Mr. Ali Haroon Alaamer serves as the Acting Director of Capital Markets Supervision Directorate (CMSD) at the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) since May 2023.   Prior to that, he was holding the post of Head of Crypto Assets Markets under the CMSD since January 2023 and the Head of Issuance & Corporate Restructuring since November 2016. He also has more than 17 years of experience in the field of capital markets and banking, as he started his career working in a retail bank and an investment bank prior to joining the CBB.

His current responsibilities include the supervision of licensed exchanges, licensed clearing houses and central depositories, market intermediaries, and crypto asset services providers. He is also responsible for regulating the issuance and offering of securities in the primary market. Through his role as a supervisor and his contribution to the drafting of rules and regulations , he ensures maintaining and promoting fairness, efficiency and transparency within the capital markets and ensuring investor protection.

Mr. Ali serves on national and regional committees, including the GCC Secretariat General capital markets committees, and represents the Kingdom of Bahrain at the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).

Mr. Ali holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Information Systems from the University of Bahrain and MBA with Finance concentration from New York Institute of Technology. He is also a CFA charter holder and has also completed the Investment Representative Program (Series 7) certificate from BIBF.

I’m a results-driven professional with technology and operations experience providing hands-on leadership, change management and innovative problem-solving skills to support business and organizational goals. As a strong communicator and relationship builder, I’m well versed in presentations and consensus building with C-level executives and management at all levels. Recognized by executive management and customers for strategic thinking combined with expertise in analytical research, applications development, technology transfer, software lifecycle management, and business process optimization. Partnered with sales and marketing teams on sales strategies for key customers. Projects / Programs I have led and delivered have won top industry awards for some of the most well-known airlines in the world, touching billions of individuals on a daily basis directly or indirectly and I look forward to continuing to work on things that positively impact others. I’m an avid reader and lifelong student of business theory, history, technology, design, emerging technology and better living.

Full-stack Technology and Operations Program Manager with a passion for learning, discovery, innovation, growth and delivering cutting edge solutions. I thrive and actively seek out fast paced and challenging assignments where I can engage with a variety of stakeholders to deliver game-changing products and services. I bring a mindset of continuous improvement and enjoy working with a variety of personality types to build high performing teams. The industries I have been involved in (especially Aerospace) have been exciting and have kept me engaged over the years being fast-paced and presenting unique and broad challenges everyday that allowed me to exercise and expand my mind. I look forward to using these skills, the ability to stay focused under pressure along with the ability to switch between going wide when needed and deep as required in my future roles.

Bandar has held multiple roles in the technology and financial services industries. His most prominent and lengthy tenure is with the Saudi Exchange, where he has spent the last eight years.

At Saudi Exchange, Bandar established the Client Relations and Development function. He has served as the Head of Client Relations Development for the last 3 years. Prior to this, Bandar was a Client Relations Development Manager.

Bandar has played a pivotal role in developing Saudi Exchange’s Invest Wisely Program – a platform to help retail investors learn how to trade in the Saudi capital market. He has delivered new services to Exchange Members, and currently leads the Saudi Exchange’s ESG and sustainability efforts which are integral to supporting sustainable growth in the Kingdom.

Bandar is also an advisory board member for Prince Sultan University’s Center for Sustainability and Climate Change. Recently, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Arab Federation of Capital Markets Sustainability Committee.

Bandar holds an MBA degree from Alfaisal University.

Dr. Boutros Klink is the Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank Bahrain. Dr. Klink has held the positions of CEO of Standard Chartered Bank for Bahrain and Middle East (Excluding UAE), CEO of Standard Chartered Capital Saudi Arabia, as well as various senior positions at Standard Chartered Bank, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, UBS, National Bank of Canada, and the Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec.

Dr. Klink was responsible for building and launching the Standard Chartered Bank branches in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (launched in 2021) and in the Arab Republic of Egypt (launched in 2024).

Dr. Klink is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Standard Chartered Bank Cote d’Ivoire and a director of the Board of Standard Chartered Capital Saudi Arabia and a member of its Board Audit Committee and Board Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Dr. Klink is also a Director of the Board of the Bahrain Association of Banks and previously served as a Director on the Board of St Christopher’s School in Bahrain.

Dr. Klink was previously a member of the Standard Chartered Group Diversity & Inclusion Council and chaired the Africa and Middle East Diversity and Inclusion Council.

Dr. Klink holds a Doctor of Science degree in Earthquake Engineering from MIT, a Master of Science in Civil & Environmental Engineering from MIT, a Master of Art in Financial Mathematics from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering from the American University of Beirut.

Dr. Klink has lived and worked in Bahrain, Canada, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, UAE, & USA and is fluent in Arabic, English and French.

Damian Regan is the Deloitte Middle East – Reporting & Assurance Leader for Sustainability and is based in Dubai.

Damian is Deloitte’s Middle East –Sustainability Reporting & Assurance Leader, helping clients to understand their contribution to society and their environmental impacts; and assisting them in effectively communicating and reporting their sustainability strategies, goals and results. He also works with industry bodies and regulators to develop standards of sustainable practices, reporting and assurance.

He has over 25 years experience in providing Reporting & Assurance services with over 20 years in London working primarily in the Financial Services industry; and 5 years in Dubai, working with a variety of industries across the Middle East. He has also worked as an internal auditor, both leading internal audit teams from a variety of clients; and also completed a secondment as the Head of Internal Audit of an Asset Manager.

Damian has assisted many clients with a wide variety of Sustainability assurance engagements including: Sustainability Reporting & Assurance; ESG Strategy Development; Green & Social Bond assurance; ethical presentation of asset management investment performance records; Responsible Investment and Asset Management Code procedures; Asset Stewardship reporting; and Carbon Disclosure Reporting.

He has also led supply chain engagements focused on In Country Value (ICV) certification schemes and has developed ICV schemes for the UAE (ADNOC), Qatar (QE) and Oman (PDO); has led ICV Certifiers’ quality review teams for the ICV Sponsor; and also acted as an ICV Certifier.

Eleanor joined Zu’bi & Partners in 2018 and was appointed Junior Partner in 2023. She is a bilingual French-Australian solicitor, holding a BA/LL.B. (Hons) from the University of Melbourne and a Masters in International Law and Relations from the Institut d’études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po).

Eleanor began her career as an intern at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague, going on to work as a Judge’s Associate in Australia for both Civil and Criminal Jurisdictions, before returning to Paris to consult for UNESCO and Dentons’ international arbitration team.

Since beginning at Zu’bi & Partners, Eleanor regularly advises national and regional government entities, public investment and sovereign wealth funds, Fortune 500 companies, local and international banks, SMEs, finch companies and luxury brands.

Spending much of her early life in Australia, Eleanor witnessed the country prosper economically from carbon-heavy industries such as mining, logging and cattle farming, but also suffer the inevitable and catastrophic consequences of climate change such as wildfires, floods and other extreme weather events.  A such, Eleanor has always had an interest in environmental law, climate action and sustainability and particularly the role of the private sector in achieving net-zero.  She has begun incorporating this interest into her law practice, most recently guiding a leading international bank to transition to paperless record-keeping, and overseeing funding and loan transactions between a major international climate fund and regional banks for the purchase of renewable energy equipment in developing economies.

Ms. Eline Helal was appointed as the Director – Investor Relations, Insurance and Co. Secretary in February 2020.

Ms. Helal has been part of Alba for 12+ years and brings with her years of honed experience across matrixed functions namely Investor Relations, Corporate Communications, Co. Secretariat, Insurance as well as Strategy & Business Development.

Ms. Helal joined Alba as Manager – Investor Relations (IR) since March 2011 to build the IR function from scratch, develop & lead the IR team. During her time at Alba, she also held on top of her IR role, Public Relations for 5 years and was acting as Strategy and Business Development Manager since July 2018.

Ms. Helal’s financial acumen and keen understanding of capital markets has enabled her to quickly get to grips with business fundamentals and understand what information analysts and portfolio managers require; she also played an instrumental role in the financing of Alba’s Line 6 Expansion Project [US$3 billion]. She has a well-versed experience in corporate governance, compliance, and regulatory skills for working in Debt and Equity markets, especially on Emerging Markets and in particular the Middle East. Eline is recognized as a media relator as well as financial communication advisor for C-levels in the region.

Ms. Helal started her professional career as a financial analyst at the Middle East mobile operator Zain Group in early 2007, moving on to an Investor Relations role for the Company for 4 years.

Ms. Helal holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from ESSEC, Master’s Degree in International Finance from University of New South Wales (UNSW) and a Bachelor of Science in Banking & Finance from Lebanese American University (LAU). Ms. Helal has completed Senior Executive Leadership Program (SELP) in 2023 at Harvard Business School.

Federico Bonini is a Principal of BCG with 8 years of experience within the energy practice and key expertise in the power sector and the decarbonization sector. He has international experience across every step of the power value chain (generation, T&D and retail) as well as relevant functions expertise. Federico has supported some of the largest transformations and decarbonization strategies across Europe, LATAM and the Middle East. He is also involved in selected public sector engagements, developing strategies for governments across Europe on decarbonization and on selected verticals (e.g. green hydrogen, large scale renewables). In the last few years, he concentrated on scaling up low carbon investments (solar PV, wind onshore and offshore, power networks).

Fethi Kirdar is a Managing Director at Fifth Wall, where he heads the coverage of the Middle East & North Africa.

Prior to joining Fifth Wall, Fethi was at International Media Investments, an Abu Dhabi based quasi-sovereign media/tech investment firm where he headed finance and investments. Fethi was also Venture Partner in a MENA focused venture capital firm, Iliad Partners, and Senior Advisor for Arthur D. Little’s TMT practice. Fethi also spent a number of years in investment banking at Barclays Capital and Deutsche Bank where he was responsible for financial advisory and capital raising for MENA clients.

Fethi started his career at Bankers Trust/Deutsche Bank in London in the TMT investment banking team before moving to Dubai in 2002 to help establish a TMT focused private equity fund for The Investment Office of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai.

Fethi is a dual British/Swiss national of Iraqi origin. He graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where he received his BSc in International Economics.

Dr. Hiba Nayif Harara is the Vice President of Electricity & Water Transmission in Electricity & Water Authority (EWA) of the Kingdom of Bahrain. She is responsible for the safe and reliable Operations and Maintenance of the Kingdom’s Electricity & Water Networks including the GCCIA Interlink. She is also responsible for the economic purchase of power and water from the Independent Power and Water Producers (IPWPs) to meet Bahrain’s needs and oversees contract management with the IPWPs. With over 30 years of experience at various technical and executive roles in EWA, she is a resource of knowledge and experience in technical, financial, and legal matters related to Electricity & Water Production, Transmission and Distribution .

Dr. Hiba holds a PhD in Electricity Economics from the University of Hull, United Kingdom, with specialization including (but not limited to) Electricity markets, Privatization, Regulation and IPWP contract management. She has a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Electrical Engineering (with Distinction) from the University of Bahrain, and a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Electrical Engineering (with Distinction) from the University of Bahrain.

Ian is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Bank ABC and leads the Bank’s journey to integrate sustainability throughout the Bank’s global value chain and DNA, which covers 15 different jurisdictions. He has over 17 years of experience implementing sustainability within asset management and banking, having worked in London, Asia and Turkey, this has involved developing sustainability strategies and integrating sustainability into global investment processes.

His extensive work experience includes being a Founder of a global asset management firm, building up the firm’s institutional investor client base and managing top quartile performing global and emerging markets investment strategies.

Before joining Bank ABC, Ian worked at Citigroup helping them to embed environmental risk practices across their European corporate banking business. Ian is a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants and has a BA (Hons) in Accountancy & Finance from Heriot-Watt University.

Jessica is a global expert in sustainable finance and ESG, advising clients including financial institutions, investors, governments and regulators on a broad range of issues relating to ESG and sustainability strategy. She has deep expertise in sustainable finance and responsible investment, as well as carbon, climate and gender finance. Now based in the Middle East, Jessica has lived and worked extensively across the region, as well as Asia and North America.

Previously a partner and MENA Sustainable Finance Leader at EY, other roles include Head of Asia for the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (UN-PRI), following a long stint as Chief Executive and Board Director of the Association for Sustainable and Responsible Investment in Asia (ASrIA), one of Asia’s leading think tanks working to promote sustainable finance and responsible investment. She also led the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change – representing large investors on climate risk – and played an active leadership role in the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance (GSIA) and the Global Investor Coalition on Climate Change (GIC).

Jessica frequently contributes articles, authors reports and speaks at conferences on issues related to ESG and sustainable finance, related market and regulatory developments, climate and carbon finance policy. She also speaks widely on gender-related topics, having authored a book on women and investing, ‘Financial Feminism: A Woman’s Guide To Investing For a Sustainable Future’ and is currently working on her second book, ‘Breaking the Green Ceiling’, an exploration of the role of female leadership in driving sustainability.

Mr. John Robson- BASREC CEO

Robson, has worked in the Onshore, Offshore and Marine engineering sector for more than 30 years and brings a wealth of international experience to BASREC having held various C Suite roles as a senior executive and project director across the UK, Europe, USA, Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Amongst significant achievements, Robson was instrumental in securing major Offshore, Shipbuilding, Marine, Power, construction and infrastructure packages. He has also overseen upstream oil and gas fabrication projects for floating production systems (FPSOs), modules, topsides and jackets, as well as supplying services to onshore and offshore energy sectors

Robson has extensive experience in subsea production structural projects and marine services (shipyard and shipbuilding) projects, as well as decommissioning, Energy, offshore fabrication and power plants.

“John Robson’s global energy industry experience honed in sectors including and extending beyond oil and gas means our customers, partners and the broader local market can benefit from his extensive knowledge and expertise.”

Robson has worked with and on numerous Projects with global heavyweights including EXXON Mobil, Total, ConocoPhillips, Woodside, Chevron, Saudi Aramco, ADNOC, Qatar Gas, Rio Tinto, BHP, BP, Wood Shell, Origin Energy, Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung amongst others.

Julie Seel has been in the sustainability and environmental compliance field for over thirty years. She holds an MSPH degree in Environmental Studies from the University of South Carolina.  She has worked for regulatory agencies, federal and state government entities, as well as private industry including the energy sector during her career.  Her professional specialties include creating unique waste diversion opportunities and driving behavior change within organizations.  Her passion for recycling and reuse extends well beyond her professional career; she also serves as a recycling resource for her home city of Columbia, South Carolina.

Kalyan Subramanian (Kal) is a subject matter expert on ESG, and the broader spectrum of sustainability related issues and topics. Kal is a leader with KPMG and has the experience of working with a range of clients across sectors including Financial Services, Manufacturing, Energy and Retail. He has worked closely with Development Agencies including UNDP, UNGC, USAID, etc., and a range of global/ regional Civil Society organizations One Young World, Enactus, Junior Achievement, INJAZ Bahrain, the Pearl Initiative, etc. Based in Bahrain, Kal has been a part of KPMG for 19 years and has experience in working with stakeholders across the UK, US, Germany, France, Brazil, Mexico, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, China, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, and the Middle East, South Asia, and the Caspian region. Over his tenure he has supported the setup of the KPMG foundation in India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and China.

Kal has also worked closely with regulators in the Kingdom of Bahrain to be able to support the development around ESG within the marketplace, while support their stakeholders in the implementation of the requisite frameworks and controls.

He has experience in working with clients on aligning their investment and efforts in line with the national vision strategies across the GCC region. This also includes efforts focused on Inclusion & Diversity and supporting educational and awareness related initiatives within the marketplace.

Kal has worked towards supporting National initiatives on Women Empowerment and Inclusion & Diversity in Bahrain, including research, and facilitating strategic initiatives. He drives KPMG’s strategic partnership with Diversity on Boards in Bahrain and is a facilitator on their Emerging Board Leaders Fellowship (EBLF) program. In the past he was also a part of the Global Diversity Team in KPMG and led the Inclusion & Diversity Assessment across firms in the MESAC region.

Kal is a member of the Sustainability Forum Middle East’s Advisory Committee and supports them on an ongoing basis to help drive a positive influence across the region in relation to ESG and on the broader Sustainability of the marketplace and community.

Karim is the Executive Director of Sustainability Performance & Accreditation at Red Sea Global (RSG), the developer behind The Red Sea and Amaala, two ambitious tourism projects set along the north-western coast of Saudi Arabia. These destinations will play key roles in the realization of Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s blueprint for economic diversification and sustainable development.

As part of the Environment and Sustainability business group, he is working to implement RSG’s new model for regenerative development, which puts people and planet first, and leverages the most innovative concepts and technologies to deliver projects that actively enhance the well-being of customers, communities, and the environment.

He oversees performance, accreditation, and sustainability strategy development.  He leads the implementation of sustainability guidelines in hospitality operations, seeking certifications for hotels and resorts, and establishing a company-wide sustainability performance management system. Additionally, his team influences the design and construction of RSG’s assets through effective accreditation processes.

Throughout his 24-year career, Karim has been a global advocate for environmental protection and sustainability. He directed the publication of several environmental reports for governments and corporates, addressing critical environmental challenges and climate change. Karim’s expertise also extends to the built environment, as evidenced by his work in establishing and operating the first Net Zero Energy community in the GCC, best known as the “The Sustainable City” in Dubai.

Before joining RSG, Karim led sustainability strategy, policies, and guidelines at Diamond Developer where he was Chief Sustainability Officer. He was instrumental in mainstreaming sustainability across the organization and implementing ESG reporting practices. As the Executive Director for SEE Institute, based in Dubai’s Sustainable City, Karim designed and set up innovative knowledge programs. He also contributed significantly to the design of the SEE Institute venue, the first net-zero building in the UAE. Karim directed more than 50 environmental projects, as Director at ECODIT, spanning coastal zone management, biodiversity conservation, waste management, and cleaner production, among others, across the Arab world.

Eng. Layla Sabeel has extensive experience in environmental public policies as well as climate change, she is Bahrain’s national focal point for UNFCCC, leading Bahrain’s negotiation team focusing on various agenda items including article 6, adaptation, mitigation work program, finance and loss and damage.

She is working on various adaptation projects such as: the national adaptation investment plan, focusing on creative climate finance instruments to fund adaptation projects and sea level rise resilience plan for the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Eng. Sabeel is also working on planning the emission reduction targets activities to reach the emission targets set by HRH the crown prince and the prime minister to reduce emission 30% by 2035 and reach net zero by 2060.

Lina is the Regional Head of Sustainable Finance, Africa & MENAP at Standard Chartered Bank. She has over 18 years of banking experience across Sustainable Finance, Corporate Finance, and investment banking, delivering innovative deal origination and execution across various industries and regions.

In her current role, Lina has developed key relationships with clients advising them on sustainable finance solutions and instruments, and on suitable transition opportunities for their businesses. She also sits on various working groups with the objective of mobilizing capital towards green, social, and transition projects.

Lina holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance (Magna Cum Laude) from the American University of Sharjah with a minor in Economics, and an MBA with distinction from London Business School. Lina was also a board member of the MENA Clean Energy Business Council (“CEBC”).

Madhav specializes in the field of ‘climate sensitive urban development’, climate change,  engineering project management.

He is the founding partner of 2000-Watt Smart Cities Association, Switzerland. The vision of a ‘2000-Watt Society’ was developed at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich, Switzerland. It is a model for energy management policy which demonstrates how it is possible to consume only as much CO2 as much as the earth can absorb it back and which is justifiable in terms of the impact on the environment in a democratic way. 2000-Watt Smart Cities has certified the first campus of Symbiosis International University Lavale Pune with its transformed and Indian adopted framework as India’s first carbon neutral campus.

The organization has recently signed a cooperation agreement to support the Department of Environment and Climate Change of the Government of Maharashtra to support its objective to reach Net-Zero goals. 2000-Watt Smart Cities has measurable and verifiable tested methods and tools, based on proven scientific methods to guide adaptations and mitigation measures of cities, regions and nations.

Madhav is also the CEO and partner at Nuesch Development, India, which is a sustainable real estate consulting group from Switzerland.  To add to his feats,  he is also a partner in Progov Solutions Pvt Ltd, a project management, architectural & engineering design company based in Mumbai working on several redevelopment projects in the Mumbai metropolitan region.

A civil engineer by profession, Madhav has studied at IIT- Roorkee, and further at the University of Stuttgart Germany. He has extensive work experience in urban infrastructure development projects in the Middle East.

Dr. Mahmood Majdi Ebrahim – Senior Engineer Energy Transition

Bahrain Steel

Mahmood is leading Bahrain Steel’s energy transition initiatives towards alternative energy sources and decarbonization. Prior to joining Bahrain Steel in 2023, Mahmood worked in R&D and Engineering in the water and Oil & Gas sectors. He holds a PhD from Imperial College London where he specialized in the fabrication and characterization of reverse osmosis membranes for water desalination. He has contributed to several publications in the field and co-invented a method for the fabrication of large area 2D carbon nanofilms. Mahmood has also worked in Bapco Upstream where he gained expertise in the design of oil, gas and water processing and treatment facilities.

Majed AlKhan is a renowned businessman who brings more than 22 years of extensive experience in real estate private equity and assets management to Infracorp. He is a recognized financial engineer with more than 1 million square meters of completed flagship developments under his leadership. Majed’s objective is to lead Infracorp to be recognized as one of the key international groups specializing in developing and investing in sustainable social infrastructure projects through creating a platform whereby stakeholders can achieve wealth optimization. Majed chairs and holds a number of directorships including Gulf Holding Business (GHC), Falcon Cement B.S.C., Balexco B.S.C., and ASK Real Estate W.L.L., Tunis Bay Project Company and Royal Parks Marakesh. Majed holds a B.A. (with honors) in International Finance and Accounting from Newcastle’s Northumbria University at Newcastle, England and had taken executive roles in HSBC Middle East and Inovest Bahrain prior joining Infracorp.

Mark Thomas is a veteran operating executive with a record of transformative leadership and value creation across the globe. Over his 38-year career with bp, Mark developed a deep knowledge of board and executive processes, strategic transactions, commercial optimization, front-line operations, and Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance. He has a strong appreciation for the nuance of global business, having lived and worked in nine countries and conducted business in 20 others.

Mark’s most recent role as Group Chief Executive Officer, Bapco Energies, previously known as “nogaholding” has accountability for managing the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s investments in the oil and gas sector. The Bapco Energies Group, comprising 15 subsidiary companies, spans the entire oil and gas value chain from exploration, through midstream infrastructure and downstream petrochemicals and refining. Reporting to the Board of Directors and Chairman His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Mark is accountable for the overall financial and operating performance of the Group and the Group Strategy that integrates the subsidiaries under one umbrella organization. Mark is Chairman of the Board of Bapco Gas & Bapco Gas Expansion, Chairman of BACJET Fuel Company, Vice Chairman of Bapco Refining, a member of the Bapco Upstream Board of Directors and SteerCo Chairman of BMP Project.

As Head of Group Chief Executive’s Office (2018-2020), Mark was an advisor to bp CEO Bob Dudley and a steward of executive processes. He worked directly with the executive team and the Board of Directors and had oversight of strategy development and investment governance. He also provided support to Mr. Dudley in his roles as Chair of the Oil & Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) and Chair of the World Economic Forum Oil & Gas Governors Committee.

As Regional President of bp’s North Sea business (2015-2018), Mark transformed the core business to improve profitability while setting the foundation for production to double over the next five years. Among the changes, Mark led the divestment of $1.5B of non-strategic assets, reduced headcount by 70%, invested in focused growth opportunities, and improved overall safety performance to best in the basin.

Earlier, as Vice President Operations, bp Azerbaijan (2009-2014), Mark was the operational leader for one of bp’s top three global businesses, accountable for the safe and reliable operation of two mega-fields that produced one million barrels of oil equivalent daily. He also served as Head of Engineering, Maintenance and Subsea in the North Sea business, Performance Unit Leader for Central North Sea, Southern North Sea, and President and Managing Director of BP Nederland Energies, among other big operational roles.

Mark began his career as a Project Engineer for Amoco Canada and was a Commercial Negotiator for Amoco in Trinidad and Tobago when the company merged with bp in 2000. He earned an MBA from European University in Antwerp and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick in Canada. He has served as the Chair of the Board of the International School of Azerbaijan, the Second Vice President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Azerbaijan, and a member of the Board and head of the Audit Committee of the UK Offshore Oil & Gas Association in Aberdeen.

Chosen for MISK 2030 Leaders program, chosen amongst the top 100 most influential Arab leaders in Social Responsibility for 2023, and chosen amongst the 50 most influential sustainability leaders of 2022 in the Middle East region. A Proactive, dynamic sustainability professional with over 15 years’ expertise in multi-sectoral sustainable strategy development, business strategies, strategic communications, consulting, project management, building capacity, impact analysis, and reporting in different industries.

Works as the CSO of MBL and is carrying sustainability consulting for key organizations including government entities. Worked previously as the CSO of Al-Dabbagh Group & RSI. Appointed Chair board of the Global Compact Local Network Saudi Arabia & Advisory board member for several local and global entities including: Centre for Prince Sultan University Center for Sustainability and Climate, Earth Academy and the Global Ambassadors of Sustainability. An Experts In Residence for HULT PRIZE FOUNDATION. alongside numerous sustainability certificates from ISSP& Holds an EMBA from HULT International Business School Cambridge Judge Business School. Featured in more than 35 key global sustainability events.

As Chief – Sustainability, Matt oversees all aspects of Expo City Dubai’s sustainability strategy, integrating environmental, social and economic sustainability across the city’s development and operations, and spearheading its decarbonisation journey. In parallel, Matt supports preparations for Expo City Dubai’s hosting of the COP28 climate summit with the UNFCCC, working closely with the Office of the UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change.

Matt was previously part of Expo 2020 Dubai, having joined in 2016. He ultimately served as Senior Vice President – Operations, where he was responsible for running the full site and was directly accountable for much of the front-of-house site operations as well as operational planning for key events and internationally-acclaimed live acts.

His prior experience includes roles with the Rugby World Cup 2015, Baku 2015 European Games, the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games, Deloitte, as well as the British Army.

Matt holds a bachelor’s degree in business studies from the University of Sheffield.

APM Terminals Bahrain, the operating company of Khalifa Bin Salman Port, appointed Matthew Luckhurst as the new Managing Director for Bahrain, effective 2nd of July 2023.

Matthew, a British national, joins APM Terminals from his current role as Vice President for Container Shipping at Milaha based in Qatar. His previous roles include Vice President of Bahri Logistics in Saudi Arabia and Managing Director United Africa Feeder Line out of Mauritius. Additionally, Matthew held multiple roles with P&O Nedlloyd and Maersk Line, across East Africa, Indonesia, Korea and Japan, as well as a short role with Kuehne & Nagel in Kenya.

Mr. Mazen Matar serves as the Board of Director and Managing Director of Arab Shipbuilding and
Repair Yard Co. (ASRY), Bahrain, a leading international ship & rig repair / building / fabrication facility in the Middle East and leads the restructuring and modernization process of ASRY’s development and growth.

Mr. Matar also serves as the Board Member of Bahrain Liquefied Natural Gas (BLNG), former Chairman
of the Bapco Modernisation Programme (BMP) Steering Committee, Board Member of Tatweer Petroleum, as well as the Chairman of BLNG.

Prior to joining Ministry of Oil, Mr. Matar was the President of AECOM Arabia – the Saudi Arabia
operations of AECOM, a $20 billion, fully integrated infrastructure and support services US firm, with
the ability to design, build, finance, and operate infrastructure assets globally. AECOM Arabia was
established in Saudi Arabia in 1976 as a Joint Venture between Xenel Industries Group and AECOM.

In this role, Mr. Matar was responsible for direct planning and project delivery and management of AECOM’s operations in Saudi Arabia, focusing on strong project performance and ensuring an environment of world-class project delivery and project managers committed to excellence. He took the reigns of AECOM Arabia in 2011, when AECOM transformed from a manpower supply company to a full-fledged engineering firm in Saudi Arabia delivering some of the largest projects in the Kingdom such as Jeddah Storm Water, Jezan Economic City, Riyadh Airport and King Abdulla School Program.

Prior to joining AECOM, Mr. Matar was with Xenel Industries Limited for 6 years, as Business Development Director – Services Group and later as Project Director for the Red Sea Gateway Terminal Project, leading the development of one of the first port BOT projects in the Middle East. Additionally, he served as a member of AECOM Arabia’s Board of Directors from 2005 to 2010.

He also worked in Bahrain prior to that with the Economic Development Board in serving as Head of Industrial Program and Director of Global Relationship Management and also Arthur Andersen as Assurance and Business Advisory Manager. Mazen started his career as a Process Engineer with BANAGAS then served as Project Engineer for BANAGAS expansion project. Later he was appointed as GM of United Gulf Industries, a listed company in Bahrain Stock Exchange.

Mr. Matar holds a Master’s Degree from Lancaster University – UK in Project Management and a Bachelors Degree from Tulsa University in Chemical Engineering.

Specialties: project management, strategic and project planning, operations, feasibility studies, project financing.

Michael has over 30 years international experience, leading the feasibility, planning, design and delivery of international mixed-use real estate developments, transit orientated developments, and city and national scale urban regeneration and infrastructure projects.

He is responsible for the development of Infracorp’s international land portfolio of more than 1.2 Billion sqm.

He has consulted on national transport, environment and sustainable development, economic development, and infrastructure strategies and policy frameworks, and has contributed to a number of textbooks and guidelines on the subjects of property development and infrastructure.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, a Chartered Member of the Institute of Transport, and a Member of the Institute of Environmental Sciences with an MBA in Real Estate & Construction Management, and an LLM in Construction Law & Arbitration and with a technical background in civil engineering design, urban & transport planning and environmental science.

Mike Penrose is the co-founder and a partner of The Sustainability Group. Prior to this Mike was Executive Director of Unicef UK, CEO of Action Contre La Faim in Paris and Global Humanitarian Director at Save the Children. Mike was also part of the advisory team that supported the development of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

As a former advisor to the FTSE on their ESG trading index, he also works with several investment firms and family offices on matching social and environmental impact with high return investment strategies.

Mike is also a world-renowned expert on risk, crisis and disaster management and has worked in this field in more than 60 countries. He has also advised many large commercial organisations on how to operate effectively and ethically in fragile environments.

Mohamed Al Shehab has extensive experience in the banking and corporate finance industry. His 10 years of experience in the field of corporate and investment banking provided him with the necessary tools to support his team in the execution of debt capital market and syndicated loan transactions, financial performance, and analysis, as well as the skill set to implement global strategies. He joined Bapco Energies, previously “The Oil and Gas Holding Company B.S.C.(c) (nogaholding),” as Portfolio and Investor Relation Manager – Investments in 2020, where he was responsible for the financing activities and investments in portfolio companies. Mohamed currently holds the Vice President, Corporate Finance & Investor Relations role at Bapco Energies, where he is responsible for securing funding for capital investment opportunities. Mohamed’s role also includes setting and executing the financing strategy for the Group, as well as evaluating investment opportunities in line with the group’s sustainability strategy and maintaining investor relations for nogaholding portfolio companies. Mohamed is also involved in the corporate and ESG strategy for the group and leads the risk management function at nogaholding.

Prior to joining Bapco Energies, Mohamed served as a Vice President at Barclays Bank PLC, in London, United Kingdom. His role as Business Manager of International Corporate Banking in Barclays’ Corporate Banking department enabled him to support the Barclays International Corporate team in business and financial performance analysis, setting annual budgets, allocating capital deployment, managing integration projects, and reporting & monitoring business KPIs. Mohamed was also Assistant Vice President and a Business Analyst at Barclays Corporate Investment Bank. His roles at the Bank included risk management, product origination, coverage, and business management & strategy for International Corporates. Within his various roles, he was heavily involved in developing strategy and projects for his team while also specializing in product structuring throughout his time as a Business Analyst.

Mohamed Al Shehab began his early career with several internships across the Kingdom of Bahrain, working at the Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait, Batelco, and the Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company. He holds an M.Sc. degree in Managerial and Financial Economics and a Certificate in Global Risk Management from HEC Paris. Mohamed earned a BSc in Business Administration from the McDonough of Business at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, U.S.A, majoring in Finance and Operations and Information Management with a double minor in Economics and Philosophy. He also holds a Certificate in Advanced Credit Skills and passed CFA qualification Level 1, 2, and 3 examinations.

More than 10 years of experience in Corporate and Investment Banking in Brazil. Former Executive Director from BTG Pactual, responsible for origination and structuring of corporate lending, with a focus on infrastructure and alternative assets. Currently a partner in FRAM Capital, overlooking the private equity investments.

Rawan Salloom is a Vice President at The Arab Energy Fund (previously known as APICORP), working mainly as part of the Treasury and Capital Markets funding and liquidity team. With 13+ years of experience in Treasury, overseeing various responsibilities in cashflow management, debt capital market funding, collateral management and investor relations. Rawan led the efforts in the successful Green Bond issuance by The Arab Energy Fund in Oct-2021. This issuance was notable as it marked the first issuance in the MENA region issued by an energy-focused financial institution and garnered strong demand from global investors and ESG-focused investors. The green bond issuance was recognized with two prestigious awards: the ESG Bond Deal of the Year at the Bonds, Loans and Sukuk Middle East Awards and the Middle East Sustainable Finance award from The Banker.

Rawan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Risk Management and Financial Services with Distinction from Glasgow Caledonian University.

Shyam Yadav is the managing director of Clenergize Consultants – one of most well known Energy and Sustainability firms in the region. His firm is advising governments, private sector clients, conglomerates in the field of Solar Energy and ESG Frameworks over the past decade. They have a presence in UAE, KSA, Bahrain, Europe and India. Their references include over 900MW of solar projects and they also have their own in-house ESG Platform that helps clients with Carbon Assessments, ESG KPIs, Targets and Annual Reporting.

Simon Messenger is the CEO of 1Planet Advisory, a sustainable finance and sustainability reporting consultancy.

He is a Market Engagement Fellow to the IFRS Foundation where he works on corporate, investor and regulatory engagement related to the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) with a particular focus on Europe and Africa. He currently also works as a technical advisor to the United Nations Environment Programme where is the Implementation Lead for the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA).

He has over 15 years of sustainability-related technical and professional experience and has held a number of senior roles in the broader field of sustainability reporting and sustainable finance, having been Managing Director of the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) and Director of the 2 Degrees Investing Initiative (2Dii). He was also previously Head of Consulting at the Energy Saving Trust and a sustainability consultant at PwC and Deloitte. Simon holds a Masters with Distinction in Ecological Economics and a First Class BSc (Hons) in Environmental Geoscience, both from the University of Edinburgh.

Talal Badawi is the Chief Executive Officer of two of ACWAPower affiliate Companies Ar Rass Solar Energy Company (700MW PV IPP) and Nawwar Renewable Energy Company (2000MW PV IPP). Before being the CEO of two Renewable Energy Companies in September 2022, Talal was the Deputy Director of an ACWAPower affiliate Company Jazlah Water Desalination Company (600,000m3/day RO IWP) and responsible for all the operations during the construction phase of the plant. Prior to his tenure at Jazlah, Talal served as the Electrical Special Facilities Manager at Rabigh Three Water Desalination Company (600,000m3/day RO IWP), another prominent ACWAPower affiliate company. Once again, he was responsible for overseeing all operations during the construction phase of the plant’s Electrical Special Facilities. Previous to his work at ACWAPower affiliates, Talal was a Project Manager at the Saudi Electricity Company where he was managing the construction of seven Power Transmission, Communication Infrastructure projects. Talal holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering and Power Systems from King Abdulaziz University.

Yusuf is the General Manager at Mueller Middle East [MME], a manufacturer of copper tubes for air conditioning and refrigeration. Yusuf joined the MME start up team as a Process Engineer and played a pivotal role during the construction and commissioning of the facility. Currently, the most tenured employee at MME; Yusuf rose through the ranks to the top leadership position in Bahrain leading the regional operations across the MENA region.

During the startup phase, Yusuf’s inquisitive nature and problem-solving skills earned him recognition as a valuable contributor. Often relied on to mediate between management, operators, and external service providers. His people skills together with his technical capabilities led to his promotion to Production Supervisor where he oversaw all production activities and personnel.

In his subsequent role as Product Manager, Yusuf spearheaded a 5x increase in OEM qualifications within six months – achieved by establishing rapport and delivering effective solutions to the customers. During this time, Yusuf leveraged the company data to automate pricing, streamlining the sales quotation process and enhancing customer satisfaction.

Yusuf was later promoted to Product and Operational Excellence Manager, where he oversaw the engineering design for OEM products along with plant productivity, and yield. In 2022, Yusuf along with his team – oversaw a record production year while managing the refurbishment, installation, and commissioning of a new finishing line; leading the successful launch of a new product line and market entry into a new market segment. Yusuf’s commitment to excellence was rewarded in 2023 with a promotion to General Manager, overseeing the next phase of growth and development for the company in Bahrain and the region.

Yusuf’s academic credentials include a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from West Virginia University and is currently pursuing an MBA at DePaul University. He is also certified as a Six Sigma Green Belt professional and an Associate in Risk Management.

Zeeba is an esteemed banking professional with a proven track record of over two decades. She has excelled in various areas throughout her career, including strategic asset management, private equity, corporate finance, and sustainable development investments.

She is the President of CFA Society Bahrain, Board Member and Treasurer at Bahrain Association of Banks, and Board Member at Infracorp.

Previously she served as Head of Banking and Finance at BIBF, and prior to that she held various senior position in numerous financial institutions the lates one being Ithmaar Banking Group where she served as Investment Director

Zeeba’s extensive experience includes serving on the boards of numerous companies within the banking and real estate sectors.

Zeeba’s dedication to continuous professional development is reflected in her achievement of a Certificate in ESG Investing from CFA Institute and being awarded the Certied GRI Sustainability Professional status. With a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) qualification from Delaware, USA, an Executive MBA from the University of Bahrain, and a CFA Charterholder, Zeeba has consistently held senior-level positions in the banking and real estate industry.

Zoë Knight is an expert and authority in the ESG field, having served stakeholders across capital
markets for 25 years. Identifying that climate change would be a game changer, in 2007 she set up a
socially responsible investment research team at Merrill Lynch.

In 2010, Zoë joined the Global Research business of HSBC to provide institutional investors with
climate change analysis and recommendations. Since then she has produced insights on low-carbon
opportunities in bond and equity markets, long-term carbon and water risks and managing financial
stability in relation to climate change. Her Keeping it Cool series of briefings on climate policy,
economics and investment ideas achieved a number one analyst ranking for climate change research
by institutional investors in industry awards from 2014 to 2017.

In 2018, Zoë set up the Centre of Sustainable Finance at HSBC to provide climate insight across the
group. The Centre provides thought leadership about transforming the real economy and
strengthening the financial system response to climate change. Centre achievements include
collaborating with 45 academic and industry partners across 15 countries to produce over 150 pieces
of work.

Prior to HSBC, Zoë worked in both a major European and US investment bank. An economist by
academic background, she brings her unique knowledge to bear across a range of organisations,
including the UK All Parliamentary Group on Climate Change, UK Finance, the Task Force on Climate
Related Financial Disclosures and the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero. In addition, she is a
regular contributor to the academic agenda, and is a contributing author to ‘Investment opportunities
for a low-carbon world’, 2009. Currently, she is a Commissioner on the Energy Transition Commission,
sits on the Advisory Board of the UK Centre for Greening Finance and Investment and the WEF Global
Future Council on Net Zero Transition.

In 2020, she was recognised as one of 275 Global female energy influencers by the Women’s Energy
Council. In 2021 she featured in ‘The Female Lead’, a book of 67 women changing the world today
and in 2022 she was included in the Financial News inaugural list of the fifty most influential people in
Sustainable Finance.

September 2022