Speakers 2024

2024 Speakers

Ex-President & CEO, Honeywell, Global High Growth Regions

Shane Tedjarati

Chairman of VS Partners & Co-founder

SuperBridge Council

Hong Kong SAR

Ahmed Emre Buyukkilic

Country Advisor

Investment Office of the Presidency of Türkiye

Türkiye

Miguel Rio-Tinto: Transforming Emirates NBD with visionary technology and digital leadership

Miguel Rio Tinto

CIO

Emirates NBD

United Arab Emirates

Omosalewa O

EVP

Global Expansion & Payment Partnerships

South Africa

Saravan Penubarthi

Chief Technology and Operations Officer

AIQ

United Arab Emirates

Charlie, a pioneering investor and entrepreneur, has driven over 90 seed-stage investments across 35 countries through Seedstars International Ventures, establishing the firm as a leading enabler of emerging market startups since its inception in 2014.

Charlie Graham-Brown

General Partner

Seedstars International Ventures

Switzerland

As CEO of Ozow, Thomas successfully led the company through a $48 million Series B raise, spearheaded by Tencent. Under his leadership, Ozow has grown to serve over 8 million customers in South Africa, processing payments for global giants like Uber.

Thomas Pays

CEO & Co-founder

Ozow

South Africa

Dr. Kevin Li is the Chairman of Mojia Biotech, a global leader in sustainable bio-manufacturing, and Managing Partner at LYZZ Capital, a top biotech venture fund. With over 25 years of experience, he has co-founded multiple successful biotech companies and serves on the boards of various industry leaders, driving innovation in the sector.

Kevin Li

Chairman

Mojia Biotech

China

Mustafa Alrawi is a journalist and writer bridging the Middle East and the West through dynamic, insightful storytelling.

Mustafa Alrawi

Group Director of Editorial Partnerships

International Media Investments (IMI)

United Arab Emirates

Hadi Badri

CEO of Economic Development

Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism

United Arab Emirates

Dr. Alex Aliper

Co-Founder and President

Insilico Medicine

United Arab Emirates

Vish Narain, TPG's youngest Country Manager globally, has over two decades in Private Equity, leading $1B investments across healthcare, technology, and finance while serving on 15+ boards and earning accolades as a Young Global Leader and Aspen Fellow.

Vish Narain

Managing Partner

Pulsar Group (ex- TPG Growth)

India

Climate Entrepreneur and Investor on a Mission of Aligning the Future of Computing with the Future of the Climate.

Mustapha Mokass

Founder and CEO

Earth Technologies

Singapore

TechdestiNation Pakistan- where innovation meets ambition!

Zeeshan R. Khattak

CEO

Pakistan Software Export Board

Pakistan

Zszusanna Hargitai, Managing Director at EBRD, champions SME growth across Europe, leveraging decades of expertise to innovate financing solutions and enhance business advisory services for emerging markets.

Zsuzsanna Hargitai

Managing Director – SME Finance and Development

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

United Kingdom

H.E Omar Sultan Al Olama

Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, Remote Work Applications in the UAE

United Arab Emirates

Thought leader on cloud computing building a global network of next generation sovereign clouds.

Robert Jenkin

CEO

CloudSigma

Switzerland

I led 198 countries to agree on the Mitigation Work Program decision in the UAE Consensus at COP28.

Ghanim Hableel

Lead Negotiator – Mitigation

COP28

United Arab Emirates

Prateek Vahie

Chief Commercial Officer

WIO Bank

United Arab Emirates

A seasoned media and research expert focused on convert complex research findings and data into compelling narratives, enhancing understanding and impact.

Yan Duan

Founder

Simple Steps

China

Visionary CEO igniting the region’s economy through disruptive financial platforms and digital ecosystems.

Jayesh Patel

CEO

Wio bank

United Arab Emirates

Faisal Al Hammadi is a Managing Partner at Further, an investment platform for entrepreneurs, and also serves as Chairman of ZeroTwo and a board member at Wio Bank, holding an MBA from Columbia and being part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Faisal Al Hammadi

Managing Partner

Further Ventures

United Arab Emirates

A trusted advisor for innovation, commercialization, and venture investment in North America, Ling expertly coaches startup founders, professors, researchers, and graduate students on their entrepreneurial journeys.

Ling Loerchner

Head and General Manager

Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (JITRI)

China

Seena Amidi is a driving force in the global startup ecosystem. He launched accelerator programs in Silicon Valley and now leads Plug and Play's expansion across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Seena will be at GITEX 2024 to connect with promising startups and key players in the Middle East, fostering growth and collaboration within the tech industry.

Seena Amidi

Managing Partner, EMEA

Plug and Play Tech Center

Spain

In 2023, he was named among the world's top 2% most influential scientists

Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal

Rector

Istanbul Technical University (ITU)

Türkiye

With over 35 years in the UAE, Abid Junaid has redefined the nation's landscape with landmark projects, from delivering the world’s tallest residential tower to introducing first-of-their-kind developments across Dubai.

Abid Junaid

Chairman & Managing Director

Radiant Star Group

India

Pioneering deep-tech investment for climate in Southeast Asia

Tien Nguyen

Founding Partner

Earth Venture Capital

Vietnam

Dr. Yi Wang, founder of LAIX Inc., revolutionized language learning by launching award-winning AI-driven products like "English Liulishuo" and "DongNi," leading the company to serve over 227 million users and become the first AI + Education firm listed on the NYSE.

Dr. Yi Wang

Founder and CEO

LAIX Inc.

China

Dr. Moustafa Moharram

Chairman

Moharram & Partners | Public Affairs & Strategic Communications

Egypt

Poonam is a global PPP transformation impact leader, winner of the CIBC Achievers Award in the 2007 financial crisis, served Clinton Global Initiative, former Head of Malaysian Diaspora strategy, and is the first Carbon Fund Advisory Board member of Kazakhstan. 

Poonam Balan

Founding Partner

TACT INVEST Group & DiversityisPOWER.

Germany

China Phobia theory Founder 

Dr. Karim Alwadi

Co-Founder

Beltway Group

China

Everyone in Dubai has his Future Money book.

Ronit Ghose

Head of Future Finance

Citi

United Arab Emirates

Recognized globally as an innovative ConTech leader, Dr. Anas Bataw has redefined Innovations and technology in the Built Environment across MENA , Singapore, and UK, earning accolades for his impactful contributions

Dr. Anas Bataw

Strategy and innovation director | Executive Advisor - PIF

KEO

Saudi Arabia

We are working with the Hong Kong government at the moment on the biggest decarbonisation and property-related innovation program: hkchallenge.carbonless.asia

Tony A Verb

Founding Partner & CEO

Carbonless Asia Pte. Ltd.

Singapore

Dr. Karim El Solh the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Capital, the largest private equity firm in the Gulf region and is a board member of the Global Private Capital Association and the Chairman of the GPCA Middle East Council.

Dr. Karim El Solh

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Gulf Capital

United Arab Emirates

First investment check to the MENA region's first fintech unicorn - Tabby.

Gaurav Dhar

Group CEO

Marshal Fintech Partners

United Arab Emirates

Tin Pei Ling

Co-President

MetaComp

Singapore

Lina Hediah

CEO and Co-Founder

CXDA

United Arab Emirates

Helped pioneer secure digital asset custody solutions for one of the first Swiss-regulated crypto banks, managing $1B+ AUC under regulatory oversight.

Jose J.Perez Aguinaga

CTO and Co-Founder

Tungsten

United Arab Emirates

A visionary leader in high-tech innovation, honored with top awards and pivotal roles in shaping industry and policy across the Netherlands and China.

Hans Duisters

Founder and CEO

Sioux Group

Netherlands

Sean Moss-Pultz is a pioneer in digital ownership as CEO of Bitmark, transforming property rights with blockchain, and co-creator of Feral File, a leading digital art gallery; he also launched Openmoko, the first open-source phone, paving the way for modern smartphones.

Sean Moss-Pultz

Co-founder | Feral File

Founder | Bitmark

United States

CTO for 2Tokens.org – Energy Tokenization Working Group, Inventor US Navy Cash

Leon Gerard Vandenberg

CEO and CTO

Sunified Group BV

Netherlands

Khaled Talhouni is building a full lifecycle investment firm at Nuwa Capital, after having invested in over 150 regional startup successes including Careem, Mumzworld, Insider, Calo, Eyewa and many more. 

Khaled Talhouni

Managing Partner

Nuwa Capital

United Arab Emirates

Veteran banker, digital leader, game changer (Senior Advisor - McKinsey & Co; Executive Advisor - Mastercard; Advisory Board member - IBM; Senior Advisor - SAS Institute; Chairperson - NewBridge Fintech; Host - “Money Majlis” podcast, ex Senior EVP & Group Head, ENBD)

Suvo Sarkar

Founder & CEO

3D Advisory (ex-ENBD)

United Arab Emirates

Ian Johnston leads one of Dubai’s top Financial Services regulators, the Dubai Financial Services Authority. Previously a lawyer, Mr Johnston’s influence within the regulatory sector extends globally.

Ian Johnston

Chief Executive

Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA)

United Arab Emirates

Dr. Bo Bai

Executive Chairman & Co-Founder

MVGX Group

Singapore

2024 Aspen McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund Recipient

Jack Hsu

Founder and CEO

Ivy Group International Inc.

China

Impact entrepreneur, driving the economic transformation of African economies through innovation and technology

Joshin Raghubar

Chairperson

iKineo Ventures, UVU Africa & the Inves Group

South Africa

Mohammad Alblooshi, Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Innovation Hub. His passion for encouraging the growth of FinTech and emerging technologies in Dubai has made him a strong advocate of fostering innovation within the DIFC start-up ecosystem – DIFC Innovation Hub.

Mohammad Alblooshi

CEO

DIFC Innovation Hub

United Arab Emirates

Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla is a distinguished UAE political scientist, Harvard Fellow, and influential thinker on Gulf and Arab political dynamics, with a storied career including senior roles at LSE, Georgetown, and major research contributions.

Dr. AbdulKhaleq Abdulla

Professor Emeritus of Political Science

UAE University

United Arab Emirates

Mr. Bharat Shah is the Executive Director at ASK Group, India’s biggest discretionary portfolio manager.

Bharat Shah

Executive Director

Ask Group

India

Ashish is a tech-enthusiast with a passion for entrepreneurship and who spends a fair amount of his time giving back to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region.

Ashish Panjabi

COO

Jacky’s Group of Companies

Hong Kong/UAE

Battery technology for green future.

Dr. Prof. Eng. Noshin Omar

Chairman and Founder

AVESTA Holding

Belgium

Tarek Sultan spearheaded the growth of Agility into a global leader in supply chain services, infrastructure, and innovation, with a workforce of 54,000+ employees and operations across six continents.

Tarek Sultan

Chairman

Agility Global

Kuwait

Leading one of the largest travel companies in the world.

Jane Sun

CEO

Trip.com Group

China

Top10 CIO in Asia 2023 by CEO Insights Asia

Takashi Maruyama

Chief Investment Officer

Asset Management One

Japan

Prof. Liu Qing, as Director of the National Innovation Center par Excellence and President of the Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute, has pioneered breakthrough approaches in R&D management and cross-regional innovation collaboration, significantly advancing technological innovation in China's Yangtze River Delta region

Dr. Liu Qing

Director

National Innovation Centre par Excellence (NICE)

China

Nathalie Capati, Forbes 30 Under 30 Energy, first 5 engineers on Apple SPG, primary inventor of modular ESS for SERES EV, CEO & cofounder of Jasmine Energy - global leader in tracking & trading clean energy (CEC), backed by Y Combinator.  

Nathalie Capati

CEO

Jasmine Energy

United States

GP of ACHI Capital

Timothy Chen

General Partner

ACHI Capital

United States

Michael Levesque is a seasoned engineer with two Master’s degrees and over 35 years of experience in power and infrastructure. As an Ambassador and Fellow of the International Trade Council and a Tier 1 UN Contractor, he leads AstralENERGY in transforming energy access in underdeveloped nations and fostering bilateral trade with the UAE.

Hon. Michael Levesque

President and Chief Technical Officer

AstralENERGY Renewables Ltd.

United Arab Emirates

Pioneering in Latin American investment with over 30 years of experience, managing approximately $500 million in listed securities markets.

Fernando X. Donayre

CEO

Inca Investment (LATAM investment management firm)

United States

Sustainability and climate leader who builds institutions that create impact at scale

Dr. Miniya Chatterji

Chief Executive Officer

Sustain Labs Paris

United Arab Emirates

Silver medalist at the North Pole marathon

Marcel Kasumovich

Deputy CIO

Coinbase Asset Management

United Arab Emirates

Since founding Greengage we've facilitated nearly $300m USD of lending.

Sean Kiernan

CEO and Founder

Greengage

United Kingdom

FORTUNE China 2022 Most Powerful Woman

Vanessa Xu

Executive Chairman and CIO  I VS Partners

Co-Founder I SuperBridge Council

Hong Kong S.A.R

Chan’s career is a superbridge between US, Asia and MENA: president of two leading universities at the heart of technology innovation in HK/China and MENA, member of KSA RDI Supreme Committee, head of largest Directorate at US National Science Foundation, member of US National Academy of Engineering.”

Prof. Tony Chan

Immediate past president

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)

Saudi Arabia

A prominent leader managing over $12 billion in assets and responsible for 20,000 people, driving sustainable growth, and innovation, building long-term value across multiple sectors.

Jalal Gasimov

CEO

PASHA Holding

Azerbaijan

Nobel Peace Laureate 

Lameen Abdul-Malik

Senior Advisor to Chairman | Roland Berger

Nobel Peace Prize (IAEA) 2005

United Arab Emirates

A multifaceted leader in the retail industry, recognized as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader

Dee Poon

President, Brands and Retailing

Tessellation

Hong Kong S.A.R

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