Hawkamah - The Institute for Corporate Governance

Speakers

John R. Knight

John R. Knight is Chief Operating Officer for Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company. From 1986 to 1993, Mr. Knight was an attorney at the New York law firm of Shearman & Sterling, where he worked on a number of domestic and international corporate transactions. From 1993 to 2007, Mr. Knight was with JPMorgan Chase & Co. (and its predecessor firms) in New York and in Asia. In Asia, Mr. Knight served as Managing Director and was responsible for various legal, risk management and business management matters. Among other responsibilities; served as Chief Operating Officer for J.P. Morgan in South and Southeast Asia; and was also responsible for the review of complex, high risk, transactions in Asia. From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Knight was with the Rohatyn Group, a multi-strategy, emerging markets, investment firm, with its principal office in New York, and other offices in Latin America and Asia. Mr. Knight received his B.A. from Wake Forest University and his Juris Doctor from Duke University.

Mr. Robin Amlôt

Mr. Robin Amlôt is Managing Editor of CPI Financial. He has worked as an award-winning financial journalist for more than 25 years in print, radio, television and online. He has worked in Southeast Asia and the United Kingdom and covered all aspects of business and finance in his career, including as Financial Editor of Independent Radio News, UK; Senior Business Producer, Sky News; as a national newspaper columnist in the UK and Malaysia; and author of Dawn Trader’s Guide to World Markets (Boxtree 1992). Robin was educated in England, has a B.A. (Politics) from Lancaster University and holds the Chartered Insurance Institute’s Financial Planning Certificate.

Mr. Walid Chiniara

Mr. Walid Chiniara is an International Corporate Lawyer, a Family Business Advisor, and a Mediator, with over 30 years experience serving families in business, financial institutions, and multinational corporations across the five continents. Walid started his career in private practice and later in-house as Deputy-General Counsel at Alcatel in Paris. In 1997, Walid joined his first Family Office in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and spent the last decade serving families in business and HNW family entrepreneurs, building family offices and implementing family governance systems. He intends to spend the next decade devising region-specific tools and building platforms that ensure “his families” become more competitive in an increasingly global world. Walid is a member of the Quebec Bar, the Family Firm Institute (FFI), and the Society of Trust and Estate Planners (STEP). He holds a Bachelor of Law degree from St-Joseph University in Beirut, Lebanon and a Master of Comparative Jurisprudence degree from New York University in the US. He is also an accredited Mediator specialized in managing inter-generational conflicts within family firms. He sits on the advisory board of a number of family controlled businesses. Walid is the co-founder and the Managing Director of The Family Business Advisory Group, a virtual multi-family office based at the Dubai International Financial Centre.

Dr. Stephen Davis

Stephen Davis, Ph.D. is a Senior Fellow of the Harvard Law School and Associate Director of its Program on Corporate Governance. He has also been a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and was executive director of Yale School of Management’s Millstein Center for Corporate Governance. Davis served on the US SEC’s Investor Advisory Committee. He is a member of the Advisory Board of New America’s Bretton Woods II, trustee of ShareAction, member of the Hawkamah Journal editorial board, and advisor on governance to Alfaisal University College of Business. For nine years he was chair and a board member of Hermes EOS. Davis was also co-director of the Brookings’ World Forum on Governance. Winner of the 2011 ICGN Award, Davis is co-author of What They Do With Your Money (Yale University Press, 2016) and The New Capitalists (Harvard Business School Press, 2006). His Shareholder Rights Abroad (1989) pioneered study of comparative corporate governance. Davis is a co-founder of the ICGN and co-author of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment. Davis has a Ph.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and undergraduate degrees at Tufts and the London School of Economics.

Dr. Ashraf Gamal

Dr. Ashraf Gamal is the Executive Director of the Egyptian Institute of Directors (EIoD), focusing on Corporate Governance in Egypt and the Arab Region. He is an Associate Professor of Management, Cairo University. He holds a PhD degree in Management from the University of Manchester, UK, and a Masters degree in Public Administration from Carleton University, Canada. He further holds a Bachelor degree in Business Administration from Cairo University with highest honor. Dr. Ashraf worked as head of Business Administration Department at Nile University for Graduate Studied, affiliated with the Ministry of Communication & Information Technology. Since 1997, he taught a large number of management and business courses in Egypt, the US, and the Gulf Area. He has extensive experience in designing and delivering training courses in management and organizational behavior to multinational and well as Egyptian public and private organizations. Dr. Ashraf works also as an advisor to the Minister of Investment, Egypt.

Mr. Douglas Hansen-Luke

Mr. Douglas Hansen-Luke is the CEO of Robeco Middle East. Based in Robeco’s Bahrain office, Mr Hansen-Luke manages the Firm’s business and its relationships with Central Banks and Sovereign Wealth Funds in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. He also represents Robeco in speaking on responsible and sustainable investments throughout the region. He is a regular contributor to investment and economic publications and has often featured on CNBC and CNN. Before joining Robeco, Mr Hansen-Luke worked for ABN AMRO in global roles which at one point included a secondment as CEO of Saudi Hollandi Asset Management. He began his career with Bain & Company in 1992 before moving to emerging market equities for Salomon Brothers. Mr Hansen-Luke was born in 1970 and holds an MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Jesus College, Oxford University. He has completed and attained professional markets accreditation in the UK, the US and Hong Kong.

Dr. Steffen Hertog

Dr. Steffen Hertog is a Lecturer at the London School of Economics. He was previously Kuwait Professor at Sciences Po Pairs, lecturer at the University of Durham and a post-doctoral research fellow at Princeton University. His main research interest lies in Gulf and Middle East political economy, with special focus on public sector reform and state-business relations. Steffen has worked with numerous public and private institutions in the Gulf region. His book “Princes, brokers, and bureaucrats: oil and state in Saudi Arabia” has been published by Cornell University Press in 2010.

Mr. Hassan Ali Jawad

Mr. Hassan Ali Jawad is currently serving as the Chairman of Muscat Securities Market and also the Managing Director of United Securities LLC. He has over 25 years of widely diversified experience in different fields of business ranging from Real Estate, Jewellery trading, textiles and Financial Services out of which 11 years of experience in the investment and finance field. Besides this he is also currently the Chairman of MSM Stock Brokers Association and had earlier served as Chairman and Director of several Public Companies. He holds an MBA (UK) and an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration (UK). He is also a fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment Institute(FCSI), UK

Mehmet Sertac Keles

Mehmet Sertac Keles is currently serving as a Senior Associate for the General Directorate of State Economic Enterprises at the Turkish Treasury. He received his B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from Middle East Technical University in 2001 and M.S. degree in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University in 2010. During his graduate studies at Stanford, he specialized on finance, energy economics and strategic management. Since he joined Treasury in 2001, he has been working for the General Directorate of State Economic Enterprises, having expertise on liability management and financing of state owned enterprises, corporate governance and budgeting practices.

Mr. Ahmed Saleh Al Marhoon

Mr. Ahmed Saleh Al Marhoon is the Director General of Muscat Securities Market. He holds an MBA degree from United Kingdom. He has worked in the public and private sector organizations in leading positions, he also served as a board member in banking and finance sectors in Oman.

Michael Matossian

Michael Matossian joined Arab Bank plc in November 2005 as the Global Head of Group Regulatory Compliance. Mr. Matossian has more than 25 years of experience in regulatory risk management, anti-money laundering, and compliance. Over the past 15 years his roles have included serving as Chief Compliance Officer, as well as SVP and Director of Regulatory Risk Management, Director of Anti-Money Laundering, BSA Officer, and General Auditor at three different leading U.S. financial institutions. He spent 10 years working for a "Big Four" public accounting firm, and two years with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Mr. Matossian participates on several national and international task forces addressing anti-money laundering and compliance matters. He holds the following certifications: Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, Certified Risk Professional, Certified Fraud Examiner, and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist.

Robin Sandenburgh

Robin Sandenburgh is based in Istanbul, where she manages the Environment and Social Development Group supporting IFC investments in EMENA. Ms Sandenburgh is currently a Principal Environmental Specialist based in the Cairo office, where she oversees CES’s investment support to CME. She joined IFC as a consultant in 1995 in the Harare (Zimbabwe) regional office and spent 10 years with IFC in Africa, before moving to the Delhi office in 2004,and then to the Cairo office in 2009. She has worked on investment projects in all industry sectors across Africa, South Asia and MENA. Throughout her tenure at IFC she has worked closely on issues related to climate change: in 2006-07 she promoted and then led the development of the climate change agenda for IFC’s South Asia department and, in 2010, she co-chaired a joint advisory and investment team that mapped business opportunities linked to the availability of, and demand for, water in the Middle East and North Africa region. Prior to joining IFC, Ms Sandenburgh had a 15-year career in the US and Africa as a consultant to private firms, the US Environmental Protection Agency and other government agencies on a wide range of projects related to natural resources management, environmental remediation, community engagement, and climate change issues. She holds an A.B. in History and Sociology from Brown University, and a Masters degree in Public Policy Studies from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Robert Shakotko

Dr. Robert Shakotko is managing director, Index Services, at Standard & Poor’s. Joining Standard & Poor’s in 1997 and based in New York, Robert has overall global responsibility for S&P indices as these relate to commercial and client-facing activities. Prior to Standard & Poor’s, Robert spent 10 years with the International Finance Corporation, a World Bank affiliate, in a variety of assignments around the world, and where he most recently managed the Emerging Markets Database (EMDB) and the IFC Emerging Markets Indices. Before joining IFC, Robert spent several years teaching economics and econometrics at Columbia University. Robert holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Minnesota, and also attended the University of Saskatchewan, American University of Beirut, and the University of British Columbia.

Mr. Greg Simpson

Mr. Greg Simpson is the Senior Program Officer in the Middle East and North Africa division of the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), a U.S. non-profit strengthening democracy around the globe through private enterprise and market-oriented reform. Simpson came to CIPE from the U.S. online political firm New Media Communications, where he focused on developing and managing the company’s international initiatives. Prior to New Media, Simpson worked at the International Republican Institute (IRI), where he held three successive posts in the Balkans. There he directed assistance programs in political party development, political communications, local governance, grass-roots organization and mobilization, civil society development, public opinion research, and election observation. During this time, Simpson advised and trained hundreds of political activists and elected officials, and directly advised two of the region’s presidents. Before joining IRI, Simpson held positions at the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) and the Center for Civil Society in Southeastern Europe. He holds a B.A. in International Studies from American University in Washington, DC. Simpson currently resides in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and two children.

Bryan Stirewalt

Bryan Stirewalt is Managing Director of the Dubai Financial Services Authority’s Supervision Division. The Supervision Division includes front-line oversight of a variety of financial service providers, including commercial banks, investment banks, reinsurance companies, fund managers and fund administrators. Additionally, Bryan oversees the DFSA's regulatory role with various ancillary service providers such as lawyers, accountants and auditors. As Managing Director, Bryan continues to be active in the DFSA’s efforts to fight methods of illicit finance, including co-operation with a variety of local, regional and international counterparts. He joined the DFSA in 2008 as a Director in the Supervision Division, responsible for commercial banking and insurance activities as well as co-ordinating the DFSA's efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. Bryan has spent most of his working life in the financial regulatory sphere, in both public and private sector roles. From 1985 to 1996, Bryan worked for the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency as a National Bank Examiner, where he specialised in policy development and implementation, problem bank rehabilitation and banking fraud initiatives. From 1996 to 2008, Bryan worked for a US consulting and advisory firm. During his consulting career, Bryan focused his attention on Emerging Markets, including management of large-scale and multi-faceted development projects in Poland, Ukraine, Cyprus and Kazakhstan. These projects related to a wide array of topics including financial sector development, risk management policies and practices, anti-money laundering systems and controls and methods of supervising complex financial conglomerates.

Dr. Alexander Swoboda

Dr. Alexander Swoboda, Professor of Economics Emeritus and a past Director of Geneva’s Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, founded and was the first director of the International Center for Monetary and Banking Studies. A Yale Ph.D., he has held visiting appointments at Chicago, Lausanne, Geneva, Harvard, SAIS Bologna, and the LSE. A former Senior Policy Advisor and Resident Scholar at the IMF (1998-2000) and member of the Council of the Swiss National Bank (1997-2009), he serves on corporate boards and as consultant to private and governmental organizations. His areas of expertise include macroeconomics, exchange-rate regimes, international financial and monetary system issues, financial and monetary integration, and regulatory issues.

Lara Yacob

Lara Yacob is a Senior Engagement Specialist at Robeco. She is a seasoned professional field of environmental management and human rights. Lara currently works for Robeco as a senior engagement specialist on human rights and water management issues in the Responsible Investing division. As a Senior Engagement Specialist, Lara is responsible for entering into constructive dialogues with invested companies on human rights and water issues. Prior to her joining Robeco she worked for the Ministry of Research and Innovation and the Ministry of Environment (Canada) as a policy advisor, her areas of responsibility were developing innovation policy, commercializing clean technology companies and climate change reporting. Lara also worked with the United Nations Development Program for over 5 years as a program specialist in the area of water governance, access and benefit sharing from biodiversity conservation and scientific and technical cooperation among countries of the global south with a strong focus on gender and human rights as they applied to these focus areas. Before that, Lara worked as an environmental consultant on land remediation and conservation issues. Lara has earned a B.Sc. in Biology (Genetics), a M.Sc. in Biology and M.A.'s International Development Studies and Urban Planning, and is currently completing a Ph.D. in Geography focusing on water management.

Alissa Amico

Ms. Alissa Amico (Koldertsova) is responsible for managing the OECD's work on improving corporate governance in the Middle East and North Africa region. Since joining the OECD in 2005, Ms. Amico has been working with both government and private sector representatives in the region on advancing national and regional corporate governance priorities though capacity building activities, research and policy roundtables. She has provided technical assistance to a number of governments in the region in design of regulatory initiatives and institution building. Ms. Amico has authored and co-authored a number of publications as well as articles in regional and international media. In recent years, her work has focused on improving corporate governance of listed companies and state-owned enterprises in the MENA region. Ms. Amico holds a degree in Business Administration from York University (Canada) and a Masters degree in Political Economy from the London School of Economics (UK). She is a member of the French Institute of Directors (IFA) and has in 2011 been named one of the Top 100 Leaders in Europe and the Middle East by the Centre for Sustainability and Excellence.

Amaad Hamed AlManthari

Amaad Hamed AlManthari is the Internal Audit Manager at the Central Bank of Oman. He has 15 years of work experience in Internal Audit with various companies. He holds an MSc in Computer Systems Auditing from London Metropolitan University, UK, and Bachelor of Business Administration (Economics) from Temple University USA. He is a member of Institute of Internal audit and GCC accounting & Auditing Organization.

Mr. Mulham Basheer Abdullah Al-Jarf

Mr. Mulham Basheer Abdullah Al-Jarf has been the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Oman Oil Company S.A.O.C. since 2004. Mr. Al-Jarf has work experience in Oman Gas Company, Ministry of Oil and Gas and General telecommunications Co. in Oman. He was Head of Project & Structured Finance at OOC, Legal Counsel at OOC, Legal Officer at Oman Gas Company SAOC, and Legal Researcher at the Ministry of Oil & Gas. Prior to that, he served as a Business Planning Officer and then Legal Researcher at GTO (now Omantel), and also worked at INTESLAT in Washington DC. He serves as Non-Executive Deputy Chairman for Oman Oil Marketing Company SAOG and Oman Oil Company S.A.O.C. He is a member of the board in the following companies: Sohar Aluminium Co. LLC, Oman Arab Bank SAOC, Oman Trading International, and Takamul Investments SAOC. He served as the Chairman and Executive Director of Oman Polypropylene LLC. He has been a Director of Mol Magyar Olaj es Gazipari Rt. since April 24, 2008. Mr. Al-Jarf served as a Non-Executive Director of China Gas Holdings Ltd. from April 13, 2010 to August 16, 2012. He is a graduate of International Business & Finance from Marymount University and a registered Barrister at the Bar of England & Wales.

His Excellency Yahya Bin Said Bin Abdullah Al-Jabri

His Excellency Yahya Bin Said Bin Abdullah Al-Jabri is the Executive President of the Capital Market Authority of the Sultanate of Oman. He has vast experience is global corporate & investment banking with academic qualifications from prestigious American schools including the Kellogg School of Management, Harvard Business School and Darden University wherein he attained degrees in advanced Management programmes. In Addition to his current position he also holds senior positions in Oman's leading business & financial sectors such as being a member of the Board of Directors at the Central Bank of Oman, a Board member of the Civil Service Pension Fund, Chairman of Pak Oman Investment Company and Chairman of Majan Electricity Company to name a few. Earlier in his career, His Excellency also represented Oman International Bank in the capacity of General Manger, where he was responsible for the complete operational aspect of the Bank which comprised of 81 local and 4 overseas branches in India & Pakistan. He is also currently a member of the Hawkamah Institute for Corporate Governance.

Khalil Ahmed Al-Harthy

Khalil Ahmed Al-Harthy is the Executive Operations Director at Al Ahlia Insurance Company, SAOC, part of the RSA Group. He is a Board and Audit Committee member for Al Ahlia Insurance, a non-executive director at Al Kamil Power SAOG, and a Board and Audit Committee member of Omani Unified Bureau for the Orange Card. He previously worked as Treasury Specialist and Fixed Income Portfolio Manager at the Central Bank of Oman. He holds a BS degree University of New Orleans/ USA in Finance and double minor in Management and Management Information System (MIS), an Advanced Diploma from Chartered Insurance Institute (UK), and a Banking and Finance Diploma from the Oman Institute of Bankers

Abdul Rahman Ahmed Al-Harthy

Abdul Rahman Ahmed Al-Harthy is the Director General of the State Audit Institution of Oman, after having joined SAI in 1992 and assumed various posts within the organization. He is currently in charge of the auditing of Ministries in the Sultanate of Oman. Prior to this, he was responsible for the auditing of Government companies and public authorities. During his career, he visited many countries and participated in various international conferences and seminars on auditing, corporate governance and many other economical aspects. Mr. Al-Harthy graduated from Florida Institute of Technology, USA, in 1991 with a degree in Finance.

Mr. Abdul Aziz Mohammed Al Balushi

Mr. Abdul Aziz Mohammed Al Balushi is currently, the Chief Executive Officer of Ahli Bank SAOG, Oman. He has been a career banker with an experience of over 25 years in the Industry. He started his career with Oman International Bank, where he spent 12 years in various capacities and in different areas of banking. He later joined the National Bank of Oman and quickly moved up the hierarchy and became its Deputy CEO. He joined the erstwhile Alliance Housing Bank as its CEO in February 2007 and was actively involved in its conversion to a commercial bank. He is now nurturing the growth of Ahli bank, creating a distinct position for it in the Sultanate’s banking industry and has been able to transform it from a single product bank into a more competitive and full-fledged commercial bank providing a wide spectrum of services. Abdul Aziz Al Balushi has obtained his Masters of Science in Finance from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (FCIB) , U.K. Abdul Aziz is also a member of the Advisory Board of The British Scholarships of Oman and former member of Board of Directors of many leading corporations in Oman.

Joe Tortorici

Joe Tortorici is Weil, Gotshal and Manges’ Managing Partner of the Dubai office and Middle East operations. Mr. Tortorici has extensive experience in private equity, M&A, corporate governance, privatizations, capital markets transactions, joint ventures, and financings, particularly those in a cross-border setting. Major clients have included Citigroup, Deutsche Telekom, Bell Atlantic International, Cesky Telecom, and GE Capital Corporation. Mr. Tortorici practiced law for more than seven years in New York prior to moving to Weil Gotshal’s Budapest office in 1991. He established the firm’s Prague office in 1992 and worked throughout Weil Gotshal’s European network through 2008, playing a key role in establishing most of the firm’s European offices. In 2008, Mr. Tortorici took a leading role in developing the firm’s plans for its Middle East operations and is now based in Dubai. Mr. Tortorici holds a B.A., cum laude, from Columbia University and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law, where he was an editor of the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law.

Dr. Nasser H. Saidi

Dr. Nasser H. Saidi was the Chief Economist of Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) since 2006. 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 Directors at the DIFC. 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. 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. 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.

Chris Pierce

Chris is the CEO and founder of Global Governance Services Ltd. He holds a number of board appointments in the UK and overseas. He is a regular chairman and speaker at international conferences, and has written many articles and books on corporate governance. His latest book, "Corporate Governance in the Gulf", was published in January 2012. He was formerly Director of Professional Standards and Professional Development at the Institute of Directors (IoD) in the UK. Prior to joining the IoD he was the Director of the Centre for Director Education at Leeds Business School and has held senior management positions in British Airways and the Overseas Development Administration. Chris is a Fellow of the Caux Round Table and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He has an MBA, an MSc and an MPhil and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators. Chris is based in the GGS office in London and works world-wide.

Nick Nadal

Nick Nadal is the Head of Hawkamah Institute for Corporate Governance and Mudara Institute of Directors in charge of growing the institutes through business and membership development and developing programmes that will bridge the corporate governance gap in the region. He has led a number of confidential corporate governance assessments of regional banks, family enterprises, listed and non-listed companies, and state owned enterprises. He has participated and/or led a number of regional policy task forces initiated by Hawkamah to include those for banks, insurance, state-owned enterprises, Islamic financial institutions, insolvency and creditor rights, and private equity. These task forces have produced research papers, policy briefs and advocacy programmes that aim to foster better corporate governance in the region. He has also driven a number of Hawkamah’s professional development initiatives for directors, company secretaries, and economic journalists. Prior to joining Hawkamah, he was the Program Officer for Middle East and North Africa programmes at the Centre for International Private Enterprise, a non – profit affiliate of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, building linkages with and supporting regional business associations, developing and conducting training programmes on association governance and developing programmes to advance entrepreneurship, economic journalism and corporate governance in the region.

Paul M Koster

Paul M Koster was appointed Chief Executive of the DFSA on 1 December 2008. Prior to becoming Chief Executive, he was Commissioner and Member of the Executive Board of the Autoriteit Financiële Markten (AFM), the national, integrated conduct of business financial services regulator for the Netherlands, where he was identified as one of the four leaders shaping the conscience of Dutch business. Mr Koster joined the AFM in March 2001 and in addition to his duties as a Commissioner, he chaired, from May 2006 until December 2007, CESR-Fin, the permanent working party of the Committee of European Securities Regulators that co-ordinates the endorsement and enforcement of financial reporting standards in Europe. For the previous two years he had chaired CESRs Sub-committee on International Standards Endorsement. During his time with the AFM, he was also a Member of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) Chairs’ Committee and, as Chief Executive of the DFSA, he remains actively involved in the work of IOSCO. In May 2009, Mr Koster joined the Advisory Board of the Emirates Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), the UAE’s federal securities regulator, and in July 2009, he also became a Member of the Consultative Advisory Groups of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) and the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA).

Amina Benjelloun

Amina Benjelloun is currently advisor to the Moroccan Prime Minister and Head of Economic Development Department in the Ministry of Economic and General Affairs in Morocco. Her work focuses on business climate enhancement, SMEs and micro-enterprises development, entrepreneurship improvement and good corporate governance practices promotion. Ms Benjelloun is in addition board of directors member of several public institutions and agencies in Morocco, founder member of the Moroccan Institute of Directors, and interlocutor of international institutions (OECD, World Bank, European Union, USAID, GTZ) in the preparation and execution of economic cooperation programs. Prior to her current assignment, she was advisor to the Minister of Privatization and UNDP consultant for technical assistance of the privatization process in Morocco. She also worked as financial analyst in Price Waterhouse Emerging Markets Corporate Finance Department in Washington DC. Ms Benjelloun graduated in 1996 in Paris with a master of business administration.

H.E. Sayyid Hamid Sultan Al Busaidi

Hamid Sultan Al Busaidi is currently in charge of supporting services directorate and acting director of Oman Centre for Corporate Governance (OCCG), Capital Market Authority since January 2014 till date. Prior to the current position he was senior director of Oman Centre for Corporate Governance from 2010 till end 2013. He was the pioneer behind establishing the Centre in 2010. Prior to his appointment as the head of Oman center for corporate governance, he has over 15 years’ experience in Muscat securities Market and Capital Market Authority. His experience is in numerous departments in the authority and held the position of Companies compliance and Corporate Governance Dept Director, Director of CG department, Awareness and External Relations, research and development department, department of market surveillance, Human Resources and Administrative affairs in the Capital Market Authority. Mr. Al-Busaidi started his career by joining Muscat Securities Market (MSM) in 1994 as a computer programmer. He was appointed one year later the head of IT section. In 1997 he was appointed deputy manager for Admin and finance department which was in charge of IT section, HR and administration. Then he joined Capital Market Authority in 1998. Hamid Al-Busaidi is holding MBA from Cardiff University in UK in year 2006. He has extensive experience in Capital Markets and specifically in corporate governance and participated as a speaker in local, regional and international conferences. Also he is member of the OECD-MENA, Working group committee. He has attended high quality professional training programs in management, strategy, leadership, communications and more in well recognized institutes in the world such as IMD in Switzerland.

Adnan Soufi

Having been SEDCO Holding's CEO for a number of years, Dr. Soufi is currently an advisor to the Chairman of SEDCO Holding, a leading private investment company. In 2010, Dr. Adnan Soufi became the CEO of SEDCO Holding, where he led the transformation process of SEDCO into a holding company and established and appointed boards of directors for the various operating companies. In 2006, Dr. Soufi held the Managing Director's position of SEDCO's Financial Investments Group and led the public and private equity Investments programs, collaborating with financial institutions and investment management firms, and managing the Group’s direct equity investments in the financial services sectors. Dr. Soufi also serves as an adjunct Professor of Leadership, Strategy and Governance at King Abdulaziz University. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Directors of Arabian Cement Company and a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors, Washington D.C. Formerly, Dr. Adnan Soufi was a Professor of Business Administration during 1984-2006 at King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, and was the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administration during 1995-1998. He was also a Senior Associate Member of Oxford University’s St. Anthony's College in 2005. Dr. Soufi has numerous articles, papers and presentations published or presented at journals and international business and conferences Dr. Soufi is a Fulbright scholar. He holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from George Washington University and received his MBA and B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Seattle University.

Alec Aaltonen

Alec Aaltonen is the Vice President at HAWKAMAH Institute for Corporate Governance He is in charge of the HAWKAMAH/S&P Pan Arab ESG Index, HAWKAMAH’s SME initiatives, as well as corporate governance assessments. He is also an accredited facilitator for the Director Development Programmes run by the Mudara Institute of Directors (MIOD). He was engaged with boards assignments for listed companies within the Oil, Gas and Energy Sectors in the Middle East. Prior to joining HAWKAMAH, Alec worked for HSBC Global Asset Management in London, where he engaged with boards of FTSE-listed companies on their corporate governance practices. This entailed detailed corporate governance analysis of companies from sectors such as Banks, Financial Services, and Telecommunications and covered areas ranging from executive remuneration schemes to board balance and audit independence. He also prepared voting instructions for HSBC shareholdings at the general meetings of these companies. Prior to HSBC, he worked for a corporate governance consultancy in London as a Corporate Governance Executive. He holds Bachelor and Master’s degrees in International Relations, a Graduate Diploma in Law and a Master’s degree in International Commercial Law.

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