WTPO 2014 - Speakers

Mahmood Al Bastaki
Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Trade

Mahmood Al Bastaki was also appointed Adviser for the Dubai Expo 2020 bidding team. He is a member of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) National Committee of the World Trade Organization and President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport – UAE Board of Trustees. Mr. Al Bastakti is Chairman of the Transport & Logistics Commission at the International Chamber of Commerce UAE chapter and Advisory Board Member in the National Association of Freight and Logistics. He holds a bachelor degree in Science of Electronics Engineering Technology from the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, United States of America and a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Oregon Graduate Institute, USA. Mr. Al Bastaki is a graduate of Mohammed Bin Rashid Leadership Development Program and Dubai World Leaders Programs in association with the Wharton School of Government in Pennsylvania, USA.

Juma Mohammed Al Kait
Assistant Undersecretary, Foreign Trade Affairs, Ministry of the Economy

Mr. Al Kait is also Vice Chairman of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) free trade agreements negotiating team and head of the Gulf Cooperation Council team for negotiations of free trade agreements on trade in services and investment. Mr. Al Kait served as Executive Director of Foreign Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Director of Trade Agreements and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Department in the Ministry of Economy. He holds a bachelor's degree in Business Information Technology from the Higher Colleges of Technology, an executive diploma in trade policy from the WTO and is a graduate of the UAE Government Leaders Program, Executive Leadership Category.

Mohammed Ali Al Kamali
Director, Export Markets Development, Dubai Exports

In his role as Director of Export Markets Development, Mr. Al Kamali has been instrumental in increasing the value and diversity of exports. He possesses senior-level experience in international marketing, trade promotion and mega-event management in the private and public sectors. Previously, he was responsible for the global promotion of high-profile retail sector events, including the Dubai Shopping Festival, Dubai Summer Surprises and Eid in Dubai. In 2012, he earned the ‘Distinguished Government Employee’ award from the Department of Economic Development. He holds a bachelor degree in Marketing Management and a higher diploma in Business Administration from the Higher Colleges of Technology, UAE.

Hassan Khalifa Al Mansoori
Executive Director of the Qatar Export Development Agency TASDEER

Mr. Al Mansoori has held the position of Executive Director of the Qatar Export Development Agency TASDEER since September 2011. The Quatar Development Bank (QDB) launched TASDEER in 2011 to offer export financing, business development services and support for private sector exporters based in Qatar. Previously, he worked at QDB as Chief Executive of Investment & Treasury, Department Manager of the Banking Operation (Trade Finance) and Correspondence Banking in 2009 and 2007 respectively. He began his carrier with QDB from its inception in 1997. Mr. Al Mansoori has travelled widely and has delivered speeches at several conferences, including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development conference held in Doha in 2012.

Saed Al Awadi
Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Export Development Corporation

Saed Al Awadi has more than 20 years’ experience in the reispublic and private sectors, and is currently the CEO of Dubai Export Development Corporation. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering and a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering, supplemented by a master’s degree in Business Administration from Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, United States of America.

Sami Dhaen Al Qamzi
Director-General, Department of Economic Development, Government of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Prior to assuming these duties, Mr. Al Qamzi held the positions of Director General of the Department of Finance; CEO, Al Bayan Press; Chief Financial Officer, Dubai Media Incorporated Finance Manager, Al Bayan Press; and Financial Administrator, Central Military Command, UAE. He is a member of the Executive Council of Dubai, the board of the Dubai Economic Council, Dubai Real Estate Corporation, Dubai Media Incorporated, Zayed University and the Governance Council of Hamdan Bin Mohammed University. Mr. Al Qamzi holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Accounting from the Emirates University.

Elena Achar Samra
Executive Director, Export Promotion, ProMéxico

Ms. Achar has negotiated and established agreements and memorandums of understanding with several agencies and organizations, both public and private, for the benefit of Mexican exporters. Her efforts revolve around diversification of export markets, the increase in the added value of Mexican exports, the improvement of national supply chains, and the internationalization of Mexican companies. Ms. Achar holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and a master’s degree in Political Science from Universidad de Salamanca, Spain.

Syed Habib Ahmed
General Manager, Trade Cooperation and Promotion Program (TCPP), International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC)

Syed Habib Ahmed began his career with the Customs and Excise Service of the Government of Pakistan. Prior to joining the Islamic Development Bank Group (IDB) as Senior World Trade Organization (WTO) Specialist, he served as Chief, International Customs Management for the Federal Board of Revenue, Pakistan and Senior Counselor of the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to WTO, Geneva. Previously, Mr. Ahmed was Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of Commerce, Pakistan. He holds a master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Canberra, Australia and a master’s degree in International Relations from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.

Marcos Amadeo
Director General, Ministry of Economic Development, City of Buenos Aires

Marcos Amadeo leads the International Trade and Development for the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina. With experience in governmental affairs and stakeholder management strategies for B2Bs and B2Cs, he has previously served as the Deputy Director General for the Creative and Foreign Trade Board and Director General for the government of the City of Buenos Aires. He also developed and led Young Americas Business Trust in Argentina.

María Amador-Dumois
Export Control Officer and Associate Director, Research and Development Center, University of Puerto Rico

Maria Amador-Demois is also Associate professor at the School of Business and Export Control Officer Associate Director of the Research and Development Center at the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez campus. Her latest projects at the university include the development of an export control system and a Business Research Center. She holds a doctorate in International Business from George Washington University and a master’s of science degree in Management from Boston University, Brussels, Belgium.

Shaista Asif
CEO and Founder, UTrade Studios

Shaista Asif is an entrepreneur who heads companies specializing in asset and fund management, private equity and technology solutions, especially targeted at trade facilitation. Based in Dubai, the company aims to develop solutions for the Middle East and Africa. She is a catalyst of change amidst the current trade processes that usually result in stagnation. She is a member of the board of the Federal Tax Ombudsman in Pakistan and has successfully initiated and integrated drastic measures to reduce the trade information gap. Her latest venture, the Integrated Tariff web portal, reduced the number of steps required for gathering import-related information for the public trade from visiting 23 desks to one click (www.utrade.co).

Jalil Bulatov
Managing Director at the National Export and Investment Agency, KAZNEX INVEST, Republic of Kazakhstan

Having seven years of experience in export development and promotion, Mr. Bulatov ensures the implementation of the strategic plan of the Export Promotion Agency and Export Promotion Program of the Republic of Kazakhstan. He previously served as the Managing Director for the KAZINVEST JSC, the government’s investment agency, where he organized numerous investment promotion activities. Mr. Bulatov holds a bachelor’s degree in Jurisprudence and a bachelors of Arts.

Devendranath Chamroo
Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Mauritius

As Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Mauritius, Devendranath Chamroo is responsible for promoting and facilitating export of Mauritian products and services. He is a member of the trade negotiation team, which is developing international bilateral trade. Before joining Enterprise Mauritius, Mr. Chamroo was the Director of Policy and Planning, Investment Promotion and Investment Facilitation at the Board of Investment. As Chairman of the South African Development Community (SADC) Investment Committee, he played a critical role in preparing and adopting the SADC Finance and Investment Protocol. Mr. Chamroo holds master’s degrees in Economics from the Punjab School of Economics and in Business Administration from the University of Mauritius. He received the Global Human Resources Excellence Award in 2012.

Hubert Escaith
WTO's Chief Statistician and a Research Fellow at the GREQAM/DEFI Research Centre, Aix-Marseille University, France

Mr. Escaith previously worked for the United Nations in different international environments. In Iraq, Mr. Escaith worked in agriculture development and food security for the Middle East. In Mexico and Chile, he held various positions related to development economics and regional integration. His holds master’s degrees in Economics from Aix-Marseille University and from École Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et Commerciales in Paris-Cergy, as well as a doctorate in Mathematics Applied to Economics from Toulouse University.

Perry Fung
Regional Director, Middle East and Africa Markets Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC)

Based in Dubai, Perry Fung is responsible for promoting trade between Hong Kong, China, and Middle East and African countries. Since joining HKTDC in 1989, Mr. Fung has held various positions. He opened HKTDC’s Taipei, Taiwan office where he was the first General Manager. He also served in the Beijing Office as Regional Director for Northern China. Mr. Fung earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hong Kong, China in 1987 and a bachelor of Law from the University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. He also holds a Certificate of China affairs from the Peking University.

W. Bill Gain
Global Product Specialist, Trade Logistics Advisory Service, Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice Group, World Bank

W. Bill Gain has more than 34 years of experience in management and leadership roles in trade logistics and facilitation, border management and private sector development reform implementation in developing and conflict affected countries. Previously, he was Associate Director and Manager for New Zealand and the Pacific at the Centre for Customs and Excise Studies at the University of Canberra. Other positions include Senior Policy Advisor and Manager for International Relations and Capacity Building with the New Zealand Customs Service and New Zealand Customs Attaché to Australia and the Pacific. He holds a master’s degree in Public Policy from Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand, and a post-graduate diploma in Business from the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Arancha González
Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC)

Arancha González is the Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC). An expert in international trade and development with 20 years of experience, she has previously held leading positions at the World Trade Organization and the European Commission.

Bruce Gosper
Chief Executive Officer, Austrade

Austrade is the Australian government agency responsible for promoting trade, investment, and tourism policy. Previously, as Deputy Secretary with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr. Gosper was responsible for all trade negotiations. He also served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization and Minister (Commercial) at the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC, United States of America. In 2013, the government appointed a Minister with responsibility for both trade and, for the first time, investment. With this greater focus on attracting foreign direct investment, Austrade’s work as an investment promotion agency is at the centre of the government’s agenda.

Karl Hartleb
Deputy Director General of the Austrian Foreign Trade Services at the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, AdvantageAustria

Mr. Hartleb is in charge of strategic management, sector programmes, trade fairs such as Austrian World Expo, and other events abroad. Mr. Hartleb previously worked as Assistant Trade Commissioner to the United States of America, Deputy Trade Commissioner to Japan and Commercial Counsellor to the Austrian Embassy in Teheran, the Islamic Republic of Iran. He also gained experience in the private sector, working as President of the US-subsidiary of the European Industry Company. Mr. Hartleb holds a degree in Law and is specialized in European and international competition law.

Elodie Journet
Trade Commissioner and Deputy Consul-General in Dubai, at the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade)

Elodie Journet worked as Australian Trade Commissioner to Viet Nam, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore. Ms. Journet has also been involved in business and industry associations in Australia, Asia and Europe. In Australia, she served as Senior Export and Industry Adviser, overseeing financial services and IT export promotion. Before joining Austrade, Ms. Journet was responsible for international sales and marketing management in the Middle East, the Americas and North East Asia. Ms. Journet holds a master’s degree in International Trade and Foreign Languages.

Daniel Küng
Chief Executive Officer Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE)

Before joining S-GE (the official Swiss foreign trade promotion organization, formerly known as Osec) in 2004 Daniel was Founder and Executive Partner of Response Group in Lisbon, Portugal, and Agrosuisse Lda., Brazil. He also served as Assistant to the Executive Board and Sales Management Office Manager at Mercedes-Benz do Brazil in São Paulo. He studied Economics and Business Administration at the Universities of Bern, Switzerland and Quito, Ecuador. Mr. Küng holds a bachelor degree in Finance and Accounting from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland.

Patrick Low
Vice President of Research and Senior Fellow at the Fung Global Institute, Hong Kong, China

Before becoming Vice President of the Fung Global Institute, Mr. Low was Chief Economist of the World Trade Organization from 1997 to 2013. He was an Adjunct Professor of International Economics at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. He has also worked for the World Bank and taught at El Colegio de Mexico. He holds a doctorate in Economics and has published widely on trade policy issues.

Zahra Maafiri
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Maroc Export

Previously. Ms. Maafiri served as Head of Trade and Sales Policy within the Department of Foreign Trade. She possesses a rich and broad-based professional experience obtained through her tenure in the Ministry of Foreign Trade and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, where she progressed through various levels of responsibility. Her professional ability is backed by an excellent academic education and solid in-depth knowledge of foreign trade.

Ashraf A. Mahate
Head, Export Market Intelligence, Dubai Exports

Mr. Mahate is also Vice Chair of the Economic Policy Committee, Dubai Economic Department. An SME sector adviser on exporting, he is a regular contributor to business magazines. He has written several articles and chapters in books and edited books on entrepreneurship, trade, finance and innovation. Mr. Mahate is a member of the Chartered Institute of Managers, the Institute of Commercial Management and the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS). He holds a master’s degree in International Economics and Banking from the University of Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom; and a doctorate in Finance from Cass City University Business School London, United Kingdom.

Dick de Man
Acting Managing Director of CBI

Dick de Man is the Acting Managing Director of CBI, an agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands,that supports exports from 48 developing countries. Previously, he held the positions of the Head of R&D, Head of Institutional Development and Head of Trade Promotions at CBI.

Elías Micha
Deputy General Director, Regional Development, National Council for Science and Technology

Mr. Micha was appointed Deputy General Director, Regional Development at Mexico’s National Council for Science and Technology in 2013. He has received several distinctions, including the 2010 Scopus Award for government promotion of science, technology and innovation and the State of Mexico Award for Public Administration, ‘Adolfo Lopez Mateos’, the highest public recognition granted to officials. Mr. Micha is a lecturer, researcher and author of several textbooks on science and technology. He holds a bachelor’s of science in Mathematics from the Universidad Autonoma de México, as well as a master's and doctorate degree from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

Alexander Mora
Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica

Mr. Mora's position includes managing Costa Rica’s foreign trade and investment portfolios, as well as the relationship with multilateral organizations. He served as a representative of Costa Rica to the UN Commission on Science and Technology Development, as well as President of the Latin American Federation of Information and Communication technologies. Mr. Mora has an extensive experience in trade, banking and digital technologies. He previously worked in the private sector and became a successful entrepreneur in digital communications. Mr. Mora holds a degree in Economics and a master’s degree in Banking from the University of Costa Rica.

Francisco Javier Garzón Morales
CEO of the Trade and Investment Unit at the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade, ICEX

Mr. Morales developed his foreign trade expertise as Head Economist and Commercial Counsellor of the Spanish Embassy in Brazil and Mexico. He also served as Deputy-Director of the Spanish Antitrust Commission, as well as Economic Adviser in the Spanish Prime Minister’s Economic Cabinet. Mr. Morales holds a degree in Economics from the Universidad Complutense in Madrid.

Senen M. Perlada
Executive Director of the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) and Executive Director of the Export Development Council (EDC)

Senen Perlada is Executive Director of the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB), and is concurrently the Executive Director of the Export Development Council (EDC), foremost public private partnership organization for export policy and development in the Republic of the Philippines. He has more than 20 years of international marketing and private sector business development experience in senior management positions with both Filipino and internationally engaged firms Mr. Perlada lectures parte-time at the John Gokongwei School of Management at Ateneo de Manila University and is Program Director for International Business Minor. He graduated from the University of the Philippines’ School for Economics with a bachelor of science degree in Business Economics.

Christoph Peter
Deputy Head, Markets and Consulting, Switzerland Global Enterprise

Christoph Peter leads the Export Development team in Zurich, Switzerland. He began his career as Researcher and Trainer in Entrepreneurial Risk Management at the institute for insurance economics before joining AXA Winterthur insurance company. He held a number of positions at AXA, including Head, Risk Management Services, International Portfolio Management; and Vice President, E-Business and Commercial Lines. He has been posted in Winterthur offices in Milan, Italy and London, United Kingdom. Switzerland Global Enterprise received the Swiss Insurance Award for a technology-based customer service and the TPO Network “Special Mention Award” in 2012 for the global Expert Directory Service initiative. He holds a Doctorate degree in Economics from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland.

Bas Pulles
Director, International Programmes Division, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs

Previously, Bas Pulles was Commissioner for foreign investments at the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA). He joined NFIA as Deputy Managing Director in 2004. In 2002, Mr. Pulles was appointed Head of the Emerging Markets Division at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, responsible for bilateral economic relations with Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. He began in 1995 as Deputy Manager for international technology programs at Senter, a former government agency for innovation policy. Mr. Pulles also worked as a consultant and specialized in European innovation programmes. He graduated in business economics from Nyenrode Business University in the province of Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Helen Rankin
Manager, Business Development, Cheil MENA

Helen Rankin leads the company's regional new business strategy. Since managing her first website for Microsoft Middle East in 1996, she has been involved in digital brand engagement for a number of leading organizations, including Emirates Competitiveness Council, UK Department of Health, Lehman Brothers, Coca-Cola and Samsung Electronics. In addition to her responsibilities at Cheil MENA, Ms. Rankin is a Women in Business Mentor for the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.

Andres Reid
Founder, Crowdfunding.Cl/PLAN C

Andres Reid has professional expertise in strategic decision-making and online-based business. His first job was at Coca-Cola in Chile where he trained in marketing and strategic marketing analysis. In 2012 he entered public service as Advisor in the Ministry of Economy, coordinating Emprendete Chile, a new programme aimed at boosting entrepreneurship. The experience introduced him to the concept of crowdfunding, which he subsequently presented to ProChile as a tool to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship. ProChile asked him to develop PLAN C the first public tool in the world to use crowdfunding as a core asset. Mr. Reid is a Commercial Engineer with a degree from the Catholic University in Santiago, Chile.

Alvaro Silva Santisteban Ferraro
Director, Trade, Tourism and Investment Office of Peru – UAE

With more than 11 years of experience in the Middle East and North Africa region, Alvaro Silva-Santisteban was appointed in 2011 as the first Director of Peru’s Economic–Commercial representation in the United Arab Emirates. He is responsible for the growing trade, increasing investments, and promoting greater tourism and brand awareness between nations. Previously, as Regional Director of a world-leading themed-reports communications agency, Mr. Silva Santisteban led business units worldwide, producing more than 30 country reports distributed with The International Herald Tribune, The Economist and USA Today, among others. He is a postgraduate in Business Management and Communications from the Instituto de Empresa, Spain and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Universidad de Lima, Peru.

Wong Lai Sum
Chief Executive Officer, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE)

Ms. Wong is in charge of export promotion globally. As Deputy CEO for Export Promotion for 19 years, she headed several departments, including the Corporate Management and Strategic Planning Divisions. In civil service since 1980, Ms. Wong has served in the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Finance. She participates in committees for policy development and design in relation to trade and economic advancement. Ms. Wong holds a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry, a master’s degree in Business Administration and a doctorate in International Business from the University of Malaya.