Author: wpc_editor

Mustapha Metaich is a graduate of the Central School of Paris and a Doctor in Industrial Engineering. He is co-founder and managing Partner at EMC. He teaches Data Science at the Central School of Casablanca. He began his career in France as an engineer in many multinational firms such as TECHNIP and EDF before joining international management consulting companies. At the same time, he is a visiting professor in the Central School of Paris, the University of Paris 13 and ISCAE. He is also President of the Association of the ex-Centrale Students in Morocco. He was an administrator of the Central School of Casablanca and president of the “Forum Centralien” think tank. 

President and Founder of Casablanca Media Partners Group. Mostapha Mellouk started his career in media with the launch of 2M TV Channel where he managed programs, news and sports. He established and lead Media Com before joining Lagardère Group as Director of educational tv channels owned by Qatar Foundation and the Aljazeera Group. He was President of Medi1Sat TV. He is also Smart Studio’s creator and he co-founded the Copeam. He was designated African Media Leader in 2012, and was elected Member of the International Academy of Television, Arts & Science in New York. He chairs the communication commission of the CGEM.

Head of the International Economic Department, Bank Al-Maghrib. Since 2007, Hicham Masmoudi has been in charge of the International Economic Affairs Department at Bank Al-Maghrib in Rabat. He was also a statistician at Nielsen Company and a part-time lecturer at Hassan II University in Casablanca: Master 1st year and 2nd year”Econometrics Applied to Macro and Microeconomic Modelling”. He holds a Master (DESA) in Applied Econometrics for Macro and Micro-Economic Modelling from Hassan II University in Casablanca and obtained his Applied Bachelor’s degree in Econometrics at Hassan II University.

Prof. Taoufik Marrakchi is a retired Colonel-Major of the Royal Armed Forces. Born in Sfax (Tunisia), he got his PhD in International Law and International relations. He joined the Royal Military academy in Meknes and graduated in 1976 then graduated as a Military Chief of staff in the Military school of Kenitra in 1988. He obtained another certificate from Joint Defense College in Paris in 1997. He taught Geopolitics, Strategy, Security and Defense and its international institutions and History of crises and contemporary conflicts in many institutions, such as: the Moroccan Diplomacy Academy (AMED), the Royal School of Gendarmerie Officers (EROG) and the Royal Naval School (ERN). 

H.E.M Li Li is an Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Morocco after a long career and responsibility positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China. H.E.M Li Li has accumulated extensive experience, through his diplomatic missions, in the African continent, particularly in Mali, the Republic of Mauritius and the Kingdom of Morocco. Mr. Li Li holds a Master in Law.

Secretary General of the Ministry of Reform of Administration and Public Service. Mr. Ahmed Laamoumri started at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, then joined the Ministry of the Economy and Finance, and later the Ministry of Public Service and Modernization of Administration. He then became Director of Studies, Communication and Cooperation in the Ministry of charge of modernization of the administration and Secretary General of the Ministry of Reform Administration and Public Service. He has an engineering Degree in Quality Management from L’Ecole des Mines in France and another in Legal and Industrial Metrology from L’Ecole Supérieure de Métrologie in Paris.

Former Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Issues and Head of Delegation to Six Party Talks of the Republic of Korea (ROK). Prior to this position, Ambassador Kim was the Deputy Minister for Political Affairs at the ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Previously he was Secretary to the President for Policy Coordination and Deputy Secretary-General of the NSC Secretariat, in the Office of National Security. Ambassador Kim is a graduate of the University of Virginia where he completed an M.A. in Foreign Affairs, and Seoul National University where he completed a B.A. in English Language and Literature.

After graduating from HEC Paris, Jawad Kerdoudi became a representative of the Moroccan Office de Commercialisation et d’Exportation in Hamburg and in New York where he also was in Charge of the Moroccan Consulate. Later, he worked in the OCE headquarters in Casablanca where he, among responsibilities, managed the Group’s wine subsidiary. In 2003, he created the Moroccan Institute of International Relations. He teaches International Trade and International Relations in Casablanca and Rabat. He wrote numerous articles and several books about Moroccan foreign trade, the Maghreb, and the Spanish model. He participated in several studies on the Euro-Mediterranean region.

Founder and Owner of Kreab Worldwide(1970), a global advisory firm with consultants of 40 nationalities in 25 countries, and Kunskapsskolan Education (2000) – personalized education for 30.000 students in 6 countries. He is a Board member of the Nobel Prize Outreach since 2011 and is a Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, IVA. He was Chef de Cabinet of ICC, the world business organization (1973-1981) and Chairman of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (2010–2014). Recipient of the King of Sweden’s Medal of the Twelfth Dimension in Blue Ribbon for achievements as business leader and entrepreneur. He has a BA from the University of Stockholm and is a graduate of the Owner/President Management Program from Harvard Business School.

Dean of ESCA Ecole de Management, Casablanca, Morocco, he teaches communication strategy and change management. Advisor to several organizations, he also edited and authored several books. In 2011, Thami Ghorfi was appointed as an expert member of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council. He is Vice President of the AL AMANA foundation and a member of the board of the Development and Solidarity Council, the Amadeus Institute and the Academic Advisory Board of GBSN. He chairs the AACSB MENA Advisory Council and is part of International Academic Member of the EDAF Committee of the EFMD. He graduated from ISG-Paris and ESSEC Business School.

Deputy Head of Mission at the Mexican embassy in Morocco. Prior to that, she served in France, in Rome for the Vatican and in Brussels for the EU where she was in charge of political and multilateral affairs and representing Mexico in various international meetings. In Mexico, she was an advisor in the office of the vice-minister of Foreign Affairs. Before joining Foreign Service, she worked as an expert in the European Commission in Brussels and a consultant in many European think tanks and Mexican firms. She has a degree in International Relations from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and Masters in European Studies, Diplomatic Studies and Foreign Trade.

Director of American Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. From 2014 to 2017, she was Director of Protocol, Head of the Division of Privileges and Immunities from December 2014 to December 2016, Head of Division in charge of the Directorate of Protocol from January 2017 to September 2017, and Head of the Divisions of Privileges and Immunities and Ceremonial from Sept 2017 to November 2017. From 2013 to 2014, she was Head of Department of the Community Institutions at the European Union Directorate. From 2009 to 2013, she held the position of Communications Advisor and Political Advisor at the Moroccan Embassy in Madrid.

State Engineer in Telecommunications from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and an MBA graduate from the National School of Ponts et Chaussées Paris, Yasmina Bemessaoud manages the Market Intelligence and Strategic Studies Department of Masen. She is in charge of the strategic planning of the company and the development of strategic and market studies necessary for the development of Masen’s activities. She spent the first part of her career in Spain as Chair of Regulation at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Telefónica, Ernst & Young, before joining the National Agency of Regulation Telecommunications in Morocco, then Masen, in 2013. 

Secretary General, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Morocco. She has accumulated more than 20 years of experience in many high level positions in both the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. After working at the General Inspection of Finances, Ms Benali moved to the Budget Department as Head of service of the productive sectors and Head of the division of the social sectors and National Director of the Center of Excellence for gender budgeting in which she was member of the Steering Committee of the National Strategy for Equality. Nadia Benali holds a Ph.D. in Economics and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from ISCAE.

Secretary General of the Ministry of General affairs and Governance. Former professor at INSEA and Director of the Center for Demographic Research and studies. He was director of Studies, Cooperation and legislation on Social Economy at the Ministry of Economic and General Affairs, and Head of Government in charge of General Affairs and Governance. He took charge of partnership projects with international organisations such as UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF, OCDE and World Bank. He is a member of numerous associations including the Maghreb Association for Population Studies. He graduated as a statistician at INSEA in Rabat and as a PhD in Demography from UCLouvain, Belgium.

Professor at Mohammed V University. His career combines Public Law, International Relations, Political Science and Finance. He taught in many other universities and institutions. He was the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law Rabat-Agdal from 2013 to 2018, where he was in charge of research, cooperation and partnership. He was also Acting Dean between 2018 and 2019. He is a research associate at the Royal Institute of Strategic Studies and an Expert-Evaluator at the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research. He has participated in many national and international seminars, has written several essays and books and is member of multiple research networks.

Mr. Karim Lotfi Senhadji is the CEO of OCP Africa (OCP subsidiary). Prior to holding this position, Mr. Senhadji spent more than 7 years at OCP in different leadership positions. Before joining OCP, Mr. Senhadji held different managerial positions at several Moroccan and multinational companies, including Holcim Group, Altadis Maroc and Méditelecom. Mr. Senhadji has degrees from MIT-Boston, HEC-Paris and holds an Executive MBA from ESSEC & Mannheim Business schools. He is also a graduate from the Royal Air Forces School in Marrakesh where he received his diploma in aeronautic engineering and a trained pilot.

President of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) since August 2010. He is a Civil Engineer graduated from the School of Engineering of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ – 1980), MSc in Mathematical Economics from the Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics CNPq (1982), PhD in Economics from Princeton University, USA. Carlos Ivan Simonsen Leal was also professor of Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Public Finance and Finance in the School of Graduate Studies in Economics (EPGE), General Director of EPGE, and vice president of FGV. Simonsen Leal is also Professor Emeritus of the School of Command of the Army Staff (ECEME).

Ambassador of Switzerland to Morocco. Former Ambassador to Ukraine and to Moldova (2015-2019). He entered the Swiss Foreign Ministry in 1992 and held numerous positions including Deputy Head of the Delegation to the Swiss Delegation to the OSCE, Deputy Head of the Swiss Embassy, Washington, D.C., Deputy Head of the political Division for Human Security, Peace Promotion and Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berne and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Swiss Embassy in Tehran. He received his Law degree from the University of Neuchâtel and did his postgraduate studies in International Security at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.

Eric Li is founder and managing partner of Chengwei Capital. He is also chairman of Guancha.cn. Mr Li is a trustee of Fudan University’s China Institute and chairman of its advisory board.  He serves on the boards of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI). He is a member of the council of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

President of the Republic of Rwanda. In 2019, he was elected Chairperson of the East African Community, and has been leading the institutional reform of the African Union (AU) since 2016. He is currently Chairperson of the AU Development Agency New Partnership for Africa’s Development as well as African Union Leader for Domestic Health Financing. Beginning in 1990, as commander of the forces of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, he led the struggle to liberate Rwanda. The hallmarks of his administration are peace and reconciliation, women’s empowerment, promotion of investment and entrepreneurship, and access to information technology, a cause he also champions as Co-Chair of the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development.

CEO of the DigiWorld Institute, European think tank for digital innovation and the digital economy, since 2017. Jacques Moulin began his career at Thomson SA. He joined the France Telecom-Orange Group in 1991 and participated in the transformation of the Group’s B2B, B2C, and HR sectors, in France and abroad. He also held various managerial and operational positions: Director of Human Resources and Communications for the Ile-de-France Est Region, Director of Human Resources for Orange Business Services, Regional Director for Lorraine and Territorial Director for the East Region (Alsace-Lorraine, Bourgogne, Franche-Comté). He went on to manage Orange France’s 11 territorial divisions as well as Orange France’s Human Resources Department (+ 80,000 employees). From 2011 to 2017, he was Managing Director of Sofrecom, an Orange Group subsidiary specializing in consulting and engineering services for international operators. Jacques Moulin is a graduate of Sciences Politiques. He also has a background in law, a Master’s degree from the Institut d’études politiques (IEP) and completed ESSEC’s “Economics and Business School’s international development” program.

Professor of Economics at London Business School. Until 2007, she was at Princeton University as Professor of Economics and International Affairs. Her research focuses on the determinants and consequences of external trade and financial imbalances, the theory of financial crises and the organization of the international monetary system. She received a number of prizes such as the Yrjö Jahnsson Award (European economist under 45 years old) and the Maurice Allais Prize. She is also a member of the High Council for Financial Stability (French Macro Prudential Authority) and the French National Economic Commission. She writes a regular column for the French newspaper Les Echos. Hélène Rey received her undergraduate degree from ENSAE, a Master in Engineering Economic Systems from Stanford University and her PhDs from the London School of Economics and the Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales.