Author: wpc_editor

Founder of Intisar Foundation. HH Sheikha Intisar AlSabah is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, author, film producer, columnist, and a princess of the AlSabah family, the ruling family of Kuwait. Her pioneering contribution to humanity’s greatest cause – Peace – is embodied in Intisar Foundation which has developed and introduced an innovative approach to the field of Peacebuilding that is rooted in enabling the psychological recovery and self-empowerment of women traumatised by war and violence through the use of drama therapy. HH Sheikha Intisar received the insignia of the Knight in the Order of the Crown by His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium, and the insignia of the Knight of the French National Order of the Legion of Honour by H.E. Former French President François Holland. She was also included in the 50 Most Influential Women in The Arab World in 2021 by CEO Middle East, MOJEH 100 Women in the MENA region 2022, Arabian Business 50 Inspiring Women Leaders 2023 by Arabian Business, Most Creative People in Business in the Middle East 2023 by Fast Company Middle East, among other recognitions. In addition to her philanthropic work, HH Sheikha Intisar’s social enterprises (Intisars and Ebbarra) spearhead a new movement of women’s self-empowerment, while her non-profit organisations (Alnowair and Bareec) supplement the formal education system and improve organisational cultures with programmes in socio-emotional skills based upon positive psychology.

Chair of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (Integrity Council), an independent governance body for the voluntary carbon market. Ms. Nazareth has devoted significant attention to virtually all aspects of the body’s workstreams, and represents the Integrity Council in venues across the globe. She has decades of experience in financial services regulation and corporate governance. She currently serves as Senior Counsel at the global law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell, having previously served as a Partner of the firm and the Head of the Washington DC office. She also led the firm’s Trading and Markets practice within the Financial Institutions Group. She was a key player in US financial services regulation for nearly a decade, most notably as a Commissioner of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and as the SEC’s Director of the Division of Trading and Markets. She is a graduate of Brown University and Columbia Law School.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia. Throughout his professional journey, he served as Assistant to the Deputy of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, then assumed the role of Head of the First Deputy Prime Minister’s Office of the Republic of Armenia. Continuing in the political arena, Mr. Kostanyan became the Spokesperson of the “Civil Contract” Party and subsequently served as Assistant to the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, followed by the position of Adviser to the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia. In 2021, he ventured into diplomacy, taking on the roles of Assistant and later Adviser to the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia. Notably, in 2023, Mr. Kostanyan was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs by the decision of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia. Mr. Kostanyan pursued his studies in Oriental Studies at Yerevan State University. His academic pursuits include a Public Administration course at the University of Massachusetts (USA) in 2012, courses in Conflictology and Human Rights of the Council of Europe from 2012 to 2017, and an Iranian Studies Course at Payame Noor University (Tehran) in 2018.

CEO and a board member of Intisar Foundation, the first and only charity (founded by HH Sheikha Intisar AlSabah), operating in the Middle East that provides psychological support to women affected by war, armed conflicts, trauma and violence through Drama Therapy. Intisar Foundation’s mission is also the bring Peace to the region through mental health. Karima Anbar is also the Founding Member and Director General of the Global Diwan, an international club connecting East and West leaders and established to boost business, academic, cultural projects and initiatives through exclusive events. The Global Diwan provides to its members a platform for unique opportunities of meeting and networking in Europe and in the main Arab capital cities. Karima Anbar started her career as a French Diplomat in the field of human rights, women rights, political analysis and civil societies in Arab countries. 

CEO at TD International, a top global advisor on geopolitical strategy, market intelligence, and risk compliance. Prior to joining TDI, he served as CEO of Veracity Worldwide, the New-York based risk advisory firm. He previously was a leader at McKinsey & Company on strategy and risk management topics spanning five continents and multiple industries. As a career Foreign Service Officer, he had tours as Chief of Staff at the US Embassy in Pakistan and as Special Assistant to then-Deputy Secretaries of State William Burns and Antony Blinken, with additional diplomatic postings in Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, and at the US Mission to the OSCE. Jay is a US Navy reserve Foreign Area Officer specialized in Europe and Africa. He is a former Fulbright Scholar, Boren Fellow, and Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. He holds degrees from Stanford, Harvard, and the Fletcher School at Tufts, and he speaks French, German, and Russian.

Group Head of Investment Banking at First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and Group Head of International Banking, Chairman of FAB Private Bank Suisse, member of the Executive Committee. With a focus on regional expansion, Martin has led the development of the FAB product proposition and the client coverage model and is reinforcing FAB’s positioning as a regional leader in the Investment Banking space. Prior to joining FAB, Martin held several senior positions within HSBC group, including Deputy Chairman and CEO for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, and was Group General Manager at HSBC. He was also the CEO for HSBC Australia and for HSBC Korea and held senior leadership positions over two decades at HSBC Global Banking and Markets across the Middle East, the UK and Europe. In addition to leading FAB’s Investment Banking franchise, Martin is also a trustee of the University Paris II Assas, Sorbonne, and was appointed French Foreign Trade Advisor by French Prime Minister decree in 2001. Martin graduated from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, holds a Master’s in Law from La Sorbonne University, Paris, and a bachelor’s degree in history from Paris Nanterre University.

Secretary of the French national committee on generative Artificial Intelligence and deputy head of the Corps des mines, a talent development program recruiting each year top 18 French engineers to work as civil servants in energy and environmental policy, digital transformation as well economic and industrial development. Before that, Arno Amabile has brought the State’s support for economic and industrial development in the eastern region around Strasbourg, heading the local efforts to support and stimulate the economy during the pandemic. He has also worked for the ministry of Justice to elaborate their new digital transformation plan. Each time, is has sought to bring his passion for empowering people and organizations to reach agility and operational excellence. Arno is a graduate of the Paris Ecole Normale Supérieure in Economics and the New York University in Urban data science, as well as a Fulbright laureate and a graduate of the Corps des mines program at Mines Paris.

Visiting Scholar and Luksic Fellow at Harvard University’s David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies in Cambridge, MA, and a Senior Advisor at BCG focusing on foreign investment, international trade, geopolitics and economic development. He was CEO of InvestChile. His experience also includes acting as senior international consultant on nearshoring at the Inter-American Development Bank, and as Head of international trade and investment policy at the World Economic Forum, where he spearheaded Davos’ engagements on FDI and represented WEF before the B20, OECD, APEC, UNCTAD and other international organizations. Prior to that, he served as trade and environment lead negotiator and investment negotiator at the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile, where he also negotiated other international agreements on investment, services, air transport and climate change including at the UNFCCC COPs. He currently serves on several boards including at the Chilean Economic Development Agency (CORFO), Start-Up Chile, and the global Climate Governance Initiative (CGI).

Co-Founder and President of Sylvera, a leading carbon data provider. Prior to co-founding Sylvera, Mr. Gill was a corporate lawyer. Most recently, he worked at Baker McKenzie focusing on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) products, where he gained exposure to the carbon markets’ issues and opportunities. He began his legal career as an investment funds Associate at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. He holds a Bachelor’s of Law from Cardiff University. 

Silian Partner, former Management Board member of Infineon. He contributes c.30 years of semiconductor industry experience. He was Chief Marketing Officer from 2016 to 2022 with responsibilities encompassing marketing, sales, strategy and M&A. In this capacity, he led the €9bn acquisition and integration of Cypress Semiconductor and contributed to transform Infineon into a global top 10 semiconductor company. Prior to joining Infineon in 1995 as a semiconductor design engineer, he worked in semiconductor research at Fraunhofer Institute.

Ambassador of Switzerland to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Arthur Mattli graduated with a degree in law from the University of Fribourg. After assignments as Delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Jerusalem, Damascus, Riyadh and Dubrovnik, an assistantship at the University of Fribourg and a research residency in New York, he joined the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. After an internship with the Political Affairs Division I in Bern and the Swiss Mission to the European Community in Brussels, he was leading the Economic and Trade Section of the Swiss Embassy in Beijing. He was later appointed Head of the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Section of the Directorate of International Law in Berne. He served as Deputy Head of mission of the Swiss Embassy in Nairobi and in New Delhi, and as Head of Mission of the Swiss Embassy in Bucharest until July 2023. Ambassador Mattli was Head of Division for Europe, Central Asia, Council of Europe and OSCE at the Directorate of Political Affairs in Bern. He was Head of Mission in Dar es Salaam, where he represented Switzerland at the East African Community and in Zambia. Ambassador Mattli is now serving as Head of Mission of the Swiss Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

Founder and CEO of International Business Strategies (IBS). For over 33 years, IBS has been focused on key activities in global electronics industry that impact semiconductor ecosystem. As CEO of IBS, Dr. Jones interfaces with most global leaders in electronics industry, with customers in U.S., Europe, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, India, and others. IBS delivers projects market trends to 2030. Dr. Handel Jones has published four books on China regarding key factors in electronics and semiconductor industries. His latest book is called When AI Rules the World: China, the U.S., and the Race to Control a Smart Planet.

Executive Vice president of World Wide Strategic Partnerships at IMEC and a member of IMEC Executive Board. Mr. Mirgoli has over 33 years of experience in the high tech and semiconductor industry and has held numerous leadership and executive roles in some of the most innovative companies in the world. In addition to his role at IMEC, he serves as investor and advisor and board member in many successful start ups. Prior to Joining IMEC, Mr. Mirgoli was C.O.O and Managing Director of ICOS Vision Systems (NASDAQ IVIS) a highly successful start up from Belgium that was taken public and acquired by KLA TENCOR (NASDAQ KLAC) in 2009 where he held several executive leaderships role after the sale. Prior to ICOS Vision Systems, Mr. Mirgoli was the corporate Sr.Vice president and Global GM of Automation group of Panasonic where he managed a P&L of over 1 billion dollars globally for Panasonic reporting directly to the president and CEO of Panasonic Americas. Mr. Mirgoli holds an MBA from College of Notre Dame and an Electrical Engineering degree in Robotics from University of California and a Linguistics degree from University of Madrid.

CEO of BWI. A graduate of HEC Paris, Mr. Fain’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2007 when he co-founded Verteego, a pioneering force in the artificial intelligence and impact startup realms, known for its early entry into the software-as-a-service sustainability market. In 2018, he assumed the role of CEO at Welcomr, a prominent building access control SaaS vendor. Driven by a passion for technology-driven impact, he joined BWI as CEO in 2022. BWI, or Blue Water Intelligence, leverages satellite data and machine learning to deliver advanced hydrological forecasts, with the vision of empowering basin digitization through the deployment of virtual stations, offering critical continental freshwater data and insights anytime, anywhere. Mr. Fain’s journey embodies a commitment to leveraging technology for sustainable, impactful solutions, shaping the software industry’s future and driving global change.

Senior Managing Director of Silian Partners who brings c.35 years of semiconductor experience. As Chief Executive Officer of Soitec from 2015 to 2022, he successfully led the company through a restructuring and positioned it as a global leader of engineered semiconductor materials. Prior to Soitec, he held senior positions in semiconductor equipment and manufacturing with KLA, STMicroelectronics, IBM Microelectronics, Motorola Semiconductor and Atmel. 

Managing Director & CEO of Canal Sugar, a UAE-Egyptian multibillion dollar agricultural industrial group in Egypt that aims to ensure Egypt self-sufficiency in sugar. Dr. Kamel Abdallah is a national food security expert, specializing in turnaround management and leadership of large agricultural industrial groups in the region. For over twenty years, he has led large regional companies with emphasis on Agri-Food companies in the Middle East with turnaround mandates. He has served in Board Director/Managing Director/CEO positions in Agri/Food based companies, including Baladna QPSC, Aujan Industries/Rani Investments, and  Exeed Industries/National Holding. Dr. Abdallah remains integrated with the industry and with academia, where he has served as Asst Vice President of the American University of Beirut; and Professor of Strategy and Finance as well as being a tenured Prof and department chair at accredited business schools in the USA. Dr. Abdallah holds a Ph.D in Strategic Management & Finance (OSU), and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Agri Business management program. 

General Manager of Rebound, a solution-oriented business focused on keeping plastics out of the environment and within the economy. She has extensive experience in government policy and strategic programs, locally and globally. Her expertise in economics and the environment has enabled her to develop key policies, approved by the Cabinet, in collaboration with stakeholders and ministries. She holds professional accreditation certificates in Public Policy Analysis, Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development, and Strategic Policy Planning. She is dedicated to public service and empowering youth in climate-related decision-making. With the support of the UAE government and the backing of the IHC of Abu Dhabi, she has spearheaded the development of innovative and sustainable solutions at Rebound. Her diverse background and expertise contribute greatly to Rebound’s mission of reducing plastic waste and ensuring a more sustainable future.

Co-Founder and Board member of MFEX Mutual Funds Exchange, a global B2B fund distribution platform present in 63 countries, now a fully-owned subsidiary of the Euroclear group. Following his diplomatic service in Eastern Europe, Olivier worked with the Paribas group in Asset Management, then at AXA. He was educated at the École nationale des ponts et chaussées in Paris and at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is actively involved as an investor and advisor with startups and growth companies in the areas of engineering, finance and logistics. He is a member of the French and Russian Geographic Societies, as well as the Royal Geographical Society. He is also actively contributing to the organization of cultural events, in particular for classical music and ballet and the sponsoring of young artists in Europe and in Russia.

Deputy Director General and Scientific Director of the French Geological Survey BRGM. He is in charge of defining and implementing the overall scientific strategy of BRGM in the field of water and global warming, critical raw materials and circular economy, natural and technological risks, the development of geological knowledge and associated numerical data and services. He is also for 2023 and 2024 the Elected president of EuroGeoSurveys, association of the European National Geological Surveys. Before joining BRGM, Christophe Poinssot worked for 25 years in the French Atomic and Alternative Energy Commission (CEA) where he held several management positions in the field of R&D. From 2008 to 2018, he directed the CEA research department in charge of developing the recycling technologies of nuclear fuels, before being from 2018 to 2020, the Nuclear Counsellor at the French Embassy in China (Beijing) and the CEA Representative in this country. At CEA, he developed a recognized expertise in environmental and nuclear chemistry. He authored over 60 papers in international journals (impact factor >28), over 120 oral presentations in international conferences, and has been teaching in many universities and engineering school. His work in the 2010’s on the environmental footprint and the sustainability of nuclear energy, was awarded in 2017 by the Roger Van Geen Prize from the Foundation for Scientific Research (Belgium). He is decorated as Officer of the Palmes Académiques since 2017. Christophe Poinssot is a former student from the École Normale Supérieure of Paris where he graduated in Earth Sciences and Materials Science. He got his Ph.D in Materials Science in 1997 from the Paris University, an HDR (Habilitation to Manage Research) in 2007 in Chemistry from the Saclay University, and was awarded from the Institute of National Defense Studies (IHEDN) in 2023.

Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Dr. Ameena Al-Sumaiti is a highly accomplished academic with a passion for research that drives impact in the UAE. Listed among the top 2% of scientists in the world for research citations in 2021 and 2022, she is an expert in the fields of renewable energy, smart city planning, transportation networks, data analytics, and other aspects of energy, technology, and advanced sciences. Dr. Al-Sumaiti has participated in the National Experts Program NEP 3.0, representing the “Advanced Sciences and Research” sector, a key contributing sector to economic growth. She was also on the shortlist of a national talent search among 2000 applicants. She received her Doctorate and Master degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo (Canada) in 2015 and 2010, respectively. She was a visiting professor at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) in 2017 and is currently with Khalifa University as an Associate Professor. Dr. Al-Sumaiti received more than 50 awards, recognitions, and local and international fellowships, and has made significant contributions to society through capacity-building, education, and research. Dr. Al-Sumaiti has 4-electronic newsletters, 7 book chapters, 97 journal articles and 43 conference articles.

Ambassador of Mexico to the United Arab Emirates. He is a career diplomat. After entering the Mexican Foreign Service, he rose to the rank of Ambassador. He previously served as: Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General for the 2019 Climate Change Summit. Permanent Representative of Mexico to the Organization of the American States; to Austria, concurrent to Slovenia and Slovakia and to International Organizations based in Vienna; to the United Nations in New York; and to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations based in Geneva. He was also Special Representative for Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alternate Representative of Mexico to the United Nations Organization in New York, and Director General for the United Nations System for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has held elected positions as: President of the 24th Session of the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, First President of the Human Rights Council, President of the Council of the International Organization for Migration and President of the Commission on Disarmament and International Security (First Commission) during the 59th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Diplomatic Correspondent of Le Figaro. Previously, she has been Defense Correspondent, Correspondent in Russia and War Reporter (Bosnia, Chechya, Kosovo, Irak, Afghanistan…) for the same newspaper. She also works for Politique Internationale, the main European review dedicated to foreign affairs in French. Her last book, Macron –Putin, the dangerous relationship (L’Observatoire), was published last april.

Former United Nations Secretary General’s, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative to the Palestinian authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), at the rank of Under-Secretary-General (1994 – 1996 / 1999 – 2005), Terje Roed-Larsen graduated in Philosophy, History, and Sociology in the University of Oslo in 1976. He began his career as a Research assistant at the Institute for Sociology of Law of the University of Oslo (1973 – 1978), as a British Academy Wolfson Fellow, at the London School of Economics (LSE), then as Assistant professor at the Institute for Sociology of the Universities of Oslo, and of Bergen. He was Advisor to the Minister for Planning in the Government of Norway and Minister for Administration (1980), and at Norwegian Trade Unions (1981). From 1982 to 1993, he was Managing Director at the research Foundation Fafo, and became Special Advisor to the Norwegian Foreign Minister, at the rank of ambassador in 1994 and from 1997 to 1999. He also was Minister for Planning in 1996. He was UN Secretary-Generals Special Envoy to Lebanon, at the rank of Under-Secretary-General (2005 – 2015), and President and CEO of International Peace Institute (IPI), NY USA (2005 – 2020).

Director of the Dubai Public Policy Research Center (b’huth) which he co-founded in 2002. Before that, he worked as Editor for Gulf Defense Magazine and a number of media outlets. He focuses on the interplay between geostrategy and policymaking in governance, stability, capacity building, and future-proofing. Mohammed Baharoon has also worked as Deputy Director of Watani (UAE’s first initiative on National Identity) and was also a founding member of the board of “Bussola Institute” a think tank in Brussels that focuses on the changing and emerging aspects of the partnership between the EU and the GCC member states. As part of his interest in the emerging geostrategic space of the Arabian Peninsula, Mohammed looks at the interconnected world order and the Global Connectivity Agenda UAE is developing across the region through arteries of trade, money, people, and data and the impact this had on its regional and global partnerships including regional and trans-regional initiatives like the Abrahamic Accords & I2U2.

Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UAE since 2022. He began his career in economics at the German Development Institute (DIE) in 1988, followed by a stint as a UN official with UNIDO from 1989 to 1993. In 1993, Ambassador Schönfelder joined the staff of the Federal Foreign Office and served in various foreign postings, including the United States, Thailand, Japan, Iraq, and Algeria. He held leadership positions such as Deputy Head of Division for International Energy Policy (2007 – 2011) and Head of Division for General Economic Issues in International Economic and Financial Policy (2014 – 2018). In 2018, he became Deputy Director General for Economic Policy, Foreign Trade Promotion, and Digital Transformation.

Ambassador of the Republic of Guatemala to the UAE. Concurrent Ambassador to Kingdom of Barhain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and State of Kuwait. He previously served as Ambassador of the Republic of Guatemala to the Republic of China (Taiwan). He has been decorated with the Order of the Brilliant Star in degree of Grand Cordon by the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). He served as Academic Rector and Dean of the Leadership School at the Universidad San Pablo de Guatemala. He was a member of the Group of advisors for the National Council of Science and Technology (CONCYT). In an Ad Honorem manner, he served as a Vice President of Guatemala Prospera, an organization that seeks the development of Guatemalan children and youth, and the formation of principle and values in organizations of the country. He was a Consultant for USAID in Educational Technology for projects oriented to develop professions in young people from marginal regions of Guatemala.