Sherife AbdelMessih
CEO
Future Energy Corporation (FEC)
Sherife AbdelMessih is the CEO of Future Energy Corporation (FEC), the leading company serving the renewable energy industry in the Middle East and North Africa region. Initially, Mr AbdelMessih built FEC as a Research & Development start-up designing disruptive solar energy technologies catered for MENA, and then grew it into a renewable energy company with project development, consulting and R&D divisions. He further grew the company's business outside MENA, into the Americas, Europe and Asia. Through a European holding company majority owned by FEC, he pioneered the business model for developing solar power projects with attractive financial returns without the need for any government incentives or subsidies. Mr AbdelMessih is a passionate entrepreneur and played a pivotal role in stimulating the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Egypt by founding SPARK! Ventures. His work has created a talent pipeline of high school students, college students and full time entrepreneurs, empowering entrepreneurs across all age groups. In 2010, he was selected by Yahoo! as one of the top 10 social entrepreneurs in Egypt and the youngest on the list. In 2012 he was profiled by Arabian Business magazine on their list of the 500 most influential people in the Middle East. He holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from MIT where he was endowed with an Onsi Sawiris full scholarship in addition to other prestigious awards and fellowships.
Fahd Al-Rasheed
Managing Director and CEO
Emaar Economic City
Fahd Al-Rasheed is the Managing Director and CEO of Emaar Economic City (EEC), a publicly listed Saudi company leading the development of King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC). KAEC is being developed as a world-class city int he Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a capacity to host a population of two million people and a planned investment of over US$100 Billion. Prior to joining Emaar Economic City, Mr Al-Rasheed held the post of Deputy Governor and CEO of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA). Prior to joining SAGIA, he worked for Saudi Aramco's Finance Division where he led initiatives in investments and corporate finance.
Mr Al-Rasheed serves on the boards of several organizations including Emaar Economic City, the Ports Development Company, Saudi Airlines Catering Company, the New Cities Foundation, the Foundation Board of the Global Shapers of the World Economic Forum, and the Jeddah Chapter of the Young President Organization. He is also engaged with the World Economic Forum's Agenda Councils, where he has served on the Agenda Councils for Real Estate and Urbanization.
Mr Al-Rasheed has received several recognitions including being honored as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2011, and receiving the 2012 Property CEO Award from Middle East CEO, a leading regional publication. Mr Al-Rasheed holds an MBA from Stanford Business School, and a Bachelor in Business Administration from Washington University in St Louis, and is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design's Advanced Management Development Program in Real Estate.
CEO
Future Energy Corporation (FEC)
Sherife AbdelMessih is the CEO of Future Energy Corporation (FEC), the leading company serving the renewable energy industry in the Middle East and North Africa region. Initially, Mr AbdelMessih built FEC as a Research & Development start-up designing disruptive solar energy technologies catered for MENA, and then grew it into a renewable energy company with project development, consulting and R&D divisions. He further grew the company's business outside MENA, into the Americas, Europe and Asia. Through a European holding company majority owned by FEC, he pioneered the business model for developing solar power projects with attractive financial returns without the need for any government incentives or subsidies. Mr AbdelMessih is a passionate entrepreneur and played a pivotal role in stimulating the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Egypt by founding SPARK! Ventures. His work has created a talent pipeline of high school students, college students and full time entrepreneurs, empowering entrepreneurs across all age groups. In 2010, he was selected by Yahoo! as one of the top 10 social entrepreneurs in Egypt and the youngest on the list. In 2012 he was profiled by Arabian Business magazine on their list of the 500 most influential people in the Middle East. He holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from MIT where he was endowed with an Onsi Sawiris full scholarship in addition to other prestigious awards and fellowships.
Fahd Al-Rasheed
Managing Director and CEO
Emaar Economic City
Fahd Al-Rasheed is the Managing Director and CEO of Emaar Economic City (EEC), a publicly listed Saudi company leading the development of King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC). KAEC is being developed as a world-class city int he Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a capacity to host a population of two million people and a planned investment of over US$100 Billion. Prior to joining Emaar Economic City, Mr Al-Rasheed held the post of Deputy Governor and CEO of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA). Prior to joining SAGIA, he worked for Saudi Aramco's Finance Division where he led initiatives in investments and corporate finance.
Mr Al-Rasheed serves on the boards of several organizations including Emaar Economic City, the Ports Development Company, Saudi Airlines Catering Company, the New Cities Foundation, the Foundation Board of the Global Shapers of the World Economic Forum, and the Jeddah Chapter of the Young President Organization. He is also engaged with the World Economic Forum's Agenda Councils, where he has served on the Agenda Councils for Real Estate and Urbanization.
Mr Al-Rasheed has received several recognitions including being honored as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2011, and receiving the 2012 Property CEO Award from Middle East CEO, a leading regional publication. Mr Al-Rasheed holds an MBA from Stanford Business School, and a Bachelor in Business Administration from Washington University in St Louis, and is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design's Advanced Management Development Program in Real Estate.
H.E. Hisham Al Shirawi
Vice Chairman, Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Chairman, Economic Zones World
H.E. Hisham Abdulla Al Shirawi is the Vice Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Chairman of Economic Zones World, Member of the Economic Council and Chairman of the Electronics Business Group. He is also member of the Board of Directors of Al Shirawi Group and the CEO of Oasis Enterprises LLC. His Excellency holds an MBA in Finance from California State University and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
Ibrahim Babelli
Chief Strategy Officer
King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy
Ibrahim Babelli is the Renewable Energy Team Leader and the Chief Strategist of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE). In this dual capacity, Dr Babelli is leading the development of K.A.CARE's Strategy and Operating Model, including energy mix development, policy making, technology evaluation and selection. He also develops regulatory and economical models necessary for introducing atomic and renewables to the energy landscape of Saudi Arabia, as well as leading the implementation of the renewable energy roadmap recommended by K.A.CARE. Prior to his current engagement, Dr Babelli served as the Executive Director of the National Industrial Development Program, and steered the development of the National Industrial Strategy and its Implementation Plans for Saudi Arabia.Dr Babelli has two patents in the oil industry. He is widely published on various topics, both in technical and non-technical fields. He is a graduate of Purdue University in the US.
Javier Baigorri
Managing Partner, International
Oliver Wyman
Chairman, Economic Zones World
H.E. Hisham Abdulla Al Shirawi is the Vice Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Chairman of Economic Zones World, Member of the Economic Council and Chairman of the Electronics Business Group. He is also member of the Board of Directors of Al Shirawi Group and the CEO of Oasis Enterprises LLC. His Excellency holds an MBA in Finance from California State University and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
Ibrahim Babelli
Chief Strategy Officer
King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy
Ibrahim Babelli is the Renewable Energy Team Leader and the Chief Strategist of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE). In this dual capacity, Dr Babelli is leading the development of K.A.CARE's Strategy and Operating Model, including energy mix development, policy making, technology evaluation and selection. He also develops regulatory and economical models necessary for introducing atomic and renewables to the energy landscape of Saudi Arabia, as well as leading the implementation of the renewable energy roadmap recommended by K.A.CARE. Prior to his current engagement, Dr Babelli served as the Executive Director of the National Industrial Development Program, and steered the development of the National Industrial Strategy and its Implementation Plans for Saudi Arabia.Dr Babelli has two patents in the oil industry. He is widely published on various topics, both in technical and non-technical fields. He is a graduate of Purdue University in the US.
Javier Baigorri
Managing Partner, International
Oliver Wyman
Javier Baigorri is Oliver Wyman’s Managing Partner, International, with responsibility for Oliver Wyman in South America, the Middle East and Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region. During his career, Mr Baigorri has consulted to some of the world’s leading telecommunications companies across Europe, the US, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. He has advised C-suite executives on corporate strategy and organisation, sales and marketing, and M&A activities, and government leaders on the adoption of new technologies and the development of the information society. Mr Baigorri joined Oliver Wyman in 2006,
through the acquisition of the telecommunications strategy practice of DiamondCluster, which he led for five years. Before that, he was a senior partner in Cluster, and worked for the MAC Group and Hewlett-Packard. An industrial engineer, Mr Baigorri holds an MBA from IESE and the Rotterdam School of Management.
Marwan Boodai
Chief Executive Officer
BoodaiCorp
Marwan Boodai is Chief Executive Officer of BoodaiCorp, one of the largest conglomerates in the Middle East. He is also Chairman of Jazeera Airways Group. Mr Boodai has led the transformation of BoodaiCorp from a medium-sized corporation in the 1990s into a leading conglomerate by breaking into key and historically monopolized sectors in the service industry, including transportation, travel and mass media.
Since 2000, BoodaiCorp has launched a series of leading companies, such as City Group, the first non government-owned public transportation company in Kuwait; Alrai TV, the first non-government TV station in Kuwait; and Jazeera Airways, the Middle East's first non-government owned airline, based in Kuwait and Dubai. BoodaiCorp has major interests in companies operating in various fields, including mass media, aviation, travel services, logistics, commodities, engineering services and trading (with a focus on building materials and heavy equipment).
BoodaiCorp
Marwan Boodai is Chief Executive Officer of BoodaiCorp, one of the largest conglomerates in the Middle East. He is also Chairman of Jazeera Airways Group. Mr Boodai has led the transformation of BoodaiCorp from a medium-sized corporation in the 1990s into a leading conglomerate by breaking into key and historically monopolized sectors in the service industry, including transportation, travel and mass media.
Since 2000, BoodaiCorp has launched a series of leading companies, such as City Group, the first non government-owned public transportation company in Kuwait; Alrai TV, the first non-government TV station in Kuwait; and Jazeera Airways, the Middle East's first non-government owned airline, based in Kuwait and Dubai. BoodaiCorp has major interests in companies operating in various fields, including mass media, aviation, travel services, logistics, commodities, engineering services and trading (with a focus on building materials and heavy equipment).
David Gardner
International Affairs Editor
Financial Times
David Gardner is the Financial Times’ International Affairs Editor and an Associate Editor. Previously, he was Chief Leader Writer at the Financial Times. His areas of expertise include the Middle East and South Asia. Among his previous jobs are Mexico and Central America Correspondent 1984-89; Brussels Correspondent 1990-94; Middle East Editor 1995-99; and South Asia Bureau Chief 1999-2001. Mr Gardner won the David Watt prize for international journalism in 2003. He regularly appears on international television and radio.
Faisel Gergab
Chairman
Libyan Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology Company
Faisel Gergab was appointed Chairman of the Board of the Libyan Post, Telecommunication & Information Holding Company (LPTIC) in March 2013. Dr Gergab has overall responsibility for managing the ICT sector in Libya. LPTIC's portfolio includes the country's two mobile operators (Libayan & Al Madar), four fixed-line operators (Hatif Libya, Al Jeel, Libya International Telecoms Company and Libya Telecoms & Technology Company), the real estate operator (Al Bouniya), and the Libyan Post company.
Dr Gergab also sits on the Board of the Libyan Investment Authority, the Libyan Sovereign Wealth Fund. After working as a research fellow at the University of Surrey (UK) where he received his PhD in Asset Integrity Management, Dr Gergab entered the oil and gas industry and spent many years working on upstream, midstream an downstream projects. He started his career in London as the head of the oil and gas division of an international engineering consultant and later joined Shell where he held senior project management positions for flagship capital offshore and onshore projects in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. During the recent Libyan revolution, Dr Gergab was appointed by the National Transitional Council's Executive Office as the Program Manager for the Libya Stabilization Team (LST), a role he held from March to November 2011. The Stabilization Team was set up by the then Executive Office as a Post-Conflict Restoration unit responsible for restoring normality and kickstarting key functions within the government following the liberation.
Dr Gergab has a BSc in Civil Engineering from Oxford University and an MSc and PhD in Asset Integrity Management from the University of Surrey. He is a Chartered member of the Institute of Civil Engineers in the UK and a PMI-certified senior project manager.
Paul Griffiths
Chief Executive Officer
Dubai Airports
Paul Griffiths is CEO of Dubai Airports, responsible for the operation and development of Dubai International Airport as well as Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International Airport, which will eventually be the world's largest airport with capacity to handle 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of freight annually. Mr Griffiths joined Dubai Airports as its first CEO in October 2007. Exactly a year later, he orchestrated the flawless launch of Terminal 3 at Dubai International and in June 2010 successfully opened Al Maktoum International for cargo. He achieved another milestone in Dubai's aviation history in January 2013 with the opening of Concourse A, the world's first purpose-built A380 facility, at Dubai International.
Mr Griffiths oversaw the opening of the passenger terminal at Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International in October 2013. Prior to moving to Dubai, Mr Griffiths was Managing Director of London's Gatwick Airport, the second largest airport in the UK. Before joining airport operator BAA in 2004, he spent 14 years with the Virgin Group, working closely with Sir Richard Branson as a Board Director of the Virgin Travel Group, embracing the commercial activities of both Virgin Atlantic Airways and Virgin Trains. Prior to this, in the 1980s, he spent four years in Hong Kong developing the marketing, commercial planning and technology functions for the then start-up airline Dragonair.
Mr Griffiths combines a high profile career in transportation with a passion for music. He is an active concert organist, and currently serves as Vice President of the Royal College of Organists.
Ahmad Abdul Karim Julfar
Group Chief Executive Officer
Etisalat Group
Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar was appointed CEO of Etisalat Group in July 2011, after serving as Group Chief Operating Officer between 2006 and 2011. Mr Julfar oversees the 15 markets in which the company operates, providing a new leadership role to enable Etisalat to prepare for the next stage of its evolution within the UAE telecoms market and its further transition into the global telecoms environment. As Group CEO, Mr Julfar’s role includes the delivery of the Group’s commercial, technological, financial, business development and overall organisational goals as Etisalat strives to become one of the world’s top telecommunications companies. He is tasked with further growing the business and its reach, and driving Etisalat to have a direct impact on the social and economic growth of the markets in which it operates. Mr Julfar began his career at Etisalat in 1986 and served previously as Manager of Customer Service, General Manager of E-Company, and General Manager for the Dubai market. In 2004, Mr Julfar became one of the first graduates of the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Establishment for Young Business Leaders. Mr Julfar holds degrees in Civil Engineering and Computer Science from Gonzaga University in Washington State, US.
Pedro Oliveira
Pedro Oliveira is the Middle East & Africa Region Head for Oliver Wyman. He brings extensive experience in the telecommunications and financial services industries, as well as in the government sector, and has served senior clients across 10 countries. His work focuses on three main areas: operations improvement (commercial and operational), strategy definition and implementation, and cost optimisation. Mr Oliveira is also CEO and a Board member of TICG, a joint venture between Oliver Wyman, the Kuwait Investment Authority, and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. He is based in Dubai.
Financial Times
David Gardner is the Financial Times’ International Affairs Editor and an Associate Editor. Previously, he was Chief Leader Writer at the Financial Times. His areas of expertise include the Middle East and South Asia. Among his previous jobs are Mexico and Central America Correspondent 1984-89; Brussels Correspondent 1990-94; Middle East Editor 1995-99; and South Asia Bureau Chief 1999-2001. Mr Gardner won the David Watt prize for international journalism in 2003. He regularly appears on international television and radio.
Faisel Gergab
Chairman
Libyan Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology Company
Faisel Gergab was appointed Chairman of the Board of the Libyan Post, Telecommunication & Information Holding Company (LPTIC) in March 2013. Dr Gergab has overall responsibility for managing the ICT sector in Libya. LPTIC's portfolio includes the country's two mobile operators (Libayan & Al Madar), four fixed-line operators (Hatif Libya, Al Jeel, Libya International Telecoms Company and Libya Telecoms & Technology Company), the real estate operator (Al Bouniya), and the Libyan Post company.
Dr Gergab also sits on the Board of the Libyan Investment Authority, the Libyan Sovereign Wealth Fund. After working as a research fellow at the University of Surrey (UK) where he received his PhD in Asset Integrity Management, Dr Gergab entered the oil and gas industry and spent many years working on upstream, midstream an downstream projects. He started his career in London as the head of the oil and gas division of an international engineering consultant and later joined Shell where he held senior project management positions for flagship capital offshore and onshore projects in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. During the recent Libyan revolution, Dr Gergab was appointed by the National Transitional Council's Executive Office as the Program Manager for the Libya Stabilization Team (LST), a role he held from March to November 2011. The Stabilization Team was set up by the then Executive Office as a Post-Conflict Restoration unit responsible for restoring normality and kickstarting key functions within the government following the liberation.
Dr Gergab has a BSc in Civil Engineering from Oxford University and an MSc and PhD in Asset Integrity Management from the University of Surrey. He is a Chartered member of the Institute of Civil Engineers in the UK and a PMI-certified senior project manager.
Paul Griffiths
Chief Executive Officer
Dubai Airports
Paul Griffiths is CEO of Dubai Airports, responsible for the operation and development of Dubai International Airport as well as Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International Airport, which will eventually be the world's largest airport with capacity to handle 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of freight annually. Mr Griffiths joined Dubai Airports as its first CEO in October 2007. Exactly a year later, he orchestrated the flawless launch of Terminal 3 at Dubai International and in June 2010 successfully opened Al Maktoum International for cargo. He achieved another milestone in Dubai's aviation history in January 2013 with the opening of Concourse A, the world's first purpose-built A380 facility, at Dubai International.
Mr Griffiths oversaw the opening of the passenger terminal at Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International in October 2013. Prior to moving to Dubai, Mr Griffiths was Managing Director of London's Gatwick Airport, the second largest airport in the UK. Before joining airport operator BAA in 2004, he spent 14 years with the Virgin Group, working closely with Sir Richard Branson as a Board Director of the Virgin Travel Group, embracing the commercial activities of both Virgin Atlantic Airways and Virgin Trains. Prior to this, in the 1980s, he spent four years in Hong Kong developing the marketing, commercial planning and technology functions for the then start-up airline Dragonair.
Mr Griffiths combines a high profile career in transportation with a passion for music. He is an active concert organist, and currently serves as Vice President of the Royal College of Organists.
Ahmad Abdul Karim Julfar
Group Chief Executive Officer
Etisalat Group
Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar was appointed CEO of Etisalat Group in July 2011, after serving as Group Chief Operating Officer between 2006 and 2011. Mr Julfar oversees the 15 markets in which the company operates, providing a new leadership role to enable Etisalat to prepare for the next stage of its evolution within the UAE telecoms market and its further transition into the global telecoms environment. As Group CEO, Mr Julfar’s role includes the delivery of the Group’s commercial, technological, financial, business development and overall organisational goals as Etisalat strives to become one of the world’s top telecommunications companies. He is tasked with further growing the business and its reach, and driving Etisalat to have a direct impact on the social and economic growth of the markets in which it operates. Mr Julfar began his career at Etisalat in 1986 and served previously as Manager of Customer Service, General Manager of E-Company, and General Manager for the Dubai market. In 2004, Mr Julfar became one of the first graduates of the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Establishment for Young Business Leaders. Mr Julfar holds degrees in Civil Engineering and Computer Science from Gonzaga University in Washington State, US.
Fouad Makhzoumi
Executive Chairman and CEO
Future Pipe Industries
Fouad Makhzoumi has been Executive Chairman of Future Pipe Industries since 2003 and is also currently its CEO. He is also Executive Chairman of Future Group Holdings. In 1984, after Mr Makhzoumi had played a strategic role in developing one of the largest private industrial groups in Saudi Arabia, one of his companies acquired a substantial interest in a UAE-based pipe manufacturing and trading business. Under Mr Makhzoumi's leadership, that business, which became Future Pipe Industries and is now wholly owned by Future Group Holdings, has grown into one of the world's largest producers of composite pipe systems.
Mr Makhzoumi also controls a diverse portfolio of investments in sectors including engineering, industrial, commercial, research, real estate, security information, multimedia and publishing. Together, his companies employ more than 3,500 people across the world. In addition to his business achievements, Mr Makhzoumi has participated in a wide range of public and political activities and has been a prominent figure in diplomatic circles. He is Secretary General of Lebanon's National Dialogue Party, which he founded in 2004. He also sits on the Boards of the US Middle East Project, the Council on Foreign Relations' US/Middle East Project, the Arab Reform Initiative, and the International Council for Middle East Studies, and is a Member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Middle East Board of the S. Olayan Business School at the American University of Beirut, the De Gasperi Foundation, and the Board of Trustees of the Buck Institute.
Mr Makhzoumi founded the Alhiwar newspaper in 1999 and was the first to issue a daily electronic newspaper in English and Arabic. The Makhzoumi Foundation supports vocational training, healthcare and micro-credit programs in Lebanon, and implements projects related to sustainable development. Mr Makhzoumi has undergraduate and Master of Science degrees in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technological University in the US.
Future Pipe Industries
Fouad Makhzoumi has been Executive Chairman of Future Pipe Industries since 2003 and is also currently its CEO. He is also Executive Chairman of Future Group Holdings. In 1984, after Mr Makhzoumi had played a strategic role in developing one of the largest private industrial groups in Saudi Arabia, one of his companies acquired a substantial interest in a UAE-based pipe manufacturing and trading business. Under Mr Makhzoumi's leadership, that business, which became Future Pipe Industries and is now wholly owned by Future Group Holdings, has grown into one of the world's largest producers of composite pipe systems.
Mr Makhzoumi also controls a diverse portfolio of investments in sectors including engineering, industrial, commercial, research, real estate, security information, multimedia and publishing. Together, his companies employ more than 3,500 people across the world. In addition to his business achievements, Mr Makhzoumi has participated in a wide range of public and political activities and has been a prominent figure in diplomatic circles. He is Secretary General of Lebanon's National Dialogue Party, which he founded in 2004. He also sits on the Boards of the US Middle East Project, the Council on Foreign Relations' US/Middle East Project, the Arab Reform Initiative, and the International Council for Middle East Studies, and is a Member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Middle East Board of the S. Olayan Business School at the American University of Beirut, the De Gasperi Foundation, and the Board of Trustees of the Buck Institute.
Mr Makhzoumi founded the Alhiwar newspaper in 1999 and was the first to issue a daily electronic newspaper in English and Arabic. The Makhzoumi Foundation supports vocational training, healthcare and micro-credit programs in Lebanon, and implements projects related to sustainable development. Mr Makhzoumi has undergraduate and Master of Science degrees in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technological University in the US.
Pedro Oliveira
Middle East & Africa Region Head
Oliver Wyman
Oliver Wyman
Pedro Oliveira is the Middle East & Africa Region Head for Oliver Wyman. He brings extensive experience in the telecommunications and financial services industries, as well as in the government sector, and has served senior clients across 10 countries. His work focuses on three main areas: operations improvement (commercial and operational), strategy definition and implementation, and cost optimisation. Mr Oliveira is also CEO and a Board member of TICG, a joint venture between Oliver Wyman, the Kuwait Investment Authority, and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. He is based in Dubai.
Andy Watson
Group Managing Director
Dubai World
Dubai World
Andy Watson is the Group Managing Director of Dubai World. He joined the Group in September 2007 as Chief Investment Officer. In his current role, Mr Watson is responsible for delivery of business plans and strategy, communication with the Government of Dubai, and management of the Group's investment in MGM and City Center Las Vegas, among others. Dubai World's portfolio contains some of the world's leading companies, including Drydocks World, Economic Zones World, Istithmar World and majority ownership of DP World Ports.
Mr Watson has 20 years' experience in the financial services sector in the UK and more recently in the Middle East. He began his professional career working in consultancy and risk management before joining Barclays in 1994. At Barclays, Mr Watson took on a series of management roles and began to specialize in real estate, undertaking structured finance for major commercial property and hotel transactions ranging in size from US$100 Million to US$1.6 Billion. By 2006, he had become a director of Barclays Capital Real Estate Group, where he was responsible for leading origination and execution of complex real estate transactions across a range of sectors. He also developed the company's real estate operations in the Middle East and Africa.
Simon Williams
Chief Economist, Middle East and North Africa
HSBC
Simon Williams is HSBC's Chief Economist for the Middle East and North Africa, and a Managing Director within the Global Research team. Based in Dubai, Mr Williams joined HSBC in 2006 and has more than 15 years' experience as a Middle East analyst. He leads HSBC's macro view of the Middle East and North Africa for equity, fixed income and foreign exchange clients across the globe. He has degrees in Economics from the London School of Economics, and International Relations from the University of London.
Mr Watson has 20 years' experience in the financial services sector in the UK and more recently in the Middle East. He began his professional career working in consultancy and risk management before joining Barclays in 1994. At Barclays, Mr Watson took on a series of management roles and began to specialize in real estate, undertaking structured finance for major commercial property and hotel transactions ranging in size from US$100 Million to US$1.6 Billion. By 2006, he had become a director of Barclays Capital Real Estate Group, where he was responsible for leading origination and execution of complex real estate transactions across a range of sectors. He also developed the company's real estate operations in the Middle East and Africa.
Simon Williams
Chief Economist, Middle East and North Africa
HSBC
Simon Williams is HSBC's Chief Economist for the Middle East and North Africa, and a Managing Director within the Global Research team. Based in Dubai, Mr Williams joined HSBC in 2006 and has more than 15 years' experience as a Middle East analyst. He leads HSBC's macro view of the Middle East and North Africa for equity, fixed income and foreign exchange clients across the globe. He has degrees in Economics from the London School of Economics, and International Relations from the University of London.
Alex Wittenberg
Partner and Head of Global Risk Center
Oliver Wyman
Oliver Wyman
Alex Wittenberg is a New York-based Partner within Oliver Wyman’s Global Risk & Trading practice, with over 20 years of cross-industry experience in risk management advisory and risk transfer solutions. Mr Wittenberg specialises in integrating risk into strategic decision-making and financial performance, developing risk mitigation, transfer and governance models and frameworks for boards and management across a range of industries and sectors. He also heads Oliver Wyman’s Global Risk Center, which engages in industry-leading research by partnering with external organisations. Mr Wittenberg is Marsh & McLennan’s contributor to the World Economic Forum’s annual Global Risk Report examining the long-term impacts of risk on the global economy. He also co-developed the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’s study of the Country Risk Officer, examining how countries manage catastrophic risk, and a recent study, Future Global Shocks, on sources of future systemic risk. He is also a Commissioner and Technical Advisor for the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), and has jointly developed a paper with the Association of Financial Professionals examining the impact of long-term commodity volatility on non-financial corporates. Mr Wittenberg became Managing Partner of Oliver Wyman’s Corporate Risk practice in 2005. Previously he served as Managing Director and Practice Leader for Risk Finance, Risk Modelling and Financial Products at Marsh Canada. He is a graduate in Economics and Political Science from the University of Western Ontario.
