WIC 2026 Speakers
Leaders & Ministers
H.E. Dr. Khalulur Rahman
H.E. Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, was elected President of the eighty-first session of the United Nations General Assembly in June 2026.
Prior to his appointment as Foreign Minister in February 2026, he served as the National Security Adviser and High Representative for Rohingya Affairs in the interim Government of Bangladesh.
Dr. Rahman joined the diplomatic service of Bangladesh in 1979 upon securing the first position in the first regular civil service examinations of the country. He served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York. He represented Bangladesh at the Economic and Financial Committee of the UN General Assembly and acted as the spokesperson of the Group of Least Developed Countries.
Dr. Rahman joined the United Nations in 1991, serving as Special Adviser at the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva. Over the course of 25 years he held senior positions in the UN in New York and Geneva.
Dr. Rahman has published extensively on international trade policy, and has authored or contributed to several UN flagship publications, as well as numerous reports of the UN Secretary-General and the UNCTAD Secretary-General, on issues of trade, finance and development.
Dr. Rahman studied at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University and the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University during 1980-83, and earned the degrees of MA in Law and Diplomacy and PhD in Economics. In 1977, he stood first in the first class in MA examinations in Economics at the Dhaka University.
Dr. Rahman is a founder of the East West University in Dhaka and has served on its Board of Trustees.
H.E. Qaiser Ahmed Shaikh
Mr. Qaiser Ahmed Shaikh is the Federal Minister for Board of Investment since 2025 and is a Member of Economic Coordination Committee (ECC). He holds a Master in Economics from Karachi University (1968) with distinguished results. He belongs to a renowned business family engaged in trade and industry for over 140 years since 1883.
He is member of National Assembly of Pakistan from Chiniot, Punjab. He remained Minister for Maritime Affairs (2024–2025), Chairman of Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue (2012–2013, 2015–2016) and Convener of Pakistan–South Korea Friendship Group.
H.E. Abdulaziz Almarzooq
His Excellency Mr. Abdulaziz AlMarzooq was appointed State Minister for Economic Affairs and Investment by Amiri Decree No. 11 dated 1 February 2026.
Mr. Abdulaziz AlMarzooq served as the Chief Executive Officer of KFH Capital, the investment arm of Kuwait Finance House. He also held a number of different leadership positions, in addition to serving on the boards of directors of other companies, both locally and regionally, across various economic sectors.
Mr. Abdulaziz AlMarzooq has over 27 years of extensive experience, which he has gained through progressive advancement in his career by holding various positions and board memberships in several reputable institutions.
Mr. Abdulaziz AlMarzooq holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from San José State University in the United States, as well as an Executive Master’s degree from London Business School.
H.E. Kudratov Laziz Shavkatovich
Biography: was born in 1981 in Tashkent.
Education: higher, graduated from Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies and Hosei University (Japan).
Professional career:
2003-2010 – various positions at the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade.
2010-2014 – Adviser on Trade and Economic Issues at the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the United States of America.
2014-2016 – Director of the Uzinfoinvest Agency for information support and promotion of foreign investments.
2017-2019 – First Deputy Chairman of the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Investments.
2019-2022 – First Deputy Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
2022 – Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
H.E. Nathalie Fontanet
From raising three daughters to leading Geneva’s financial governance, Nathalie Fontanet has built a career defined by determination, reinvention, and service to the public good.
After dedicating 14 years to her family, she made the bold decision to embark on a new path: earning a law degree and passing the bar, before rising through the ranks in the legal sector of a major Swiss bank. Alongside her professional ascent, she embraced public service, shaping policies on education, healthcare, security, and economic strategy.
Today, as President of the Geneva Conseil d’État and Head of Finance, Human Resources, and External Affairs, she is at the forefront of the region’s most pressing challenges: ensuring fiscal responsibility, balancing public investment, and securing Geneva’s long-term prosperity. A staunch advocate for responsible governance, she navigates the delicate balance between economic prudence and social commitment.
Beyond politics, Nathalie has long championed causes close to her heart, from anti-discrimination initiatives to healthcare access and cultural development. Her career is a testament to resilience, adaptability, and the power of engagement.
During this evening, Nathalie Fontanet shared her insights on leadership, navigating transitions, and shaping the future of Geneva in an ever-evolving world.
H.E. Moustoifa Hassani Mohamed
H.E. Moustoifa Hassani Mohamed currently serves as Minister of Economy, Industry, Investment and Economic Integration of the Union of the Comoros, with responsibility for trade, industry, investment policy and regional economic integration.
He began his career in customs administration after graduating from the Senegal Customs School in 1992. Between 1995 and 2017, he worked with the inspection company Cotecna, including a posting in Iraq from 1999 to 2001 as an expert for the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme. Upon his return to the Comoros, he was appointed Head of the Customs Office in 2017 and later Director General of Customs in 2021, where he led institutional reforms to modernize the administration and represented the country in international customs and trade forums.
Since joining the Government in 2024, Minister Hassani Mohamed has been a strong advocate for economic transformation, customs modernization and digital trade integration. He has represented the Comoros at high-level events, including the WTO Public Forum, the World Economic Forum and Investopia, where he has presented the country’s investment and trade strategies under the Emerging Comoros 2030 Plan.
He possesses extensive expertise in customs modernization and regional economic integration, particularly within the frameworks of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Union. He is recognized for his leadership in advancing regulatory reform and promoting the digital transformation of trade systems. His technical knowledge, institutional experience and active engagement in international policy dialogues make him a prominent voice in global discussions on trade facilitation and inclusive economic development, especially for developing and small island economies.
H.E. Rui Miguêns de Oliveira
Angolan Minister of Industry and Commerce since July 2023, with extensive experience in central banking, financial management, and commercial banking. Previously served as Vice-Governor of the National Bank of Angola and held senior executive positions in the banking sector.
Holds a degree in Economics from the University of Havana, Cuba, with additional training at Harvard University and Duke University in the United States.
Languages: Portuguese, English, and Spanish.
H.E. Gevorg Papoyan
He holds extensive experience in economics, public administration, and academia.
He was reappointed Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia on August 3, 2026, having held the position since March 2024. From 2021 to 2024, he chaired the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs.
A member of the Civil Contract Party’s board since 2022, he has served as its Deputy Chairman since December 2022. Previously, he was a Member of Parliament, held management and marketing positions in the private sector, and taught at the Armenian State University of Economics.
H.E. Epaminondas Marinakys Zelaya
Epaminondas Marinakys is a renowned Honduran businessman with a consolidated leadership trajectory in the private sector, particularly in the tourism, real estate, and productive infrastructure development industries.Since 1974, he has maintained an active and strategic presence in the business arena, expanding operations to Guatemala and Belize, and promoting initiatives focused on sustainable investment and strengthening the regional business climate. Throughout his career, he has driven high-impact projects related to residential development, industrial parks, and corporate spaces for lease, contributing directly to the dynamization of the real estate market and the generation of productive investment.
His leadership in the tourism sector has been particularly influential. He served as President of the National Chamber of Tourism of Honduras (CANATURH) during various periods between 2005 and 2022, and currently serves on the institution’s Honor Tribunal.
At the regional level, he held the Presidency of the Central American Federation of National Tourism Chambers (FEDECATUR) during 2006–2008 and 2014–2016, positioning himself as a key facilitator of
the Central American tourism agenda.
He has also participated in strategic national bodies, including the National Tourism Council, the Road Safety Council, and the Film Industry Council, from which he has promoted policies and initiatives aimed at competitiveness and sectoral development.
In the diplomatic field, he has served since June 1999 as the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Tegucigalpa, a role through which he has strengthened commercial, cultural, and institutional ties between the two nations.
In 2026, he was appointed Minister of Investments by President Nasry Asfura and assumed the Executive Secretariat of the National Investment Council (CNI), leading the national strategy to promote, facilitate, and attract domestic and foreign investment to boost Honduras’s competitiveness, employment, and sustainable economic growth.
His civic commitment is reflected in his long-standing membership in the Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa (1975–2000) and in the Lions Club La Fraternidad of San Pedro Sula since 2014. The combination of business leadership, professional association involvement, and dedication to public service has consolidated Marinakys as a prominent figure in positioning Honduras as a reliable destination for international investment.
Moussa Alassane DIALLO
Nommé ministre de l’Industrie et du Commerce le 1er juillet 2023, Moussa Alassane Diallo est une figure majeure de la finance agricole malienne. Né à Ségou en 1957 et ingénieur du génie rural diplômé de Katibougou, il a consacré l’essentiel de sa carrière à la BNDA, où il a gravi tous les échelons jusqu’à la présidence du Conseil d’administration. Artisan de la modernisation bancaire et du financement agricole, il a également dirigé plusieurs institutions financières régionales. Reconnu pour son expertise, sa rigueur et son leadership, il œuvre en faveur du développement économique et de la souveraineté nationale.
H.E. Alpha Ibrahim Sesay
Mr. Alpha Ibrahim Sesay is the Minister of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Sierra Leone. He is leading efforts to advance industrialization, strengthen trade, and support the growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Prior to his appointment, he served as Head of the Project Fiduciary Management Unit (PFMU) in the Ministry of Finance, where he managed donor-funded development projects. He holds degrees from Fourah Bay College, the University of Manchester, and the Harvard Kennedy School, where he was a Mason Fellow. His career reflects a strong commitment to public service, economic development, and national progress.
H.E. Mohamud A. Sheikh Farah (Beenebeene)
H.E. Mohamud Abdirahman Sheikh Farah (Beene-Beene) is an accomplished businessman and politician with 20+ years of global business management, civic leadership, and legislative experience.
As an entrepreneur, Mr. Mohamud has created and led several successful business ventures in the US and Malaysia. He is the co-founder and former chairman of the Minnesota Somali Chamber of Commerce. In this role, he served as an advisor to emerging entrepreneurs in strategic planning, leadership, and civic engagements. He’s also created bilateral business relations between the global Somali diaspora entrepreneurs.
Mr. Mohamud has been elected twice (2016-2022 and 2022-2026) as a member of Somalia’s federal parliament representing the Hirshabele constituency. Previously, he served as chairman of the parliamentary committee on economy, commerce, industry, and investment. He also served as a member of the parliamentary committee on Somali flood disaster relief and COVID-19.
Mohamud is a proud graduate of the Somali Institute of Management and Administration Development (SIMAD) with associate degree in accounting. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Excelsior College- University State of New York and an MBA from the National University of Malaysia (UKM). He is the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate-PhD in Business Management from Gomatika University College in Malaysia.
Mr. Mohamud is 43 years old. He was born in Buule Burte and raised in Mogadishu. He is fluent in English and basic Arabic.
H.E. Wamkele Mene
H.E. Wamkele Mene was elected by the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of States & Government of the African Union, to the position of Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
Prior to being elected Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, he served as Chief Director: Africa Economic Relations, at the Department of Trade & Industry of South Africa. In this role, he was South Africa’s chief trade negotiator in the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTA negotiations. During his tenure as chief negotiator, South Africa ratified both the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTAs agreements.
Prior to assuming this position, H.E. Wamkele Mene occupied the position of Director: International Trade Law & Investment Law at the Department of Trade & Industry, a role in which he was principal legal counsel on international trade law and international investment law.
From 2010 until 2015, H.E. Wamkele Mene represented South Africa at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland. He was elected to the position of Chairman of the WTO’s Committee on International Trade in Financial Services.
Prior to joining the Department of Trade & Industry of South Africa, H.E. Wamkele Mene worked for Wall Street based law firms in the London and Hong Kong offices.
H.E. Wamkele Mene has written and lectured internationally on international trade law, international investment law and international business law. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Law) degree from Rhodes University in South Africa, a Master of Arts in International Studies & Diplomacy (with specialization in International Economics) from the School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London and a LL.M. (Master of Laws) in Banking Law & Financial Regulation from the Law Department of the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE)
H.E. Suon Sophal
H.E. Suon Sophal serves as Deputy Secretary General of the Cambodian Investment Board, holding the rank of Second Vice Minister. with over 20 years of experience, he specializes in investment policy, economic diplomacy, and international trade negotiation. He has held prominent leadership roles in ASEAN, WTO, and Greater Mekong Subregion cooperation mechanisms, including serving as Chairperson of the ASEAN Coordination Committee on Investment. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the United State, a Doctor of Business Administration from South Korea, and a Master in public Management from the Lee Kuan Yew school of public policy and Harvard Kennedy school.
Eng. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Dheeb
His Excellency Eng. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Dheeb is the (OPAZ) since 2020. His Excellency holds a Master degree in Industrial Development from the University of East Anglia, UK, in 1993 and Bachelor degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Miami, Florida, USA, in 1989. His Excellency was honoured to receive a 3rd degree Oman Civil Medal from the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said in 2010.
His Excellency brings over 30 years of experience, serving in different government bodies in which he held several positions in various sectors such as industrial zones, industry, trade, investment promotion, mining, information technology, attracting foreign investments to the Sultanate of Oman. Over these years, His Excellency played a remarkable role to develop strategic plans and policies, and developing industrial cities, special and integrated economic zones, and free zones in the Sultanate of Oman.
His Excellency also supervised the “Invest Easy” portal project, which stands as a national platform that helps business owners and investors to process their registration procedures and issue licenses in a short time. This portal was developed in 2016 in partnership with other government parties in order to facilitate setting up commercial and industrial projects. The reason behind bringing this portal was to provide an attractive environment for investments in the Sultanate of Oman by creating a sustainable environment, building continuous relationships that facilitate completing the procedures and providing services to investors efficiently and with high quality in a quick and easy manner. This serves achieving the objectives of digital transformation and government directions in line with “Oman Vision 2040”.
His Excellency chaired the committee developing the Foreign Investment Law, which covers many attractive regulations and gives confidence to foreign investors to invest in the Sultanate of Oman in general and the special economic zones and free zones in particular, by providing an attractive investment environment and expediting investors’ transactions that are submitted through the ” Invest Easily” portal.
Lord Uday Nagaraju
Lord Uday Nagaraju of Bloomsbury is a Life Peer in the UK House of Lords. Born in Telangana, India, he holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Technology from Nagpur University and a Master of Public Administration in Development, Technology and Innovation Policy from University College London.
He is the Founder of AI Policy Labs, a London-based think tank focused on the governance and public policy dimensions of artificial intelligence.
Martin Saladin
Martin Saladin has been head of the Promotion Activities Directorate at SECO since 1 September 2024. Prior to that, he was operational head and deputy head of SECO’s Economic Cooperation and Development division for five years. He has been involved in international economic development cooperation for more than 25 years. From 2004 to 2011 he headed SECO’s cooperation programmes in Tanzania and Ghana. Before that, he worked for KPMG Switzerland and Switzerland Global Enterprise, among others. Martin Saladin holds degrees in international relations from the University of St Gallen and law from King’s College London.
Senior officials of International Organizations
H.E. Tatiana Molcean
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 July 2023 the appointment of Tatiana Molcean of the Republic of Moldova as Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of UNECE. She took office on 1 September 2023.
Ms. Molcean brings to the position twenty years of experience in the public sector with extensive international cooperation and development experience, and in-depth knowledge and expertise across the entire UNECE membership.
Prior to her appointment, she was the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Moldova to the United Nations Office, World Trade Organization and other international organizations in Geneva (since 2020).
Ms. Molcean served as State Secretary and Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Bilateral Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (2017-2020), Deputy Director General for European Integration and Head of the Division for Economic and Sector Cooperation with the European Union (2012-2017) and Head of the Division for Economic Cooperation and Sectorial Coordination at the General Directorate for European Integration (2004-2008). A career diplomat, she has also served as Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova to Sweden (2008-2011).
Ms. Molcean holds a LLM Degree in Law from the Faculty of International Law at Moldova State University and completed the Multilateral Diplomacy Program from the Graduate Institute of Geneva, Switzerland. She is fluent in Romanian, English and Russian, with advanced knowledge of French.
Xiangchen Zhang
Mr. Xiangchen Zhang has been Deputy-Director General of WTO since 1 June 2021. He has long and extensive experience on WTO issues, trade negotiations and policy research.
Prior to his current position, he served as Vice Minister of Commerce of China. He was China’s Ambassador to the WTO from 2017 to 2020, Deputy China International Trade Representative (vice-minister level) from 2015 to 2017, Assistant Minister of Commerce from 2013 to 2015. He also held several other senior positions in the Ministry of Commerce, including Director General for Policy Research from 2011 to 2013, and Director General for WTO Affairs from 2005 to 2008. In 2005, he was appointed chief negotiator for China-Australia FTA. From 1992 to 2001, he was a leading aide to China’s Chief Representative for GATT/WTO accession negotiations.
Mr. Zhang holds a bachelor’s degree in law, a master’s degree in international relations and a PhD in international politics.
H.E. Mohammed AlZarooni
Dr. Al Zarooni is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of the World Free Zones Organization, a multilateral organization which acts as an association for all free zones in the world. He is also the Secretary-General of the Dubai Free Zone Council.
With over 25 years of experience leading and developing free economic zones, H.E. Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni is considered one of the world’s top free zone influencing leaders.
In 2021, H.E. Dr. Al Zarooni was appointed as Executive Chairman of Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), holding three of Dubai’s pioneering Free Zones, Dubai Airport Freezone, Dubai Silicon Oasis, and Dubai CommerCity.
In 2014, H.E. Dr. Al Zarooni was instrumental in conceptualizing and establishing the non-profit World Free Zones Organization.
In 2002, the Dubai Government appointed him as Vice Chairman and CEO of the Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), one of the region’s most advanced and successful technology hubs. He continues to lead Dubai Airport Freezone and Dubai Silicon Oasis concurrently.
In 2000, H.E. Dr. Al Zarooni was appointed as Director-General of the Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA), which, through his visionary leadership, quickly grew to become one of the top-performing free zones in the world.
H.E. Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni graduated with a Ph.D. Degree from the University of Durham in the U.K.
Markus Schlagenhof
Mr Schlagenhof has served as Ambassador and Delegate of the Federal Council for Trade Agreements and Head of the World Trade Division at SECO since September 2016. He has over 30 years of experience in trade policy issues, holding various positions in the WTO, OECD and G20, as well as on Commodity Boards, and working on EU and EFTA matters. He has led many free trade negotiations as Switzerland’s chief negotiator and spokesperson for the EFTA States, including the recently signed Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement with India, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with Indonesia and ongoing negotiations with Malaysia, Mercosur and Thailand.
Mr. Mzukisi Qobo
Navid Hanif
Mr. Navid Hanif is the Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). He is also the UN sous Sherpa to the G20 finance and main tracks.
He joined UNDESA in 2001. He was Senior Policy Adviser in the Division for Sustainable Development and member of the team for the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002. He served as the Chief of Policy Coordination Branch and later Director in the office for Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) support and the Director for Financing for Sustainable Development Office. He was the first head of the DESA Strategic Planning Unit established in 2010.
He was Principal Officer in the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General, Vice-Chair of the UN High Level Committee on Programming (HLCP) and Co-Coordinator of the UN team on repositioning of the UN Development System that led to major reforms in 2018.
He has contributed several articles on financing and investing in the SDGs in various journals and reports.
He holds MIA, International Political Economy, Columbia University (NY), & M.A., English Literature, Government College University (Lahore).
Danielle Casey
Danielle Casey is the President & CEO of the Las Vegas Regional Economic Partnership, leading regional efforts to strengthen and diversify Southern Nevada’s economy. She brings more than two decades of experience in economic development, public administration, and organizational transformation. Danielle holds degrees from Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University and is both a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) and Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP). She serves as Chair of the IEDC Board of Directors and teaches at the OU Economic Development Institute.
Ziad-Alexandre Hayek
Ziad Alexandre Hayek has 38 years of experience in Public Policy, Economic Policy, International Development, Investment Banking, International Finance, Structured Finance, Project Finance, Corporate Strategy and Corporate Governance.
He is the President of the World Association of PPP Units and Professionals; Vice-Chair of the Working Party on PPP of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe; Managing Partner of Hayek Associates LLC; and ex-Secretary General of Lebanon’s High Council for Privatization and PPP.
In early 2019, Hayek was nominated to the Presidency of the World Bank.
Hayek is member of the Board of Trustees of USEK University, the Investment Committee of YMCA World Alliance, and the governing boards of several NGOs on behalf of the Carlos Slim Foundation.
Previously, Hayek was CEO of Lonbridge Associates (London), a boutique investment bank specializing in telecom technology and renewable energy; Senior Managing Director of Investment Banking at Bear Stearns (New York); Managing Director of Banque Indosuez Capital Latin America (Paris); President of Indosuez Mexico (Mexico City); Vice President of Salomon Brothers (New York); and Vice President of Citibank NA, where he occupied posts including Treasurer for West Africa, structured finance specialist for Latin America and finally Head of the Bank’s International Securitization Department.
Hayek was also a member of the US Council on Foreign Relations; a Senior Consultant to the Reagan Administration’s Enterprise Program; and member of the board of directors of various local and multinational companies.
He holds an MA in International Management from the University of Texas at Dallas and studied Business Administration at the University of Houston and at the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico.
Hayek is conversant with 11 languages.
Aissatou Diallo
Ms Aissatou Diallo serves as Executive Director of the Executive Secretariat for the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) at the World Trade Organization. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience in trade-related technical assistance, she previously oversaw the International Trade Centre’s Africa portfolio and led programmes advancing export competitiveness, value chain development, regional integration and inclusive trade, with a strong focus on the least developed countries.
Pamela Coke-Hamilton
Pamela Coke-Hamilton, an international trade lawyer and expert with a heart for development, has served as Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC) since October 2020. Her appointment was announced by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
Since joining the organization at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Coke-Hamilton has placed the spotlight on the fact that trade is a human story and that ITC’s work is, at its core, about transforming trade and changing lives. It is about ensuring the smallest, least developed, most vulnerable, hardest-to-reach countries have equal standing as their counterparts in global trade, and that their small businesses are empowered to achieve their full potential.
As ITC Executive Director, she co-chairs the Working Group on Our Common Agenda, the UN Secretary-General’s blueprint for global cooperation to reinvigorate multilateralism and serve as a booster shot for the Sustainable Development Goals. She also serves as a Broadband Commissioner for Sustainable Development – an ITU-led public-private partnership fostering digital cooperation to achieve universal connectivity – and as co-chair of the Broadband Commission Working Group on Connectivity for MSMEs.
Before joining ITC, Ms. Coke-Hamilton served as UNCTAD’s Director of the Division on International Trade and Commodities, having worked extensively with the private sector, government and academia across African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to build their trade-related institutional strength.
She began her career in Jamaica’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, with her first posting at the Permanent Mission of Jamaica in Geneva during the Uruguay Round Negotiations. She later served in Washington, D.C., at various regional institutions, including as Director of Trade, Tourism and Competitiveness at the Organization of American States and as Regional Hub Coordinator for the Caribbean in the Integration and Trade Department of the Inter-American Development Bank.
As Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, Ms. Coke-Hamilton was instrumental in fostering the growth of regional businesses, enhancing their capacity to increase exports, attract investment and transform to meet requirements of the new international trading system. Notably, she established the Women Empowered through Export (WE-Xport) platform to address the disadvantages that women-owned businesses face in accessing markets.
She holds a Juris Doctor in Law from Georgetown University and an undergraduate degree in International Relations from the University of the West Indies. She is the founder of the Shridath Ramphal Centre and the Masters in International Trade Policy programme at the University of the West Indies. When she is not working, she enjoys sports, art, history, reading and traveling.
Dr. James X. Zhan
Dr. James X. Zhan is Chairman of the WIC Executive Board of WAIPA; Chief Advisor to the Chairman of the World Free Zones Organization; Senior Fellow associated with Chatham House; and a member of the Financial Times’ fDi Editorial Advisory Board.
Dr. Zhan served for 15 years as Director of Investment and Enterprise at the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and subsequently as Chief Advisor to the Secretary‑General. He was Lead Author of the UN World Investment Report, and led the establishment of the UNCTAD World Investment Forum. He was the Founding Chairman of both the UN Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative, and the Global Alliance of Special Economic Zones.
He currently serves on advisory boards of academic centres at Oxford University, Columbia University, and Fribourg University. He was a Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University. He has authored more than 100 academic articles and book chapters, and led numerous UN reports and publications.
Dr. Zhan has advised government leaders and business executives in over 130 countries on trade, investment, business strategy, global value chains, industrial policy, and sustainable development. He has contributed to major international initiatives and policy frameworks across multiple global forums, including the G20 and BRICS.
Ismail Ersahin
Ismail Ersahin is the Executive Director and CEO of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), a position he has held since 2021. With over 25 years of experience across public and private sectors, he previously held senior positions in Türkiye’s automotive industry and played a key role in the establishment and strategic development of Invest in Türkiye, contributing to the country’s investment promotion efforts and international outreach.
At WAIPA, he has strengthened global partnerships, expanded the organization’s international presence, and advanced initiatives supporting investment promotion agencies across more than 80 countries. An experienced international speaker and moderator, he has contributed to prominent platforms, including the World Economic Forum in Davos and the UNCTAD World Investment Forum, championing sustainable investment and “Promoting Investment for Good.”
Mike Pfister
Mike Pfister is a seasoned sports executive with a passion for sustainability and development impact. He has worked with various global and continental sports governing bodies, spearheading development programmes and governance reforms. He is the inaugural Head of the ECF Foundation, promoting positive on and off the pitch impact through an ecosystem of over 900 European football clubs, commercial and philanthropic partners, and public stakeholders. Prior to joining European Football Clubs (EFC), he headed the International Committee of the Red Cross’ Development Center. He led OECD’s global relations in sustainable investment and governance for over 10 years, managing high profile investment and public reform programmes in Africa, the Gulf Region, Asia and Latin America. His professional career spans from the German Institute of Development and Sustainability, through private sector consulting groups, United Nations Trade and Development, the Basel Institute on Governance and FIFA. He holds an Executive PhD in business administration from the University of Paris-Dauphine, a master’s degree in economics from the Graduate Institute in Geneva and executive certificates from MIT Sloan and Bocconi School of Management.
Marina Ponti
The Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation develops innovative services in the areas of agro-industry and agribusiness, sustainability standards and fair production, and climate-relevant or climate-improving technologies. It is also in charge of developing innovative public-private partnerships and identifying new sources of financing with a broad range of stakeholders.
Before her assignment, Marina Ponti has served as Global Director of the UN SDG Action Campaign since 2018 at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bonn. Prior to this role, she was one of the principal architects of the United Nations Millennium Campaign, serving for more than a decade as Global Deputy Director in New York and Regional Director for Europe in Rome. During this period, she played a leading role in developing innovative global campaigns on development assistance, debt relief and trade, building multi-stakeholder coalitions, mobilizing resources, and forging strategic partnerships with civil society organizations, local governments, parliamentarians, media, the private sector, and the United Nations system.
Throughout her career, Marina Ponti has held senior leadership positions across the United Nations and civil society, including with UNICEF. Her extensive expertise encompasses multilateral negotiations, multi-stakeholder partnerships, global health, trade, debt, poverty eradication, institutional reform, and sustainable development.
Ponti holds an MA in Political Science from the University of Milan and has completed an executive education programme from INSEAD in Global Management, Finance and Partnership.
Ebba Lund
Ebba Lund is Chief Executive Officer of the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP), a non-profit, knowledge-based organisation that supports a global membership of science and technology parks, innovation districts, and other innovation spaces in more than 80 countries. With over 20 years of experience in innovation ecosystems, she oversees all facets of the organisation, driving its mission, operations, and engagement with the board of directors.
Latifa El Bouabdellaoui
Mrs. Latifa EL BOUABDELLAOUI has served as Director General of the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT) since February 2020.
Previously, she was Director of International Trade Relations at Morocco’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (2013–2020), leading major trade negotiations, including agreements with the European Union and AfCFTA. She also held senior positions overseeing industrial development and investment projects.
At ICDT, she champions trade and investment promotion, economic integration, innovation and private-sector development across the 57 OIC Member States, fostering strategic partnerships and sustainable economic cooperation between Africa, Asia and the Arab world.
Sean Doherty
Sean Doherty is Head of International Trade & Investment and a member of the executive committee at the World Economic Forum.
He leads the Forum’s work on trade and global economic interdependence spanning, facilitation, sustainability, digitalization and governance of trade and investment, as well as related areas of tax, competition and industrial policy coordination.
Sean earlier headed the World Economic Forum’s Supply Chain & Transport, Chemicals and Mining and Metals industry communities.
He worked previously in the logistics sector and as a management consultant.
Sean Doherty holds Masters degrees in aeronautical engineering, molecular biology, business administration and international economic law.
Alejandro Bonilla Garcia
Alejandro Bonilla-Garcia is a Mexican-Swiss actuary and international expert in social protection financing, pension and healthcare systems, economic development, population ageing and longevity. His professional career has focused on the relationship
between social protection, economic sustainability and inclusive development, with particular attention to the opportunities and challenges arising from demographic change.
He holds a degree in Actuarial Science from Anahuac University in Mexico, a Master’s degree in Mathematics Applied to Economics, and a PhD in Economic Policy and Development from the University of Social Sciences in Toulouse, France.
Alejandro began his career at the Mexican Social Security Institute before establishing his own international economic and actuarial consulting firm. He joined theInternational Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva in 1990, where he held several senior positions, including Senior Actuary, Deputy Regional Director for the Americas, and Director of the Social Protection Department.
He also served as Acting Secretary General and Director of Partnerships at the International Social Security Association (ISSA), and as Attaché for Social Protection Affairs at the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations in Geneva.
Throughout his career, he has promoted sustainable and inclusive social protection systems, combining actuarial and economic expertise with international policy development and cooperation.
He currently chairs the NGO Committee on Ageing (Geneva) and represents the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) to the United Nations in Geneva. In these capacities, he is actively engaged in the ongoing United Nations process towards a legally binding international instrument on the human rights of older persons.
His current work emphasizes the importance of approaching longevity not only as a demographic and social challenge, but also as an opportunity for investment, innovation, economic development and shared prosperity, firmly grounded in human rights, inclusion and intergenerational solidarity.
Matthew Stephenson
Dr. Matthew joins the World FZO from the World Economic Forum, where he served as Head of Investment and Services and was responsible for work related to the investment climate and regulatory reforms. Prior to this, he worked at the International Finance Corporation on advisory services for investment policy, where he led work on outward foreign direct investment. He also worked at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development on Africa and on investment.
Dr. Matthew holds a PhD from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, a master’s degree from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oxford.
Hongbing Chen
Emmanuel Noutary
Emmanuel has been General Delegate of ANIMA Investment Network since 2010. He joined Business France in 2006 to participate in the creation and development of the ANIMA network as Project Director.
Since then, Emmanuel has coordinated or supervised more than thirty projects in the areas of country attractiveness, investment promotion, business internationalisation, research and innovation, clusters and start-ups, access to finance for SMEs and entrepreneurs, and diaspora mobilisation.
Previously, Emmanuel spent 12 years in the telecoms, internet and communications sector.
He is graduated from University Parix Dauphine (PSL University)
Susan Branker Greene
Her strong programme management, monitoring and evaluation skills coupled with a solid foundation in the human development sector, provides a valuable balance of method, knowledge and sound judgment.
Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder
Nathalie is responsible for initiating and overseeing major initiatives across IISD’s programs, including secretariats managed by IISD, such as the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development and the International Support Office (SISO) of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), among others. She is also the institute’s senior leader in Europe, based out of IISD’s office in Geneva, Switzerland.
Nathalie has extensive legal, policy, and training experience in the areas of public and private international law, trade, investment, sustainable development, human rights, international environmental law, and international dispute settlement. She has authored and edited several peer-reviewed publications and collections covering various facets of international law.
Additionally, Nathalie is a visiting professor on international investment law at the Geneva Graduate Institute.
Before joining IISD, Nathalie served as Managing Attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) in Geneva, after previously being based out of CIEL’s Washington, D.C. office. Earlier, she was a fellow at the International Institute of International Economic Law at Georgetown University Law Center and worked in Hanoi, Vietnam, for a legal reform project of the United Nations Development Programme. She also worked at an Australian law firm and at the Swiss Department of Justice in the Section for International Law. In Switzerland, Nathalie is admitted to the Bar of Basel.
Elisabeth Türk
Ms. Türk is Director of UNECE’s Economic Cooperation and Trade Division (ECTD), leading work on trade facilitation, sustainable public-private partnerships, infrastructure finance and innovation, particularly in agriculture, critical raw materials and textiles. The Division supports 17 programme countries and advances the SDGs across UNECE’s 56 member States.
Previously, she headed UNCTAD’s Section on International Investment Agreements and contributed to the World Investment Report and World Investment Forum. Her career also includes roles at CIEL and the WTO.
She holds degrees in law and international management from Graz and a master’s from the World Trade Institute in Bern. She is Austrian.
Rie Vejs Kjeldgaard
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.
Escipión J. Oliveira-Gómez
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.
Nan Li Collins
Nan has over 25 years’ experience in strategic management roles both with the United Nations and the private sector across Asia, Africa, North America and Europe. She currently leads a global team in investment and sustainable finance research, policy, investment promotion and facilitation, enterprise development, and technical assistance to governments in over 160 countries. She chairs the Governing Board of the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, leads the World Investment Forum and the inter-governmental Working Group on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting.
Before joining UNCTAD, she served as the Global Director of Sustainable Investments and Innovation at UNOPS, where she led a team to promote infrastructure investments in many developing countries and co-invest with DFIs and private investors. She served as UNOPS focal point in the UN Inter-agency Task Force on Financing for Development.
Previously, she served as the Head of UNDP SDG Innovative Finance and as Head of South-South Cooperation and Investment at UNDP’s Asia Pacific Center in Bangkok. She led a team to engage public and private investors and developed national policy dialogues and networks on SDG investment, piloted SDG-aligned funds, bonds and projects in multiple countries. She helped to position UNDP as a pioneer in the UN on sustainable investment and innovative finance. She also held positions as Policy Specialist in Capacity Development and Public-Private Partnerships in New York and Johannesburg since 2009, overseeing a regional portfolio in Eastern and Southern Africa.
Before joining UNDP, she spent about 10 years in the private sector in China and the USA, covering market entry and investment strategy, merger and acquisition, business development and sustainability. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and participated in the Executive Leadership program at IESE, and Finance Executive program at Tsinghua University.
Massimo Meloni
Massimo Meloni is Chief of the Policy Research Section in the Division on Investment and Enterprise of UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). He leads UNCTAD’s global research on national investment policies and directs the team responsible for the policy chapters of the annual World Investment Report and thematic studies on investment policies for development. He has authored several publications and provides expert advice to Governments on investment policies and related issues. He has also contributed to major multilateral deliverables, including in the context of the G20.
Earlier at UNCTAD, he coordinated more than 20 Investment Policy Reviews for developing countries and supported Governments with technical assistance on investment law reform, sector regulation, taxation and investment facilitation. He holds master’s degrees in International Economics from the Graduate Institute in Geneva and in Political Science from LUISS University in Rome.
Anja Nitzsche
Anja Nitzsche is the Chief Partnership Officer of the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO). Having served in leadership positions across the UN (UNAIDS, IAEA, OCHA), she brings extensive experience in developing and implementing large scale, multi-stakeholder programs and initiatives advancing inclusive prosperity and growth through sustainable development, humanitarian efforts, digital transformation, resource mobilization and innovative financing.
Ana Novik
Ana Novik leads the Investment Division. In her role, Ms. Novik establishes strategies for the OECD to secure a leadership role in the international investment debate and to advance a more structured economic analysis of investment flows and impact
She also contributes to OECD-wide initiatives, including horizontal workstreams on mobilising investment to SDG and climate change, global value chains and OECD contributions to the G20.
Before joining the OECD in 2014, Ms. Novik was Ambassador Director of Multilateral Economic Affairs in the Economics Directorate of Chile’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. During this period, she represented Chile in international organisations, such as WTO, OECD and as a Senior Official (SOM) in APEC, and acted as the country’s G20 Sherpa during the year 2012. She also headed and supervised negotiations on behalf of Chile in the investment and services areas, with China, Australia, TPP, Pacific Alliance and MERCOSUR, among others, and participated in Chile’s accession to OECD, particularly in the areas of investment and trade.
Ms. Novik, a Chilean national, holds a Major in Business and Administration from Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, Chile and a Master’s in International Affairs, Economic and Political Development from Columbia University, United States.
Richard Bolwijn
Stefan Kratzsch
Amelia Santos Paulino
Dr. Amelia U. Santos-Paulino is Chief of the Investment Issues at UNCTAD’s Division on Investment and Enterprise.
Previously, she was a Senior Economist at UNCTAD’s Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes Division. Before joining UNCTAD, she was Research Fellow and Project Director in the United Nations University’s World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) in Helsinki, Professorial Research Fellow in the University of Sussex’s Institute of Development Studies, and Senior Research Economist in the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic.
She served as Senior Adviser of the Dominican Republic’s Government on International Trade and Investment for the negotiations of the US-DR-CAFTA Free Trade Agreement, amongst other full-time posts within the civil service and academia of the Dominican Republic. She has also held visiting posts at the University of California, Davis, the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Fudan University in Shanghai, and the Asian Development Bank Institute in Tokyo.
Her work has been published in journals including the Economic Journal, Cambridge Journal of Economics, and World Development, and has also edited books published by Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press.
She holds PhD and MA degrees in Economics from the University of Kent in the UK.
Jicui Dong
Dr. Jicui Dong is the Unit Head of the Local Production and Assistance Unit in WHO. With her diverse expertise, she has been leading the Unit to support Member States in promoting technology transfer and strengthening sustainable quality local production of medical products (medicines, vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, IVDs, etc.) to improve access. She has been representing WHO in working with global partners to implement regional/global local production initiatives, such as the PMPA under the leadership of AUC. Jicui is responsible for the World Local Production Forum, a new WHO initiative and sustainable platform to foster global coordination & synergies and galvanize collective action in local production and technology transfer. Jicui led her unit to receive the WHO Director General’s Award for Excellence in 2021. Jicui is a member of the 9th editorial board of Chinese Journal of pharmaceutical Analysis and a member of the 6th editorial board of Chinese Pharmaceutical Affairs . Jicui received her PhD in Biology in University of Geneva, Switzerland, and MBA in University of Liverpool, UK, MSc in Pharmacology in Peking Union Medical College, and BSc in Chinese Materia Medica in Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. She also received executive training in trade, diplomacy and public health, and extensive training in innovation, entrepreneurship, etc. in Switzerland and USA.
Yuvan Beejadhur
Mr Yuvan A. Beejadhur is a Senior Adviser at the World Trade Organization (WTO). He is a specialist in Natural Resources Management, focusing on the ocean economy in the Environment and Agriculture Global Practice. Prior to this, he worked as a Counsellor at the World Bank’s office to the UN. Before that, he was an Economics Affairs Officer at UNCTAD and an Associate Professor at the University of Geneva. Beejahur is a doctoral candidate on EU trade relations with Africa (Sorbonne), holds a Master’s in Political Economy (Sorbonne) and a BA in International Affairs from the American University of Paris. He is interested in the nexus of oceans, climate and security.
Ambassadors
H.E. Amb. Maria Martin-Prat
María Martin-Prat is the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the European Union to the World Trade Organization. Before taking up her position, Ms Martin-Prat was Deputy Director-General in the Directorate General responsible for Trade and Economic Security in the European Commission. In that position she led the teams responsible for bilateral trade and investment relations with countries in Asia, the Pacific, Africa and the Caribbean. She also led the work of the teams responsible for Sustainable Development and Green Deal trade related issues, Services and Digital Trade, Investment and Intellectual Property. Her career in the Commission also covers Internal Market policies having been the Head of the Unit responsible for Free Movement of Services and Freedom of Establishment, and the Head of the Copyright Unit in the European Commission. She was also Member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Joaquin Almunia. Ms Martin-Prat has worked as a lawyer in the private sector and in the European Parliament. Ms Martin-Prat holds a master’s in law from the University of Seville in Spain and has two postgraduate degrees in European Law (from the Institute of European Studies of the ULB in Brussels and from the European Institute of the University of Amsterdam).
H.E. Amb. Prof. Muhammadou M.O. Kah
His Excellency Professor Muhammadou M.O. Kah is the Ambassador & Permanent Representative of The Gambia to the UN Office at Geneva, World Trade Organisation (WTO), and other offices in Geneva. He currently Chairs the Africa Group of Ambassadors at Geneva (April 2021-June 2021) and is the Vice Chair for UNCTAD’s Commission on Science and Technology Development’s 25th session and a member of the Advisory Board of the UNCTAD TDB Advisory Body (June 2021-July 2022). Ambassador Prof. Kah is also one of three Ambassadors designated as Friends of the Chair of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) General Assembly.
Prior to his appointment in Geneva, Professor Kah served as the Founding Chairman of Zenith Bank, The Gambia, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Africa Consulting & Trading Group (ACT), Dakar, Senegal and as the first Gambian-born third Vice Chancellor of The University of The Gambia (UTG) from 2009- 2015 and recently appointed as a Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
Prior to becoming UTG’s Vice Chancellor/Rector in 2009, Professor Muhammadou M.O. Kah spent 4 years in Nigeria as the Founding Dean of the School of Information Technology and Communications at the American University of Nigeria (AUN) where he doubled for a year as Interim Dean of the School of Business & Entrepreneurship. Professor Kah was appointed as Vice President of Academic Affairs & Provost (DVC) and Professor of Information Technology & Computing at the American University of Nigeria, Yola, Adamawa State (2017-2020). He also served as Vice Rector for Technology & Innovation; Professor and Founding Dean of the School of Information Technology & Engineering at ADA University in Baku, Azerbaijan (2015-2017). He served at the Board of Trustees and Governing councils of the American University of Nigeria and the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria.
Professor Kah has held teaching and leadership positions in the USA, Africa, the Middle East (Gulf countries) and Eastern Europe (Caucuses). A regular contributor to the “Africa Module” in the Advanced Leadership Program (ALP) at Cambridge Judge Business School, he was appointed as an honorary Fellow of the Judge Business School and the Digital Innovation Centre, University of Cambridge (2016-2017). Professor Kah is passionate about advancing and strengthening computing, engineering, science, and leading strategy & innovation in organizations. To complement that he also provides thought leadership in information technologies & computing education in higher education whilst also serving as a member of international panels such as the Malabo Montpellier Panel, the Euro Science Forum 2018, Africa Europe Foundation, amongst others.
Completing his BSc, MSc. and Ph.D. at the Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, one of the top engineering and technology management universities in the USA, Professor Kah also holds a Master of Science in Finance (Financial Engineering) from George Washington University, Washington, DC and a Postgraduate Diploma (Dip SI) in Strategy and Innovation from the Said Business School, University of Oxford, UK.
Professor Kah has completed several Executive Education Programs: University of Cambridge, Judge Business School: the Advanced Leadership (ALP) Program; Advanced Leadership Re-Union & Follow-Up Program in Singapore and Beyond Innovation: Business Models for Transformation & Competitive Advantage; Harvard University, Harvard Kennedy School: Transforming Leadership for 21st Century Africa, and The AGA KHAN University, Graduate School of Media & Communication: The Voice of Leadership; Inspiration, Influence & Impact. In Corporate Governance, he has completed the highly reputable International Directors Program (IDP) as an Internationally Certified Director from INSEAD, through the INSEAD Singapore and Fontainebleau, France, Campus. Professor Kah is also a member of the Institute of Directors (IoD), London, UK.
H.E. Amb. Erwin Bollinger
Ambassador Erwin Bollinger is currently the Head of the Swiss Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organization and European Free Trade Association in Geneva since 1 September 2023.
From 2018 to 2023, he was Head of Bilateral Economic Relations Division and Federal Council Delegate for Trade Agreements. From 2008 to 2018, he was Head of the Export Controls and Sanctions Section and Deputy Head of the Bilateral Economic Relations Division. From 2005 – 2008, he was Head of Export Control Policy. From 2003 to 2005 he was Deputy Head of Bilateral Economic Relations Europe/Central Asia. From 1999 to 2003, Counsellor at the Swiss Mission to the EU in Brussels.
He joined the Federal Administration in 1992 starting at the former Integration Office FDFA/FDEA, transferring to the former Federal Office for Foreign Economic Affairs, World Trade/WTO Section in 1995.
Between 1989 and 1992. he worked at swissmedic, becoming Dep. Head of the Legal Affairs Service in 1991.
H.E. Naser Al Hayaen
H.E. Sadiq Mohammad Marafi
Ambassador Sadiq Mohammad Marafi is Kuwait’s Assistant Foreign Minister for International Organizations. He previously served as Assistant Foreign Minister for European Affairs and as Kuwait’s Ambassador to China. From 2013 he was Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative to the IAEA and the other international organisations in Vienna. He represented Kuwait on the IAEA Board of Governors from 2019 to 2021. In September 2021 he was elected by acclamation as President of the 65th IAEA General Conference, the first time Kuwait had chaired the Conference since joining the Agency more than five decades earlier.
He joined Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993. From 1996 to 2012 he served at Kuwait’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, rising from Third Secretary to Counsellor. In Geneva he chaired the Troika for Angola’s Universal Periodic Review (2011). He also led Kuwait’s delegations to the UN Committee against Torture (2011) and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (2012). He holds a degree in Political Science from Kuwait University.
H.E. Amb. José Sánchez-Fung
José R. Sánchez-Fung is the Dominican Republic’s ambassador and permanent representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and to the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Preceding the appointment in Geneva, Dr. Sánchez-Fung was ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, and head of the diplomatic mission, of the Dominican Republic to Switzerland based in Bern. Before joining his country’s foreign service, Dr. Sánchez-Fung taught economics at the University of Nottingham (Ningbo, China) and Kingston University London (with tenure).
He currently holds an adjunct professorship at Western Michigan University’s department of economics (Michigan, USA). Ambassador Sánchez-Fung’s national public service includes working as an economist in the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic in Santo Domingo in the role of director of economic research and voting member of the monetary policy-making Open Market Committee. He has also served as an honorific advisor to the Dominican Republic’s Senate – the upper house of the national parliament.
Ambassador Sánchez-Fung holds an undergraduate degree in economics from PUCMM in Santo Domingo, and MA and PhD degrees in economics from the University of Kent in the United Kingdom.
H.E. Sung-yo Choi
Sung-yo Choi, Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea Mission to the World Trade Organization, is Co-coordinator of the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement. She currently also serves as Chair of the WTO Working Party on the Accession of Uzbekistan. She is a career diplomat with extensive expertise in international trade negotiations and multilateral affairs and has been involved in WTO negotiations for over 15 years, as well as the Republic of Korea’s free trade area negotiations. Prior to returning to Geneva, she was Minister at the Delegation of the Republic Korea to the OECD in Paris. She holds an M.B.A. from Yale University and a B.A. in Communications from Seoul National University.
H.E. Amb. Ivars Pundurs
Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Mr. Pundurs had been serving as the Director of the Human Resources Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia since 2020. He was Latvia’s Ambassador to the Council of Europe from 2016 to 2020. He also served as Ambassador to Greece from 2011 to 2016, concurrently serving as non-resident Ambassador to Serbia from 2013 to 2017, and to Cyprus from 2012 to 2017. He served as Latvia’s Ambassador to Turkey from 2004 to 2009. He was also posted at the Embassy of Latvia to Austria from 1994 to 1998, first as charge d’affaires and then as Counsellor and Head of Delegation at the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe.
A career diplomat since 1991, Mr. Pundurs has held various other posts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including as Under-Secretary of State, Administrative Director from 2009 to 2011; Under-Secretary of State, Security Policy and International Organizations Directorate from 2000 to 2004; and Director, Fourth Political Department from 1998 to 2000.
Mr. Pundurs was born in 1966 in Latvia. He studied at the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia (1984-1991) and at the Institute of International Relations in Switzerland (1992-1993). He has received a number of rewards in Latvia.
H.E. Amb. Manuel A.J. Teehankee
H.E. Ambassador Manuel Antonio J. Teehankee is the Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the World Trade Organization in Geneva. This is his second tour in the post: he first served from 2004 to 2011, chaired the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment from 2007 to 2011, and was reappointed in 2023. In 2026 he led the Philippines’ Sixth Trade Policy Review and chaired the WTO’s Informal Group of Developing Countries. He represents ASEAN at the WTO as the Philippines holds the 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship. He was previously Undersecretary of the Department of Justice and Acting Government Corporate Counsel. An international lawyer admitted to the New York and Philippine Bars, he has appeared before the WTO Dispute Settlement Body, the Iran–United States Claims Tribunal, and ICSID, ICC, SIAC and UNCITRAL tribunals. He holds a PhD in International Law from the Graduate Institute, Geneva, and teaches at Ateneo de Manila Law School.
H.E. Amb. Sharaf Sheralizoda
Mr. Sharaf Sheralizoda is the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Tajikistan to the United Nations Office in Geneva. Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Mr. Sheralizoda had been serving as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan since 2021. An economist by career, he has held leadership roles in various public offices in Tajikistan, including Head of the Secretariat of the Advisory Council for Improving the Investment Climate, Director of the Centre for Implementation of Public-Private Partnership Projects, and Leading Specialist of the Department of Demographic Statistics and Employment of the State Statistics Committee.
Antonio Fernandez-Martos
Involved in Brexit matters and European Union – UK negotiations between 2016 and 2020.
2020 to 2025 in DG TRADE, European Commission as the Head of Unit in charge of multilateral affairs and WTO.
Currently Deputy Head of the EU Mission to the WTO in Geneva.
H.E. Amb. Alaa Mohamed Salaheldin Hegazy
Ambassador Alaa Mohamed Salaheldin Hegazy is a career Egyptian diplomat. He has been Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva since November 2024, and he presented his credentials to the Director-General of UN Geneva that month.
Before Geneva, he was Assistant Foreign Minister and Chief of Cabinet to Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, starting in July 2022. From 2018 to 2021 he was Egypt’s Ambassador to Sweden. He already knew the Geneva multilateral system: early in his career, from 2003 to 2007, he was First Secretary at Egypt’s Permanent Mission in Geneva.
He holds a master’s degree in International Political Economy from the University of Warwick in the UK.
H.E. Amb. Dr. Ahmed Ihab Gamaleldin
Ambassador Ahmed Ihab Gamaleldin has a long professional career in multilateral and bilateral diplomacy. He currently serves as Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Human Rights and International Humanitarian and Social Affairs. Previously, he was ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Kingdom of Morocco, deputy assistant minister of foreign affairs for environment and sustainable development, director for the department for Human Rights and International Social and Humanitarian Affairs, member of the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign affairs, the World Bank in Wahington DC, member of the Egyptian Permanent Missions to the United Nations in New York and in Geneva, and deputy permanent representative to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva. Dr. Gamaleldin was elected as vice chair of the bureau of the international preparatory process of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002 and co-chaired the international negotiations on its final document. He represented Egypt in a number of international summits, conferences and meetings in the United Nations in the Economic, Social, Environmental, Humanitarian, Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law fields . He holds a PHD and MA in International Economics and International Relations from Johns Hopkins University, and an MBA and a BA in Business Administration from the American University in Cairo.
Business Leaders & Executives
Nandini Sukumar
Nandini Sukumar is the Chief Executive Officer of the World Federation of Exchanges, the global association for exchanges and CCPs. The WFE represents more than 250 exchanges and clearing houses globally, educating stakeholders on the vital role played by market infrastructures in the real economy and as a standard setter, finding the consensus on issues among the global membership. Of its members, 37% are in Asia- Pacific, 43% in EMEA and 20% in the Americas. WFE exchanges are home to 59,400 listed companies, and the market capitalisation of these entities is over $122.94 trillion; around $162.04 trillion (EOB) in trading annually passes through WFE members (at end 2021). WFE’s 57 member CCPs collectively ensure that risk takers post some $1 trillion (equivalent) of resources to back their positions, in the form of initial margin and default fund requirements. Ms. Sukumar is Vice Chair of IOSCO’s Affiliate Members Consultative Committee and Chair of the AMCC’s Sustainability Taskforce.
Vincent Subilia
As Director General of the CCIG, Vincent Subilia advocates the Geneva business community; he thus promotes and defends the CCIG 2’800 corporate Members. Since June 2025, Vincent also holds the position as President of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A qualified lawyer with robust expertise gained in Switzerland and abroad, Vincent has worked within a large international bank in Geneva as Vice President for numerous years, as well as for a major law firm specialised in WTO issues. Vincent has further been elected as Member of the Geneva Parliament.
Ebru Köksal
Ebru Köksal began her professional career in New York as a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley, before returning to Turkey to join Citibank, where she served as a senior manager from 1992 to 1999. She subsequently joined AIG’s private equity fund as Vice President in 1999.
Following AIG’s investment in Galatasaray Sports Club, she was appointed Chief Financial Officer in 2001 and later became Chief Executive Officer, leading the club until 2011. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in the club’s strategic and financial development. In 2010, she became the first woman elected to the Executive Board of the European Club Association, where she also served as Vice Chair of the Institutional Relations Working Group.
In December 2011, Ms Köksal was appointed General Secretary of the Turkish Football Federation. She later served as a consultant to FIFA and UEFA between 2012 and 2018, advising on governance and strategic development. She also returned to Galatasaray as a Board Member from 2013 to 2015.
Ms Köksal currently holds several prominent international roles, including Board Director at J. Stern & Co., Chair of Women in Football (UK), Board Member of the European Football Clubs (EFC) Foundation, Board Director at the A-Leagues (Australia), and the International Tennis Integrity Agency.
She is the recipient of the Executive of the Year Award (Stadium Business Awards, 2011), the inaugural Making a Difference Award from Harvard Business School Executive Education (2018) and the inaugural Leaders in Sport Trailblazer Award (2024).
Ms Köksal holds a dual degree in Economics and International Relations from Brown University and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Programme. She is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA
Jayson Myers
Jayson Myers is the CEO of Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), an industry-led organization that raises funds to invest in building world-leading advanced manufacturing solutions in Canada.
Jay is an award-winning business economist who specializes in industrial and technological change. Between 2007 and 2016, he served as President & CEO of Canada’s largest industry and trade association.
A former research fellow at Nuffield College Oxford, Jay has held lectureships at both Oxford and the University of Warwick. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the World Manufacturing Forum and a leading advocate on behalf of advanced manufacturing.
Alain-Claude Nkurunziza
Alain-Claude Nkurunziza is an international business leader and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience spanning hospitality, business development, professional education and cross-border partnerships across Europe, North America and Africa.
He serves as President of the Union of African Chambers of Commerce in Switzerland (UCCAS), where he works to strengthen economic relations between Switzerland and African markets, foster institutional and business partnerships, and facilitate trade and investment opportunities.
He is the Founder and Group CEO of Mauborget Group, a pan-African business group active in hospitality consulting, professional training, recruitment and capacity building. He also founded the African Hospitality School, which develops industry-relevant skills and supports workforce development in Africa.
A graduate of EHL Hospitality Business School in Lausanne, Alain-Claude combines international management experience with a practical understanding of hospitality investment, local capacity building and private-sector development. His work focuses on connecting business networks, investment opportunities and local expertise to support sustainable economic development across Africa
Tim Krul
Tim Krul is a former Netherlands international goalkeeper who enjoyed a distinguished 20-year professional career in English football, most notably representing Newcastle United and Norwich City. He represented the Netherlands at three major international tournaments, including the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Since retiring, Tim has transitioned into football governance, strategic leadership and investment. He serves on the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Players’ Board and as a Trustee of Norwich City Community Sports Foundation, supporting initiatives that harness the power of football to improve health, education, inclusion and opportunities within local communities.
Tim has also completed a Master’s in Global Football Business Management and a Sporting Director Diploma, strengthening his expertise in leadership, governance and the long-term development of football organisations.
Beyond football, Tim is an active investor and board director, with interests spanning education, technology, healthcare innovation and sport. He serves on the board of EStars, an international educational technology company, and is an investor in ReadyGo Diagnostics.
Drawing on his experience across elite sport, governance and business, Tim is passionate about the role of responsible investment in creating sustainable organisations and meaningful social impact. He believes sport has a unique ability to bring people together, improve lives and create opportunities that extend far beyond the pitch.
Jo Spalburg
Nicolas Fleury
Nicolas Fleury is an international executive, entrepreneur and strategic adviser with more than 35 years of experience spanning international standardisation, digital transformation and global governance. His career combines senior institutional leadership with strategic advice to governments and businesses.
At ISO, where he served as Deputy Secretary-General and as Acting Secretary-General and CEO, he led major organisational and digital transformations. Today, he advises governments, global businesses and organisations on governance, institutional transformation, geopolitical and regulatory strategy, and the use of standards to strengthen competitiveness.
He serves on advisory boards, including that of the Geneva School of Economics and Management. He is also an Honorary Professor at Qingdao University in China, a Fellow of the Society for Standards Professionals and Vice-President of IFAN, the International Federation of Standards Users.
Maurice Prendergast
Prof. Fu Xiaolan
Xiaolan Fu (傅晓岚) is the Founding Director of the Technology and Management Centre for Development (TMCD), Professor of Technology and International Development, Fellow of Green Templeton College and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and Founder of OxValue.AI.
In 2024, Professor Fu was appointed as the director of Oxford Advanced Research Centres (OARC) by the University of Oxford, which wholly owns the Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research (OSCAR).
She was appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to the Ten-Member High Level Advisory Group of the UN Technology Facilitation Mechanism and to the Governing Council of the UN’s Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries. She is also a member of the UN SDSN Leadership Council led by Jeffrey Sachs. She is winner of a 2021 Falling Walls Scientific Breakthrough Award, the 2019 winner of the CFA Asia-Pacific Research Exchange Award (CFA Institute), the 2018 winner of the Best Journal Paper of the Year Award (European Academy of International Business), and the 2017 winner of the Best Paper Award (European Association of Management (EURAM) Innovation Strategic Interest Group).
Her research interests include innovation, technology and industrialisation; trade, foreign direct investment and economic development; emerging Asian economies; innovation and productivity in the UK/US.
She has published extensively in leading international journals independently or in collaboration with others. Her recent books include Innovation under the Radar, China’s Path to Innovation, China’s Role in Global Economic Recovery and The Rise of Technological Power in the South. She is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, and serves on the editorial boards of Industrial and Corporate Change, International Journal of Technology Management, and four other international journals.
Professor Fu has received large research grants from funding bodies that include the European Commission, ESRC, EPSRC, British Academy, DFID, and the Cairncross Foundation. She also received the European Commission EFMD Gate2Growth 2005 ‘European Best Paper’ Award, Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence 2012 Outstanding Paper Award, and European Association of Management (EURAM) annual conference Innovation Strategic Interest Group 2017 Best Paper Award.
She has been a consultant for UNDESA, UNCTAD, UNIDO, the World Bank, the OECD, the European Commission, the ILO, the Commonwealth Secretariat, UKTI and the Chinese government. Professor Fu serves on the Advisory Expert Group of the OECD Global Investment Forum and the DFID/ESRC Economic Growth Directorate (DEGP), and was President of the Chinese Economic Association (Europe) and CEA (UK) in 2010-11. She currently serves on the Management Committee of the Oxford University China Centre. She is also a Senior Research Associate at the University of Cambridge and University of Tsinghua, and a Visiting Professor at Fudan University. As a leading China expert, she has participated in various media interviews and panel discussions including for the BBC, Sky News, CCTV, CGTN, People’s Daily, and China Daily. In 2014 she was invited to address the UN General Assembly on ‘Science, technology and innovation in developing countries’.
Professor Fu came to Oxford from Cambridge University, where she was a Senior Research Fellow. Before coming to the UK, she had five years’ work experience in the business sector in China before embarking on her academic career.
Jorge Diaz
Jorge Díaz Rivera is Vice President of the Economic Zone at DP World in Dominican Republic, leading the strategic development of one of the region’s key platforms for trade, investment attraction, and sustainable economic growth. With over 15 years of international experience across Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, he specializes in foreign direct investment, free zones, and international trade. Prior to joining DP World, he held leadership roles at the World Free Zones Organization (WFZO), the Barcelona Free Zone Consortium, AZFA, and ProColombia, driving global investment and economic development initiatives.
Aida Feriz
Xavier Blackman
Mr. Blackman is an executive with 38 years of diverse experience across the public and private sectors in the Netherlands and the LAC region. His resume covers sectors including advisory services, banking, consultancy, energy, finance, telecoms, and utilities.
He currently leads a multi-disciplinary team of professionals at Continental Gateway Group, a CARICOM-based advisory firm. Partnering with strategic partners, Continental Gateway Group pro-actively connects global investment ecosystems by offering corporate financing and related advisory services, thus creating attractive and comprehensive one-stop-shop solutions for private and public sector clients who invest in -or seek capital- for projects in the Global South.
Miguel Casas Albandor
Miguel Casas has 20 years of experience in the hospitality investment market. He has invested more than €1bn in hotel transactions since he joined Stoneweg Hospitality as Managing Director in 2021. Prior to that, he was CBRE’s Head of Hotel Investment Properties, Continental Europe. Casas holds a degree in Business Administration from CUNEF in Madrid, a Masters in Alternative Investments by BME and a Hotel Asset Management degree in Cornell. He has extensive experience in undertaking strategic transactions in the sector, as well as in brokerage, buy side advisory and asset management services related to hotel investments.
Jan Mischke
Dr. Jan Mischke is a partner at the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), McKinsey’s business and economics research arm, based in Zurich. Since 2010, he has led MGI’s research on productivity and prosperity. This includes topics ranging from regional and country competitiveness and growth, particularly in Europe, to infrastructure, construction, and real estate, to global wealth and balance sheet health. Jan is a frequent speaker on these topics as well as on broader global trends.
Prior to joining MGI, Jan worked as a consultant with McKinsey for 10 years, serving clients across many different industries and countries.
Yassir Zouaoui
Yassir is the Managing Partner of McKinsey’s Casablanca office, where he works with corporations, investors, and governments across North Africa, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa to drive large-scale transformations at both the organizational and national economic levels. He helps leaders design and implement strategies that reshape markets, unlock sustainable growth, and deliver lasting impact.
Before returning to Casablanca, the office where he first joined McKinsey in 2005, Yassir was based in the Middle East from 2017 through 2026. He has extensive experience supporting economic and sector transformations, leading initiatives that accelerate sector growth, and managing major investment programs to enhance competitiveness and create tangible social and economic outcomes.
Yassir also leads McKinsey’s global economic development work, helping public- and private-sector clients leverage data-driven insights and advanced decision models to shape strategy and policy.
He is fluent in English, French, and Arabic, with conversational proficiency in Italian and Spanish.
Henry Loewendahl
Henry is Founder and CEO of Lion Economics (formerly Wavteq) and a Senior Consultant to FT Locations. He one of the leading global experts on FDI and investment promotion and a serial innovator and entrepreneur with multiple successful exits to blue chip companies.
Henry was previously Product Director in the Financial Times, Managing Director of Investment Products in OCO Global, Manager of Inward Investment in IBM, and Senior Consultant in PwC.
Henry has 25+ years of FDI experience working with over 150 economic development organisations and multinationals in over 60 countries.
Henry has a PhD on FDI and is a pioneer in expanding our knowledge of FDI, competitiveness, and investment promotion. He is the inventor of fDi Markets, fDi Benchmark, AmplifyCRM, IncentivesFlow, fDi Institute, and InvestmentMap. He has over 100 publications and presentations on FDI and investment promotion.
Over 1,000 economic development organisations and multinationals have subscribed to products led by Henry and he has managed projects delivering over $20 billion of FDI.
Chris Knight
Chris Knight is Managing Director of FT Locations, the Financial Times’ specialist business unit for investment promotion and economic development data and digital solutions. FT Locations brings together fDi Intelligence, GIS Planning and Wavteq, and its products include fDi Markets, fDi Benchmark and ZoomProspector. Chris has spent nearly two decades in foreign direct investment, advising governments and investment promotion agencies worldwide on location benchmarking and on analysing FDI trends. He joined fDi Intelligence in 2006 and rose through sales and business development roles to Global Commercial Director. He was also Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Wavteq, an investment promotion technology firm acquired by the FT in 2023. He holds a degree in Economics and Finance from Queen’s University Belfast.
Jacopo Dettoni
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.
Alex Wang
Alex Wang is the Chairman of Hejun International, a Hong Kong based consulting company dedicated to providing comprehensive advisory services for Chinese enterprises expanding overseas, as well as for international companies entering the Chinese market. With partners stationed across many countries and regions—including those along the “Belt and Road Initiative,” as well as in Europe, the Americas, Japan, and South Korea—the firm possesses deep insights into both mainland China and international markets. Leveraging Hong Kong’s unique advantage as a gateway that connects China to the rest of the world, the firm delivers professional consulting services to its clients.
Laurent Zylberberg
Claudia Pellerano
Chairperson of the Board, Las Americas Free Zone Park, President, Free Trade Zone Association of the Americas (AZFA) President, International Logistics Solutions, Vice-President, Dominican Free Trade Zone Association (ADOZONA), Member of the Board of Directors, National Council of Export Free Zones of the Dominican Republic Member of the Board of Directors, World Free Zone Association (WFZO)
Dr. Caroline King
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.
Patrick Wermelinger
Patrick Wermelinger served as the Chief Investment Promotion Officer at Switzerland Global Enterprise, where he is a member of the Executive Committee. In addition to his leadership role, he is actively engaged as the Vice-President of the Steering Committee for the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) and as a member of the Steering Committee for digitalswitzerland. With a rich background in business development, location promotion, and public relations, he continues to play a pivotal role in advancing global investment strategies and fostering innovation. Fluent in multiple languages, Patrick brings a global perspective to his endeavors.
Zehra Fattah
Zehra Fattah is the CEO of Kent Consulting & Events, a UAE-based boutique consultancy specialising in international trade and investment. With 15 years of experience delivering Trade and FDI projects across the Middle East and global markets, she leads initiatives that connect investors, businesses, and economic development organisations. As the founder of the region’s first female-owned and managed economic development consultancy, Zehra brings a unique perspective to the sector. She has contributed to leading international forums, including as a Panelist at WAIPA’s 28th World Investment Conference in Riyadh on “Informative Advertising is Persuasive: The Art of Investor Engagement.”
Delphine Di Pizio-Tiger
Delphine Di Pizio-Tiger started her career in 1996 as a derivatives sales trader at Indosuez Carr Futures. In 1998, she joined the Crédit Agricole group, first with Crédit Lyonnais Asset Management and later, in 2004, with Crédit Agricole Asset Management.
Between 2008 and 2016, she held several strategic roles at Amundi, including Head of Employee Savings and Retirement Portfolio Management and Head of Impact Investing. In 2019, she was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Indosuez Gestion, followed by her appointment as Global Head of Asset Management in 2022. Since July 2025, she has combined her CEO duties with the role of Deputy Global Head of Investment Management.
Erika Magder
Erika has been active in investment attraction for over 20 years. She helps IPAs design and implement effective investment attraction strategies, generate qualified leads, and secure high-value projects. As EVP Global Sales at ResearchFDI she also provides capacity building and training support to help IPAs learn how to build their value propositions in order to attract quality FDI. Erika also serves on the Board of Directors of the the Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA).
Thomas Walenta
Thomas is Head of Global Strategies and Climate, Fund Investments at responsAbility Investments AG, a leading impact asset manager specializing in private market investments. At responsAbility, Thomas is co-heading a team that originates, structures, negotiates, executes and manages innovative, developmental and profitable private equity fund investments across emerging market and developing economies with the intention to generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return. This includes the portfolio management of the Swiss Investment Fund for Emerging Markets (SIFEM), the development finance institution of the Swiss Confederation.
Philipp Lemmerz
Philipp Lemmerz is a Senior Managing Director, based in Dubai. He brings extensive experience and deep expertise in working on the interface between public and private sectors, focusing on economic policy, private sector development, development finance, ecosystem building, trade, investment, small and medium-sized enterprises, innovation, incentive design, and monitoring and evaluation.
Tiago Devesa
Tiago is a Senior Fellow at the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), the business and economics research arm of McKinsey.
His research focuses on the intersection of geopolitics with global flows of trade and capital, and how they collectively influence our energy system.
Tiago is a frequent speaker on these topics at leading global conferences and industry events. His work is widely cited in the media, and he contributes articles and opinion pieces to major outlets including The Financial Times, Foreign Policy, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and Harvard Business Review.
Before joining MGI, Tiago spent over a decade as a McKinsey consultant, advising companies and governments across three continents. During his career he has been based in the Lisbon, Luanda, and Sydney offices.
Anna Kortis
Anna advises companies and investors on advanced and regulated industries. With a focus on strategy and corporate finance, Anna works on growth, capital allocation, and innovation in the context of economic megatrends. She is passionate about tackling complex challenges at the intersection of public and private sectors, helping clients navigate complex external environments and unlock new opportunities.
Anna has worked with organizations across the automotive, machinery, technology, energy, water, and materials sectors, as well as with private investors active in these areas. Her work spans the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and South Africa, reflecting her global perspective and expertise. Anna helped launch the McKinsey Platform for Climate Technologies and contributes to McKinsey’s collaboration with the World Economic Forum, particularly on initiatives related to European growth and competitiveness.
Anna has a background in macroeconomics and is dedicated to ensuring that her clients’ technological innovations ultimately drive inclusive and sustainable growth. Fluent in English, German, French, and Spanish, she brings a global mindset to every project, striving to make a positive global impact.
Jeongmin Seong
Jeongmin Seong is a partner at the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), McKinsey & Company’s business and economics research arm. His research focuses on global connections, including trade reconfiguration, shifting capital flows, and their impact on economies and firms. Jeongmin’s work also includes technology, innovation, and economic transitions in Asian economies, where he is based. He is a frequent speaker on these topics at leading global conferences and industry events, and he regularly convenes executives in roundtable formats. His work is widely cited in the media, and he contributes articles and op-eds to major outlets.
Prior to joining MGI, Jeongmin worked with companies around the world focusing on consumer facing industries including consumer electronics, retail, and automotive as an associate partner at McKinsey’s Greater China office. Jeongmin also led McKinsey’s emerging market growth service line.
Prior to joining McKinsey, Jeongmin worked as a product marketing manager at Dell China. Jeongmin is a graduate of Harvard Business School where he received his MBA degree.
Nienke Beuwer
Academia Leaders & Senior Experts
Creon Butler
Creon Butler leads the Global Economy and Finance Programme at Chatham House. He joined the Institute in 2019 and has written on a wide range of global economic policy issues. Previously Creon served in the UK Cabinet Office as director for international economic affairs in the National Security Secretariat and G7/G20 ‘sous sherpa’. Creon first joined the Cabinet Office in 2013 as director in the European and Global Issues Secretariat. He was also the British deputy high commissioner in New Delhi from 2006 to 2009 and has served in senior positions in HM Treasury and the Bank of England.
Jagjit Singh Srai
Professor Jagjit Singh Srai is based at the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, and Head’s the Centre for International Manufacturing. His research brings an engineering and strategic operations management perspective to the design, analysis, and operation of supply chains. Projects explore the disruptive impacts of new production and digital technologies on supply chain configurations. He has secured major research grants and published over 100 journal papers. Jag holds MPhil and PhD degrees in Supply Networks (Cambridge) and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers. Previous roles were in Unilever, including Supply Chain Director of a multinational business.
Prof. Lisa Sachs
Lisa Sachs is the Director of the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI). She is a globally recognized expert and leading voice on climate finance, sustainable investment, and natural resource governance, and a leading voice on how laws, policies, and financial architecture shape global investment flows in support of development and climate objectives. She is also an Associate Professor and Director of the M.S. in Climate Finance program at Columbia Climate School.
Since joining CCSI in 2008, she has built the Center into a leading hub for research, analysis, thought leadership, and policy engagement. Her work spans climate finance and reform of the international financial architecture, energy transition financing, sustainable industrial policy, corporate climate action, and the governance of critical minerals and extractive industries. She advises governments around the world along with multilateral development banks, UN agencies, and intergovernmental organizations, and works closely with companies, investors, and civil society to translate research into practical policy and investment reforms.
She received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Harvard University, a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School, where she was a James Kent Scholar and recipient of the Parker School Certificate in International and Comparative Law.
Prof. Amir Lebdioui
Dr Amir Lebdioui is a development economist, whose research has focused on the economic diversification of resource-dependent nations, green industrial policy and low carbon innovation, commodity value addition and biodiversity-based development models.
His work has been published in top tier academic journals including World Development, Ecological Economics, Development and Change, the Journal of Technology Transfer, and the Review of International Political Economy.
Amir also regularly advises governments and international institutions on green industrial policy strategies. He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge. He is an Algerian national.
Sarianna Lundan
Sarianna Lundan is Professor of International Business at Aalto University School of Business in Finland. Before coming to Aalto she held the Chair in International Management and Governance at the University of Bremen in Germany. She received her PhD from Rutgers University (US), and has held prior appointments at the University of Reading (UK) and at Maastricht University (The Netherlands).
Her research focuses on the impact of multinational enterprises on the home and host countries and the co-evolution of firms and institutions. Her recent work has examined the links between regional policy and geopolitics, digital infrastructure investment in rural areas, and investment to facilitate the energy transition. She has published widely in journals and books, and has co-authored with John H. Dunning the second edition of Multinational Enterprises and the Global Economy, which continues to be an influential reference work in the field of International Business. She is the inaugural Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of International Business Policy (JIBP) and member of several other editorial boards.
She has participated extensively in the work of UNCTAD and served briefly as a Senior Economic Officer there. She has also worked on diverse policy-related projects for the World Bank, OECD and European Commission.
She is a Fellow of the Academy of International Business (AIB) and the European International Business Academy (EIBA) and recently served as the Dean of the EIBA Fellows. She was President of EIBA in 2013 and she serves currently as President of AIB.
Danielle Myles
Danielle is an editor at fDi Intelligence, a specialist publication within the Financial Times, and curates the weekly op-ed newsletter fDi Unscripted. She has written extensively on the policies and reforms reshaping global investment, and has a particular interest in economic development, sustainability and urban regeneration. Previously she was investment banking editor at The Banker and worked as a corporate lawyer.
She is now based in Milan, Italy, after working for a decade in London and New York.
Investment Promotion Agencies
Mohamed Yousef Mulla Yaqoub
Mohamed Yousef Mulla Yaqoub is President of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) for the 2025–2027 term and Assistant Director General for Business Development Affairs at the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA). He was elected WAIPA President in October 2025 at the association’s General Assembly in Sharjah, when KDIPA took over the presidency. He has served on WAIPA’s Steering Committee since 2021: first as Executive Director for the Middle East and North Africa (2021–2023), then as Vice President (2023–2025). At KDIPA, he leads business development and investor attraction, with a focus on bringing international companies in technology, data centres and artificial intelligence to Kuwait in support of the country’s digital transformation. He regularly represents Kuwait at international investment forums.
Vladimir Pimentel Camilo
Tae Hyung Kim
Dr. Kim Tae Hyung earned his B.A. in Economics from Korea University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Washington. He is also a graduate of the Advanced Management Programs at Seoul National University and Harvard Business School. With a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of international investment, global value chain, and international taxation, Dr. Kim is well-equipped to lead Invest KOREA into a new era of growth and success.
Omar Rekkache
Omar Rekkache est Directeur Général de l’Agence Algérienne de Promotion de l’Investissement (AAPI), nommé par décret présidentiel. Docteur en sciences de la statistique et de l’économie appliquée, il a exercé diverses hautes fonctions au sein du Premier ministère, du Ministère des Finances et du Ministère de la Prospective et des Statistiques. Son parcours illustre une expertise reconnue en planification, en analyse économique et en coordination institutionnelle, au service du développement et de la promotion des investissements en Algérie.
Yusif Abdullayev
Yusif Ikram oglu Abdullayev was born on 5 June 1983 in the city of Aghdam.
From 2004 to 2007, he worked in sales, insurance and logistics. From 2007 to 2015, he was Director of the Export Department at Azersun Holding. From December 2015 to 1 June 2018, he served as Vice President of AZPROMO, and from 1 June 2018, as its President.
As part of the reorganisation of AZPROMO, he has been serving as the Agency’s Executive Director since 8 October 2021.
Helen Carrier
Rachel McQueen
Rachel McQueen is a place promotion expert with extensive experience in marketing destinations as places to live, work, study and invest. She recently joined the Office for Investment as Head of Marketing, working to attract transformational investment into the UK. Her previous roles include UK MD for Destination Canada and Chief Executive of Marketing Lancashire.
Lal Dino
Josielle Rafidy
Josielle Rafidy is Director General of the Economic Development Board of Madagascar (EDBM), the national investment promotion agency attached to the Presidency of the Republic. She was appointed in September 2022. Her return to EDBM came after a career across government and the private sector. She headed EDBM’s Tolagnaro office in the late 2000s and later served as Executive Director of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Madagascar. She was also Secretary General of the Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Chief of Staff (Directrice de Cabinet) at the Ministry of Industry and Private Sector Development. Under her leadership, EDBM marked its 20th anniversary in 2026, with 24,000 companies created through its one-stop shop and business registration cut to 48 hours.
Marinos Giannopoulos
Simon Madjie
Simon Madjie is the current Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority. He is a lawyer and an investment promotion and facilitation professional with over a decade’s experience in initiating, leading, and strengthening investment and trade partnerships. He is a member of the Institute of International Affairs, Ghana, and the Ghana Bar Association. He holds a Master of Laws in International Trade Law from the University of Turin in Italy, a Qualifying Certificate (QLC) from the Ghana School of Law (Accra), and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the Ghana Institute of Management & Public Administration (GIMPA).
Marios Tannousis
Marios Tannousis is the CEO of Invest Cyprus. He has over 24 years of international corporate experience, including 12 in the international banking and financial services group Societe Generale, where he served in various key posts. He is a Member of the Boards of the European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA) and the Cyprus Investment Funds Association (CIFA) and a Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI). He holds a degree in Economics and an MBA. He regularly represents Cyprus at international conferences.
Xiaofeng JI
Deputy Director-General, the Department of Foreign Investment Administration, Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China. Ms. Ji has long been engaged in China’s FDI policies and statistics. She leads national Economic and Technological Development Zones to better attract FDI. She also served as the Economic and Commercial Counsellor in Chile.
Mary Buckley
Mary Buckley is Executive Director in IDA Ireland and a member of the organisation’s Executive Leadership Team.
Mary’s experience spans senior leadership roles across the organisation, including Interim CEO. Her current responsibilities include Overseas Markets, Life Sciences & Food, Client Transformation and Corporate Strategy, Planning and Policy. In this role, Mary also partners with client companies, government departments, and stakeholders across the ecosystem.
Currently, Mary is focused on delivering IDA’s new five-year strategy, Adapt Intelligently: A Strategy for Sustainable Growth and Innovation, cultivating sustainable global FDI partnerships that deliver economic opportunity and success for the people of Ireland.
Ludmilla Raconnat Le Goff
Ella Woger-Nieves
Ella Woger-Nieves is the Chief Executive Officer of Invest Puerto Rico, a nonprofit tasked with attracting new businesses and capital investment to the Island. A Puerto Rico native and University of Pennsylvania graduate, Ella brings over 25 years of experience in strategic marketing and management consulting, having worked with Fortune 500 companies across life sciences and financial services. Her career spans roles at Ernst & Young, Johnson & Johnson, Vision-to-Action, and The Collage Group in Washington, D.C. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the International Economic Development Council and on the Advisory Board of Bioleap, PR’s first bioscience incubator.
Jihyung Lee
Jihyung Lee is the founding President and CEO of Invest Seoul, the Seoul Investment Promotion Agency. Launched in October 2025, it is the first dedicated investment promotion agency set up by a local government in Korea, and its mission is to make Seoul Asia’s leading global investment hub. He brings 34 years of experience at KOTRA, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, most recently as Executive Vice President for international trade and economic cooperation (2023–2025). Before that, as Director General of Invest KOREA, he led Korea’s national FDI attraction policy and organised Invest Korea Week. His overseas postings include Head of KOTRA’s North America regional office in New York, overseeing ten offices across the US and Canada; Managing Director of KOTRA Silicon Valley; and Director of KOTRA Helsinki, covering Finland and the Baltic states. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Korea University and a master’s in technology management from Stony Brook University.
Majed Mneimneh
Dr. Majed Mneimneh is Chairman and General Manager of the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL), with over 20 years of experience in financial management, private equity, and strategic transformation. He holds a PhD in International Finance from J.F. Kennedy Business School and has extensive expertise in investment structuring, corporate restructuring, and growth strategies across international markets. His previous leadership roles span financial advisory, publishing, and business consulting. He is committed to strengthening Lebanon’s investment competitiveness, fostering international partnerships, and promoting sustainable economic growth.
Daniel Córdova
Daniel Cordova is Director of the Investments Promotion Division at PROMPERU. Previously, he worked as Vice-President of Research at Credicorp Capital; Chief Investment Officer and Head of Research at Advanced Capital Asset Management Peru SAF; Head of Financial Planning and Investor Relations at BBVA Peru; and International Finance Manager at Itau Unibanco, based in Sao Paulo and New York. He has an MBA with concentrations in Analytical Finance and Strategy from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Universidad del Pacifico, and is a candidate to the CFA Level III Exam.
Be part of the conversation
Register for WIC 2026
Registration for and participation in the WIC 2026 is free of charge.