Guests are responsible for arranging their own travel to Doha.
The primary airport serving Doha is Hamad International Airport (DOH). Hamad International Airport is Qatar's main international gateway and offers direct flights from major cities across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
Qatar Airways operates the largest number of flights into and out of Doha and provides extensive global connections.
We recommend booking flights that arrive the day before the event or early in the morning to allow sufficient time for registration.
Travel and accommodation are not included as part of the event invitation. Guests are welcome to book accommodation at their preferred hotel.
Listed here are several hotels located within convenient distance of the event venue: Fairmont Doha, Raffles Doha, Hilton Pearl Doha, Four Seasons Hotel Doha, Mondrian Doha, Agora, Le Royal Meridien, and The St. Regis Doha.
We recommend booking early, as hotel availability may become limited closer to the event date.
Hamad International Airport is well connected to central Doha by taxi. Please note that Karwa taxis are the only taxis permitted for airport pick-ups and drop-offs, and ride-hailing services such as Uber are not available for journeys to or from the airport. A clearly signposted Karwa taxi rank is located within the airport for arriving passengers. For return journeys to the airport, guests can book a taxi through the Karwa Official app or ask their hotel concierge to arrange one on their behalf.
Estimated travel time from Hamad International Airport to Rosewood Doha is approximately 25–35 minutes depending on traffic.
For international delegates, CNN and its event management partner, Auditoire, will facilitate the required accreditation and Qatar entry visa applications. Additional information and supporting documentation will be requested to complete this process once your attendance is confirmed. Local residents in possession of Qatar ID will also need to complete the event accreditation process reviewed by the Ministry of Interior.
We encourage all delegates to monitor communications regularly regarding any required documentation and next steps.
No. All guests must register in advance. Please ensure you complete the RSVP form as soon as possible, as space is limited and registration will close on Friday, October 23, or as soon as the event reaches maximum capacity.
Delegates can collect their badges ahead of the event from Wednesday 27 October at the Rosewood Doha event entrance, where the welcome desk will be open from 9am-10pm. Additionally, delegates can collect their badges on the day of the event from 7:30am. Please note that all timings are subject to change, please follow guidance provided in the pre-event communications.
An Executive Assistant, Secretary, or other representative may collect a badge on behalf of a registered delegate. To verify the collection, they will need to provide proof of their connection to the delegate, such as a business card or company identification, and show the delegate's RSVP confirmation email.
Please check your spam or junk folder. If you still cannot locate the confirmation email, contact the event team at CNNICEvents@cnn.com for further assistance. You will be sent an additional email on Wednesday, October 28, one day prior to the event, with your check in QR code. Please present this to the registration desk upon arrival.
If you can no longer attend the event and need to cancel for any reason, please notify the event team at CNNICEvents@cnn.com.
Each guest must register individually. If a colleague would like to attend, they must submit their own registration request using the RSVP form. Please contact the event team at CNNICEvents@cnn.com if you have any special requirements.
Please note that event registrations are non-transferable.
Please read our privacy policy for detail on how the personal data you provide will be handled.
Attendees are encouraged to dress in smart business casual attire, whilst being mindful of local customs and culture.
Doha in October is typically hot and dry, with plenty of sunshine and very little rainfall, so lightweight, breathable business casual dress is recommended. The event venue will be air conditioned, so layers may be helpful for comfort indoors.
Upon arrival at the venue, guests are invited to enter via the dedicated event entrance of the hotel and proceed through security before being directed to the registration desk on the ground floor, located adjacent to the conference area.
All guests must check in at registration to receive their event credentials. Badges will be printed on site. Please ensure you bring a valid form of identification and your confirmation email containing your QR code.
Global Perspectives will be supported by editorial coverage before, during and after the event across CNN's digital, social and TV platforms. Mainstage sessions will be live streamed on CNN All Access and CNN YouTube, with individual sessions available on the Global Perspectives digital page following the event. Global Perspectives content will run on CNN International in the weeks following the event.
Please note, recording, filming or rebroadcasting of any sessions is strictly prohibited. A live feed of the event may be available upon request, subject to prior approval and usage terms set by CNN.
High resolution photography will also be managed by CNN and assets will be shared post-event. Please note only external photographers pre-approved by CNN will be permitted to bring camera equipment.
You are, however, welcome to take photographs and share them on social media. Join the conversation by tagging your posts with #CNNGlobalPerspectives.
For media enquiries please contact Chantal Ward or Tarini Kumar.
There will be event security on site. If you will be arriving with personal security, please reach out to the event team at CNNICEvents@cnn.com so we can connect your team with CNN security. You must wear your delegate badge at all times during the event.
We are committed to making the event as accessible as possible for all attendees. If you have any accessibility requirements or require additional support during your visit, please let us know when registering or contact the event team in advance at CNNICEvents@cnn.com. We will do our best to accommodate your needs and provide further information about venue accessibility and available assistance.
Sir Mark Thompson is Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide where he oversees all aspects of the business in the U.S. and around the world. He also serves as the editor-in-chief of CNN.
Sir Mark stepped down as President and CEO of The New York Times Company in the summer of 2020 after an eight-year tenure during which he led the transformation of the 170-year-old news brand into a digital powerhouse.
Sir Mark’s appointment at The New York Times Company followed an eight-year term as Director General (Editor-in-Chief and Chief Executive) of the BBC. As well as guiding the BBC’s coverage of the global financial crisis and the 2012 London Olympic Games, he is credited with major advances in the BBC’s digital offering and digital audience reach, including the successful launch of the BBC’s iPlayer, one of the world’s first streaming services from a major broadcaster (2007).
He joined the BBC from Channel 4 where he was Chief Executive from 2002 to 2004. Before Channel 4 he held a series of senior posts at the BBC including Editor of The Nine O’clock News and Panorama, Controller of BBC Two and Director of Television.
Christiane Amanpour is CNN’s chief international anchor, host of the network’s flagship global affairs program Amanpour which airs weekdays on CNN International and on PBS in the United States. She is also host of the Saturday show The Amanpour Hour.
Amanpour’s fearless and uncompromising reporting from warzones and sites of natural disasters around the world over the past four decades has made her one of the most recognizable and iconic journalists in the world.
Throughout her time at CNN, she has secured countless exclusive and hard-to-get interviews with the global leaders, newsmakers and cultural icons shaping our world.
Amanpour has earned every major television journalism award including 16 News and Documentary Emmy Awards, four Peabody Awards, two George Polk Awards, three duPont-Columbia Awards and the IWMF’s Courage in Journalism Award. She has received nine honorary degrees, has been named a CBE and was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame. In 2023, she was honored with the Columbia Journalism Award, the highest award bestowed by Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism, and with the President’s Award from the Overseas Press Club.
Richard Quest is CNN’s foremost international business correspondent and anchor of Quest Means Business, the definitive word on how we earn and spend our money.
Quest also serves as CNN Business editor-at-large, and is the network’s established airline and aviation correspondent, having interviewed all of the major airline executives.
Additionally, Quest is the host of CNN International’s signature monthly feature program Quest’s World of Wonder, an immersive travel series that finds him exploring a new destination each month and meeting fascinating people who reveal the heart of that city.
Quest’s dynamic and distinctive style has made him a unique figure in the field of business broadcasting. He has regularly reported from G20 meetings and attends the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland each year. Quest has covered every major stock market and financial crisis since Black Monday in 1987 and has reported from key financial centers globally including Wall Street, London, Sao Paolo, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
Wolf Blitzer is co-anchor of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown, which airs weekdays on CNN and provides viewers with in-depth reports about the political, international and breaking news stories of the day. One-on-one interviews with prominent figures who are shaping news on the world stage has been a hallmark of Blitzer and The Situation Room throughout the entire 21-year on-air run – one of the longest running CNN shows.
Blitzer has been with CNN for 36 years, where he has played a pivotal role in CNN’s election coverage, moderating debates and town halls and anchoring the network's Election Night in America and presidential inauguration coverage. In addition to politics, Blitzer is also known for his in-depth reporting on international news and Middle East expertise.
Throughout his career, Blitzer has interviewed some of history’s most notable figures, including U.S. Presidents and foreign leaders. Blitzer has reported on a wide range of major breaking stories in the United States and around the world that have shaped the global political landscape.
An award-winning journalist, Blitzer has received numerous honors for his reporting, including the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism in 2025 and the News & Documentary Emmy Awards Lifetime Achievement honor in 2023, among many others. Blitzer is set to be inducted into the Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame in 2026.
Becky Anderson is one of CNN International’s highest profile anchors. She hosts Connect the World with Becky Anderson, which airs weekdays at 5:00pm UAE time. She is based at CNN’s Abu Dhabi bureau, where she also serves as Managing Editor.
In these roles Anderson has a distinctive regional perspective on some of today’s most important news stories, including the emerging politico-economic trends in the Gulf, the regional rivalries between Iran and Saudi Arabia and the deepening humanitarian crisis stemming from years of political instability in Syria and Iraq.
Anderson is a skilled interviewer, adept at close questioning and has interviewed many of the world’s leading politicians, decision-makers and thought-leaders. She has conducted one-on-one interviews with top world leaders including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir, Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abudllah bin Zayed, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed Al Thani, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and leading humanitarian leaders such as UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. She is equally at home with celebrities, quizzing the world’s A-listers, including Jennifer Lopez, Will.i.Am, Akon, Oprah Winfrey, Juliette Binoche, Andrew Lloyd-Weber, Beyoncé, George Clooney, Lady Gaga, Tom Hanks, Javier Bardem and Brad Pitt.
Since moving Connect the World to Abu Dhabi, Anderson has spent much of her time travelling across the Middle East at an extraordinary time of upheaval and change. Anderson and the team were the first team to broadcast from Riyadh after the ban on women driving were lifted. She has broadcast special shows from Tehran to Jerusalem, from Istanbul to Beirut, bringing a range of interviews, reports and packages to CNN International viewers around the globe.
Anderson has extensive business journalism experience including posts with the UK’s ITN, CNBC Europe and Bloomberg. She began her career in journalism as a print reporter with various business publications in Arizona, after gaining a Master of Mass Communication from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University in 1992 and in 2012 was inducted into their hall of fame. She gained her BA (Hons) in Economics at Sussex University in the UK.
Eleni Giokos is a CNN anchor and correspondent, based in the UAE. A regular anchor across CNN’s news and business programming, she also presents the network’s Connecting Africa and Marketplace Middle East feature shows.
Born in Greece and raised in South Africa, she has more than 15 years’ experience working across TV, digital, radio and print media, and is one of CNN’s most versatile correspondents.
Giokos has interviewed countless heads of state over the years, including Rwandan President Paul Kagame, former South African President Jacob Zuma, and former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, to name just a few. Her list of business interviews includes the likes of International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde, and Virgin founder Richard Branson; as well as a ‘who’s who?’ of Africa’s most prominent business leaders.
Bijan Hosseini is a Senior Producer for CNN International Productions, working on feature shows, television segments, and digital videos spanning the globe. He is currently based in Doha, Qatar, as a member of the CNN Creators team – a multi-platform programming initiative which explores conversations capturing the zeitgeist, with a focus on AI, tech, and social trends. Hosseini also hosts CNN half-hour feature programs and engaging social video series, reaching audiences worldwide.
Tareq Amin serves as the CEO of HUMAIN, a full-stack AI company owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
He was named as one of TIME’s top 100 leaders in AI in 2025 and one of the Observer’s 2026 AI Power Index in 2026.
With prior executive leadership roles at Aramco Digital, Rakuten, Reliance Jio, Huawei, and T-Mobile, he brings extensive global experience driving digital transformation and AI innovation across the U.S., Japan, India, and now Saudi Arabia.
Ester Baiget has more than 25 years of global experience. As an international leader with a strong track record, Ester has driven transformational change, enhanced profitability, and laid a strong foundation for sustainable growth across a diverse range of industries. Through her leadership, she nurtures a diverse culture of inclusion, engagement and commitment to delivering strong results.
She joined Novozymes in 2020, now Novonesis, after serving as president of Dow’s Industrial Solutions business and as a member of Dow’s Executive Leadership Team.
Ester is a compelling advocate of the power of biotechnology and the positive change biosolutions can bring to support a healthy, resilient, more prosperous planet.
She represents Novonesis in key global arenas and brings the voice of innovation, and hope to several Boards of Directors of which she is a member.
Ester holds a chemical engineering degree and an MBA from the University of Tarragona in Spain.
His Excellency Mr. Jasem Albudaiwi has served as Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf since February 2023. He previously served as Kuwait’s Ambassador to the United States of America (2022-2023), Ambassador to Belgium and Head of Mission to the European Union and NATO (2016-2022), and Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (2013-2016). He has also headed Kuwait’s delegation to numerous international conferences and forums, and throughout his career has contributed to strengthening regional and international partnerships at all levels.
Vitaliy Klitschko is the current mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine, and a dedicated social activist. Mr. Klitschko began his political career in March 2006, when he ran simultaneously for Verkhovna Rada and the Kyiv City Council as the head of the Pora-PRP Bloc (the union of the PORA and the Reform and Order parties). The election results allowed him to become the bloc group leader at the Kyiv City Council. In April 2010, Klitschko became the Party Leader for UDAR (Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reforms). After the parliamentary elections in 2012, Vitali Klitschko’s UDAR entered the Parliament.
Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro serves as the chief diplomat and steward of Philippine foreign policy. With the Philippines serving as ASEAN Chair, she also plays a pivotal role as the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar. A seasoned legal mind and career diplomat, her distinguished service spans key global capitals, including posts as Ambassador to France and Switzerland, Consul General in Sydney, and postings in New York, Madrid, Geneva, and Bangkok. Prior to her appointment as Foreign Minister, she served as Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs, shaping the nation's key foreign policy priorities and regional engagements. She holds degrees from Maryknoll College and the UP College of Law. Secretary Lazaro has been decorated with the country's highest diplomatic honors, including the Gawad Mabini (Grand Cross) and the Order of Sikatuna (Grand Cross, Gold Distinction).
H.E. Wamkele Mene was elected by the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of States & Government of the African Union, to the position of Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
Prior to being elected Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, he served as Chief Director: Africa Economic Relations, at the Department of Trade & Industry of South Africa. In this role, he was South Africa’s chief trade negotiator in the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTA negotiations. During his tenure as chief negotiator, South Africa ratified both the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTAs agreements.
Prior to assuming this position, H.E. Wamkele Mene occupied the position of Director: International Trade Law & Investment Law at the Department of Trade & Industry, a role in which he was principal legal counsel on international trade law and international investment law.
From 2010 until 2015, H.E. Wamkele Mene represented South Africa at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland. He was elected to the position of Chairman of the WTO’s Committee on International Trade in Financial Services.
Charles Stewart has served as Chief Executive Officer of Sotheby’s since 2019. Under Mr. Stewart’s leadership, Sotheby’s focuses on expanding access and ownership of fine art and luxury objects. Sotheby's seeks to balance the power of its nearly three centuries of heritage while embracing innovation and technology to power its future. Prior to Sotheby’s, Mr. Stewart served as Co-President and Chief Financial Officer of Altice USA. In 2017, he helped deliver the company’s successful $2.1 billion initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. Mr. Stewart joined Altice USA after two decades of international finance experience. During his seven years in London, he served as CEO of Itaú BBA International plc, the international arm of the largest bank in Latin America. Prior to that, he spent 19 years in investment banking at Morgan Stanley in various client and leadership roles, including as Deputy Head of EMEA Investment Banking, Head of Latin America Investment Banking, and member of the global investment banking management committee.
Julie Uhrman is the co-founder of Angel City Football Club (ACFC), Los Angeles’ professional women’s soccer team in the NWSL, recently named the most valuable women’s sports team globally, with a valuation of $345 million. Uhrman co-founded ACFC alongside Academy Award-winning actress and activist Natalie Portman and technology venture capitalist Kara Nortman.
As CEO, she built and led a franchise that has become a global benchmark for innovation, community impact, and commercial excellence in women’s sports. Under her leadership, ACFC has earned USA TODAY Women of the Year in 2026, ESPN’s Humanitarian Team of the Year at the 2024 ESPY Awards, and Sports Business Journal’s 2023 Sports Team of the Year, the first women’s team to ever win the category. A recognized founder and influential voice in global sports, Uhrman was named Innovator of the Year 2025 by the LA Business Journal, as Forbes America’s Most Powerful Women in Sports 2025, and to the LA 500 List in 2025. A proud mom of two, she resides in her hometown, Los Angeles.
Alex Mashrabov is the CEO and Co-Founder of Higgsfield, a leading generative video platform and a fast-scaling force in the AI sector. Before Higgsfield, Alex co-founded AI Factory, the startup behind Snapchat’s viral Cameos and Face Filters, which reached billions of users and was acquired by Snap in 2020. At Snap, he served as Director of Generative AI, leading teams that shaped the company’s early AI strategy.
Shamina Singh is the founder and president of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and executive vice president of sustainability at Mastercard, where she leads the company’s global social and environmental impact strategy. A member of Mastercard’s Management Committee, she draws on more than two decades of public and private sector experience to unite investors, policymakers, government and impact leaders to advance private sector-led social and business outcomes that shape inclusive and impactful economies. Her cross-functional leadership style has been recognized by American Banker and the Financial Times.
Since launching the Center in 2014, Shamina has leveraged the power of Mastercard’s data, technology, capital, and expertise to advance inclusive and sustainable economic growth around the world. Mastercard and the Center demonstrate how the private sector can lead on business and impact outcomes alongside
governments, nonprofits and researchers. This “doing well by doing good” strategy has earned recognition from Fast Company, Fortune, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal and Forbes.
With a career spanning four U.S. presidential administrations and three Fortune 500 companies, Shamina has held senior roles in the White House and the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute, a Presidential Leadership Scholar, and an alumna of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders Program.
Currently, Shamina serves on the board of The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), and on the advisory boards of data.org, Okta for Good, the Aspen Institute’s Civil Society Fellowship and the CGAP Financial Inclusion Initiative. She is also a contributor to MIT Sloan Management Review on the topic of responsible AI.
Shamina holds a Bachelor of Science from Old Dominion University and a Master of Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School at the University of Texas at Austin. She has received Alumni of Distinction honors from both institutions.
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is a four-term Ghanaian legislator representing North Tongu Constituency in the Volta Region of Ghana.
He has had an illustrious career spanning two decades. For nearly eight years he served as the ranking member of the select committee on foreign affairs. He has previously served as Dep. Min of Information from 2009-2013 and Dep. Minister for Education from 2013-2017.
He is a prolific author, former President of the National Union of Ghana students (NUGS), accredited member of the Institute for Public Relations and the African leadership network. He is the recipient of numerous awards including an honorary doctorate degree from AMET University in India, being adjudged the most impactful MP in 2024, medal of honour from the Ghana Medical Association and a citation from the John Agyekum Kufuor Foundation.
He holds an MSC in Defence and International Politics from the Ghana Armed Forces and Staff College, MA in communications and public relations from the University of Leicester, LLB from the University of London. Bachelor of arts from the University of Ghana and certificate of Leadership from Harvard.
Yasmina El Abd is an Egyptian-Swiss actress whose work across film and television has established her as one of the region’s most exciting rising talents. Known for her thoughtful performances and modern perspective, she represents a new generation of Arab creatives shaping the future of entertainment.
Alongside her acting career, Yasmina serves as a Dior Ambassador across Fashion, Beauty, and Fine Jewelry, representing the House at major international events and collaborating on campaigns that celebrate its enduring heritage and contemporary vision. Her growing influence at the intersection of culture, fashion, and cinema has positioned her as a distinctive voice on the global stage.
Courtney Powell is Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner of 500 Global, where she leads global growth and strategy, scales the firm's investment platform, and mobilizes institutional capital into innovation-driven economies. She works at the intersection of entrepreneurship, institutional capital, and public-private collaboration, partnering with governments and sovereign institutions to translate economic priorities into investable strategies.
She serves on the Advisory Council at Harvard Kennedy School's Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government and as a Board Observer of the Digital Cooperation Organization.
Courtney's relationship with 500 Global began in 2012 when the firm invested in her startup, PublikDemand. She later served as CEO of Agent Pronto (acquired by Fidelity National Title Group) and as Head of Corporate Development at Keller Williams Realty International, where she launched the firm's first corporate innovation and investment platform.
Courtney has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and studied at the University of Texas at Austin.
Mohammed Al-Sowaidi was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of QIA in November 2024, bringing over nineteen years' experience in global investments and financial strategy.
Directly prior to his role of CEO, he served as QIA's Chief Investment Officer for the Americas and spent five years as Head of QIA Advisory in New York since establishment.
Since joining QIA in 2010, Al-Sowaidi has also led various teams including the Private Equity Funds team, Technology, Media & Telecoms team and Industrials team.
Before joining QIA, Al-Sowaidi was Director of Corporate Banking at AlRayan Bank. He started his career at ExxonMobil in Qatar.
He currently holds several board roles both globally and in Qatar, including at Qatar National Bank, Qatar Airways Group, Ooredoo, Volkswagen and Harrods.
In addition to being a CFA Charterholder, Al-Sowaidi holds an executive MBA from the TRIUM Program and a Double Major Bachelor's degree in Statistics and Finance from the University of Missouri, USA.
Yusuff Ali M.A. is the Chairman of Lulu Group International and ranks among reputed business personalities around the world today. The Wall Street Journal has named him as one of the most influential non-Royals in the United Arab Emirates. In recognition of his longstanding contribution to the economy of the Gulf countries, he was the first person to receive the Golden Residency long-term Visa from all the Gulf countries namely Qatar, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Among the several reputed awards presented to him, Yusuff Ali is the recipient of the prestigious Queen’s Award by late Queen Elizabeth II, Wessam Al Bahrain (Medal of Bahrain – Order of the King) by The King of Bahrain, Abu Dhabi Award, the highest civilian honor by The President of U.A.E and Prima Dutta Award, highest honor of the Indonesian Government by The President of Indonesia.
Noura Al-Sayeh Holtrop is an architect and curator with over 15 years of experience in the cultural development, architectural and planning fields. She is currently advising the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) on cultural and heritage policies and is responsible for overseeing the planning and implementation of cultural institutions and museums as well as urban rehabilitation strategies. She was the co-curator of Reclaim, Bahrain's first participation at the 12th Venice Architecture Biennale in 2010 and the deputy commissioner general of Heatwave Bahrain’s pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, both awarded a Golden Lion for best national participation. Since 2015, she heads the Pearling Path, which received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture as part of the Muharraq Revitalization project in 2019. She is the curator for the upcoming 2026 Design Doha Biennale.
Luma Makari is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and co-founder of Elggo, the Arab world's first digital behavioral health platform for youth, powered by a proprietary, locally-hosted LLM fine-tuned for Arabic-speaking young people. At 25, she's scaled preventive mental health solutions to over 16,000 students across the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon through schools and national youth programs. Recognized with the Falling Walls Future Learning Award and as a Young Innovator in Behavioral Health, Makari is part of a generation of Arab founders building critical infrastructure in the region, for the region. Before Elggo, she co-founded Elgorithm, establishing digital skills labs in Lebanon's largest refugee camps and creating employment pathways for over 5,000 displaced people. After the 2020 Beirut explosion, she coordinated relief for 4,500 individuals and secured critical medical resources when formal systems collapsed.
H.E. Wamkele Mene was elected by the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of States & Government of the African Union, to the position of Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
Prior to being elected Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, he served as Chief Director: Africa Economic Relations, at the Department of Trade & Industry of South Africa. In this role, he was South Africa’s chief trade negotiator in the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTA negotiations. During his tenure as chief negotiator, South Africa ratified both the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTAs agreements.
Prior to assuming this position, H.E. Wamkele Mene occupied the position of Director: International Trade Law & Investment Law at the Department of Trade & Industry, a role in which he was principal legal counsel on international trade law and international investment law.
From 2010 until 2015, H.E. Wamkele Mene represented South Africa at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland. He was elected to the position of Chairman of the WTO’s Committee on International Trade in Financial Services.
Mohammed Soliman is Director of AI and Compute Infrastructure at McLarty Associates. An engineer, he is a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute, focusing on the geopolitical and geoeconomic implications of AI and technology across the Gulf, Europe, and broader emerging markets in Asia.
Mr. Soliman is the author of the acclaimed book West Asia: A New American Grand Strategy in the Middle East (Polity Press, 2026). He serves on the boards of Ideas Beyond Borders, the Indian Society of Artificial Intelligence and Law (ISAIL) and the Global Commission on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (GC REAIM). He holds a Master of Science in Foreign Service with distinction from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Engineering from the Egyptian Aviation Academy.
Baiba Braže currently serves as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia.
From 2020 to 2023, B. Braže held the post of Assistant Secretary General of NATO for Public Diplomacy. Within her remit, she devised and oversaw strategic communications activities across all NATO civilian and military bodies and commands.
From 2016 to 2020, she was posted as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. From 2003 to 2008, B. Braže served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands while also representing Latvia in the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Cecilia Shen is Co-Founder and CEO of Utopai Studios, an AI-native entertainment company building the cinematic AI infrastructure for the future of filmmaking, television, and long-form storytelling. Under her leadership, Utopai Studios is combining proprietary AI technology, original IP creation, real-world production expertise, and global studio partnerships to help define how the next generation of entertainment is created, produced, and experienced.
Shen is guiding Utopai Studios beyond the limits of both a traditional studio and a standalone AI company. The company’s model brings together advanced cinematic AI, professional production workflows, and filmmaker-driven IP development, enabling artists, studios, and media partners to create premium entertainment properties with greater speed, flexibility, and scale.
Brett McGurk served at the highest levels of American national security across four presidential administrations, most recently as the White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa under President Joe Biden. He earlier served as Special Presidential Envoy to Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, where he led the global coalition against ISIS. Under President Obama, he also led secret talks with Iran to free several American hostages held in Iran’s Evin Prison, later receiving the James Foley Freedom Award for hostage diplomacy. McGurk earlier served as Special Assistant to President George W. Bush, where he was the Senior Director for Iraq on the National Security Council. He is currently a Global Affairs Analyst for CNN and the author of Brink: Inside the Race to Free the October 7 Hostages (Crown). He also holds fellowships at Harvard’s Belfer Center, and the Atlantic Council, and is a Venture Partner at Lux Capital.
Ms. Koch is President and Chief Executive Officer of TCW and serves as a member of the Board of Directors. In this role, she is responsible for the strategic direction and overall day-to-day management of the Firm. Prior to joining TCW in 2023, Ms. Koch spent 20 years with Goldman Sachs in the Asset Management Division (AMD), where she was a Partner and most recently served as Chief Investment Officer of the $300 billion Public Equity business and as a member of the AMD executive committee. Previously, she was based in London for 10 years where she held several leadership roles including Head of the Multi-Asset Solutions business internationally.
Ms. Koch currently serves as a board member for Nasdaq Inc., the University of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees, The Investment Fund for Foundations (TIFF), The Investment Company Institute (ICI), The Spence School and St. Matthew's Parish School. She also serves as a Co-Chair of the University of Notre Dame Wall Street Leadership Committee and was named a Young Global Leader with the World Economic Forum.
Ms. Koch earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Literature at the University of Notre Dame.