Past event summary

FERYAL AHMADI
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

DMCC

Feryal Ahmadi is the Chief Operating Officer of DMCC, and has been instrumental in securing DMCC’s reputation as the leading authority on international commodities trade and enterprise.

Overseeing its long-term strategic growth plan, Feryal has shaped the corporate governance structure in DMCC, and created marketplaces that increase global trade flows through Dubai.

Feryal manages the wider operations team tasked with developing the Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) business district, and implementing the innovative DMCC Smart and Sustainable District Strategy.

As an official spokesperson, Feryal frequently engages with local and international media on a variety of topics to raise awareness of DMCC, and promote the commercial appeal of Dubai around the world.

As a committee member of Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs) – established by UN Global Compact and UN Women – Feryal leads DMCC’s comprehensive sustainability programme. She also sits on the board of a number of semi-governmental entities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Feryal earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the American University in Sharjah, and an Executive MBA from Harvard University.

ALEXANDRA DRAYCOTT
SENIOR ADVISOR

C3

Alexandra (Ali) Draycott is Senior Advisor for C3 where she plays an active role in developing C3’s programmes as well as mentoring startups. Ali is an experienced strategy, foresight and leadership specialist having held roles that span UK Government, blue-chip consultancies and UAE Government. Ali is Associate for Future Agenda, the world’s largest open foresight platform and has contributed to two books on the future “The World in 2025" and “Six Challenges for the Next Decade". Ali holds an MA Hons. in Social and Political Sciences from Cambridge University and was previously Chair of the Oxford and Cambridge Alumni Association for the UAE.

LATIFA AL-KHALIFA
CO-FOUNDER & CEO

CLEVER PLAY

Latifa Al-Khalifa is the Co-Founder & CEO of Clever Play. Clever Play equips, empowers and inspires children ages 4-12 years through transformative STEAM education to pursue 21st-century opportunities. Latifa is also spearheading a national initiative called STEM Bahrain - a nationwide effort dedicated to preparing students for global competitiveness through enhanced STEM education and career readiness training. Named one of Bahrain’s Top 100 Influential Women in 2019, Latifa hopes to evolve educational initiatives to paver for digitally literate and STEM competent and gender-equal workforce. She is the recipient of numerous awards in Leadership, including the Abdulaziz Bin Humaid Leadership Award in the UAE. Latifa is an active member of the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Starters Club and the Bahrain Businesswomen's Society. She holds a Masters Degree in International Relations from Webster University, UK and a Double Major in Politics and International Studies from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.

EVGENY GARANIN
MANAGER - PUBLIC AFFAIRS

DMCC

Evgeny Garanin is a Manager of Public Affairs at DMCC, the world’s leading Free Zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise.

Tasked with developing and implementing corporate sustainability strategy, Evgeny also leads the digital transformation and analysis of DMCC’s environmental footprint across Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) that improves energy and water consumption across the community and company’s assets. Evgeny also takes the lead on DMCC’s public reporting in line with the GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards.

In 2018, Evgeny established an impactful corporate partnership with the UN Global Compact. Through the association, DMCC supports its 18,000 registered companies in taking the important public step to transform our world through principled business practices. As a result of the DMCC initiative, there has been a 40 per cent growth rate of UN Global Compact membership in the United Arab Emirates.

Evgeny is a public sector and sustainable development policy expert and vastly experienced in the metals and mining industries.

Prior to DMCC, Evgeny was a Public Affairs Chief Specialist at the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, and also served as an advisor to the United Arab Emirates Permanent Mission to the United Nations on the adoption of the resolution on Kimberley Process and conflict diamonds.

Evgeny earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 2014.

SAMER MERHI
SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER - EVENTS

DMCC

Samer Merhi is the Senior Marketing Manager of Events at DMCC, the world’s leading Free Zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise.

Joining DMCC in 2012, Samer is responsible for delivering the organisation’s event programme in line with corporate marketing strategy and business objectives.

Technically knowledgeable and professionally qualified, Samer forges strategic relationships with partners around the world to deliver an ever-growing DMCC calendar of events both physical and virtual.

In a career spanning 15 years, Samer has managed some of the region’s largest and high-profile live events and conferences, as well as diplomatic meetings and industry gatherings.