Hear from the top 1% in AI from across the AI community around the globe at the Global AI Show
Nathaniel Henry
Senior Managing Director - Customer Experience & Success, Microsoft
Nathaniel "Nate" Henry is a visionary senior technology executive with over two decades of experience driving digital transformation at the forefront of the tech industry. As Senior Managing Director at Microsoft, Nate has consistently bridged technology and business to drive profitability and enhance customer experiences. His leadership has transformed Microsoft's customer success and engagement model, powering the company's multi-billion-dollar cloud revenue and setting new standards for the industry.
Throughout his distinguished career, Nate has been a trailblazer, helping launch groundbreaking initiatives like Cloud Vantage, Premier Support for Office 365 Dedicated, and the FastTrack Center for onboarding Microsoft 365 customers. He also led the growth of Microsoft Managed Services and Support for Mission Critical, doubling the business in just under three years. Nate's innovative partnerships with sales, operations, and engineering have delivered transformative solutions that drove Azure consumption for Microsoft's strategic clients across the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. His work has spanned cutting-edge industry solutions, including Sports and Entertainment (digital fan engagement and live game support), Automotive (Connected Vehicle), Financial Services (risk management), and Healthcare.
Most recently, Nate has also launched Global Customer Success Account Manager Delivery Center which scales impact for Microsoft’s Unified customers, globally.
Known for his innovative and people-focused leadership, Nate places a strong emphasis on mentorship and building inclusive, high-performing teams focused on customer outcomes. His core values of accountability, respect, and connection guide his work, reflecting a leadership legacy centered on empowering others and making a positive impact - all while keeping the customer at the forefront and driving exceptional results.
Beyond his professional achievements, Nate is committed to community service and personal growth. He sits on the Executive Advisory board for A Little Bit of Hope non-profit and is a former youth football coach.
Jeanie Fang
Director Data & AI, Crunchbase
Jeanie leads the Data Management organization at Crunchbase, where she drives the mission to democratize access to opportunity by delivering data that connects innovators. Her team is responsible for all the data featured on Crunchbase's platform. Outside of work, Jeanie is an avid traveler, having visited over 80 countries, and she is also a licensed realtor passionate about real estate. She’s always open to helping others with their real estate goals, whether buying, selling, or investing.
Georges De Moura
Group Vice President and CISO, EDGE Group
Georges De Moura serves as the Vice President of Information Security and CISO at EDGE Group, an Advanced Technology and Defence international conglomerate headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE. He has 20+ years’ experience in information technology and cybersecurity across multiple industries, including aerospace, defence, and Aviation. Prior to taking on his current role, he oversaw the Industry portfolio at the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Cybersecurity. Before joining the World Economic Forum, he was the global CISO at Etihad Aviation Group, where he directed the execution of a major holistic cybersecurity transformation program. He also headed the information technology and cybersecurity organizations for all USA entities at Thales Group. He also served as a member of the IBM Security Board of Advisors and the Airbus STAR Advisory Group.
Mohamed Al Kuwaiti
Head of Cyber Security Council, UAE Government
Dr. Al Kuwaiti was appointed by the Cabinet as the Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government since 2020. As the Head of Cyber Security, his mandate includes responsibilities as the Chairman of the UAE Cyber Security Council as well as Managing Director of the National Data Centre under the Supreme Council for National Security. As the Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government by investiture, Dr. Al Kuwaiti has legal authority over all aspects pertaining to securing the cyberspace for the entire Nation. In his current role, Dr. Al Kuwaiti is tasked with the responsibility of charting the cyber security strategy for the Nation that not only equips the UAE to enter the digital era with capabilities to deal with the new threat landscape exacerbated by the pandemic, but also ensures UAE’s leadership in cyber security globally; towards establishing the UAE as the world’s leading trusted digital hub and supporting the Nation’s digital transformation agenda and the digital future of all residents who made UAE their home. Towards that end, he leads the Council to outline an implementation plan to protect the UAE cyberspace through emerging technologies such as Cloud, Big Data and AI in a whole-of-government approach coordinating and orchestrating efforts between Emirates and government entities via a unified platform built and managed by the Council. Under Dr. Al Kuwaiti’s leadership, the UAE has advanced 42 positions in the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index, rising to the 5th place globally from 47th in the previous assessment. Dr. Al Kuwaiti has also led UAE to many firsts, including Guinness World Records for having the most users in a cyber capture the flag (CTF) competition, the largest bug bounty competition and the largest cyber drill; all initiatives that aim at capacity building in cyber security and improving the technical competencies of cyber security professionals and enthusiasts. More importantly, he has been instrumental in advocating for realizing the value of cyber security by demonstrating cyber security as a critical business enabler. Since 2021, Dr. Al Kuwaiti plays the role of an ambassador for collaboration between the government and cyber agencies, helping to bridge the discussion between the two major stakeholders in the digital economy. Under his chaperone, key public-private partnerships were established between the UAE Cyber Security Council and leading local and international cyber security organizations with the goal of making a positive contribution to the UAE cyber agenda and be a major force that will benefit the global cyber security industry. Additionally, bilateral agreements established with countries both within the region and across the world contributed towards mutual information sharing, capacity development and legal assistance aid treaties, all key outcomes as a result of the National Cyber Security Strategy that he has put in place to realize the vision of the UAE for the next 50 years. Underscoring the UAE’s leadership in cyber security on a global stage under Dr. Kuwaiti’s tutelage, UAE plays a pivotal role in the Arab Regional Cybersecurity Centre with UAE being elected as the Vice Chair of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Computer Emergency Response Team to respond to cyber emergencies during the 10th Regional Cybersecurity Week for Arab Countries and OIC Member States in 2022. UAE also co-chairs the Information Sharing Committee in the White House Counter Ransomware Initiative, a coalition of 37 international partners. His contributions to accelerate the cyber security maturity of the Nation and fostering a vibrant cyber security ecosystem in the UAE have been recognized in multiple forums, including the (ISC)² Government Professional Award for EMEA. Dr. Al Kuwaiti also sits on the Boards of the UAE Council for Digital Wellbeing, Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), Federal Geographic Information Center and is on the Advisory Committees of the College of Information Technology under United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) and Emirates ICT Innovation Center (EBTIC) under Khalifa University. Additionally, he is an Adjunct Professor under the Homeland Security Program at Rabdan Academy and a visiting lecturer on Cyber Security at universities such as Khalifa University and National Defense College in Abu Dhabi. Prior to his current appointments, Dr. Al Kuwaiti was with the National Electronic Security Authority in various appointments and capacity since 2013 where he was most recently the Executive Director of Government Operations managing National and International government relations. He had served as the Chief Technical Analyst at the Ministry of Interior where he had held other positions, such as Operations Director and CTO of the Counter Terrorism Center. Dr. Al Kuwaiti started his 20 year-long career as a Defense, Air, and Naval Military Attaché with the Embassy of The United Arab Emirates based in Washington, D.C. Dr. Al Kuwaiti has published numerous papers and keynoted at many conferences such as IEEE, RSA, Cyber Warfare Europe, Tele Strategies, ISS World MEA, IDEX, International Anti-Cyber Crimes Conference and Future War Summit. He is a highly sought after speaker internationally and has provided the main keynote address for more than 50 international, regional, and national cybersecurity events such as GITEX, GISEC and the World Government Summit, and has presented the UAE Cyber Security Framework at INTERPOL Global Cyberspace and Cybercrime Complex located in Singapore. Dr. Al Kuwaiti holds a Doctorate in Computer Engineering and Network Security from George Washington University in the U.S. and a master’s degree in Telecommunications and Computer Networks. He also holds a M.A. degree in International and Civil Security. Dr. Al Kuwaiti is an honorable member of the Society of Engineers, IEEE Society, Golden Key National Honor Society and Computer Society. His research interests are detecting, monitoring and responding to cyber warfare, network forensics, corporate governance & processes, and national cyber policy.
Dr. Dirk Jungnickel
SVP Enterprise & Analytics & Intelligence, Emirates Group
Dr Dirk Jungnickel heads up the Enterprise Data & Analytics function of Emirates Group, which is responsible for the group’s BI, data science and AI capabilities. Following an academic career and professorship in theoretical physics, with more than seven years of postdoctoral research, Dr Jungnickel has held senior executive positions across various industries and organizations in a private sector career spanning 24 years. His responsibilities have included BI and advanced analytics, data management and governance, IT architecture and implementation, project and programme management, and an associate partner role in a global management and strategy consulting firm.
John Lilic
Chief Executive Officer, Telos
A crypto-economic builder, seed investor, and product advisor, John’s journey includes helping to build Consensys , Polygon Labs, and now serving as a member of the Telos.
Lt. Col. Dr. Essa Almutawa
Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, Dubai Civil Defense
Lt. Colonel Dr. Essa Almutawa is the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, the Head of Global Indicators for Fire Incidents, and the Director of the Department of Monitoring and Inspection at Dubai Civil Defense (DCD) in the United Arab Emirates. In his current position, Dr. Essa leads the development and implementation of strategic initiatives for the Department of Monitoring and Inspection at the DCD, ensuring that all safety protocols, inspection procedures, and regulatory practices comply with international and national standards of excellence and quality.
As Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, he has established a new strategic approach for AI integration within Dubai Civil Defense, focusing on fostering a culture that prioritizes and accelerates the adoption of AI technologies across the organization. Dr. Essa has an extensive background in proactive and progress monitoring, information security governance, and crisis management. He holds a Master's in Crisis and Disaster Management from the University of Modern Sciences and a Master's in Digital Governance and Innovation from the University of Central Lancashire. He also holds a Diploma in Leadership and Digital Transformation, as well as a Doctor of Business Administration and Leadership from the University of Gloucestershire.
Known for his strategic leadership, Dr Essa has been instrumental in driving innovation and excellence within Dubai Civil Defense, positioning the organisation at the forefront of safety and technological advancement in the region.
Awadh Almur
Chief AI Officer, Federal Authority of Nuclear Regulation
Awadh serves as the Chief AI Officer and HR Director at FANR, where he leads AI strategy and digital transformation efforts to advance regulatory excellence in the nuclear sector. His work centers on embedding an AI-driven culture, upskilling employees, and cultivating strategic partnerships to position FANR as a leader in innovation. With over 18 years of experience in HR and information security, Awadh is committed to building an inclusive and supportive workplace that prioritizes employee well-being, gender equality, and personal growth.
Ali Alkhajeh
Chief AI Officer, Digital Dubai
With a career extending over 15 years, I have played a strategic role in enhancing digital services across various sectors, culminating in my current position at the forefront of government innovation. As Director of Software Engineering & QA Department at Digital Dubai, I apply my skills to bolster our technological framework. I've been privileged to lead initiatives like the Dubai AI project, furthering our smart city capabilities. My experience as Product Manager for UAEPass was integral to advancing our nation’s digital identity services. My professional path is characterized by a series of leadership roles that have enabled me to contribute to the digital evolution, always with a focus on future-ready government initiatives.
SAQR ALHEMEIRI
Chief Innovation Officer, Ministry of Health and Prevention - UAE
Saqr AlHemeiri, MBA, is the Chief Innovation Officer and Director for the Strategy and Future Department at the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) in the United Arab Emirates. In his current position, Saqr spearheads the formulation and execution of the Ministry’s strategy and its’ cascading of the healthcare sector at the national level, ensuring that MOHAP services and practices adhere by international and national quality and excellence standards. As Chief Innovation Officer, he has set a new strategic approach for innovation in the healthcare sector in the UAE focused on building a culture that nurtures and prioritizes innovation across the industry. His work in innovation has won the Ministry multiple awards in the field, including most recently the prestigious Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashed Excellence Award for Most Innovative Entity. Saqr has an extensive background in building and administering programs across all organizational levels in the private, semi-governmental and governmental sectors, spanning multiple industries including Airline, Utilities, Retail and Healthcare. He holds an Executive Masters in Business Administration from the University of Sharjah, and a Diploma in Government Innovation from the Mohamed Bin Rashed Government Centre for Government Innovation (in collaboration with Cambridge University), and is a graduate of the Executive Leaders program from the UAE Prime Minister Office (in collaboration with Said Business School – Oxford University). He has co-authored many articles on healthcare training, including on supporting critical emergency medicine nurses and critical emergency medicine trauma team simulation training programmes.
Dr. Hakim Hacid
Executive Director & Chief Researcher, TII - Technology Innovation Institute
Dr. Hakim Hacid is The Executive Director and the Chief Researcher of the AI Research Unit in the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), a cutting-edge UAE-based scientific research center. He is also an Honorary Professor at Macquarie University, Australia. Prior to joining TII, he was an Associate Professor at Zayed University and contributed to research in the areas of data analytics, information retrieval, and security. He was also the Chair of the Computing and Applied Technologies Department. Dr. Hacid is a published author of many research articles in top journals and conferences and holds several industrial patents to his credit. His research specialization includes databases, data mining and analytics, programming, web information systems, natural language processing, and security. Dr. Hakim Hacid obtained his PhD in Data Mining/Databases from the University of Lyon, France. He also earned a double master’s in Computer Science (Master by Research and Professional Master) from the same university.
Kenneth Lindegaard
Group CIO, Etihad Rail
Kenneth is a business-oriented international leader with a visionary approach to leveraging technology for business growth. Traditionally, IT has been a supplier of solutions to support company strategy, but Kenneth believes that in today’s digital world, the divide between business and IT must shift. IT should now be integrated into the company's strategy to stay competitive, requiring changes in how IT operates, organizes itself, and delivers value.
With a strong technical background in IT, combined with experience in Management Consulting and leadership roles at Carlsberg and IKEA, Kenneth is a disruptor of traditional IT thinking. He empowers cross-functional teams and transitions IT from a cost center to a strategic digital partner. His deep understanding of the value chain and functional drivers allows him to contribute to business success and growth.
Kenneth brings extensive experience from complex IT and change management projects in international companies across multiple geographic locations. He has a strong background in managing onshore, nearshore, and offshore resources, as well as shared service centers.
Passionate about leading digital transformations, Kenneth focuses on developing people and organizations to become modern and valuable.
Mohamed El Sabbagh
CTO, Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Mohammed is an innovative and results-driven Chief Technology Officer with over 20 years of experience leading the development and execution of advanced technical infrastructures and solutions. He has a proven track record in strategic management, stakeholder engagement, and delivering cost-effective technology strategies. Mohammed is adept at driving digital transformation, enhancing cybersecurity measures, and managing large-scale cloud migrations. He is recognized for building robust technology solutions, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and steering high-performance teams to achieve organizational goals. Additionally, Mohammed is experienced in finops and multicultural environments, with a strong focus on client-centricity and innovation.
Maitha Alnuaimi
GIS Center Department Director, Dubai Municipality
Ms. Maitha currently the director of the GIS Center department at Dubai Municipality, Maitha is Dubai’s first female Emirati drone pilot specialized in 3D mapping. She obtained her professional license as a drone pilot from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority after going through intensive training. She graduated with distinction from the UAE University in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in Geographic Information System (GIS). And holding two master’s degrees in city science and big data and business analytics. In 2019, she graduated from the National Program of Artificial Intelligence and She has been chosen as one of the top 20 young individuals from emerging talents in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries for the year 2021, who are under the age of 35.
Ahmed Menshawy
VP-AI, Mastercard
Ahmed Menshawy is the Vice President of AI Engineering at Mastercard. In this role, he leads the AI Engineering team, driving the development and operationalization of AI products and addressing the broad range of challenges and technical debts surrounding ML (re)training and inference pipelines deployment. Ahmed also leads a team dedicated to creating a number of AI accelerators and capabilities, including Serving engines and Feature stores, aimed at enhancing various aspects of AI engineering at Mastercard
Ahmed is the co-author of the book "Deep Learning with TensorFlow" and the author of the book "Deep Learning by Example" both focusing on advanced topics in deep learning. He is also collaborating on an upcoming O'Reilly book, "Graph Learning for the Enterprise" which aims to guide enterprises in efficiently training and deploying graph learning pipelines at scale.
A few lines on what you are expecting at the event or a Quote on the latest trends in the AI industry (for Press-Release and Social Media):
Quote: "Stop talking about tomorrow's AI doomsday when AI poses risks today. We must address the current challenges of generative AI, focusing on mitigating biases, ensuring ethical use, and enhancing security measures. It's crucial to take responsible steps now to harness the true potential of AI while safeguarding against its immediate risks."
Emma Johnson
Executive Director Responsible AI & Data Ethics, Standard Chartered
Emma, as Executive Director for Responsible Innovation at Standard Chartered Bank, leads the way in applying responsible and ethical AI within the finance sector. Her work is distinguished by her pioneering efforts in embedding data ethics, backed by certifications such as Data Ethics Professional, DCAM, Certified Fraud Examiner, and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist. Actively involved in the Diversity and Inclusion council, Emma champions equitable AI applications, aligning technology strategies with the bank’s inclusive values. She spearheads responsible AI initiatives, collaborating with teams to ensure ethical oversight and sound, risk-based decision-making.
Srinivasan Sampath
Group Chief Information Officer, First Abu Dhabi Bank
Srinivasan Sampath is currently the Group Chief Information Officer at First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB). Sampath has the responsibility for driving the Group’s Technology and Transformation Strategy to ensure that FAB is ready for the next generation of Digital Banking services. Sampath has more than 25+ years of experience in the banking industry. He has delivered several large integration programs in multiple regions. Specialized n creating business value, employee engagement and strengthening business relationships. In the recent years, Sampath has also been involved in leading digitization programs covering end to end digital customer experience and process automation. He was also involved in implementing the first cross-border blockchain remittance transaction between two major banks. Sampath has been a chairperson and member of several advisory boards. Sampath holds ACIB from Institute of Financial Services (UK) and BSC (Hons) from Manchester University (UK).
Dongjun Choi
Chief Customer Officer, RAKBANK
DONGJUN (DJ) CHOI joined RAKBANK in March of 2022 as Chief Customer Officer and is leading the Customer & Strategic Analytics function, which includes Group Strategy, Digital Transformation & Enterprise Program Management Office, Center of Excellence (CoE) for Advanced Analytics, Brand & Marketing, and Customer Excellence & Protection functions.
DJ has a diverse portfolio of experiences across financial services. In his 28+ years of international experience, DJ has managed teams in Asia-Pacific, Greater China, UK, Middle East and Africa, and the US. He joins us from AXA Asia where he was the Chief Strategy and Customer Officer of Asia & Chairman of China, accountable for all business functions and driving the growth of AXA’s strategic region. In his previous roles, DJ has held executive positions of MD Strategic Analytics CoE at Barclays UK, Chief Marketing Officer for International Markets at Cigna Corporation, and senior executive positions at Standard Chartered Bank in Dubai, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
DJ holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Northwestern University.
Tim Liverton
Chief Risk Officer, Wio Bank PJSC
A seasoned financial expert with over two decades of international banking experience, Tim Liverton
brings a wealth of knowledge in risk management to his role as Chief Risk Officer (CRO) at Wio Bank
PJSC.
As CRO, Tim is responsible for assessing and mitigating challenges associated with enterprise wide
risks . Tim plays an integral role in shaping mitigation approaches to enable the safe delivery of Wio’s
strategy. This includes protecting customers, ensuring financial resilience across credit and treasury
related risks as well as covering risks related to all aspects of Wio’s digital-first operations.
Most recently, Tim held the role of Chief Risk Officer at another UAE-based digital bank. Prior to
that, Tim had a 24-year career with the HSBC Group living and working in the Middle East, South Asia
and the US. His experience spans leadership roles in risk management, operations, and client services,
demonstrating his adaptability and breadth of expertise in international banking.
Tim holds a Master of Arts in French from the University of St Andrews. He has also completed the
Oxford Fintech Programme.
Wio is headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and jointly owned by ADQ, Alpha Dubai, e&, and First Abu
Dhabi Bank (FAB).
Somnath Sarkar
CISO, Mashreq Bank
Somnath is an IT and Information Security professional with 30+ years of experience across multiple geographies, diverse background in financial services.
In his CISO role with Mashreq, Somnath visualized the changing landscape of digital cyber-security and was instrumental in enabling disruptive technologies to grow in the evolving market place, introduced effective digital security, system designs and data and helped his organization to take calculated risks and transform as a market leader.
As CIO in VPBank FC, he led transformation programs for credit card & core banking, data analytics, contact centers, BPM & CRM, robotics, enterprise mobility & STP. Working with Big-4 consultants, he launched a digital banking platform, data governance processes and several COE across the country.
Previously, as Technology Head for Citigroup, Hong Kong, he pioneered smart banking architecture for retail, integrated solutions across e–channels, built new Data Centers and “follow-the-sun” helpdesk, & led IT virtualization saving millions of dollars. He drove several quality programs viz. ISO & Leeds certification for green Data Center.
Prior to Hong Kong, Somnath was with Citigroup, Singapore, where he managed IT finance, forecasting models, product-rate cards. He also served as Projects Head for core banking, infrastructure and integration of systems across countries.
Somnath’s formative years were in Citibank, India where he spent 15 years in Technology operations & Data Center. During this time, he expanded the customer touch points across the country and managed a global support unit to support 36 countries.
Somnath is an active speaker in CIO/ CISO seminars and is member of several computer societies, including sector level collaboration with multiple central banks in framing IT policies, frameworks and security roadmap for the BFSI sector.
Core Competencies: Strategic alignment of Technology with Business & Regulatory requirements, Cyber Defense Program Management, Regulatory & Compliance Frameworks – ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, ISO 20000 (ITIL), ISO 22301 (BCM), ISO 27019 (ICSS), Cloud Risk Management, Data Protection & Privacy Programs, Proficient in CMMI, DevSecOps, Agile framework, DevOps Tool chain, COBIT & ITIL, Architecting Network Security, Security & Risk based Audit Lifecycle Management including Tech-Audit & Standardization, Compliance Program Lifecycle Management, Third-Party Risk Management, IT Strategy & Enterprise Architecture and Business Continuity Management & DR.
Hussain Al Khalsan
Chief Information Security Officer, Zand
Hussain Al Khalsan joined Zand as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) in June 2019. In his role, he overseas and manages the Cyber Security Programme of Zand. He is a seasoned professional with 18 years of experience in IT Security, Information Security and Cyber Security purely in the banking and financial services industry.
Anshu Raja Sharma
Chief Transformation Technology Operations Officer, Africa Middle East, Standard Chartered
Anshu is a strategic leader adept at managing and transforming business, processes, technology, and people. With over 25 years of experience in premier investment banks and technology firms, she has successfully delivered strategy and execution of enterprise solutions, digital technology infrastructure, and data science across financial services and telecom domains.
Recognized as one of the top 10 influential data science leaders in 2017 by Analytics India Magazine, Anshu set up a high-performing data science unit for AIG in India. She co-authored a white paper with Manipal Global Education to develop custom education programs aimed at skilling and reskilling young talent in digital and data science technologies. Additionally, she co-authored the “Wiley Black Book of Exponential Technologies,” published in January 2019.
Anshu is a dedicated diversity champion, actively sponsoring gender diversity networks and LeanIn circles.
Sarfaraz Muneer
Vice President - Cyber Security Assurance, Mubadala
Sarfaraz is a highly skilled and result-driven Cyber Security Manager with over 18 years of experience. He possesses a deep understanding of technology and a proven ability to implement effective security solutions. His expertise spans Cloud Security, Systems, Network and Security Architecture design, and the development of Next Generation Security Operation Centers (SOC). Sarfaraz has continuously learned and adopted new technologies and products throughout his career, supported by industry-recognized certifications and extensive knowledge of multi-vendor network and security platforms. Known for his exceptional organizational skills, Sarfaraz excels both independently and in leadership roles, effectively managing teams and meeting tight deadlines while maintaining high standards.
Paul Potgieter
Director Technology & Platforms, NEOM
Paul is a proven executive and growth leader with over 20 years of specialized experience in technology, managing financial performance and scaling operations for high-growth technology companies across multiple geographic markets. He has held board executive and executive director roles, including representing the board of NTT, the third-largest telecommunication company globally and a Global System Integrator recognized in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Cloud and System Integration services.
As a digital builder, Paul has successfully led engineering teams to develop robust digital infrastructure, software, and platforms. He is also an experienced operator, having served as a Profit and Loss (P&L) owner with direct accountability for managing multi-regional P&L exceeding $500 million USD.
In addition to his operational leadership, Paul is a trusted mentor and coach, guiding organizations and leadership teams through various organizational cycles. He is also actively involved in investment and governance roles, serving as the Chairman of the South African Business Council, where he shapes government and private partnerships to enhance trade relations in the UAE. As an investor and board member in multiple early-stage tech businesses, Paul continues to drive strategic growth and foster innovation across the technology landscape.
Michael Stockdale
Group head of supply chain & logistics, Red Sea Global
Michael is currently the Group Head of Supply Chain and Logistics at Red Sea Global, one of the leading giga projects in Saudi Arabia, following a 35-year career in the global logistics and supply chain industry, including a 10-year role as CEO of B2C Logistics Consulting, a specialist supply chain strategy and management consulting organisation.
Michael has extensive experience and expertise in the GCC environments; developing commercial strategies, high performing teams, excellence in business capability, superior financial results, and world class logistics facilities.
Michael has worked extensively with large private and government organisations across the GCC, such as Abu Dhabi Ports, Emirates Transport, Al Futtaim, Al Faisaliah and the Savola Group, and with 3PLs such as Tibbett & Britten and Exel, driving sustained growth for the organisations, and consistently delivering better-than-market financial results.
Holding a Master’s Degree from the University of Cumbria and currently completing a PhD in Sustainable Supply Chain Management, Michael is also an experienced faculty member at several UK Universities and a regular speaker at industry conferences.
Tareque Choudhury
Vice President - Technology, Dubai Airports
Tareque Choudhury leads the technology function at Dubai Airports, overseeing technological advancements to ensure a safe, secure, and seamless travel experience at the world’s busiest international airport. With over 20 years of experience, Tareque has consistently driven business value through digital and operational transformations within the technology industry. Before joining Dubai Airports, he held senior roles at prominent organisations across North America, Europe, and the Middle East, where he delivered impactful digital programmes that revolutionised business operations.
Jacqueline Elboghdadi
CMO, Adnoc Distribution
Jacqueline is an award-winning Chief Marketing Officer and strategic business leader with a stellar track record spanning over 19 years. She is dedicated to propelling top-line profits and expanding market share for leading global consumer companies.
Her expertise lies in the personal care and beauty sector, complemented by transformative leadership within one of the Middle East's largest retail conglomerates, which encompasses over 70 brands in hospitality, fashion retail, and wellness.
Jacqueline's strong commitment to steering organizations towards customer-centricity, data-driven decision-making, and brand-focused growth sets her apart in the dynamic world of marketing. Her primary objectives are to bring strategic leadership to the forefront, foster commercial growth, and oversee brand management initiatives on a global scale.
She specializes in navigating the complexities of the Middle East and Africa markets, driving retail transformation, and ensuring cross-functional collaboration for sustained success. Jacqueline offers a wealth of expertise in implementing data-driven decision-making processes, fostering innovation and agility, and optimizing customer experience to achieve optimal results.
She thrives in leading cross-functional teams towards shared success by building value-driven cultures that prioritize professional development, progress, and growth.
Angad Singh
Global Digital & Technology Director - Emerging Technology, Aramex
Angad is the Global Director of Innovation at Aramex, where he spearheads the development and launch of new products and revenue streams, shaping the future of logistics and supply chain. He oversees core innovation, product and program management, sustainability initiatives, process excellence, and the franchise business. With an MBA from London Business School and over 13 years of experience spanning supply chain, e-commerce product management, commercial management, operations, and logistics, Angad is driven by a passion for creating value and impact through innovation and technology.
He has successfully scaled Aramex’s ground operations across the GCC and Levant, managing over 120 million parcels annually and generating over $1 billion in revenue. Angad has also launched and incubated pioneering products, including autonomous vehicles, PUDO, franchising models, sustainability programs, crowdsourcing, big data, AI, the Redlabs incubator, and asset-light models. Beyond Aramex, he is an active investor and advisor to over 30 disruptive startups across industries such as blockchain, aviation, e-commerce, healthcare, and social impact. Angad’s mission is to transform the logistics industry and empower the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators.
Dr. Mohammed Al Redha
Director - Health Informatics & Smart Health, Dubai Health Authority
Dr. Al Redha is a graduate and postgraduate of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and holds a Masters Degree (MSc) in Healthcare Management. He Chairs the Emirates Health Informatics Society, a scientific and educational platform dedicated for promoting excellence in Heath Informatics within the Emirates Medical Association. He is the Director of Health Informatics and Smart Health Department at the Dubai Health Authority. In 2016, he also established the DHA’s Accelerator Office within Dubai Future Foundation. Dr. Mohammad was a Research Fellow in Clinical Informatics at the Division of Clinical Informatics, Harvard Medical School in Boston (2008-2009). Prior to joining the field of informatics, Dr. Mohammad was the Chief Operating Officer at Rashid Hospital – a 600 bed trauma facility serving Dubai since 1973. He is also a member of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Program for Leadership Development Programme and was a Fellow at the Dubai School of Government.
George Yacoub
Group Chief Information Officer, Burjeel Holdings
George is a forward-thinking Information Technology and operations executive leader with over 25 years of international experience growing the business and achieving set goals, driving digital innovation and improving service delivery, developing and integrating IT organizations, designing and leading transformation initiatives, workflow optimization, and process improvement at large integrated academic healthcare delivery systems and research centers.
An innovative business leader with demonstrated achievements in transforming operations to produce better patient outcomes, and enhanced internal users’ experiences while reducing operating costs.
I have successfully led "SEHA" to achieve HIMSS-Analytics Level 6 at all 12 hospitals of the health system (the first hospital in the GCC in 2012 and the first health system in Asia then).
Certified Healthcare Chief Information Officer (CHCIO) by CHIME.
Veneeth Purushothaman
Group Chief Information Officer, Aster DM Healthcare
Veneeth has over two decades of experience in leading technology enablement and transformation across Retail, Education and Healthcare sectors. Prior to joining Aster DM Healthcare, he was the CIO of Fortis Healthcare. An ISB-Kellogg School of Management Alumni and a certified Healthcare CIO (CIOH) and a board member and joint secretary at CHIME India Chapter.
He is a CIO – Hall of Fame honoree and was conferred the Images Most Admired CIO of the year – Retail in 2015 by the Images Retail Organization. He is also awarded India’s Top 50 CIO’s by CIO Associations of India.
Atif Albraiki
CDO, Dubai Health
Mr. Al Braiki isthe Chief Digital Officer of Dubai Health. He leads technology and digital health practice, including enterprise architecture, digital applications and information systems, data platform, IT infrastructure, and cybersecurity.
Prior to joining Dubai Health Mr. Al Braiki was the CEO of Abu Dhabi Health Data Services LLC where he played an instrumental part in the establishment and implementation of Malaffi, the Abu Dhabi Health Information Exchange (HIE). Under his leadership, Malaffi became known as one of the fastest rolled-out HIEs globally and the first platform of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa. Prior to joining Malaffi, Mr. Al Braiki was the Director of Strategic Projects at Injazat Data Systems. He was responsible for developing and incubating strategic Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects with key government clients. During this time, he undertook the role of General Manager of Hassantuk, a fire and life safety PPP between the Ministry of Interior and Injazat.
His contribution to transforming the healthcare sector was recognized with several international and regional awards. In 2021, Mr. Al Braiki was selected as a HIMSS Future50 Health IT Leader and in 2022, he was awarded a HIMSS22 Changemaker in Health Award as one of six global leaders recognized for inspiring senior healthcare executives and rigorously challenging the status quo in their journey to build a brighter health future. In April 2022, Mr. Al Braiki was part of the Forbes Middle East Top 50 Healthcare Leaders, featuring the innovation-driven pioneers of the Middle East's largest and most impactful healthcare organizations.
Mr. Al Braiki holds a Master of Computer Engineering and a Bachelor of Computer Engineering and Information Management and Technology from Syracuse University, New York.
Rizwan Tufail
Group Chief Data Officer, Pure Health
Rizwan leads the data, data science, and AI strategy and execution at Pure Health. He brings 30+ years of experience including 10 years leading Microsoft's work across Middle East and Africa, leading and successfully exiting his own Silicon Valley startup, and his advisory work on innovation policy for Ontario, Canada. He holds master's degrees from Harvard and Chicago Booth and a PhD/ABD from the University of Chicago.
Jaleel Rahiman
Director IT, Prime Health
Jaleel is an accomplished Information Technology leader with 23 years of experience across diverse organizations. He brings a wealth of expertise in change management, project management, team leadership, solutions delivery, infrastructure design, and global user services support.
As a collaborative leader, Jaleel has a keen vision for identifying business challenges and opportunities, fostering effective communication, and influencing global strategy and direction. He is dedicated to guiding his teams to deliver reliable, scalable, and secure IT services that align with both established and evolving business needs.
Alexis Jean Baptiste
Chief Data & Analytics Officer, LÓreal
Alexis is leading L'Oréal's data and analytics division in the Middle East, focusing on transforming the global beauty industry through strategic analytics and AI/ML initiatives. At the intersection of business expertise, technology, and creativity, his team consults across divisions to optimize performance and foster innovation. With a deep understanding of machine learning, they have developed solutions that enhance customer experiences and drive business growth.
Geeta Raghuvanshi
Chief Technology & Data Officer - Blue, Al Futtaim
As an accomplished Chief Technology and Data Officer with over 20 years of experience, I have a proven track record of driving innovation and delivering strategic impact at the intersection of technology and data. My expertise spans leading-edge technologies and data-driven strategies, empowering organizations to achieve their digital transformation goals.
Imran Shaikh
CTO, Virgin Mobile
Track record of leading Digital Transformation for small to large Organizations and setting them apart in the Digital Experience Economy by overhauling Customer Journeys, growing revenue and reducing acquisition cost. Known for leveraging disruptive technologies and analytic-based knowledge of consumer behaviors/needs to spur tremendous growth. Admired for building, mentoring, and inspiring elite, customer-focused teams across professional disciplines. Expert in acquiring, retaining, and monetizing revenue through Digital Channels.
Summary of Accomplishments:
Track record of saving large organizations up to $65 Million in QA and Digital Development spend; Track Record of zero breach on customer facing Digital Enterprise Applications; Successful Data Center and Application Migrations to cloud with a complete overhaul to Industry Standards; Track record of successfully implementing Digital Industry Best Practices (AGILE, SCRUM, MicroServices, DevOps, Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery);
Developed teams as large as 500 Onshore and Offshore; Planned, Budgeted, Executed and Closed projects with budgets as much as $35 Million / Year; Established a Quality Assurance and Service Integration COE with standardized Process, Documentation, and Reports; Developed innovative testing methodologies for Application Testing, Mobile Testing, Infrastructure Testing and Application Performance Management Testing; Developed Reporting Strategy for Business to make informed decisions: Automated QA Status Report alignment with PMO, Monthly Operational Reports, Governance Reports – KPI / SLA reports linked to Requirements for every Project
Established a successful PMO, Development, QA, ITSM, and Release Management Center of Excellence
Ilaria Buonpane
Director CX, Talabat
Ilaria is a results-driven and pioneering senior-level Marketing Strategist and Customer Experience Professional with a distinguished track record of delivering high-level results through customer experience transformation, omnichannel marketing, and brand strategy across the start-up tech and fashion/luxury retail industries. With over 15 years of experience, she has been recognized for launching various omnichannel capabilities—such as Clienteling, Voice of the Customer, OMS, CRM, and more—resulting in company-wide customer obsession, increased sales and profits, enhanced customer retention and acquisition, and guaranteed customer loyalty.
Her expertise spans human-centered experience design, customer operations management, customer relationship management (CRM), customer analytics intelligence and research, customer retention and loyalty, and digital transformation. Ilaria thrives in building new initiatives from the ground up, while re-examining established processes for improvement. Known for her collaborative spirit, she works seamlessly across departments and takes pride in building cohesive, high-performing teams. A strong advocate of positively energizing leadership and empathy, Ilaria is also a dedicated supporter of diversity and inclusion, bringing a holistic approach to every project she undertakes.
Mohamad Charafeddine
Vice President of Product, Careem
Mohamad Charafeddine leads Careem’s mobility platform and oversees product management functions covering the Captain, Marketplace, and Trust and Safety products. Prior to taking up the Vice President of Product role, he led Careem’s engineering teams for the mobility of people, things, infrastructure, data and AI.
In addition to having previously worked at Samsung as a director leading the applied AI research and development team – where he successfully built the first enterprise AI platform for Reinforcement Learning and Deep Learning at scale – Mohamad was also part of the Core Machine Learning (ML) team for Business Integrity at Facebook in Menlo Park, United States, tasked with classifying and managing advertising content across Facebook and Instagram.
Ahmed Khabeer
CEO & MD, Tafaseel BPO
Ahmed Khbeer, Managing Partner and Group CEO, leads the largest BPO in the UAE, bringing a wealth of experience to his role as a prominent business leader in the industry.
Renowned for his goal-oriented approach, Ahmed Khbeer identifies business challenges, devises strategic plans, establishes operations from the ground up, instigates transformative change, and executes effective business strategies. His expertise extends to driving revenue growth, expanding market share, and enhancing profitability in demanding business environments. Additionally, he excels in building and leading high-performance teams, ensuring customer satisfaction, and consistently achieving organizational goals.
Proven track record and adept manager with a strong work ethic and unwavering integrity. Successfully navigates complex business challenges in overseeing a diverse portfolio of ventures.
Rajesh Grover
Group Vice President AI, Kanmo Group
Rajesh is an entrepreneurial leader with a rich, two-decade-spanning career across diverse sectors such as Retail, Edtech, FMCG, Real Estate, Technology, Consumer Electronics, and Food & Beverage. His journey has taken him from the Indian Subcontinent to the dynamic markets of the Middle East and Southeast Asia, where he’s built and led high-performance teams. Known for his expertise in launching and scaling new ventures, managing change, and transforming struggling business units into profitable successes, Rajesh excels in aligning every aspect of an organization into a harmonious, success-driven entity.
A recognized thought leader and featured speaker, Rajesh shares valuable insights on Digital Transformation, Business Turnaround, and Leadership. His true passion, however, lies in sales and leadership coaching, through which he has mentored thousands of sales professionals worldwide. He is also an active investor and mentor for emerging entrepreneurs in their startup journeys. With two technology patents to his name, Rajesh exemplifies an unwavering commitment to innovation and forward-thinking.
Dr. Bhaskar Dasgupta
Senior Advisor, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Ahmad Al Makhtoum Private Office
Dr. Bhaskar Dasgupta is a Board Member, Advisor and Investor with proven regulatory engagement, strategic business development, business transformation experience deploying advanced analytical and pragmatic delivery skills in various regulated and unregulated sectors - banking, markets, crypto, asset management, technology. He has/is currently serving on the board or advising several financially regulated firms in Middle East, India, UK/Europe (Apex Group, Peregrine, AusGulf, Aarna Capital, Bunat Ventures, Point72, Cohesion Investments) ICICI Ventures, Caravella, Spec Finance) as well as currently undergoing regulatory approvals to join very large funds and regulated firms. He advises UAE/India and UK based families/Family Office Advisory firms and is an investor / advisor to more than 15 startups. He is a visiting faculty and member of advisory boards at several universities in UK, UAE and India.
Dr. Dasgupta’s previous full-time role was leading the market development of Abu Dhabi’s Financial Centre (Abu Dhabi Global Market) and Financial Regulator (Financial Service Regulatory Authority) for sectors including Exchanges, Crypto, Digital Banking, Broker / Dealers, Venture Capital, FinTech, Sustainable Finance & Commodities. He was also responsible for Emerging Markets and Europe as a region. He helped triple AUM, making ADGM the largest regulated crypto jurisdiction in the world, quadrupled the number of broker dealers, helped launch ICE Futures Abu Dhabi (trading a million contracts within 6 months), making ADGM the biggest hub for venture capital in the region, etc.
Prior to joining ADGM in 2019, Dr. Dasgupta was the Chief Operating Officer of UK Export Finance (GBP 90B Capital) at the Department of International Trade, UK Government. The 25-year career included senior level leadership, business development and transformation roles in investment banking, transaction banking, technology, and consulting in firms such as HSBC, ABN AMRO, Citigroup, and PwC.
Dr. Dasgupta holds a BSc in Mathematics from the University of Bhopal, an MBA in Finance from Indore University, a PhD in Financial Modelling & AI from the University of Manchester, and a PhD in Politics from Kings College London. He is currently completing his third PhD in Food History from Brunel University, UK.
Dinesh Dua
Chief Customer Experience Officer, Luxury Real Estate Developer
Dinesh is highly experienced in Digital & Omni-channel transformation, Customer Experience, Managing Contact Centres, Collections, RPA & Analytics, AI implementation, Operations Management, Project Management, Customer Life Cycle Management, Relationship/Vendor Management, Business Excellence, Quality Assurance & Business Analysis. He specializes in transitioning and setting up new projects.
Hoda Al Khazaimi
Co-Chair for Global Future Council, World Economic Forum
Hoda Alkhzaimi is an experienced, motivated and innovative leader in industrialization, economic development, green field projects development and tech development. With over seventeen years of successfully driven numerous technological investments internationally and Locally especially in in the UAE. She has successfully led various projects towards achieving strategic, financial and operational efficiencies and synergies worldwide. She has a particular focus in leading and motivating tech-based industrial investments globally. Through her strategic, financial, and operational insight, she has overseen the successful turnaround of multiple large-scale projects, facilitated the research and development process while creating growth potential for each prospect
Dr. Alkhzaimi is the president of Emirates Digital Association for Women, a non-for-profit organization endorsed by the ministry of social affairs in the UAE. This association supports national and international initiatives that aim to empower sustainable economic investments and development for diverse communities with specific focus on inclusivity initiatives. This includes, yet not limited to, establishing, and creating ecosystems that support sustainable business development in the UAE and the international scene which supports economic indigenous growth of local economies.
In tandem, she is the Ambassador and the Chief Executive Officer for Women in Artificial Intelligence international community that aims to improve the scientific and professional positioning of AI for social impact and women’s contributions within the field, especially in the MENA region. She led the Women in Engineering Chapter in Abu Dhabi and the UAE lead for INWES MENA which is the global network for organizations of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Along with her initial Masters in science in Mathematics, Cryptology and Coding theory from INPG, she has a Masters degree from London Business School in Business management with a focus on finance and investments as well as a masters of international business law from Sorbonne University with a focus on building sustainable economic ecosystems and investments for valuable technological and industrial impacts. She is currently establishing an investment fund with a focus on industrial developments for global SDG impact with multiple local and international financial and industrial partners. Hoda is an advisor on the knowledge cluster on emerging economies and technologies for the World Economic Forum on its different tasks force on global future councils and on the global center for the fourth industrial revolution. as well as being on multiple investments committees globally as well as audit committees. She has several board levels seats in multiple global and UAE lead investment funds and industries.
Dr. Hyunijin Kim
Strategy Professor, INSEAD
Hyunjin is an assistant professor of Strategy at INSEAD. Her research focuses on how data and artificial intelligence (AI) impact firm decisions, and the implications for how firms compete and build competitive advantage. She leverages field experiments and computational methods to explore these questions, collaborating closely with Fortune 500 companies as well as tech startups.
Her research has received generous funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and the Foundation for Human Behavior, and has been featured in Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Forbes, TIME, and Harvard Business Review. Hyunjin serves as an editorial board member at the Strategic Management Journal, Organization Science, and Strategy Science. She also co-leads the Conference on Field Experiments in Strategy (CFXS).
Hyunjin earned her bachelor's and doctoral degrees from Harvard University, and masters degrees from the University of Oxford and the London School of Economics. Prior to academia, she co-founded and managed an early-stage venture capital fund, and worked at Knewton and McKinsey & Company
Dr. Abrar Abdulnabi
Director of AI, Saal.ai
Dr. Abrar Abdulnabi is leading the development and delivery of various advanced AI-powered B2C, B2B and B2G smart solutions and products in UAE and MENA region, for top private and public sectors in Education, Healthcare, Oil & Gas, Smart Cities, Finance, Law Enforcements, and others. She headed Arabic AI streams and Arabits products, integrating state of the art AI in teaching Arabic language internationally at Global level in Alef Education based in Abu Dhabi. She is now Heading AI at Saal.ai within Abu Dhabi Capital Group based in UAE.
She finished her Ph.D. in AI, specializes in Convolutional Neural Networks, Machine and Deep Learning for Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing domains from the School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore (NTU), where she was awarded the prestigious international A*STAR scholarship. She received her bachelor in Computer Engineering with top Honors from Jordan University for Science and Technology in Jordan.
Dr. Abdulnabi is heavily focused on developing and producing various customized edge and on cloud production-grade performing AI models and services in Natural Language Processing, Speech Analysis, Generative Large Language models and their intersections with Computer Vision applications. Dr. Abdulnabi is also serving as Industrial Adjunct Professor and Board Advisor in multiple UAE universities and companies such as Abu Dhabi and Sharjah Universities.
Dr. Abdulnabi has a major experience in developing AI-powered smart solutions in military and low enforcements domains, mainly on integrating AI models to advance the officers’ training while monitoring their performance from 360, smartly utilizing and advancing conversational AI models focused to coach and monitor individuals throughout their training. She has also other experiences in developing AI for public interfacing responses during pandemic emergencies.
Dr. Matilde D’Amelio
Founder & CEO, SophiA Training & Consulting
" Dr. Matilde D'Amelio is the Founder and CEO of SophiA Training & Consulting, with over 15 years of experience in AI, data strategy, digital transformation, and digital leadership. She has collaborated with prestigious institutions such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley and Cambridge, as well as organizations like Heineken, Bloomberg, the Saudi Ministry of Health and the NHS, to deliver professional education and consulting services. Dr. D'Amelio's expertise spans various industries, where she advises on AI-driven strategies and data decision-making. With her company she has trained over 6,000 professionals globally and serves as a non-executive director, helping businesses navigate the complexities of digital innovation."
Jean Paul Sacy
Head of Middle East & Africa, Wand.ai
Jean is a catalyst for organisational change and transformation, driven by a relentless commitment to challenging the status quo. His insatiable curiosity fuels a deep passion for cultivating and empowering robust networks of individuals, fostering mutually beneficial and enriching connections. He thrives on entering organisations to conceive fresh strategies, collaborating with teams to unlock their full potential, seize new opportunities, and drive growth.
Notably, Jean has orchestrated and executed comprehensive transformation programs across diverse sectors, blending methodologies such as Lean, 6-Sigma, and OpEx with cutting-edge, data-driven technologies like AI-ML and GenAI to drive sustainable growth. Beyond his professional work, he founded and supported non-profit initiatives, including a coding school that annually trains 200 aspiring coders, and played a pivotal role in structuring the ESCP Alumni Network in the Middle East, connecting a vibrant community of over 2,000 members. Guided by the mantra "embrace challenges, seek knowledge, expand horizons, and never give up," Jean embodies a relentless pursuit of excellence and continuous learning.
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