Board of Advisors

Prof. Tyler Cowen

Holbert L. Harris Chair of Economics, George Mason University, USA

tyler

Prof. Tyler Cowen is Holbert L. Harris Chair of Economics, George Mason University. He serves as chairman and faculty director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He received his Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University in 1987. His book “The Great Stagnation: How America Ate the Low-Hanging Fruit…

Shelley Zalis

Founder & CEO, The Female Quotient, USA

shelley

Shelley Zalis is an internationally-renowned thought leader for advancing equality in the workplace. As the first female chief executive of a company ranked in the research industry’s Top 25, she changed the game, helped elevate feminine strengths in the workplace , and has devoted herself to becoming a mentor and role…

John Andrews

Contributing Editor, The Economist & Author of “The World in Conflict: Understanding the World’s Troublespots”

joan-andrews

John Andrews is a veteran political journalist and author. He is a senior editor for Project Syndicate and a contributing editor for The Economist, the prestigious weekly newspaper. In his role as conference chairman for a variety of international conferences and the TV interviewer for the annual…

Edie Rodriguez

American Businesswoman & Board Member, RAND Corporation, USA

edie

Edie Rodriguez is an American businesswoman who works in executive leadership in global and luxury travel, technology, sales, and marketing. She is Ponant Americas Brand Chairman and Corporate Special Advisor for Ponant Cruises since October 2017. Ponant is the world’s leading luxury expedition cruise line …

Dr. Ebrahim Khalifa

Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bahrain & Chairman, IFTDO

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Dr. Ebrahim Khalifa Al Dossary is Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bahrain & Chairman of IFTDO – International Federation of Training & Development Organizations. Dr. Al Dossary is a respected leader in the field of management in the Arab world. He is one of the unique Bahrainis who have worked extremely …

Dr. Wendy Cukier

Professor of IT Management, Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University & Founder, Diversity Institute, Canada

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Prof. Dr. Wendy Cukier is a Professor of IT Management, Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University & Founder, Diversity Institute, Canada. During her five-year term as Ryerson University’s Vice-President of Research and Innovation…

Prof. Sohail Inayatullah

Inaugural UNESCO Chair in Future Studies, UNESCO & USIM & Professor, Tamkang University, Taipei & Associate, Melbournz Business School

inayatullah

Prof. Sohail Inayatullah is the UNESCO Chair in Futures Studies at USIM, Malaysia. He is a political scientist / futurist at Tamkang University, Taipei; an Associate at Melbourne Business School, the University of Melbourne; and Adjunct Professor at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. From 2011-2014, he was Adjunct Professor at the Centre for policing…

Asma Bajawa

Founder and Managing Director, PeopleFirst Middle East

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Asma Bajawa is the Founder and Managing Director of PeopleFirst HR Consultancy which is one of the leading HR consultancies across the GCC and wider Middle East region. Born and bred in the UK, Asma is a seasoned HR professional with 37 years of international experience gained in the UK, the Middle East, and South Asia region….

Prof. Michael Sung

Co-Director, Fintech Research Center, Fanhai International School of Finance, Fudan University

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Prof. Michael Sung is a founding co-director of the Fintech Research Center at the Fanhai International School of Finance at Fudan University. Prof. Sung is also a technology venture builder and investor, having founded various companies over the years in diverse high-tech industries …

Julia Middleton

Founder, Common Purpose UK & Author of “Beyond Authority: Leadership in a Changing World”

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Julia is passionate about helping people from all backgrounds to develop as leaders and make an active and tangible contribution to their communities and wider society. Julia is the author of two bestselling books: Beyond Authority and Cultural Intelligence. In the autumn…

Ralph Simon

Founder & CEO, Mobilium Global Limited, UK

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Ralph Simon has enjoyed a spectacular 30+ year career in a variety of prominent fields: social media & entertainment, mobile smartphone technology, commerce & content, Exponential Medicine & personalised health (with Singularity University), The “Global Education Moonshot” partnership with the iconic global educator, Esther Wojcicki, author of “How to Raise Successful People” that …

Dina H. Sherif

Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management & Executive Director, MIT Legatum Center for Development & Entrepreneurship

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Dina Sherif is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management where she also acts as Executive Director of the MIT Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship. Dina is also a Founding Partner of Cairo based Ahead of the Curve, which is the Arab region’s leading firm on issues related to sustainable business…

Prof. Francis Davis

Professor of Public Policy, University of Birmingham & Visiting Professorial Fellow, University of Oxford, UK

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Professor Francis Davis is a Professor of Public Policy and Communities at the University of Birmingham and Visiting Professorial Fellow at the University of Oxford UK. He works at the intersection of business, government, and civil society internationally – most recently in South…

Valentina Qussisiya

CEO, Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation (AHSF), Jordan

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Valentina Kassisieh, a Jordanian social activist with a focus on community empowerment and cultural inclusion. She is currently the CEO of Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation (AHSF), a non-profit organization dedicated to investing in cultural, scientific, and social innovation. Since joining AHSF in 2013, Valentina has transformed…

Alexander Shulgin

Visionary, Investor, Composer, Founder & CEO, www.familia.ru, Russia

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Alexander Shulgin as a visionary has more than 15 years of investment and venture capital experience. He is a unique Russian composer who successfully combines creative work with business. He effectively manages “GRUPPA KOMPANIY FAMILIA”, (www.familia.ru), which specializes in investment and venture capital…

Lesego Sennelo

Founder & Managing Director, Gosele Advisory Services, South Africa

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Lesego Sennelo is a qualified Chartered Accountant with vast experience in both the private and public sectors, spanning over 15 years. She has diverse professional experience including auditing, financial management, corporate governance, strategy development and implementation , project…

Axel Goethals

CEO, European Institute of Asian Studies, Brussels

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Axel Goethals is CEO of the European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS), a leading Think Tank based in Brussels, the capital of the European Union (EU), focusing on EU-Asia relations. His current and past directorships and offices include mandates as CEO, Managing Director, and Chairman…

Sara Koslinska

CEO & Co-founder Limitless Fintech, Poland

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Sara Koslinska is a CEO and co-founder of Limitless fintech. One of Forbes 30under30, and a highly sought after speaker on the fintech conference circuit (including panels at Davos WEF, Money20/20 in Europe & Asia, Bloomberg Roundtable, Paris Fintech Forum, and others). Previously, she worked for startups …

Dr. Shahid Mahmud

Chairman, Interactive Group of Companies Global Trustee, Eisenhower Fellowships

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Dr. Shahid Mahmud has a Ph.D. in Computer Sciences from Coventry University, United Kingdom. He holds a Master’s degree in Defense & Strategic Studies from National Defense University, Islamabad, and an Engineering Degree from NED University, Pakistan and has more than 31 years…

Prof. Jonathan Tavss

Adjunct Professor Media Ventures, Boston University, USA

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Jonathan Tavss is a global leader in marrying storytelling, business strategy, consumer insight, and technology to ideate, manage, and launch solutions that truly deliver. Jonathan is sought out for globally strategic innovation, market intelligence, product and content development, marketing…

Sam Lee

Founder & CEO, Blockchain Global Limited, Singapore

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Sam Lee is the founder and CEO of Blockchain Global Limited. Under his vision and leadership, the company has invested more than $300 million in 80 blockchain-enabled companies and projects. Blockchain Global is a leading multinational enterprise which focuses on the commercialization….

Wael Osman

CEO, RYTS Global & Pixonal Design, UAE & Egypt

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Wael Osman is a Policy and strategy expert, investor, who brings more than 29 years of solid government and private sector experience. Wael holds a Master’s in business administration from Maastricht School of Management, the Netherlands. Wael is currently the CEO of RYTS Global, CEO of Pixonal…

John Lee

Venture Capitalist & Investor, USA & Asia

joan-lee

John is an executive and venture capitalist with an extensive track record of founding, advising, and investing in the blockchain and eSports space. He is currently on the board of directors and special strategy advisor to ES Force, the second-largest independent eSports holdings company in the world, which owns EPICenter, Virtus Pro, ruHUB, and Cybersports.com…

Nathan Sivagananathan

Co-founder, Hatch & Partner, Patamar Capital & Kimin Holdings, Sri Lanka

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Nathan Sivagananathan is a successful strategist, entrepreneur, investor and innovator from Sri Lanka. He is currently a Partner at Patamar Capital, an early and growth stage venture capital. He is also Co-Founder of Hatch Sri Lanka’s first integrated accelerator and incubator which supports the development of entrepreneurship and small businesses….

Douglas Corley

Founder, DHB Global & CEO, Alaunius Technologies & Global Panel Member, MIT Technology Review

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Douglas is a Beijing-based healthcare entrepreneur. He works to bridge solutions to solve health system problems by bringing best-in-class technologies into emerging economies. Selected roles: Founder & CEO, DHB Global; CEO, Alaunius Technology; Global Panel Member, MIT Technology Review; Member, Druid Collective; Mentor, Schwarzman Scholars. DHB Global is a healthcare consulting firm…