Professor Fakhri Karray is the inaugural co-director of the University of Waterloo’s Artificial Intelligence Institute in Canada and served as the Loblaws Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence in the department of electrical and computer engineering. He is also Professor of Machine Learning at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), where he has held the position of Provost. Fakhri's research focuses on operational and generative AI, agentic AI, cognitive machines, and autonomous systems with applications to AI-based virtual care systems, self-aware devices, and predictive analytics in innovative mobility systems. He has served in editorial roles in major publications related to intelligent systems and information fusion. Fakhri's latest textbook, "Elements of Dimensionality Reduction and Manifold Learning," was published by Springer Nature in 2023. He was the recipient of the Pattern Recognition Society’s Medal for Best Paper Award in 2011. He was honored by the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society (VTS) with the IEEE VTS Best Land Transportation Paper Award for his pioneering research on enhancing traffic flow prediction using deep learning and AI. His research on federated learning in communication systems earned him and his co-authors the 2022 IEEE Communication Society's MeditCom Conference Best Paper Award. He is a Fellow of the IEEE, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and the Engineering Institute of Canada. Additionally, he has served as a Distinguished Lecturer for the IEEE and is a Fellow of the Kavli Frontiers of Science. Fakhri earned his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA.

A highly accomplished finance leader, Mr. Salem is the CFO of ADX-listed ADNOC Drilling and AIQ. He brings 13 years of investment banking experience to these roles, having served as Executive Director and Senior Advisor with Moelis & Company and QInvest, where he executed >$100bn of capital raises, financings, M&A, and restructurings across >60 transactions. Mr. Salem also leverages his experience as the former CFO of Swvl, the first mass transit marketplace to go public globally and the first unicorn from the Middle East to list on Nasdaq. In addition to his corporate roles, he is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Hub71 and Capital Formation Advisor at Beco Capital. Mr. Salem holds a Bachelor of Science from the American University in Cairo, and is a CFA Charterholder, Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, and was featured in Forbes Middle East's 30 Under 30 list.​

With 36 years of financial services experience, Mr. Macdonald specializes in emerging markets, high-growth environments, and transformation initiatives. Based in the Middle East for the past 18 years, he has held executive roles at Commercial Bank (DCEO), Shuaa Capital (Group CEO), and ABN AMRO / RBS (Regional CEO). Mr. Macdonald now advises boards, CEOs, and leadership teams on strategy, transformation, and M&A transactions. He is also the Executive Chairman of Aspiro, focusing on PMO/PMI, operations, and risk transformation. In addition to his advisory work, Mr. Macdonald is an investor and advisor to several start-ups and venture funds, providing support on strategy, planning, and governance. He is a Certified Director from the UK Institute of Directors and has held several board positions throughout his career.​

A seasoned leader with over 30 years of experience in banking, finance, and investment. Mr. Lam is currently the Vice Chairman and an Executive Director of Nan Fung Property Holdings Limited and the Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Supervisory Committee Board of Brilliant Bank Corporation Limited. He also serves on the boards of several listed companies in Hong Kong and Australia. Previously, Mr. Lam was an Executive Director of Dah Sing Banking Group and held senior positions at Hang Seng Bank, HSBC, and Royal Bank of Canada. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Toronto Metropolitan University and is a Fellow of multiple professional institutions.​

Mr Amir Merchant is a global Investment Banker of 30 years experience across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sovereign Gulf Partners and has previously been the founder or head of businesses for HSBC (Debt Capital Markets - Middle East), Royal Bank of Scotland, (Structured Finance - UK) and others. He has served at Credit Agricole as Managing Director, Regional Head of Investment Banking Coverage and Financial Institutions and was a member the Global Management Committee for Financial Institutions. He has built businesses in Corporate Finance, Structured Finance, Debt Capital Markets, Islamic Finance, Derivatives and Asset Management. He has led many innovative transactions globally in financial services, real estate, energy, utilities, retail luxury goods, shipping and other transportation. Mr Merchant is widely known by Middle East Financial Institutions, Sovereign Wealth Funds and family offices.

With over 32 years of experience in Asian private equity, Mr. Chan has a proven track record of investing in technology and growth companies across China, Taiwan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. He is currently a Partner at Beyond Ventures and a member of the Investment Committee for the University of Hong Kong's endowment fund and the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation’s Corporate Venture Fund. Notable past roles include Senior Managing Director at Samena Capital, Founding CEO of Spring Capital, and Managing Director at JAFCO Asia. Mr. Chan is actively involved in public service, serving on various committees and boards in Hong Kong.​

As Chief of Investment and Enterprise Development at the United Nations ESCAP, Ms. Subhanij is a driving force in sustainable finance and investment, with over 20 years of experience in macroeconomics, financial markets, and ESG issues. Her career spans key roles in the Bank of Thailand, the Stock Exchange of Thailand, the Bank for International Settlements, and South East Asian Central Banks. She has managed extensive portfolios in climate finance, SME development, and infrastructure investment across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, and played a pivotal role in assisting Bhutan with its first sovereign bond issuance in 2020. Ms. Subhanij is the founder of the Infrastructure Financing and Public-Private Partnership Network of Asia and the Pacific and has been instrumental in mobilizing private finance for sustainable development. She is currently leading the ESCAP Sustainable Business Network and has launched the Green Deal for Business Digital Platform. Ms. Subhanij earned her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Cambridge.​

Based in Abu Dhabi, Mr. Dransfield is the Client Relations Director at Alsuwaidi & Company. His transformative experience living and working in China in the mid-1980s ignited a passion for connecting talented professionals, particularly in Asia, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom. Prior to his role at Alsuwaidi & Company, Mr. Dransfield served as Marketing Director for Asia at Shearman & Sterling and White & Case, Managing Director of Asia Law & Practice, Asia Publisher of IFLR, and board member of Euromoney (Jersey) Limited. He began his publishing career with Haymarket Publishing in the United Kingdom. Mr. Dransfield holds a BA from Leeds University and a Master’s Degree in Far East Area Studies from SOAS, University of London.​