World Investment Conference Executive Board

Dr. James Zhan chairs the Executive Board of the World Investment Conference (WAIPA) and co-chairs the Global Alliance of Special Economic Zones (GASEZ). He is the co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, a global program in partnership with major stock exchanges worldwide. Dr. Zhan is also a Senior Advisor for the International Labor Organization (ILO). He serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Financial Times’ fDi Magazine.

Dr. Zhan is a senior fellow affiliated with the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) and a Senior Research Associate at Oxford University. He holds several advisory positions at leading academic institutions, including Oxford University, Columbia University, Cornell University, and Fribourg University.

From 2023 to 2024, Dr. Zhan served as the Chief Advisor to the Secretary-General at the United Nations Trade and Development Agency (UNCTAD). From 2008 to 2023, he was the Senior Director of Investment and Enterprise at UNCTAD and the Chief Editor of the UN World Investment Report and the Transnational Corporations journal. He led the formulation of the Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development (IPFSD), a new generation of investment strategies and policies used in over 150 countries and major regional groupings. He established the World Investment Forum in 2008, leading it to become a prominent global platform for investment stakeholders worldwide.

Dr. Zhan has published more than 100 journal articles and book chapters on investment, trade, technology, and sustainable finance-related economic and legal issues. He has also led the preparation of over 300 publications and substantive reports for the United Nations.

Ismail Ersahin is the Executive Director and CEO of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), bringing over 25 years of experience across public and private sectors in trade, international relations, investment promotion, and business development. His diverse career includes leadership roles in government and significant experience in the automotive, textile, and tourism industries, providing him with valuable cross-sector insights that he now applies in his role at WAIPA.

Before his tenure in investment promotion, Ismail Ersahin held various senior positions with some of Turkiye’s largest automotive groups. In these roles, he was instrumental in expanding the Turkish automotive presence internationally, notably by establishing several overseas distributors that increased market access and brand visibility. He contributed to significant modernization projects within the industry, overseeing country-specific product modifications to meet diverse regulatory and consumer needs. This hands-on experience equipped him with a deep understanding of international market dynamics and operational excellence, which later informed his strategic approach in the investment promotion sector.

Ersahin contributed to Invest in Turkiye (Turkiye’s national investment agency) as Chief Project Director and Advisor to the Vice President during its formative years, where he helped establish the agency’s mission and strategy. Over a period of 4 years active in service, he directly facilitated $2 billion in foreign direct investment, creating 2,500 jobs, while overseeing diverse teams across several sectors.

Ersahin also played a key role in establishing Turkish Development Agencies and led initiatives funded by the World Bank. He coordinated international road shows, conferences, and ministerial delegations to promote Turkiye as a leading investment destination. Notably, he contributed to the country’s first electric vehicle production project, influencing major OEM commitments. His strategic leadership included developing the Istanbul Financial Center marketing and promotion strategy and leading logistics and automotive cluster development projects, earning him recognition from various companies and government entities. This foundational experience in investment facilitation laid the groundwork for his later achievements on the global stage.

As WAIPA’s CEO, Ersahin has spearheaded initiatives to support investment promotion agencies (IPAs) worldwide, enhancing WAIPA’s role in facilitating international investment. Since taking the helm, he has introduced forward-looking strategies, formed critical institutional partnerships, and expanded WAIPA’s global presence through new alliances. His leadership has focused on building IPA capacity, advocating for investment-friendly policies, and fostering economic resilience in both emerging and mature markets.

Under his leadership, WAIPA renewed its institutional partnerships with major organizations, including UNCTAD, UNIDO, WEF, the World Bank, ILO, and IEDC, reinforcing WAIPA’s role as a bridge between investment agencies worldwide and global economic institutions. His efforts were recognized in 2015 with a Special Recognition award from UNCTAD’s Secretary General, underscoring his impact on WAIPA’s outreach and influence.

He also spearheaded numerous initiatives, studies and projects, both independently through WAIPA and in collaboration with partners such as WTO’s Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), EBRD, and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). Through these partnerships, Ersahin secured WAIPA to become a financially self-sustaining organization. His work has expanded WAIPA’s capacity to support global investment promotion agencies, fostering greater resources and knowledge-sharing opportunities for IPAs worldwide.

Ersahin’s broad expertise and commitment to sustainable development have made him an influential figure in FDI. A consummate leader, organiser, speaker, and moderator, Ersahin has graced prestigious platforms such as the UNCTAD World Investment Forum, the Annual Investment Meeting in the UAE, the World Economic Forum in Davos, the CIFIT in Xiamen, and the Africa Partnership Conference. He has been the lead organizer of the last ten World Investment Conferences. He has been instrumental in initiating and implementing projects across more than 80 countries.

His contributions help shape a thriving international investment community, where WAIPA continues to support IPAs in “promoting investment for good” worldwide.

Rie Vejs Kjeldgaard is the Director of the Sustainable Enterprises, Productivity and Just Transition Department at the International Labour Organisation.

Prior to her current assignment she served as the Director of the Department of Partnerships and Field Support, and before that as the Deputy Regional Director of the ILO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. In the ILO she has held a variety of management positions including Deputy Sub-Regional Director for Southeast Asia, New Delhi; ILO Country Director for Viet Nam; Manager of the ILO Global Programme on “Decent Work Country Level Policy Analysis”. She has also served as an Enterprise Specialist in several positions including as the Global Manager of a Technical Corporation Programme on “Job Quality in Micro and Small Enterprises”; Enterprise Development Specialist in the ILO Regional Office for Asia and Pacific in Bangkok; and as Senior Specialist in Enterprise Development, ILO Headquarters in Geneva. Prior to the ILO she worked as Head of Product and Market Development in the pharmaceutical industry.

Rie is a Danish national. She has an educational background in Economics and Business Administration with a specialization in marketing and international business development.

Caroline King joined SAP in 1999 to do Executive Communications for Hasso Plattner. She initiated  and developed the first Global Public Affairs program, which later became Government Relations and  Corporate Social Responsibility. Today Caroline manages the Global Business Development team  within Government Relations globally. This team explores new business opportunities for SAP and  addresses market access issues.

From 2005-2007 Caroline was on leave from SAP and established and ran the German office of the  World Childhood Foundation founded by Queen Silvia of Sweden.

Caroline has a Ph.D. in Government from Georgetown University in Washington DC, USA, but as a  Canadian she did her undergraduate and Master’s at McGill and McMaster respectively. She has an  extensive international network of influencers in politics, public affairs, CSR and social development.  and sits on the Boards of several organizations in Berlin and the US. Caroline has taught courses on  foreign policy, data science and CSR at universities in Germany and in Asia and runs her own  communications consultancy in Berlin.

Sean Doherty is the head of International Trade & Investment and a member of the executive committee at the World Economic Forum. The Forum’s trade and investment activities are structured in three pillars around geopolitics and governance; facilitation and innovation; and environmental and social outcomes. In this role, Sean steers a leadership platform of ministers, chief executives and heads of international organizations, to advance global public-private cooperation through a portfolio of policy initiatives and practical implementation, across issues including industrial policy, tradetech, international services and more. Among other responsibilities, he was the founding director of the global alliance for trade facilitation, co-author of the E15 Initiative and chair of the world investment for development alliance.

Earlier, Sean headed several industrial communities at the World Economic Forum, including the chemicals, mining, metals and transport ceo groups. In these roles, he advanced multiple initiatives across supply chain risk, decarbonization and humanitarian response. He worked previously in the express logistics sector and as both a strategy consultant and business analyst. He holds master’s degrees in international economic law, business administration, molecular biology and aeronautical engineering.

Mr. Oliveira-Gómez serves as the Director of the Division of Enterprise Competitiveness and Institutions  at ITC. In this capacity, he leads a team dedicated to enhancing the international competitiveness of  Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). His responsibilities include connecting SMEs to  international value chains, strengthening the institutional capacity of Business Support Organizations  (BSOs) and related ecosystems, ensuring SME compliance with quality standards, and promoting digital  trade and entrepreneurship in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals.

With over 30 years of experience, Mr. Oliveira-Gómez is well-versed in drafting, managing, supervising,  and evaluating multi-donor programs and projects. Throughout his career, he has focused on the creation,  strengthening, and internationalization of SMEs, as well as the enhancement of BSOs in developing and  transition economies.

Previously, Mr. Oliveira-Gómez held positions such as Assistant Secretary General for Structural  Economic Transformation and Trade at the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States  (OACPS), Deputy Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, and Deputy  Minister in charge of Development Cooperation in the Dominican Republic.

Jacopo Dettoni is the editor of fDi Intelligence, a specialist publication at the Financial Times  focusing on foreign investment and economic development. He spearheads the title’s  editorial vision and strategic growth. A seasoned journalist, Jacopo has reported on some of  the world`s most dynamic economies and transformative industries in Europe, Asia, and  Latin America for international and local media. He is a regular speaker and moderator at  forums on international trade and investment and holds a master’s degree in Economics and  Finance from the Catholic University of Milan.