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Bandar Reda
Secretary General & CEO of Arab British Chamber of CommerceMr 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.
Abdeslam El-Idrissi
Deputy CEO & Secretary General of Arab British Chamber of CommerceMr 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 for a period of 7 years.
Geraint Edwards
Chief Growth Officer at TangerineGeraint Edwards is Tangerine’s Chief Growth Officer, defining the business directions and leading projects globally with diverse clients with a multitude of varying and complex challenges. He began his career at global design consultancy IDEO, before going on to lead some of the company’s largest programmes of work including, envisioning human behaviour in a kitchen of the future for IKEA and redesigning the care home experience for Care UK. Geraint left IDEO to lead up Bupa’s Innovation Lab and to help Bupa go through their digital transformation journey. After 2 years at Bupa, Geraint was approached by the leading co-living business, The Collective, and joined them as Experience Design Director, to build the internal customer experience design capabilities. After a just one year, Geraint was tempted to go back into consulting a join tangerine in October 2020.
Angelique Assaf
Chief Data Officer at Cedar Rose International Services LtdAngelique Assaf is Cedar Rose’s Chief Data Officer and Data Protection Officer, heading a professional data and business analysts team. Angelique has overseen the creation of the largest in-house database of standardised, translated, linked corporate information for the MENA region, and expending to a global coverage. With an educational background in Finance and Data Science, Angelique has also devised AI algorithms to build automated, intelligent, and smart systems and processes.
Roy Charles
General Manager at Makbro LLCA seasoned sales professional, Roy has been based in the UAE and the UK for the past 20 years, working with all the main retailers. He has been servicing the F&B and the non-food sectors enabling innovative brands to reach their consumers at best value.
Roy’s other business interests include IT, and he is also a part time professional singer, and is married with 4 children.
Shams Rahman
Partner at Edwin Coe LLPShams is a partner in the Property & Trusts litigation department. He joined Lincoln’s Inn firm Edwin Coe in September 2014, having previously worked at other leading London firms following qualification as a solicitor in 2000.
Shams is recognised for his expertise in litigation tactics and strategy, his pro-active approach and using excellent communication skills to resolve tricky cases. He always focuses on the wider picture and the long term commercial goals of clients. He is particularly valued for his nerve in difficult negotiations and for understanding the commercial and business needs and objectives of his clients.
Shams is an accomplished team leader and has successfully led major cases through to arbitration, trial and appeal. He is also highly experienced in using alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation where appropriate to achieve the best results for his clients.
Shams has expertise in all aspects of property litigation, including both commercial and residential and landlord and tenant matters. He is also a specialist in trusts litigation and dispute resolution, working as the trusted advisor to private clients, family offices and trust companies on complex matters.
Given his international background (he is dual qualified in Pakistan and member of the UK Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Arab British Chamber of Commerce to whom he has presented webinars and seminars), Shams is well placed in acting for commercial and high-net-worth private clients worldwide. He has been recommended in Legal 500 for a number of years.
Alistdair Wilson Gough
CEO of 50 InternationalAlistdair Wilson Gough is a founder partner of 50 International. His professional career spans decades in the provision of tax planning and structuring for clients both in the UK and abroad. With excellent relationships with a number of barristers, Alistdair has a breadth of experience in searching opportunities to structure financial assets to minimise tax exposure by means of an extensive range of structures, corporate entities and instruments to address a broad range of taxes including Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and IHT planning opportunities including the complex needs for the Non-Domiciled. In any presented case Alistdair can discuss a client’s exact situation to provide certainty that their needs can be met before work commences.
He has also co-ordinated strategic advice and overseen the implementation of a very broad range of issues to address the complex matters of individuals and families in both the UK and abroad across multiple jurisdictions.
Alistdair is able to help families and individuals make informed decisions from restructuring family wealth to minimizing the impact of taxes and geo-politics on family estates. In this Alistdair encourages people to think strategically and defensively.
Alistdair writes on geopolitics, climate change, taxation and economics.
Angela Taylor
Director of Atava Education and TrainingAngela has more than 20 years’ experience in the television and media industry and after leaving Teachers TV in 2011, set up Atava - an education and training consultancy specialising in international student recruitment and training solutions for overseas business clients.
During her TV career, in addition to Teachers TV, she held senior managerial positions in programme acquisition and commissioning for a variety of channels such as Discovery, Living, and the Travel Channel.
Her wealth of international experience leaves her well placed to understand the needs of overseas clients and she has established partnerships with over 130 language schools, training institutions and universities in the UK, Ireland, Germany and Canada.
Bader Al Busaiyes
Founder & Managing Partner of Al Suwaiket & Al Busaiyes Lawyers and Legal Consultants Co.Dr Bader Behaishan Al Busaiyes, FCIArb, is a lawyer, certified arbitrator and mediator.
He is a certified lawyer from the Ministry of Justice in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and is renowned as an arbitrator in the Kingdom since 2005.
He has been Managing Partner of Al Suwaiket & Al Busaiyes Lawyers and Legal Consultants since 2006.
He is also Vice Chairman of the Saudi Brazil Business Council and the General Manager of EurAsia Gulf - Saudi Branch.
Dr Bader Behaishan Al Busaiyes is a Fellow Member to the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in London.
His numerous professional association memberships include the London International Court of Arbitration (LCIA), the GCC Commercial Arbitration Centre, the Saudi Centre for Commercial Arbitration, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators London (CIArb), the New York International Arbitration Center (NYIAC), the Saudi Bar Association, the International Bar Association (IBA)
He is also a member of the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN), the Saudi Association for Energy Economics (SAEE) and of the Panel of Arbitrators of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC).
Fayha Sultan
UK Account Director-Business Development of corporate Business ServicesFayha Sultan, based in London, specialises in the UAE commercial market. Currently she is contracted with The Corporate Group, an Emirati owned corporate based in Dubai, as the UK Director-Business Development. Fayha assists companies in the UK with their market entry into the UAE and Saudi Arabia in collaboration with UK and UAE organisations.
Previously Fayha worked as the Marketing Manager for commerce at the UK and Ireland representative office of Dubai Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM). During her role she worked closely with the Dubai Foreign Direct Investment Department and various Dubai free zones organising promotional events in the UK and trade missions to
Dubai to facilitate UK companies’ entry into Dubai. She collaborated with various UK government entities in assisting UK companies into the UAE market to deliver Dubai’s
vision and objectives in becoming the number one global business destination.
Prior to joining DTCM she worked for the UAE Embassy in London for 10 years in a range of industry sectors including politics, media and commerce.
Fayha has an exemplary track record, and through her extended tenure working with multiple UAE organisations she has gained an in-depth knowledge of the Gulf market, its cultural practices and strategies.
Fayha was educated in the USA, she holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Central Oklahoma and a Master of Science degree from Arizona
State University. She gained a Bachelor degree from Utah State University in the USA.
She is fluent in both Arabic and English with understanding of French.
George Kealey
Banking Executive at Interpolitan MoneyGeorge Kealey, Associate Vice President and Regional Head of the Middle East for Interpolitan Money. Spent five years at the bank, the past year in the UAE building the new office and team there. Previously was at travel company Expedia where was instrumental in establishing their new regional office in Bristol, England. Also the founder of several successful startups in the UK and Europe.
Michael Davies
Executive Chairman at Eider Vertical FarmingEider Vertical Farming (EVF) is reimagining farming, creating perfect environments for plants to thrive. It produces fresh, nutritious and affordable food and, from mid-2023, will be supplying wholesalers with a consistent, high-quality and locally grown source of supply 365 days a year. EVF is seeking to open its first vertical farms outside the UK in 2024.
Mike has a background in project and corporate finance and a proven track record investing in and developing energy infrastructure projects. He co-founded EVF in December 2019 as a business committed to growing differently and addressing concerns about food security, safety and sustainability. He sees Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) as a game changer in the search for innovative and more efficient ways to meet the world’s food requirements, and part of how agriculture must be reengineered to tackle climate change and soil health.