Speakers for ADSFF 2021
H.E. Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi
Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, UAE
His Excellency Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi was appointed Minister of Climate Change and Environment in July 2020. In this role, he leads the Ministry’s mission of spearheading the UAE’s drive to mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change, and protect the country’s ecosystems through developing and implementing effective measures, policies, and initiatives.
In addition to his ministerial responsibilities, His Excellency Dr Al Nuaimi heads the UAE Council for Climate Change and Environment and the National Biosecurity Committee, is a board member of the International Fund for Houbara Conservation, and chairs the Board of the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC) at Heriot-Watt University Dubai.
Between 2013 and 2020, His Excellency Dr Al Nuaimi served as Minister of Infrastructure Development, where he played a key role in developing the federal infrastructure, such as inter-emirate highways and federal government buildings. He was also Chairman of the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme and Chairman of the Federal Transport Authority – Land & Maritime.
His previous posts included Undersecretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (formerly known as the Ministry of Public Works), Engineering Manager at the General Civil Aviation Authority, Director of the Water Distribution Department at the Ministry of Electricity and Water, and Board Member of Federal Electricity and Water Authority. He also made a contribution to academia as Visiting Professor at the Higher Colleges of Technology.
His Excellency Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi holds a PhD in Construction Management from the University of Reading in the UK (1990) and a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (1980) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Adam Boukadida
Chief Financial Officer, Etihad Airways
Adam was appointed Chief Financial Officer at Etihad Aviation Group in May 2020, after deputising in the role from June 2019.
Previously, Adam held the position of Senior Vice President Treasury, Tax & Finance at Etihad Aviation Group, and served as Interim Chief Financial Officer during the first half of 2019. Adam’s remit includes Group Finance, Group Treasury, Investor Relations, Fleet Planning, Procurement and Supply Chain Management, Corporate Strategy including Risk and Performance Reporting, Analytics, and the Group Business Support Services division.
Adam is an experienced senior finance executive with a strong background in international finance gained in the banking, retail and fast-moving consumer goods (FCMG) sectors in the UAE and UK. Before joining Etihad in 2013, Adam was Senior Vice President at National Bank of Abu Dhabi. His previous experience also includes senior roles at Tesco PLC, Kimberly Clark, Marex Spectrum and The Royal Bank of Scotland. Adam is a qualified Treasurer and Management Accountant, and holds an Executive MBA from the University of Hertfordshire.
Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi
Group Chief Financial Officer, ADNOC Group
Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi Group CFO, ADNOC Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi is currently working with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) as the Group Chief Financial Officer.
Prior to joining ADNOC, he worked in leadership and executive management roles at several Government related entities such as the Abu Dhabi Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Transport (DOT), Abu Dhabi General Secretariat of the Executive Council (ADGSEC) and the Abu Dhabi Municipality (ADM) in areas of Finance & Investments, Strategy and Performance Management, Corporate Governance, Restructuring and Business Transformation.
Additionally, he serves as Member of the Board on numerous ADNOC entities and the Khalifa Fund at present. In the past, he has also served as a Board member on numerous banks and financial institutions such as the Abu Dhabi Exchange (ADX), Union National Bank (UNB) and the Abu Dhabi Retirement Pensions & Benefits Fund (ADRPBF). Ahmed holds a Masters degree in Economics from the United Kingdom.
H.E. Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh
Minister of State, UAE, and Chairman of ADGM
H.E. Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh is the Minister of State to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Cabinet in September 2018 and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). With three decades of international experience and business leadership, H.E. Al Sayegh supports the government actively in initiatives and efforts that drive the nation's economic diversification plans and the sustainable future of the UAE.
As the Chairman of ADGM, H.E. Al Sayegh oversees the growth of ADGM as one of the world's leading International Financial Centres anchored in Abu Dhabi. He has formerly also served in several key capacities such as the Founding Chairman of Aldar properties, Founding Chairman of Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), Deputy Chairman of First Gulf Bank, and held senior positions in Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Abu Dhabi Investment Company (Invest AD).
H.E. Al Sayegh holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Lewis & Clark College, USA.
Anastasia Guha
Director of Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Principles of Responsible Investment
A responsible investment specialist with nearly 15 years of experience, Anastasia has worked at the United Nations (supported) Principles for Responsible Investment since 2011 in a variety of roles. She is currently Director Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa covering over 1000 investors, making up a third of our global signatory base. In this role she leads a team that works directly with investors to better incorporate ESG risks and opportunities into their investment strategy and decisions.
Prior to this she held positions as Head of UK, Head of Australasia, and as a strategic advisor across all PRI’s teams. Previously, Anastasia worked in research at Euromoney Institutional Investor and Fidelity International. She started her career as a journalist and has written for publications including the Spectator.
Anastasia holds a BSc in Economics and Applied Statistics (Ferguson College) and MA in International Political Economy (Warwick).
Andrew Steel
Global Group Head, Sustainable Finance, Fitch Ratings Ltd.
Andrew recently devised and launched the first integrated cross-asset ESG scoring system for credit ratings. Prior to his current role Andrew held several senior management positions for Fitch in EMEA and Asia. Andrew joined Fitch 17 years ago with a background in project finance, private equity, LBO's and M&A from investment banking and equity investments. Andrew is currently an advisory committee member of the UN PRI credit ratings initiative, and during the early 2000's was an independent expert for the UN ECE advising on risk issues and sustainable energy development.
Antoine Sire
Head of Company Engagement, BNP Paribas
Antoine Sire graduated from the Institute of Political Studies in Paris and holds a doctorate (DEA) in public law.
After working at the French bankers' Association and at Crédit Mutuel, he became Communications Director of BNP in 1997 and BNP Paribas in 2000. He is credited with designing the bank's starred logo and creating the communication codes for the new group after its merger in 2000. He developed the brand worldwide, especially through tennis sponsorship. He strengthened the social commitments of the bank, particularly in the Parisian suburbs where BNP Paribas is an important employer.
In 2003, he broadcast a programme on France's main business radio, BFM, dedicated to new technologies in digital technologies and by extension to green technologies.
In July 2013 he announced his departure from BNP Paribas to focus on his passion for cinema and its history. He completed the writing of Hollywood, la cité des femmes, a 1200 page book that revisits the history of the golden age of Hollywood through the role of women. While contributing to the development and content of the start-up parisfaitsoncinéma.com, of which he is one of the partners, he joined the agency Havas Worldwide Paris in 2015.
In September 2017 he was appointed as a Member of the Executive Committee and Head of Company Engagement at BNP Paribas, with the mission to make the bank's commitment to society one of its strategic assets.
Antonio Keglevich
Global Head of Sustainable Finance Advisory, UniCredit
Antonio is in charge of UniCredit´s Sustainable Finance Advisory Team that was created in 2019 to combine sustainability expertise with capital markets execution capabilities. Prior to this he was heading the Sustainability Bond Origination team since 2014. A commercial banker by training, he joined one of UniCredit´s predecessor banks Bayerische Vereinsbank in 1983 and helped build the bank's corporate and commercial business in Japan and China from 1983 to 1989. He joined the Debt Capital Markets team in 1990 where he held various coverage positions in different jurisdictions and product responsibilities.
Ayat Soliman
Regional Director, Sustainable Development Department for Middle East and North Africa Region, World Bank
Ayat Soliman is the Regional Director for the World Bank Group's Sustainable Development Department for the Middle East and North Africa (MNA) region. Ms. Soliman has over 25 years of experience working on global issues of sustainable development in the World Bank, United Nations and private sector, covering water, agriculture, environment, social and urban development, as well as cross cutting issues of climate change. In her current assignment, Ms. Soliman is in charge of setting the policy direction, fostering partnerships and ensuring the integrated delivery of country and regional programs of the Sustainable Development Practice Group (PG) in MNA, consistent with the regional/country strategies.
She oversees a team of over 100 staff and an active portfolio of $5.2 Billion in investments across the region in urban and social development, agriculture, water and environment sectors, as well as analytical work and multi-donor trust funds.
Carlo Funk
Head of ESG Strategy EMEA, State Street Global Advisors
Carlo M. Funk is the lead ESG Investment Strategist at State Street Global Advisors covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa regions (EMEA). Mr. Funk works with clients to identify solutions that align with their ESG objectives, including assessing the impact of integrating ESG into their portfolios. He works in close collaboration with the ESG research and development team across asset classes and investment styles and is also involved with ESG-related regulatory initiatives.
Before joining State Street Global Advisors, Mr. Funk was responsible for the design and distribution of passive ESG investment solutions at BlackRock and acted as its EMEA-wide ESG sales specialist.His prior experience also includes working at J.P. Morgan Private Bank in New York and Frankfurt.
Mr. Funk holds a BSc and MSc in international business and finance from Maastricht University and is part of various industry working groups on sustainable finance including the sustainable investment commission of DVFA in Germany. Additionally, he is a regular guest lecturer at the European Business School on sustainable finance. In 2020 he was awarded the Financial News "Asset Management Rising Stars Award".
Daniel Flatt
Editor in Chief, New Statesman Media Group
Daniel Flatt is Editor in Chief at New Statesman Media Group. He has been appointed to launch a new platform, Capital Monitor, dedicated to following the flow and assessing the impact of real money committed to sustainability, both at a sovereign and corporate level. Capital Monitor will spark informed analysis on whether stated ambitions are being met and how to ensure they are.
Formerly editorial director at Haymarket's financial arm: Finance Asia, Asian Investor, Corporate Treasurer, Daniel is the founding editor of the latter with more than 15 years of business journalism experience, covering banking, asset management and global markets.
Daniel Hanna
Global Head of Sustainable Finance, Standard Chartered Bank
Daniel is the Global Head of Sustainable Finance for Standard Chartered Bank. Daniel has two decades of banking experience in emerging markets, with a particular focus on Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, providing advice to companies, institutions and governments on their ESG and credit ratings, raising equity and debt, restructuring their business activities, and investing in emerging markets.
Daniel has driven a number of a market firsts including the launch of the first Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) money market and retail deposits by a major bank; the World’s first Sovereign Blue Bond for the Republic of Seychelles; the first World Bank IDA sovereign bond for the Republic of Ghana and Standard Chartered’s inaugural SDG aligned bond, which was six times oversubscribed. Standard Chartered was awarded Best Bank for Sustainable Finance by Global Finance in 2019.
Daniel has helped raise several billion dollars for health, social development and infrastructure. He set up and ran Standard Chartered’s USD 1bn fund to finance the fight against COVID19 and created the post-Ebola Reconstruction Facility for Sierra Leone. He, and his team, have led several innovative financing transactions, particularly in the use of “blended finance” working with development finance institutions to mobilize more than USD 5bn in commercial capital towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Standard Chartered was rated the leading private sector institution in blended finance by Convergence over the last 5 years. Daniel and his team have also supported more than 2.5 million of the most vulnerable households through microfinance.
Daniel is a board member of the African development finance institution, Africa Export Import Bank. Daniel is also a Steering Group member of the United Nations Development Programme’s Sustainable Development Goals Impact Group, the United Nations Global Investors Alliance for Sustainable Development, the Sustainable Development Investment Partnership, and the City of London’s Sustainable Development Capital Initiative. Daniel established and provided the secretariat for the UK India CEO Forum under the sponsorship of Prime Ministers David Cameron and Manmohan Singh. Daniel was also a member of the UK China Emerging Leaders Roundtable. He has a Masters in Business Administration (Distinction) from London Business School, a Certificate d’Etudes European from Science Po Strasbourg and a BA in Economics and Politics from Exeter University.
Daniel Klier
Group General Manager, Chief of Staff to the CEO of Global Banking and Markets and Global Head of Sustainable Finance, HSBC
Daniel joined HSBC in August 2013 as Group Head of Strategy in London. Prior to joining HSBC, Daniel was a Partner at McKinsey & Company. He holds a PhD from his studies at Columbia University and the University of Dortmund after studying Business Administration at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland and the London School of Economics. Daniel is a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum. He chairs the Sustainable Finance Working Group at the Institute of International Finance (IIF) and the Climate Risk Working Group at the Bank of England. He is a member of the UK Government Green Finance Task Force, the European Business Leaders' Council, and the Board of Sustainable Energy for All.
David Crofts
Executive Director of Enterprise Risk Management and Responsible Investment, Mubadala Investment Company
David Crofts is the Executive Director for Enterprise Risk Management and Responsible Investment at Mubadala Investment Company based in Abu Dhabi. Before joining Mubadala, he was Managing Director of the global accounts and risk consulting of Aon Risk Services based in London, UK. He was also Head of Risk and Insurance at Cadbury plc, where he held a variety of regional and global leadership roles during his 12 years with the organisation.
David is a graduate of Nottingham University and a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries.
Francesco La Camera
Director General, IRENA
Francesco La Camera is the Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). He has more than thirty years of experience in the fields of climate, sustainability, and international cooperation.
He formerly served as Director-General of Sustainable Development, Environmental Damage, EU and International Affairs at the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land & Sea. In this capacity, he developed cooperation and partnerships agreements with a wide range of countries, particularly developing countries.
Mr. La Camera is widely credited with having spearheaded international cooperation on issues related to climate change and the environment. He played a key role in bringing together multilateral organisations to develop joint initiatives designed to implement the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. He has also coordinated a number of national strategies including on sustainable development, green finance and fossil fuel subsides among other things.
Dr. Frank Rijsberman
Director General, Global Green Growth Institute
Dr. Frank Rijsberman leads the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in supporting governments transition towards a model of economic growth that is environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive. With over 30 years' experience addressing the challenges of environmental sustainability and poverty reduction with leading international organizations and philanthropic foundations, Dr. Rijsberman was initially appointed as the Director General of the Institute, on October 1, 2016 and re-appointed for a second term starting October 1, 2020.
In his role, Dr. Rijsberman engages with senior international stakeholders to drive the green growth agenda and help mobilize finance for climate action and sustainable development. As an advocate for sustainable development, Dr. Rijsberman is focused on supporting GGGI Member and partner governments to implement their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and achieve their Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets.
Greg Fewer
Chief Financial & Sustainability Officer, Aldar
As Chief Financial & Sustainability Officer, Greg Fewer is responsible for a broad remit including, Finance, Corporate Finance, Treasury, Sustainability, Digital Transformation, Strategy & Innovation and Enterprise Risk Management.
Having been set up in 2019 ahead of launching the Company’s first sustainability report, Aldar’s dedicated sustainability department ensures that there is a company wide focus on making the business more sustainable with an emphasis on the economy, community, people, environment, and governance.
Aldar’s Digital Transformation and Strategy & Innovation teams work to position Aldar for the future, enhance performance and embed a culture of innovation. Our new enterprise risk management team will facilitate sustainable growth within both Aldar, and its subsidiary businesses.
Günther Thallinger
Member of the Board of Management, Allianz SE
Günther Thallinger joined Allianz Group in May 2009.
He has been a Member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE since January 2017, responsible for Investment Management and the Center of Competence Life & Health. In January 2018 he additionally assumed responsibility for steering ESG topics within Allianz.
Until his appointment to the Board of Management, Günther Thallinger acted as CEO, and before CFO, of Allianz Investment Management SE and was Chairman of the Allianz Investment Management Board.
Before joining Allianz, he was principal at McKinsey&Company.
Günther Thallinger, born in Austria, graduated with a BSc from the Technical University Graz and a MSc from the Technical University Vienna in technical mathematics. He holds a PhD in applied mathematics from the Technical University Vienna.
Ibrahim N. Al-Zu'bi
Chief Sustainability Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Holding
Ibrahim Al-Zu'bi is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Majid Al Futtaim-Holding. In his current role, Ibrahim oversees the group-wide Sustainability strategy of Majid Al Futtaim and is in charge of raising the company's Sustainability Profile in the Middle East and globally. One of Ibrahim's top priorities is to develop and drive ‘Net positive' sustainability strategy across the company's different business units. Ibrahim joined Majid Al Futtaim Properties in 2011 as the Head of Sustainability for Majid Al Futtaim Properties where he played a pivotal role in driving sustainable real estate practices across the business, leading our properties business toward regional and international amongst both governing bodies and our industry peers.
Ibrahim brings over twenty years of experience in Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility. He is currently a Board member of the Emirates Green Building Council, Vice Chair of the Corporate Advisory Board of the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and UAE representative in the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction – a COP21 initiative. Ibrahim is a member of World Economic Forum's (WEF) Global Future Council on Net-Zero Transition and WEF's Circular Economy Council. Ibrahim is a Senior Associate at Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. He is also the Vice Chair of the UN Global Compact UAE network and the UAE Council of Climate Change and Environment launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum - UAE's Prime Minister. In addition, Ibrahim is a member of the Private Sector Advisory Council for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is a member of the Global Council for SDG13. Ibrahim also served as the Senior Advisor –Sustainability for the Dubai Land Department, Government of Dubai.
Selected as one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Europe and the Middle East by Center for Sustainability and Excellence in the US, he has taken sustainability and CSR initiatives to another level in the Middle East and internationally through awareness campaigns for environmental issues, climate change and education programmes, as well as private sector engagement. Author of How to ‘Net' Positive, Ibrahim outlines how Majid Al Futtaim embarked on its Net Positive journey and also provides a conceptual and practical blueprint to help companies start their Net Positive journey. Ibrahim is the West Asia Coordinator of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) UNESCO Youth Xchange Project.
Jamie Levy
General Counsel, Abu Dhabi Investment Office
Jamie Levy is the General Counsel of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and leads the Legal & Compliance Department.
Prior to joining ADIO, Jamie held various roles at strategic institutions including Partner at KPMG Australia, a General Counsel at Mubadala Investment Company and private equity lawyer at New York Law firm, Debevoise & Plimpton. He currently serves as an Advisory Board Member of the UAE Australia Business Council.
Jamie holds a Postgraduate Diploma of Legal Practice from the College of Law, and two bachelor’s degrees in Commerce (Finance) and Laws from Bond University, Australia.
Jean-Jacques Barbéris
Head of Institutional and Corporate Clients Division & Global Head of ESG
Jean-Jacques Barbéris is Head of Institutional and Corporate Clients Coverage and an Executive and General Management board member at Amundi.
Before joining Amundi, Jean-Jacques acted as advisor for Economic and Financial affairs in the staff of the French President of the Republic, where he served from 2013-2016. Prior to this, he was a member of staff of Pierre Moscovici, French Minister of Economy and Finance.
Between 2009 and 2010, Jean-Jacques chaired the European group of experts on climate finance in the negotiations at UNFCCC. During that time, he also participated in different studies on the economics of climate change, such as Jean Tirole’s report published before the Copenhagen UNFCC conference in 2015.
Jean-Jacques started his career in the French Treasury Directorate General where he served from 2008 to 2012. Jean-Jacques was a lecturer in advanced economics at Sciences-Po Paris From 2009 to 2012. He is also chairman of the French think tank “En Temps Réel”, dedicated to European politics. Jean-Jacques is a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum since 2019. He is also a vice-chairman of Finance for Tomorrow, the French financial association devoted to sustainable finance Jean-Jacques Barbéris graduated from Ecole Normale Supérieure “Lettres et Sciences Humaines”, “agrégé” in History, and alumni at both Sciences Po Paris and Ecole Normale d’Administration.
Jean-Paul Villain
Head of Investment Strategy, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
Mr. Jean-Paul Villain is a Director in the Strategy and Planning Department and a permanent invitee to ADIA’s Investment Committee.
Mr. Villain began his career as an Assistant Professor of Finance at Paris University, before joining Banque Paribas in 1971 as a Portfolio Manager and later Head of Investments in the Asset Management Department. He joined ADIA in 1982, as Regional Manager for Europe before being appointed as a Senior Fund Manager for all financial assets. He returned to Paribas in 1987 to become the first Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of the newly created Paribas Asset Management Company. In September 1992, he re-joined ADIA as Regional Manager for European Assets before being promoted in 1995 to the position of Advisor and then Senior Advisor for Investment Strategy. He then became Head of the Tactical Asset Allocation Unit and later Head of the Strategy Unit.
Mr. Villain is a member of the Investment Committee of the Abu Dhabi Retirement and Benefits Fund, the pension fund of the citizens of Abu Dhabi. From 2004 to 2013 he was a Director of the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) and a Governor of the British Community School in Abu Dhabi (BSAK). In April 2007, the President of the French Republic made him “Chevalier de la Legion d’ Honneur”. In December 2014 he was made Officer of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen of England.
He was educated in Paris in Politics, Economics and Sciences (Applied Mathematics).
Jennifer Reynolds
President & CEO, Toronto Finance International, Co-Chair FC4S
Jennifer Reynolds is the President & CEO of Toronto Finance International (TFI), a public-private partnership whose mission is to promote and develop Toronto’s financial services sector, and to establish its prominence as a leading global financial centre.
Jennifer’s 20-year career in the financial services industry has included senior roles in investment banking, venture capital, and global risk management. Prior to joining TFI, Jennifer was the President & CEO of Women in Capital Markets (WCM), Canada’s largest industry association and advocacy group for women in the financial sector.
Jennifer is a Director on the Board of Citibank Canada, Director on the Board of BF&M Insurance Group Ltd, Director on the Board of the Canada Development Investment Corporation ("CDEV"), and a Director on the Board of Women’s College Hospital Foundation. Jennifer also serves on the Advisory Council for the Institute of Sustainable Finance, housed at Queen’s University. In 2015 and 2017, she was named a Women's Executive Network (WXN) Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winner.
Jennifer is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Women's Leadership program, and she received her MBA from McGill University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Economics and Political Science from McGill University. Jennifer also holds the Institute of Corporate Directors Designation, ICD.D.
John Tanzer
Global Oceans Leader, WWF International
John Tanzer has been with WWF for the last 8+ years and has raised the profile of WWF’s marine work around the world. John also headed up WWF’s successful global ocean campaign, ‘Sustain our Seas’. His career has been defined by developing partnerships and includes over a decade as the Executive Director of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
John Tanzer originally trained in the disciplines of geography and economics, completing an honours degree at James Cook University in 1980. Since that time, he has worked in a number of areas of natural resource management and policy particularly in the marine and coastal realms. He holds a master’s degree in environmental law from the Australian National University.
Lamia Merzouki
Deputy General Manager, Casablanca Finance City Authority (CFCA), Co-Chair FC4S
Lamia Merzouki joined CFCA at its inception in 2010. Before that, Lamia was part of AKWA Group, the largest private group in Morocco, within which she held the position of Director of Strategy and organization for 7 years. She also worked on the Green Morocco Plan within the Ministry of Agriculture and on the development of the Souss-Massa-Draa region. She started her career at Arthur Andersen in Paris.
Lamia is an ESSEC and a Harvard Business School graduate. She is an executive coach, a member of the Choiseul 100 Africa, Co-Chair of the Financial Centers for Sustainability Network (FC4S), Moroccan Ambassador and Vice-Chairman of the Women Working For Change network and co-lead of the Africa CEO Network.
Mairead McGuinness
European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and the Capital Markets Union, European Commission
Mairead McGuinness is the European Commissioner for financial services, financial stability and Capital Markets Union. The Commissioner's vision for the portfolio is focused on ensuring the financial sector's strength and stability, so that it can deliver for people, society and the environment.
Before joining the Commission in October 2020, Ms McGuinness was First Vice-President of the European Parliament from 2017. She served as an MEP from Ireland for 16 years, and was a Vice President of the Parliament since 2014. As Vice-President, she oversaw relations with national Parliaments, led the Parliament's dialogue with religious and philosophical organisations, and had responsibility for the Parliament's communication policy.
During her time in the Parliament, Ms McGuinness sat on a range of committees, covering agriculture, environment, public health, budgets, petitions and constitutional affairs. Her legislative work included leading for the EPP Group on the European Climate Law, the revision of medical devices legislation, and CAP reform post-2013. As an Irish MEP representing the border region, she was outspoken on Brexit and the consequences for the EU and Ireland. In 2006-2007, Ms McGuinness chaired the Parliament's investigation into the collapse of the Equitable Life assurance company which identified issues around weak financial regulation. Prior to becoming an MEP, she was an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and commentator.
Maria Ferraro
Member of the Executive Board and Chief Financial Officer of Siemens Energy AG and Member of the Executive Board and Chief Financial Officer of Siemens Gas and Power Management GmbH
Maria Ferraro was appointed Member of the Executive Board and Chief Financial Officer of Siemens Energy AG and Member of the Executive Board and Chief Financial Officer of Siemens Gas and Power Management GmbH effective May 1, 2020. Prior to her appointment, she held several senior management positions in Corporate Finance within Siemens in the United Kingdom, as well as in Canada, Germany and the United States.
Before being appointed Chief Financial Officer of Siemens Energy, Maria Ferraro held the position of Chief Financial Officer for the Operating Company Digital Industries as well as Chief Diversity Officer at Siemens AG.
Maria Ferraro was born and educated in Canada. She is a designated Chartered Accountant and spent her early career with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Nortel Networks, holding a variety of roles in Canada and on a global level whilst gaining in-depth experience in European and Asian markets.
Maria Lombardo
Head of ESG Client Strategies for EMEA, Invesco
Maria Lombardo is Head of ESG Client Strategies EMEA at Invesco, a global asset manager company. She has more than 25 years of experience, serving as a manager director in investment banking and equity capital markets. In recent years she followed her passion for sustainability and became an expert in responsible investing and sustainable finance.
Maria holds the ESG CFA and a diploma in Responsible Investing at the Cambridge University Institute of Sustainability Leadership. Maria graduated in Economics of Financial Intermediaries from Bocconi University in Milan and holds a CEMS (Community of European Management School) MBA jointly awarded by UCLL University in Brussels and Bocconi University. She is fluent in English, French and Italian.
Maria is an advisor for the CFA UK Climate Change program and a Mentor for the Accelerator and Sustainability Hub at Cambridge University Institute for Sustainability Leadership. She is a board of director at the London Women's Forum, an investor members organisation promoting women's careers in finance.
Mark Carney
Finance Adviser to the Prime Minister for COP 26 and UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance
Mark Carney is currently the UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance and Prime Minister Johnson’s Finance Adviser for COP26. Mark was previously Governor of the Bank of England (from 2013 to 2020), and Governor of the Bank of Canada (from 2008 to 2013).
Internationally, Mark was Chair of the Financial Stability Board (from 2011 to 2018), He chaired the Global Economy Meeting and Economic Consultative Committee of the Bank for International Settlements (from 2018-2020) and was First Vice-Chair of the European Systemic Risk Board (from 2013-2020). He is Vice Chair of Brookfield Asset Management and a member of the Global Advisory Board of PIMCO, the Group of Thirty, the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum, as well as the boards of Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Peterson Institute for International Economics and the Hoffman Institute for Global Business and Society at INSEAD.
Mark was born in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada in 1965. After growing up in Edmonton, Alberta, he obtained a bachelor degree in Economics from Harvard and masters and doctorate degrees in Economics from Oxford. After a thirteen-year career with Goldman Sachs, Mark was appointed Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada in 2003. In 2004, he became Senior Associate Deputy Minister of Finance. He held this position until his appointment as Governor of the Bank of Canada in February 2008.
Mercedes Vela Monserrate
Associate Director of International Affairs, ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority
Mercedes is spearheading ADGM’s work on Sustainable Finance and Gender Diversity, in addition to other ADGM-wide special projects. Prior to joining ADGM, Mercedes worked at Senior levels in the public and private sectors in Brussels and London. Her professional history includes positions at Morgan Stanley, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the European Parliament.
H.E. Dr. Mohamed Maait
Minister of Finance, Egypt
Dr. Mohamed Maait is currently serving as the Minister of Finance, Prior to his appointment as Minister, he held the position Vice Minister of Finance for Public Treasury Affairs & Head of the Economic Justice Unit. In addition he served as First Deputy Minister of Finance in 2015 and as a Deputy to the Minister of Finance for Pension and Social Insurance during the period (2009 – 2013). In addition, he served as First Deputy Minister of Health & Population (2014 – 2015). Over his career of 33 years, he held many positions such as Vice Chairman of the Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority (2013-2015), Chairman of the Egyptian Governmental Actuarial Department (EGAD) at the Ministry of Finance (2010– 2013), Vice Chairman of the National Organization for Social Insurance (2011-2012), Senior Advisor to the Minister of Finance (2007-2009). He was also appointed as the Executive Director of the Egyptian Insurance Institute (2007). He also worked as a senior lecturer and has more than 30 years of teaching and researching experience at many universities in Egypt, Sudan, England and Scotland.
He is also a member of many national and international committees and boards of directors. Dr. Maait holds a BSc degree in Insurance and Mathematics from Cairo University, Egypt (1984), an MPhil in Insurance from Cairo University, Egypt (1992), he also got a Diploma (1996), an MSc in Actuarial Science (1997), and a PhD degree in Actuarial Science from City University, London, UK (2003).
Nikita Singhal
Co-Head of Sustainable Investment & ESG, Lazard Asset Management
Nikita Singhal is the Co-Head of Sustainable Investment & ESG at Lazard Asset Management. Nikita oversees the firm's ESG integration strategy. She works closely with analysts and portfolio managers to enhance their investment processes and on launching new strategies. She co-chairs the firm's ESG Steering Group and sits on the firm's Proxy Voting Committee. She also leads client engagement and thought leadership on ESG topics.
Previously, Nikita worked on the Sustainability Leaders Fund at ClearBridge Investments, covering renewable energy and other high sustainability companies while also helping execute on the firm's overall ESG strategy. Prior to that, she was a Director at the Heron Foundation where she was focused on deploying and managing their $300mm endowment across asset classes. She has also worked at IFC's (World Bank Group) infrastructure private equity group and started her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs. Nikita holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and is an executive board member of CECP's CEO Investor Forum and Bloomberg's ESG Advisory group. She is also an emeritus board member of the Human Impacts Institute, a non-profit organization aimed at using arts and culture to inspire environmental action for social good.
Patrick Odier
Senior Managing Partner, Lombard Odier
Patrick Odier holds an economics degree from the University of Geneva and an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago.
He joined Lombard Odier in 1982 and completed his training in Zurich, New York, and Montreal, before becoming a Partner in 1986. He has been Senior Partner of Lombard Odier since July 1, 2008.
Patrick Odier is a board member of several Swiss and international academic institutions and non-profit organizations. He has been Chairman of the Swiss Bankers Association and is also Vice-Chairman of economiesuisse (Swiss Business Federation).
Peter Thomson
High Level UN Diplomat and UN Special Envoy for the Oceans
In 2017, the United Nations Secretary General Guterres appointed Ambassador Peter Thomson of Fiji as his Special Envoy for the Ocean, aiming at galvanizing concerted efforts to follow up on the outcomes of the 2017 United Nations (UN) Ocean Conference, maintaining the momentum for action to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
Mr. Thomson leads UN's advocacy and public outreach efforts inside and outside of the UN system, ensuring that the many positive outcomes of The 2017 Ocean Conference, including the over 1500 voluntary commitments, are analysed and implemented. He also works with civil society, the scientific community, the private sector, and other relevant stakeholders, to coalesce and encourage their activities in support of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14.
Mr. Thomson brings a distinguished experience in diplomatic services and is familiar with the work of the United Nations, including as Permanent Representative of Fiji to the UN and President of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly, during which he provided visionary leadership in guiding the preparation of The 2017 Ocean Conference.
Elected President of the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority's 2011-2012 session and President of the Council of the Authority's 2015-2016 session, Mr. Thomson chaired the Group of 77 and China (2013) and served as President of the Executive Board of UN Development Programme/UN Population Fund/UN Office for Programme Support (UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS) from 2014 to 2015. As a civil servant in the Government of Fiji, he devoted many years of his life to working in the fields of rural development and then foreign affairs.
H.E. Pierre Gramegna
Minister of Finance of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Pierre Gramegna was born on 22 April 1958 in Esch-sur-Alzette. He pursued studies in law and economics at the Université Panthéon-Assas (Paris II), and completed his post-university education with a DEA (postgraduate diploma of advanced studies) in European Union law.
Following the legislative elections of 14 October 2018, Pierre Gramegna was re-appointed Minister of Finance on 5 December 2018 in the coalition government formed by the Democratic Party (DP), the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) and the Green Party (déi gréng).
H.E. Salama Al Ameemi
Director General, Ma'an
H.E. Salama Al Ameemi has been an integral founding member of the Department of Community Development (DCD), prior to her appointment as the Director General of Ma'an; the government authority decreed to build the entire ecosystem to enable non-government organizations and social enterprises to participate in the development process, advancing multi-stakeholder collaborations, social innovation, an entrepreneurial spirit and social cohesion in Abu Dhabi.
An accomplished and pioneering Emirati professional, Al Ameemi brings a wealth of leadership experience and proficiency in delivering solutions that translate the government's vision into ground realities with measurable outcomes, and demonstrates multifaceted leadership skills into the projects and responsibilities under her purview. As a purpose-driven leader, Al Ameemi believes in empowering others, building highly successful teams, being accountable and setting standards of excellence.
Equipped with diverse industry understanding, as well as significant strategic and operational experience in various high-profile government transformation projects within the health, education and social sector, Al Ameemi brings insights on various subjects including corporate governance, strategy formulation, public policy and management. The depth of knowledge and experience positions Al Ameemi to effectively engage the community into a paradigm shift.
In her dual role as Executive Director of Strategic Affairs with DCD, Al Ameemi drives the strategy approach and provides advice and operational support for policy planning and implementation of the development agenda, as well as spearheads and co-leads several strategic initiatives.
Furthermore, Al Ameemi has completed a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from Zayed University and was awarded the HRH Sheikh Rashid Award for Academic Excellence. She was also nominated and selected for the Leadership Program at London Government College, Member of the Social Sector Committee, Member of Directors of the Red Crescent and Member on the Board of Trustees of the National Fund for Social Responsibility, in addition to being a member of the Board of Trustees of Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi, and a member of the Abu Dhabi Cycling Club Board of Directors.
Sarah Pirzada Usmani
Managing Director, Head of Sustainable, Asset & Project Finance, First Abu Dhabi Bank
Sarah has over 20 years of corporate and investment banking experience having worked across a number of banking divisions such as Project & Export Finance, Asset Finance, Structured Finance, Structured Trade Finance & Financing Solutions and Client Relationships across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Currently based in UAE, Sarah is Managing Director & Head of Sustainable, Asset & Project Finance at First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB). She joined FAB from Standard Chartered Bank in 2016 where she worked 16 years and held a number of senior roles including but not limited to; Regional Head of Asset Finance & Leasing, Regional Head of Structured Export Finance, Structured Trade Finance and Financing solutions etc. based in London, Singapore and Karachi.
Sarah has significant experience in the Corporate Finance space both in Project Finance and Asset Finance having successfully delivered bespoke financing solutions (conventional & Islamic) to clients across sectors such as power, water, oil & gas, mining, construction, shipping and aviation (both Airlines, Lessors & Manufacturers) demonstrating ability to support the sector in multiple ways.
Sarah has also worked closely with European and Asian Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) having originated, lead and concluded several landmark, award winning Project & Export Finance transactions and advisory assignments for regional and international clients across Asia, Africa & the Middle East. She also successfully setup the ECA business within FAB.
Sarah is the ESG (Environmental, Social & Corporate Governance) Champion for the Loans business advising clients on Social/Green financing structures and structured the first SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Linked Loan for a regional carrier.She is also the Regional Ambassador for Advancement of Women in Aviation Roundtable (AWAR) and has set up the FABWomen - Global Corporate Finance initiative within FAB.
Sarah holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Institute of Business Administration Karachi (Pakistan).
Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan
Chief Executive Officer, Alliances for Global Sustainability
Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan is the Founder and CEO of Alliances for Global Sustainability and the Founder of Circle of Hope Foundation. She serves on the Advisory Board of Yale’s Center for Environmental Law and Policy and is the Honorary President of the Emirates Green Building Council.
Sheikha Shamma holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a specialisation in marketing from Zayed University and a Master’s degree in Sustainability Leadership from Cambridge University.
Tanguy Claquin
Global Head of the Sustainable Banking, Crédit Agricole CIB
Tanguy Claquin created and manages the Sustainable Banking team at Credit Agricole CIB. The team provides financial advisory for transactions targeting both financial objectives and positive social and environmental impacts, in all asset classes. During the last twelve years, Credit Agricole CIB became one of the largest arranger of Green Bonds, Social Bonds and Sustainability Bonds globally, having arranged several landmark transactions for a wide array of issuers in Europe, Asia, Americas and in emerging markets.
CA-CIB was elected “Most impressive bank for Green / SRI capital markets” in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 in Global Capital market survey. Tanguy was elected “Most impressive Green / SRI banker” in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 in the same market reference survey and “Most Valuable Player in Sustainable Capital Markets” in 2020. CA-CIB was also named “SRI Bond House of the Year” in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Tanguy co-drafted the Green Bond Principles (GBP) in 2013 and the Sustainability Linked Bond Principles in 2020. He is member of GBP Executive Committee since 2014 and a co-chair since 2019. He has been a member of the European Commission Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance and co-drated the EU Green Bond Standard.
H.E. Dr. Tariq Bin Hendi
Director General, Abu Dhabi Investment Office
H.E. Dr. Tariq Bin Hendi is the Director General of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO). He leads the organisation’s efforts to grow and diversify Abu Dhabi’s economy through private sector investment. He also oversees strategic initiatives that support the emirate’s economic growth and reputation on the world stage.
Prior to joining ADIO, His Excellency held leadership roles at various institutions including Emirates NBD, Mubadala and Citibank. He also sits on a number of boards including AXA GCIC and EPG (Emirates Post Group)
His Excellency holds a PhD in Economics from the Imperial College London, and graduate degrees from Columbia University and London Business School.
Thomas Fekete
Head of Strategy and Products for Sustainable Investing EMEA, BlackRock
At BlackRock, the Sustainable Investing team is focused on identifying drivers of long-term return associated with environmental, social and governance issues, integrating them throughout Blackrock's investment processes, and creating solutions for our clients to achieve sustainable investment returns.
Thomas joined BlackRock in 2013 and led the Global Product team for iShares and the Product, Solutions and Strategy business for the EMEA Retail market. Before joining Blackrock, Thomas spent ten years as Head of Investment Products in private banking at Barclays Wealth and UBS Wealth Management. He started his career in finance in 2001 at Morgan Stanley designing and distributing derivatives-based risk management solutions.
During the first ten years of his career, Thomas worked in the European telecommunications and aerospace industry where he held a variety of research and development, management and strategy roles at Airbus. Thomas graduated with an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Masters in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an engineering degree from Ecole Nationale Superieure de l'Aeronautique et de l'Espace, Toulouse, France.
Timucin Engin
Senior Director & Cross-practice Country Coordinator for the GCC, S&P Global
Prior to this role, Timucin managed our Istanbul office as the Country Manager for Turkey. Prior to that, he was a Director and Sector Specialist in the Financial Services team in our Dubai office.
Before joining us in 2011, he spent three years at Dubai Group as Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager, also representing the Group as a Board Member in various financial institutions in Middle East and APAC regions, including an investment bank listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Timucin also worked in various banking and investment research roles in Toronto and Istanbul. Timucin has a Master of Science degree in Business Analytics from New York University’s Stern School of Business in addition to an MBA degree from École de Gestion Telfer at University of Ottawa in Canada.
Vasilios Siokis
Chief Risk Officer, Emirates Investment Authority
Vasilios is a recognized CRO with 20+ years of investment and risk management experience within Asset Management, Sovereign Wealth and Endowment sectors. He is responsible for Enterprise Risk Management for Emirates Investment Authority (EIA), UAE’s Sovereign Wealth Fund. As an experienced risk manager and executive, he supported CEOs and their teams to refine and firmly deliver their objectives with a highly strategic and structured approach to Risk Management. Prior to joining EIA, Vasilios was the Chief Risk Officer of Cheyne Capital, the London-based alternative investment fund manager.
Alderman William Russell
The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor of the City of London
Alderman William Russell took office as the 692nd Lord Mayor of the City of London on 8th November 2019. He served as a Sheriff of the City of London in 2016-17 and, in that capacity, supported the then Lord Mayor, undertaking numerous visits and official functions. On 30th September 2020 William was elected to serve a further year in office, to provide continuity of civic governance during the Coronavirus emergency.
His mayoral theme for his time in office is “Global UK – The New Future”, supporting businesses through the COVID19 crisis, speeding the recovery and seizing the opportunities of the new future.