Agricultural Development and the US-Bahrain Business Council.

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Tom Wintle is the UK’s Chief Negotiator for the UK – Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) FTA negotiations. Joining DIT in 2018, Tom previously led the UK’s transition to independent membership of the World Trade Organization, represented the UK in G20 trade discussions, and delivered the inaugural G7 Trade Ministerial track.

Prior to joining DIT Tom held a variety of Senior Civil Service roles in Cabinet Office, the Department for Business, Energy and Industry, and the Department of Energy and Climate Change, leading teams on internationally focussed issues. Tom worked as a financial management consultant before joining the civil service, and has a degree in Biological Natural Sciences from Cambridge University.

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Anwar Salem Abusetta is the Chairman of Mavo Tourism Services Company, he holds the vision of advancing both the public and private tourism sector in Libya with more than a decade of experience. He is also the president of the Libyan Tourism Organization and a member of the Tourism Department in the Tripoli Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA). Additionally, Mr. Abusetta serves as the Chairman of Oya Towers General Contracting Company and as the Vice-President of North Oya Company for Importing Foodstuff.
Being a member of the Tripoli Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA), he works towards the chamber’s objective of activating the role of the private sector in the Libyan economy.

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President & Founder, Arab International Women’s Forum
Fellow, Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow 2017

Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani is President & Founder of the Arab International Women’s Forum recognised in Arab and international government, private sector and NGO circles as a high-impact change agent focussed on women’s leadership and youth empowerment, working for progress, inclusion, peace and prosperity in the Arab region and internationally.

Haifa founded the Arab International Women’s Forum in London in 2001 as a development organisation committed to supporting women’s leadership in social and economic growth in the MENA region and internationally and creating equality of opportunity for all. Haifa served as the Chair of AIWF for 20 years and under her leadership, AIWF has become one of the world’s most respected development organisations for the economic empowerment of women and young people, working at the highest levels with a global network of corporate, institutional and global advocacy partners to advance momentum for women’s leadership in all sectors and spheres.

From its international base in London, under the sound leadership of Haifa Al Kaylani and through her wide high-level contacts in the Arab region and internationally, the Arab International Women’s Forum nurtured deep-rooted ties with the MENA region, working at the heart of the Arab world and globally. Haifa is a development economist, an alumna of the American University of Beirut and read for a Diploma in Economic Development at Oxford University. She is also a Fellow of the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative 2017, where she spent a transformational year working with other global leaders to address social and economic challenges .

A key outcome from Mrs Al Kaylani’s year at Harvard is a sustainability enterprise project which she has launched in pilot phase in Jordan as an innovative solution to key economic, food and water security challenges in the Arab world. The project will deliver an innovative model for sustainable development through agriculture across the MENA region, and will introduce modern 21st century technology and innovation to the agricultural sector, aiming to enhance food security, alleviate poverty, support the rural economy, conserve scarce water resources, and create viable jobs for local communities for men and women, including refugees. The project in Jordan is meant to be scaled-up and replicated across the wider MENA region in the years to come. Importantly the project can inspire others to replicate the initiative in other parts of the MENA region, with a focus on sustainable agriculture and providing viable solutions to the Arab world’s food and water security challenges.

Haifa was the only Arab Commissioner to serve on the ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work (2017-2019). As an ILO Commissioner, Haifa contributed to the flagship report of the ILO published in January 2017, Work for a brighter future, which articulated the ILO framework for mitigating future of work challenges. She brings a wide range of skills and experience to her personal mission of encouraging greater cultural understanding and sustainable economic growth and reform, supporting a strong role for women and young leaders at the heart of that process.

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Khizar Arif, a partner, having initially been called to the Bar of England in 2001, Khizar was then admitted to the Roll of Solicitors, attaining Higher Rights of Audience. He holds a Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) focused on international business and maritime law from the University of Hamburg, Germany.
He has a distinguished reputation for complex cross-border commercial work, commodities, property, employment law, intellectual property and media. Khizar’s cutting-edge knowledge of technology puts him at the forefront of the latest developments in both the legal and commercial world.
He has many years of experience in complex, high-value disputes under bills of lading, waybills and charter parties both in maritime arbitration and in court proceedings in London.
Khizar also has a defamation practice that includes online publication claims, human rights and data protection cases. He acts for claimants and defendants, and has represented high-ranking public and ‘politically exposed’ individuals, publishers, and broadcasters
Khizar assists clients in informal negotiations and, if appropriate, on alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation and arbitration.
Khizar is a member of the Solicitors’ Association of Higher Court Advocates, the London Shipping Law Centre and the Deutscher Verein für Internationales Seerecht.

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Richard Burge joined the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) as Chief Executive in February 2020.

Prior to this, Richard was an independent advisor on international affairs focusing on trade, conflict, and development with a portfolio of advisory and consultancy work. Richard’s varied career has seen him lead four multi-million pound organisations as Chief Executive over a total of 18 years. These comprised a famous charity, a UK government agency, a private company and a membership body.

He has been on the Board and a non-executive director of five multi-million pound operations including companies, charities, two government agencies, and a UK Russell Group university. Richard has worked in over 55 countries, specialising in Africa, the wider Commonwealth, and post-conflict situations.

He was Chief Executive, Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council from 2017 to 2019. For the previous eight years, he was Chief Executive of Wilton Park (a Foreign and Commonwealth Office agency for conciliation and dialogue on global issues). He was also a Commissioner for Commonwealth Scholarships, and on the Council of Durham University.

Other roles include Chief Executive Officer of the Countryside Alliance, Director General of the Zoological Society of London, and for ten years he served with the British Council in Africa and the Middle East.

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Mr Abdeslam El-Idrissi is proud to have served the best part of over 36 years with the Arab British Chamber of Commerce, serving both as Director of Trade Services, Acting General Manager and now his present position as Deputy CEO and Secretary General. During this time, he has cultivated strong relationships with British Chambers, Government bodies, educational institutions, NGOs across both the Arab world and the UK regions, as well as the UK-Arab business communities as a whole.
To this end, Mr El-Idrissi is in much demand across the regions as a keynote speaker and as one of the UK’s leading experts on UK-Arab trade relations.
He is also a key member of the Institute of Export where in the past he has held the position of Vice Chair of the Institute of Export, London Branch fo.r a period of 7 years

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Stefano is part of the Institute of Export & International Trade (IOE&IT), the UKs only professional body dedicated to empowering organisations and equipping individuals with the expertise to trade effectively, competitively and sustainably. Stefano is a proud component of IOE&IT Strategic Projects and International Development Team, providing insights regarding new technologies to be applied to the international trade field and contributing to the IOE&IT’s international footprint expansion.
Stefano spent more than 25 years in the international financial markets and services arena. After a decade as Credits, Govies and Derivatives trader in the 90’s, Stefano served as Managing Director for two financial markets technology vendors in United Kingdom.
Stefano is also currently cooperating as consultant/mentor with several accelerators and incubators in the start-up fintech field.

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UK graduate, has joined Al Sahl Group in 2018 and is well-known for her creativity, compassion, and commitment. Currently working as a Head of Business Development and Strategy for Al Sahl Group, Ayaa advises the board on strategic topics, business and corporate strategy, new business development, scenario planning, business model innovation strategy, transformation, and turnaround.
Ayaa has always been enthusiastic about assisting Al Sahl Group in achieving lasting growth and developmental impact

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Adam began his career in the Civil Service Fast Stream, gaining experience in a range of positions, including credit risk analysis at UKEF, as well as policy at HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs. He spent over five years in UKEF’s aerospace underwriting division, before becoming Chief of Staff to Louis Taylor, UKEF Chief Executive, in 2016. Adam is now head of the Civil, Infrastructure and Energy team, and played an influential role in closing a number of high-profile transactions to support HMG’s trade agenda.

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Ramy Jallad is the Chief Executive Officer of RAKEZ. His role is to develop and drive the strategic growth, creating a thriving commercial and industrial business hub that attracts and welcomes investors from all around the world. He leads a thriving team of over 580 multicultural employees who are subject matter experts in diversified fields and expertise.

Mr Jallad is also the CEO of RAK fDi and sits on the boards of RAK Academic Zone as well as RAK International Corporate Centre (RAKICC) offshore jurisdiction.

He has over 25 years of experience in developing and leading various commercial and industrial zones, business parks, airports and mixed-use real estate developments, contributing to the GDP and economy.

Mr Jallad is fluent in English and Arabic. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and is also a Lead Assessor by the European Foundation for Quality Management and a certified trainer in sales, marketing, customer experience and leadership.

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Mohammed Juma’a Al Musharrakh is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah), the investment promotions office operating under the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq).

Al Musharrakh worked for the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) for 7 years and took numerous posts in the International Affairs Department at SCCI. He joined Shurooq in 2012 as the Head of Investment Promotion and in September 2016, Al Musharrkh was later promoted to Director of the Sharjah FDI office (Invest in Sharjah), before getting promoted to CEO of Invest in Sharjah in 2018.

Asside from his role as CEO of Invest in Sharjah, Al Musharrakh is also the Regional Director of WAIPA Steering Committee for the MENA region, and member of the Steering Committee since 2019. He is also the Board Member of the Sharjah Investors Services Centre (Saeed), and member of the Board of Trustees at Pantheon-Assas University Paris II.

Mohammed Juma Al Musharrakh holds a Master’s degree in International Business Management from the Australian University of Wollongong in Dubai, a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the American University in Sharjah. He graduated from the Executive Authentic Leadership Development at the Harvard Business School in the United States, the Executive Leadership Program at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business in the United States, and the Executive Leaders Programme at the London Business School in the United Kingdom.







يشغل محمد جمعة المشرخ حالياً منصب المدير التنفيذي لمكتب الشارقة للاستثمار الأجنبي المباشر (استثمر في الشارقة)؛ العلامة الرسمية للترويج للإمارة استثمارياً في مختلف المحافل المحلية والدولية، والتابع لهيئة الشارقة للاستثمار والتطوير (شروق).

عمل المشرخ سبعة أعوام في غرفة تجارة وصناعة الشارقة، تولى خلالها مهامَّ عدة في إدارة العلاقات الدولية، ونظم عدداً من المؤتمرات والمعارض العالمية والدولية خلال فترة عمله في الغرفة لترويج الإمكانات والفرص الاقتصادية في الشارقة. كما تدرّجَ المشرخ بين العديد من المناصب الوظيفية في "شروق"، ففي العام 2012 شغل منصب رئيس ترويج الاستثمار في الهيئة، ولاحقاً شغل منصب نائب مدير مكتب الشارقة للاستثمار الأجنبي المباشر(استثمر في الشارقة)، وقاده نجاحه المهني وخبراته المتراكمة إلى تولى منصبه الحالي في العام 2018.

بالإضافة إلى دوره كمدير تنفيذي لمكتب (استثمر في الشارقة)، فإن المشرخ هو أيضًا رئيس الجمعية العالمية لهيئات ترويج الاستثمار (وايبا) في الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا، إلى جانب كونه عضواً في اللجنة التوجيهية للجمعية،. كما يشغل المشرخ أيضاً عضوية مجلس إدارة مركز الشارقة لخدمات المستثمرين (سعيد)، ومجلس الأمناء في "جامعة بانثيون أساس الثانية" بباريس.

يحمل محمد المشرخ درجة الماجستير في إدارة الأعمال الدولية من جامعة ولونغونغ الأسترالية بدبي، ودرجة البكالوريوس في مجال العلاقات الدولية من الجامعة الأمريكية بالشارقة، وهو خريج برنامج تطوير القيادات التنفيذية في كلية إدارة الأعمال بجامعة هارفارد بالولايات المتحدة، وبرنامج القياديين التنفيذيين من كلية لندن للأعمال بالمملكة المتحدة.

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Chris Kelsall was appointed Chief Executive of Tokamak Energy in May 2021. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer, following his appointment to the Board of Directors in 2020.

Chris has over 30 years’ international experience spanning business development, financing, operational and transformation roles. This includes leadership positions in private and listed companies in the energy sector.

In prior financing and advisory roles at ABN AMRO Rothschild and Deutsche Bank, in London, Sydney and Hong Kong, Chris worked closely with a wide range of private and public sector management teams and Boards to deliver international capital markets and financing solutions.

More recently, as Chief Operating Officer for HSBC Global Banking Europe, Chris was responsible for risk management and operations, including the major hubs in the UK and France. He also led the delivery of business transformation programmes, including Brexit.

Chris holds degrees in Economics and Law, in addition to a Master of Finance from London Business School.

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Professor Loutfi is currently President and Vice-Chancellor of the British University in Egypt. Prior to this, he held the post of the Vice-Chancellor’s Special Envoy at Coventry University. Throughout his career, he held a number of leadership roles as the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University and at the University of Sunderland, UK.
He has multiple international roles of responsibility; he is an Ambassador (former council member) at the Observatory of Magna Charta Univeristatum of Fundamental University Values and Rights in Bologna, Vice-President of the Board of the Arab European Leadership Network in Higher Education ARELEN and was the first in Europe to take part in a global education think tank set up by the Ministry of Education in China to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and start-up education. He also worked with the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education as an International Associate and a member of the Reference Group for the Global Leadership Programme for Higher Education.
Professor Loutfi is responsible for instigating and coordinating partnerships with over 25 different countries, some at governmental level. Projects have included building partnerships with universities in different countries and enhancing institutional cooperation in learning, teaching and enterprise, as well as delivering programmes for university leaders to implement national higher education reform and internationalisation strategies.
He worked on many EU projects for Higher Education Reforms and on Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Ukraine, Russia, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. In addition, he worked with the Ministries of Higher Education in Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco to develop a framework for building capacity for leadership in Higher Education through European experiences in this field.
Professor Loutfi holds a BSc in Economics and Political Science, an MSc in Information Technology and a PhD in Systems Thinking, his research involves Modelling and Simulation of Social Systems, Non-linear, Dynamic Feedback Systems. A Professor of Internationalisation from Cardiff Metropolitan University, a visiting Professor at Coventry University – UK, and a visiting Professor of Innovation and Globalisation at Eurasia University – China. He has 30 years of experience in Higher Education with extensive experience in universities’ leadership and management.

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Dave Martin, works for the International Group and is COO at the British Esports Federation. International Group owns International Hospitals Group (IHG).

Dave is a Strategic Advisor at Fintech Circle and is involved in online safety and coaching. He is an advisor to IHG in regards to on-line mental health support. As career pathways in esports and new digital industries start to become a far more established choice for the youth, mental health and well-being should be at the forefront of our thinking, to ensure current and future generations are able to flourish in this rapidly expanding industry.

Nutrition, cognitive function, physical exercise, mental wellbeing and emotional regulation are all key ingredients of any high performer, be in the sports arena or boardroom.

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Damien McElroy is London bureau chief of The National where he oversees coverage of the UK and Europe. Prior to joining the team in 2017 he worked for The Sunday Times and Telegraph titles as an editor and roving reporter in the Middle East, Europe and China.

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Dr. François Ortalo-Magné is the ninth Dean of London Business School, a position he has held since August 2017. He is leading a strategy focused on (1) academic research and its impact, (2) learning innovations and alumni engagement and (3) inclusion, with emphasis on gender parity and greater socio-economic and ethnic diversity.

Dean Ortalo-Magné serves on the board of directors of the Graduate Management Admission Council and on the International Advisory Board of BritishAmerican Business. His research on the economics of land and housing markets has been published in leading academic journals. He has built on his research and leadership experiences to advise a broad range of private, governmental and multi-lateral organisations and share his insights in leading media outlets and at conferences around the world.

Prior to his appointment, Ortalo-Magné was the Albert O. Nicholas Dean and Robert E. Wangard Professor of Real Estate at the Wisconsin School of Business. His first academic appointment was at the London School of Economics. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Minnesota.

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Marc is the Managing Partner at Al Akeel & Partners and is a US-trained legal consultant with over 19 years of experience in providing advisory services on a wide range of legal matters in both the corporate and commercial spheres. Marc’s career spanned practices in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and USA. Marc was recommended as a corporate legal consultant of note by prominent publication “Corporate Law Experts” in 2019.

Marc has advised a variety of clients, including local and international entities/conglomerates, family-owned businesses, high net worth individuals, government organizations, and small and medium sized enterprises, on transactions involving joint ventures, M&A, initial public offerings, rights issues, real estate development, agency and distribution, franchises, intellectual property, corporate formations, employment, and company restructuring. Marc’s experience includes the drafting of advice on a wide variety of Saudi laws and regulations, as well as the drafting of appropriate legal documentation associated with the types of transactions listed above.

Marc’s clients most appreciate that he is constantly available when needed, is regularly responsive, and is humble in character. Marc’s colleagues most appreciate that he has an open-door policy and is constantly giving of his time to offer any advice or feedback sought.

Marc obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Valparaiso University School of Law in Indiana and his Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Boston University. Marc is fluent in speaking English, Arabic, and French.

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Liam Smyth is Director of Trade at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and Managing Director of ChamberCustoms Ltd, a brokerage, advisory and training company now serving almost 2,000 traders across the UK.
He contributes to a number of the UK Government Advisory Groups, including the Joint Customs Consultative Committee, the National Trade Facilitation Committee and he sits on the ICC Technical Committee on Rules of Origin. Prior to joining the BCC in 2017, Liam was Deputy CEO at Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce.

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Sasha Qadri is an experienced Presenter, Moderator and Event Host with a journalistic background working for both British and international broadcasters. Her broadcast career includes Sky News, Reuters, CNBC and Channel 4 News.

Sasha began her career in investment banking and has continued to draw on her expertise in finance, business and the wider news agenda. She regularly interviews business leaders and CEOs on the challenges of growing a business in current times, business disruption, new technologies and innovation. Recent interviews include Rocco Forte, Chairman and Founder, Rocco Forte Hotels, Angus Thirlwell, CEO, Hotel Chocolat, Mark Mullen, CEO, Atom Bank, retail magnate, Theo Paphitis, and celebrity chef Asma Khan, amongst others.

Sasha has hosted events ranging from global sustainability summits to crypto summits with everything in between. She often moderates panels on broad business themes. Sasha is also interested in ESG and climate change and has hosted many events on different aspects of sustainability.

Sasha has worked for several years at Bloomberg Live where she has moderated high profile events focused on equality and sustainability.

Sasha graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in Social and Political Sciences.

Talgat is a finance professional with in-depth expertise in investor relations, management and business development. Prior to joining Deep Knowledge Group, he worked for asset management companies and family offices in the UK and Switzerland, as well as an investment banking boutique in New York. Talgat holds a master’s degree in Management from Imperial College Business School.

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