Meet the Judges

Anas Almarie is the Director of Social Media Solutions & Training specialising in government and corporates at UAE-based Social Station - an official LinkedIn partner. As an executive and founding member of the Arab Social & Digital Media Council since 2016, he also Co-hosts the weekly live show #HRMEChat in affiliation with SHRM - MEA.

Additionlly Almarie was awarded by Dubai Internet City in 2015 for the best app award in the smart city app hackathon. He is also the founder of MENA Social Media Awards, Almarie currently judge’s and acts as chair across 6 regional & international awards: International Business Excellence Awards, Gulf Customer Experience Awards, Gulf Real Estate Awards, Gulf Digital Expereince Awards, Gulf Employee Experience Awards, and Gulf Sustainability & CSR Awards.

Currently Almarie is a TV guest, author and keynote speaker across Asia, Middle East and Africa, and an adjunt faculty at SP Jain Global Managment School and a former lecturer at the University of Sharjah – Engineering School. He is also an active member at Social Media Club and Toastmasters International.

More info: www.AnasAlmarie.com, Portfolio: https://goo.gl/T2Tzhy

Zeeshan is a Diversified Marketing Professional with 8+ years of experience. He has worked with Public & Private Sectors in the Middle East & South Asia. He has extensive experience in raising and working with start-up companies and new SBUs. He is currently part of the marketing team at Noor Takaful.

Zeeshan is also a PhD (Marketing) Scholar and an active member of the American Marketing Association (AMA).

His core areas of interest include Strategic Marketing Planning, Brand Management, Operational Excellence, Event Management & Entrepreneurship.

Ayman is the Co-Founder and Group Managing Director of The Corporate Group. He is in charge of subsidiaries responsible for delivering one-stop-shop of professional services related to business setup solutions and enabling both FDIs and foreign companies to do business in UAE and the region.

He has attracted businesses across all sizes and industries such as but not limited to education, healthcare, technology, energy, professional services. Some of these businesses are listed in global stock market while others are start-ups offering disruptive technologies/ideas.

Furthermore, his experience includes advising companies for corporate structuring and merge & acquisition transactions along, developing operational framework that delivers unique customer engagement with clients and stakeholders along with association with both private and government sectors.

Past work experience:

• Worked in Government Resource Planning project (currently known as Dubai Smart Government) for Oracle implementation across local government departments of Dubai Government (2002-2006)
• Co-Founder and COO of Zeroday IT Solution L.L.C., an information and cyber security consulting company based in Dubai (since 2007)
• Corporate Business Services L.L.C., a professional services company specialized in company formation solutions and business consultancy based in Dubai (since 2007)

Personal achievements:

• Awarded for outstanding performance and achievements made in GRP project (currently known as Dubai Smart Government)
• Working closely with Injaz UAE as judge/mentor for entrepreneurship programs. Injaz UAE is a member of Junior Achievement Worldwide (JAW), one of the world's largest non-profit business education organizations
• Participating as judge for various award programs of International Awards UAE
• Active speaker in number of local and global seminars and conferences sharing knowledge and experience around entrepreneurship and legal/operational framework of doing business in UAE
• Active member of Institute of Directors, Hawkama at DIFC

Ayman is fluent in English and Arabic. He earned his BA in Business Administration and Information Systems at University of Colorado (USA) and pursing for his Master of Project Management in British University in Dubai.

Faran Niaz is Senior Vice President, Global Head of Customer Experience at ADIB. A change Management Expert & highly experienced Customer Service expert with over 25 years of Global experience in Banking/Financial Services including successful establishment and running of Alternate Channels, Call Centers, Customer Service units and Quality setups for Citibank, Mashreqbank and ADIB.

Faran has led ADIB in winning ‘Best Bank in Customer Experience in UAE’ for an unprecedented seven consecutive years. An unparalleled achievement in Banking Industry. Faran is also a talented Award winning Photographer with his work exhibited in Italy, Thailand & UAE.

Indu Singhal is an Engineer & a Business Management Post Graduate, and is also a certified 6 Sigma Black Belt. She has been heading Visual Ace Business Solutions & EBM since their inception, for over 20 years. She has over 25 years of experience in various areas of business including Leadership, Human Capital, Business Strategy Formation, Process Re-engineering, Knowledge Management, and Value Chain Enhancement.

She is a self-employed Business Excellence Consultant and has worked closely with the Business Excellence Department under the Department of Economic Develop, Government of Dubai for well over a decade. She has guided various organisations, of all sizes, from several industries, in their process of Continuous Improvement. Indu has facilitated Balanced Scorecard Development & Implementation, Performance Management Systems Setup, PESTLE Analysis, SWOT Analysis, Ishikawa Diagram Studies, Cost-Benefit Analysis, development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), etc. for many organizations in the UAE.

As an Innovator, she has conceptualized and designed, and is managing the EBM Benchmarking Program that facilitates transparent sharing of Business KPIs of various businesses from a cross section of industries across the UAE, exchange of business best practices through facilitation of B2B Benchmarking Visits and Club Sessions.

She has also conceptualized and designed, and is managing the first ever Health Awards across the UAE (2016) - a program that facilitates the recognition of the contribution of Organizations and Individuals in the Healthcare Industry across the UAE. This has also been endorsed by the Government of Dubai, UAE.

Naila Al Moosawi represents the new breed of female Emirati Board-ready women.A credible Exco member and commercially focused decision maker championing differentiation through commercial transformation.

She naturally drives performance to transform organizations and develop strong high-potential teams across the region.Recognized speaker and panel judge member across MEA.As the Director of Human Resources - GCC she is responsible for organization and human capital development, offering over 15 years of progressive experience.

Naila is the Diversity and Inclusion Champion leading D & I ambitious plans in GCC. She holds MSc in Psychology from Middle Sex University UK and CIPD Associate; and a Directorship Program Graduate from Hawkamah- Institute of Directors

Mohammed Husary is a results-driven leader, entrepreneur, and corporate strategist with over 20 years’ experience in aviation. He is Co-Owner/Founder and Executive President of UAS International Trip Support, a leading global trip support solutions provider. His dynamic leadership has helped the organization create innovative new products and services and has been a pivotal factor in its strong global expansion.

Mr. Husary sponsors a wide range of philanthropic social initiatives. He’s also a member of several official international associations and organizations. In 2018, he was selected as a member and lecturer in the Arab Professionals Forum of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation and won the Sapphire Pegasus award for lifetime achievement.

An internal audit employee at (GDRFA) Head of QA section (president)
A Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
A Certified ICA in Compliance
A student at MBRSG studying MPA
Graduated from Zayed University, Major: Education. "Early childhood and primary English Studies"
Worked at Dubai Municipality as an Educational Programs Officer for 6 years.
Attending and participating in more than 100 of (conferences, events, trainings, forums)
Ongoing monitoring of the performance of the internal audit activity.
Designing and preparing initiatives programs for internal audit department.
Planning programs and participating in different committees. Dealing with administration requirements and requests of advances and purchasing processes and payment orders. Preparing researches and studies. Comparing and following the Best practices in internal audit Communication and relationship with governments and private agencies.

Dr Hanan Abdalla Hassan Almarzooqi a qualified HR professional with eleven years of practical experience with particular emphasis on strategy, corporate performance management and internal audit. I have a Phd in in Business Administration Management (Talent Acquisition) graduate with Cam Laude . I am acting as a Head of Internal Audit Department and I am a Head of HR Audit Section

I attended many conferences as a Speaker: the Global Conference on Leadership and Business Management Singapore and the 11th Asia Pacific Business Research Conference in 2017 and in the International management conference in Abu Dhabi in 2016.

I have four awards from Chartered institute of internal Auditors from UK. IIA Award in the Internal Audit Planning and Assurance. IIA Award in Interpersonal Skills for Audit and Assurance. IIA Award in Corporate Governance and Risk Management. IIA Award in Compliance Audit and Assurance. I am a Certified Human Resource Manager.

Starting a career as an Internal Auditor holding a MSc Accounting & Finance gave me the opportunity to explore various fields of audit and evaluation of corporate performance especially when awarded Certified Internal Examiner EFQM - by Dubai Government.

Major\ Dr. Sara Al Mutawa, PhD in eservices, Project Manager accredited by the PMI and endorsed by the Australian institute of Project Management (AIPM), Consultant- Emirates Centre for Government Knowledge Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government and Head of IT Audit in the General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs. My objective is to consolidate the skills and knowledge acquired from my academic qualification, research and experience, throughout a career in eServices Management, project Governance, business analysis, Researches and studies. I envisage this will be in a role where my skills are fully utilized whilst my interest in keeping up-to-date with technology will be satisfied. I am passionate about what I have achieved in context to my academic qualifications & experience and would like to further built my career path by in-depth research on eServices/ eGovernment transformation domain and utilize my skills practically, towards eTransformation journey of my country.

Mr. Ayman, Institutional Excellence Expert at General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs - Dubai. He has more than 22 years of practical experience and researching administration studies helped to combine his academic background with professional experience to come up with innovative ideas which he can use in his professional life.

A holder of a Master’s degree in Management Information Systems (MIS), a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, a diploma in programing and system analysis, as well as professional certificates such as Project Management Professional (PMP) from Project Management Institute (PMI). Expert and Professional Trainer in Management Approved by American Institute of Professional Studies, Approved Assessor and Mentor for King Abdullah II A Ward for Excellence in Government Performance and Transparency.

With over eighteen years of professional experience across a wide swath of industries, Hanane Benkhallouk is well-equipped for her current role as a multi-industry business consultant. In the course of her career, Hanane has held senior managerial roles with Fortune 500 companies, governments, and non-profit organizations alike, and further thrived in a multitude of fields including but not limited to: retail and franchise development, financial services, and real estate. Hanane’s work has taken her from Europe, the U.S., and the MENA region. Currently, Hanane works as the executive director of Sustain Leadership, a boutique management consultancy firm based in Dubai with footprint in Africa, Europe and Asia.

Hanane Benkhallouk’s passion for business stretches back to her earliest college years. As an undergraduate, Hanane attended the Institut Supérieur de Commerce et d’Administration des Entreprises (ISCAE), the top-ranked business school in her home of Morocco. Upon her graduation in 1997, Benkhallouk moved on to study marketing and finance at the New York Institute of Technology at Old Westbury and began Concept 2 Completion, her first business consulting firm. She graduated from her MBA program with distinction in 1999.Hanane received multiple awards of excellence from Dubai, Sharjah, and Ajman government authorities as well as her native Moroccan government.

With his diversified experience in managing multiple businesses and having expertise in Strategic Management and Business Excellence; Mohamed Ali A. Maricar, heads the operations in BBMC group, a building materials company.

Mohamed, a believer in continuous learning and improvement, is a PhD candidate with Heriot-Watt University, UK. He is a Certified Business Researcher (PgCert-BR) and a Certified EFQM Excellence Assessor. He actively participates in assessing companies and organizations for the regional Excellence Awards like SKEA and DQA.

Mohamed is passionate about mentoring SMEs and Family Businesses through use of his expertise and research-based approaches in facilitating sustainable growth. In addition, he teaches part-time at universities and can speak over 5 different languages.

Captain Faisal Alshehhi is a Certified Internal Auditor for the Fourth Generation System. He has 12 years’ experience in Institutional Excellence and Strategic Planning field, He Evaluates and prepares excellence Files (institutional and functional) in the Dubai Excellence Award for Outstanding Government Performance, Interior Minister Award and Local, Regional and International Awards. In addition, he was the Head of Internal Audit Team of Global Standards for 11 years and he is Accredited Auditor for EFQM Model. He has many certificates such as: Government assessor, certified EFQM Assessor, Quality expert Certificate, Emirate Consultant and the Fourth Generation System Certificate.

He holds a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration, Diploma in the development of methods from the United Nations, Professional Diploma in Quality Management and Organizational Excellence and Diploma in the future Foresight. He is Quality expert in the field of institutional excellence, certified assessor from Dubai Executive Council and Certified assessor in the Ministry of Interior. Furthermore, He is certified assessor and trainer.

Jamal is the Director of Digital Innovation in Four Kings (4K) Enterprise LLC, a growing digital-tech company. 4K provides Digital solutions by leveraging Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), primarily in Digital Media and Education sectors.

Jamal holds a Master’s degree from Germany in 'Communication and Media Engineering'. He has 18 years of multi-fold experience gained from working in Germany, UK, UAE and India. HP, Siemens, Emirates SkyCargo are some of the companies in which Jamal's expertise was utilized.

Jamal positions himself as a Business Architect who provides his expertise to various organizations in the line of Innovative Solutions, Business Excellence and Air Cargo Automation Consultant. As part of social responsibility, Jamal works with the UAE government assessing Awards like Dubai Quality Award (DQA), Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award (SKEA), Taqdeer Award, UAE Innovation Award etc.,

As a passionate knowledge hunter and a Toastmaster who enjoys public speaking, Jamal coach’s companies of any size by providing structured plan towards sustainable business based on excellence framework.

'In today's business world, “'Change' is the only constant”.

I’m an experienced International Business Development Director in Energy sector, focusing on Oil & Gas and Geothermal markets.

I’m currently heading business development of the Reservoir Group in Middle East and Africa, focusing on expanding into the new markets with innovative technologies and solutions for the entire oil and gas life cycle through exploration, development to production.

Holding Master Degree in Petroleum Engineering, I have extensive 20+ years global knowledge within Leadership, Operations, Business Development and Sales, having worked on three continents, businesses in over 50 countries for a major corporate company to mid-size private companies, successfully building business from scratch.

Suryanarayan owns the global P&L of 3i Infotech’s ERP product business. He is responsible for defining the business & ORION product strategy and its execution covering cross-functional areas to grow global revenues and margins. Previously, he was Vice President, Sales at Oracle Financial Services for more than a decade. Widely travelled, he has an envious record of growing revenues from zero/low base profitably in multiple geographies, under challenging conditions. He volunteers for causes related to education, software products, and start-ups.

Shruthi Boosey Arora represents the new Entrepreneurial woman with an Msc.Major in HRM. A result oriented leader and decision maker who is performance driven and self motivated. She comes with a 2.5 decade strong Airline GSA experience and held office of CEO. She’s the founder of the Jana Group based in U.A.E – which comprises of Jana Consultants a B2B Consulting Company that has forayed into Renewable Energy, Photovoltaic Panels, EPC and Ultrasonics, JUS General Trading LLC works with another aspect of sustainability and recycling. Passionate about making a difference, she is on board of WalkAhead Sports Services, spearheading the Company to the visionary discipline of growth and success staying fit with Badminton and Cricket.

Shruthi is the Chairperson of the Parent Council at Al Diyafah High School, Dubai and has volunteered to do Interviews at the EXPO2020. Giving back to society and making tiny inroads to helping People at large gives her immense happiness. A Mom with a 10 year old beautiful daughter, she’s learned to balance life and lives it to the fullest with the support of her loving family.

With over fifteen years of experience in the hospitality field, Lea El Amm is passionate in her field and dedicated to the business. Starting from operations then HR and moving later on to Supply Chain, handling international brands regionally from sourcing to new product development, recipes, inventory, new market entries, quality assurance and cost control; Lea has been recently given the opportunity to handle the entire supply chain of the central production facility delivering to more than 400 outlets.

Berc is a management consulting manager with twelve (12) years of professional experience in ICT, finance and management consultancy companies through the Middle East and Mediterranean Africa countries with strong academic background. Berc has actively worked on different projects in global ICT, banking and governmental entity companies in the area of Change Management, Strategy and Transformation, Corporate Performance Management, Business & Service Development and Modelling, Process Development and Optimization, Data Management and Governance.

Berc received a MSc. Degree from Rochester Institute of Technology (USA) and a BSc. in Industrial Engineering from Yildiz Technical University (Turkey). Berc is expecting to receive his PhD. in Business Administration in 2020 from Yeditepe University (Turkey). He has participated global executive programs in Harvard University (Harvard Kennedy School) and University of Connecticut. Berc has also granted the globally recognized certification in corporate performance management which is Balanced Scorecard Professional

Top-performing business development manager credited with business expertise, like sales, marketing, and management to manage the business needs of our clients and deliver substantial revenue growth in highly competitive business markets. Analytical, professional, skilled in providing aggressive client prospecting, project tracking, and lead generation proficiency. Identifying and resolving problems, turning ideas into logical strategies, and implementing systems to optimise team productivity. A proven aptitude to communicate and resolve conflicts with team spirit; diligence in doing tasks assigned for business success.

A successful Senior Management-level professional operating in the retail sector, Poonam is an entrepreneur, a mother and a certified yoga instructor. With specialist skills in Business Excellence, Process Development, Compliance and Project Management; her professional experience includes roles in retail and the aviation sector.

Poonam has a robust portfolio of professional development, including Leadership and Six Sigma Green Belt certifications.

Poonam is genuinely passionate about retailing and yoga, with early career experience of starting-up a successful retail business. Poonam has worked for Splash, a Dubai based fast fashion retailer where she has enjoyed regular recognition for the contribution she has made to the business. In her current role as Head of Business Excellence, she has supported commercial profitability by leading key projects for the business, operational standards and retail efficiency of the entire estate of retail outlets, through delivery of automation and productivity initiatives.

Poonam's entrepreneurial skills have been key to her success, and she excels at identifying and maximizing opportunities.

Delivering significant , measurable improvements that enhance customer experience is matter of personal pride to Poonam.

Neil Alexander (aka Alex) has broad experience in strategy, change & transformation across the banking, financial services, manufacturing, fine chemicals, foods and social enterprise sectors.

Originally an engineer managing large CapEx programs, Alex completed an executive MBA and a fellowship in manufacturing management, before spending 12+ years working in banking & financial services. During which he gained experience in change management, strategy execution, mergers & acquisitions, new business launch, business turnaround, troubleshooting & problem fixing.

Alex is also an accredited ‘enterprise mentor’, and has mentored in media, retail & hospitality sectors, in the UAE. He also has a deep interest in both ancient & modern sustainable building technologies.

Energetic and enthusiastic professional with over 15 years experience in high level corporate positions in Business Development, bidding and marketing. Running a local business with an eye for excellence I will be looking for evidence based achievements with real value.

Youniss Bishari is the General Manager of Arabian Horeca Company by Mohamed Hareb Alotaiba Investments; He has extensive experience in Marketing & International Relations beside business development. His recent activities include setting up new businesses for the MHAO investments and bringing in to the GCC region new international brands and products targeting HORECA channel as well as opening franchises outlet for those brands.

Bishari hold Master’s degree in Marketing from University of Salford – UK additional to that he holds several certificates from different international well known organizations such Monitor Deloitte ( ex Monitor Group) where he completed the Leadership Development program .

Mahmoud Shemy the head of Business Analysis Dept. at Assure Finance Tech Dubai, one of the startups located in DIC. Coming with more than 12 years in Healthcare, Insurance and Technology domains across the MENA region. The holder of Fellowship of the Life Management Institute in the USA. Leading some new aspects of Health Insurance industry transformation and process automation to a great extent.

Chantelle has close-on a decade of professional experience in driving success in software development applications geared to harness digital success and process improvement for bottom line results. Chantelle’s passion for people and ambition to continuously grow and strive towards business excellence, instil a culture of major innovation in efficiency and cross-functional collaboration for both clients and her teams. As Business Unit Manager for the Middle East, Chantelle leads her team in delivering award-winning digital storefronts, omnichannel solutions and mobile apps, with a clear focus on customer service excellence.

Rima, a graduate of Harvard Business School, is a business leader with more than 17 years’ experience in multinational blue-chip companies across Europe, the Caribbean and the Middle East. Rima has been in the Middle East region for the last 10 years. Having worked for organizations with different levels of financial prowess and cross-cultural operations, Rima can easily lead and integrate high performing teams. Being a people leader, Rima provides strong leadership, problem-solving, team building & project management skills with a positive hands-on approach to delivering results whilst building and maintaining relationships with internal/external stakeholders. Rima is currently a Senior Leadership Team Member of ManpowerGroup Middle East, and in addition to that she wears several other hats in the business: - As Regional CFO, she is responsible for driving the business and its financial strategies, managing regional & global expectations, delivering results whilst setting a strategic executive framework and improving profitability by adding to the bottom line. - As Regional Director of Shared Services she is responsible for driving HR, Legal, Marketing & IT strategies, improving employee engagement, Talent acquisition/retention, legal compliance, contract negotiations, creating/deploying best practice policies & procedures and marketing of the ManpowerGroup brand across the Middle East. - Finally, as Regional Leader of Right Management, ManpowerGroup’s Career and Talent Management brand, Rima is responsible for driving the Right Management business in the ME through Outplacement, Career Management and Talent Management services. Rima believes that “We are not a product of our circumstances but a product of our decisions” (Stephen Covey), we drive our own path with courage and self-belief.

Executive and Business Consultant in International Markets, with 30+ years of experience in Electronic Evidence and SIgnature, Security and Business Processes Digitalization, especially focused in Telco, Public, Financial, Insurance, Utilities and Courier Sectors in Europe, Middle East, Africa and South East Asia. Held diverse Management Positions in European, USA and Middle East Companies, passionate about New Technologies Go to Market Strategies, Tactics and Partnerships from Emerging to well-developed Markets. "Addressing Digitalization needs from Dubai to the World"

Davide is a Senior Manager of the Middle East & Turkey Strategy practice that has joined in May '14. He started his career in Accenture Milan in September '11. He's now leading Innovation & Ecosystem within Products (Travel, Retail, CGS) Business Strategy team thanks to the experience developed both in Business than IT & Digital Strategy. He has strong expertise around Innovation Hub Design and Launch as well as Customer Experience Design, Shared Services and Operating Model thanks to worldwide cross-industry experiences. He leverage new way of deliver consultancy jobs through Design Thinking, Storytelling, Agile and Value Creation methodologies. He has been recently been appointed as Accenture Ventures Lead for MET.

Laurent Guitart has 21 +years of experiences in retail: wide experiences across all retail industry Hypermarket, central purchase and leading International franchise of Convenience store. Currently, Laurent is the CEO of Convenience Arabia, Circle K master franchise in UAE. After joining the team in 2015, Laurent implemented numerous successful programs into Head Office support, he redefined Company Strategy Mission & Vision with a deep reorganization of management team. He improved purchase & operation platform resulting substantial revenue & margin increase and streamlined partners & suppliers relationship. Under Laurent leadership Circle K got awarded Best Retail Convenience Chain in UAE 2 years in a row 2017 and 2018 respectively. He grew the business to 35 Convenience stores, signed premium locations as Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Queen Elisabeth II Hotel and also partnered with Dubai Summer Sport Event in Dubai World Trade Center. Therefore number of Circle K customers enlarged from 4.6 to 6 million per annum. To improve customers’ journey in Circle K, Laurent takes part in cashless program across all branches since October 2017. Prior to join Circle K Laurent was the General Manager of retail subsidiary of DAS Holding based in Abu Dhabi. DAS Holding is one of the biggest investment company in the region, having business in different fields like MEP & Engineering, Clinic, hospitality…. Laurent ‘missions was to revamp the overall retail organization of DAS Holding, to rebrand their chain of convenience and supermarket, and to open their first Hypermarket in Al Reef. From 2006 to 2011 Laurent was in charge of Hyperpanda nonfood purchase & merchandising department in Dubai Festival City branch. Prior to 2006 Laurent was Head of nonfood in Geant Casino in France for a period of 8 years. Laurent holds a Bachelor of Commerce and retail with a Major in Negotiation from Rive Gauche University, France, 1998 and he’s a resident of Dubai for the last 13 years.

Cholpon Ermamatova is the Regional Business Development Manager MENA for The Wellness, a fast growing company which provides innovative wellness solutions through sustainable design consultancy, as well as project realisation. She drives regional sales by continuously improving business excellence at the company, which supported it to become one of the market leaders in the MENA region. Being a dynamic professional, she brings practical experience in analysing different business aspects and identifying the right strategy for business development in small and medium enterprises. She has worked in countries like Russia, Kuwait, Afghanistan and currently, she is also a business advisor for Arzan Group Holding in Kyrgyzstan.

Latifa Fouz is the Director of Marketing & Communication at Al Safwa Group (Investment Company), she leads the marketing and communications throughout the various companies under the umbrella of Al Safwa Group. Latifa is an ambitious and creative professional with passion for retail, real estate and the fashion industry; possessing extensive experience with over a 15 years across a variety of areas, including PR and communications, events, digital marketing, social media, branding. Latifa head previously the PR & Social Media Department, and was one of the Management Team who proudly launched The Mall at World Trade Center Abu Dhabi (Aldar Properties project) in 2013, and lead on establishing the first social media platforms of Aldar Properties. Latifa is also a founder of her own business in fashion styling and personal shopping consultancy “Trendy In The City”, based in Abu Dhabi. Latifa holds a degree in Leadership and Strategic Market Management from University of Cambridge - the UK, and a Diploma’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Tishreen University in Lattakia – Syria.

Having close to 20 years of professional experience in the travel industry within the U. A. E.. and now leading the customer experience and growth strategies within FCM Travel Solutions, Tony has previously worked with leading European Airlines – SWISS, British Airways and Global Travel Management companies – American Express and HRG Dnata.

Tony has a keen interest and drive in developing customer loyalty through a valued travel service delivery and improve on efficiencies by applying innovative and state-of-the-art technology.

Tony has Completed a Master of Business Administration from Andrews University, U. S. A. and Commercial Leadership Program from University of Witwatersrand, South Africa.

Web: www.ae.fcm.travel

Ciarán is currently the Managing Director of FCM Travel Solutions, parent company of Flight Centre Travel Group, in the UAE and brings over 16 years experience from the global travel industry with his experience gained from Europe, Middle East and African regions. Ciarán brings experience, passion and dedication to his position as Managing Director for the UAE business and the 23 other countries he oversees in the region and collaborates daily with colleagues around the world of 100 countries where FCM has a presence. Over the last 6 years, Ciarán has been responsible for FCM's growth and expansion into key markets across the region and is focused on delivering a highly-professional yet tailored approach to business travel management for the Middle East and Africa. He has expanded the company into 15 new markets during his time in the UAE. Ciaran understands what is needed to drive customer experience improvements on a truly global playing stage. He is a thought leader in Corporate Travel, extremely active on social media platforms providing insight into the region and industry. He has particular skills in helping clients understand the implications and efficiencies of Mobile, Data, Supplier Negotiations, Automation and Client retention to determine the opportunities and threats they represent. He brings a wealth of experience working with Senior Executives from Media, Retail, Hospitality and the Energy sector to name a few. Prior to joining FCM Travel Solutions, Ciaran has held positions with British Telecom and global consulting company, Hay Group in Europe. He holds a Masters in International Business from the University of Lyon, a Bachelors in European Business Studies with Langauges from Guildhall University, London and has travelled to over 80 countries during his career to date. web: www.fcm.travel

Jorge is the Executive Director of Innoway, an innovation house focused on helping organizations instill innovation practices. A dedicated professional with more than 17 years of international experience. Some of Jorge’s relevant roles: Innovation catalyzer at ADNEC, Transformation coach at Philip Morris, innovation advisor at Mars Wrigley and startups mentor and coach. Jorge collaborates pro bono with Grow Movement, a Non-for-Profit organization that helps entrepreneurs in East Africa.

Emad is a Business Excellence professional with twenty years experience, influencing and guiding repatual organizations both in governmental and private sectors to improve business performance towards achieving excellence culture and practices that have been rewarded with recognizable business excellence awards.

Emad had shown a great success in helping businesses to improve business processes, build excellence culture, enhance their capacity, generate innovative ideas, explore the future, reduce waste and increase profit

Awarded with a certification of Appreciation from Dubai Crown Prince HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Shadi Dawi has over 22 years of experience in Hospitality, Tourism, Digital Marketing & Business Development sectors in MENA region, GCC & UAE (Mainly Dubai & Abu Dhabi). He occupied numerous key corporate positions holding an MBA in Business & Hospitality yet F & B Management from Lebanese American University. Moreover, Shadi is a global Media & Public Figure based in Dubai-UAE, he is also a well recognized influencer on social media. Shadi have worked with top 5 hospitality corporate organizations in MENA region mainly in UAE and he has managed hospitality services for world-class Events & Clients like Abu Dhabi Grand Prix F1, Du Arena concerts, Dubai International Film Festival, Dubai World Cup horse racing and many others. During his exposure in Dubai & UAE shadi has opened more than 12 restaurants, 6 catering companies, 4 F & B retail, many successful grand openings & Marketing - PR different business Models for restaurants, Hotels, Beauty Stores & trading platforms.

يتمتع شادي ضاوي بأكثر من 21 ا من الخبرة في مجال إدارة المطاعم ً عام والفنادق وتنظيم الفعاليات او الحفلات العالمية والتموين وصناعة الضيافة في الإمارات العربية المتحدة )بشكل أساسي دبي وأبوظبي(، والشرق الأوسط ودول مجلس التعاون الخليجي كما أنه شغل العديد من المناصب الرئيسية التي تغطي معظم جوانب صناعة الضيافة والسياحة. حصل على درجة الماجستير في إدارة المطاعم والفنادق والفعاليات من الجامعة اللبنانية الأميركية. وعلاوة على ذلك، فإن شادي هو متحدث مهني ومدرب معتمد مما جعله "شخصية عامة ذات حضور قوي في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة ومنطقة الخليج والعالم العربي" كما انه ناشط على وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي. شغل شادي العديد من المناصب القيادية في أفضل 5 مؤسسات ضيافة في الإمارات العربية المتحدة والعالم العربي، وقام بإدارة فعاليات عالمية مثل سباق الفورمولا واحد العالمي في جزيرة ياس، والمهرجانات الغنائية العالمية في جزيرة ياس، مهرجانات أبو ظبي الدولية على انواعها، ومهرجان دبي الدولي للأفلام، وسباق الخيل العالمي لكأس دبي وغيرها الكثير. وتجدر الإشارة ان ا المدير الإقليمي لتطوير الأعمال والعمليات لإحدى شرك ً شادي كان مؤخر ات البيع بالتجزئة أي المطاعم صاحبة ٧ علامات تجارية عالمية والرائدة في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة ومصر والمملكة العربية السعودية. قام شادي خلال فترة عمله في دبي والإمارات العربية المتحدة، بافتتاح أكثر من 12 ا، ً مطعم 4 شركات لتنظيم الحفلات أو الفعاليات والتموين بالمواد الغذائية "كاترينغ" وأكثر من 1٠ متاحر بيع بالتجزئة. كما قام شادي بالعديد من "الافتتاحات الكبرى" منها إعلان افتتاح مترو دبي في 2٠٠٩/٩/٩و إعلان افتتاح "جميرا بيتش رزيدانس" بالإضافة إلى إدارة الفعاليات والافتتاحات الناجحة للمطاعم الرائدة في دبي والإمارات العربية المتحدة من مختلف المفاهيم سواء كانت تركية، شرق أوسطية، لبنانية، سورية، وعالمية أوروبية وغيرها. حصل شادي على شهادة تقدير من صاحب السمو الشيخ حمدان بن محمد بن "في رحلة التميز ليس هناك خط للنهاية" راشد آل مكتوم، ولي عهد دبي . صاحب السمو الشيخ محمد بن واشد آل مكتوم

Bianca is a qualified and licensed legal consultant and currently is General Counsel at Suits & Advisors. Good legal advice is important for businesses to grow to their full potential 'with least risk', and in compliance with the laws in the UAE. What sets Bianca apart from traditional legal consultants, is that she does not speak "legalese" and is genuinely invested in ensuring clients and mentees get good legal advice, that they will actually use. She works with several entrepreneurs and businesses of various sizes advising on investments, acquisitions, divestments and varied business transactions, assisting businesses to create and sustain profitability with least legal risks.

Bella is a seasoned HR professional with a wide international experience in compensation, benefit and performance management. Bella is a Head of Performance and Reward at Commercial Bank of Dubai. Previously she was playing a similar role with Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) in the UAE and has also worked in the same field for Citibank Russia and CIS. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Department of Art & Sociology at the People’s Friendship University of Russia in Moscow as well as a Master’s in the Sociology of Organisation & Management from the same institution. Apart from the performance and reward activities, Bella has led different technology implementation projects driving the companies to a high performing culture. Moreover, she has facilitated very successful Leadership and other managerial programs leading to high performance.

Holding a B.A in Business Management from Cairo University, with over 12 years of managerial experience at reputable firms, such as Cable Network “CNE”, Orbit Showtime Network “OSN”, Coldwell Banker and PayFort. Nihal’s journey started with CASHU in 2011, proving to be a unique multitasker; she climbed the ladder to become the Executive Head in 2017, leading CASHU’s team in UAE.

Over 18 years of experience in marketing and brand building with banking, insurance and Takaful.

With an impeccable track record of more than 10 years of work experience leading the HR function with a leadership based on a strong analytical and logical approach, designing and implementing integrated HR systems, best practices and efficient Human Capital initiatives, Nisrine is a hands-on HR leader with a strong background in the strategic HRM and the development and implementation of robust internal controls in line with business objectives. Committed to continuous personal development, Nisrine is currently pursuing a PhD in Leadership and Strategic HRM with a focus on Employee Engagement because she believes that engaged employees can always move the company to a new level of innovation, organizational performance and Business Growth. 

A Seasoned Professional with a wealth of global experience managing cutting edge, Luxury Mixed-Use, Expo Pavilions, Residential and Hospitality development projects. Blends commercial acumen with a logical approach and a creative flair to effectively manage full project lifecycles, $multi-billion budgets and global resources including subject matter experts. A skilled negotiator and relationship manager capably set out project parameters whilst developing strong organisational engagement to effectively mitigate against risk, ensure compliance and resolve commercial issues maintaining momentum at all times. Having worked globally has strong cultural sensitives and political awareness, delivering a collaborative working environment at all times, continuously delivering to strategic objectives, working practices, vendor relations, health and safety and employee engagement protocols

Tiago is the Regional Head of Outsourcing Solution Services and Permanent Placement at Dulsco. He is responsible for driving the outsourcing business by leading development strategies to establish Dulsco as the white collar leader across various sectors in the UAE market. With 13 years of senior recruitment and permanent placement experience, Tiago has occupied the positions of Board Director, Country Manager and Regional Manager respectively in various countries across the GCC and Europe. He has worked with a few of the largest global staffing agencies, such as Adecco, Hays and Fircroft. Tiago has a proven record in successful contract staffing, outsourcing and permanent placement and a strong market reputation for successful delivery. Tiago holds a Psychology degree and a Master in Clinical Neuro-psychology

Taher is Head of Information Security and leads GRC initiatives brings over 14 years of experience in IT, InfoSec, and Project Management. His experience is heavily focused on managing information and cybersecurity, and providing guidance and consultancy on military-grade information security infrastructures and requirements. His experience spans several highly regulated industries, including the Defense, Government, Education and Military Aviation industries. He has managed multiple projects that include setting up network and security operations centres (NOC/SOC), information security management systems (ISMS), managed security services (MSS) and multi-tenancy environments. In his last role as Network & Security Operations Manager, Taher led the Network & Security Teams at AMMROC (an EDIC/Mubadala Military subsidiary) and oversaw all projects and operations pertaining to IT networking, communications and information security. He holds a Masters in Computer Engineering, and professional designations such as PMP, CISSP, and ISO27001 & ISO20000 Lead Auditor, in addition to other technical certifications.

Sunil Saxena is the Founder and Managing Partner of the Radiant Group who has over 20 years of experience in the security service industry. As a seasoned security expert, he assists clients by developing and launching pragmatic security programmes focused on risk mitigation measures designed to protect patrons, venues, and events all while retaining high effectiveness. Sunil has a keen understanding of the consumer and security landscape in Asia and the Middle East where has worked closely with leading community members including the police and other governing authorities. Prior to founding Radiant Group, Sunil held senior executive positions with the renowned integrated security solution provider G4S where he was the Deputy Managing Director and Managing Director Events, During this time, he was instrumental in growing the profit margin for the business significantly. He has also been CEO for G4S Mauritius where he spearheaded negotiations, mergers, and acquisitions while also expanding the man-guarding, electronic security and facility management verticals of the business. Over the last two decades, Sunil garnered stupendous exposure and experience in security, safety, and crowd management worldwide. He has an explicit understanding of safety requirements covering spectators, audiences, participants, and performers for events of all scales. During his former employment, he has placed and managed multi-disciplined teams at public and mass events and lead over 8,000 security professionals in UAE. As an entrepreneur, in the security services industry, Sunil is passionate about building successful services that demonstrate a value proposition while having a positive social impact. He is a notable speaker at industry events and an active member of industry groups including IPSA and ASIS Dubai Chapter.

Peiyi has worked in Retail and Food & Beverage from a young age, and more recently in senior roles within Private Equity firms and MNC and is equally fascinated and inspired by the hybrid retail and entertainment landscape in the GCC region. Her speciality is business expansion, openings, launching new brands, and driving and optimising efficiencies in existing businesses. In one of her current roles, she has facilitated the opening of 17 stores within 12 months, expanding the company’s UAE footprint by over 800% and expedite further expansion in other GCC & Levant countries. Her base is in the United Arab Emirates, with business activity in the UK, US and the Far East. A shrewd and hard working business person, she finds possibilities where there are few, and creates paths for new business opportunities and adding value.

Ms Juhi Yasmeen Khan is a humanitarian, a philanthropist. a social activist, an entrepreneur and a fashion guru with a passion to work for the welfare of the underprivileged in the society. Juhi is the CSR & Charity Initiative Expert at Dar Al Ber Society, UAE’s oldest and semi-government charity organisation. Founder of The Friday Market and Happiness Market, Juhi conceptualizes & organizes charity initiatives and projects to support and raise awareness about the needs of the poor people, special needs people and the labourers in the UAE. Juhi has received many accolades for her humanitarian & charitable activities.

Mélanie Lapointe, Lead Consultant for Marmalade Fish, considers herself a Global Citizen on a mission to make the world a better, more equitable and sustainable place, through enhanced human interactions and improved business practices. Passionate with a sparkling personality, Mélanie’s path is experienced and sophisticated, her entrepreneurial profile driven by her strong sense of self-reliance and goal-oriented hardworking personality. Mélanie has a strong background in Educational Leadership, which she practiced in Morocco, Turkey and Dubaï over the past 8 years. She uses her impactful public speaking for various audiences, in different languages to spread her genuine love of sharing to inspire meaningful impact. Mélanie is a recognised Google Facilitator for #IamRemarkable initiative, featured as the most international external facilitator for 2019 Q1. Additionally to her Masters in Business Management and Teaching Certification, Mélanie completed her Inter-Cultural Intelligence Coaching Certification with KnowledgeWorkx in Dubaï and is currently training as an Executive Coach. With a distinguished sense of etiquette, Mélanie always works to the highest standard with ethical and culturally respectful approaches. Board Member for e7banat - Daughters of the Emirates and active member of Dubaï Business Women Council, giving back to the community contributing skills and knowledge is dear to her as she values the benefits of strong supportive networks. Applying the mantra 'Keep your head, heels and standards high' by Coco Chanel in all her work she is hoping to inspire others find their own motto, for an improved world in which humanity is a the heart of every practices.