Philip Armstrong

<p><strong>Philip Armstrong heads the Global Corporate Governance Forum</strong>, based in Washington DC, United States. The Forum was co-founded by the World Bank Group and the OECD to promote global, regional and local initiatives to improve the institutional framework and practices of corporate governance in developing countries and emerging markets. The Forum is currently located in the Sustainable Business Advisory Department of the International Finance Corporation.</p><br /> <p>Philip is a widely acknowledged expert on corporate governance and was closely involved with the internationally-acclaimed 2002 King Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa. He was also instrumental in producing the Commonwealth Guidelines on corporate governance and served as an expert resource on corporate governance for the NEPAD initiative in Africa. He has been conferred with an honorary doctorate in business administration from the Oxford Brookes University in the UK in recognition of his contributions to corporate governance.</p><br /> <p>Philip Armstrong has had a distinguished and varied career in executive and senior management in a number of South Africa’s prominent listed companies and has served with distinction on a number of boards of companies, governing bodies of professional institutions, and policy initiatives in South Africa and internationally. He continues to serve on a number of advisory bodies of prominent institutions around the world and is regularly cited in leading journals and publications for his work on corporate governance around the world.</p>

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Dr. Nasser H. Saidi

<p><strong>Dr. Nasser H. Saidi was the Chief Economist of Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)</strong> since 2006.</p><br /> <p>He leads the links with governments, central banks, and international organisations. Dr. Saidi is also the Executive Director of the Hawkamah-Institute for Corporate Governance and The Mudara Institute of<br /> Directors at the DIFC.</p><br /> <p>Dr. Saidi is a member of the IMF’s Regional Advisory Group for MENA and Co-Chair of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) MENA Corporate Governance Working Group. He is a member of the Private Sector Advisory Group of the Global Corporate Governance Forum, an institution of the World Bank driving global corporate governance reforms. He is also Chair of the regional Clean Energy Business Council.</p><br /> <p>In 2011, he was named among the 50 most influential Arabs in the World by The Middle East magazine, for the fourth consecutive year. Dr. Saidi was the Minister of Economy and Trade and Minister of Industry of Lebanon between 1998 and 2000.</p><br /> <p>He was the first Vice-Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon for two successive mandates, 1993-1998 and 1998-2003. He was a Member of the UN Committee for Development Policy (UNCDP) for two mandates over the period 2000-2006, a position to which he was appointed by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, in his personal capacity.</p>

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Mahesh Uttamchandani

<p><strong>Mahesh Uttamchandani is the Global Product Leader for the World Bank Group’s Investment Climate Unit Debt Resolution & Insolvency Technical Assistance Program</strong>, providing technical assistance to governments around the world.</p><br /> <p>Prior to this, Mahesh was a Senior Counsel in the World Bank’s Legal Vice-Presidency and led the World Bank’s Insolvency & Creditors’ Rights ROSC (Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes) Initiative. Prior to joining the Bank, Mahesh was Insolvency Counsel to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London, England where he led the reform of insolvency systems throughout eastern Europe and central Asia. He has extensive experience advising governments of developing and transition economies on insolvency matters.</p><br /> <p>Mahesh is a Canadian lawyer who practiced for several years exclusively in the area of insolvency & creditors’ rights at a leading Canadian law firm and has published and lectured extensively in North America, Europe and Asia. He is a board member of the insolvency-related legal journal, International Corporate Rescue, as well as an Adjunct Professor of Law in the St. John’s University Law School LL.M in Insolvency.</p>

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Dr Rainer Geiger

<p><strong>Dr Rainer Geiger is head of the OECD-MENA Investment Programme, and Deputy Director, Financial and Enterprise Affairs, OECD.</strong></p><br /> <p>He is co-chair of the Investment Compact for South East Europe and an associate professor of international economic law at the Paris I University Pantheon-Sorbonne. He holds an advanced degree in law, a PhD from the University of Heidelberg/ Germany and an LL.M from Columbia Law School, New York.</p><br /> <p>His professional career started as counsellor in the Ministries of Economics and Economic Cooperation in Germany. In 1976/1977 he was secretary of the Finance Commission of the Conference on International Economic Co-operation in Paris, France. In 1977, he joined the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris where he has held various posts and is currently Deputy Director for Financial and Enterprise Affairs.</p>

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William (Bill) Foster

<p><strong>William (Bill) Foster is Executive Director of the Mudara Institute of Directors</strong>, the region's leading, professional membership organisation representing the interests of directors and board members.</p><br /> <p>He has been in the region, based in Abu Dhabi and now Dubai, for the last six years and has played an active role in the development and adoption of improved governance and directorship practices. He is a frequent speaker at MENA Corporate Governance workshops and conferences on regional market issues, supported by international agencies such as the IFC, the GCGF and CIPE. As COO of the Abu Dhabi Securities Market for 2 ½ years he was actively involved in programmes and initiatives to introduce best or leading international standards and practices it the market.</p><br /> <p>Prior to coming to the UAE, Bill was Managing Director of the New Zealand Stock Exchange (NZSE – now NZX) for 13 years and a securities market advisor and consultant since leaving NZSE. During his time at NZSE Bill served as the New Zealand representative on the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) for many years and was a Board member and Chairman of the WFE Working Committee for 2001 and 2002.</p>

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H.E. Dr. Mohammed Khalfan Bin Kharbash

<p>Dr. Mohammed Khalfan Bin Kharbash was born in October 1956 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He graduated from Boston University, United States of America with a B.A. in Economics in 1979 and proceeded to pursue postgraduate studies. He was awarded an MA in Economics in Public Finance in 1982 from Boston University. Dr. Kharbash received his PhD in Economics from Exeter University in the United of Kingdom in 1991. He was a visiting researcher at Harvard university in 1994.</p><br /> <p>During his career, Dr. Kharbash had held several government posts in the Ministry of Finance and Industry. He was initially appointed as the Director of the Investment Department in 1980. He then rose to become the Assistant Under Secretary for Revenue and Budget in 1992 and subsequently to the position of Minister of State for Finance and Industry from 1997 to date.</p><br /> <p>Apart from leading the UAE Ministry of Finance and Industry, Dr. Kharbash is also a board member of several financial and economic institutions. He is currently the Chairman of Dubai Islamic Bank and Emirates Industrial Bank and the Vice Chairman of the General Pension and Social Security Authority, Emirates General Petroleum Corporation EMAAR properties Company (PJSC), Tabreed (PJSC) and Real Estate Bank. He is also a member of the Board of Director of the Gulf Investment Corporation (Kuwait) and the Emirates Stocks and Commodities Authority.</p><br /> <p>In 1997, he held the post of the Chairman for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Annual Meetings, which was held in Hong Kong. He was also the Chairmen of the G11 Financial Committee of the IMF. Dr. Kharbash is currently the alternative governor of the UAE at the IMF, the World Bank, the Arab Fund for Economics and Social Development (Kuwait), the Islamic Development Bank (Saudi Arabia) and the OPEC Fund (Austria).</p>

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Mr. Hussain Ahmad Dhaen Al-Qemzi

<p><strong>Mr. Hussain Ahmad Dhaen Al-Qemzi serves as Group Chief Executive Officer of the Noor Investment Group LLC (NIG)</strong>, an investment company focusing on commercial banking and real estate. Mr. Al-Qemzi also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Noor Islamic Bank PJSC, a flagship company of NIG.</p><br /> <p>He has over 28 years of experience in the banking sector. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of Sharjah Islamic Bank until 2006. He served as Chief Operating Officer of Operations at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) until 2003. He serves as the Chairman of Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation. Mr. Al-Qemzi has been Vice Chairman of Emaar Properties PJSC since March 8, 2006. He has been a Member of Higher Board of Directors of Dubai International Financial Centre since May 2006. He has been Non-Independent and Non-Executive Director of Emaar MGF Land Limited since November 1, 2006.</p><br /> <p>He serves as a Director of Noor Islamic Bank PJSC and Deira Investment Company. He serves as Member of the Higher Board of Directors of Dubai International Financial Centre and the Board of Directors of DIFC Authority as well as the Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial studies. Mr. Al-Qemzi is associated with the DIFC Islamic Financial Forum and the Oxford Islamic Financial Studies. He served as Director of Dubai International Financial Exchange Limited since September 2005. He served as a Board Member Dubai Financial Market and Borse Dubai. He served as Director of NASDAQ Dubai Limited. Mr. Al-Qemzi holds a degree in Bachelor of Business Administration.</p>

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Stuart Crocker

<p><strong>Stuart Crocker, Chairman Stuart was born in South Africa and educated in the United Kingdom. </strong></p><br /> <p>After Sandhurst he served as an officer in her Majesty's Armed Forces (Army) for eleven years in various theatres, including Germany and Northern Ireland. He left the Army in 1985 and specialised in Private Banking. The majority of Stuart's Banking career over the last twenty six years was spent in London, Dubai and Geneva. In 2007, Stuart returned to Dubai as CEO of HSBC Private Banking to oversee the UAE and Southern Gulf. In 2011 Stuart was appointed global head of the private banking group of the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank.</p>

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Yousef Al-Essa

<p><strong>Yousef Al-Essa is currently the CEO of Amwal International Investment Company,</strong> a leading Kuwaiti based investment banking and private equity firm with diverse investments throughout the MENA region. Mr. Alessa has an established track record spanning over two decades in a diverse portfolio of capability areas, economic sectors and geographical regions. A seasoned manager his career history crosses the breadth and depth of a wide range of industries and business models. He has held multiple leadership and executive roles with leading organizations in the fields of investment banking, corporate development, business startups, project management and strategic consultancy.</p><br /> <p>Prior to joining Amwal, Mr. Alessa served CEO and part of the founding team of Addax Bank, one of the most active Bahrain based investment banks. Under his 7 year tenure, Addax Bank grew more than 20 fold in both assets and profitability. Addax was also selected as the “Best New Bank in the Middle East” by Banker Middle East for 2007 and the “Best Investment Bank in Bahrain” and “Best Bank for Equity Services in Bahrain” for 2007” by Euromoney.</p>

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Sebastian Molineus

<p><strong>Sebastian Molineus is the corporate governance programme manager for IFC's Private Enterprise Partnership for the Middle East and North Africa (IFC PEP-MENA).</strong></p><br /> <p>As such, he focuses on providing advisory services to banks and companies on corporate governance, in particular through consultations and boardroom training events on corporate governance, as well as corporate governance assessments and reviews.</p><br /> <p>He graduated from Germany's University of Passau School of Law, where he obtained his First State Law Examination in 1997, and the HEC School of Management in Paris, where he obtained his MBA in 2002. Sebastian worked with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) from 1997 to 2000 where he focused on corporate governance reforms in the CIS and South East Europe. Prior to joining PEP-MENA, Sebastian worked for IFC in Russia, where he served as project manager for the Russia Corporate Governance Project from 2002 to 2005.</p>

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Oussama Salman

<p><strong>Oussama Salman is the Company Secretary and Legal Counsel for Oger Telecom Limited</strong>, a leading provider of Telecommunications services with 35 million customers under management, and controlled by Saudi Oger, one of the Middle-East's most prominent organisations. Oger Telecom operates fixed-line, mobile communications, and internet access businesses in Turkey and South Africa, in addition to a major regional ISP (Cyberia) in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Jordan.</p><br /> <p>Before joining Oger Telecom Limited, he worked with Ramzi Joreige & Partners, a leading law firm in Lebanon. He is admitted to the Beirut Bar Association (Lebanon) and holds a law degree (Maitrise) from Saint Joseph University (Beirut, Lebanon) and a Master of Laws (LLM) in International Legal Studies from Georgetown University (Washington DC, USA).</p>

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Faisel Hoodbhoy

<p><strong>Faisel Hoodbhoy joined DIFX as Managing Director, Corporate Finance & Listings</strong> in June 2007.</p><br /> <p>He has 25 years of experience (of which 14 years have been in the Gulf) in corporate and project finance, venture capital, direct/private equity investments, hospitality, real estate, audit and business advisory (including valuation) assignments with leading investment banks and big 4 international firms of accountants and consultants. Most recently, he was the partner in charge of Deloitte & Touche Corporate Finance practice responsible for the Middle East region (including Pakistan).</p><br /> <p>He is a trained and qualified Canadian Chartered Business Valuator and has managed more than 150 financial advisory assignments involving direct investment/private equity opportunities including valuation and pricing analysis, financial modeling, deal structuring and negotiating alternative financing, providing financial advice and implementation of financing plan and preparing international standard offering memoranda for raising additional equity and debt, for existing business and venture capital.</p>

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Justin Connor

<p><strong>Justin Connor is an American lawyer expert</strong> in International in‐house legal practice, particularly the Middle East, having practiced law for five years from Dubai. Justin is admitted to practice before the courts of New York, Massachusetts, the District of Columbia and the United States Supreme Court.</p><br /> <p>Justin's principal areas of practice include: telecommunications, mergers & acquisitions, corporate/commercial law and corporate governance. Previously, Justin was general counsel to an international telecom investment company headquartered in Dubai. Justin also was previously in private practice at the law firm of Al Tamimi & Company, the largest independent law firm in the United Arab Emirates. Justin served as Chairman of the Dubai Corporate Counsel Group.</p>

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Aman Merchant

<p><strong>Aman Merchant is a Dubai‐based serial entrepreneur</strong> passionate about creating better futures through the power of ideas and disruptive thinking.</p><br /> <p>In his most recent entrepreneurial pursuit, he is founding the Future Leadership Academy in his capacity as the Chief Emagination Officer. Charged by the mission of growing 1 million young future leaders in the Middle East, Africa & South Asia by 2015, the Academy is a pioneering social venture that will be a greenhouse for preparing future world leaders.</p><br /> <p>In 2010, he Co‐Founded and assumed the role of Executive Chairman for Hub Dubai, an about‐to‐be‐launched incubator platform for social ventures, with a simple mission of improving society through innovation and entrepreneurship across a variety of sectors.</p>

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Rich Goldman

<p><strong>Rich Goldman is the co-chair of Bingham’s global Investment Management Practice Group. </strong></p><br /> <p>He represents U.S. and international hedge funds and funds of funds, advising them on a broad range of issues, including formation and structure, strategic and seed capital arrangements, succession planning, marketing and solicitation arrangements, separately managed accounts, and all types of trading and operational issues. Rich also represents private equity managers in the formation of their funds and related matters.</p><br /> <p>He regularly advises clients on registration as investment advisers with the SEC, regulatory reporting and compliance matters, equity swaps and other derivatives, and private placements of securities. Rich also advises endowments and other institutional investors in connection with structuring and negotiating their investments in private funds.</p>

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Dr Ayman Hashem

<p><strong>Dr Ayman Hashem is the senior vice president for the Savola Group's Strategic Management Centre and has been with Savola for seven years. </strong></p><br /> <p>The centre is responsible for the development and implementation of the Group's strategy (strategic management, and planning) as well its executive succession planning. He also led the development and implementation of various Group strategic human resources initiatives such as performance management, compensation and benefits, and the Group ethics and values framework. Finally, he was responsible for the development and implementation of the Group's Corporate Governance processes.</p>

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