Sherife AbdelMessih is the CEO of Future Energy Corporation (FEC), the leading company serving the renewable energy industry in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region. Initially, Sherife built FEC as a Research & Development startup designing disruptive solar energy technologies catered for MENA, and then grew it into a renewable energy company with project development, consulting and R&D divisions. He further grew the company’s business outside MENA, into Europe, Latin America and Asia.
Through a European holding company, majority owned by FEC; Sherife pioneered the business model for developing solar power projects with attractive financial returns without the need for any government incentives or subsidies. He was also a consultant on the development of the first solar power plant in the Middle East, and an advisor to multiple self-made billionaires on power and renewable energy investments.
He was selected by Yahoo! as one of the top 10 social entrepreneurs in Egypt; profiled as one of the 500 most influential people in the Middle East by Arabian Business magazine; and chosen as one of the 200 economic leaders in Africa by L'Institut Choiseul, and the youngest on all 3 lists. Sherife is regularly invited to speak at industry events hosted by institutions such as Financial Times, Bloomberg, World Bank, and prestigious universities.
He holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from MIT where he was endowed with a full scholarship. Sherife is a citizen of Egypt, speaks fluent English, French and Arabic and is Chairman of the MIT Alumni Club in Egypt.

Sandro C. Andrade is Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Miami School of Business Administration. Professor Andrade’s main research areas are International Finance and Investments. His research has been published in major academic journals, such as the Journal of Financial Economics and the Review of Financial Studies. Professor Andrade is Associate Editor of the Journal of Banking and Finance. Prior to pursuing his Ph.D. in Finance at the University of California, Berkeley, Professor Andrade was a Senior Advisor at the Central Bank of Brazil.

His Excellency Mr. Shaukat Aziz was elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan and served from 2004 – 2007, following five years as Finance Minister from 1999.Mr. Aziz was the first Prime Minister of Pakistan to complete a full term in office. Mr. Aziz restored his country’s credibility at home and abroad and is renowned for his strategic approach, structural reforms, transparency and ability to focus on what is best, not simply what is politically expedient. His policies were based on the principals of liberalization, deregulation and privatization, accompanied by strong regulatory oversight. Mr. Aziz’s tenure was marked by high economic growth, increase in per capita income, reduction in poverty, an upsurge in investments and improved debt and economic indicators. He became Finance Minister in 1999 and was named “Finance Minister of the year” for 2001 by Euro Money and The Bankers magazine. Having presided over impressive economic growth in his country, Mr. Aziz offers an expert view and is a frequent speaker on the challenges facing the world including structural reforms, diplomacy, geopolitics and security.

Born on May 24, 1962 in Mouembé in the Cuvette region, Jean-Jacques Bouya is a pilot by training. A sitting member of Parliament since July 2012, Jean-Jacques Bouya has been Minister at the Presidency for Spatial Planning and Delegate-General for Major Public Works, since September 25, 2012. From 1997 to 2003, he was Transportation Advisor to President Sassou N’Guesso, and in 2003 was named Delegate General for Major Public Works. In June 2009, Jean-Jacques Bouya joined President Sassou N’Guesso’s campaign for the 2009 presidential election. On October 7, 2011 Jean-Jacques Bouya was elected as one of the 51 party executives of the PCT. During the July 2012 parliamentary election, Jean-Jacques Bouya was elected to the National Assembly as the PCT candidate in the district of Tchikapika, located in the Cuvette region.

Diane Brady has interviewed many of the world's leading business and political figures, both for her back-page column at Bloomberg Businessweek and on stage at global events. As senior editor/content chief, Diane oversaw corporate coverage and initiated partnerships, events, and cross-platform ventures at Bloomberg. She speaks on business trends and is a frequent guest on networks like NPR and BBC. Her book Fraternity was named an Amazon Best Book of 2012 and shortlisted for the NAACP Image Award. She previously worked at The Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong, Maclean's in Toronto, and the UN Environment Programme in Nairobi. She is currently working on a new media venture.

Willem Buiter joined Citi in January 2010 as Chief Economist. One of the world’s most distinguished macro economists, Willem previously was Professor of Political Economy at the London School of Economics and is a widely published author on economic affairs in books, professional journals and the press. Between 2005 and 2010, he was an advisor to Goldman Sachs advising clients on a global basis. Prior to this, Willem was Chief Economist for the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development between 2000 and 2005 and from 1997 and 2000 a founder external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England. He has been a consultant to the IMF, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Asian Development Bank, the European Commission and an advisor to many central banks and finance ministries.
Willem has held a number of other leading academic positions, including Cassel Professor of Money & Banking at the LSE between 1982 and 1984, Professorships in Economics at Yale University in the US between 1985 and 1994, and Professor of International Macroeconomics at Cambridge University in the UK between 1994 and 2000. Willem has B.A. in Economics from Cambridge University and a PhD in Economics from Yale University. He has been a member of the British Academy since 1998 and was awarded the CBE in 2000 for services to economics.

Richard Carleton is the CEO of CNSX Markets Inc. In this role he is responsible for the strategic direction and management of the Canadian Securities Exchange. Prior to this appointment, Richard served as Vice-President Corporate Development with responsibility for the technology, operations and trading sales teams for the CSE.

Prior to joining the exchange, Richard worked as a business development consultant, after spending twelve years with the Toronto Stock Exchange, serving most recently as a member of the exchange’s senior management team. Active in industry affairs, Richard served two terms as chair of the market data industry’s global trade association in the late 1990's, is a frequent panelist at market structure and trading technology events and serves as a member of the TMX Information Processor Governance Committee.

A member of the Law Society of Upper Canada since 1987, Richard is a graduate of the University of Ottawa (B.A. ’81) and the University of Toronto (LL.B. ’85). He has also completed the executive development programme at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Wilfredo Cerrato Rodriguez was born in tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán and graduated with a Master's in Business Administration from INCAE's Business School in Nicaragua.

He was sworn in as the Secretary of State in Finance Office of Republic of Honduras on august 2012.

The main functions and achievement during his tenure as a Secretary of State are Formulation, Management and Execution of the Republic General Budget of Revenues and Expenditures, Management, Negotiation and Financial Administration of Public Credit for the Republic, Coordinator for the Executive, for the Promotion and Development of Public-Private Partnership, Incumbent Governor for Honduras before the Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank, Central American Bank for Economic Integration, and Alternate Governor before the International Monetary Fund, General Coordinator for Management and Placement of Sovereign Bond in the Global Market, for US$1000 Million, Active member of the Economic Cabinet who negotiated the agreement with the IMF approved in December 2014 for a term of three years.

Vivian de las Cuevas-Diaz is a partner in Holland & Knight's Miami office and serves as the deputy section leader of the Real Estate Section. Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz has extensive experience in complex real estate transactions for both private and public clients, representing institutional lenders in commercial lending for various types of projects and developments in the United States, and in asset-based loans secured by real estate, inventory, equipment receivables and securities.

In addition, Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz has experience representing developers in a range of projects, including land development, condominium, office and single family development and hotels. She also handles the financing for these types of developments, including institutions and mezzanine financing. Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz focuses on guiding institutional lenders toward resolutions for troubled loans and complex workouts. She is called on to assist clients in developing solutions for complex real estate transactions. Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz represents clients in the purchase and sale of commercial and residential properties, development of commercial properties, commercial leasing and related transactions.

Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz's special assets experience includes representation of lenders and developers across the U.S. with respect to forbearance, negotiation of loan modifications, restructuring and workouts on behalf of lenders and borrowers for various types of loans, deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure, note purchase, and sales and foreclosures affecting numerous commercial properties located throughout the state and nation.

Since 2011 Amadou Diallo is Chief Executive Officer of DHL Freight and a member of the DHL Global Forwarding, Freight Management Board. Based in Bonn, he is responsible for the performance and long-term strategic development of the unit, a role he is well-placed to perform with his experience in Freight operations and international leadership. Mr. Diallo was previously Chief Executive Officer of Africa and South Asia Pacific for DHL Global Forwarding.
Mr. Diallo has more than 20 years of experience in the tourism, banking, express and logistics industries. He was appointed to head the South Asia Pacific region in June 2008, prior to which he was Chief Financial Officer of DPDHL Logistics Divisions and Managing Director for the integration of Exel and DHL. Mr. Diallo has worked across all geographies in Europe, Africa and Asia.
Renowned for his expertise and forward-thinking approach towards corporate integrations, Mr. Diallo played a lead role in shaping the development and structure of the DHL Logistics Division through the Exel integration, which remains the largest corporate integration in the transportation and logistics industry to date.
Mr. Diallo is Chairman of the supervisory board of Amref Health Africa in Germany and a member of the Universal Business School of Mumbai.
He was born in Senegal and is fluent in several languages including English, German, French, Fulani, Wolof and Spanish.

Barry Eccleston was appointed president in August 2005. In this position, he oversees all efforts of Airbus in North America and Canada, including sales and marketing, engineering, service and training.

Eccleston came to Airbus from Honeywell’s Engines, Systems and Services division, where he served as VP & General Manager of the Propulsion Systems Enterprise. Prior to that, Eccleston served as Honeywell’s VP of Commercial Aerospace for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Before Honeywell, he spent four years at Fairchild Dornier Corporation.

Eccleston’s career in aviation began at Rolls-Royce where he started as a flight test engineer. He held increasingly senior positions with the company for 29 years, including President and CEO Rolls-Royce Ind Canada, and culminating in his role as President & CEO of International Aero Engines.

He is a private pilot, served as Chairman of the Washington, D.C. branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and is a past member of the Flight Safety Foundation Board of Governors. He is on the Board of the Wings Club and a member of the British-American Business Association Board of Directors.

Jean-Louis EKRA assumed his role as President and Chairman of the Board of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in Cairo, Egypt, in January 2005 after successively holding the positions of Executive Vice-President and Senior Executive Vice-President of the Bank. Under his leadership, the Bank achieved investment grade credit rating by three major international rating agencies (Fitch, Moody’s and S&P’s) and won many awards and prizes for excellence from several reputable organizations. He was re-appointed by shareholders as President and Chairman of the Board for a second term in July 2010.

Prior to joining Afreximbank in 1996, he held senior positions in various institutions including: Vice-President in charge of International Financial Institutions at Citibank NA; Managing Director, Société Ivoirienne de la Poste et de l’Epargne (SIPE), the post and savings institution of Côte d’Ivoire; Country Manager for the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) region at Meridien BIAO sa., Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; and Partner at DKS Investment, a financial advisory firm in Jersey. He was, until recently, Honorary President of the Global Network of Exim Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID). He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Stern School of Business, New York University (NYU), and a Maîtrise en Sciences Economiques from the University of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

In 2011, Mr. EKRA was listed among the 100 most influential people in Africa by New African, a leading pan-African publication. In 2013, he received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from African Banker.

Former Head of State of the Dominican Republic during three terms (1996 – 2000);(2004 – 2012). In 1996, he became the youngest democratically elected president of the Dominican Republic and the first of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) that he currently presides. His administration focused on the modernization of the State, institutional strengthening and transparency, public services and economic and social development. Additionally, he is also president of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (FUNGLODE). He graduated with honors from law school at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) in 1978, where he later became a faculty member of that institution. He also taught several generations at the Latin American Social Sciences Institute (FLACSO). For his contributions to political science, he was honored with the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by several renowned universities. In addition to his local responsibilities, he is a member of various international institutions such as the Montevideo Circle, Council of Freely Elected Heads of Government, Inter-American Dialogue and Club of Madrid. Since the year 2000 he chairs the Executives Club USA-Caribbean organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Leonel Fernandez is vice-president of the Eminent Persons Group of ACP Countries and a founding member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) at Georgetown University.

Enrique García has been the Executive President of CAF – Development Bank of Latin America since December 1991.

He was Bolivia’s Minister of Planning and Coordination and Head of the Economic and Social Cabinet between 1989-1991. Prior to this, he was Vice Minister of Planning and Coordination and a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Bolivia. In the private sector, he has occupied the position of Manager of Operations at Banco Industrial S.A. and sat on the Boards of several industrial and financial institutions.

At an international level, he occupied senior positions at the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) for 17 years, including that of Treasurer of the Institution after having performed in other directive positions.

He acted as Bolivia’s Governor at the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the River Plate Basin Development Fund (FONPLATA), and represented Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Uruguay and Paraguay as a member of the IBRD and IMF Development Committee.

He is the Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Latin America, Vice President of Canning House, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Dialogue, member of the Advisory Board of the Latin American Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Harvard Kennedy School Dean´s Council, the board of the Doña Maria de las Mercedes Foundation in Seville, among others.

At an academic level, he has been a Professor at both the Higher University of San Andres and the Catholic University in Bolivia. He has received honorary doctorates and other degrees from various universities and has been decorated by several governments, institutions, magazines and media mainly specializing in Latin America.

Mr. Garcia holds a B.S. and an M.A. in Economics and Finance from St. Louis University and doctoral studies at the American University.

CAF website

Emilio T. González, Ph.D., is the Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department. He oversees operations at Miami International Airport (MIA) and four general aviation (GA) airports in the Miami area, which together generate $33.7 billion in business revenue and support more than 280,000 direct and indirect jobs. MIA leads the way, handling almost 41 million passengers and more than two million tons of cargo annually, placing it among America’s busiest international passenger and cargo airports.

Under González’s leadership, MIA is aggressively expanding its extensive route network into untapped world markets, while leveraging technology to improve the customer experience at the airport. Dr. González has overseen the completion of one of the largest airport expansion programs in the U.S., a $6.5-billion capital improvement program that has added new terminals, roadways and other infrastructure to MIA and the County’s GA airports. He is now leading the planning process for another major infrastructure expansion at MIA. In addition, Dr. González personally directs the Department’s government affairs functions at the local, state, federal and international levels.

Dr. González has spent most of his career involved in leader development, strategic planning, foreign affairs and international policy. He completed a distinguished 26-year career in the U.S. Army and retired with the rank of Colonel. He has served as Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council at the White House and was later appointed – and subsequently confirmed by the U.S. Senate – as Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, an Under Secretary position within the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C. González has also held several executive-level positions in the private sector, including Senior Managing Director for Global and Government Affairs at a major Miami law firm, CEO of his own international and governmental affairs consulting firm, and President & CEO of Indra USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Spain’s Indra Sistemas, S.A., a leading multinational IT company.

A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Dr. González earned a B.A. in International Studies from the University of South Florida; an M.A. in Latin American Studies from Tulane University; an M.A. in Strategic Studies and National Security Affairs from the U.S. Naval War College; and a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Miami. He has also served as a member of various boards in the banking, technology and social services industries. A recognized civic leader, Dr. González has been awarded the Boy Scouts of America 2014 Hispanic Heritage Award, Latin Builders Association 2014 Public Administrator of the Year Award, Friends of the American Latino Museum American Latino Influencer Award, and the 2015 Greater Miami Aviation Association Juan Trippe Award.

Harvey Hernandez, founder of Newgard Development Group, currently serves as the firm’s chairman & managing director.
Fueled by an in-born creativity and armed with an entrepreneurial spirit, Mr. Hernandez first began his involvement with real estate development during the 1990’s as a hands-on investor in the rapidly expanding Miami market. From his committed and direct personal involvement, he was able to create a dynamic formula for building, marketing and delivering condominium projects that ensured both high quality finishes and timely completion.
Prior to launching Newgard, Mr. Hernandez founded H&H Development Co. in 2001 – a $260 million multifamily development firm that specialized in high-rise residences with a luxury edge. In a short two-year time period, the company amassed an impressive portfolio of 2.4 million square feet of active development.
On the foundation of this success, Mr. Hernandez formed Newgard with a vision to revitalize the high-end residential market in South Florida by developing forward-thinking, innovative luxury projects that delivered the best in location, cutting-edge amenities, finishes, design and lifestyle.
Newgard’s latest achievements under this visionary approach include the 374-unit BrickellHouse luxury condominium, which kick-started Miami’s current real estate cycle when it launched in the upscale Brickell Financial District in late 2011; and most recently the 352-unit Centro condominium, which will rise in the heart of Downtown Miami and has garnered widespread interest for urbanistic elements, such as its loft-style units, pedestrian-friendly location, partnership with the Car2Go vehicle-sharing program, and contemporary designs by celebrity designer and social entrepreneur Yves Béhar.
Other projects developed by Newgard include Solaris at Brickell, Gallery Art in the Miami Arts District, and City Palms in Downtown West Palm Beach among others.
Mr. Hernandez has earned several honors from his peers, including being named 2013’s “Developer of the Year” by both the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and the Latin Builders Association.

As the Miami Access Tunnels’ CEO, Chris Hodgkins is in charge of the operations, maintenance, public affairs and outreach for the $1 billion design, build, finance and operate (DBFO) contract that represents 35 years of infrastructure innovation building a tunnel to connect the Port of Miami to I 95. The Miami Access Tunnel is the first Public Private Partnership (P3) in South Florida.

As the CEO, he has been recognized for his energetic work with local communities, vendors and labor unions for his initiation of "OPERATION 305", a program to aggressively pursue people and businesses from the Miami Dade area for inclusion on the Port of Miami Tunnel Project.

Prior to working with the Miami Tunnel, Chris helped create and operate three of the nation’s top Public Private Partnerships. Most recently Chris served as the Vice President and Business Development Leader for AECOM.

Chris has over 20 years of experience in municipal infrastructure and public sector development.

Since his appointment in Dec 2010, Chris has led GardaWorld to become the fastest growing armored transportation and cash vault processing company in North America having nearly doubled its revenues and surpassing a $1 billion mark. GardaWorld has become a coast-to-coast national provider in Canada and the first cash services company with Tier 1 Bank processing capabilities in the United Sates having secured the ground-breaking 12-year $1.4 billion cash vault outsourcing contract with Bank of America.
Under Chris’ leadership, GardaWorld operations went through massive transformation culminating in the merger of the US and Canadian Cash Services operations to create the industry exclusive fully integrated cross-border service delivery platform.
Across the board, Chris has led unprecedented investments in people and technology to strengthen the key areas of the operations to better service more clients in more places across the continent. GardaWorld now operates CashTrak™ ATM and deposit tracking system as well as MoneyManager™ –the most reliable single platform cash processing system –companywide. In 2014, GardaWorld implemented the latest edition of Oracle/JD Edwards achieving a full integration of ERP and CRM systems, nationwide.GardaWorldis the first and the only fully ISAE3402 certified cash processing company in North America reinforcing its position as a leader in risk management and regulatory compliance.
Previously, Chris was Senior Client Executive at J.P.MorganChase & Co., where he was a trusted advisor to management teams and boards of leading corporations. A strategic leader with demonstrated tactical effectiveness and global perspective, Chris provided advice and counsel with respect to the entire range of investment and corporate banking services. Earlier in his career, Chris held a variety of senior management positions in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom where we was involved with international mergers and acquisitions, and evaluating and executing retail banking and brokerage expansion strategies.
Born in Poland, Chris grew up in the United Kingdom. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Studies with First Class Honors from the University in Birmingham, UK and an MBA with Distinction from the Schulich School of Business at York University. He has been involved in various advisory councils and charitable organizations, most notably as Co-Founder and Chairman of the United Foundation for the Education of Children.
He is an active supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City and Greater Miami as well as Chair of Junior Achievements programs. Chris is a tenured mentor to MBA and graduate business programs students at Schulich School of Business, and serves as a member of the Royal Ontario Museum Board of Trustees and Board of the Institute for Contemporary Culture. He also has the distinguished honor of being awarded the Florida Governor’s Business Ambassador Medal.
Chris is a former competitive alpine skier and windsurfer while currently an avid kite-surfer and wake-boarder.

Bill Johnson became President and CEO of Enterprise Florida, Inc. on March 2, 2015 following a 35-year career with Miami-Dade County government. Governor Scott appointed Bill to lead the agency that is the state’s principal economic development organization serving as a public private partnership between Florida’s business and government leaders. The position also serves as Florida’s Secretary of Commerce.

Enterprise Florida's mission is to facilitate job growth for the state through business recruitment and expansion; to assist small and minority businesses through capital programs; and to assist Florida businesses in export and international trade. During his tenure with Miami-Dade, Bill served in a number of executive positions including eight years as Director of Port Miami; and, as an Assistant County Manager, he had oversight of Miami International Airport. Bill also served as Director of the MiamiDade Water & Sewer Department and has had management responsibility for a number of the County’s large infrastructure projects including construction of the American Airlines Arena and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.

As a government administrator, Bill earned a reputation as a key trouble-shooter, problem solver and proponent of economic development. At Port Miami, Bill launched one of the most ambitious capital development programs in the port’s history, including public-private partnerships such as the Port Miami tunnel and the deepening of the port’s channel to accommodate the super-sized cargo vessels that will begin passing through an expanded Panama Canal in 2016. On the cruise side of the business, Bill presided over the largest expansion ever of new cruise brands and new cruise vessels solidifying Port Miami as the “Cruise Capital of the World.”

In 2014, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez asked Bill to take over leadership of the Water and Sewer Department, where he launched an ambitious capital program to upgrade and expand the Miami-Dade’s critical water and sewer system. These improvements will enable future growth and economic viability, along with environmental sustainability, throughout Miami’s urban core and adjacent areas.

A native of Akron, Ohio, Bill holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Tennessee and has served in a number of leadership roles in business, maritime and economic development organizations at the national and international levels including: Vice President, International Association of Ports and Harbors; Chairman, Florida Ports Council; Chairman, World Trade Center Miami Board of Directors; Florida Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors Board of Directors; US Chamber Let’s Rebuild America Leadership Council and International Policy Committee; Federal Reserve Bank Trade and Transportation Advisory Council; Florida District Export Council; Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Governors; Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Circle; and Past Chair, Miami Beach Latin Chamber of Commerce.

Ferry de Kerckhove entered the Canadian Foreign Service in 1973. His postings included Iran, NATO and Moscow. At Headquarters he worked on European Affairs, in Policy Planning and on economic relations with developing countries. In 1995 he became Associate Chief Air Negotiator, then Deputy Head of the Policy Branch and Director-General, Federal-Provincial Relations. He was High Commissioner to Pakistan from 2008 to 2001 and Ambassador to Indonesia from 2001 to 2003. In 2004, he became Director General, International Organizations and in 2006 he was also the Personal representative of the Prime Minister for Francophonie.

His last posting was ambassador to Egypt in 2008-2011. He retired from the Foreign Service in 2011. He is a Senior Fellow at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa, Distinguished Alumnus of the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute, and Executive Vice President, and member of the Board of the Conference of Defense Associations Institute. He is a former board member of WIND Mobile Canada. He is President of Ferry de Kerckhove International Consultants Inc.

Ramy Khorshed is one of the founders of KBI Ventures, a real estate investment firm dedicated to pioneering novel investment structures geared primarily to the Egyptian market as well as the MENA region. Khorshed comes from a background in both technology and business having worked with Future Energy Corporation, the leading renewable energy company in the Middle East, on a number of projects since 2011. He has held positions in venture capital with Flat6Labs, as well as financial services with Ernst & Young. Khorshed graduated from Duke University in 2014, with a Bachelor of Science in economics and a certificate in information science & information studies.

Prof. Sridhar Kota is the Herrick Professor of Engineering, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and the Director of the Institute for Manufacturing Leadership at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Between 2009-2012 Prof. Kota served as the Assistant Director for Advanced Manufacturing at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). In this role, he developed policy recommendations and implementation strategies to enhance U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, and to foster innovation-based manufacturing and commercialization of emerging technologies. He played an instrumental role in initiating and leading President Obama’s National Manufacturing Innovation Institutes.

Prof. Kota is the Director of Complaint Systems Design Laboratory and has pioneered a new paradigm in engineering design exploiting elasticity. He authored over 200 technical papers and over 25 patents. He is the founder and President of FlexSys Inc., an engineering firm engaged in bio-inspired product design including shape-morphing aircraft wings.

Ambassador Cassio Luiselli, Phd. currently an Emeritus Professor at the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterey (ITESM) in his native Mexico, is an international development economist and a geographer with extensive experience in both public policy and diplomacy. He has served as the Mexican Ambassador to Uruguay, South Korea, and South Africa, being the first Mexican ambassador under the Mandela government. He served as a Deputy Minister (Undersecretary) for environmental regulation and as General Coordinator for the Mexican food Policy Program (SAM for its Spanish acronym). He was the Deputy Director General of UN-ECLAC and held other executive positions in international organizations and government. He has experience in journalism and is the author and coauthor of several books and academic articles. He has been distinguished by several foundations, decorated by five countries and holds the FAO Medal for Food Policy.

Ketty Pucci-Sisti Maisonrouge runs KM&Co. specializing in Luxury Innovation. She is the co-founder and board member of a few start-ups, including Savelli, and Board Member of J.Mendel.

In 2005, Maisonrouge joined Columbia Business School as Adjunct Professor and teaches Luxury Strategy, is a Visiting Professor at IE Business School in Madrid, at Sciences Po in Paris and HKUST in HK. She is a guest lecturer at numerous universities including Bocconi, CEIBS in Shanghai, SKK-Business School and Yonsei University in Seoul. Maisonrouge served as U.S. Representative of the Comité Colbert, the association of French luxury companies, and is President of the Luxury Education Foundation since 2004.

The Luxury Alchemist, published by Assouline, in its second edition, received the International Award at La Forêt des Livres. Maisonrouge graduated from Sciences Po Paris and has a Masters Degree in Law from the Sorbonne. In 2009 she was named Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.

Anuj Mehrotra is Leslie O. Barnes Scholar, professor of management science and vice dean of graduate business programs at the University of Miami School of Business Administration. In his current capacity, he oversees all aspects of MBA and Executive MBA programs and recruitment, admissions, and advising. Previously, he served as the chairman of the Department of Management Science.
Mehrotra’s research interests are in large-scale optimization and interdisciplinary applications. His research has been published in top-tier academic journals including Management Science, Mathematical Programming, Naval Research Logistics, and the Informs Journal on Computing.
Mehrotra has also served as a consultant to several corporations including American Airlines, A.T. Kearney, Goodyear, Exxon, Capital One, U.S. West, and EDS. He received his PhD in Operations Research from Georgia Institute of Technology, his MS from Virginia Tech, and his BS in Mechanical Engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in India.

Roberto Muñoz is the 2014 ~ 2015 Chairman of FIBA (Florida International Bankers Association). In May 2011, Roberto Muñoz was invited by BBVA Compass to join its executive team as its South Florida market president. Prior to this, Muñoz was an executive vice president and chief lending officer with Professional Bank, a de novo community bank in Coral Gables, Florida, specializing in private client services. He joined Professional Bank after serving as CEO, president, chief lending officer, and a voting member on the board of directors of Marquis Bank, a de novo community bank in Coral Gables. Muñoz has more than 33 years of experience in leadership positions for domestic and foreign financial institutions.

Mr. Muñoz received advanced degrees from Florida International University in finance and international business. Muñoz has received many diplomas and certificates within the field of banking from the University of Miami, Florida International University, AIB, and RMA.

Selected as one of the planet’s 100 most promising leaders by TIME magazine (1994) and as one of the key Latin American Leaders for the new millennium by both TIME and CNN (1999), Juan Carlos Navarro is widely regarded as one of Panama’s most prominent national figures. He founded ANCON, Panama’s leading non-profit environmental NGO, in 1985. Navarro was elected by its General Assembly as Regional Councillor for Latin America by IUCN, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (Perth, Australia 1990) and reelected for a second term (Buenos Aires, Argentina 1994), the first panamanian to serve on IUCN´s maximum governing body and the youngest individual elected to its Council. He served as Panama´s first Environmental Ambassador, named by the President ad honorem to help formulate the country´s national and international environmental policy (1995 through 1999). Selected by The Nature Conservancy and the MacArthur Foundation as the recipient of its first Inter American Conservation Fellowship (1998), he authored the book Panama National Parks, published in Madrid, Spain, the country’s first comprehensive text on national parks and nature reserves (currently being updated for its third edition). He was honored by The Botanical Research Institute of Texas with its International Prize for Excellence in recognition for his leadership and support of global conservation and humanitarian endeavors (2001).

Navarro was first elected Mayor of Panama City for a five-year term (1999-2004) after winning his party’s primaries (October 1998) and the general election in May 1999. He was reelected for a second five-year term (2004-2009) in May 2004 in a landslide, with 60% of the votes. The youngest citizen elected to the Mayor’s office, Navarro oversaw 6,000 municipal employees and a US$100 million annual budget (2009). Selected by the University of Panama´s Facultad de Administración Pública as the coutry´s Public Administrator of the Year (2001), he was also named Alumni of the Year by Harvard University´s John F. Kennedy School of Government and recognized as one of its most distinguished public servants (2002).

He joined the Partido Revolucionario Democrático (PRD) in April 1998 and was first elected to its nine-member National Executive Committee, the PRD’s top governing organism, in August 2002. He ran unsuccesfully for Vice President on his party´s ticket in 2009, and three years later was elected its top leader as Secretary General of the PRD (2012). A year later Navarro was chosen as his party´s Presidential Candidate in primary elections obtaining 94% of the votes (2013), and ran unsuccessfully for President in Panama´s May 2014 national elections, obtaining 28% of the popular vote. He is the author of Voces de mi Vida (Bogotá, Colombia 2014), a biographical narrative. Navarro is currently the founder and CEO of NSOLAR, one of Panama leading solar energy start-ups (2015).

Born in Panama City on 19 October 1961, Juan Carlos Navarro is fluent in Spanish, French and English. He received his B.A. in Geography and Government from Dartmouth College (1983) and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University (1985).

Andrés Ortega is from Bogotá. He studied Business Administration at CESA and later obtained his Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Instituto de Empresa at Madrid, España. In 2008 he joined OPAIN as Administrative and Financial Manager, a position he held until his appointment as new General Manager for OPAIN S.A. in 2014.

Alessandro Rebucci is a full-time faculty at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School since August 2013 where is an Assistant Professor in the research track. He holds a joint appointment with the Economics department of the JHU Krieger School of Art and Science. He is also a non-resident faculty of the Beijing School of Foreign Studies (BSFU) School of International Business; a research fellow of the Center for Applied Financial Economics at the University of Southern California (USC); a Fellow of the Euro Area Business Cycle Network; and a member of the IMF Advisory committee on housing and housing finance issues.

His current research compares boom-bust cycles in house prices in emerging and advanced economies using new historical data. Another area of focus of his research is the theory and the measurement of macro-prudential policies, with particular attention to controls on capital flows. A last area of focus is the mapping of the Chinese Flow of Funds and the study of the transmission mechanism of monetary policy in China, including international spillovers.

Before joining Carey, Alessandro had a distinguished career as economist and researcher at the International Monetary Fund and the Inter-American Development Bank. Most recently, he was a Principal Research Economist in the Research Department of the IDB. In that position he advised IDB senior officials on international macroeconomic and financial policy issues; contributed to the dialogue with the policy markets of the region, including the IDB-G20 initiative, and to the IDB annual macroeconomic report. Alessandro also reviewed macroeconomic sustainability assessments in borrowing countries and was a member of the Senior Advisory Committee of the IDB Chief Economist on such assessments. He led IDB-supported research on monetary and macro-prudential policies, on the impact of China on Latin America and the world economy, on the global imbalances, and debt sustainability in the Caribbean countries. In this position, he also conducted independent academic research for publication in refereed journals on international finance and macroeconomic issues.

In 2010 he acted as Chief Economist (ad interim) for the Caribbean Countries of the IDB and led (with Arturo Galindo) a grant-supported research project on housing finance for the 2011 edition of the IDB annual flagship research publication (Developments in the Americas—DIA). He was the lead reviewer for Ecuador in 2008-2009 and he represented the IDB at the IIF PCG meetings in 2008-2011.

Before joining the IDB, Alessandro was a Senior Economist in the World Economic Studies (WEO) Division and an Economist in the Modeling Division of the IMF Research Department, an Economist in the Stand-by Operation Division of the IMF Policy and Development and Review Department. During his IMF tenure he authored several studies on monetary policy, global external imbalances, and other international finance issues, publishing both refereed articles and policy and country reports, including three World Economic Outlook chapters and several country reports. He co-edited a book on IMF programs and co-organized a research conference on International Macro-Finance, co-editing the special issue of the Journal of International Economics. He was a lead reviewer for Brazil and Uruguay during the 2002 crises and he participated in numerous IMF missions including program, surveillance and technical assistance.

Alessandro holds a PhD in economics from the University of London (2002), a MSc in economics (1994) and a “Laurea” in economics and social sciences from Bocconi University (1993). He was nominated “Class of 2005 Young Leader” by Council for the United States and Italy.

Nicholas Rémillard, President and Chief Executive Officer, International Economic Forum of the Americas (IEFA), is responsible for the direction and strategy of the IEFA’s four major economic events: the Conference of Montreal, the Toronto Global Forum, the World Strategic Forum and the Conference of Paris.

Since the organisation’s inception over 20 years ago, Nicholas Rémillard has held a variety of management roles, ultimately serving as President and CEO from 2010. His contribution led to the rapid expansion of the organization where he launched the Toronto Global Forum and the Palm Beach Strategic Forum in 2007 and 2011, respectively. The latter event is now held in Miami under its new appellation: the World Strategic Forum. In addition to these North American conferences, the IEFA has announced its shift towards Europe and will be hosting its first edition of the Conference of Paris in December 2017.

Beyond his role at the IEFA, Nicholas Rémillard also serves as Honorary Consul General of Iceland in Montreal and President of RDÉE Canada’s working group, the Economic Corridor of La Francophonie.

Nicholas Rémillard holds a law degree from the University of Ottawa.

Mr. AZIZ MAHAMAT-SALEH AHMAT was appointed Minister of Economy and Tourism of the Republic of Chad in 2014 following a distinguished career in Public service. Prior to this appointment, he was the Economic, financial and Budget Advisor to the Primer Minister from 2013 to 2014. He served as Chief of Staff of the Primer Minister of the Republic of Chad from 2010 to 2013 and from 2005 to 2006. From 2005 to 2010, he was also Director of External Finances and Director of the Debts at the Ministry of Finances of Chad.

At 39 year old, Mr. AZIZ MAHAMAT-SALEH AHMAT graduated from ENA in Paris, with a major in political Science. He also holds a Bachelor and a Master in Private Business law University of Amiens in France. Mr. AZIZ MAHAMAT-SALEH AHMAT is married and has 6children.

Nick Sargen is the Chief Economist and Senior Investment Advisor for Fort Washington. In his former role, Mr. Sargen served as Chief Investment Officer and was responsible for overseeing the investment activity for all assets under management for Fort Washington and its division and subsidiaries.

Prior to joining Fort Washington in June, 2003, Mr. Sargen’s experience encompassed many years as an international economist and global money manager. He previously served as Managing Director for JP Morgan Chase in New York, where he was Chief Investment Strategist for JP Morgan Private Bank. He has also served as Managing Director for Prudential Insurance Company, where he was Chief Investment Officer for Global Fixed Income Advisors. Previously, he was Director, Bond Market Research, for Salomon Brothers. His experience includes positions with Morgan Guaranty Trust, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and the U.S. Department of Treasury.

Mr. Sargen was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area, where he earned a Ph.D. and a M.A. in economics from Stanford University; he received an undergraduate degree in economics at the University of California - Berkeley. He has taught courses at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration and Xavier University, where he also chairs the advisory board for the Finance department. Mr. Sargen frequently contributes research articles on global investing to various publications and appears regularly on television business programs. He had been a regular panelist with Louis Rukeyser from 2001 through 2004.

Mr. Schwartz is President and CEO of Sam Schwartz Engineering (SSE), a firm that specializes in transportation planning and engineering. He also writes columns on traffic for The New York Daily News, the NY Downtown Express and blogs for Engineering News Record.

Previously Mr. Schwartz was New York City’s Traffic Commissioner and was the Chief Engineer of the NYC Department of Transportation. He started his transportation career in the late 1960’s as a NYC cabbie and joined the Traffic Department, as a junior engineer, in 1971.

Mr. Schwartz specializes in creative problem-solving for seemingly intractable situations. He is expert at getting people out of their cars and into other forms of transportation. He is also proficient at moving those people who remain in their cars more swiftly and safely. Mr. Schwartz has created many win-win-win situations whereby traffic moves better, pedestrians are safer and the community gains more sidewalk and green space. He’s been called an Urban Alchemist for making grass grow from asphalt. Mr. Schwartz, often referred to by his nom de plume “Gridlock Sam,” released the word “Gridlock” into the lexicon during the 1980 NYC Transit strike.

His firm has worked on transportation projects world-wide. From building a streetcar on the Island of Aruba, to a state-of-art highway in Canada, to solving transportation through the DMZ between North and South Korea.

He has been an adjunct professor at Cooper Union, Long Island University and Brooklyn College. He has authored more than 200 professional papers and presentations and has written several books and chapters in books. His latest book, StreetSmart, will be released September, 2015. He has received more than a score of awards for his work, including 2014 AAA Traffic Safety Award, 2014 Brooklyn Technical High School Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers' Sustainable Civil Engineering Award, 2012 Businessman of the Year from the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, 2011 New York State Society of Professional Engineer of the Year award, 2011 Brooklyn College Alumnus of the Year, 2010 NSPE Professional Engineers Merit Award, Public Works Magazine's 2008 Trendsetter Award and Civil Engineer of the Year from the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the American Council of Engineering Companies.

He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics at Brooklyn College and later obtained a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Florida.

Steven Sonberg is the Managing Partner of Holland & Knight. As Managing Partner, Mr. Sonberg is the chief executive officer of the firm, overseeing the strategic growth and direction of the firm and the management of all aspects of the firm's operations. Prior to his election as Managing Partner in 2008, he served as chair of the firm's Business Law Section for five years, and previously led the Corporate Practice Group in South Florida. He also served as a member of the firm's Directors Committee for eight years, from 1995 to 2003.

With more than 30 years of experience, Mr. Sonberg is a corporate lawyer whose practices have focused on the areas of securities law and mergers and acquisitions. His practice has included the representation of domestic and international businesses in public and private offerings of debt and equity securities and in complex acquisitions, divestures and sales of business entities. Mr. Sonberg has represented clients engaged in a variety of business sectors, including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, real estate and transportation.

Read more: https://www.hklaw.com/Steven-Sonberg/

William D. Talbert, III, CDME has served as President and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) for the past sixteen years and Chief Operating Officer for the prior nine years. His major accomplishments include assisting with the passage of the Travel Promotion Act of 2010; negotiating inter-local government funding agreements; preparing four successful Super Bowl bids and three Pow Wow bids. Under Talbert’s leadership, the GMCVB was awarded the prestigious accreditation from the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program in November 2007.

In May 2013, Talbert was named to the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board which serves the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the travel and tourism industry in the United States.
Currently, he is a member of the Board of the U.S. Travel Association (USTA); an Advisory Board member of Brand USA; a re-appointed member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of VISIT FLORIDA, its Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair.

Talbert’s professional affiliations include having served as past Chair of the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) Board of Directors, past Chair of the DMAI Foundation Board of Trustees, and past Chair of the Florida Association of Destination Marketing Organizations (FADMO).

Talbert holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University and bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida. In 2006, he earned the Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) designation – the highest educational achievement in the destination marketing industry.

Michael Thompson is a Toronto City Councillor, Chair of Toronto's Economic Development and Culture Committee and Chair of Invest Toronto's Board of Directors. Councillor Thompson is a strong, active and influential leader in Toronto's efforts to build economic development relationships with partner countries around the world.

Over his thirteen years at City Hall, he has earned a reputation as a community focused consensus builder and one of Toronto's hardest working Councillors.

Michael's strong advocacy for public safety resulted in a City-wide Community Safety Plan, a police task force on guns and gangs and positive programs for young offenders. As Chair of Scarborough Community Council, he led the campaign to create the first ever TTC transit strategy for Scarborough to enhance public transit for residents. He also spearheaded the Taste of Lawrence Festival, which has attracted tens of thousands of people celebrating cultural diversity.

Prior to entering politics, Mr. Thompson earned his business credentials as an entrepreneur in the business and financial services sector. He is the recipient of the African Achievement Award for Excellence in Politics, the York University International Award, the Jain Society of Toronto Community Award, the Bob Marley Award, The Bob Marley Lifetime Achievement Award and continues to work with a number of charitable organizations including participation in the LIUNA Local 506 Scholarship Fund. He is a graduate of Concordia University in Montreal.

Dr. Hulya Ulku, Sr. Economist Development Economics Vice-Presidency, World Bank Group Hulya is a Senior Economist in Doing Business Unit of the Development Economics VicePresidency of the World Bank Group. Prior to joining the World Bank Group in 2013, she worked as a Lecturer in Development Economics at the University of Manchester for nine years, where she directed the Development Economics and Policy Master’s Program and taught International Trade and Macroeconomics courses to graduate students.

Ms. Ulku has published extensively on innovation and economic growth in developing and developed countries, and on the developmental potentials of remittances, international aid and labor market regulations. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Finance from Gazi University and a PhD Degree in Economics from Brandeis University.

Mr. Julio Velarde was appointed Governor of the Central Reserve Bank of Peru in September 2006. Mr. Velarde holds a PhD (c) in Economics from Brown University (1978). During his academic career (1986-2003) he has been Senior Professor and Dean of the Economics Department at Universidad del Pacifico (Lima, Peru). He has served as board member at several commercial banks and nonfinancial corporations. In 1990-1992 and 2001-2003 he was a member of the Central Bank Board. Before becoming Central Bank Governor he served as Chairman of the Latin American Reserve Fund (2004-2006). He has also been Chairman of the Governing Board of the Center of Latin American Monetary Studies (2007-2009). He is the author of several books and articles on macroeconomics and economic policy, and is a frequent speaker at international events and forums.

Gonzalo E. Villarreal has extensive international experience in the luxury business. He has worked in retail, marketing, public relations, merchandising and training for various global luxury brands. After joining The Swatch Group, he launched the first Omega flagship store in Latin America in Mexico City, and later in Panama. In 2009, he founded Tiempo y Forma Consultores y Servicios, a communications and distribution services firm specialized in upmarket positioning. His clients include: Sowind Group, Roger Dubuis, Harry Winston and several independent Swiss and French brands. Mr. Villarreal was head of Bulgari Retail in Mexico and later appointed Managing Director - Latin America for Breva Geneve.

Mr. Villarreal has been leading the lobbying efforts on behalf of the luxury goods sector in Mexico and is working alongside key members of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies to streamline the reform and implementation of a new money laundering legislation.

Mr. Villarreal possesses a diploma from the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs of Mexico and the National Conference of Governors in Ceremonial and Protocol. He regularly collaborates in the Latin American editions of Tiempo de Relojes, The Big Watch Book of Esquire and Revolution Magazine.

Award-winning journalist John Yearwood is the Former World Editor of the Miami Herald and a Vice Chair of the Vienna-based International Press Institute, the world's oldest press-freedom organization. At the Herald, he directs the paper's national and international coverage. Under his leadership, the World Desk has won numerous awards, including the Arthur Ross Award for best coverage of Latin America. Yearwood’s leadership of the newspaper’s Haiti earthquake coverage contributed to the Herald being named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News.
Yearwood is a regular guest on National Public Radio, and local and national television programs, including the Tavis Smiley Show. During the course of his career, he has met with countless world leaders ranging from Nelson Mandela and Margaret Thatcher to President Obama and Jordan’s King Abdullah.
Yearwood was named one of the 40 most influential African-Americans under 40 in South Florida and one of the 100 most successful Caribbean-Americans in South Florida. He is a recipient of a Miami-Dade County Pillar Award and the Haitian Women of Miami Leadership Award.
For his work leading the Miami Herald's national/international news coverage, Yearwood and his team have won several national and international awards, including recognition from Columbia University, the Overseas Press Club, the American Academy of Diplomacy and the King of Spain.
Yearwood’s legacy at the Herald includes conceiving and directing the landmark “A Rising Voice” series that reported on the empowerment and civil rights struggle occurring among Afro-Latin Americans.
A gifted public speaker, Yearwood has been sought out by numerous global organizations, including the American Jewish Committee, the Toronto Global Forum, the Atlantic Dialogues, the Palm Beach Strategic Forum, G8 Youth Leaders, the International Press Institute, World Conference of Mayors, the Caribbean Education Forum, Images and Voices of Hope and the Prime Minister Eric Williams Memorial Foundation. Yearwood also has organized and moderated sessions with Heads of State for the Americas Conference, sponsored by the Miami Herald and the World Bank.
Yearwood has been involved with a number of international organizations and causes, including serving as a key organizer of the United Nations Global Youth Leadership Summit series, co-chair of the World Affairs Committee of Unity Journalists (a coalition of minority journalism organizations) and a founder of the Africa Diaspora and Renaissance Network (a coalition of a dozen educational, cultural, journalism and African diaspora organizations). He also co-chaired the South Florida citizens group that helped to save the Haitian modern dance company, Ayikodans, after the earthquake and is a major supporter of the Peter London Global Dance Company.
In addition to serving as a vice chair of the International Press Institute’s executive board, he chairs IPI's North American Committee, one of the most influential among the organization's national committees.
Prior to joining the Miami Herald, Yearwood was National/International Editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in Texas. Before joining the Star-Telegram, he spent two years in Trinidad as founding publisher/editor of IBIS, a general lifestyle magazine. While publisher of IBIS, he was elected president of the San Juan (Trinidad) Business Owners Association.
Before IBIS, he spent 10 years at The Dallas Morning News, where he reported from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Yearwood also was a correspondent for the Associated Press in Connecticut and Oklahoma, a national correspondent for Focus magazine and the News/Public Affairs Director for WHUS Radio in Connecticut.