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HE Mr Nabil Ben Khedher
Ambassador at Embassy of Tunisia in LondonGraduating from the Institute of High Commercial Studies of Carthage/Tunisia in 1991 with a Degree in International Trade, Ben Khedher has masters degrees from Aix-en-Provence and Paris Dauphine University in France, and graduated the Oxford University Foreign Service Programme in 1997.
Following a short consultancy in a law firm, Ben Khedher joined the Tunisian Foreign Service in 1994, working in the European Directorate and the Minister’s Office, before being posted to the UK as Economic Counsellor in London.
He has served in numerous positions in Tunis (i.e. Advisor to the President of the Republic of Tunisia in charge of diplomatic affairs in 2016-2017) and abroad, before being appointed as Ambassador to the Court of St James’s in 2017.
Mr Jed Mrabet
President at Tunisian British Chamber of CommerceMohamed Jed Mrabet has more than 16 years in the legal services. He is managing partner of Mrabet Avocats since 2006, a law firm founded in 1976 that brings together several Tunisian lawyers and jurists in the area of corporate law.
Jed holds a Master’s Degree in Criminal Science from the University of Toulouse, and a Bachelor Degree in Legal Science from the Faculty of Legal, Political and Social Sciences of Tunis, and is Attorney before the Tunisian Supreme Court..
In June 2020 Jed was elected as the President of the Tunisian British Chamber of Commerce following its Annual General Meeting.
He is married and father of two daughters.
Mr Zied Braham
Director of Invest In TunisiaMr. Zied Braham started his professional career at Invest In Tunisia Agency in 2013 within the Advanced Technology Division. He was in charge of promoting foreign direct investment in Tunisia for various sectors such as Information Technologies and automotive industry, as well as supporting and assisting foreign investors in establishing their business in Tunisia. He took part in several investment promotion missions and lead generation campaigns in Europe, Canada, Japan and China.
He serves currently as the representative of Invest In Tunisia Agency in London since July 2021 which covers the United Kingdom, Ireland, and North America.
Lydie Sheehan
Country Director for Tunisia of Department for International TradeLydie Sheehan is the Country Director for Tunisia (and Libya) at the UK’s Department for International Trade, serving the British Embassies to Tunisia and Libya in this capacity. In this role she works to strengthen the bilateral trade relationship between the UK and Tunisia and to support UK businesses to access commercial opportunities in Tunisia, in support of sustainable economic growth and inclusive economic opportunities for citizens, in both Tunisia and the UK. Lydie also leads on the implementation of the UK-Tunisia Association Agreement, which entered into force on 1 January 2021.
Prior to this, Lydie worked on UK trade policy during UK negotiations with the European Union, specialising in market access for goods. Before working for the UK Government, Lydie worked in the private sector in Jordan as well as in France and the UK, primarily working on business development in technology and the media.
Lydie has a First Class degree in Arabic and Farsi from the University of Oxford and during her studies was awarded the Joseph Schacht Memorial Prize, James Mew Senior Prize, Brian Wilson Scholarship and Technos International Scholarship.
Within the UK Department for International Trade, Lydie is an Executive Committee Member of the Social Mobility Network, working to ensure people from all socioeconomic backgrounds can be recruited and succeed within the UK’s trade profession. In her spare time, she also volunteers as a Mentor for the UK’s Social Mobility Foundation.
Gonzalo Butori
Senior Associate at Giambrone & PartnersGonzalo Butori is an Abogado, a Spanish-qualified lawyer, as well as admitted in England & Wales as a Registered Foreign Lawyer (RFL). Gonzalo divides his time between the London and Barcelona offices.
Gonzalo has particular proficiency with regard to dispute resolution and represents claimants and defendants in all jurisdictions on civil and commercial matters and regularly appears at mediation and arbitration hearings.
He has assisted in a number of cross-border transactions involving various EU jurisdictions.
He advises both private and commercial clients on a wide range of matters, both contentious and non-contentious mainly on wealth management, alternative dispute resolution, and family law matters.
Gonzalo is well regarded for his extensive knowledge and expertise when advising foreign clients with regard to their financial interests, mainly relating to estate management issues, together with probate in both Spain and England & Wales.
Gonzalo also advises in cross-border matters in relation to criminal defense cases and has successfully represented several British nationals in criminal proceedings in the Spanish courts.
The Rt Hon Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
Chairman at ABCCThe 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.
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.