Commodore (2S). Founder of JFC Conseil, consulting firm dedicated to Mediterranean issues. Founding President of Euromed-IHEDN, association which aims at contributing to the Euro-Mediterranean debate, set up in 2004. He is also member of the scientific committee of the Confluences Méditerranée journal, member of the board of IREMMO and lecturer for the Association for Management Progress (APM). He served in the armed forces for 36 years. He was three times in command of a coastal minesweeper, a dispatch boat and a guided-missile frigate. He graduated from the École Navale (French Naval Academy) and the Ecole supérieure de Guerre navale.
George Catsiapis
Managing Director of EFG Bank (Monaco), a position he has held since January 1994. He has also held positions as Director of EFG Asset Management S.A. in Luxembourg and as member of the EFG Bank Group Advisory Committee. From 1988 to 1992, he was a member of the Investment Funds Group at EFG Private Bank in Geneva. He is a graduate of ACS in Switzerland.
Jean-Claude Gourrut
President and Director of EFG Bank (Monaco) since 2008. From 1979 to 1986, he has held the positions of Regional Director and Managing Director within the Banco France e Brasiliero Group, subsidiary of Crédit Lyonnais. He was then Director of Crédit Lyonnais and delegate director of CL Private Banking at Monaco. In 2004, he joined the EFG International Group. He graduated from the Ecole Centrale of Lille and has a master in applied mathematics.
Benoît Cœuré
Head of the BIS Innovation Hub, and a member of the BIS’s Executive Committee. Previously, he was a member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, responsible for market operations and European and international relations. Prior to joining the ECB, Mr. Cœuré served in various positions at the French Treasury. He was Deputy Chief Executive, then Chief Executive of the French Debt Management office; Assistant Secretary for Multilateral Affairs, Trade and Development, co-chair of the Paris Club, and G8 and G20 Finance Sous-Sherpa; then Deputy Director General and Chief Economist of the French Treasury. A graduate of the École Polytechnique in Paris, he holds an advanced degree in Statistics and Economic Policy from the École nationale de la statistique et de l’administration économique (ENSAE), and a bachelor’s degree in Japanese.
Traian Chebeleu
Deputy Secretary General, Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. He has served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, mainly dealing with international organizations. He also held the positions of State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1992), Diplomatic Adviser (1993-1996) and Spokesman for the President of Romania. He was the Ambassador of Romania to Austria (2001-2005) and he was Special Representative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Black Sea Issues (2008-2009). He then joined the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (2009).
Raed Charafeddine
Executive Chairman at Al Makeen, a specialized advisory strategy firm with a focus on monetary policy, financial institutions, digital economy, industrial policy, and national food security. Mr. Charafeddine is a seasoned Central and Commercial Banker, and the former First Vice Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, with extensive experience in both the public and private sectors across the Middle East and Africa (MEA). He is also an international strategist with profound expertise in central banking, regulation and supervision, and financial markets, complemented by hands-on experience in commercial banking. Mr. Charafeddine served as a board member for various international and regional monetary and financial organizations. As a social and economic reform advocate, his work centers on economic inclusion, poverty alleviation, and the empowerment of women and communities. He is also a writer and speaker, sharing insights on strategy, leadership, monetary policy, finance, economics, and personal and organizational development.
His intellectual contribution is featured on his website.
Chang Dae-whan
Chairman & Publisher, Maekyung Media Group. He is Chairman of Maeil Business Newspaper and Maeil Broadcasting Network. He served as Acting Prime Minister of Korea (2002). He currently serves as Founder and Executive Chairman of World Knowledge Forum, Board Member of World Association of Newspapers and Member of the Global Commission on Internet Governance. He graduated from the University of Rochester in Politics, from the George Washington University in International Affairs, from New York University in International Business Management and received a PhD from NYU.
Jean-Paul Bouttes
Chief Economist, Head of Strategy and Prospective, EDF. He was a scientific consultant at the National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control (INRIA) in France (1986-1993). He was a profesor at the Ecole Polytechnique, at the Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l’Administration Economique (ENSAE), and was a visiting lecturer at the North China Electric Power University in Beijing. He was Deputy Director of Strategy at EDF (1997-2002), and then Industrial Strategy Delegate at the EDF Energies Center (2002-2005). He graduated from Ecole Polytechnique and ENSAE.
Remus Borza
President, EuroInsol. He is an attorney at law, insolvency practitioner. He is managing partner within the law firm Borza & Associates, specialized in commercial legal advice, and EuroInsol, professional company specialized in judicial reorganization. He has published various articles and studies within the Romanian Criminal Law Review, The Legal Courier, ”Law” magazine, the Romanian Journal of the Legal Research Institute of The Romanian Academy, the Romanian Intellectual Property Law Review. He has a Ph. D. in Management.
Matthias Bönning
Managing Director at ISS-oekom. Before, he was Chief Operating Officer and Head of Research at oekom research AG since 2003. He joined oekom research AG in 1998 where he held various positions in the research department. He is a visiting lecturer at the Technical University of Munich, Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and the University of Zurich. He graduated from the University of Cologne in Business Administration.
Sergio Bitar
Senior Fellow at the Inter-American Dialogue, Washington (leading a Project on Global Trends and the Future of Latin America), President of Fundación Por la Democracia and President and founder of Corporación Museo del Salitre. He served as Minister of Mining (1973, president Allende), Minister of Education (2003-2005, president Lagos) and Minister of Public Works (2008-2010, president Bachelet). He was also Senator (1994-2002) and President of the Party Pro Democracy (PPD) (1992-94, 1997-2000, 2006-2008). The PPD is a member of the Concertación, the political coalition that governed in Chile in the period 1990-2010. He held the position of Coordinator for Michelle Bachelet´s presidential campaign (Dec. 2005-Jan. 2006). He graduated from the University of Chile, the Centre d’Etudes de Programmes Economiques, Paris and from Harvard University.
Jan Krzysztof Bielecki
Chairman of the Economic Council to the Polish Prime Minister since 2010. Former Prime Minister of Poland. He also served as Minister for European Integration and Foreign Affairs in Hanna Suchocka’s government. He represented Poland in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (1993-2003). He was President of Bank Pekao SA Management Board and CEO (2003-2010). He was a Member of the Sejm (1989-1993). He graduated from Gdansk University.
Marek Belka
President, Narodowy Bank Polski and Professor of Economics. He specialises in applied economics and contemporary economic thought. He has served, among others, as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance (twice) and as Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland. He has worked as Chairman of the Council for International Coordination for Iraq, as Director of Economic Policy in the Coalition Provisional Authority, and as Executive Secretary of Economic Commission for Europe. Before he was appointed President of Narodowy Bank Polski in June 2010, he was Director of the European Department at the International Monetary Fund.
Godefroy Beauvallet
Head of the AXA Research Fund. He began his career as an IT Project Manager with Gemplus and then became Associate Banker for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). In 2002, he became Assistant Professor and Team Manager at Telecom ParisTech. In 2007, he became CFO and Deputy CEO of Institut Télécom. He is the author of several books and many scientific papers about the use of digital groupware tools in project management and Lean Management. He graduated from Ecole Polytechnique and from Télécom ParisTech.
Enrique Barón Crespo
Former President of the European Parliament (1989-1992). Formerly, he was Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security (1992-1994). He served as Minister of Transport, Tourism and Communications of Spain in the González Government (1982-1985). He was also Chairman of the International Trade Committee of the European Parliament. He has been Professor of Economics, lawyer, socialist deputy and member of the European Parliament. He holds degrees in Law (University of Madrid) and Business Studies (ICADE) and a diploma in Economic and Business Studies from ESSEC (Paris).
Joseph Bahout
Professor and Research associate at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques, Paris. He is also an independant political consultant at JB-Conseil, Program coordinator at the Académie Diplomatique Internationale (ADI) and Permanent Consultant at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Policy Planning Unit. He served as Lecturer at the University Saint-Joseph in Beirut. He was also Researcher at CERMOC (Center of studies and research on the contemporary Middle East). He graduated fron the Institut d’Etudes Politiques, Paris and from the American University of Beirut.
Christian Badaut
Head of the Mediterranean-Africa Center, Head of European and International Affairs, Caisse des dépôts et consignations. He worked at the French Ministery of Industry (1982-2000) notably as Head of Eastern Europe Affairs, Head of Multilateral Trade Negociations, and finally as Deputy Director of European Affairs. He then began to work at the Caisse des dépôts as senior executive of an investment program in North-Africa and then as financial analyst (sovereign wealth funds) and as country-risk analyst. He studied at the Ecole nationale d’administration.
Abdulmajeed Al-Shatti
Member of the Supreme Petroleum Council in Kuwait. An Independent Economics advisor in the field of Public policy, Energy, finance and economics of social media. He served as Economics Advisor to the UNDP, Kuwait. Former Chairman of the Board of Directors and Managing Director of the Commercial Bank of Kuwait. He was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Banking Association (2007-2010). He started his career at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) as a researcher and later as a manager of the economics department. He graduated from Syracuse University and continued post-graduate degrees at Stanford University.
Ángel Gurría
OECD Secretary-General, since 2006. He has reinforced the OECD’s role as a “hub” for global dialogue and debate on economic policy issues while pursuing internal modernization and reform. He served as Mexico’s Minister of Foreign Affairs (1994-1998) and Mexico’s Minister of Finance and Public Credit (1998-2000). He chaired the International Task Force on Financing Water for All. He is a member of the International Advisory Board of Governors of the Centre for International Governance Innovation. He holds a B.A. degree in Economics from UNAM (Mexico), and a M.A. degree in Economics from Leeds University (United Kingdom).
Alassane Ouattara
President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. He started as an economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1968. He joined the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) in 1973. In 1984, he was appointed Director of the African Department at the IMF. In 1988, he was named Governor of the BCEAO. In 1990, he was appointed Chairman of the Interministerial Committee for Coordination of the Stabilization and Economic Recovery Programme by President Félix Houphouët-Boigny. Then, he became Prime Minister. In 1993, he went back to the IMF where he was named Deputy Managing Director. In 1999, he left the IMF and went back to Côte d’Ivoire. He was elected President of the Rally of the Republicans (RDR). He graduated from Drexel Institute of Technology, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Josef Ackermann
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Zurich Insurance Group Ltd and Zurich Insurance Company Ltd since March 2012. Prior to this he served as Vice-Chairman for two years. He also served as chairman of the Management Board of Deutsche Bank AG (2002-2012). He is also a member of the International Advisory Board of the National Bank of Kuwait and of the Akbank in Turkey. He is co-chairman of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum. He studied economics and social sciences at the University of St. Gallen and received his PhD in 1977.
Jean-Yves Carfantan
Senior Consultant, he runs AgroBrasConsult, a Brazilian consulting company specializes in agricultural markets and investments and based in São Paulo. He is a member of the Global Food Security Forum (GFSF) steering Committee. After being a Cooperating Professor at the University of Brazzaville (1975-1978), he became a Professor of International Economics at the Institut Superieur de Gestion (ISG), and Professor in Agricultural Economics at the Ecole Superieure d’Agriculture d’Angers (1985- 2010). Since 1994, he has been the correspondent in Brazil of the Cercle Cyclope, group set up and coordinated by Professor Philippe Chalmin. His latest book: Le défi chinois, les nouvelles strategies d’un géant (“The chinese challenge : new strategies of a giant”). He graduated in Economics and in Philosophy and holds a postgraduate degree in International Business.
Sauli Feodorow
Ambassador for Human Rights and Democracy of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. He started his career in the Ministry in 1976. He served as Ambassador of Finland to Luxembourg and as Ambassador to Lisbon, Portugal. He has held various positions in the Political Department and the Department for External Economic Relations. He has served as Head of the Division for the Americas and Asia. During his career, he has been posted in Stockholm, Algiers, Canberra, Paris, Mexico City.
Peter Praet
Member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank since June 2011. He started his career as Research Assistant in the Department of Applied Economics and Institute for European Studies, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB). He served as Economist, International Monetary Fund, Washington D.C. (1978-1980), Professor of economics, ULB (1980-1987), Chief Economist, Générale de Banque, subsequently at Fortis Bank (1987-1999), Chief of Staff of the Belgian Minister of Finance (1999-2000), Executive Director of the Nationale Bank van België/Banque Nationale de Belgique (2000-2011). He holds a PhD in Economics, Université libre de Bruxelles (1980).
Thierry Soret
Focal point and policy advisor at UNDP for all G20 related matters. He is Coordinator for G20 and Multilateral Affairs, Strategic Policy since 2014. He acts as UN Sous-Sherpa in the G20, and UNDP representative in the G20 Development Working Group. He joined UNDP in 2007 as policy specialist on global governance issues. Prior to joining UNDP, he was the Executive Director of the European Think Tank “Confrontations-Europe”. Previously, he was a policy advisor on globalization issues to Mr. Francois Hollande. He was admitted at the National School of Administration (ENA), Paris. He holds a Master Degree in Political Science and International Relations from ‘Sciences-Po’ Paris, and a Degree in Philosophy from the Paris-XII University.
Herbert Stepic
Former CEO of Raiffeisen Bank International. He joined Genossenschaftliche Zentralbank AG (now Raiffeisen Zentralbank Österreich AG, RZB) in 1973 and established the Foreign Trade Promotion Department. In 1987, he became Member of the Board of RZB and was appointed Deputy Chairman in 1995. He was CEO of Raiffeisen International Bank-Holding AG (2001-2010). He holds a master’s degree in business administration (1968) and a doctorate in Economics and Commerce (1972), Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration.
Martti Ahtisaari
Former President of the Republic of Finland (1994-2000). He founded Crisis Management Initiative in 2000. In 2005 he facilitated the peace process between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement. He acted as the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the future status process for Kosovo (2005-2008). He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008. He has served most of his career in the Finnish Foreign Ministry and the UN, including Special Representative of the Secretary General for Namibia and State Secretary, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. He graduated from the University of Oulu.
His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al-Faisal
His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al-Faisal served as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States of America from September 2005 until February 2007. His Royal Highness is involved in a number of cultural and social activities. He is one of the founders of the King Faisal Foundation and is the Chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown, the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies, and the King Faisal Foundation. He graduated from Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He subsequently pursued an undergraduate degree at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.
Manaf Al-Hajeri
Chief Executive Officer of Kuwait Financial Center, Markaz since 2004. Markaz is a leading GCC asset management and investment banking institution in the Middle East with a strategic focus to achieve regional leadership in the Industry. Prior to joining Markaz, he held the position of Deputy Director of Investments at the Kuwait Fund for Arab and Economic Development. He serves as director or trustee ion several high profile private, government, educational and non-profit boards and committees. He is a Certified Financial Manager (CFM) from The Institute of Management Accountants (USA). He holds a Master of Science and Bachelor degrees in Civil Engineering from Kuwait University.
Yukiya Amano
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he previously served as Permanent Representative and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the International Organizations in Vienna (2005-2009). He chaired the 2007 Preparatory Committee for the 2010 Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty Review Conference. Before that, he was appointed as Director-General for the Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Science Department at the Japanese Foreign Ministry (until 2005) after serving as a governmental expert on the U.N. Expert Group on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Education in 2001. He graduated from the Tokyo University Faculty of Law.