Mohamed El Araby has been appointed as Managing Director of L'Oréal Egypt, effective April 2025. He brings over 2 decades of dynamic leadership in the beauty industry to this role, with extensive experience across diverse markets in the Middle East & globally. His proven ability to drive growth, lead & nurture diverse teams and cultivate iconic brands makes him ideally suited to lead L'Oréal Egypt into its next chapter. As General Manager for L'Oréal Dermatological Beauty (LDB) in the GCC region, El Araby for the past 5 years based in Dubai, He spearheaded a period of significant expansion in GCC & Levant countries with his diverse team representing 32 countries, strategically positioning the region as a key contributor to the division's global growth El Araby solidified his expertise in the dynamic Egyptian market during his three-year tenure (2017-2020) as LDB General Manager in Egypt. He skillfully navigated a competitive landscape to establish La Roche-Posay & Vichy as leading dermo-cosmetic brands, showcasing his keen understanding of brand building and market positioning while establishing lasting partnerships with Health Care professionals. His contributions also included the successful launch of Maybelline New York in Egypt and the strategic strengthening of Garnier's market presence in the country. Expanding his global perspective, El Araby served as Zone Marketing Manager L’Oréal Paris within L'Oréal's Consumer Products Division (CPD) in Paris. This role provided invaluable exposure to diverse markets across MENA and Africa, deepening his understanding of L'Oréal Group operations and honing his expertise in navigating varied cultural and consumer contexts. Prior to L'Oréal, El Araby honed his marketing and business acumen in leading FMCG & Telecom Companies in Egypt, gaining experience in a fast-paced, competitive environment. He holds an MBA in Marketing & International Business and a BSc in Business Administration from The American University in Cairo. El Araby’s strategic vision, proven leadership, dedication to sustainability, embrace of beauty tech & digital evolution, and his commitment to talent development make him exceptionally well-equipped to lead L'Oréal Egypt to continued success.

Lisa is a global citizen of Egyptian heritage and an economic development strategist, entrepreneur, investor, and community builder with 25 years of international experience. She works with governments, corporations, investors, and entrepreneurs to design the systems that transform innovation into sustainable economic growth. Over the course of her career, Lisa has advised more than 150 organizations and entrepreneurs while helping deploy over $80 million in capital. Her expertise spans strategy, ecosystem development, and capital alignment, helping high-growth ventures scale while mobilizing the institutions, partners, and infrastructure that enable thriving and stable economies. Her work spans the United States and emerging markets, including Africa, Central America, and Southeast Asia, where she operates at the intersection of technology, economic development, and culture.

Walid Hassouna is the Chief Executive Officer of Valu, Egypt’s leading universal financial technology powerhouse. In his role, he leads the company’s continued growth as it expands its comprehensive suite of convenient financial solutions for customers and businesses across multiple markets and use cases. Valu, legally known as U Consumer Finance S.A.E. and listed on the Egyptian Exchange under the ticker EGX: VALU.CA, is the first fintech company in Egypt providing consumer finance to become publicly listed on the EGX. This milestone, together with Amazon’s direct stake in the company, reflects Valu’s dynamic business model and ongoing growth journey. Under its expanding product universe, Valu pioneered Buy-Now, Pay-Later (BNPL) solutions in the MENA region through U, offering customizable financing plans of up to 60 months across more than 9,000 stores and online platforms. Its network spans a diverse range of categories, including home appliances, electronics, home finishing, furniture, residential solar solutions, healthcare, education, travel, fashion, and more. Valu’s ecosystem also includes investment products through Valu Invest with the AZ Valu Fund and EFG Hermes ONE, an instant cash redemption program through Sha2labaz, a high-end financing program through Ulter to facilitate the purchase of luxury big-ticket items up to EGP 60 million, and its marketplace through Shop’IT. In addition, Valu offers business-to-business solutions through Valu Business. Further expanding its payment solutions, Valu introduced its prepaid card and co-branded credit card in collaboration with Visa, strengthening its ability to provide customers with versatile, convenient, and comprehensive payment options. As an award-winning fintech player in the MENA region, Valu embraces a progressive business approach, driven by an agile team committed to architecting innovative financial solutions that meet customers’ evolving needs. Most recently, Valu launched its services in Jordan in May 2026 under a Specialized Finance license, following final approval from the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ), offering consumers convenient financing solutions in the market. Walid currently sits on the board of KarmSolar and previously served on the board of Bedaya for Mortgage Finance. He also previously served as Chairman of PayTabs Egypt and Vice Chairman of EFG EV Fintech. Over more than five years, Walid’s leadership of the NBFI platform at EFG Holding saw the platform grow multiple businesses and launch innovative brands. Prior to joining EFG Holding in 2016, he built a successful 17-year career in banking. He served as General Manager and Head of Structured Finance and Investment Banking at Bank Audi, where he closed structured and project finance transactions exceeding USD 15 billion. He began his career at Misr International Bank, structuring and executing several award-winning project finance and M&A transactions in Egypt and the GCC. He also served as Head of Structured Finance and Syndication at Banque Misr, where he successfully led the bank to top the MENA region’s syndicated loans league table. Walid holds a B.B.A. with highest honors from Cairo University, an MBA from the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University, and an Islamic Finance Qualification from CISI, UK.

Hesham Abaza is the Co-Founder & CEO of Burkan Sports Agency and a Lecturer in the Sports Management MBA Progra. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Université Toulouse II,france, an MBA in Sports Marketing from Sports Management School Paris, and a Level 7 Project Management certification. He specializes in sports marketing, project management, and delivering impactful sports experiences.

Mohammed leads Orange Egypt’s digital healthcare vision in Egypt and Africa, by becoming a trusted partner to our customers focusing on digital health solutions backed by a solid backbone in telecommunications and ICT products and services worldwide. Mohammed comes with a wealth of experience in the healthcare space, with over 15 years of global experience working for Cerner (Currently Oracle Health) in several positions across Egypt, Middle East and Australia before moving to Vodafone Egypt to lead their Digital Health Strategy and Product development. A journey where he continues to drive digital transformation programs in complex engineering and consulting environments.

Suzanne El Akabaoui Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Personal Data Protection Center | Advisor to the ICT Minister for Data Governance Suzanne El Akabaoui is a leading expert in data governance, privacy regulations, and digital policy. As Acting CEO of the Personal Data Protection Center and, Advisor to Egypt’s ICT Minister for Data Governance, she spearheads the development of national regulatory frameworks for personal data protection and privacy in alignment with Egypt’s 2030 Vision. A highly accomplished attorney, Suzanne brings extensive experience in commercial, corporate, technology, and data privacy law. She has advised multinational clients on GDPR compliance, Egyptian data protection laws, Data Sharing Agreements, and agreements for cybersecurity services. Her academic credentials include: • Law Degree, Sorbonne Paris University • Master’s Degree in Business Law • Bachelor’s Degree in Economics & Statistics, Cairo University • Certificate in Economics, Georgetown University • Certificate in Data: Law, Policy, and Regulation, London School of Economics • Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E) • Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM)

Co-founder & Vice President of United group for Engineering & Investment ( UGEI ) which is an Egyptian group working in different construction sectors & Global trading with 25 years of experience in the construction, fit out & facility management industry with both governmental and multinational firms. His role includes also establishing good corporate governance practices and procedures also promotes the highest standards of integrity, probity, and corporate governance throughout the Group and particularly at Board level.

"Amr Abodraiaa, CEO of Rology, brings his experience as the Co-founder and CEO of TownSoft, along with his strategic roles at multiple entities. His leadership, coupled with his understanding of the market dynamics and operational excellence, is pivotal to guiding Rology towards its strategic vision."

Ahmed Abaza is the Co-founder and CEO of Synapse Analytics, an AI company helping banks and financial institutions make faster, smarter, and more responsible Risk decisions. With a background spanning engineering, technology, consulting, and business transformation, Ahmed focuses on turning complex AI systems into practical products that create real-world impact. He is a frequent speaker on AI, innovation, and the challenge of moving artificial intelligence from impressive demos into production.

I'm Saif Aglan a highly skilled 3D Generalist, CGI Artist, and dedicated 3D instructor with a proven track record in digital art, animation, and video game development. Combining technical expertise with creative vision, he has established himself as a prominent figure in the 3D design community, both as an innovative creator and a passionate educator. Industry Collaborations: Former partner of MSI, with a proven track record of successful collaborations alongside major brands including Riot Games, Cooler Master, Red Bull, WE Telecom, Egypt Foods, V7, and Crossfire. Specialized Training: Alumni of prestigious visual effects institutions, Rebelway and Gnomon, applying advanced, industry-standard techniques to produce top-tier CGI for commercials, films, and video game development.

Nezar is an Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology Management expert and Project Officer at UNDP He served in private, academic government and semi government organizations for the last 28 years. Also, is the founder of Nilepreneurs initiative that supports entrepreneurship ecosystem in Egypt Nezar is a certified Innovation Coach helping organizations to develop their new innovation management systems Nezar is a facilitator, mentor and judge in world-class entrepreneurship competition

TikTok Speaker MEA , Favikon partner in KSA & Egypt, ‏CEO Oligence AI, Founder IMFND academy, Instructor @Udemy, 18 years of Experience in Technical Marketing and Growth Hacking.

Suzanne El Akabaoui Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Personal Data Protection Center | Advisor to the ICT Minister for Data Governance Suzanne El Akabaoui is a leading expert in data governance, privacy regulations, and digital policy. As Acting CEO of the Personal Data Protection Center and, Advisor to Egypt’s ICT Minister for Data Governance, she spearheads the development of national regulatory frameworks for personal data protection and privacy in alignment with Egypt’s 2030 Vision. A highly accomplished attorney, Suzanne brings extensive experience in commercial, corporate, technology, and data privacy law. She has advised multinational clients on GDPR compliance, Egyptian data protection laws, Data Sharing Agreements, and agreements for cybersecurity services. Her academic credentials include: • Law Degree, Sorbonne Paris University • Master’s Degree in Business Law • Bachelor’s Degree in Economics & Statistics, Cairo University • Certificate in Economics, Georgetown University • Certificate in Data: Law, Policy, and Regulation, London School of Economics • Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E) • Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM)

Hisham Akram is a pioneer in Egypt’s financial sector with over 30 years of experience in building and scaling leading institutions. He is the Founder and CEO of GRANITE Financial Holding, where he leads the company’s mission to redefine asset management through introducing innovative and secure, client-centric solutions that disrupt conventional business offerings. He played a pioneering role in launching Egypt’s and the Region’s first investment funds and worked closely with regulators to develop the country’s capital markets. Hisham was a founding partner of Beltone Financial and held senior leadership positions at EFG Hermes and was the CEO of Madinet Nasr. He currently serves on the boards of several institutions, including Misr Real Estate Assets Management and the Investment Committee of the Endowments Authority.

Khaled Alaa is the Head of Operations and User Experience at Talabat Egypt, bringing more than 18 years of experience across e-commerce, marketplaces, logistics, and technology-driven businesses. In his current role, he leads operations, customer and vendor experience, compliance, and business transformation initiatives focused on driving operational excellence and sustainable growth.Prior to Talabat, Khaled held leadership positions at Jumia and MaxAB, where he played key roles in scaling operations, improving customer journeys, and building high-performing teams. He is also a founding board member of the Customer Experience Egyptian Association (CXEGA), contributing to the advancement of customer experience practices across Egypt.

Mohamed is currently a General Partner on the DPI Venture Capital, MEA focused early and late stage VC fund. Prior to DPI, Mohamed led investments at Global Ventures, a Dubai-based VC fund investing across the MEA region. His domain expertise includes FinTech, HealthTech, Insurtech, SaaS, Mobility, and e-commerce. Prior to his MEA focus, Mohamed worked for Allianz X, a Munich-based €1 billion digital investment fund of Allianz SE. He sourced, executed, and closed investment deals in Europe, the US, and Southeast Asia. Mohamed began his venture capital career at Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners, a Hamburg-based €400 million fund that primarily invests in B2B SaaS solutions in the US and Europe. Before shifting to venture capital, Mohamed gained operational experience working for multiple early and late stage startups in Germany, such as Solarisbank AG and Medigo GmbH. Mohamed holds an MSc in Business Administration and Engineering from Berlin University of Applied Sciences, focusing on Corporate Strategy and Venture Capital. He also has a BSc in Engineering Mechatronics from the German University in Cairo.

Mohamed AlGhannam is a Venture Capitalist, Business Model Innovation Advisor and Founder of Ncubeight, a strategy and innovation advisory firm specializing in business model innovation and strategic growth. With experience in venture capital, entrepreneurship and startup advisory, he brings a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing early-stage ventures. Mohamed works closely with founders to design, validate and innovate business models, refine growth and fundraising strategies and strengthen competitive positioning. Through his work at Ncubeight, he has advised startups, accelerators, and innovation programs across multiple countries, helping ventures build scalable business models, unlock competitive advantage, and accelerate long-term growth.

Karim El Hayawan, an interior architect and photographer who utilizes his wanderings throughout Cairo to capture those that genuinely embody the best of what the city has to offer. He worked in Dar El Handasah, the well-known consulting firm, after his graduation. He finds the study of the city's multi-layered cultural surface—which includes both abandoned architectural wonders and the well-known ones—to be very intriguing.

Bako Ambianda is a visionary entrepreneur, investor, author, and global speaker dedicated to driving Africa’s economic transformation through strategic enterprise and capital allocation.As the Chairman of Bako Group Holdings and CEO of Backbone Capital, Bako orchestrates investments and builds high-growth companies across strategic sectors—including energy, mobility, technology, real estate, and media. His expertise spans private equity, venture building, and high-level strategic advisory, helping global institutions and private investors navigate and unlock Africa's most promising markets.A passionate advocate for ecosystem building, Bako is also the founder of Capital Allocators 100, a premier initiative highlighting the influential investors actively shaping the continent’s financial landscape. Beyond the boardroom, he is an accomplished author of multiple books and a highly sought-after global speaker, delivering actionable insights on entrepreneurship, investment, leadership, and Africa’s economic future.

Abdullah Amer is a management consultant, executive trainer, and social entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in leadership development and organizational innovation across Egypt and internationally. An Al-Azhar University graduate specializing in English translation and simultaneous interpretation, he studied at the University of Central Missouri as a U.S. State Department NESA scholar and was inducted into Phi Beta Delta International Honor Society. He founded English Capsules, which has improved the English proficiency of over 10,000 Egyptians, alongside Spread Your Skills, Spread Your English & Arabic, and Executive Mastery Camp — a community for CEOs and senior leaders. A TEDx speaker and Techne Summit presenter.

A serial entrepreneur, investor, and startup mentor with over 15 years of experience building and scaling businesses. Currently the CEO of ICCY, an AI-powered platform for experts and coaches, and formerly served as CEO of Sabika, where he helped scale the company to over 110,000 users and a $15 million valuation. Built six startups, raised investment from regional and international investors, and successfully exited Elmawkaa through an acquisition in Saudi Arabia. Also mentored more than 100 startups and taught over 50,000 entrepreneurs.

Samah Anwar is one of Egypt's most enduring and versatile screen presences, an actress, director, and producer whose career spans more than four decades of Arabic cinema, television, and theatre. She grew up surrounded by the arts: her father was the acclaimed writer Anwar Abdullah, and her mother the beloved actress Souad Hussein. Art was never a choice for Samah Anwar; it was an inheritance. Before the camera found her, sport did first. Samah Anwar won the Egyptian national swimming championship at El Zamalek Sports Club, an athletic foundation that would later prove indispensable when she became the rare Egyptian actress cast in demanding physical action roles. She pursued French Literature at the Faculty of Arts, Cairo University, and later deepened her craft through theatre training at the American University in Cairo (AUC) and the Hollywood Film Institute. Her screen debut came with the 1981 film Secret Visit (الزيارة السرية). Over the following decade she built an unmistakable body of work in Egyptian action cinema, most memorably in Haalat Talaboss (حالة تلبس, 1988), Emraa Waheda La Takfi (امرأة واحدة لا تكفي, 1990), Al-Sajeenataan (السجينتان), and Bint Mushaghiba Jiddan (بنت مشاغبة جداً). At a time when Egyptian cinema rarely cast women in high-octane roles, Samah Anwar leapt through glass on motorcycles and commanded the screen with the ease of someone who had spent years in the water. On television, she became a household name across the Arab world through landmark series including Raafat Al Haggan (رأفت الهجان, 1990–1992), Ze'ab Al-Gabal / Wolves of the Mountain (ذئاب الجبل, 1993), El Hesab (الحساب), Sonbol Baad Al Million (سنبل بعد المليون), and Zizinia (زيزينيا, 1997). On stage, she was equally commanding, notably in Rakesa Qetaa Aam (راقصة قطاع عام, 1985). A severe car accident brought an extended pause, one she navigated with the same resilience that defined her work on screen. She returned in 2002 through the satellite programme My Experience (تجربتي), and gradually reclaimed not only her presence as a performer but expanded it to direction and production. Her directorial credits include the Nagwa Karam video clip Atchana (عطشانة), the TV film Piano, and the 2011 Kuwaiti drama Baqaya Gurooh. Her most recent chapter has been nothing short of a full reinvention. She delivered one of the most talked-about performances in the 2022 series Al Layla Wa Elly Feeha (الليلة وإللي فيها). She then starred in the Egyptian Netflix original Catalog (كتالوج, 2025), a family dramedy that topped Netflix and Google Trends across the Arab world upon its July 2025 premiere. In Ramadan 2026, she appeared on two fronts simultaneously: Aard W Talab (عرض وطلب) and Hekayet Narges (حكاية نرجس). Beyond the screen, Samah Anwar is Founder and CEO of TellAVision.io, an AI-powered content creation platform for MENA creators, and hosts the Arabic-language AI podcast "AI بالعربي." She is a committed advocate for making artificial intelligence accessible to Arabic-speaking audiences.

About Mohamed Gamal: Mohamed Gamal is a PR & Communications consultant working with a wide range of companies, entrepreneurs, and public figures on building impactful communication strategies, PR plans, and personal branding. He currently works with several prominent business leaders and companies, advising them on corporate communication strategies as well as personal branding for executives and entrepreneurs. Also works as Group PR Manager at Al Salem Holding, a diversified group of companies operating across multiple industries in several countries, where he leads the group’s communication strategies and PR efforts, Mohamed also provides consulting for a number of companies and well-known business figures on communication planning, PR strategy, and executive positioning.

Yehia Ashour is a seasoned investment and finance executive with over 20 years of experience in financial advisory, private equity, and capital raising across the MENA region. As Co-Founder and CEO of INVIA, he is building Egypt’s next-generation financial operating platform for SMEs—combining real-time financial visibility, performance insights, and revenue-based financing to help businesses grow sustainably. He is currently leading INVIA’s expansion. 

Lisa is a global citizen of Egyptian heritage and an economic development strategist, entrepreneur, investor, and community builder with 25 years of international experience. She works with governments, corporations, investors, and entrepreneurs to design the systems that transform innovation into sustainable economic growth.Over the course of her career, Lisa has advised more than 150 organizations and entrepreneurs while helping  deploy over $80 million in capital. Her expertise spans strategy, ecosystem development, and capital alignment, helping high-growth ventures scale while mobilizing the institutions, partners, and infrastructure that enable thriving and stable economies. Her work spans the United States and emerging markets, including Africa, Central America, and Southeast Asia, where she operates at the intersection of technology, economic development, and culture.

Yasmine has over 10 years of experience managing teams and programs. She is currently the Chief Operations Officer (COO) at ElGameya, where she oversees the collection, customer service, risk, back office, tech, and product departments, ensuring smooth operations and that customer needs are met. Before joining ElGameya, Yasmine was the Acceleration Manager at AUC Venture Lab, Egypt's first university-based startup accelerator and a leading program in Africa and the MENA region. There, she worked with over 300 companies, helping them launch and grow their businesses.

Emam Awad is the Head of the Career Centre at The British University in Egypt (BUE), leading the university's employability strategy, employer engagement, and career development initiatives. He has built strategic partnerships with leading employers and professional bodies, expanded opportunities for students and graduates, and driven significant growth in career services engagement through innovative, data-driven initiatives. Passionate about bridging the gap between academia and industry, Emam works with employers, university leaders, and HR executives to prepare graduates for the future of work through technology, strategic partnerships, and skills-first learning.

Mr. Morsy currently oversees the operations of Finance in Motion (“FiM”) in Egypt and Yemen. FiM is an asset management company based in Frankfurt and is the Advisor for the SANAD and the Green for Growth Fund that both provide financing to financial institutions and corporates in order to facilitate access of finance to SMEs and promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. Mr. Morsy has been working for FiM for more almost 11 years. Mr. Morsy has extensive experience in the areas of investment banking, credit risk management and corporate lending, both locally and regionally. Before joining FiM in 2012, he was an investment banking manager at Prime Capital (2011-2012). Mr. Morsy also led the corporate lending activities for the Cairo area at Egypt’s second largest private bank - Arab African International Bank ‘’AAIB’’ (2005-2010). During his tenure at AAIB, he led several syndicated loans in tourism steel, telecom, cement and petrochemicals. Mr. Morsy holds a Masters in Investment Banking and Islamic finance from Henley Business School (UK) and an MBA from the University of New Brunswick (Canada). Mr. Morsy is a also a visiting fellow at the MBA program of at the Maastricht school of business and has delivered numerous academic and executives courses in credit risk management, bank management, corporate finance, Islamic finance, financial planning, business administration, human resources, and economics, both inside and outside Egypt

Said Baaghil is one of the Middle East’s most recognized brand strategists, a global keynote speaker across 60+ stages, and the author of five books endorsed by global leaders.

A brand architect and a seasoned marketing expert with over 25 years of experience in building businesses, brands and people. 

Ayman Bazaraa is a serial entrepreneur passionate about unleashing human potential through technology. As the CEO of Sprints, he leads a revolutionary AI platform that personalize and gamify learning. He also co-founded HiRemoters, connecting global companies with top remote talent; MicroDoers, an augmented reality solutions company; and Avelabs, a leading deep tech for autonomous driving software. Avelabs, was acquired by Fortune 500 company Arrow. 
Ayman's leadership journey includes roles at Orange, IBM, and Valeo.

Samhaa R. El-Beltagy is the Chief AI Officer at Nawy, where she leads the company's AI strategy and innovation agenda, driving advanced AI solutions that transform real estate technology and customer experience. She is also a Professor of Computer Science and the Founding Dean of the School of Information Technology at Newgiza University (NGU). Her career spans academia, industry, and entrepreneurship, with a consistent focus on bridging research and practice: she co-founded AIM Technologies, a Middle East–based startup specializing in NLP and advanced analytics, and previously served as Head of Research and Development at Optomatica, a company focused on AI solutions for real-world complex problems.Dr. El-Beltagy has played a pivotal role in national AI initiatives and is a member of the technical committee of the Egyptian National Council for AI, as well as the advisory committee of the ACL Special Interest Group on Arabic NLP (SIGARAB). She was named one of the Top 30 AI Leaders in the Middle East by MIT Technology Review (2022) and has been featured in Stanford University's global list of the top 2% of scientists (2019, 2021). She has authored over 90 international publications and served in senior roles at leading conferences, including Tutorial Chair at EMNLP 2022,  Program Chair at ArabicNLP 2026(co-located with EMNLP 2026)   and Program Chair at ArabicNLP 2023 (co-located with EMNLP 2023). She is a long-standing jury member for the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science program, and co-founder and organizer of the International ACLing Conference Series (initiated in 2015, published by Elsevier). Her research interests include Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Processing, Large Language Models, and Arabic NLP.

Moataz Darwish is associate professor of practice, strategy and entrepreneurship, and associate chair at the Onsi Sawiris School of Business, where he also serves as the associate chair of the Heikal Management Department. A former senior executive with Shell Plc., Professor Darwish bridges the gap between practice and academic excellence, bringing more than 25 years of experience in energy management, strategic thinking and executive training to the Onsi Sawiris School of Business.

Professor Darwish holds a doctorate in business administration from the University of Bradford School of Management (UK), where he was awarded a partial scholarship for his research into the intersection of managerial mindsets and strategic management in uncertain conditions. He also earned an MBA from Edinburgh Business School (UK) and has completed advanced executive programs at Oxford, Harvard and INSEAD business schools, and Shell Open University.

For the past 15 years, he has been active in executive and MBA education, instructing at The American University in Cairo School of Business ExecEd and the Edinburgh Business School MBA programs. His teaching focus centers on leadership excellence, strategic management, scenario thinking and the entrepreneurial mindset.

Prior to his full-time academic appointment, Professor Darwish spent 16 years in senior leadership roles at Shell Plc, most recently serving as the deputy country chair for Shell Companies in Egypt. His distinguished corporate career also includes his tenure as the commercial manager for the UK North Sea at NAM—a Shell/ExxonMobil joint venture in the Netherlands—as well as his roles as country commercial director, executive team member of Shell Egypt, chief of staff and company spokesperson. Furthermore, he served as a board director for the NATGAS and Nubariya companies.

A recognized authority in commercial negotiations, business development, strategy and corporate affairs, Professor Darwish is a recipient of Shell’s prestigious UI Impact Award. His influence on the business ecosystem extends well beyond practice and academia; he is a seasoned angel investor and an entrepreneurship judge and mentor. Additionally, he actively contributes to the industry policy landscape through his long-tenured membership in the AmCham Egypt Oil and Gas and Trade and Industry Committees.

Ahmed is passionate about shaping the future of manufacturing through AI, Industry 4.0, and digital transformation. He helps industrial organizations build intelligent factory solutions that turn innovation into measurable business impact, bridging emerging technologies with real-world manufacturing challenges.

Ehab Darwish is the Founder of iSkala and a Go To Market strategist, outbound expert, and lead generation consultant. He has helped 300+ brands build scalable growth engines, including Fawry, Swvl, ZenHR, Bayzat, Bayt.com and ElCoach among many more. Ehab has also trained more than 2,000 professionals across 12 countries on modern sales, AI, automation, and Go-To-Market engineering.

HNI Learning and Development head for the past 4 years. Leading and transforming the solutions provided to the GCC market. Offering a new structure to be responsive to the market's ongoing dynamics. Yosra is a highly skilled corporate trainer & facilitator with more than 23 years’ training delivery experience, and in addition to hands-on experience in the entire training and L& D functions, including needs assessment, developing content, designing & delivering training programs and workshops, in addition to managing training programs & has proven ability to conduct assessment & development centers. Delivered training to various nationalities & cultural backgrounds in the Middle East &Africa (Egypt, Lebanon, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait) with an ongoing passion for learning and development. I have acquired the following certificates: • Certified professional in Talent and Development (CPTD) from the Association of Talent and Development (ATD) (www.td.org). • Certified Associate Consultant, from Assessment and Development Consultants (a&dc.uk) https://www.adc.uk.com/ • Core Facilitation Skills Program from ILM (City and Guilds Group Business) (https://www.i-l-m.com) • Train the Trainer (TOT) Certificate from Regional IT Institute (http://www.riti.org) Designed, delivered and managed leadership academies, Train the Trainer, Retail programs, Sales, Customer Service, Presentation skills, Public speaking, NGO’s development, most of the basic business and soft skills topics for various industries.

Dr. Amr Alashkar is a senior digital transformation and information technology leader with over 25 years of experience driving measurable business impact through technology. He is recognized for aligning IT strategy with organizational objectives, delivering scalable, secure, and compliant digital ecosystems. His expertise spans healthcare transformation, data governance, cybersecurity, AI, and automation. As CIO of Cleopatra Hospitals Group, he led enterprise-wide digital initiatives that enhanced patient experience, operational efficiency, and clinical quality, while achieving prestigious local and international accreditations. Dr. Alashkar is a respected thought leader, frequent conference speaker, and contributor to national and regional digital health transformation agendas.

Shereen Eletreby is a seasoned Talent Development leader with over 20 years of hands-on experience in designing and managing strategic learning solutions. As Head of Talent Development at Orascom Construction, she partners with senior leadership to build future business capabilities, address organizational gaps, and drive a sustainable learning culture across the enterprise. In addition to her corporate role, Shereen is the founder of Chefs’ Studios—a long envisioned F&B consulting firm launched in 2021—and co-founder of Three Diner, a retro-American restaurant brand. Her entrepreneurial ventures reflect her passion for innovation, experience design, and building thriving teams and businesses from the ground up. Shereen also works as a Career Development and Transition Facilitator, empowering individuals to explore their core career drivers, build clear action plans, and pursue purposeful professional journeys. Her earlier career includes a decade at Vodafone International Services, where she led corporate academy development, trainer performance, and knowledge management initiatives. She also held key leadership roles such as Head of HR at Akam Developments, HR Director at Iwan Developments, and Talent Development Consultant with AB & Associates. Shereen holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Management with a minor in Management Information Systems from the University of the District of Columbia, graduating with honors in 2000.

I am a researcher, consultant, and educator specializing in Islamic Finance, Zakat Accounting, and Shariah Audit. I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Al-Azhar University and hold two master's degrees in Islamic Finance and Accounting, in addition to several internationally recognized professional certifications from the General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (CIBAFI).Over the years, I have worked in education, financial consulting, entrepreneurship, and investment across multiple sectors before dedicating my career to Zakat Accounting and Shariah Audit. I am the host of the TV program Zakaty, creator of the Shariah Audit podcast, and author of Zakat for Individuals and Companies and the Contemporary Financial Transactions book series.My work focuses on Zakat accounting, Shariah governance, Islamic financial systems, and helping organizations build Shariah-compliant business models. I am particularly passionate about advancing Islamic fintech, strengthening internal Shariah audit practices, and developing practical solutions that bridge Islamic principles with modern business and finance.

Dr. Khaled Elgeneidy is an Assistant Professor in Robotics leading the Innovation Hub at The Knowledge Hub Universities (TKH). He holds a PhD in Robotics from Loughborough University, UK, and is recognised as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), bringing over a decade of academic experience from British universities in both the UK and Egypt. His research focuses on developing intelligent robotics systems to address grasping and manipulation challenges in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors. Dr. Elgeneidy has led and collaborated on several funded research projects with academic and industrial partners at national and international levels, resulting in over 20 peer-reviewed publications, 900+ citations, and a US patent for a mushroom picking device. Translating research into commercial impact, he co-founded Agaricus Robotics Ltd in the UK, a spin-off company commercialising an autonomous harvesting system following successfully funded research projects from Innovate UK and Ceres Agri-Tech.

With over 20 years of experience in data engineering, science and analysis, Dr Ismail Anwar has helped clients in both the public and private sector address hard challenges when it comes to deriving insights from complex data assets. With a proven record for understanding complex analytical data needs and articulating them to sustainable analytical architectures, Ismail has helped clients of various sizes in building analytical pipelines for the ingestion, storage, transformation, enrichment and presentation of data for analytical consumption and decision making. He also consulted clients on building achievable data and AI strategies to address their current and future needs. On the academic side, Ismail has an interest in the use of Computational Intelligence and AI for addressing hard problems in data science and decision making in complex, multiobjective scenarios. Ismail holds a PhD from the University of Kent.

In 2016, I founded Tactful in Cairo with Mohammad Fouad Hassan, while still at ARM. Over the next six years we built a CX infrastructure platform from scratch: 60+ engineers, $5M+ in R&D, enterprise customers across MENA including Elaraby Group, valU, Fairmont, and Address Hotels. We didn't build a chatbot. We built the five-layer stack beneath every customer interaction. The sale (2022 – 2024) Destiny (later rebranded Dstny), a European business communications group, acquired Tactful. The partnership brought European distribution, enterprise credibility, and a perspective I could not have gained from the inside. By the end of it, I knew what Tactful's next chapter needed: full founder autonomy to pursue the agentic CX vision. Coming back (early 2024 – present) In early 2024, Mohammad and I reacquired full ownership. In February 2026, we closed a $1M Pre-Series A. The platform is seeing 100x growth. We are building with the clarity that only comes from having done it once before. “I bought my company back because the best version of it hadn't been built yet.”

Mohamed Elmenoufy is the visionary founder of Infinity Technology and a highly respected lecturer in the fields of programming and web development. Having trained more than 5,000 professionals, authored three foundational books, and produced comprehensive courses across major digital platforms, he is a driving force in technical education. His work focuses on simplifying complex coding concepts and equipping students with the practical skills needed to thrive in the modern IT landscape.

Mohamed Elsabban Chief Innovation & Strategic Ventures Officer, Banque Misr Mohamed Elsabban is a senior executive with over 33 years of diverse experience across leading local and international banks and companies. He currently serves as the Chief Innovation and Strategic Ventures Officer at Banque Misr, where he leads the bank’s transformation into a future-ready financial ecosystem. In this role, Mohamed is driving a comprehensive innovation agenda that aligns with the bank’s 2030 North Star vision. His leadership focuses on open innovation, ecosystem orchestration, venture investment, and the incubation of new business models. Key initiatives under his mandate include the co-creation of Egypt’s first corporate venture platform, a captive insurance model, and an embedded finance framework for SMEs—developed in close collaboration with relevant business sectors across the bank. These efforts aim to position Banque Misr as the country’s most innovation-driven and ecosystem-oriented financial institution. Mohamed has also led the launch of flagship programs such as TEQDAR, one of Egypt’s most impactful corporate accelerators, and BMV Studio, a venture-building platform empowering both startups and internal talent to co-create transformative solutions. His work is helping Banque Misr unlock new revenue streams, serve evolving customer needs, and build strategic partnerships across banking and beyond.

Mohamed Fahmy Menza is the Senior Director of Executive Education at the School of Global Affairs & Public Policy (GAPP). He has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of socioeconomic research, development, and cross-cultural education, whereby he developed a plethora of multidisciplinary educational initiatives within Higher Education Institutions in the Arab world, the Global South, Europe and North America, using virtual exchange pedagogies. Menza previously served as the Director of Dialogue Courses and an Affiliate Assistant Professor at AUC’s Core Curriculum and as the founding Program Manager of the Institute of International Education’s (IIE’s) flagship virtual exchange initiatives, HIVE/HIVER. He holds a PhD in Arab & Islamic Studies, with a specialization in political economy and sociology, from the University of Exeter and his research and teaching focus on state/society relations, informal and patronage networks and the political economy of development, on which he has developed and taught a variety of courses at Exeter University, AMIDEAST Egypt and AUC. Menza also provided consultancies to a host of international development organizations such as the World Bank, UN-Habitat, the Population Council and CARE International and his academic contributions, which include a wide variety of action-research development studies, peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and the book Patronage Politics in Egypt, were quoted in world-class publications such as The Economist, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Ahmed ElSherbini is a Project Management leader with over 19 years of experience delivering major real estate, hospitality and corporate projects across Egypt, He is currently the Head of Building and Projects Consultancy at Savills Egypt, leading a team of 45 professional and managing a portfolio of projects exceeding 5 billion EGP. annually Previously, Ahmed held a senior role, where he managed high-profile fit-out and renovation projects for global clients such as Sheraton, Hilton and Mars, His earlier experience with Mountain View and Etisalat strengthened his expertise in construction management, design management and multi-stakeholders' coordination. Ahmed holds a bachelor's degree in Structural Engineering and multiple professional certificates including PMP and PRMG, known for his leadership, technical depth and commitment to excellence, he consistently delivers a complex projects on time, on budget and up to the highest standards.

Sameh Emam is a cybersecurity strategist and technology advisor with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations strengthen cyber resilience, modernize security architectures, and accelerate secure digital transformation across the Middle East and Africa. He has advised government entities, critical infrastructure operators, financial institutions, and large enterprises on Zero Trust, cloud security, AI security, security operations, and cyber resilience. A frequent keynote speaker, moderator, and industry judge, Sameh is recognized for translating complex cybersecurity challenges into practical business outcomes and fostering collaboration between technology leaders, policymakers, and the security community.

Nader is a management consultant, specializing in the training and consulting sector. Nader has more than 10 years of experience serving corporates in different areas related to training solutions, consultative facilitation, soft skills enhancement and team building exercises. Since October 2017, Nader has been responsible for setting the aspire corporate business unit strategy, sales strategy and development of the corporate team capabilities. Nader ‘s team served over 150+ local and multi- national firms that work in different industries and sectors such as; pharma, banking, telecom, IT, FMCGs and others. Nader has led several other roles inside the organization; HR, sales, marketing, operations, training and different business units’ leadership. In addition to that, Nader has led several international partnerships and alliances. Prior to joining Aspire, Nader worked for 360 Junkers factory for 2 years, where he worked as product line engineer for 3 different products, Hisense , York and GE ACs, Hisense refrigerators, and over water laid bridges. He was in charge of production line, quality, speed and efficiency as well as the skills enhancement process of the blue collars through a joint training program with the Chinese counter engineers. Nader graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University in 2009. He completed the "MBA” from Maastricht School of Management in 2020 and in 2016 he completed his certification on both Emergenetics Profiling and ESP” Emergenetics Selection Program”. He also took many specialized training programs in the area of Training of Trainers, customer services and strategic planning from the Wharton School of Pennsylvania, and Competitive Strategy-Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU).

Mohamed Fahmy Menza is the Senior Director of Executive Education at the School of Global Affairs & Public Policy (GAPP). He has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of socioeconomic research, development, and cross-cultural education, whereby he developed a plethora of multidisciplinary educational initiatives within Higher Education Institutions in the Arab world, the Global South, Europe and North America, using virtual exchange pedagogies. Menza previously served as the Director of Dialogue Courses and an Affiliate Assistant Professor at AUC’s Core Curriculum and as the founding Program Manager of the Institute of International Education’s (IIE’s) flagship virtual exchange initiatives, HIVE/HIVER. He holds a PhD in Arab & Islamic Studies, with a specialization in political economy and sociology, from the University of Exeter and his research and teaching focus on state/society relations, informal and patronage networks and the political economy of development, on which he has developed and taught a variety of courses at Exeter University, AMIDEAST Egypt and AUC. Menza also provided consultancies to a host of international development organizations such as the World Bank, UN-Habitat, the Population Council and CARE International and his academic contributions, which include a wide variety of action-research development studies, peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and the book Patronage Politics in Egypt, were quoted in world-class publications such as The Economist, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Mostafa Younis is a Shopify Business Manager at Robusta Studio, where he leads Shopify launches for fashion, lifestyle, and retail brands, including PUMA Group Egypt's Shopify launch. With 8+ years working on Shopify e-commerce projects, his account became the first Shopify Select Partner in Egypt, a tier reached by only a small number of Shopify Partners globally. His focus is helping brands find and fix the revenue leaks quietly capping their growth, from conversion optimization to AOV levers.

Lead Public Address Announcer of the Basketball Africa League and MC for the FIFAe World Cup. Experience spans major international tournaments including the IHF Handball World Cup, FIVB Volleyball World Cup, Premier Padel, and the African Football League. Beyond the mic, Co‑Founder and Head of Operations of Double Dribble Leagues, Egypt’s first amateur basketball league alongside a professional legal career in PepsiCo Egypt.

Mohammed Fathy is a Cybersecurity Leader, Offensive Security Expert, and AI Security Researcher with more than 10 years of experience in penetration testing, red teaming, application security, and threat intelligence.** He currently serves as **Head of Cybersecurity at Robusta Technology Group (RTG)**, where he leads offensive security operations, manages red team engagements, drives security research, and builds security capabilities across enterprise environments. His expertise spans adversary emulation, web and mobile application security, cloud security, DevSecOps, vulnerability research, and AI/LLM security. Throughout his career, Mohammed has worked with fintech, payment platforms, software companies, and enterprise organizations, leading security assessments, penetration testing programs, secure development initiatives, and security transformation efforts. He previously held security leadership roles at organizations including PaySky, PetroApp, SEKEM Group, and other technology companies, where he managed application security, infrastructure security, vulnerability management, and incident response activities. Mohammed is recognized for his contributions to the cybersecurity community through responsible vulnerability disclosures affecting major technology companies including **Google, Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo, Adobe, eBay, Mozilla, Nokia, and Red Hat**, earning multiple Hall of Fame acknowledgments and security recognition awards. He holds multiple professional certifications including **Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP), eLearnSecurity Web Application Penetration Tester eXtreme (eWPTX), Certified Red Team Professional (CRTP), Certified AppSec Practitioner (CAP), and Certified Agentic AI Pentester (C-AgAIPen).** Beyond professional security work, Mohammed is an active cybersecurity educator, speaker, and researcher, sharing knowledge about offensive security, AI security, and emerging cyber threats with the security community. His mission is to help organizations stay ahead of evolving threats by combining offensive security methodologies, modern AI technologies, and practical defensive strategies.

Mohamed Fawzy Waly is an experienced Digital Delivery Manager and Building Information Modeling (BIM) expert with over a decade of experience driving digital adoption across the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. Currently serving as the R&D Digital Delivery Manager at Hassan Allam Holding, Mohamed focuses on implementing advanced BIM workflows, ISO 19650 information management standards, and digital strategy frameworks for large construction projects across the Middle East, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Active in the region's digital construction community, Mohamed is a member of the committee developing the Egyptian BIM Code and co-hosts Ground Truth, an Arabic podcast focused on practical discussions about digital delivery and construction technology. He is an ISO 19650 certified professional and an Autodesk Gold Certified Instructor who regularly trains and mentors engineers across the region. Mohamed is a regular speaker at regional industry conferences, such as the Big 5 Talks and the Egypt Digital Twin Conference. He was also shortlisted for Engineer of the Year by Construction Week Middle East.

Co-Founder, CEO and Design Manager of Ldp+partners a leading architecture and engineering consultancy firm specializing in innovative architectural solutions, integrated engineering services, and exceptional interior design. With over 19 years of experience, I have led the design and execution of a wide range of projects from branded hospitality developments and large-scale mixed-use develoments across the MENA region. I believe the most successful projects seamlessly combine functionality with aesthetic design excellence, achieved through creative, thoughtful, and efficient design. A strong advocate for sustainability, I integrate environmentally responsible strategies from the outset, ensuring projects deliver long-term operational value while minimizing environmental impact.