Author: wpc_editor

Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF). Before taking on this position, H.E. Dr. Abdulrahman A. Al Hamidy was Vice Governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA). He has also served as Deputy Governor for Technical Affairs at SAMA, Director General at Economic Research and Statistics, as well as Director of Training, Research and Information at the Institute of Banking. Before that, he taught Economics at the King Saud University. Dr. Al Hamidy was a member of the Board of Executive Directors in the Arab Monetary Fund, as well as other organizations. He has participated in international meetings such as G20, International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank (WB), as well as meetings of the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), Financial Stability Board (FSB), and Council of Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB). In addition, with his appointment as Director General Chairman of the Board of the Arab Monetary Fund, Dr. Al Hamidy also holds the position of Chief Executive Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Arab Trade Financing Program “ATFP” and Chairman of the Board of “BUNA”.

French Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates since December 2022. Mr. Nicolas Niemtchinow studied at École Nationale d’Administration (ENA), École Normale Supérieure (ENS), and Sciences Po Paris (IEP, Paris), BA and MA in History. He joined the Foreign Service in 1995. He holds the rank of Minister plenipotentiary. He was first desk officer for NATO and European Defense in the Strategic Affairs Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1995-1998). He was posted to the French Embassy in Moscow, as first Secretary, then to the French Embassy in Amman, as Deputy Head of Mission. He was subsequently appointed as Deputy Director of Strategic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2005-2009). He then served as the diplomatic adviser to the Minister of Defense (2010-2011) and Deputy Director of the State Minister’s private office at the Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs (2011-2012). He was appointed Ambassador, permanent representative of France to the United Nations’ Office in Geneva and to the international organizations in Switzerland (2012-2015) then Deputy General Director to the International Labour Organization (ILO, UN-Geneva) from 2015 to 2017. From October 2017 to November 2022, he served as Strategy Director at Ministry of Defense.

Head of business development and commercialization of Carbfix, a knowledge-based company offering consultancy and service in the field of capturing CO2. Mr. Lárusson holds an MBA from the University of Edinburgh and a BSc degree in business management and international business from the University of South Carolina Columbia. He has a vast global business background, including extensive experience in finance and business development. Mr. Lárusson has served as a board member for several IT and financial companies both in Iceland and abroad after having been the CEO of On-Waves (maritime mobile network communications) between 2013 and 2020 (Reykjavik, Rotterdam, Copenhagen). Prior to that Mr. Lárusson headed Síminn Telecommunications business development since the privatization of the company in 2005 (London, Reykjavik, and Copenhagen) and worked in the banking industry for both Kaupthing bank and Reykjavik Savings Bank in corporate, investment banking as well as asset management from 1996.

Vice Chairman & CEO of the Federation of Korean Industries. Prior to joining the FKI, he served as Global Advisor for Hyundai Motor Group. He served as Korean Ambassador to Indonesia. He also worked in Brussels as Korean Ambassador to the European Union and Belgium. Amb. Kim has special ties and experiences with EU affairs, ASEAN and Indonesia, in particular. During his career, he made significant contributions to the promotion of Korea’s partnership with the EU and ASEAN through summit meeting preparations and substantial progresses in trade, investment, and people–to–people exchanges. He has worked together with the Indonesian Government in reaching a final conclusion of Indonesia – Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IK CEPA). As a career foreign service officer, he has served five overseas posts (US, Japan, Pakistan, Indonesia, EU/Belgium) and worked at various positions within the Korean Government ever since he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1981. He has worked for President Lee Myung-bak as Chief of Presidential Protocol at the office of the President. He earned a Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC, USA and is a distinguished graduate of Seoul National University.

Special Envoy for Strategic and International Affairs Nuclearelectrica. Ms. Birchall works particularly within the North American Energy and Security Partnership, as well as other strategic partnerships. With over 20 years of experience in law, foreign policy and international relations, she has a law degree from the University of Bucharest, a master’s degree and a doctorate in law from the prestigious Yale Law School, USA. She worked on Wall Street as a lawyer at one of the largest law firms in the world. Since 2003, Ms. Birchall has returned home with her family and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs team, promoting Romania’s interests of integration in NATO and EU membership. Subsequently, she decided to get involved in political life by holding the position of Deputy Prime Minister for Romania’s Strategic Partnerships, Minister of Justice, Minister Delegate for European Affairs, High Government Representative for US Relations and European Affairs, member of the Romanian Parliament, President of the Commission for European Affairs in the Chamber of Deputies, President of the Special Commission for the Presidency of Romania at the European Union Council, President of the Delegation of the Romanian Parliament to the OSCE.

Founder and CEO of AirCapture, a supplier of clean CO2 captured from the atmosphere to radically improve the environment, the economy, and our lives. He is a technologist, chemist, entrepreneur, and pioneer in the DAC space. He has over 20 years’ experience in renewable and climate technology development and over a decade of experience with DAC and CO2 utilization technologies. He developed the world’s first energy-positive wastewater treatment platform as Founder & CEO of Algae Systems. He has built and commercialized technologies in CO2, water, AgTech, waste treatment, and biofuels.

Dean of the College of Computing and Mathematical Sciences and Director of the Center for Cyber-Physical System at Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, Full Professor at the Department of Computer Science, Università degli Studi di Milano, where he leads the SESAR research lab, and President of the National Interuniversity Consortium for Computer Science. His research interests include Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Cyber-physical systems, secure service-oriented architectures, privacy-preserving big data analytics and cyber-physical systems security. He has held visiting positions at several international institutions, including Universities in the US, Japan, Australia and France. He is a Fellow of the Japanese Society for the Progress of Science. He has been Principal Investigator in several Next Generation Europe research projects funded by the European Commission, the Italian Ministry of Research and by private companies. He serves in the editorial board of several international journals. Ernesto Damiani is an ACM Distinguished Scientist and a Senior Member of the IEEE. He received the IEEE IES Chester-Sall Award in 2007, the IEEE ICWS/Service Society Stephen S. Yau Award and the IEEE TCHS Research and Innovation Award.

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 with minors in International Finance and Economics from Ohio State University, and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Agri Business seminar 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 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, 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 has been an Officer of the Palmes Académiques since 2017 and a Knight of the Legion of Honor since 2025.. 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.