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Mahmoud Haidar
Chair
Mahmoud has an extensive policy and business experience with an operational and consulting exposure in Europe, North America, and the Middle East & Africa.
He worked in and with government agencies across economic development, ICT, and restructuring arenas: analyzing political, implementation and regulation aspects in both counseling policymakers and program execution roles.
Mahmoud also gathered a solid experience in corporate strategy, marketing, and technical departments in Telecom, IT, and general management. He sat on numerous firms’ boards, and advised investors on new markets, technologies, and acquisitions.
Mahmoud is a computer and telecommunications engineer. He also holds an MBA in Strategy and Innovation, and a master’s in International Relations. He is a lecturer in business, public policy, and critical thinking, and he holds an international patent in the field of payment systems.
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Eli Khoury
Eli Khoury is a multi-award-winning strategic communications specialist, with considerable experience in branding and communications, particularly in the government sector.
CEO MENA of M&C Saatchi, Eli is acknowledged to have introduced practices that have raised the standard and improved the substance of advertising and brand design in the Middle East.
Eli is also co-founder of the Lebanon Renaissance Foundation. Eli has visited New Zealand several time for filming projects, and is keen to support New Zealand companies in developing their marketing and communication strategies.
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Alexander John Andarakis
Alexander John Andarakis is a highly experienced senior executive and a leading marketing and leadership professional with over 24 years of international, regional and local experience with multi national companies, large scale regional companies, and large publicly listed companies across Australasia, Middle East, North Africa and Turkey.
Alex led the regional and global brand, channel and innovation development agenda for Lipton, as well as the operating as the Regional Media Vice President for Unilever across the Middle East, Africa, Turkey and Russia, before leading the company transformation under the ‘555 Strategy’ with Aujan Industries, the largest independent regional Beverages and Confectionery manufacturing and distribution company between 2004-2006.
A switch of industry in late 2006 saw Alex lead the Global Sales and Marketing program for Emaar Properties across all business sectors including Property Development, Hotels & Hospitality, Education, Healthcare and Retail Malls, before moving to Omniyat Properties as Managing Director. In recent times, Alex had been appointed as the Strategic Advisor to Al Islami Foods, as well as the Middle East ambassador and Advisory Board member for the European Chief Marketing Officer’s Forum, Europe’s leading platform for Marketing Chiefs to exchange insights and thoughts thus turning this event into a ‘Davos’ for marketing professionals.
Additionally Alex has been appointed as an Advisor on the Board of the Faculty of Business Management for the University of Wollongong in Dubai, and now sits as an Advisory Board Member for the New Zealand Trade & Enterprise Organization.
Alex graduated from the University of New South Wales in Australia, as well as being an Alumni from the Harvard Business School in Boston, USA. He is a well - known and respected speaker on Leadership and Organizational Change, as well as a popular guest columnist in renowned business magazines within the region. He has been recently named and published as one of fifty ‘CEO’s’ that have transformed the business environment within the Gulf by Arabian Business.
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Dr Shane Reti (QSM), MBChB
Dr Shane Reti is a GP/dermatologist. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer and International Programme Director for the Division of Clinical Informatics at Harvard Medical School.
Shane undertakes strategic planning, contracts and budgeting, and workforce and policy development which has included licensing all the medical practitioners in Dubai, and developing models of care and policy advice to the Kuwait Ministry of Health.
He has extensive experience in health care policy and practice, and spent seven years as a Northland District Health Board Director based in Whangarei before being awarded the 2007 Commonwealth Fund International Harkness Fulbright Fellow in Health Care Policy and Practice to Harvard.
Shane received the Queens Service Medal (QSM) in the 2006 New Years Honours list, for services to medical research, health and Maori education.
He retains an academic appointment at the University of Auckland, is provisionally registered with the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants, and has a Masters in Management from Harvard University.
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Nuha Safar
Nuha Safar is a businesswoman from the UAE specialising in the formation and execution of organisational and corporate communication strategies, and management of international and local affairs.
She worked for the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry for more than 10 years managing the corporate communication, external relations, and customer service centers. In addition to leading different Dubai based business / CSR initiatives and campaigns, she has organised various regional and international events promoting Dubai and the UAE as a business hub.
Nuha is a forming member of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award. She managed to tie up the Dubai Chamber with well respected international and local charitable organisations (such as the UNICEF, MSF, WFP and UAE Red Crescent) through running awareness and fund raising campaigns. Nuha also served on different boards including Dubai Brand Council, UAE Advertisers Business Group, Dubai the City that Cares Campaign, Dubai Shopping Festival, Dubai Summer Surprises, and Al Noor Center for Children with Special Needs.
She is a graduate of Business Administration from the Higher Colleges of Technology – Dubai Women's College, and graduated from Mohammad Bin Rashid Program for Leadership Development, which teaches various master classes from leading business schools such as Cranfield Business School and Singapore Business School.
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Simon Crispe
Simon completed his bachelor of architecture degree in Auckland New Zealand in 1981. Following his early career as a graduate architect working for Lockwood, an innovative New Zealand system build contractor, he moved to UK and joined Lister Drew Architects in 1984. He completed his RIBA Part 3 in 1985 and was appointed Associate Director in 1989. In 1991 he joined Atkins when Lister Drew were acquired. He moved to Dubai and began his involvement with the Jumeirah Beach Resort Development in 1993, including Jumeirah Beach Resort Hotel, Wild Wadi Water Park and the now world famous Burj Al Arab hotel. He was appointed Director in 1994. His role as Design Team Leader and then Design Director on this project was interrupted by two years back in UK as Project Director and Design Team Leader for the British Airways World Cargocentre at London's Heathrow Airport. He returned to Dubai in 1997 to oversee the completion of all three Jumeirah Projects in 1999. From 2000 he lead the Atkins commercial team in the Region to win major commissions such as the Durrat Al Bahrain and securing the contract for the Dubai Metro.
These major highly multi disciplinary design projects underpin his ongoing role as a mentor for architecture, multi discipline design excellence and his quest for improved commercial recognition of quality design teams in the Middle East market. He is currently Commercial Director and board member for the Atkins Middle East business, where he has had a direct involvement with setting the course of business and Atkins’ leadership in design. He currently has overall responsibility for the commercial activities of Atkins 2000 person business including all bidding and negotiation of consultancy contracts. He also continues to maintain his brief as Client Director for major projects.
Simon is a chartered Architect and a Full Member of the RIBA. Simon maintains a keen interest in the development of young architects and promotion of architectural and building design excellence. He has been appointed as the first Ambassador for the Royal Institute of British Architects newly formed Gulf Chapter.
