Global Thinkers Forum

Arianna Huffington

President, AOL Huffington Post Media Group

Arianna Huffington is the president and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of thirteen books.

In May 2005, she launched The Huffington Post, a news and blog site that quickly became one of the most widely-read, linked to, and frequently-cited media brands on the Internet. In 2006, and again in 2011, she was named to the Time 100, Time Magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people. Originally from Greece, she moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with an M.A. in economics. At 21, she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union.

Her Royal Highness Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan

President, The Royal Scientific Society

Her Royal Highness Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan is President of the Royal Scientific Society (RSS) and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT).

The Princess is the Chair of the World Science Forum 2017, which will be held in Jordan, she is also Director and Chair of the National Campaign for Public Awareness of the Drivers of Change, a Jordanian initiative to outline and debate the factors that are driving change in the Kingdom and President of the Board of Governors of the UN ESCWA Technology Center. She is an advocate of science and technology as a catalyst for change in the Arab World, through education, research and innovation. The Princess seeks to promote sustainable development by maximising human potential through education and opportunity.

The Princess is an avid archaeologist and is closely involved with the work of the British Institute in Amman for Archaeological Research and the Council for British Research in the Levant. HRH was appointed by HM Queen Rania as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the first Jordan National Museum, where she is overseeing its development.

HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal

Founder & Patron, Alwaleed Philanthropies

Prince Alwaleed is perhaps best known internationally as the chairman and controlling shareholder of Kingdom Holding Company, one of the world’s most influential investment companies.

Outside of business, Prince Alwaleed is widely respected for his philanthropic work as the founder and patron of the Alwaleed Philanthropies, dedicated to supporting global cultural understanding, disaster recovery, women’s empowerment, and community development projects in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and around the world.

For over 35 years, Alwaleed Philanthropies has supported and initiated projects in over 124 countries regardless of gender, race, or religion. The foundation collaborates with a range of philanthropic, government, and educational organizations to combat poverty, empower women and youth, develop communities, provide disaster relief and create cultural understanding through education. Working with its partners, Alwaleed Philanthropies seeks to build bridges for a more compassionate, tolerant, and accepting world.

Jana Cohen Barbe

Partner & The Former Global Vice Chair, Dentons

Jana Cohen Barbe is a Partner and the former Global Vice Chair of Dentons, the largest law firm in the world. Since its inception, Jana has been integrally involved in the development and implementation of a strategic vision that created a top tier global legal business with 149 locations in 61 countries.

In addition to serving on the Global Board of Dentons, the Global Advisory Committee and the U.S. Board, Jana chaired the firm's Financial Institutions Sector - the largest sector of the law firm  - as well as its pre-eminent real estate practice.  Jana advises leading global financial institutions and insurance companies on community development and social investing; her substantive expertise bridges tax, corporate, partnership, finance and real estate law and she is ranked among the best real estate attorneys in the world. 

Equally committed to serving her community, Jana is the president emerita of Thresholds, Illinois' oldest and largest provider of supportive services and housing to individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses.  Her service to Thresholds, which serves more than 9,500 adults and youths each year, has spanned more than 25 years.

 Recognized for her transformative and pioneering leadership, Jana is a frequent author and speaker on women in business, globalization, entrepreneurship and authenticity.

Dr. Rebecca Thomley

CEO, Orion Associates

Dr. Rebecca Thomley is an entrepreneur and a licensed psychologist. She is the CEO of Orion Associates and its related companies. Orion Associates provides services for related and unrelated companies, including profit and non-profit organizations.

Orion Associates has been recognized for the last three years as one of the top ten fastest growing woman-owned businesses nationally.  Orion Associates has also been nationally recognized by Inc. Magazine's "500/5000 list for fast growing companies for the past four years. Orion Associates has business operations nationally and in Haiti.

Rebecca is one of the founding members of Headwaters Relief Organization.  Headwaters' volunteers have responded to floods, fires, hurricanes and other natural and manmade disasters in the United States. The organization has also responded internationally to tsunamis, earthquakes, typhoons and most recently the refugee crisis.  Headwaters Relief Organization operates a mental health resource center in New Orleans, and provides on-going services in Haiti.  

Rebecca's education includes graduate degrees in Psychology and Rehabilitation, Business, Psychopharmacology, Public Health, and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.  She serves in volunteer advisory roles in mental health with the American Red Cross and the American Psychological Association's Disaster Resource Network. Rebecca has published, written or edited books on breast cancer and international children’s books related to trauma. She also coauthored studies related to volunteerism and trauma based on her work in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010.

Lili Hall

Founder & CEO, Knock

Lili Hall is founder and CEO of KNOCK, inc., leading with acute insight into brand development on a global scale.

She founded KNOCK in 2001 with a commitment to impeccable client service and nimble response to new opportunities. In conjunction with two sister companies—TREAT & COMPANY and Neighbor—Hall’s teams create impactful, effective work for national and international brands. Named one of EY’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women, Hall measures her success not only in the culture, growth and profitability of her companies, but also in the impact they make on communities both locally and around the world.

Lucian J. Hudson

Director of Communications, The Open University

Lucian J. Hudson has been Director of Communications of The Open University since 2011, and recently been elected Chair of Earthwatch Europe. 

He has held top communications posts in four UK government departments, including Director of Communication, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and Director of e-Communications, Cabinet Office - the first holder of this post.  A leading communications director under the Blair and Brown Governments, he conducted the review into No10 communications under the Coalition Government (report published in June 2013).

Lucian was a senior executive and television journalist with the BBC and ITV for 17 years.  As Head of Programming, International Channels, BBC Worldwide, he helped establish the first international television channels as a joint venture between BBC and Discovery.  As Strand Editor, BBC World, he led the transformation of breaking news and live events, which included producing the first six hours of television coverage on the death of Princess Diana.

Lucian was Partner and the first Managing Director of Cornerstone Global Associates, providing international strategic consultancy to governments, businesses, civil society organisations, universities and business schools.

Lucian has been Chairman of three non-profit organisations: Liberal Judaism, Tavistock Institute of Human Relations and Rory Peck Trust.  He is also Chair, Citizens:mk Leadership Group.

An accredited CEDR mediator, Lucian wrote the first international report on the scope and limits of cross-sector collaboration, "The Enabling State: Collaborating for Success" (FCO, 2009) .  His research into cross-sector collaboration is regularly published in academic journals and handbooks , including The Annual Review of Social Partnerships (ARSP), an open access annual journal on cross-sector social interactions.  He is active on social media networks, LinkedIn and Twitter @LucianHudson, and is listed in ‘Who’s Who’ (www.ukwhoswho.com).  He is Fellow of the RSA and Institute of Directors, and a member of the Political Studies Association.

Michael E. Economakis

Executive Vice Chairman & CEO , A.G.Leventis Group (Nig.) Plc

Michael E. Economakis started his career in Coca-Cola Hellenic the 2nd biggest bottler of The Coca-Cola Company in the world, operating in 28 countries. Over the first years he worked in Sales, holding a variety of Sales Field and Commercial positions.

He had been constantly progressing throughout his career into wider and higher responsibility roles within Coca-Cola Hellenic appointed as a Commercial Director and Country GM in various operations of CCH and CEO in its subsidiaries. He was, also, CEO of a listed Group of Companies operating in the food sector. He is, also, member of the board of directors of GNCCT (Greek Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Technology), member of CEO Association and member of the Advisory Board of Global Thinkers Forum, a London based think tank and ecosystem for excellence in leadership with values. He is currently Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of A.G.Leventis Group (Nig.) Plc a listed Conglomerate with operations in Automotive, Logistics, Food, Real Estate, Retail. 

Dr. Rita Rakus

Aesthetic Medical Practitioner

Dr Rita Rakus MBBS FBCAM Cosmetic Doctor To The Stars – ‘A’ list of celebrity patients includes Amanda Holden, Karren Brady, Lisa Butcher and Annabelle Bond OBE Welcome to the practice of Dr. Rita Rakus who has been named by the media as the ‘London Lip Queen.

She has appeared in ‘Under the Knife’ (ITV), ‘Kitchen Sink to Catwalk’ (Biography Channel), ‘Plastic Fantastic’ (BBC), ‘Lunch-Hour Facelift’ (C4), ‘Celebrity Fat Club’ (ITV) and ’10 Years Younger’ (C4). She is regularly mentioned in articles e.g. Tatler, Harpers Bazaar, Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Elle, The Times, Sunday Times, New York Times, London Evening Standard, The Observer, Pashion, Independent on Sunday, Sunday Mirror, Allure, Glamour, Grazia, Hello, Aesthetic Medicine, Wendy Lewis and many other publications.

Dr Rakus has over 20 years of aesthetic medical experience and is a leader in 5 star medispa services, which has developed her practice into the largest solo non-surgical practice in the UK and the 5th largest Thermage® clinic in the world.

Sharon Schweitzer, J.D.

Cross-Cultural Consultant, International Protocol Expert, Access to Culture

Sharon Schweitzer is a cross-cultural trainer, international business etiquette expert, award-winning author, and the founder of Access to Culture. As a third culture kid, she has lived, studied, worked, and traveled to more than 70 countries on 7 continents. Along with tenures at renowned Austin and Dallas-based law firms, she served several years as an assistant attorney general. Sharon has a depth of experience assisting clientele from Fortune 500 companies to start-up firms.

Sharon is the award-winning author of the best-selling international business book, Access to Asia, a guide providing insider tips on culture, dining etiquette and business protocols across the globe, in the USA and 10 Asian countries. Her Amazon #1 international business best-seller was named to the Best Books of 2015 by Kirkus Reviews. Sharon writes the Ms. Modern Manners column for The Society Diaries USA & Mexico; is a Huffington Post contributor; and has been highlighted in Investor’s Business Daily, BBC Capital, Fortune, Business Journals, The Globe and Mail, Inc., and other media. She was a 2016 Winner of the British Airways International Trade, Investment and Expansion Award (small business category) at the Greater Austin Business Awards. Additionally, having served on numerous boards, she currently holds the following positions:

• Board Member, Global Thinkers Forum London
• Board Member, South Texas College of Law- Houston
• Board Member, Austin Chamber of Commerce
• Executive Committee Member, Austin International Business Coalition

Sharon graduated from the Ohio State University with a degree in Sociology, studied pre-law at the University of Oxford, and graduated from South Texas College of Law - Houston

Maxime Chaya

Corporate Ambassador, Sportsman & Climber

Lebanon’s foremost sportsman and climber, Maxime Chaya was the first person from his home country to hoist its flag atop Everest.

He did so at the climax of his challenge to ascend the highest mountain on every continent – the Seven Summits – while also skiing to the North and South Poles. After his homeland’s civil war resulted in a multi-cultural Lebanese, French, Greek and Canadian education, Max graduated with honours from the London School of Economics, and today he regularly visits schools, universities and clubs to help motivate youngsters to ‘climb their own Everest’. Knighted twice for his achievements, Max lives on the Mediterranean coast, just north of his native Beirut, with his children Edgard and Kelly.

Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis

Unesco Goodwill Ambassador

Marianna V. Vardinoyannis has been an unceasing advocate and campaigner for the rights of children and the family.

She is a Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO, founder and president of the “Foundation for the Child and the Family” and of the “ELPIDA Friends’ Association of Children with cancer”. Inspired by motherhood, as a mother of five children herself, she has built up an extensive record of humanitarian work towards disadvantaged social groups in Greece and abroad, as well as on education, peace and cultural heritage. She struggles against human trafficking, climate change and other issues of today’s concern. She serves as board member at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the MENTOR Foundation, the “Light of Africa Foundation”, etc. She holds BA in History of Art and in Economics, MPhil in Archaeology as well as three Honorary Doctorates in Laws, Philosophy and Human Studies. Thanks to her and to the work of ELPIDA, more than 600 children for Greece and the Mediterranean region suffering from cancer were given a new chance of life. She created the first Bone Marrow Transplant Unit in Greece in 1993 and the first Pediatric Oncology Hospital in 2010. More than 750 families of sick children have been hosted for months at the ELPIDA Guest House (est 1999). She adopted the Greek village “Makistos”, reconstructing all the houses after their destruction by fire in 2007. She supported UNESCO programs for Middle East, Africa and other parts of the world. She funded the creation of the “Alexandria Center for Hellenistic Studies” at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in 2008. She is now working for the creation of the first “Bone Marrow Donor Bank” in Greece.

Salim Amin

Chairman, Camerapix

Salim Amin is Chairman of Camerapix, founder and Chairman of The Mohamed Amin Foundation and co-founder and Chairman of A24 Media.

As Executive Producer and Presenter, Salim finished a documentary chronicling his father’s life in March 2006 entitled “MO & ME” which has to date won ten Awards for Best Documentary in the United States, Canada, India and on the African Continent, including the Grand Jury Award at the New York International Film Festival. The documentary achieved a successful theatrical release in Kenya and was screened at the prestigious British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), as well as the Cannes Film Festival in 2007. In December 2005, Salim began work on the launch of the first 24-hour pan-African News and Current Affairs Channel. Africa 24 Media, a precursor to the Channel and Africa’s first online Agency for video and stills content, launched in September 2008 (www.a24media.com). In January 2007 Salim was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in Davos. He is a fellow of the African Leadership Initiative and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. In 2010 Salim was one of only 150 people around the world invited by President Obama to the Presidential Entrepreneurship Summit in Washington, DC.
In October 2014, Salim launched his weekly Talk Show “The Scoop”, speaking to great African personalities around the Continent, and reaching a global audience of over 300 million people on television, radio and online.

Nikos Koumettis

President, Coca-Cola Central & Eastern Europe BU

Nikos Koumettis is appointed President, Central & Eastern Europe Business Unit of The Coca-Cola Company, based in Athens, effective August 1st, 2016.

The Unit will comprise 26 diverse countries, with new additions, Russia, Belarus & Ukraine. He was previously appointed President, Central & Southern Europe Business Unit of The Coca-Cola Company on April 1st, 2011, a unit comprising 23 European countries. He recently led CSE to its first ever Woodruff Cup nomination for 2015 results. The BU achieved the highest ever share in Sparkling beverages. During his tenure, the BU has achieved substantial increases in Corporate Reputation and Employee Engagement. Nikos was appointed President, Coca-Cola, Ltd., based in Toronto, Canada on June 1, 2008. While in Canada, he successfully led the franchise in re-establishing business fundamentals and returning to growth. Under his leadership, Canada grew the Coca-Cola Trademark for the first time in seven years, and a new culture of winning was instilled – resulting in the Business Unit’s first-ever Woodruff Cup qualification in 2009 and again in 2010.
Nikos moved to Canada after leading The Coca-Cola Company’s Adriatic and Balkans Business Unit, based in Bucharest, Romania from 2003-2008. He developed the business in nine diverse countries, including Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Croatia. Company brands led all ready-to-drink categories in the territory; volume, revenue, profits doubled in 5 years.
Nikos joined The Coca-Cola Company in 2001, as Southeast Mediterranean Region General Manager with responsibilities for Greece and Cyprus, where he achieved the highest volume and share, and created the first ever Zero product globally – Sprite Zero. Prior to joining the Company, he served in marketing roles with Kraft Jacobs Suchard; sales and distribution roles with a large Greek distribution company, Elgeka; and commercial and logistics functions for Papastratos S. A. / Phillip Morris, the biggest tobacco company in Greece. In December 2015, he undertook additional responsibilities as Global Chairman for Franchise Leadership (Coca-Cola University) with the goal of developing global talent & succession of General Managers/BU Presidents. He is a board member of Canada Goose and is a Trustee on the Board of the American College of Greece. He co-founded Regeneration with the Global Shapers (Athens hub), to address youth unemployment in Greece by creating the largest internship program for talented graduates. From 1989-2000, he taught part-time International Marketing & Sales Management at The American College of Greece and from 1992-2000, Principles of Marketing at Panteion University. He has shared his experience and perspectives on Leadership in a series of lectures to Harvard Graduates. Nikos holds a Master of Science degree in International Marketing from Strathclyde Business School, and a B.Sc. in Business Administration from the American College of Greece. He is a Greek-Cypriot, born in Sudan and raised in Greece. He is married to Sarita Chaim and they have 2 children, Petros (15) & Felicia (13). He is an avid skier and sailor.

Muna Abu Sulayman

Partner, Directions Consutling

Muna AbuSulayman is continuously chosen as one of the Most Influential Arabs in the World in various publications due to a unique and diverse corss-sector 20 year work experience. 

Internationally recognized as an expert in Management, education, Sustainable Development, Female Empowerment, she has spoken at the World Economic Forum, UN, and The world Bank on   Development, using innovation to alleviate poverty, Gender, and building communities.

She is most notably known for creating five academic studies centers at Harvard, Georgetown, Edinburgh and Cambridge Universities.  She was also instrumental in creating and supporting various programs that looked at bridging the gap between the West and Islam in the legal , media, and philanthropy sectors. Other projects focused on providing health, educational, and work opportunities to women and families through partners such as Oxfam, Deworm the World, UNCHR, and the Carter Center.

Since 2011, AbuSulayman has successfully launched, managed, and scaled multiple businesses and is running a consultancy that focuses on finding “Big Ideas that Work” to solve problems in Education, Gender Issues, Media, and Entrepreneurship. The former Founding Secretary General of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation was also, the first Saudi woman to become a regional TV personality. Her show  “Kalam Nawa’em”  has been ranked number one across the Arab World for fifteen years in a row. She was also chosen as the first Saudi UN Goodwill Ambassador for the UNDP as well as a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum.

Haitham Mattar

CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority

Haitham Mattar, CEO of the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, was appointed in May 2015 to drive the economic growth of Ras Al Khaimah by positioning the Emirate as a world-class destination for business and leisure tourism.

With over 25 years of experience in global destination and hospitality management and marketing, Mattar has held senior roles with leading global brands including Marriott, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), and most recently Hilton Worldwide.

As Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Hilton Worldwide, he was managing a 240+ strong team across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, Turkey and Russia and responsible for 126 trading properties with a further 100 in the pipeline, sharpening his aptitude in hospitality, travel and tourism.

Mattar’s cross-continent experience and valuable global insights allow him to effectively lead Ras Al Khaimah’s destination growth strategy, through capturing existing and emerging source market movements and global tourism trends. Under Mattar’s leadership, Ras Al Khaimah is achieving continued growth in visitor numbers and netting a growing share of the global outbound tourism market.

A Lebanese-born American citizen and Arabic speaker, Mattar holds a Bachelors degree in Marketing from the University of Central Florida, USA, and a MBA in Marketing from the University of Liverpool, UK, having completed a thesis on the sustainability of tourism in Dubai.

Marc Ventresca

Fellow & University Lecturer, University of Oxford

Marc Ventresca is an organisational and economic sociologist who teaches strategy, leadership and organisation theory at Said Business School with a focus on innovation and on how new markets get built.

He is a Fellow of Wolfson College and affiliated Fellow of the Institute for Science, Innovation and Society (InSIS). He also works as Senior Scholar with Center for Innovation and Communication at Stanford University. Marc holds a lead faculty role in research and teaching initiatives focused on innovation and entrepreneurship, including service as faculty lead for Science Innovation Plus (a collaboration on enterprise skills with the Oxford Sciences Division). His research investigates governance innovation among global financial markets, entrepreneurial leadership in knowledge- and -information-intensive organisations, and value creation in emerging ecosystem services markets. Beyond Oxford, Marc serves on several journal editorial boards and is a regular reviewer for the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Oxford University Press. He contributes to scholarly and professional activities in the American Sociological Association, the Academy of Management and the European Group for Organisation Studies. He is Research Associate Professor of Global Public Policy at the Naval Postgraduate School and a research affiliate at University of California Irvine Center for Organizations Research and at the Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University. Marc is a GTF Awards Excellence in Innovation judge.

MARC VENTRESCA IS A 'FOUNDING' MEMBER OF GLOBAL THINKERS FORUM​.

Stephen Cole

Chairman, Institute of Diplomacy & Business

Stephen Cole is one of the most experienced and versatile faces of International Television News. He has anchored 24-hour news since 1989 from the studio and from some of the world’s major trouble spots.

Stephen has conducted network interviews with Presidents, Prime Ministers and Movie Stars. He wrote and hosted the Oscars Special programme on BBC World for six years.  

He successfully launched the world’s main news channels, Sky News, CNN International, BBC World and Al Jazeera International in London and Doha. He has specialist knowledge of Middle-Eastern politics and is often asked to speak about the region. One of his most successful ideas was the creation of the IT Show Click Online. 

He developed the format and over seven years took the BBC show around the world to twenty-eight countries. 

Stephen is also a popular Chairman and Moderator at International Global events such as the World Economic Forum at Davos and the Eurasian Media Forum in Astana. 

He also recently chaired at the United Nations setting the five-year agenda for UNESCO. And has twice led Future of Energy Sessions for the Al-Attiyah Foundation.

He has also hosted conferences on education (WISE in Doha), banking and global health and writes travel articles for newspapers around the world.

Stephen’s other interests are horse-riding, tennis and rugby, and Supporting Artist work.

He is a Judge at BAFTA, a Global Growth Partner of the Global Thinkers Forum, he is a former Director of a Premiership rugby club, he is currently Chairman of the Institute of Diplomacy and Business and a School Governor in West London..

According to his sons, he also tells the world’s worst jokes.

Margery Kraus

Founder & CEO, APCO Worldwide

Margery Kraus, founder and chief executive officer of APCO Worldwide, a global consulting firm headquartered in Washington, D.C., specializes in public affairs, communication and business consulting for major multinationals.

Kraus founded APCO in 1984 and transformed it from a company with one small Washington office to a multinational consulting firm in major cities throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In September 2004 Kraus led a management buy-out of her firm, making APCO one of the largest privately owned communication and public affairs firms in the world. She has also helped to make APCO a thought leader in the areas of international public relations, public affairs and business diplomacy. APCO’s International Advisory Council and Global Political Strategies groups bring together more than 80 of the world’s most experienced global leaders, including former politicians, diplomats, business and industry executives, journalists, and academics. Prior to founding APCO, Kraus helped to create and develop the Close Up Foundation, a multi-million dollar educational foundation, where she still serves on the board of directors.

HRH Princess Rym Ali

Founder, JMI

Her Royal Highness Princess Rym Ali founded in 2007 the Jordan Media Institute (JMI), a non-profit institution whose aim is to establish an Arab center of excellence for journalism education with a Master’s program at its core and training modules (www.jmi.edu.jo/en).

She has also been member of the Board of Commissioners of the Royal Film Commission – Jordan since July 2005 (www.film.jo/en).

Prior to marrying HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, Princess Rym worked extensively for international broadcasters including CNN, where she began as a producer in 1998 and later worked as a Baghdad correspondent from 2001 until 2004. She had developed her portfolio working for the BBC, Dubai TV, Bloomberg TV, Radio Monte-Carlo Moyen-Orient and United Press International-UPI.

A graduate of Columbia University’s School of Journalism, Princess Rym Ali also holds a MPhil in Political Science from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris and a MA in English Literature from the Sorbonne.

Princess Rym Ali received a prestigious Alumni Award from the Columbia University School of Journalism in April 2011. In July 2011, she has also been awarded the “Best International Journalist” prize at the 32nd Ischia International Journalism Awards Ceremony, one of the most renowned journalistic awards in Italy. In September 2011, Princess Rym Ali was decorated with French Knight of the Legion of Honor by French Ambassador to Jordan.

HE Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi

Minister of State for Tolerance, UAE

Minister of State for Tolerance – H.E. Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi joined the Federal Government in 2004 as Minister of Economy, becoming the first woman to assume a cabinet position in the UAE.

She was later appointed in 2008 as Minister of Foreign Trade, and then in 2013 as Minister of International Cooperation and Development, with the responsibility of boosting the UAE’s role as a major donor and key player in global human development. Besides her ministerial responsibilities, H.E. Sheikha Lubna is also a Board Director at the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, a member of the Governing Board of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy – National University of Singapore, a member of the Board of Trustees for Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management, Phoenix Arizona, a Board Director at the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai School of Government and Co-Founder and Board Member of the Friends of Cancer Patients. During her two previous posts, the country enjoyed its most economically prosperous period and highest volumes of foreign trade. H.E. has been honored by several countries for her role in enhancing their relations with the UAE. In 2013 Forbes Magazine recognized her as the most powerful Arab woman and the world’s 67th most powerful women. H.E. Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi obtained a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science from California State University of Chico (CSUChico) in 1981 and an Executive MBA from the American University of Sharjah in 2002. She also has an Honorary Doctorate in Science from California State University at Chico (US), an Honorary Doctorate in Law from the University of Exeter (UK) and an Honorary Doctorate in Economics from the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (Korea). Sheikha Lubna was born on 9th of January 1958.

Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani

Founder Chairman, Arab International Women's Forum

Mrs Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani is the Founder Chairman of the Arab International Women’s Forum, and is well known in international government and business circles as a high-impact change agent focusing on leadership in cultural and gender issues.

An economist and graduate of the American University of Beirut and Oxford University, she brings a wide range of skills and experience to her personal mission of encouraging greater cultural understanding between Arab and international communities, supporting a strong role for women in that process.

Mrs Al Kaylani holds senior roles in several cultural, commercial and educational UK and international organisations. These include: Board Member, The Women's Leadership Board at Harvard Kennedy School; Advisory Board Member, The Middle East Institute, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London; Advisory Board Member, The Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World, Lebanese American University, Beirut; Board Director, EastWest Institute; and Board Member, The Arab British Chamber of Commerce in London. Mrs Al Kaylani also serves on The Commission on Global Security, Justice & Governance, and became the first Honorary Member of the Euro Mediterranean Association for Cooperation and Development in 2012.

In January 2017, Haifa Al Kaylani was invited to become a Fellow of the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard University to join 45 global leaders selected for an intensive, multi-disciplinary program and yearlong Fellowship to research and address significant social problems. As a Fellow of Harvard's Advanced Leadership Initiative, Mrs Al Kaylani looks forward to carrying forward on a global level the mission she cares deeply about and to which she has devoted over three decades of her life – economic development through the empowerment and advancement of Arab women and youth and by advocating job creation, entrepreneurship, education and economic empowerment, not only in the MENA region but internationally.

HE Raja Easa Al Gurg

Managing Director, The Easa Saleh Al Group LLC (ESAG)

Dr Raja Easa Al Gurg, Managing Director of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group LLC (ESAG), is a well known businesswoman in the region. She has achieved laurels for her stellar leadership of the group under the tutelage of her father, the Chairman, H.E. Easa Saleh Al Gurg, KCVO, CBE. Her counsel and valuable insights have significantly contributed to the growth and expansion of ESAG.

A leading business woman in her own right, Mrs Al Gurg has carved a unique niche for herself in the region due to her support and encouragement of Arab women entrepreneurs. She is the President of Dubai Business Women Council, Deputy Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Dubai Healthcare City Authority, Board member of the Dubai Chamber Of Commerce & Industry (DCCI), Dubai Women’s Association. Mrs Al Gurg is the first Emirati woman on the board of HSBC Bank Middle East Limited and is also on the advisory board of Coutts Bank, the wealth division of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. She is the Head of the Auditing Committee at the Federal Customs Authority and a Board member. She is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University. She was conferred the Doctor of Literature (D.Litt.) honour by Amity University, India. Mrs. Raja Al Gurg is also the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Al Jalila Foundation, a non-profit organisation whose mandate is to promote the UAE as a centre of excellence for medical research and education.She holds memberships at the Dubai Economic Council, Arab International Women’s Forum, National Advisory Council and College of Business Sciences.

Mrs Al Gurg was ranked first in theForbes Middle East’s ranking of ‘The 200 Most Powerful Arab Womenin Family Business’ for 2014 and was also on the Forbes Middle East list of ‘The Most Influential Arab Women in Family Business’ in 2013. She is ranked fifth in the list of the ‘100 Most Powerful Arab Women 2012,’ compiled by CEO Middle East;was ranked among the top 100 – 58th place in the list of the world’s most influential Arabs in the Arabian Business 2012 Power 500 listing.Forbes International also listed her as the 4th most powerful Arab businesswoman in 2006. She has earned several other plaudits and awards in recent years. These include the Stevie Award for Women in Businessin 2011 and the ‘World of Difference Award’ from the International Alliance for Women (TIAW) in 2009. Mrs Al Gurg was also selected as the figure of the month, ‘The Mother of Pearl amongst Businesswomen,’ by the Al Waref Institute for Humanitarian Studies in Washington in 2010.

Mrs Al Gurg represents the U.A.E. at many international conferences and round-tables as a key-note speaker and is also part of the Government of Dubai’s official delegation for various trade and commerce meetings. She also hosted the first MENA Businesswomen’s Network Forum, in her capacity as the President of the Dubai Business Women Council.
Besides providing valuable counsel to various business groups and international trade alliances, Mrs Al Gurg spends considerable time in several philanthropic, social and charitable activities, notably with the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Charity Foundationand the Al Jalila Foundation, a UAE organisation with global aspirations dedicated to making lasting and significant contributions in healthcare to transform lives.

HE Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser

High Representative, The UN Alliance of Civilizations

On March 1st, 2013, H.E. Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser assumed the post of UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations. Prior to that, Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser assumed the Presidency of the Sixty-Sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly from 13 September 2011 to 17 September 2012. A veteran diplomat, Mr. Al-Nasser has the rank of Minister, granted by His Highness the Emir of the State of Qatar.

He has contributed to advancing the multilateral agenda in the realms of peace and security, sustainable development and South-South cooperation over a career spanning nearly four decades. For the past 13 years, from 1998 to 2011, Mr. Al-Nasser served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations. During this period, he played leading roles as Chairman of the General Assembly’s Special Political and Decolonization (Fourth) Committee (2009 to 2010) and as President of the General Assembly High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation (2007 to 2009). He also chaired the Group of 77 and China at the United Nations in New York (2004), guiding action that paved the way for the Second South Summit of the Group, which took place in Doha, Qatar, the following year, and led to the establishment of the South Fund for Development and Humanitarian Affairs, a financing mechanism aimed at assisting the countries of the South in addressing issues such as poverty, hunger and natural disasters. Mr. Al-Nasser represented his country on the United Nations Security Council during the two-year term of Qatar as a non-permanent member (2006 to 2007). He was Security Council President for the month of December 2006, when the Council took action on a range of complex peace and security issues, including international cooperation to combat terrorism and the protection of journalists in armed conflict. He also presided over three of the subsidiary bodies of the Council. During his term as Ambassador to the United Nations, Mr. Al-Nasser also served as a Vice-President of the fifty-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly (2002 to 2003) and represented his country at numerous international and regional conferences and other forums. At the same time, he served as non-resident Ambassador to a number of countries in the Americas, including Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay. Earlier, Mr. Al-Nasser was appointed as his country’s resident Ambassador to Jordan (1993 to 1998), before which he was first posted to the Permanent Mission of Qatar to the United Nations, New York, as Minister Plenipotentiary (1986 to 1993). Mr. Al-Nasser entered the international arena at an early age, and was appointed Attaché at the Embassy of Qatar in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1972. He was assigned to the Embassy of his country in Islamabad, Pakistan, in 1975 and, later that year, was dispatched to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he served as Consul-General for Qatar through August 1981. The recipient of numerous decorations and awards, Mr. Al-Nasser was made an honorary fellow of the Foreign Policy Association in New York in 2009. He also holds three honorary doctorates, in international affairs from the Government of China through Chongqing University, from the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in recognition of his efforts to foster cross-cultural understanding and strengthen the work of the UN Alliance of Civilizations initiative, and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Fordham University in the United States. He was recently awarded by the United Nations Association of New York their 2012 Humanitarian Award as well as an award from the Universal Peace Federation in New York. A wide range of countries have conferred on him their national awards, including the Medal of Independence of the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Grand Officer, Order of Merit (Italy); Medal of Grand Commander of the Order of Makarios III (Cyprus); National Order of Doctor José Matias Delgado (El Salvador); and Commander of the National Order of the Republic (Côte d’Ivoire). In his private capacity, Mr. Al-Nasser serves on the boards of a number of institutions, including the Board of Advisors of the New York University Center for Dialogue and President of the Board of IPS (Inter Press Service). He also serves as member on the Advisory Board of the Committee on Education chaired by HH Sheikha Moza. Educated in Doha and Beirut, he is fluent in Arabic and English. Mr. Al-Nasser was born on 15 September 1953 in Doha. He is married to Muna Rihani and has one son, Abdulaziz.

Gregory Beitchman

Vice President , CNN International

Greg Beitchman is VP Content Sales and Partnerships, CNN International. In this capacity he is responsible for overseeing and developing the network’s content sales business internationally, with a focus on leveraging its broadcast and digital assets.

His role encompasses content sales and partnerships, out of home services, and licensing deals. He also works across CNN’s NewSource content syndication service, its out-of-home distribution channels, and its international affiliate business of more than 1,000 broadcast partners. Prior to joining CNN International, Beitchman worked for Reuters where he was Global Head of Multimedia Content. An accomplished journalist with over 20 years’ experience, Beitchman’s multiple achievements span both editorial and commercial disciplines, and include the development of strategic partnerships and channel launches for Reuters, Times Global Broadcasting, CCTV and The Tribune Group, as well as a range of international editorial postings in India, China and Japan among others. He holds a BA in Government and East Asian Studies from Colby College and speaks fluent English, Japanese, French and Hindi / Urdu.

Derek Wyatt

Director, Code Investing

Derek is just stepping down as Chair of Royal Trinity Hospice, the oldest hospice in the world, after nearly seven years at the helm. He is chair of FISP, a think tank which examines how our digital world will look after 2020 and chair of the Major Stanley's Trust at Oxford University RFC.

He is a NED at Zone Investing and a trustee at BookTrust which delivers five million books to children for free every year. He is also an Associate Editor at Atlantic Books and in the middle of creating a Brain Trauma charity. In another life he was an MP, founded the Oxford Internet Institute and played rugby for Oxford University, the Barbarians and England. He has written seven books and is currently studying for an MA in International Relations at King's College. 

Amin Nehme

President, Lebanese Development Network (LDN)

Amin Nehme has successfully combined his business knowledge and his interest in the social service field and made of it a valuable mixture.

Owner of ServiLine Ltd., a marketing management agency established in 1997, recognized for offering business development programs to Small and Middle Enterprises (SMEs). He is founder and president of the Lebanese Development Network (LDN), which provides capacity building and social marketing strategies to the non-profit sector.

Amin Nehme acquired a BA in Political Science from the American University of Beirut (AUB), a BS in Marketing from the Lebanese-American University (LAU) and followed his MBA in International Affairs and Diplomacy at the Notre Dame University (NDU). He completed as well a professional leadership development program, "The Strategic Leadership Simulation – Mobilizing People and Organizations", which adopts the leadership paradigms developed by Harvard and Princeton Universities; a program offered by Cambridge Institute for Global Leadership.

Recognized as a "Social Entrepreneur" with effective proficiency in communication, marketing and fundraising, he succeeded to secure significant funds for relief, education and development projects.

With his extensive background in training, coaching and consulting, he provided his services to several prominent local, regional and international organizations and served as an expert and as a national director for a series of projects funded by both the EU and the US.

In 2015, Amin Nehme has been elected as the President of the Lebanon Dialogue Initiative (LDI).

His Royal Highness Prince Pavlos

Crown Prince of Greece, Prince to Denmark (Chairman)

Heir apparent to the throne and Greece’s crown prince from his birth, remaining so during his father’s reign.

Crown Prince Pavlos is an investment consultant, being co-founder of numerous investment groups including Brigantine, Ortelius Capital Partners, Ivory Capital Group and Griphon Asset Management.

Other appointments:

• Crew member on the multi-record-breaking monohull Mari-Cha IV
• Christies European Advisory Board – member
• Anna-Maris Foundation – board member
• United World College, USA – board member

Crown Prince Pavlos is married to Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece, and has five children. Crown Prince Pavlos lives in New York and London, and is a Graduate of Georgetown University. Crown Prince Pavlos completed a three year commission with 42 Commando, British Marines.

Reem N. Bsaiso

Founder & Managing Partner Global Outreach/ Consultant

Reem is a Senior Consultant specializing in knowledge economy policies and public reform; her focus is on merging ICT in Education and national training schemes, working with international agencies on ICT in Education in the MENA region, such as World Bank, UNESCO and EU Investment Bank.

She’s an advocate of Open Education Resources (OER), part of the US Department of State “Open Book Initiative” with the League of Arab States, and member of the UNESCO-Paris Advisory Panel of Experts on Debt Swaps & Innovative Approaches to Education Funding. She is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of the new Global Outreach, to bridge knowledge across the Gulf and between West and East. Reem is ex-CEO of World Links Arab Region and World Links International, initiated by the World Bank committed to spreading and merging ICT-based Knowledge Economy & Entrepreneurial skills in education and training of youth and women. She has created scalable and sustainable schemes that reached millions of students and youth through highly effective and low-cost models. She was part of the Prime Ministerial National Agenda of Jordan for the Labour, Employment & Vocational Training and Education components. In 2002 – 2003, she initiated Jordan’s first National ICT Training Strategy, anchoring ICT-literacy, e-learning and technical maintenance in public education under a UNDP/ Government of Jordan scheme.

REEM N. BSAISO IS A 'FOUNDING' MEMBER OF GLOBAL THINKERS FORUM​.

Achilles Tsaltas

Vice President International Conferences, The New York Times

With more than 26 years of experience in the media, Achilles Tsaltas is currently the Vice President of The New York Times' successful International Conferences division based in London.

Constantly on a plane visiting potential partners, clients and sponsors, Achilles oversees all conferences outside the Americas and primarily focuses on conference sponsorship and business development, harnessing the full power of the newspaper's global operations and platforms.

Achilles is a proven and established industry leader, responsible for creating and managing strategic partnerships with some of the world's most important media and corporations.

Born in Australia of Greek origin, Achilles started his media career in 1989 when he joined News Corporation at the advertising department of The Australian newspaper.

During his tenure, he launched the business magazine, Business Asia, and relaunched the newspaper's highly respected The Australian Magazine, managing the advertising and commercial side of the operation.

In 1999, Achilles moved to Hong Kong to join the International Herald Tribune as its executive  director (business development) in Asia. A year later he was promoted to the role of deputy managing director, successfully launching print sites and four publishing partnerships for the IHT.

In 2004, he moved to Paris as the worldwide circulation director, becoming a member of the IHT's senior management team. Two years later he was appointed vice president, circulation and development, and a member of the paper's executive committee. In 2012 he was again promoted to the role of senior vice president in charge of conferences, innovation, development and partnerships.

He has a Bachelor of Economics degree from the University of Sydney and a Master of Arts (Sociology) degree from the University of New South Wales.

Akinwole Omoboriowo II (AOII)

Chairman & CEO, Genesis Energy Holdings

Akinwole Omoboriowo II (AOII) is a 1993 graduate of Economics from University of Jos, Alumni of the London Business School, from where he acquired specialist training in Electricity Pricing & Modelling course in 2006, and a 2011 Post-Graduate Diploma Alumni in Strategy & Innovation from the Prestigious Oxford University's SAID Business School, U.K.

AOII has over 20 years of experience in the Oil & Gas and Power Sectors in Africa, where he has consistently led other equally distinguished colleagues in pioneering several initiatives including but not limited to Independent Power Producing companies, well-Structured Oil Companies (Oil Trading and Exploration), thriving Utility Companies, amongst others.

AOII management work-profile includes being the Chairman and CEO of Genesis Energy Holdings,  Chairman Board of Directors GEL Utility (Co- Sponsored by General Electric and Engro Corp), Member-Advisory Board of The Global Thinkers Forum (GTF), Member – Advisory Board of the  African Utility and Clean Power Africa, Member – Board EnergyNet ‘’Off The Grid Club’’ West Africa, Founding Director of Walters Power Africa, CEO of Petroleum Projects International (a Foremost Oil & Gas Company in Africa, with several trail-blazing market initiatives to its credit) , Chairman of Bissau Electricidade de Agua (Guinea Bissau), Managing Director of Besse-Oil & Services.

AOII was listed among the most Influential Figures in African Power Sector for two years consecutively of 2014 and 2015- ESI, South Africa (Sponsored by ESKOM), nominated for a lifetime Achievement Award at the African Utility Industry Awards 2016 and  is also invested with Honoris Causa Fellowship of the Certified Board of Administrators of Nigeria (CBAN).

AOII is a fellow of the institutes of Management Consultants.

Christopher Gaunt

Chairman, British Chamber of Commerce Turkey

Christopher Gaunt is a highly accomplished and respected businessman with invaluable international experience across a number of key business sectors.

Having graduated in UK with a degree in Modern History, he began his career in 1973 in the Wine and Spirit Division of the Whitbread Brewery Group, and went on to work in prominent UK Beverage companies progressing to senior management positions with HP Bulmer and Allied Domecq.
In 1992 Christopher embarked on his International career and moved to Croatia as a consultant with Coopers and Lybrand to work on a major restructuring project for a newly privatized group of FMCG companies. In 1994 he joined Coca-Cola initially in Croatia, followed by Senior Management/GM positions in Eastern Europe and start-up operations in Central Asia. From 1999 to 2000 Mr. Gaunt served as CEO of Panonska Pivovara Croatia (Carlsberg International) prior to joining the Efes Beverage Group; a subsidiary of Istanbul based Anadolu Holdings, as the General Manager of operations in Bulgaria. He was later appointed President of Efes Invest (Anadolu/Coca-Cola joint venture) in 2001, responsible for Coca-Cola Bottling operations in South Caucasus, Central Asia and Middle East.

Following the merger in 2005 of Efes Invest and Coca-Cola Icecek (CCI) Turkey and the subsequent IPO, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the newco. In 2007 Mr. Gaunt was appointed President of CCI International Operations (10 countries) from which position he retired from CCI in 2010. He then set up his own consultancy company “Euroasia Consultancy” based in Istanbul.
In January 2013 Christopher was appointed Vice Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce Turkey and elected Chairman in July 2013.
Additionally, Mr. Gaunt holds the following positions:

• Board Member British Chambers of Commerce Global Accreditation Board
• President Innovate Drinks Russia
• Board Member Suzer Group Turkey
• Board Member Farazad Investments
• Global Growth Board Member — Global Thinkers Forum

Peter Maurer

President, International Commitee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Established in 1863, the ICRC operates worldwide, helping people affected by conflict and armed violence and promoting the laws that protect victims of war. An independent and neutral organization, its mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949.

It is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and employs some 14,500 people in more than 80 countries. The ICRC is funded mainly by voluntary donations from governments and from national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Alireza Zaimi

Managing Director, Global Equity Division Bank of America

Alireza is a Managing Director within the Global Equity Division of Bank of America Merrill Lynch in London.

He heads the Asset Owners Groups in Europe, Middle East and Africa with a mandate to cover the most prominent private investment offices, asset managers and wealth funds for the firm across various asset classes. He is also responsible for the equity derivatives sales force of the firm for the emerging markets. Alireza was previously a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs where he was co-head of the Corporate Equity Derivatives department within the Investment Banking Division of the firm in London. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Alireza spent 11 years at Deutsche Bank in London specialising in advising companies in mergers and acquisitions and later serving as a Managing Director and head of the Strategic Equity Transactions Group for France and Benelux. In parallel to his career in investment banking, Alireza served as a Director of the Board of a number of companies including Keolis (Financière Keos), one of Europe’s leading public transport operators established in 15 countries with 60,000 employees. Alireza gained a civil engineering degree from the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris. He is fluent in English, French, Persian and Italian.

Dr. Shaikha Al Maskari

Chairperson, Al Maskari Holding

Shaikha Al Maskari, is the Chairperson of: Al Maskari Holding, the Tricon Group, Johnson Controls and Global Communications, JCGC, Singapore Expo, SGME, and ORSAT.

Among Shaikha’s recent awards: byWorld Women Leadership Congress & Awards “WOMEN LEADERSHIP ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2015”; by Global Thinkers Forum 2014 Award for “EXCELLENCE IN BUSINESS – GLOBAL ARAB WOMEN AS CHANGE MAKERS”; 2014 BUSINESSWOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD AT THE ARAB WOMAN AWARDS UAE 2014 held under the Patronage of HE Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan. the United Arab Emirates Minister of Culture, Youth, and Social Development, on 25^th November 2014, 2014 the Petroleum Institute and Kuwait University for “CONTRIBUTION TO WOMEN IN OFFSHORE ENGINEERING” ; 2013 HH Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Trophy for “PROMOTING INDO-ARAB RELATIONS”; 2013 the UAE Red Crescent and the Qatar Red Crescent Trophies for consistent contribution to international emergency relief; 2013 Award by Am/Cham MENA “THE BEST WOMAN ENTREPRENEUR”; 2013 the prestigious FALCON AWARD by Am/Cham Abu Dhabi for “ PROMOTING UAE-US TRADE RELATIONS” ; by The International Alliance of Women, “TIAW WORLD OF DIFFERENCE AWARD in recognition of outstanding contribution in making all the difference in the world to the economic empowerment of women”; by the University Of Iowa, “ 2013 EP Adler Lecture Award” for promoting global cross-cultural understanding; and 2013 “Honorary Recognition by CAPSTONE for “Global Humanitarian Services”. Shaikha started her career with ADNOC Group. In 1989 she joined her family petroleum company, Tricon Energy Operations, and steered it to become the Tricon Group comprising of multinational firms with strong international partnerships, several of which with government linked corporations. In 2008 Shaikha established Al Maskari Holding, AMH, for all her family’s diversified enterprises (engaged in oil, gas, renewable energy, mining, contracting, facilities management, health care, food services, security, MICE, media and out sourcing), with offices in UAE, GCC, MENA, USA, Europe, Turkey and Singapore. As a service to her country, Shaikha founded Global Institute of Justice & Technology which trains Ministry of Interior personnel in Police Sciences and Security Services, and Global Paramedic & Rescue Academy, which trains in Emergency and Public Safety Services, for which she was honored by the US Department of Commerce with the “Excellence Award for enhancing emergency medical services and saving lives in the UAE”. In 2003, Shaikha set up United Mercy Foundation, UMF (presently operated under AMH) which sponsors orphans, widows, orphanages and provides emergency medical treatment and food aid in the ME, Africa and Asia. Shaikha co-founded the Diyarbakir Micro-credit Project in Turkey which has successfully launched close to 70, 000 entrepreneurs creating over 400,000 jobs. In 2008, Shaikha established Global Environmental Responsibility Alliance, GERA, to promote cross-border collaborations towards resources efficiency, and Global Social Empowerment Alliance, GSEA, to drive fundamental transformation of family/social mind sets to raise children on C4 (Confidence, Conscience, Compassion and Collaboration) towards good global citizenship for cross-ethnic, cross-cultural and interfaith harmonious co-existence). In addition to Shaikha’s numerous corporate Board directorships, she also serves in the Boards of prominent NGOs including the Arab International Women’s Forum (AIWF), Women For Sustainable Growth (W4SG), High Advisory Board of International Cooperation Platform (ICP) and Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADAMF).

Fadi Ghandour

Founder & CEO, Aramex

Fadi Ghandour is the Founder and CEO of Aramex International, one of the leading logistics and transportation companies in the Middle East and South Asia, and the first company from the Arab world to go public on the NASDAQ stock exchange.

The company now trades on the Dubai Financial Market. Fadi is a Founding Partner of Maktoob.com; the world’s largest Arab On-Line community recently acquired by Yahoo!; is a member of the Board of Abraaj Capital, is a Founding Board Member of Endeavor Jordan and serves on the Advisory Board of the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at the American University of Beirut. Between 2003 and 2005, he was the Middle East and North Africa Area Chairman of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). Fadi is passionate about social entrepreneurship. He is the founder of Ruwwad for Development www.ruwwad.net, a regional private sector-led community empowerment initiative that helps disadvantaged communities overcome marginalization through youth activism, civic engagement, and education. He serves as a Member of the Board of Business for Social Responsibility www.bsr.org; is a Member of the Board of the “National Microfinance Bank” in Jordan www.nmb.com.jo, and has served as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Jordan River Foundation www.jordanriver.jo for over 10 years.

Geir Lippestad

Lawyer

Geir Lippestad is a Norwegian lawyer and head of the law firm Lippestad. He was defence counsel in the high profile criminal case following the 2001 murder of Benjamin Hermansen and was the lead counsel for the perpetrator of the 2011 Norway attacks, Anders Behring Breivik. When he was appointed as defense counsel for Anders Behring Breivik, he was the world’s focus. An attention which was not particularly positively charged initially.

From being identified with his client and his attitude, got Geir Lippestad communicated why it was right for him to accept the assignment even though he certainly did not share his client’s perceptions. He showed a rare integrity throughout the investigation period, the trial and then. Rather than talk about the technicalities surrounding a hateful sifted, selected Lippestad to emphasize that the case was a picture of democracy under pressure and that we had to protect the distribution of power in society we are so proud to live in. There is a defense attorney a central task – no matter what actions a person is charged with having done. It is a fundamental legal principle that everyone is entitled to a defense.

Lucian Sarb

Chief Content Officer, Euronews

Lucian Sarb serves as the Editorial Director and Member of the Board of the global news channel, Euronews. Since 2009 Lucian has been in charge with the editorial strategy of the most viewed news broadcaster in Europe, a multiplex of 24-hour news with 450 journalists from more than 35 different nationalities.

Over the last five years, Lucian Sarb, together with his editorial team, launched five new euronews channels: Euronews Turkish, Euronews Farsi, Euronews Ukrainian, Euronews Greek and Euronews Hungarian. Before Euronews, Lucian Sarb, served as Project Manager and Editorial Director of one of the first business news channels in Eastern Europe, based in Bucharest, Romania.
Prior to this function, he was Head of News at Romania’s public state television, TVR, where he completely re-branded news programmes, the editorial concepts and the budgets. In 2005, he was in charge of the world politics magazine broadcast live every Saturday on TVR1. In parallel to these duties, Lucian Sarb was a member of the Executive Committee Newsgroup of the EBU (European Broadcasting Union).
Following his studies in Communication and International Relations and Politics, Lucian Sârb decided to start a career as a journalist, becoming a news correspondent for Romanian Public Station in 1994. His assignments took him around the world, including the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Geraldine Sharpe-Newton

Senior Communications Advisor

As a Public Relations Executive, Journalist and TV Producer, on both sides of the Atlantic, Geraldine Sharpe-Newton has worked at the heart of media relations and corporate communications for more than three decades.

She has been head of communications for three of the world's major news organisations, CBS News in the US, ITN in the UK and CNN International.

Early years in U.S broadcast journalism led her to Burson-Marsteller, Public Relations in New York.  She handled the U.S PR launch of The Economist News magazine and was a Vice President at publishers, ‘Simon & Shuster’.
Back in broadcasting, at CBS News, she led the ‘transition, communications-team’ during the handover from Walter Cronkite to Dan Rather.
In London she ran the ITN Communications and PR operation.  She was Communications Director at the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and later at Turner Broadcasting was Senior Vice President in charge of international press relations outside the US, for all Turner products.

Geraldine was a longtime President of The Media Society, and now is a specialist business Mentor for The Prince's Trust, on the Advisory Board of The Global Thinkers Forum, an Associate for Editorial Intelligence and has been named as the Chairman of Ei’s Comment Awards.  She is deeply involved in ‘mentoring’ and conducted media training for the Clore Leadership programme.   She is a Board Member at Theatre 503, in Battersea, and was on the Development Committee of The Tricycle Theatre. She is also a Critical Eye Associate and was latterly UK chair of the International Women's Forum.

Since becoming a consultant in 1998, she has been committed to helping people tell their stories, has created and implemented media strategies, product publicity, launches and issue management, for a wide variety of clients, including film companies, a Government appointed agency and an independent industry watchdog.

Renowned for her networks and travels to uncommon places she is now working on her first book of short stories.

GERALDINE SHARPE-NEWTON IS A 'FOUNDING' MEMBER OF GLOBAL THINKERS FORUM​.

Roya Mahboob

Founder & CEO, Digital Citizen Fund

Roya Mahboob is a serial entrepreneur President and co-Founder of Citadel Software Company, EdyEdy, DeFelora.

She is also CEO of the Digital Citizen Fund , a non-profit organization focused on #DigitalLiteracy to empower women and children in developing countries. Roya is famous as a leader for being among the first female tech CEOs in Afghanistan, being among the time 100 most influential people in the world for 2013 by TIME magazine, a member of the 2014 Tribeca Disruptive innovation awards and Young leader of world economic from in 2015. She has recently received the award for The Advancement of Gender Equality Through Education. Roya is also on the advisory board of  Forbes school of business of Ashford University, Resolution project, and the Global Thinkers Forum organization.

Elif Shafak

Author, Columnist, Speaker & Academic

Elif Shafak is an award-winning novelist and the most widely read female writer in Turkey. She is also a political commentator and an inspirational public speaker.

She writes in both Turkish and English, and has published 15 books, 10 of which are novels, including the bestselling The Bastard of Istanbul, The Forty Rules of Love and her most recent, Three Daughters of Eve. Her books have been published in 48 languages. She is published by Penguin in the UK and represented by Curtis Brown globally.

Shafak is a TED Global speaker, a member of Weforum Global Agenda Council on Creative Economy in Davos and a founding member of ECFR (European Council on Foreign Relations). She has been awarded the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2010 by the French government.

She has been featured in and contributes to major newspapers and periodicals around the world, including the Financial Times, the Guardian, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Der Spiegel and La Repubblica. 

Shafak has an academic background and has taught at various universities in Turkey, UK and USA. She holds a degree in International Relations, a Masters degree in Gender and Women’s Studies and a PhD in Political Science. She is known as a women’s rights, minority rights and LGBT rights advocate.

As a public speaker Shafak is represented by The London Speaker Bureau and Chartwell Speakers and Penguin Speakers Bureau.

Shafak has been long listed for the Orange Prize, MAN Asian Prize; the Baileys Prize and the IMPAC Dublin Award, and shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and RSL Ondaatje Prize

She sat on the judging panel for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize (2013); Sunday Times Short Story Award (2014, 2015), 10th Women of the Future Awards (2015); FT/Oppenheimer Funds Emerging Voices Awards (2015, 2016); Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction (2016) and Man Booker International Prize (2017).

She lives in London and can be found at www.elifshafak.com

Twitter @Elif_Safak

Femi Oke

Senior Journalist, Al Jazeera English

Femi Oke is an international journalist, broadcaster and moderator. She is currently based in Washington, D.C., where she hosts the interactive current affairs show “The Stream” for Al Jazeera English.

Oke’s reporting has been recognised by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Communications Agency, InterAction and the Radio and Television Academy of Uganda.  Since the 1980s, she has worked for BBC television and radio, Sky TV, all the U.K. terrestrial television networks, CNN and U.S. public radio. You can connect with her anytime online via Twitter @FemiOke..

The Rt. Hon. the Lord Alderdice

Chairman, The Centre for Democracy & Peace Building, Belfast

As Leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, Lord Alderdice played a significant role in the Talks on Northern Ireland including negotiation of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

He was the first Speaker of the new Northern Ireland Assembly and on retirement in 2004 was appointed to the Independent Monitoring Commission, tasked with closing down terrorist operations and overseeing normalization of security in Northern Ireland.

Elizabeth Filippouli

Founder & CEO, Global Thinkers & Global Thinkers Forum

Elizabeth Filippouli is an entrepreneur and global leadership expert with particular focus on accountable leadership and inclusive growth.

She is the Founder & CEO of Global Thinkers Forum (GTF), an international organisation that works as an agent for positive change by connecting international thought leaders and promoting values-based leadership, collaboration and cross-cultural understanding. GTF is a London-based and UK registered social-purpose organisation with presence in 6 countries: UK, Jordan, Turkey, Greece, UAE, Saudi Arabia and a fast growth rate. It was launched in 2012 in Amman, Jordan under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania and is proud to have Board members representing more than 20 countries.