Professor Tony Chan assumed his role as the third president of KAUST in September 2018 after nearly a decade as president of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). He led a strategic planning process to lead KAUST into its second decade, including growing the faculty and students by up to 50%. He has expanded KAUST’s research emphasis from energy, water, food and environment to include digital and health, launching new initiatives in Artificial Intelligence and Smart Health. He is increasing investment and capacity in innovation, entrepreneurship and knowledge transfer to fulfill the second mission of the University. By positioning the University to leverage KSA’s ambitious Vision 2030 strategic plan, he is strengthening its engagement with the Nation. Finally, he is leading efforts to enhance the global and national visibility of KAUST.
Before joining HKUST, President Chan was Assistant Director of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate at the US National Science Foundation from 2006 to 2009. He taught Computer Science at Yale University before joining UCLA as Professor of Mathematics in 1986 and was Chair of the Department of Mathematics in 1997 and later Dean of Physical Sciences. He was a co-founder of the US NSF funded National Math Institute IPAM.
He received his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Engineering from Caltech and his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University. He is an elected member of the US National Academy of Engineering.
Recently named by Fortune as one of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders,” Peter H. Diamandis is the founder and executive chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, which leads the world in designing and operating large-scale incentive competitions. He is also the executive founder of Singularity University, a graduate-level Silicon Valley institution that counsels the world’s leaders on exponentially growing technologies.
As an entrepreneur, Diamandis has started over 20 companies in the areas of longevity, space, venture capital and education. He is cofounder of BOLD Capital Partners, a venture fund with $250M investing in exponential technologies, and co-founder and Vice Chairman of Celularity, Inc., a cellular therapeutics company.
Diamandis is a New York Times Bestselling author of two books: Abundance – The Future Is Better Than You Think and BOLD – How to go Big, Create Wealth & Impact the World. His newest book in this series of exponential technologies —The Future is Faster Than You Think — released on January 28, 2020.
He earned degrees in molecular genetics and aerospace engineering from the MIT and holds an M.D. from Harvard Medical School.
Diamandis’ favorite saying is “the best way to predict the future is to create it yourself.”
Mr. Mohamed Ali Rashed Alabbar is a global entrepreneur with active interests in real estate, retail, hospitality, e-commerce, technology, logistics, F&B and venture capital.
Experience
Since 1997, he has been at the forefront of global real estate, leading marquee real-estate development companies such as Emaar Properties (developer of world’s tallest building) and Eagle Hills (leading emerging markets real estate developer). He has spearheaded the growth of Emaar Properties attaining unmatched track record of successfully developing iconic futuristic residential, retail, entertainment, hospitality & leisure assets transforming the lifestyles of people globally. Over the years he has developed world-class mixed used projects, including his retail businesses, across 20+ markets of Middle East, North & Sub Saharan Africa, Central & Eastern Europe and South & South East Asia and US.
Business Acumen
In addition, he has driven the growth of several regional players into world-renown sector champions including Americana Group (a multibillion-dollar food business, the largest integrated food company in the Middle East) and noon.com (the leading e-commerce platform in the region). He was also the Chairman and Co-founder of RSH Limited, a leading pan-Asian and Middle Eastern marketer, distributor, and retailer of internationally renowned sports, golf, active lifestyle, and fashion brands with a portfolio of over 70 brands and a distribution network spanning more than 40 countries in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East region, as well as more than 1000 freestanding stores and shops-in-shops. Mr Alabbar is also shareholder in Artstreet Limited which owns interests in real estate business. He is the Chairman of Zand, one of the world’s first combined digital corporate and retail bank to launch from the UAE.
Education
A graduate in Finance and Business Administration from the Seattle University in the US, also holds an Honorary Doctorate from Seattle University, an Honorary Doctorate from London School of Economics and Political Science and an Honorary Doctorate from Sun Moon University in South Korea.
Matteo Renzi has been the Senator of the electoral college of Florence since 2018. In his political experience he has served as Prime Minister of Italy from February 2014 to December 2016 and as Mayor of Florence from June 2009 to February 2014. He was the youngest prime minister in the history of the Italian Republic.
With his government’s economic policies, Italy has gone from -1.7% of GDP to + 1.6%. His “JobsAct” bill created 1.2 million new jobs. Foreign investment, the export of Italian products, tourism, the trust of consumers and companies all grew during his government, as had not happened since Italy’s adoption of the Euro. Renzi led the European council with the Italian presidency in the second half of 2014. He participated in numerous international meetings including three editions of the G20 (Australia, Turkey, China) and three editions of the G7. He signed the Paris agreement on environmental sustainability and climate change. He tackled the migration crisis as Prime Minister by proposing the Migration Compact in Europe and the Sophia operation named after the little girl saved at sea by Italian volunteers. He signed the law on the recognition of civil unions, multiplied state investments against poverty by 100, led the only Italian government with gender equality between women and men.
Renzi is the author of numerous publications and of a television series on the cultural, financial and artistic beauty of Florence aired in 2018-2019 on the Discovery platform. Renzi graduated in law from the University of Florence. Since 2017 he has taught a course at Stanford University at their Florence headquarters entitled “The challenges of Europe”. He is a member of a number of advisory boards. He was a leader of the Italian catholic scout. He is married to Agnese and has three children.
Her Royal Highness Ambassador Reema Bandar Al-Saud has served as the Ambassador
of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States since February 2019, appointed by
King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. She was the first woman to serve in the role in the
Kingdom’s history.
HRH has championed initiatives that promote social inclusion and women’s
advancement, and youth engagement. In public service, she served as Vice President for
Women’s Affairs at the Saudi General Sports Authority and later became President of
the Mass Participation Federation, where she was the first woman to lead a multi-sport
federation in Saudi Arabia.
She currently serves as President of the Women’s Committee and sits on the board of
the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee. HRH is head of the Fashion Commission
at the Ministry of Culture. Internationally, she is a member of the International Olympic
Committee, the IMF Advisory Entrepreneurship and Advisory Council, and the board of
the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute. In addition, she is the founder of
Catmosphere and WAVE, global initiatives aimed at advancing interconnected
wellbeing, conservation, and ocean regeneration
His Excellency Yasir O. Al-Rumayyan is the Governor of PIF of Saudi Arabia, having been appointed as such since 2019, and served as the Managing Director from 2015 to 2019. He leads all areas of operation of the sovereign wealth fund, which sits at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and economic transformation strategy.
H.E. Al-Rumayyan’s experience encompasses over 25 years working in some of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent financial institutions. H.E. Al-Rumayyan began his career at the Saudi Hollandi Bank, where he occupied key positions across various departments before becoming Head of International Brokerage. In 2004, H.E. Al-Rumayyan joined the Capital Market Authority as part of the founding team, being initially appointed as Head of Securities Listings, and later in 2008, serving as Director of the Corporate Finance and Issuance Division. From 2010 until 2015, he served as Chief Executive Officer and board member of Saudi Fransi Capital. During which he also sat on the board of Tadawul, the Saudi Stock Exchange, from 2014 to 2015.
H.E. Al-Rumayyan holds key positions on the boards of some of the world’s most influential
companies and organizations, most notably as Chairman of Saudi Aramco, one of the world’s most valuable listed company, a position he has held since September 2019. H.E. Al Rumayyan also holds the position of Chairman of Ma’aden, the Future Investment Initiative Institute, LIV Golf Investments LTD, Newcastle United Football Club, and Riyadh Air. He is also a Board Member in Reliance Industries, among others.
H.E. Al-Rumayyan holds a degree in Accounting from King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia, and completed the Harvard Business School’s General Management Program.
Florence leads X-CHANGE which builds inclusive platforms for international dialogue and knowledge sharing.
It includes the flagship Conference in Riyadh and the international Summits in London and New York. Those platforms gather the brightest minds of the world who craft ideas and solutions together.
She also has the responsibility for the GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS (PIF, MISA, HSBC, BNY Mellon, Reliance, Aramco, Neom, SABIC, SNB, The Red Sea …) and conducts the strategy for its international development.
Florence is rich of more than 15 years international experience in luxury hospitality business and was more recently Board Member of Jumeirah Group based in Dubai.
She successful leads the Commercial, Marketing, Brand, Communications and Events departments in the different hospitality brands she worked for -Four Seasons, Raffles, Six Senses, Taj Hotels & Resorts …
She believes in the power of ideas and human relationships.
Contact Details
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/florence-dubois-a820692a
Email: florence.dubois@fii-institute.org
Mobile: 00966550250289
Dr. Tamer believes that a company’s financial well-being is a mental, emotional, and educational process.
Having obtained CPA and CGMA credentials, he has earned a Professional Doctorate Degree in Global Finance, and he brings over two decades of experience in embedding financial governance across organizations, which has proven results in protecting the cash flow and profitability of the organization.
Besides his experience in finance, he is also highly skilled in managing projects for startups with rapid growth, leading major capital appraisals and fundraising, performing commercial feasibility analysis for M&A activity, and developing and implementing strategic financial plans to achieve top and bottom-line profit targets.
Arwa M. Al-Shaghrood is FII Institute’s Head of Legal & Governance as well as the Secretary of the Board, and its Committees. She has experience of working in both the public & private sectors of Saudi Arabia, having joined the Institute after successful stints with government-backed private equity and venture capital funds where she undertook dual legal and governance functions with equal ease, including undertaking the initial set-up.
Arwa has also worked in-house with the premier government business services company that was responsible for structuring companies to run efficiently, and also automating the services of a number of government authorities to make them available online to the Saudi public, therefore playing a proud part of the ‘digital revolution’ of Saudi Arabia.
Arwa is licensed to practice law before all Saudi courts, having been educated in reputable universities in Riyadh and London prior to obtaining her license. She has also worked in the legal department of the Royal Saudi Embassy in London. Arwa is also licensed notary.
Richard Attias has built an unrivaled reputation for advising international leaders, corporations and nations on how to build their global influence, catalyze ideas, and mobilize populations. He has provided clients across private and public sectors with hands-on assistance in branding and strategic communications, the development of public-private partnerships, and investment in emerging markets.
Richard Attias’ talent for anticipating and managing the most pressing issues of our time, activating powerful networks and inspiring innovation, is based on the development and production of more than 2000 events over the past 30 years. The following are just a few examples of the leading platforms he has produced: World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at Davos, Clinton Global Initiative, Nobel Laureates Conferences, The New York Forum, The New York Forum AFRIC, UNESCO NGO Forum, One Planet Summit, Olympism In Action, Future Investment Initiative, Bloomberg New Economy Forum, The African Cup, The African Games, and multiple opening ceremonies. Attias currently serves as the CEO of the FII Institute, a new generation of not for profit foundation dedicated to empowering the world’s brightest minds to shape a brighter future for all, with all.
Prior to founding RA&A, Attias spent a decade at the media conglomerate Publicis Groupe, where he served as Executive Chairman of Publicis Events Worldwide. Attias began his career at IBM where a passion for innovation led him to establish several companies in the IT Industry and Global Communications fields. He also served as the CEO of the UAE Government entity Dubai Event Management Company.