Inspiring Leaders We've Hosted

Umar Hassan

Umar Hassan is a seasoned data leader with over 20 years of experience driving enterprise-wide transformation across government and financial sectors. He is currently leading Data & AI transformation initiatives at the Department of Government Enablement (DGE), through the implementation of Abu Dhabi’s enterprise Data & AI Governance Framework - ensuring the responsible, ethical, and secure use of data and AI across all business verticals.

Reeham Al Mutawa

An Emirati leader with over 14 years of experience in driving digital transformation strategies, and data management across government and private sectors. A graduate of the UAE Artificial Intelligence Program, passionate about advancing data-driven innovation and shaping the UAE’s digital future.

Manish Vaidya

A results-oriented leader in Data & AI, I am passionate about leveraging data to drive innovation, enhance customer experiences, and deliver actionable insights. With over 15 years of expertise in AI, machine learning, operational optimization, and advanced data visualization, I bring a unique blend of strategic vision and technical acumen to every initiative.

Currently serving as Head of AI at the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi, I lead enterprise-wide AI transformation to enhance decision-making, optimize operations, and elevate visitor experiences. I hold a Master’s in Business Analytics from Imperial College Business School, London, which equips me with a strong foundation in data-driven strategy, leadership, and innovation.

I am deeply committed to fostering collaborative, people-first, and customer-centric environments, nurturing talent, and enabling teams to push boundaries to achieve exceptional results. Beyond my leadership role, I serve as an advisor to AI startups, guiding them in navigating challenges and scaling transformative solutions.

As a strong advocate for responsible and impactful digital innovation, I continuously seek opportunities to harness technology for sustainable and scalable change. I actively connect with professionals, thought leaders, and innovators in AI and data science to share insights, explore opportunities, and build collaborative ventures that shape the future of AI.

Dirk Jungnickel

Dr Dirk Jungnickel is Senior Vice President of Enterprise Data & Analytics at Emirates Group, where he leads business intelligence, data science, and AI initiatives across the organisation. With over 25 years of experience in the private sector and a background as an Assistant Professor in theoretical physics, Dr Jungnickel has held senior executive roles in various industries, including telecommunications, consulting, and aviation. He specialises in digital transformation, particularly in data-driven decision-making and the adoption of AI, building advanced technical and organisational capabilities while managing the associated complex changes. At Emirates, he has driven the systematic deployment of machine learning and AI solutions, significantly enhancing customer experience, operational efficiency, and strategic decision-making. Recognised as a thought leader in analytics and AI, Dr Jungnickel is a frequent speaker at major international conferences, where he addresses innovation, AI, its governance, and the evolving landscape of data science.

Nikhil Chaturvedi

Nikhil Chaturvedi is responsible for driving IT and Digital Transformation across the RAK Ceramics group globally. His objective is to enhance the business value through integrated Technology (encompassing IT, OT and Digital).
Nikhil is a Petroleum Engineer from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and MBA from University of Mumbai. He possesses operational, IT and Digital experience across Oil & Gas, Energy, Mining & Metals, Building Materials, Chemicals and Ports industries.

Nikhil is a frequent keynote speaker, presenter and panelist in industry events. He is an honorary member of Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) – Asia-Pac Technology Committee. He has also authored various White Papers in technical journals, social media and books.

Prakash Logaiya

As a seasoned Data & Technology leader, Prakash has over 23 years of extensive experience in pioneering transformative advancements through the strategic design and implementation of cutting-edge data platforms and services. His career across Banking, Finance, Marketing, and Conglomerate Industries consistently demonstrates his ability to architect and execute frameworks, strategies, and innovative solutions.

Prakash's expertise lies in delivering substantial business value across a spectrum of solutions, ranging from efficient implementations to large-scale data transformation programs anchored in enduring strategic investments.

Renowned as an industry leader within the BFSI sector, especially in technology, data, and digital domains, Prakash collaborates closely with CIOs and CTOs, utilizing his specialized skills to drive business transformations. He excels in identifying crucial business outcomes attainable by seamlessly integrating human expertise, streamlined processes, and latest technology within organizational frameworks.

Prakash's expertise extends to crafting Digital, MarTech and AdTech Platforms, enhancing customer experiences, and maximizing commercial potential. His proactive initiatives streamline business processes, resulting in direct impacts on revenue enhancement and operational cost efficiencies.

Having held pivotal roles at industry pinnacles like Polaris (IN), Citibank (SG), and Al-Futtaim Group (UAE), Prakash's leadership acumen has evolved to adeptly manage culturally diverse, globally dispersed teams while spearheading technology-driven strategic initiatives.

Sam Shah

Sam Shah is a clinician with a career that spans digital health and medical regulatory law. Sam is the Director for Health Data Management in NEOM. He leads on digital health research with University College London. He has worked in primary care in London. Sam was previously the Director of Digital Development for the NHS and Global Clinical & Digital Advisor for the Department for International Trade. He has worked with a number of healthcare organisations on technology, transformation and public health initiatives. He has a particular interest in healthtech regulation, public health and behaviour change. Sam has advised governments, healthcare regulators and public bodies on digital transformation strategies and innovation.

Waqas Butt

A Technology graduate ,certified PMP, P3O, MCP, MCT, ITIL, Six Sigma Yellow Belt, PSM, SFC & Agile professional while qualified in CISM /CISSP. With 20+ years of experience in middle east across diversified business sectors, including investment banking, oil & gas, energy , shipping , construction , real estate education , manufacturing , govt organization and healthcare.

Waqas brings technology leadership skills for bringing mission-critical projects to success by leading strategic initiatives optimizes business operations by fostering a culture of innovation creativity within the organization with cloud computing, big data analytics, AI, IoT, and automation.

Waqas have successfully led strong strategy & vision transformation initiative for enabling intelligent and sustainable enterprise by leveraging technology , digital Innovation and AI.

Guilherme Amaral

Guilherme Amaral serves as Sr. Director of Commercial, Digital, Data & AI at Agthia Group (An ADQ Company), driving digital transformation across Al Ain Water, Zadina, and other leading MENA brands. With 15+ years of global experience at P&G, Reckitt, and PE-backed ventures, Guilherme uniquely combines enterprise IT leadership with hands-on P&L ownership and commercial expertise to deliver business value.

Alaa Elayyan

Alaa Elayyan is a technology leader with over 30 years of experience driving digital transformation in real estate and property management. He has led award-winning initiatives in cloud infrastructure, AI, automation, and customer experience, building future-ready, data-driven enterprises. Recognized for bridging business and technology, Alaa combines innovation with governance to deliver measurable impact.

Adil Belhouri

Adil Belhouari has over 22 years of extensive Executive Management and Leadership experience at varying positions in multiple lines of businesses and technologies. A seasoned Data, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence && Digital Banking Strategist well known in the Industry of Banking Intelligence & Financial Analytics, Digital Banking, Customer Experience & Loyalty, Enterprise Data Management, Data Science & Insight Strategy, Business Planning, Financial Reporting as well as leading solutions in the area of Digital Transformation, Risk Management, Customer Acquisition, Segmentation, Retention, Relationship Management (CRM), Artificial Intelligence, Business Intelligence (BI), Innovation, Fintech Partnership and Open Banking Strategy. Proven track records of superior achievements with cash flow and credit driven lending products development, Business planning, Data Monetization, Business Information Strategy, Sales’ Strategy and delivery management.

Adil is currently working as Senior Vice President/ Head of AI, Analytics & Data Science for Riyadh Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in Saudi Arabia.

Prior to Riyad Bank, Adil was a leading Analytics and Data mining Expert at SAS Institute Inc., one of the largest software and consultancy companies in the world focused on delivering superior software & Solutions in Business Analytics.

Adil also worked as a professor of analytics and statistics at HEC - Montreal. He has contributed in several applied scientific researches and papers published in high-level Journals.

Adil has been a speaker and presenter at many highly rated events, conferences and summits across different countries and continents.

Shailesh Jain

Shailesh is a global data and AI leader with 20+ years of experience helping Fortune 500 brands unlock business transformation through analytics, innovation, and customer-centric strategy.

Currently leading Analytics & Insights at Landmark Group, he's responsible for driving AI and analytics execution across retail, ecommerce, supply chain, merchandising, risk, marketing, HR, and audit functions. His role spans data strategy, platform development, and talent leadership - delivering actionable insights and measurable commercial impact across 10+ brands and multiple geographies.

Previously, Shailesh led analytics teams at Citibank, KPMG, Dunnhumby, and Citigroup Australia, where he built scalable decision systems and analytics COEs across banking, retail, and consulting. He's worked across the US, UK, Middle East, Australia, and India - blending deep technical knowledge with business fluency and a strong stakeholder network.

His philosophy is simple: data should serve strategy, not the other way around. Whether building fraud models, demand forecasts, customer segmentation engines, or org-wide dashboards, he focuses on AI solutions that move the needle.