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The Rt Hon Baroness Symons Of Vernham Dean
Chairman at Arab British Chamber of CommerceThe 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, Minister for Defence Procurement, and the Prime Minister’s envoy to the Gulf.
A former General Secretary of the First Division Association (FDA), she was also an Equal Opportunities Commissioner and a governor of the London Business School and London School of Economics.
As well as working closely with DLA Piper as Head of Government Relations, Baroness Symons was formerly a non-executive director of British Airways and Manchester Airports Group and was on the advisory boards of several companies including those with strong Middle East links, and a number of not-for-profit organisations including the International Red Cross.
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John Archer
Chief Scientific Officer at HutanBioAt HutanBio, we are disrupting the biofuel industry with our groundbreaking HBx technology platform. Our mission is clear: to produce low-carbon biofuels that drive the marine and heavy transport sectors toward a net-zero future.
Engineered as a ready-made ‘drop-in’ replacement for diesel and a viable feedstock for aviation fuels, HBx integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure and supply chains, ensuring a smooth transition to cleaner energy.
Strategically deployed near coastal regions on barren, desert-like land, HBx biofarms utilise carbon dioxide as a feedstock to produce sustainable, scalable, high-energy-density, low-carbon, and sulphur-free fuels. Harnessing the power of marine microalgae, we replicate nature’s 2-billion-year-old process of converting sunlight and carbon dioxide into flammable hydrocarbons whilst adding photosynthesis capacity to the planet.
Unlike conventional energy crops, HBx biofuels do not contribute to deforestation, compete with agricultural land, or consume fresh water. It is a biofuel with a social conscience — disruptive but without disruption.
John Lucy MBA FCILT FIEx
Founder & CEO of JL InternationalFormer director of one the UK's first and largest Freeports, former head of International Transport & Customs at both the Road Haulage Association and Logistics UK, and a solid background in every aspect of international road transport.
Worked extensively with UK Government departments on pre and post Brexit requirements from an industry perspective.
Worked directly for UK Government to deliver one of the UK's largest freeports, a major infrastructure programme, designed to deliver £25m of public funds to the freeport area, focussed on regeneration and job creation, create innovation projects and establish freeports as national hubs for Global Trade.
Designed and led global business and trade engagements bridging public and private sectors, aimed at C level audiences up to minister level.
John created JL International to offer business development support and strategic consultancy for businesses in the domestic and international transport and logistics sector, specialising in facilitating the growth of businesses into new international markets and international logistics solutions, and delivering renewable power, energy security and onsite decarbonisation to the road transport sector.
John is a chartered fellow of the:
Institute of Export and International Trade (IoE)
Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT)
And a professional member of:
Road Haulage Association (RHA)
British Exporters Association (BExA)
Arab British Chamber of Commerce (ABCC)
World Free Zones Organisation (WFZO)
Madadh MacLaine
Founder and Secretary General of ZestasMadadh is a visionary social entrepreneur leading the drive towards zero emission (ZE) shipping. Her extensive network includes thousands of connections engaged in the energy transition across the maritime sector.
Her background in ZE shipping began in 1999 with designs for a ZE multi access cargo vessel for Fair Winds Trading Company’s sustainable development project in West Africa.
She began working in the wider industry as co-founder of the International Windship Association.
Madadh has a strong background in hydrogen, having represented PEM electrolyser manufacturer ITM Power in Shipping and Maritime. She is also the founder and CEO of ZEM Tech ltd, an innovative system design, engineering and project management consultancy focused on ZE ship design and ZE marine fuel infrastructure and supply chains.
Mr Bandar Reda
Secretary General & CEO of ABCCMr 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.
Dominic Quennell
CEO of Enertechnos LimitedEnertechnos is dedicated to developing and commercialising solutions designed to increase efficiencies in power transmission and distribution in a $90bn per year global business opportunity. Cleaner energy reduces CO2 emissions on a global scale which is the core objective of everything that Enertechnos does. Dominic has led the company and its team of engineers and business development managers since its foundation.
Duties involve setting and monitoring strategic objectives, team recruitment (including the Advisory Board), ensuring corporate government requirements are met, capital-raising, leading commercial discussions with potential manufacturing partners and end-users, managing relations with government departments, regulators and influencers internationally. Achievements include raising a total of €7.5 million in capital from investors, leading the team to the development of a cable for the electrical grid distribution sector with proven performance of lower losses than conventional cable, managing the company’s portfolio of other inventions, establishing relationship with a leading distribution network operator for the first beta-test site of the company’s first cable product and establishing relations with international cable manufacturers.
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.
Sarah Russis
CEO/Host of Bilingual FR/ENG Event Hosting and Expert Communication ServicesSarah Russis is an esteemed international host and presenter. With 12 years of experience at the
Financial Times, Sarah has honed her skills and built a solid reputation for excellence. She has a
proven track record of hosting prestigious global events including the MIPIM Real Estate Fair, the
United Nations Annual General Assembly, the Financial Times Awards ceremonies, and La French
Tech London which brings together all the actors of the London Start-up and Tech scene. Sarah’s smart, interactive, and tailored approach captivates audiences large and small worldwide. She has had the honour of interacting with some of the most influential figures, including heads of state,
ministers, sports legends and CEOs of major companies. Her ability to engage and connect with diverse personalities ensures that every event she hosts is both memorable and impactful. Sarah holds a Master's degree in International Business and a Bachelor's degree in Foreign Languages from Cergy Paris University and Cambridge APU. Her educational background provides a strong foundation for her work, enabling her to navigate complex topics and communicate effectively across different cultures and industries.
Outside of her professional life, Sarah is passionate about dancing, singing, traveling,
and watching documentaries and loves cooking for and spending quality time with her
family and friends.
For more information or to get in touch with Sarah Russis, please visit her website
https://www.sarahrussis.com or connect with her on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahrussi
Kevin Aisbitt
Innovation Project Manager at Energy Innovation AgencyKevin joined the Agency following a role managing the Growth Hub in Worcestershire, supporting the growth of small and medium enterprises. He values the importance of innovation and brings a great deal of domestic and international business engagement experience from Asia, Europe, and North America. He specialises in the development of strategic business / research links and attracting inward investment to help organisations take advantage of trade and investment opportunities in new markets.