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How to be a Better Leader.
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DiliTrust
Léna DRIDI - DiliTrust
DiliTrust provides the DiliTrust Governance suite, designed to overcome the challenges of digital...
Driving Force in Business Restructuring and Transformation in the Mobility Industry to Accelerate Growth, Optimize Performance, and Maximize Profitability.
Over her distinguished twenty-year career in the automotive sector, Sanaa Ouahmane has been a driving force of innovation and growth. She embarked on her journey in France with the Hertz Corporation, where her direct involvement in operations and her strategic foresight led to remarkable achievements. Recognized for her expertise, Sanaa was appointed as General Manager at the Qatari Almana Group in 2011. There, she played a pivotal role in elevating Hertz Qatar as a leader in the car rental industry and restructuring the Almana pre-owned cars and multi-brand to be a profitable division.
Currently, as the CEO of AWR Mobility Services and AWR Trading, Sanaa leads a diverse range of strategic initiatives, setting new benchmarks in mobility service excellence. Under her visionary leadership, SHIFT Leasing has been transformed into one of the UAE”s leading car rental companies, boasting a fleet of over 14,000 vehicles across more than 16 locations nationwide. Sanaa also spearheaded the launch of SUBSCRIBE ME, an innovative car subscription service that has revolutionized mobility solutions in the region. With its seamless digital platform and flexible offerings, SUBSCRIBE ME has redefined customer convenience, providing greater flexibility and choice in how people access and experience mobility.
Sanaa’s role extends to managing a diverse portfolio of AWR Automotive divisions, including AWR Allied products, AWR Certified Pre-Owned Cars, NXT Multi-brand Used Cars, Royal Enfield Motorcycles UAE, and Autotrust Automotive Service Centers. With a dedicated team of over 500 professionals, she has been instrumental in driving business growth and maximizing profitability through strategic brand expansions, operational efficiencies, and a strong focus on fostering a culture of excellence and innovation. Her efforts were recognized with prestigious awards such as the Dubai Quality Group ‘Organizational Culture’ Award at Ideas Arabia 2023 for the innovative ‘I CAN WOW’ initiative, which infused the company with a spirit of innovation and attentiveness. Furthermore, she has been honored as the ‘CEO and Trailblazer in UAE’s Mobility Sector’ and received the ‘Best Innovative Mobility Provider in the UAE’ award at the International Business Awards.
Yauheniya Nestsiarenka
Sales Manager, The Brain & Performance Centre – A DP World Company, Dubai
Originally from Belarus, Yauheniya brings over 10 years of experience in healthcare sales, with a proven track record of driving revenue growth for boutique healthcare projects across the UAE. She’s skilled at identifying new business opportunities and building lasting client relationships. Her expertise spans healthcare strategy, sales growth, and client relationship management, making her a key driver of success in every project she takes on.
Dr Roshanak Bassiri Gharb
Equity Partner, Clyde & Co, Dubai
Roshanak is a Solicitor of England and Wales and an Italian Avvocato, with a PhD in Law from the University of Padua and an Executive MBA from London Business School. Roshanak has practiced corporate M&A and banking & finance in Milan and London for nearly a decade before moving in 2018 to the corporate M&A and corporate insurance team of Clyde & Co in Dubai. Prior to joining Clyde she was seconded at Gide Tehran and, further to such experience, she was appointed head of Iranian Desk at Chiomenti.
She is the co-head of Clyde & Co healthcare business unit in the MEA region and has a particular expertise in this field. She has been advising on a number of cross-border M&A transactions regarding investments and divestments in various countries and on group reorganizations such as mergers, spin-offs and transformations of companies. She covers a wide area of sectors including insurance/regulated businesses, fintech, logistics/ports, TMT, FnB, energy, education etc. She has also acquired significant expertise in connection with acquisition and project financing and debt issuance transactions.
Roshanak has also been working in the energy field and, specifically in the oil and gas sector, providing advise with respect to, inter alia, natural gas and LNG sale and purchase agreements, EPC and O&M contracts. Besides providing day-to-day assistance to companies operating in the oil & gas field, she has been seconded for almost 18 months in the Banking & Capital Markets department of Eni S.p.A. She is the chair of the MEA D&I committee, member of the MEA people development committee and member of the global corporate & advisory committee at Clyde & Co.
HE. Safeya AlSafi
Undersecretary Assistance of Commercial Control & Governance Sector at the Ministry of Economy
She is Chair of the Company Registrars Sub-Committee in UAE. She is also a member of The National Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Financing of Terrorism and Illegal Organizations Committee (NAMLCFTC) and member of The National Food Safety Committee. She has more than 10 years of experience in the banking sector and more than 4 years in the government sector and got several leadership positions. During her career, she established many departments, such as Anti-Money Laundering Department in Ministry of Economy that supervises the Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) across UAE. She established the risk-based approach framework of beneficial ownership transparency among all company licensing authorities in the UAE, including mainland and commercial free zones. In addition, she established the Private Banking Department in the Emirates Islamic Bank.
Anita Gupta
Chief Investment office Head of Equity Strategy, Emirates NBD
Anita Krishna Gupta presently with the Wealth Management CIO Office at Emirates NBD as a senior strategist. An alumnus of IIM Calcutta, India supplemented with further leadership, NED and tech learning over the years. Passionate mentor for women’s financial literacy and girls education. 35 years of experience across the global investment arena.
Zeena Zalamea
Producer, Dubai Eye 103.8, Arabian Radio Network
Zeena Zalamea is a broadcaster and producer for TV, radio, podcasts and global events. She has produced more than 10,000 hours of quality on-air content for Dubai Eye 103.8, Dubai One TV and a number of podcast series. She co-founded Portal Productions, a podcast production company, and developed the Soundbite Media Communication Programme, which prepares individuals for media interviews and other public speaking engagements.
Dr. Anita Yadav
CEO, Global Credit Advisory Ltd
Dr. Anita is a seasoned wholesale banker and board member with over 30 years of experience in capital markets and development finance across Australia, Asia, China, India, and the Middle East. She has held leadership roles at multinational organizations such as the New Development Bank, UBS, Nomura, Moody’s, and Emirates NBD, among others. Dr. Yadav is highly skilled in mobilizing private capital, macroeconomic analysis, debt and equity capital markets (DCM & ECM), loan syndication, sovereign and corporate debt analysis, credit and market risk, Islamic finance, investments, lending, trading, and funds management. She has a proven track record of establishing new business lines in culturally and geographically diverse markets, consistently exceeding profit targets while leading and managing large teams. A founding board member of the Gulf Capital Market Association, Dr. Yadav is currently focused on ESG and development finance, leveraging her expertise to drive sustainable financial solutions and market growth.
Neil Cabral
CEO – Single Family-Office, GFG Alliance
Neil Cabral is an accomplished executive and has extensive experience spanning over three decades having worked in global companies across strategy, finance, wellness, pharmaceuticals, family offices, private, retail and corporate banking, business development and leading complex businesses which span multiple geographical regions. His remarkable ascent to be ranked 45th amongst the 100 Most Influential Indians in UAE and 63rd amongst the 100 Most Successful Indians in UAE underscores Cabral’s outstanding achievements in his illustrious career.
Cabral, till recently, was the executive director and board member of Himalaya Wellness Worldwide (erstwhile The Himalaya Drug Company), one of India’s largest multinational pharmaceutical company where he laid the foundation for global expansion. He was also the CEO of its’ single-family office. Cabral has held several senior leadership positions across multiple global financial hubs including managing director and global head at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) private bank, executive director at Standard Chartered Bank, executive director at Credit Agricole (Suisse) SA Private Bank, senior vice president at Citibank, vice president HSBC, director at ICICI Bank and managing director & global head of key clients at Lighthouse Canton, a Singapore headquartered leading investment management firm and multi-family office overseeing in excess of $4 billion of total assets under management and advisory. He’s closely worked with various principals and stakeholders across Europe, Dubai, Singapore, London, Switzerland, Paris, India and Hong Kong. Cabral also actively serves as a board member on several prominent companies globally including Reliance and Star India as well as a renowned media company, Beacon Media co-founded by Dr. Deepak Chopra.
Maliha Jilani
Managing Partner, Heidrick & Struggles MENA
Maliha Jilani is Managing Partner of Heidrick & Struggles’ Middle East and North Africa, based in the Dubai office. She is a member of the firm’s global Social Impact and Board practices. Maliha has been a trusted advisor to clients for over 20 years on topics including CEO succession planning, organizational culture and effectiveness, and board governance, and brings strong expertise in leading CEO, C-suite and board placements. Maliha also co-chairs Women’s Inclusion Network (WIN) for Asia Pacific and Middle East, an Employee Resource Group (ERG) to support the development of women within Heidrick & Struggles. An alumnus of the University of Virginia, she is committed to contributing to and promoting a positive and inclusive culture wherever she works.
Dolly Ramaiya
Founder and MD, Truleum
Dolly Ramaiya is the Founder and Managing Director of Truleum Studio, a venture builder based in Dubai; and the Founding Partner & SEO of Truleum Venture Partners, a technology-focused early-stage venture capital firm—both based in Dubai, UAE.
With over 17 years of experience in the GCC region, predominantly in the fintech sector, Dolly has been a driving force behind the growth of several transformative companies. As a founding team member of YAP, the UAE’s first independent digital banking platform, she played a critical role in establishing strategic partnerships, spearheading regional expansion, and structuring regulatory frameworks. Her expertise extends to organizational restructuring, regulatory compliance, and leading major M&A projects with entities like C3 Card Edenred.
Dolly’s career reflects a front-row seat to the “Fintech Revolution,” witnessing the evolution of traditional banking, payment systems, and cards into a thriving ecosystem of digital innovation. Her tenure at American Express further honed her expertise in managing consumer premium products, credit operations, and corporate business strategies.
In addition to her fintech accomplishments, Dolly has provided strategic consulting to startups in Oman and the UAE, leveraging her deep industry & market knowledge to support their growth and success. She is passionate about bridging the gap between venture building and investment, aligning operational and intellectual capital to empower early-stage companies.
Through Truleum Studio and Truleum Venture Partners, Dolly champions a holistic, hands-on approach to startup development and investment, fostering innovation and sustainable growth across the Middle East.
Jack Uppal
President and Managing Director, GM Africa and Middle East
In November 2022, Jack Uppal was named President and Managing Director for General Motors (GM) in Africa and the Middle East. In this position, Uppal is responsible for driving long-term strategic and sustainable growth for General Motors throughout the region.
To-date, he has spearheaded the acceleration of the organization’s digital transformation and expanded GM Middle East’s connectivity footprint across the region, powered by OnStar. With the aim of reimagining the customer journey, his vision of the future of mobility championed the integration of connectivity features with IoT technology to enhance the driving experience and safety in smart cities.
In addition, Uppal has a demonstrated history of commercial success and expertise in electrification, which will be crucial as GM guides the industry’s shift towards an all-electric future, aligned with their global vision of zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion. Uppal strongly believes in putting the consumer at the forefront of the business, enhancing internal culture and employee development, establishing robust relationships, and incorporating innovation to promote a strategic and inclusive approach.
Uppal brings a wealth of global experience, having held numerous leadership roles with General Motors in sales, marketing, and strategic planning across China, India, Singapore, Egypt, the Middle East, and his home country of Canada. He was instrumental in guiding GM China’s Chevrolet towards an electric vehicle portfolio, supporting distribution channels, and significantly contributing to product development and design.
Dr. Umair Qurashi
Consultant Physician at The Brain & Performance Centre
Dr. Qureshi is a Consultant Physician at The Brain & Performance Centre. He holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from the prestigious University College London (UCL), with a subspecialty in family medicine and a special interest in acute and emergency medicine. With over 15 years of experience across public and private sectors in the UK and UAE, Dr. Qureshi has extensive clinical expertise in family medicine, sports performance, medical education, and healthcare information technology. Dr. Qureshi has been with The Brain & Performance Centre since its inception and, over the past four years, has developed and refined his skills in hyperbaric and performance medicine.
Suvo Sarkar
Founder & CEO, 3D Advisory
Suvo Sarkar is an international banker with an experience of 35 years in consumer banking and wealth management. His last role was to oversee the global retail banking and private banking businesses at Emirates NBD, the most profitable bank in the Middle East. He is also the founder of the region’s first digital bank Liv. Suvo currently runs his own advisory business that focuses on data, digitization and design of financial services. He is based in Dubai and hosts a popular podcast on banking called Money Majlis.
Noreen Nasralla
Executive Director of Marketing at Al-Futtaim Real Estate
Noreen Nasralla is the Executive Director of Marketing at Al-Futtaim Real Estate, where she oversees brand management, marketing and communications for a diverse, multi-billion-dollar portfolio, encompassing the complete real estate value chain, across the Middle East and North Africa region. Noreen manages the brand presence and marketing strategies for over one million square metres of gross leasable area across five malls, that attracts over 80 million annual visitors. Additionally, she directs marketing for Al-Futtaim’s contracting business.
Ali M. Faramawy
Board Member – Valentino, eXtra, Central Bank of Egypt, American University in Cairo
Ali is a seasoned technology executive, an independent board member, a strategic advisor, and a social entrepreneur. With over 35 years of experience in corporate roles, 25 of which were spent at Microsoft, Ali is now focused on his independent board and advisory work primarily around the themes of digital transformation, financial inclusion, and youth empowerment.In his current portfolio, Ali serves on the boards of Valentino in Italy, Balmain in France, Beymen in Turkey, the Central Bank of Egypt, the American University in Cairo, and eXtra in Saudi Arabia. He also provides strategic advice to organizations on topics such as digital transformation and organizational and business development
Sameera Fernandes
Chief Sustainability Officer and Board Member – Century Financial
In her role as Chief Sustainability Officer, Sameera leads the development and implementation of ESG initiatives across all levels of Century Financial’s operations. She
works closely with the firm's senior management and board to ensure that sustainability is at the core of the company’s business strategy. Her efforts are focused on creating long-term value for shareholders while addressing the increasing demands of investors for responsible and sustainable business practices.
Wassim Karkabi
Managing Partner, Stanton Chase Middle East
Wassim Karkabi is Managing Partner at Stanton Chase Middle East and The Culture Factor MENA. He is the Founder at Fluent XP, Coaching Loft, Board Nominate and Global Board Institute. He is also Chairman at Data Slot and Spantrek. He has supported a wide range of organizations on matters of Governance, Leadership and Organizational Culture for the past 20 years in the Middle East, and has served a variety of Government Organizations, Family conglomerates and Multinational Organizations in the region.
Kuljit Ghata Aura
President, Boeing Middle East
Kuljit Ghata-Aura is president of Boeing Middle East, Turkey, Africa & Central Asia (METACA). He is responsible for coordinating all company wide activities in the region and developing and implementing country and regional strategies. Ghata-Aura focuses on government affairs, new business and industrial partnership opportunities, corporate citizenship projects, expanding the Boeing presence and strengthening company relationships with customers and other stakeholders. He is based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and reports to the president of Boeing International, a member of Boeing’s executive committee.
Dr. Mariam Ketait
Aerospace Xelerated Lead in the Middle East, Türkiye, Africa, and Central Asia
Mariam Ketait is the Aerospace Xelerated lead in the Middle East, Türkiye, Africa, and Central Asia. She has extensive experience across government and public sector, focusing on establishing public-private partnerships, developing innovative health and well-being strategies,and driving digital transformation initiatives. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Mariam is deeply committed to philanthropy, having served as the CEO of the UAE National MS Society, supporting individuals and families living with multiple sclerosis. Currently, in her role at Aerospace Xelerated, Mariam is focused on driving aerospace innovation in the region.
Amnah Ajmal
Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA for Mastercard
She leads P&L across multiple business verticals across 81 markets. Prior to joining Mastercard, she was the wealth and retail bank CEO for Standard Chartered Malaysia, and has also held leadership positions at Citi in UAE, Egypt, UK and Poland. Amnah has received multiple global accolades over the years — the most recent being Forbes Middle East’s 100 Most Powerful Business Women 2024. Others include Global Top 100 Women in Fintech, 2021, by IBM & Fintech magazine; America’s Top 10 Women in Fintech 2020, by Fintech Magazine; Top 100 Women in Fintech 2019, across the globe, by Lattice80 UK. Amnah is a passionate advocate of gender equity and social empowerment for women. She holds a Master’s degree from London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE).
Claudia Pinto
Head of Philanthropy and Sustainability Advisor to HH Sheikh Marwan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
She is a visionary leader in philanthropy, sustainability, and social entrepreneurship. As the Head of Philanthropy and Sustainability Advisor to HH Sheikh Marwan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, she empowers women, fosters impact-driven initiatives, and supports startups. Claudia is also the founder of Empowering Women Middle East and a UN board member.
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