Mentors
Roda Abdi
Founder & CEO, Amirab
Roda Abdi is an entrepreneur and qualified chartered accountant. She is the Founder and CEO of Amirab, a fashion-forward womenswear clothing brand, that aim to provide unique designs that empowers the professional women by giving confident and presentable appearance while keeping your identity and expressing your individuality through clothing.
Amirab is a Uk based and UK registered company with online presence at www.amirab.com, launched in 2016 and showcasing their collection at London Fashion Week. Roda has over 10 years’ experience and expertise in business development and finance & accounting.
She also currently works with investment firm as an accountant to support and advise clients on improvement of their financial performance processes, procedures and implementation of internal control to ensure compliance and good practice are in place.
Helen Alderson
ICRC's Director, Financial Resources & Logistics
Helen Alderson, born in 1960, has a degree in political sciences and international relations as well as an MBA. She began her career at UNICEF in the field before joining the ICRC in 1985.
At the ICRC, she held a number of posts at headquarters and in the field including delegate, deputy head of delegation, head of project and head of unit. She left the ICRC in 2000 to join the Ethos Foundation and then, in 2002, joined the World Heart Federation where she held the posts of director of development, chief operating officer and then CEO. She returned to the ICRC to take up her current position in 2010.
Mir Kazim Ali
General Manager, Tuban Plant Holcim Indonesia (LafargeHolcim Group)
Mir Kazim Ali is actively involved in the development of youth and serves as Board Member at VISL WES School for Children with Special Needs in Karachi, Pakistan. He is one of the founding members of the institution and collaborates with the school management to improve performance and generate adequate funds.
He was a member of the Advisory Council of Dhahran British Grammar School in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, part of the International Schools Group, where the advisory council coordinates with school management, teachers and students to improve school performance. He has over 18 years of global experience in building material and construction industry. He has played an instrumental role in improving operational performance and leading teams to success in various countries in North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia. He has been actively involved in implementing strategies to improve industrial safety, health and environment in cement manufacturing industry globally and has a niche for improving productivity and reducing cost in to achieve operational excellence. He has served as operational development advisor to chief executive officer at Saudi Cement one of the largest cement manufacturing companies in the Middle East. He is currently working with the LafargeHolcim Group as General Manager at the Tuban Plant of Holcim Indonesia. He has a passion for energy conservation and reducing the carbon foot print at a global scale. He has been actively involved in reducing energy consumption in the cement manufacturing industry globally and most recently in Saudi Arabia through the Saudi Energy Efficiency Center. He has done numerous projects for reducing energy consumption in several countries including, South Africa, Malaysia, India, Bangladesh, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam etc. He has mentored several engineers in Africa, Europe and Asia to improve the energy consumption and has conducted knowledge transfer courses and workshops globally. He holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, USA, a Masters of Science in Engineering from the Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, a Bachelors of Engineering from NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan and is a certified Professional Engineer in Ontario, Canada and Karachi, Pakistan.
Hakan Altinay
President, The Global Civics Academy
Hakan Altinay is the President of the Global Civics Academy.
Altinay is a global ethics fellow at the Carnegie Council, a world fellow at Yale University and the Director of the European School of Politics in Istanbul. His book, Global Civics: Responsibilities and Rights in an Interdependent World was published in 2011, and has been translated into Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Altinay also served as a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution for 6 years.
Shahira Amin
Journalist
Shahira Amin is a freelance Egyptian journalist who contributes mainly to CNN’s Inside Africa and CNN.com. She also writes for Index on Censorship, a portal for free expression.
Amin was formerly Deputy Head of Egyptian state television’s English Language Channel Nile TV but she quit in the height of the uprising in protest at state TV coverage of the developments in her country. Shahira was also a former Senior Anchor and Correspondent for the channel. Shahira has traveled the world covering major events and conflicts and has interviewed numerous statesmen and high profile figures. She has been recognized by UNICEF for her efforts to improve the status of women and children in her country. Earlier this year she received the American University in Cairo’s Catalyst for Change Award and is also the recipient of this year’s Holmes of the year award from the University of Gotheborg.
Nicky Amos
Executive Director, The Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW)
Nicky Amos is a recognized corporate responsibility professional with extensive experience in managing and directing corporate responsibility strategies in global organisations.
Nicky advises multinational companies and leading non-governmental organisations on the development and implementation of sustainable development strategies and measurement frameworks, materiality assessments, stakeholder dialogue and disclosure practices. Nicky is Executive Director of the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) – an internationally acclaimed investor tool that ranks global food companies on their farm animal welfare management and disclosure – and she is co-author of ‘The Business of Farm Animal Welfare’ (Greenleaf Publishing, July 2017).
Marina Antoniou
Head of Audit
Marina Antoniou has over 12 years of experience auditing major financial institutions globally. During this time, she received a global recognition award for her performance in internal audit. She is the EMEA Head of Audit for Rates trading as well as the France Head of Audit for Citigroup.
In the past, Marina acted as Head of Audit for Citigroup in Greece and Luxembourg. Marina is a qualified Chartered Accountant and member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. She studied Investment Management at the London Business School and has an MSc in Economics & Finance from Warwick Business School. She is also a mentor participating in the Warwick University Alumni Mentor Programme. Marina enjoys travelling and experiencing different cultures and customs. She is a multiple award winning photographer and uses her photography work to fundraise for charities. Marina published two photography books: ‘Protecting Antarctica’ and ‘Greenland and Antarctica: The Climate Change’. The book sale proceeds are donated to support the ‘Haven House’ and ‘Richard House’ hospices for children.
Ameera Binkaram (1978 - 2016)
Chairperson, Sharjah Business Women Council
Ameera was focused on Arab women’s empowerment and leadership in the region. A true ambassador for progressive values, she was focused on a broad range of human, animal and environmental issues.
Since 2010, Ameera had been the Chairperson of Sharjah Business Women’s Council. She was also the President of the Board of Trustees and a founding member of Friends of Cancer Patients Society (FoCP) that was established in 1999. Since 2011, Ameera had been a Jury Member for the Emirates Women Award and in 2012, she was honoured to be awarded the UAE’s “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Arab Women Award, an organization whose jury committee she had since been invited to lead. She was also elected to head the Women’s Chapter for the world’s oldest and largest international non-profit business association for CEOs: the CEO Clubs. She also served on the board of Education for Employment (EFE), a non-profit organization dedicated to youth employment, with a network of six locally-run non-profit affiliates across the Middle East and North Africa. Ameera was also a member of the Olave Baden-Powell Society, which supports the mission of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) to enable girls and young women to develop their fullest potential as responsible citizens of the world, and she sat on the board of the WAGGGS Development Fund headed by Princess Benedikte of Denmark. She also represented her country in 2011 as part of the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) as a guest of the US Embassy.
Ameera lost her life tragically and prematurely on October 22, 2016 along with her mother and sister. She will always be remembered as a pioneering change maker in the field of women's empowerment.
Mafalda Borea
Co-Founder & CEO, Key Media
Having moved from Lisbon to London to study Dance at the Rambert School followed by an Arts Management course at UCL, Mafalda, through her determination and a mail out of 100 CV’s, got an internship at CNN International's PR Department.
She ended up making a career in Media out of it and stayed at CNN for 13 years.
By the time she left she was heading up CNN’s Advertising Sales and Sponsorship division working with clients based in Southern Europe & the CIS region, supporting CNN’s editorial team in creating sponsor worthy content alongside managing a wonderful team of hardworking and focused women.
In 2011, Mafalda and her Madrid based business partner co founded Key Media. A boutique representation agency that exclusively represents the CNN Newsgroup and A&E Networks in Spain and Portugal, creating advertising solutions and sponsor worthy TV/WEB content tailor made for clients from the region.
Mafalda speaks Portuguese, English, Italian, Spanish, basic French and also learning Mandarin. She is a Strategic Advisor to the Deputy Director of the Confucius Institute for Business in London at the London School of Economics and she is also on the committee of a few charities and she tries to give back to the community as much as she can.
Mafalda found her career path blessed in the form of some formidable mentors. As a true believer in personal potential and the importance of mentorship, she now loves to share her experiences and to help steer and support youth and empower women starting out in the world of business.
Mafalda lives in London with her husband and twin sons.
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.
Marino Cavallo
Economist
Marino Cavallo has a relevant experience in the economic sector and he developped many analysis and studies about the relations between social and economic issues (considering the role of ICT technology and New Media).
He worked for over 20 years in Local and Territorial Authorities in Italy. In this period he achieved knowledge and experiences about public administration, innovation processes, projects to stimulate local and regional development. Moreover he started successful activities for the managing of European Projects and Programmes of interregional cooperation between the different countries of EU. Marino is Head of the Department Research, Innovation and Managment of EU Projects in the Metropolitan City of Bologna (Italy).
During the last ten years he was Adjunct professor in the University of Bologna (IT) and University of Ferrara. He delivered courses in Business administration, Economy, Sociology, Communication methodologies. He wrote over ten books (several of these publication are translated in english or in other european languages) and many articles and papers in scientific reviews. Among the latest books there are: “Projecting and promoting e-services”, “Green marketing and industrial areas”, “Macro Benchmarking Study. Pracitces in promoting sustainability in the SMEs and existing Gaps”, “Beyond Communication Society”. Finally, he is journalist and had collaborations with newspaper and academic and professional reviews. He delivered courses and speechs in important European Universities: Sorbonne (France), Charles University (Czech Republic), Leipzig (German), Lund (Sweden), etc.
Marino considers a priority mission give support to young people for their professional choises and promote better opportunities in the market labour.
Angela Chester-Johnson
Chief Executive Officer, GROW International Inc
Angela Chester –Johnson currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for GROW International Inc. (www.growinternational.net). She has enjoyed a long career in international affairs; largely as a technical writer, child and maternal health policy analyst, Africa advocate, and trade and business development consultant.
Angela has specialized in providing business solutions and building capacity and strategic partnerships for small and women owned businesses since 1995. Her efforts have generated economic development in emerging economies; led to greater export revenues for her client base; produced positive social outcomes for recipient communities; and documented benefits for all stakeholders involved.
Ms. Chester-Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Morgan State University, and a Masters in Public Administration from California State University, East Bay; with a focus in Public and International Policy. She has traveled throughout the world extensively in service of private and governmental clients in the trade and development arena. Angela subscribes to “pro-social capitalism”, and has been dubbed as a social engineer. She has spent almost two decades in support of the elevation of women and children worldwide, through literature, policy implementation and advocacy.
She is the author of many children’s literary works; and is the published author of two books: Fierce and Fabulous; Whispers of Wisdom in Times of Change and Mack and Missy (www.fierce-fabulous.com) – an early reader fiction. She additionally authored and self-published a series of travel pamphlets entitled “Kicking It on the Continent”. Ms. Chester-Johnson served as the city of Oakland’s Children’s Services Coordinator; and the Program Quality Division Chief for the District of Columbia’s Office of Early Care and Education. Her career has been a platform from which she has provided technical assistance and advocacy in the fields of entrepreneurship, child and maternal health/education, gardening/nutrition, and international affairs; spanning four continents. Her professional motto is aptly coined: “Teaching the World Through Trade”. She currently is a consultant for the Center for Technology in Education - Johns Hopkins School of Education, and serves as Director of Education and Gender Equality, on the board of Professionals for Humanity (PROFOH) the Global Thinker’s Forum’s Humanitarian Organization of the Year for 2013.
Angela resides in Washington, DC with her husband Mohamed Mbodj.
George Constantopoulos
Senior Partner, SWC
An early pioneer in the south-eastern Mediterranean Tech &IT industry, George founded Byte Computer, a business IT solutions provider with a reputation for designing and delivering complex projects in markets of diverse cultures.He forged exclusive value-added partnerships and strategic alliances with global vendors, namely IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, SAP, Google, Cisco, and HP, thereby gaining a competitive advantage and creating a launch pad for multi-million contracts.
Based on this success, George was recruited by IBM as regionalcountry manager to develop the market and secure a leadership position for the software group.
At SWC (South Western Consulting™), George brings 30 years of experience developing consultative sales cultures. Having worked with organisations like Google, Expedia, Oracle, Rackspace, Sungard, Exponential-e, T-Systems, to design and implement sales transformation programmes, George continues to engage with dynamic executives and entrepreneurs who are looking to expand their business and improve performance.
Click here to view George’s LinkedIn Profile
Roula A. Douglas
Journalist & Author
Roula A. Douglas is a journalist, author, human rights activist, university instructor and a speaker on women's rights, youth issues and media ethics. She is a feminist advocating for women’s human rights in Lebanon.
She serves as a mentor for the women’s rights and gender equality club at Saint-Joseph University in Beirut. She is also a member of UN Women Civil Society Advisory Group for the Arab States (CSAG). In 2010, she was nominated for the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the press (funded by the European Union).
Through her writings, lectures, activism, Roula works on empowering Lebanese women and youth and on promoting democracy and the Rule of the Law.
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.
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.
Susan Foley Rocco
Founder, Producer & Host, Women to Watch™ Media, LLC
Susan Foley Rocco is Founder, Producer and Host of Women to Watch™ Media, LLC – the premier global media platform for women leaders.
With a long-standing, professional background in marketing, communications, sales and advertising, Susan quickly identified the need for a stand-alone multimedia platform to inspire and encourage women to pursue leadership roles worldwide. Initially created as a weekly radio show, Women to Watch™ developed into digital, print, social media, events and video production programs that tell “the real story behind the titles” of some of the most accomplished women in history.
Routinely featuring c-suite executives at companies such as Comcast, Thomson Reuters, The Federal Reserve and IBM; top journalists and anchors including ABC News Foreign Correspondent Martha Raddatz, Gretchen Carlson and Joan Lunden; and activists like Sister Mary Scullion of Project Home, Ingrid Vandervelt, Founder of EBW2020, Attorney Gloria Allred and Dawn Engle, Founder of Peace Jam; Susan has brought attention to not only the successes, but to the challenges, doubts and even failures faced across the board by women trying to make it in their chosen career. Through each intimate interview and personal story shared, Rocco’s primary mission remains to connect, educate and encourage women in order to strengthen their self-esteem and live a purposeful life.
A life-long resident of the Philadelphia area, Rocco received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Villanova University. She was recognized in “Women on the Move” by The Philadelphia Business Journal and named one of the “Most Inspirational Women” by EBW 2020 in September 2016. Susan is currently a contributor for Arianna Huffington’s “Thrive Global Journal,” and a Global Thinkers Forum Mentor. She has also been featured in Huffpost Business, Philadelphia Life Magazine, and Real Women.
Susana Frazao-Pinheiro
Programme Director, Healthcare Management, University College London
Susana is currently programme director, Healthcare Management at University College London, where she teaches and has been developing new programmes and modulesat the School of Management, School of Pharmacy and Medical School.
She is Committee member of the Oxford Business Alumni London Chapter and is scientific advisor and associate on healthcare technology and innovation, and on emergencies and epidemics (MPP), Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. Susana combines almost 20 years of work in global health and infectious diseases from various perspectives (academia/research, policy, advisory and entrepreneurship) in the UK, USA, Portugal, Switzerland, Angola, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau.
Susana has acted as analytical project manager and post-doc Fellow in a Phase-I clinical trial for an HIV vaccine at Oxford. She has worked as consultant with the UN since 2006 at the Department for Peacekeeping Operations in NYC, UNDP in Geneva and Luanda and UNAIDS in Luanda, and with Ministries of Health. She was founder of a digital health start-up, and co-founder of IES-Social Business School, Portugal and of Oxford Entrepreneurs.
She holds a D.Phil in Clinical Medicine (HIV Immunology) and an MBA as Skoll scholar, both from the University of Oxford and BSc and post-graduation in Tropical Medical Microbiology, Portugal.
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
Eleni Glinou
Visual Artist, Researcher, Educator - Former Full time Professor, The Graphic Design Department
For 24 years Eleni practices as an artist and researcher who is directing her experience on meaningful, path breaking creative practices in undergraduate education.
She taught art, communication design and research fundamentals. As the head of the Graphic Design Department in the Technological Institute of Athens she oversaw the development of the new curriculum of the Department -a part of an EC program - and established relations with other European Universities.
Eleni repetitively supported and inspired her students to tackle serious research issues in their graduation thesis, and orientated their portfolio projects to commercial and research applications.
She has being evaluating, rating and doing the follow up for more than10 years for candidates applying for scholarships and post graduate studies, related to Communication and Graphic Design for the Greek State Scholarships Foundation (IKY) In US and European Universities.
She has created a great network of students internationally who are active in advertisement, business, digital media, creative industries, education and research and various areas of design. Since she worked at the Gallery 37 youth camp project in Chicago aiming to encourage and train students from various deprived backgrounds to continue successfully their education her research work is about raising consciousness and practices in creativity as a tool for change making in sharing environments.
Eleni also has a 28 year career as an artist. She has exhibited in Europe and the USA. Her art work is found in private and public collections internationally.
Eleni graduated from the Athens Academy of Fine Arts.
She has two MAs from RCA, London.
Art work http://eleniglinou.com/
Education work: http://eleniglinou.com/index.php/ed
Dr. Roger Hayes
FCIPR, Member, Emeritus IPRA
Dr. Roger Hayes (FCIPR, Member Emeritus IPRA) is a leading international public relations and public affairs professional with 30 years experience in trade associations, corporations and consultancies and has also advised governments.
He has been Director‐General of the British Nuclear Industry Forum, a lobbying and trade body, CEO of the International Institute of Communications,a research-based think-tank, SVP of PR and Government Relations at Ford of Europe, Director Corporate Communications Thorn‐EMI plc., Head of Corporate Communications PA Consulting Group and a Director of the strategic communications firm Burson‐Marsteller, operating from London and New York. He began his career as a Reuters correspondent in Paris. He was also co‐founder and Non-Executive Chairman of Echo Research, an international stakeholder insight firm.
For the past eight years he has been a Senior Counsellor with strategic communications and public affairs consultancy APCOWORLDWIDE, based in London, although he recently returned from a more than one year assignment as interim MD of the firm’s Indian operation based in Delhi, acting for private and public, Indian and international organisations. Roger is currently an adviser to the UK-India Business Council. He has also spent considerable periods of time as senior adviser to the African operation based in Johannesburg. He was for some years an adviser to the President and Government of Ghana.He is an experienced trainer, running workshops in SE Asia, Africa, India and the Middle East. He is also an approved EU institutions trainer.
During this time Roger Hayes completed his Doctorate in Public Relations and Public Diplomacy in a Globalised World at Henley Business School (2012), conducting research in eight countries. A graduate of London University (Bsc Economics) and the University of Southern California (MA International Relations), he often writes and lectures on leadership communications and public diplomacy issues around the world. He is part-time faculty at Henley Business School and Greenwich University. He is the author of the management best seller Systematic Networking and is currently writing a book on business-government-civil society collaboration.
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.
Sonja Lokar
Executive Director, CEE Network for Gender Issues
Sonja, born in Zagreb, Croatia is a sociologist and has been a political activist from her youth.
She is also an elected politician, a reformer and Secretary General of her parliamentary social democratic party between 1989-1991. She is a feminist and advocate for women’s human rights in Slovenia and internationally. As Executive Director of the CEE Network for Gender Issues and the Chair of the Stability Pact Gender Task Force she has been working with women activists across all social, ethnic, religious and political divides in 21 countries. As president of the European Women’s Lobby she works all over the European Union on Women issues and for the political empowerment of women.
John Kittmer
FCO, Director of Overseas Territories
John Kittmer was appointed Director of Overseas Territories at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office in December 2016. In that role, he holds office as Commissioner of the British Antarctic Territory and Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
The Director is responsible for UK policy towards its overseas territories, with a particular focus on good governance and the rule of law, economic sustainability and international relations. John has a broad range of experience across government having worked previously in the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Cabinet Office, the Department for Education & Employment (DfEE), as well as the Foreign Office (FCO). His most recent postings are:
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Dec 2016 - present: FCO, Director of Overseas Territories
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Jan 2013 - Dec 2016: FCO, Ambassador to Greece
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Jan 2011 – August 2012: DEFRA, Deputy Director, Inland Waterways & EU Strategy Support
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Sept 2008 – Sept 2010: DEFRA, Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State
Annie Krukowska
Programme Director, BBC Worldwide Labs - CEO, Bounce Republic
Annie Krukowska has spent almost 20 years leading media, advertising and technology organisations through business transformation. She has worked in senior roles for BSkyB, ITV, BBC Worldwide and Microsoft Advertising.
In her current role as Programme Director, Annie is responsible for strategy and delivery of the BBC Worldwide LABS, a digital media accelerator. She is also a Non-Executive Director and mentor to several startups and entrepreneurs.
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.
Attiya Mahmood
Pakistani Diplomat
Attiya Mahmood has served as a Pakistani diplomat for over 35 years. Her credentials include Ambassadorial posts to the Kingdom of Morocco, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Republic of Indonesia.
Most significantly, during her tenure in Jordan from 2010-13, she witnessed the transformative events unfolding in the region. Within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she has been involved with drawing and implementing an Africa Programme; providing diplomatic, economic, agricultural and educational training to African countries as part of Pakistan Government’s outreach policy for the Continent. She also headed and established the first Human Rights desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her experience further includes participation in HR Council meetings in Geneva and UNGA sessions in New York. Also as Head of the Americas Division in the Ministry, she overlooked bilateral relations with the US, Canada and the whole of Latin America. She travelled to the region and held bilateral meetings with her counterparts in Brazil, Canada and Mexico. Notably, she represented the Ministry in the Pakistan-US Strategic Dialogue meetings held in Washington and Islamabad during 2008-10, a challenging period in Pakistan-US bilateral relations. Besides her diplomatic experience, she also pioneered and organized unique shows and exhibitions to showcase Pakistani culture. She conceived and managed “Rhythms of the Indus” show, performed in the Royal Albert Hall, London in 2002. She also arranged and managed various highly successful music shows and trade exhibitions, including qawali performances; Truck Art shows and paintings exhibitions etc., in Toronto, Ankara, Manila, London, Rabat, Amman and Jakarta. Following her retirement, she has joined Ahemed E.H.Jaffer Foundation, a Not-For-Profit organization in Karachi as its Chief Operating Officer. Besides, she is also the Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan First Initiative (PFI), a civil society forum established in Karachi by former President of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf. She also serves on the Executive Board of All Pakistan Music Conference (APMC) Karachi, which works for the promotion and preservation of classical music.
Anjum Malik
Managing Partner, Alhambra U.S. Chamber - Vice President, HOFT/IAEI & Honorary Ambassador, The Polish Network of Women's Entrepreneurs
Anjum Malik is a global professional in the fields of international education, educational consulting, business development, and entrepreneurial management.
A committed educator, innovative public/private sector entrepreneur and cross-cultural adviser, she has an extensive international network of contacts, which she leverages on behalf of her global clients offering a valuable blend of critical thinking, judicious reasoning and focused deliberation.
Anjum’s belief in the power of education to improve society is evident in all aspects of her life. The organizations she has created and managed have enhanced the global competence of 150,000+ students and hundreds of professionals. Within her most nurtured passion –education – Anjum seeks innovative tools to improve teaching, learning, and access.
In all her endeavors, she strives to advance the empowerment of women and increase their safe and rightful participation in the workforce.
Anjum consults and trains on issues related to international education. She works with multiple educational and cultural outreach programs, has served on numerous boards, and has been regularly interviewed for and quoted in national and international media. In recognition of her global contribution to women’s entrepreneurship, Anjum was designated as an Honorary Ambassador of the Polish Network of Women Entrepreneurship Ambassadors during the 2015 European Congress of Small and Medium Enterprises in Katowice, Poland.For her leadership in education delivery and development, the Chamber was invited to become an inaugural member of President Barack Obama's "Partners for a New Beginning Program".
George Mavrelis
Senior Executive, Insurance, Coach & Leadership Mentor
George Mavrelis is a senior business executive in Greek insurance industry since the decade of 1990, holding diversified positions in the Commercial and Operational sectors of Insurance Companies.
George currently serves as an International Consultant in the Insurance Industry. In 2005 George joined INTERAMERICAN Group of Companies, part of Achmea, as Chief Commercial Officer. From 2005 till 2012, he managed major achievements such as the creation and development of alternative sales distribution channels, the restructure of sales networks, the design and implementation of the new regulation and remuneration on Sales Distribution Channels and also the design and promotion of new insurance and investment (Unit Link) products. Through these activities, George demonstrated strong competencies such as leadership, communication and influence, result orientation, problems prevention and solution. He held the position of Chief Operating Officer of INTERAMERICAN Group and also the position of Chairman and CEO of Road Assistance, Interamerican Finance and Imperio. Furthermore, George was a member of the Boards of Directors of INTERAMERICAN Group and “SESAE” (i.e. Hellenic Association of Insurance Companies’ Executives and Representatives). George has studied International Business and Business Administration (dual MBA) and has been certified by various programs on expertise areas such as executive management, leadership, financial services and insurance management. Finally, he has been the author of various articles regarding the Insurance Market which have been published by the Greek press.
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).
Rana Nejem
Founding Director, Yarnu - The Art of Social Intelligence
Author and Social & Cultural Intelligence coach, Rana Nejem started out her career as a broadcast journalist with Jordan Television. After working with CNN during the First Gulf War, she moved to the Royal Hashemite Court where she was responsible for His Majesty the late King Hussein’s International Media Department for 2 years.
Rana then moved into the field of communications and public relations leading the public diplomacy and communications work of the British Embassy in Amman for 18 years.
Rana founded her own company in 2013 – Yarnu – an Arabic word meaning to look towards, to aspire to with calm and serenity. Yarnu helps people to distinguish themselves by raising their social and cultural intelligence, enabling them to float with ease and confidence from one situation to the other. Rana has since been coaching, training and advising business executives, diplomats and officials helping them refine their professional profile, increase the impact of their personal presence and raise their inter-cultural intelligence.
Her first book “When in the Arab World: An Insider’s Guide to Living and Working with Arab Culture” was published in the UK May 2016. She is regularly invited to speak on the subject of cross-cultural communications.
Rana carries a Masters degree in International Communications and Negotiations from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and is certified as an International etiquette consultant by the International Etiquette and Protocol Academy in London. Rana was also trained by The Protocol School of Washington in International Protocol Management, and is a trained coach in Inter-Cultural Intelligence.
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..
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.
Safiye Ozuygun Sahin
Independent Consultant Banking, Financial Inclusion, Microfinance - ‘Champion for Women Award Winner’, Women in Banking & Finance UK
Safiye is a senior international banker with vast experience across many banking functions geographies and client segments. Over the last 20 years at Citi she worked as a Senior Investment Banker both in Turkey and in London covering several FTSE 100 multinational corporates and underwriting complex financing transactions. She helped corporate clients to manage their investments and financing needs globally.
She worked as the Regional Head for Citi’s Internal Audit and Risk Management Group and was responsible from Europe Middle East and Africa consisting 52 countries. She was one of the Citibankers who has been selected as Senior Credit Officer globally.
In order to pursue her life-long ambition and commitment for women’s economic empowerment, Safiye joined Citi Microfinance in 2009 as a Global Business Director. She has since worked to address issues of access to finance for micro entrepreneurs focusing on building scalable solutions and bringing the capabilities of Citi’s businesses to microfinance institutions, banks and corporate clients that work with unbanked and underserved low income communities. Citi Microfinance provided funding to 40 microfinance institutions with outreach to almost 1 million micro-entrepreneurs in 22 countries, approximately 91% of whom are women.
In 2014, she has been given ‘Champion for Women Award’ by Women in Banking and Finance UK Network (WIBF) in recognition for her contribution to women in the workplace and women economic empowerment globally.
She has also co-founded Women Advancing Microfinance UK Platform bringing together microfinance and financial inclusion female advocates.
She sits on the board of non-profit Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work (Kadin Emegini Degerlendirme Vakfi) and Maya Microfinance Institution which is the first microfinance institution in Turkey.
She is also Senior Advisory Board Member at British Chamber of Commerce Turkey.
She has MSc degree in Banking and Finance from Nottingham University and BA in Economics from Bogazici University in Istanbul. She has dual nationality; British and Turkish and lives in Turkey and works as an independent consultant on global projects around financial inclusion, microfinance, banking and risk management.
Peter Rosen
Executive & Business Coach & Mentor
Peter has had a 40 year career in Industry. During this time he was the Chief Executive Officer of a World Class company based in London.
As CEO he led the business to gain one of the first Queen`s awards for Sustainable Development and 15 other awards for Business Excellence including two City of London Sustainable City awards. Peter is currently working as an Executive and Business Coach and Mentor for many organisations from Universities, Start-ups, Small Businesses to larger Corporates. In 2015 he was named University College London Business Mentor of the year.
As a Coach and Mentor, Peter has experience in many sectors including:- Printing and Publishing, Private Equity and Venture Capital, Technology, Food and Drink, IT and IT security, Import / Export, Media, Music Business, Manufacturing, Family Business, Healthcare, Fashion, Finance, Education, Property, Telecoms
Peter holds 11 Accreditations plus a Certificate in Executive Coaching from the University of Cambridge and is an alumnus of the Prince of Wales Business and The Environment Programme.
He is also a Freeman of the City of London.
Further information can be found on Peter Rosen`s website:-
Fernando Salvetti
Founder & Managing Partner, Logosnet
Founder and Managing Partner of Logosnet since 1996. As an “edupreneur”, he is a pioneer in the fields of immersive simulation, augmented and virtual reality, knowledge dissemination, communication of science and technology, international and cross-cultural communication, soft-skills development.
Italian national, epistemologist, anthropologist and lawyer by background, he is currently based in Turin (Italy), Lugano (Switzerland), and Houston (USA)--used to travel all year round to serve clients based in more than 80 countries. In the past he was mainly based in Paris (France), Berlin (Germany) and Dubai (UAE).
Among his latest achievements there is e-REAL: a cornerstone for interactive simulation, immersive education and visual communication.
As key-note speaker and adjunct or visiting professor, he currently serves as part-time faculty at a number of universities and advanced schools.
Among the latest books that Fernando co-authored there are “Learning 4.0:
Advanced Simulation and Immersive Experiences, Interactive Infographics, Online Learning, Mentoring and Coaching”; “Employability. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities for the Glocal World”; “Glocal Working: Living and Working Across the World with Cultural Intelligence”; “Ethics & Business: Sustainability, Social Responsibility and Ethical Instruments”; “Learn How to Learn!”.
Iliana Schmatelka
Managing Director, International Leadership Institute, Austria/ Bulgaria
Iliana Schmatelka is an international consultant on corporate governance -financial, organizational and operational research and development of companies and projects. Her expertise includes consulting services in developing and implementing of new strategies and change management.
Iliana is a certified business coach, trainer and mentor for managers with extensive international experience. She has in-depth expertise in the creation of leadership and management skills for business development in a multicultural environment.
Iliana has over 25 years experience as a CEO of banking and investment institutions, as well as in the management of companies in Austria, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Russia, Poland, Serbia, Croatia and other Central and Eastern European counties. Over the past five years she has been active as consultant in the management and implementation of projects for international financial, governmental and non-governmental institutions, such as the UN, IFC - World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Global Dialogue Foundation and others in countries like India, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, USA. In Austria she has worked in projects of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government of Lower Austria.
As an alumni of the Global Executive MBA program Iliana has a dual MBA degree from the Carlson School of Management - University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, USA and from the University of Economics and Business Administration in Vienna, Austria and a masters degree in Economics from the University for National and World Economy in Sofia, Bulgaria. She isfluent in four languages- English, Russian, German and Bulgarian, lives with her family in Vienna and works on projects around the globe.
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.
David Stringer-Lamarre
Managing Director, Fortis Consulting London - Chairman, IoD City
David is the Managing Director of Fortis Consulting London which helps organisations & individuals meet their objectives via knowledge input, skills development & partnership facilitation. Combining commercial knowledge with top quality engagement skills, the team of over 30 consultants, has deep experience of working with British and International companies.
There are five divisions: Consulting, Partnership Facilitation, Seminars & Briefings, Coaching and Talent search. The company is also pleased to work with a number of partners whose services address the diverse requirements of our clients.
David is the Chairman of the Institute of Directors, City of London. He frequently engages with members of the Central Government, The City of London Corporation, diplomats, business leaders and their senior teams, to discuss how to drive up business performance. David can often be seen at City & wider London events. Recently he has spoken within the Mansion House, the House of Lords, the House of Commons, Chartered Accountants Hall & the Law Society.
He has wide experience in the design and delivery of corporate consultancy and management education. David holds several degrees including International Relations and an MBA. He has worked with many medium and large organisations, UK based and multi-nationals. Start-ups and scale ups, including those looking to enter the UK market, are growing areas of activity.
David is a frequent participant at conferences contributing to a wide range of subjects, including transformational change, entrepreneurship and the need for effective communication between international business cultures. David has spoken at London Business School, Imperial College Business School, Cass Business School, LSE, King’s College London and several other universities.
He holds the Business Cultural Trainer’s Certificate and has travelled in over 70 countries. He engages with many international business groups including from China, USA, Slovakia, Estonia, UAE, Poland, Switzerland, Peru, Malaysia, India and Thailand.
David is a Court Member (Executive) and Committee Chairman of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers in the City of London, an ancient Livery Company whose existence was first recorded in 1328.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors (established 1903 & Royal Charter awarded in 1906), a member of the Bank of England Institute of Directors Panel, the City of London FinTech Action Network, Tech London Advocates, The 48 Group Club ‘The Icebreakers’, the British Malaysian Society, the Austrian Business Circle, the Arab Women of the Year Awards Advisory Board, the Chinese Business Leaders Awards Judging Panel, the Imperial College Business School Alumni Financial Services Group, the Court of City University, the Cass Business School Entrepreneurs Network and a Vice President of Blackheath (Rugby) Football Club.
David Stringer-Lamarre MBA, MA, LLB, BA, DIC, PGCE, FIoD.
Souad Talsi MBE
Founder, Al-Hasaniya Moroccan Women Centre
Born in Morocco, Souad came to the UK as a young child and has lived and worked here in London ever since. As an active member of her local community, she saw the need for a centre to serve women of Arab origin and founded Al-Hasaniya Moroccan Women’s Centre.
Thirty years on the said centre is still thriving and serving a whole community with a spectrum of needs and challenges. Recognised for her outstanding commitment to the voluntary sector and work within the Arab migrant community of London, Souad was named in the Queen’s Birthday list in June 2011, and was duly awarded an MBE. She is a member of the Council for Moroccans abroad, an appointment made by the King of Morocco Mohamed VI. During Gordon Brown’s government, she was the only Arab woman appointed as a member of the National Muslim Advisory Panel Group. Souad was also an active and regular contributor to the UN global forum on migration and development until recently. She also sat on the Mayors’ Refugee and Migrant’s Advisory Group, in addition to many other committees and trustee boards, she still serves and supports.
Joan Wucher King
Chairman & Chief Executive, Arundel Consulting
Joan Wucher King provides a range of advisory services to professional services firms and senior management as head of Arundel Consulting, which she founded in 2002.
Joan has worked in all areas of professional communications and market analytics throughout her career, handling extensive industry marketing, strategic and creative assignments. She began her career as a university lecturer, before joining The Financial Times as journalist covering the Middle East. Joan was head of corporate communications at a UK merchant bank and then partner in charge of financial services and industry marketing at Andersen, the global professional services firm and went on to head financial services marketing at KPMG, another global professional services firm. Her current portfolio of work covers a wide range of industry sectors, including financial services, pharma and healthcare, technology and real estate for client markets in the US, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
During Joan’s time in the Middle East, she wrote a major history of modern Egypt, a country where she did her graduate degree and worked as a lecturer, journalist and researcher. While in Saudi Arabia she led research on a variety of political and economic topics for the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She has a particular professional and personal interest in the interplay of religion and politics and is currently writing on that topic. Joan is is a founding board member of the Quorum Initiative, a group which supports the professional advancement of women to C-Suite positions internationally.
