H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq

UAE Minister of Economy | UAE Ministry of Economy

His Excellency Abdulla Bin Touq been appointed as Minister of Economy of the UAE in light of the recent governmental reform in July 2020. He is driven by a purpose to serve the vision and growth of the United Arab Emirates, by re-imagining, re-designing, and re-engineering today’s economy into a diverse and sustainable one.

He was appointed as Secretary General of the UAE’s Cabinet in 2017. As a pioneer and bridge-builder, he has launched many new instruments, bridging the gaps between the different areas of government: between Cabinet decisions at the federal and local government; between UAE and international organizations – leading the UAE-World Economic Forum partnership; between government and businesses – creating UAE Reglab, allowing for future technology-focused policies, laws, and regulations to be tested before being launched; and between government and citizens – launching the new Pulse Center which exists to accelerate the weak signals from society into the Cabinet agenda. Prior to this, His Excellency was appointed as Director General of the Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, where he was one of the founders of Area 2071. Area 2071 is a global first: a 100,000 square-feet cluster of X-labs bringing together government, corporates, and startups, to solve for ‘billion-people’ problems. In addition, he championed the regional transformation of the Hatta Development Project, which has subsequently turned a historic district into a thriving hub for tourism, agriculture, and the economy. Furthermore, his deep belief in a ‘people-first’ approach led him to re-launch the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development, where we can train the next generation of government leaders.

Bin Touq also served as interim CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, where he spearheaded the launch of Dubai 10X, which sets the Government of Dubai on a mission to be 10 years ahead of all other cities. He shares his wealth of experience – taking inspiration from his civil engineering background to his on the ground government transformation work – with 10+ boards. For example, as a board member of the Authority of Identity and Citizenship, he was the driver behind the 10-year Golden-Visa scheme, designed to attract global investors, scientists, and entrepreneurs to the UAE. He also sits on the board of his childhood school, Rashid and Latifa School, to ensure that together we can raise the future generation of Emirati pioneers. The common thread to all of this work is a mindset of disruption, a belief in human potential, a purpose to serve, and courage in pursuit of shaping the next fifty years of UAE, today.

Trevor McFarlane

Founder and Chief Executive | EMIR

Trevor McFarlane is the Founder and Chief Analyst of Emerging Markets Intelligence & Research (EMIR) and he runs its flagship product EMIR Boardroom, the Middle East’s most influential corporate intelligence network for CEOs and government officials. Over 300 business leaders, from the region’s largest companies, subscribe to his analysis and reports while he personally advises over 100 of the Middle East’s top CEOs. Before founding EMIR, McFarlane was Senior Contributing Editor for the Gulf at The Economist Group. Prior to this, Trevor covered the Middle East & Africa at The Economist Intelligence Unit. With over a decade of experience in the Middle East—living and working in Istanbul, Doha, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Dubai—he and EMIR’s analysts have become trusted advisors to multinationals, family trading companies and regional governments. Trevor regularly speaks and moderates at conferences, presents at board and ministerial level and formerly co-hosted Dubai Eye’s Business Breakfast Radio Show. He frequently offers commentary on current affairs for international media, and his analysis has been featured by the BBC, CNN, CNBC Arabia, The Economist and the Financial Times.

Alexis Lecanuet

Regional Managing Director | Accenture

Alexis Lecanuet is the Regional Managing Director for Accenture in the Middle East. In his role, he is responsible for Accenture business in the region including defining and executing Accenture’s strategy, leading the portfolio of clients, and managing the local operations.

Previously, Alexis led and grew the company’s products portfolio in the MET region, and focused on onboarding and retaining the largest names in the retail business. Over his 22-year career with Accenture, he has commanded large, complex transformation projects across Europe, MENA and Turkey.

His breadth of experience in handling large deals in such diverse markets was successful, particularly in regard to large transformation trends in channel rebalancing, staying relevant to the needs and dreams of digital customers, and retail data.

Alexis holds a MBC from ESCP Europe Business School, and a degree in Business Finance from SKEMA Business School. He is married with four children and is currently based in the UAE.

Antonia Gawel

Head - Innovation & Circular Economy & Deputy Head, Centre for Global Public Goods | World Economic Forum

Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen

Chief Executive Officer | Novo Cinemas

Since taking on the role in 2013, Debbie has turned Novo Cinemas into the household entertainment brand it is today, offering more than just a venue to watch movies, but an immersive state-of-the-art destination for a variety of entertainment options through strategic partnerships and organic growth. Novo Cinemas operates 17 locations and 178 screens across four countries in the GCC and is planning further expansion across the region including KSA and beyond.

As an accomplished leader with more than 30 years of experience in the Entertainment, Events and MICE Hospitality industries, Debbie is a CEO with an extensive understanding of public, government and private organizations with a proven track record of driving growth and successful business development. In 2005 she moved to the Middle East to help establish the Bahrain Exhibition & Convention Authority, also assuming the role of CEO for the Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre and then went on to become the CEO of events@bahrain, a company established under the Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company; Sovereign Wealth Fund.

Respected by her peers and her partners, Debbie has worked with her Executive team to elevate Novo Cinemas from a standard cinema experience to an innovative events and entertainment hub through strategic. partnerships, technological advancements, new experience offerings and Event Cinema opportunities for consumers. Under her leadership, leading global brands have partnered with Novo such as IMAX, MX4D, Dolby ATMOS, Coca-Cola, Mashreq Bank, Jaguar, Land Rover, BEin Sports, Emirates Airline, Mastercard, Etisalat, Ooredoo, Qatar Airways, HSBC and the Bolshoi Ballet.

Debbie’s vision and commitment have transformed Novo Cinemas into the regional go-to film entertainment hub it is today, featuring unparalleled film technology, diverse content, cinema design and comfort, all of which are served up to customers with gourmet concessions and the highest level of customer care. It is this level of leadership that has landed her in the Top 50 Women in Global Cinema list for the past five years as well as most recently voted one of Top 30 Most Influential Women in the Arab World 2019, Middle East Female CEO of the Year 2018/9, Global LinkedIn Influencer 2020 and UAE Woman of Substance 2018.

Frank Mc Carthy

Head of Networks & Strategy | EMIR

Frank Mc Carthy is the Head of Networks & Strategy of Emerging Markets Intelligence & Research (EMIR) and he oversees two of the most influential intelligence networks for high achievers in the Middle East. He is the bridge between EMIR Boardroom, a CEO briefing service, and EMIR Commercial, a network for leaders of commercial teams, and as such, enjoys connections with some of the regions top CEOs, CCOs, CMOs and Heads of Sales & Marketing. In this role, he acts as a conduit between different business leaders and spends his time analysing success strategies and advising leaders on best practices.

He is also responsible for EMIR’s strategy as well as growing the business in the Middle East. Frank regularly speaks at and moderates corporate events and also advises EMIR’s exclusive membership through recorded thought leadership content, which is also featured on Arabian Business.

Frank believes in life long learning and currently holds a degree in Civil & Structural Engineering, a Masters in Financial Economics and a Masters in International Business.

Gary McFarlane

Senior Analyst | EMIR

Gary McFarlane is a Senior Analyst at Emerging Markets Intelligence & Research (EMIR), a research, briefing and networking service that supports senior executives overseeing the Middle East & Africa. Having studied Public Policy at Ireland’s University College Dublin, Gary’s main focus of expertise is the “eco-system of influence” within the Gulf Co-Operation Council (GCC) and the rapidly shifting policy environment of the Middle East. Before accepting the position of Senior Analyst, Gary was Managing Editor for EMIR’s business intelligence reports, mainly focusing on economic and policy trends impacting business in the Middle East. Gary is an accomplished musician and is currently learning Arabic.

Gerald Lawless

Ambassador | World Travel & Tourism Council

Gerald Lawless started his career with Forte Hotels which culminated in him setting up and growing Forte’s operations in the Middle East.

After a 23-year career with Forte Hotels, he joined Jumeirah in 1997 and helped establish it as one of the premier luxury hotel brands in the world. Taking on the challenge of launching Burj Al Arab, the world’s most luxurious hotel, after the successful introduction of Jumeirah Beach Hotel to an eager travelling public, Mr. Lawless went on to become President and Group Chief Executive Officer of the Jumeirah Group.
● At the beginning of 2016, having served for 18 years at the helm of the Jumeirah Group, Mr. Lawless assumed a new leadership position responsible for tourism and hospitality in Dubai Holding, the Group’s parent company. During this period he served as Chairman of the World Travel and Tourism Council. He has now retired from these roles and continues to reside in Dubai.

Mr. Lawless is a Graduate of Shannon College of Hotel Management in Ireland and holds the following Honorary Degrees:
● Doctor of Business Administration in Hospitality Management at the Johnson & Wales University, State of Rhode Island, USA;
● Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws at the National University of Ireland, Galway;
● Honorary Doctorate at the Middlesex University Dubai.

He served as a member of the Global Agenda Council on the Future of Mobility with the World Economic Forum. He is a fellow member of the Institute of Hospitality; and a member of the International Advisory Board of the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne. Recipient of the 2017 Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad.

During his 45 year career he has worked in the following locations: Galway,  Geneva, Southampton, Swindon, Glasgow, Dubai 1978 to 1982, Durban, London, Bahrain, Dublin, and Dubai again since 1991.

He has been responsible for the development of hotels in various regions and has visited many cities within these countries and regions including North Africa, virtually all countries of the Middle East, the CIS and Asian countries such as Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Cambodia. He has participated in UAE trade delegations to China where he has negotiated
management agreements for over 8 hotels. He has also been responsible for the Caribbean division of Forte hotels in Bermuda, Jamaica, Bahamas, Barbados and Guyana.

In his capacity as Chairman of the World Travel and Tourism Council 2016 to 2018, he has addressed conferences throughout the world. He has also attended the Annual World Economic Forum in Davos on nine occasions. He has been a member of the Farmleigh Forum and the Advisory Board of the Global Irish Network.

Jerome Droesch

Chief Executive Officer | Cigna

Based in Dubai, Jérôme Droesch is the Chief Executive Officer of Cigna in the Middle East & Africa (MEA) region, Board Member for Cigna’s operations in India and Turkey, and Senior Executive Officer & Chairman of Cigna Insurance  Management Services Board in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

In his capacity, he is responsible for advancing the company’s operations as the premier provider of both health and wellness insurance services to individuals, groups and government entities across the MEA region, Turkey and India.

Under Jerome’s leadership in 2019, Cigna’s Middle East business strengthened its position as an industry leader, achieving growth and stability, whilst acquiring numerous industry accolades along the way, including Health Insurance Company of the Year at both the MENA IR and MIIA awards respectively.

In addition, he oversees Cigna’s locally regulated offices in the Middle East and Africa and the implementation of high-level strategies for ensuring the long-term profitable growth of the organization.

Prior to joining Cigna, Jérôme was with AXA Group in an illustrious career spanning over 27 years, where he held various management positions across multiple geographies and business.

Jérôme has a Masters in Engineering from Ecole Centrale, a Masters in Wealth Management from the SKEMA Business School, and has completed his further management studies from INSEAD.

He is fluent in French and English.

Khalfan Belhoul

Chief Executive Officer | Dubai Future Foundation

Khalfan Belhoul is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF). Belhoul brings more than a decade of experience as a driving force in transforming businesses and organizations that contribute to Dubai’s strategy of economic diversification.

As CEO, Belhoul leads the DFF strategy across its five strategic business units that include imagining and understanding the future, disseminating future knowledge, building future capacity, designing, accelerating the future, and seeing and experiencing the future. Under his supervision, Dubai Future Foundation continuously works towards achieving its vision and goals of placing Dubai as a leading city of the future, and a hub for innovation and technology.

In his current role, Belhoul’ s focus is to ensure Dubai Future Foundation acts as a catalyst in prompting change and promoting innovation. This is implemented by bringing together individuals, organizations, and government entities to turn their visions into realities, and achieve sustainable and effective business operations. Under Belhoul’s supervision, DFF is home to several initiatives that also provide the environment and resources needed to promote disruptive, positive change through prototyping, accelerating and knowledge sharing.

Prior to his role at DFF, Belhoul served as the Vice President of Strategy at Dubai Holding, where he was responsible for formulating Dubai Holding’s strategic direction and enhancing its investments and its role in the diversification of Dubai’s non-oil economy. Earlier in his career, Belhoul played a key role in setting up the Belhoul Investment Office, responsible for launching a sophisticated asset allocation strategy spanning private equity, alternative investments, real estate and conventional assets.

Belhoul holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Management Information Systems, and a Master’s degree in E-Commerce, both from Boston University in the United States of America (U.S.A).

Khalfan Belhoul currently holds various memberships across several entities in the UAE; these include:
• Chairman of Dubai Future Council for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem
• Board Member of Emirates Schools Establishment
• Board Member of Emirates Development Bank (EDB)
• Board Member of UAE Football Association (UAEFA)
• Board Member at Rashid and Latifa Schools Establishments
• Member of Higher Education and Private Sector Council
• Chairman of Future project Committee – Regulations Lab
• Member of Committee of vetting visa requests – Entrepreneurs & Special talents
• Member of Committee for Policies and Legislations – Fourth Industrial Revolution Council
• Member of Dubai International Communication Committee (DICC)

Khalid Anib

Chief Executive Officer | Abu Dhabi National Hotels

With more than 25 years in the hospitality industry, Khalid had the opportunity to manage various hotels under well-reputed international hotel chains in different countries.

Khalid has had exposure to different business models, resorts, city hotels and mix-used development.

Before joining Abu Dhabi National Hotels, Khalid spent 5 years in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He was the Managing Director of Al Hokair Group, where he played a key role in the group’s successful IPO. Prior  to that, Khalid worked as General Manager for Accor & Banyan Tree.

Khalid a 55 yr old Finnish citizen of Moroccan origin, holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the Strathclyde University, United Kingdom.

Khalid Elgibali

Division President - Middle East & North Africa | Mastercard

Based in Dubai, Elgibali is responsible for leading the company’s dynamic MENA business – driving growth and innovation to meet market-specific needs, form new partnerships and deliver on Mastercard’s continued commitment to invest in the region.

Elgibali held several senior positions at leading financial institutions including HSBC Middle East, Standard Chartered Bank, Barclays and Citigroup, and brings a wealth of experience to the role alongside a deep understanding of the regional’s economic and corporate landscape.

Since joining Mastercard in 2016, Elgibali has helped reinforce the company’s position as a technology leader and trusted payments advisor to regional governments, enabling the successful execution of national-level programs that support their digital agendas and long term visions.

From driving commercial growth through diversification of revenue streams, pioneering cutting edge technology solutions and building strategic partnerships with the region’s leading public and private stakeholders, Elgibali is on a mission to create a future-ready digital ecosystem in the region through innovations in payments.

A polyglot fluent in six languages (Arabic, English, French, Russian, Italian and Portuguese), Elgibali holds a BA in Economics from the American University in Cairo and an MBA from Strathclyde Graduate Business School in Glasgow.

Kushal Shah

Senior Partner, Head of Technology and Digital of Asia and Middle East | Roland Berger

Kushal Shah is a Senior Partner at Roland Berger’s Dubai office and Head of Digital Practice of Asia and Middle East.

He joined the firm in 2011, leading the telecommunications business in the Middle East and working with several large telecommunication clients across the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia.

Shah is a member of the Investment committee of the region’s largest venture capital company. Prior to joining Roland Berger, he spent 12 years with a leading consultancy in London and Dubai. He studied Economics at Cambridge in the UK. Shah is also a Co-founder and board member of Dubai Angels Investors.

Laila Abdullatif

Director General | Emirates Nature-WWF

With over 11 years of conservation experience, Laila works with UAE leadership, corporate executives and civil society to forge a future in which people and nature thrive.

As Director General of Emirates Nature-WWF since May 2017, she heads one of the region’s most respected conservation organizations and acts as a shareholder member for the WWF Asian Pacific growth strategy.

Her role involves leading the organisation locally and representing the WWF network regionally to drive achievements of the conservation organization’s critical mission. She plays an active role in leading the organisation to deliver high-impact, science-based, robust conservation solutions for a sustainable UAE on climate change and energy, biodiversity conservation, youth education and market transformation.

Laila spends a lot of her time on forging and nurturing strategic partnerships with a range of stakeholders including the UAE government, private sector and civil society— all of which are fundamental to Emirates Nature-WWF’s success. Working closely with the Board of Directors and fundraising for the organisation are also high on her agenda.

As a proud Emirati, Laila is deeply rooted in a country renowned for achieving the impossible. She is a big enthusiast of a youth education initiative launched under her leadership to ensure tomorrow’s leaders, and UAE youth, are well equipped with knowledge and skills to lead a more sustainable UAE. Laila believes in the importance of engaging with the public through a diverse range of opportunities to highlight the vital connection between nature and humanity.

Laila has a degree in Environmental Science from the American University of Sharjah and began her association with Emirates Nature-WWF in 2009.

Lennard Otto

Chief Executive Officer | IMG Worlds of Adventure

Mark Beer, OBE

Chairman | The Metis Institute

Summary

Mark is a solution-orientated, innovative and client-centric lawyer with experience working in big law firms, in-house, in finance, in Government and in the judiciary. Mark’s extensive, global and diverse experience allows him to find answers where others find problems, and has led him to be twice named as one of the ‘Top 50 most influential Brits in the UAE’, as one of the 100 most influential people in Dubai and by Forbes Middle East as one of the top 50 most influential expats in the UAE. Mark was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in her 2013 Birthday honours list for his work in strengthening relations between the UK and the UAE, was twice shortlisted by the Law Society of England and Wales as the UK’s Solicitor of the Year – In-House, and in 2018, Mark was awarded The Association of Corporate Counsel Middle East Achievement Award for his work in developing Dubai’s judicial system.

Advice

Mark has advised Heads of State, Ministers, Chairmen and C-suite executives of some of the world’s largest organisations. He is also comfortable working with innovators, academics, entrepreneurs and others looking to design the future. Mark brings a commercial and proactive approach to business building, with a risk-based, holistic and pragmatic approach to problem-solving and dispute avoidance. He is described as ‘brilliant, honest, charismatic, and eloquent, and someone who is seen as having boundless, optimistic energy’.

Career History

Mark started his career as a commercial lawyer in the United Kingdom, moving to Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 1997 with Clyde & Co. He then moved to Switzerland, designing hedge funds for Man Investments and in 2003 he was appointed General Counsel for MasterCard’s South Asia, Middle East and Africa region. He then moved to the DIFC Courts and became one of the world’s most highly regarded Court leaders. During his 10 years with the DIFC Courts, Mark took the institution from a start-up to becoming recognised as one of the top 3 commercial courts in the world. Mark was also instrumental in the establishment of the Dubai World Tribunal, the DIFC Dispute Resolution Authority, the DIFC-LCIA Arbitration and Mediation Centre, the DIFC Academy of Law and the DIFC Wills and Probate Registry. Mark’s connection to Kazakhstan began in 2015, when he negotiated the signing of an enforcement memorandum between the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan and the DIFC Courts. In that year he also negotiated the agreement pursuant to which the DIFC Courts advised the National Bank of Kazakhstan on the establishment of the Astana International Financial Centre, particularly the dispute resolution mechanisms. In 2016 he was appointed to the International Council of the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan, and since then he has played an active role in the development of both the Supreme Court and the AIFC. In 2019 he was appointed Senior Advisor on Legal Technology to the Astana International Financial Centre Authority and in 2020 he was appointed by the AIFC Governor as Chairman of the AIFC LawTech Advisory Council. Mark also became the first person from a Middle Eastern Court to be appointed President of the International Association for Court Administration, and more recently he has worked with Governments, Ministries and Judiciaries around the world, including his appointment to the International Council of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan. As well as being a co-Founder of Seven Pillars Law, and a professional associate at Outer Temple Chambers, Mark now sits on a number of advisory boards providing input on judicial reform; enhancing effectiveness; and implementing a transformation agenda, including in the context of LegalTech and CourtTech.

Other Positions

Mark is Chairman of The Metis Institute, which advises Governments and Judiciaries on economic diversification through enhancement of the rule of law and effective justice; co-Founder of the Deep Tech Dispute Resolution Lab at Oxford University; a visiting fellow at Oxford University; and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Expert Network. He is also the Immediate Past President of the International Association for Court Administration; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Global Legal Action Network; a member of the Commercial Dispute Resolution Taskforce, part of the UK Government’s ‘LawTech Delivery Panel’; advisor to the Boards of Resolve Disputes Online, Jur.io and Pheonix Advisors; a member of The Innovation Working Group of the Task Force on Justice focussed on addressing UN SDG 16.3; a Professional Associate with Outer Temple Chambers; and a member of the International Council of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Legal Technology

Mark also works with Ministries, Judiciaries, NGOs and the private sector on rule of law initiatives, particularly on the use of technology to enhance access to justice. He is a speaker and lecturer about LawTech; the future of law, commerce and dispute resolution (with a particular focus on blockchain, smart contracts, virtual assets and crypto-enforcement); and the implications and legal issues surrounding China’s Belt and Road Initiative, having addressed Governments, Universities, Research Centres and the Private Sector in, among other places, China, Europe, the Middle East and Europe.

Previous Experience

Mark served as the Chief Executive of the Dubai International Finance Centre’s Dispute Resolution Authority, Registrar General of the DIFC Courts and a Small Claims Tribunal judge for over ten years, before returning to the UK in 2018. He was also Registrar to the Dubai World Tribunal. During his 21 years in the United Arab Emirates, Mark also held various board positions, including four years as Chairman of the British Business Group, Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Before joining the DIFC Courts in 2008, Mark served as Regional Counsel for South Asia, Middle East and Africa, and then Vice President, Sales and Corporate Services, for MasterCard. Before that, he started his career as a company and commercial lawyer for Edge and Ellison before joining Clyde & Co in Dubai. He has also worked as a corporate finance lawyer at Man Investments in Switzerland.

H.E. Marwan Al Sarkal

Executive Chairman | Shurooq

H.E. Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal is Executive Chairman of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), an entity tasked with leading continued transformation and economic diversification of the emirate of Sharjah.

Marwan Al Sarkal was appointed Chief Executive Office (CEO) of Shurooq in 2009 at the time of its establishment as per the Emiri Decree no.2 of 2009 that was issued by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. In his capacity as CEO, he intensified efforts to drive and lead the investment and cultural growth and development of Sharjah.

Operating under the wise directives of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, and under the vision of Sheikha Budour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Shurooq, H.E. Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal played an integral role in Sharjah’s economic infrastructure, diversifying markets and facilitating new investments by leading projects and partnerships across major sectors such as tourism, healthcare, environment, logistics, real estate, retail and manufacturing.

Al Sarkal has spearheaded all the major infrastructural projects and key partnerships at Shurooq, initiating the development of its portfolio of projects, initiatives and partnerships estimated at a total value of more than AED 10 billion (more than USD 2 billion), and covering Sharjah’s western, central and eastern regions.

His creative, innovative thinking and ambitious drive, rooted in the emirate’s traditions, has enabled Shurooq to adopt world-class standards in providing an array of services and infrastructural facilities to attract investors from the UAE, the Middle East, and beyond.

Neil Petch

Founder and Chairman | Virtuzone

Neil Petch actively assists over 300 entrepreneurs and startups conceive, plan and build their businesses on a monthly basis. After launching Virtuzone as the first private company formation business in the region over ten years ago, it has set up more than 16,000 businesses, making it the largest, fastest-growing and best-known set up operator in the Middle East.

As the chairman of the holding company, Virtugroup, Neil also leads VirtuVest, an in-house angel investment vehicle; Virtuzone Mainland, a provider of directorship services, corporate sponsorship and facilitator of local Dubai and Abu Dhabi company setups; and Next Generation Equity, a citizenship-by-investment firm. Virtugroup has invested in and supported the growth of multiple companies and delivered passports in over ten different jurisdictions. Virtugroup also enjoys partnerships with Dubai FDI, the Chamber of Commerce, Dubai Holdings (ARN), VFS, Regus, Etisalat, KPMG, Aramex and Beehive, and has received awards from Arabian Business and Entrepreneur Magazine among others.

In addition to starting up businesses, Neil has held leadership roles in several companies. He helped establish ITP, the largest media publishing house in the Gulf, which he oversaw growing from 2 to 600 employees. At ITP, he spearheaded the launch of over 60 digital and print titles, including Time Out, Harper’s Bazaar, Arabian Business, Ahlan and Grazia. As Managing Director of ENG Media, Neil launched the Coast FM radio station and numerous magazines including MediaWeek. For the last seven years, Neil has also served as Chairman of GMG, the world’s first interbank financial brokerage based out of Dubai, with offices in DIFC and London. Due to his extensive knowledge and expertise, Neil has been appointed a member of the ‘Ease of Banking’ panel organised by the Chamber of Commerce.

Having lived in over a dozen countries and with a career spanning over 25 years in the UAE, Neil has the ability to merge astute cultural insight with fresh thinking, leveraging his seasoned business acumen, intuition and black book to repeatedly bring ideas to living, breathing success stories.

Neil has appeared in BBC (Dubai Dreams) and ITV (Piers Morgan) features on Dubai, as well as programmes on BBC World and Sky. He has participated as a judge on the radio programme Falcons’ Liar, an entrepreneurship reality show loosely based on the BBC production Dragons’ Den, as well as a similar TV competition hosted by MadTalks and now hosts Starting Up, the only national weekly show for the startup community (Dubai Eye 103.8FM) in the world’s start-up capital. He is also a regular speaker, panelist and economic commentator, specialising in the SME sector.

As part of Virtuzone’s COVID-19 support initiatives for SMEs, Neil spearheaded the launch of www.standtogether.ae, a free online marketplace designed for local businesses to promote exclusive offers, reach a larger audience and generate immediate revenue.

Nicholas Maclean

Managing Director | CBRE

Nicholas Maclean lives and works in the United Arab Emirates and is Co Chairman & Managing Director of CBRE Middle East Region which he established in 2005. This Region encompasses his firm’s operations across Turkey, Middle East and North Africa.

He is a GlobalScot; is Scotland’s Trade Envoy to the United Arab Emirates; and Chairman of the Lillian Sutton (SoC) Charitable Trust

A Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, he sits on the RICS World Governing Council, having been a Member, then Chairman, of the RICS MENA Board.

Maclean is a member of the Institute of Revenue, Rating and Valuation; and of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House).

He holds the Reserve Decoration and in 2017 was named by Arabian Business as one of the 100 most influential people in the UAE.

Dr. Noah Raford

Futurist-in-Chief & Chief of Global Affairs | Dubai Future Foundation

Dr. Noah Raford is the Chief of Global Affairs, “Futurist-in-Chief”, at the Dubai Future Foundation and a former advisor on futures, foresight, and innovation in the UAE Prime Minister’s Office. Noah helped establish the country’s first national foresight unit, helped established the Dubai Future’s Foundation and the Museum of the Future, and is part of a team that identifies emerging opportunities, develops strategic partnerships, and prototypes future initiatives for the Government of Dubai.

Some of the projects he has recently been involved with include:
• The Museum of the Future
• The Dubai Global Blockchain Council
• The UAE Drones for Good Award
• The UAE Robotics for Good Award
• The Dubai 3D Printing Strategy
• The Dubai Self-Driving Vehicle Strategy
• The International Council on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (iCAIR)
• The “Office of the Future”; the world’s first fully functional 3D printed building.

Prior to his work in the UAE, Noah was a senior manager at the strategy consultancy Monitor / GBN, CEO of the technology foresight company Futurescaper LLC, the North American Director of Space Syntax Limited, and the Senior Research Advisor to Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment. Noah completed his PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), his master’s degree at the Bartlett School of Architecture, and his undergraduate studies at Brown University. He is a member of the 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, a member of the International Futures Forum.

He lives in Dubai, is married with two children and is a semi-retired techno DJ. He maintains an occasional podcast called NerdHouse (mixing deep techno with deep lectures and spoken word) and recently finished his second book, “Warlords, Inc.”.

Ross Veitch

Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder | Wego

Ross is CEO & Co-Founder at Wego, an online travel marketplace for users living in the MENA and APAC regions. Wego harnesses powerful technology that simplifies the process of searching, comparing and booking flights and hotels across hundreds of airlines, hotels and online travel agency websites. Wego has dual-HQs in Dubai and Singapore and is backed by top-tier investors including Tiger Global, Crescent Group, Square Peg Capital, MEVP and the MBC Group. 

Ross is an internet industry veteran having established Yahoo!’s Southeast Asian operations in Singapore in 1998 and where he led product & engineering teams. Ross is an active angel investor in the technology sector and enjoys working with other passionate entrepreneurs. He has worked in Sydney, Melbourne, London, Kuala Lumpur and now splits his time between Dubai and Singapore where Wego’s business is based. He travels frequently for business but not nearly enough for leisure.

Sara Jackson

Country Coordinator, Circular Coalition | Green Ethics

Sara Jackson, a dual national of the UK and South Africa, has a background in general, midwifery, and paedeatric nursing and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in Industrial Psychology and Economics. Sara has worked in various roles for a global multinational for 29 years, 17 of which were based in the UAE. Her experience includes senior business and executive leadership roles in regions across Africa, Middle East and Asia. During this time she was instrumental in leading and supporting greenfield projects including establishing manufacturing facilities in new markets, business restructuring, new market entries, and the integration of an acquisition. In 2018 her roles included representation in various Industry Associations.

On leaving the corporate world in 2019, Sara established her own consultancy, Green Ethics FZ LLC, and is now managing the CIRCLE Coalition, a public-private partnership, focused on developing a closed-loop economic model for recycling post-consumer packaging waste. In this role, she coordinated and facilitated a proof of concept pilot study in Abu Dhabi. The study was conducted by Frost & Sullivan, in partnership with Tadweer, the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi and the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and funded by the CIRCLE Coalition.

The report, “Charting the road towards a Circular Economy in the UAE” was released in January 2020 and highlights the barriers and enablers of the circular economy in the UAE. The CIRCLE Coalition is now embarking on the establishment of a Sustainable Packaging Association for the UAE and the design of an Extended Producer Responsibility Framework.

Talal Al Dhiyebi

Chief Executive Officer | Aldar

Talal Al Dhiyebi is the Chief Executive Officer at Aldar having previously held the position of Chief Development Officer and Executive Director of Asset Management since the merger with Sorouh in 2013. He held several senior positions at Aldar and currently serves on the boards of several companies including Miral, Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management, Al Jazira Capital and Aldar Academies.

Talal is a graduate of Electrical Engineering (Honors) from the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Tarek El Baradi

Senior Advisor - Sustainability | EMIR

Tarek El-Baradi is a Senior Advisor to EMIR on the issue of sustainability. Following a long and successful career as a senior executive in international business, he now runs a consulting company, East@West Consulting. Before that he worked as a senior scientific researcher at renowned institutions with a strong track record of publications.

EWC operates from a strong moral code and with a rich pallet of know-how in the areas of business, science, culture, and communication. Drawing synergistically from these sources it offers high-quality services in the areas of consultancy and management to a wide spectrum of institutions including Business, Academia, Government, and NGOs. Its central mission is to promote rational, ethical and agile decision-making for a better, sustainable, and truly diverse world. Specific areas of activities include but are not limited to:

• Design of environmental quality solutions for solid- and water waste issues as well as water scarcity.
• Optimization and reform of industrial regulations and economic policies.
• Seminars promoting cultures of inclusion, diversity, and sustainability.

While international in scope the current EWC geographical focus areas are Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Since December 2016, Tarek has been associated with the Dutch Comenius group which provides leadership development programs for senior executives. Tarek acted so far as a visiting professor and moderator during three editions of the Comenius Middle East Leadership course.

From October 1, 2014, till April 1, 2019, Tarek took up the Dubai based position of PepsiCo Vice President Public Policy & Government Affairs (PPGA) for Asia, the Middle East, and Africa (AMENA). He led a group of roughly a dozen experienced PepsiCo Government Affairs experts. With his team, he managed and shaped a gamut of AMENA government policies to the best inseparable interests of PepsiCo and the AMENA societies and communities in which it operates. Tarek is a strong adherer and advocate of PepsiCo’s Performance with Purpose business philosophy. Apart from building the AMENA PPGA organization in the PepsiCo offices in Dubai, Cairo, Gurgaon, Beijing, and Bangkok, his achievements include shaping throughout the region policies that govern taxes, trade, public health and water conservation.

Before joining PepsiCo Tarek spent 21 years with P&G, where, starting from scratch in 1993, he established the External Relations (ER) function throughout the Middle East and Africa. Specifically, Tarek founded ER departments at P&G offices in Cairo, Beirut, Jeddah, Dubai, Karachi, Casablanca, Algiers, Lagos, Nairobi, and Johannesburg. In 2009 he was appointed General Manager External Relations in Central Europe, The Middle East, and Africa (CEEMEA taking on additional responsibility for his function for P&G offices in Moscow, Kiev, Warsaw, Istanbul, Budapest, and Bucharest. Tarek’s ER role consisted of leading the P&G interface with Government, Media, Business, NGOs, local communities, and various professional organizations. As ER leader, Tarek was in charge of four distinct disciplines, namely Government Relations, Regulatory Affairs, Communications, and Sustainability. Apart from building a 120 strong organization of P&G technical, regulatory, and communications experts across a wide range of countries, Tarek’s results-oriented approach has led to several important regulatory reforms, investment agreements, and local and international private-public partnerships in the areas of Sustainability, water purification, and child and maternal health education.

Tarek is Egyptian born and holds the Dutch nationality and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Free University of Amsterdam. He worked for 4 years as a senior research fellow at the Max Planck Institute in Berlin. During his research career, he published widely in leading international journals and also worked on various development projects in Africa. His approach is on the one hand no-nonsense, results-focused, and on the other hand highly people-oriented. He is averse of propaganda and impression management, is a keen original thinker and problem solver, has a wide range of interests and skills, and a diverse extended network. He lives and works by the motto “sharp mind, warm heart and busy hands”. He is a courageous manager with a good sense of humor. Tarek is married to Anja and they have a 25-year-old son Tijmen.

Walid Namane

Analyst | EMIR

Walid provides economic and geopolitical risk analysis on North Africa and the Middle East for EMIR. He also undertakes bespoke consultancy engagements for EMIR’s clients in the region. Prior to joining EMIR, Walid worked as a political risk analyst for two UAE- based advisory firms where he managed consulting and research projects, and produced intelligence reports on the economic and geopolitical dynamics in the region.

Walid is currently completing his PhD thesis at the Center for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies in Paris on the role of Political Islam in the Turkish foreign policy in the Middle East. He has written extensively on the region’s geopolitical challenges and is a native Arabic and French speaker.

Xavier Anglada

Managing Director - Strategy & Consulting Lead | Accenture

Xavier bring 25+ years of combined management consulting and operational experience in the digital, 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, Xavier leads the overall Strategy and Consulting Business and the Innovation program in the region. In the past, he led 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), bringing data and AI at the core of every program. Xavier has featured as a keynote speaker in leading conferences on the topics of 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.