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Joyce Abou Moussa
Deputy Director, Business Development of GROUPE ADPIn her current role as deputy director of international development, Joyce is leading Groupe ADP's efforts in unlocking potential growth opportunities with a strong focus on innovation and sustainability, while ensuring the services portfolio growth and roll-out.
Amongst other services, Joyce focuses on deploying the group's expertise in Advanced Air Mobility, leveraging her own expertise in the field.
Joyce joined the Innovation Hub at Groupe ADP in 2019, to lead on the strategy and commercial development of the Advanced Air Mobility roadmap, through service commercialization and the animation of a public-private ecosystem of partners.
Prior to joining Groupe ADP, Joyce has consolidated an extensive experience in consulting in the fields of strategic and urban development projects, economic regeneration programs, smart mobility and urban Innovation in Africa and the Middle-East.
Joyce holds an executive Masters in Smart Cities Engineering and Management from Ecole des Ponts Paritech, Paris.
Mohamed Afifi
Head of Sales GCC at Amazon Web ServicesSeasoned Sales leader with Experience in Cloud and SaaS software. His experience involves sales management, channel management, business development, consultation. A Cloud Copilot and CX evangelist.
Mr.Afifi has been involved with leading organizations to establish new markets in emerging markets across Middle East, Africa and Asia. Starting up business in those markets, recruiting right channels , acquiring strategic customers and define a go to market strategies, building a leading team and customers obsessed.
Mohamed Afifi has recently Joined Amazon Web Services serving GCC and Levant Public Sector market helping Government, Education and Healthcare providers in building better societies for all, that are healthy, happy, safe and successful.
Prior to AWS Mr.Afifi has been working for Genesys since April 2008, under capacity of Managing Director for MENA region, In his role, Mr. Afifi was responsible for overseeing Genesys’s operations in the region and managing a talented team that focus on marketing, sales and operational activities for the company in the Middle East and North Africa.
Prior to joining Genesys, Mr. Afifi served in different management roles serving South Europe, Africa, Middle East and India at the Enterprise Business group in Alcatel-Lucent.
Prior to that, Mr. Afifi held several positions with leading multinational companies in the domain of Unified Communication domain including Vodafone Egypt, where he had held several roles in IT.
Mr. Afifi holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication & Electronics Engineering from the University of Alexandria and a Diploma in Computer Networking from Nottingham University. He has also completed several post-graduate programs at various international institutions including Stanford and Cambridge University.
Yousuf Al-Bulushi
Founder & Chief Executive Officer of AWJ InnovationFounder & CEO AWJ (2020 - Present)
Innovation: Design & Dotnxt Jadeer Dotnxt Program for Entrepreneurial Development in Frontier
Technology, Dotnxt GIG Platrorm.
Member of the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) (2011- Present)
Representative member at the United Nation Commission on Science & Technology for Development (CSTD) (2015- 2021)
International Innovation Advisor at Oxford University Innovation Centre (2012-2016)
Expert trainer, lecturer and advisor at UNESCO’s Science and Technology Diplomacy, Geneva
Science and Diplomacy Anticipatory GESDA, US National Academy of Science (NAS) and American
Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (2017- Present)
Fellow at Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Boston (2019- Present)
Member of the International Network for Government Science Advice (INGSA) (2019- Present)
International Innovation Advisor at Oxford Oracle (Dec 2022- Present)
Co-founder & Chairperson (2017- 2020) of the Foreign Ministers Science & Technology Advice Network (FMSTAN), and Honorary member (2020- Present)
Fellow of the International Science Council (ISC) (Dec 2022 – Present)
Associate Deputy Rector for Innovation and Educational Services, and Chief Innovation Advisor at the German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech): Reconceptualised the research and innovation strategy, established the Technology Transfer Office, and led a number of innovative projects including World’s Largest 3D printed building using aggregate concrete. (Dec 2020- present)
Board Member at ITHCA Group (from Inception in 2019 – present): Strategically leading ITHCA’s business plan, Investment strategy and Corporate Performance (2019 – Present)
Head of Science, Knowledge & Technology Office at the Foreign Ministry: Incepted and led the national science, technology and innovation diplomacy mission. Initiated and led a number of national strategies and programmes including Oman’s Blockchain initiative, Science-Policy- Interface, Ocean Economy initiative and the national readiness initiative for 4th Industrial Revaluation.(2015- 2020)
Member of national committees and initiatives including: Economy and Development at Oman’s Vision 2040; Oman’s National Innovation Strategy; Oman’s National Research Strategy;
and Industry 4.0 Strategy. (2015- 2021)
Board Member and Acting CEO at Oman Technology Fund (OTF) (2019 – 2022): Strategically led OTF’s way forward, Investment plan and Incubator and Accelerator programmes. (2019 – 2022)
Saud Abdul Aziz Al Azizi
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of TRANSOM HANDLINGSaud Abdulaziz Al Azizi is an experienced executive in the aviation industry, currently serving as the Executive Director of TRANSOM Handling. He has been leading the company for over 2 years, demonstrating his expertise and leadership skills in the field.
Prior to his current role, Saud held a leading position in the aviation industry for almost 3 years. He began his journey in aviation as the Group Chief Business Support Officer in Oman Aviation Group. In the beginning of his career he worked for 12 years in the oil & gas sector in Oman Oil Group Companies currently known as “OQ”.
Saud holds a bachelor’s and an MBA in Business Administration, specializing in business and Executive Management from University of Colorado, USA.
As the Executive Director of TRANSOM Handling with his team, they managed to establish major transformative initiatives in the company which have had a great impact in the aviation sector in Oman and the company.
Rashid Hamood Al Busaidi
Digital Transformation Director of Oman Airports Management CompanyRashid stands as a distinguished professional who has consistently exhibited exceptional academic achievements and a diverse wealth of experience. Armed with a BSc in Computer Science and an MSc in Computing and IT Management from Cardiff University, Wales, where he achieved the esteemed Distinction honor, Rashid's academic foundation speaks to his commitment to excellence.
His professional journey encompasses a wide spectrum of industries, including Banking, Consultancy, Public Sector, and Aviation, where Rashid has not only played a pivotal role but has led diverse strategic initiatives across these sectors. His leadership acumen shines through in his capacity to navigate and direct projects that are pivotal to an organization's success.
Currently, as the driving force behind Digital Transformation at Oman Airports, Rashid's responsibilities go beyond mere oversight. His mandate includes shaping Innovation strategies and programs, orchestrating Digital Transformation efforts, and fortifying ICT capabilities within Oman Airports. This multifaceted role underscores his role as a catalyst for change, a visionary in fostering innovation, and a guardian of the organization's technological resilience.
Ali Al Gergawi
Director - Government Affairs of Dubai AirportsAli Al Gergawi has led the Government Affairs function at Dubai Airports since 2019. His primary role is to oversee high impact government aligned projects and initiatives ensuring an effective integration of interests to achieve the airport’s ultimate goal, delivering the best guest experience possible.
As part of this mandate, he has been championing airport accessibility with an aim to make the airport experience as seamless as possible for tens of millions of guests annually. Ali also possess experience in ports and logistics from a commercial and innovation perspective. He has honed his business acumen and leadership skills through certifications like the Public Sector Innovation Diploma from Imperial College London.
SA
Sheikh Aimen bin Ahmed Al Hosni
Chief Executive Officer of Oman Airports; Chair of ACI World Governing Board
Basim Al Lawati
Vice President, Infrastructure & Security at Oman Airports Management CompanyWith over 23 years of experience in aviation and banking, Basim is a seasoned leader skilled in leading, strategic planning, and developing complex ICT infrastructure. As the current VP of three critical pillars within the ICT Division (Network & Data Centers, Servers & Platforms, Cloud & Security), he demonstrates a relentless drive for nurturing indigenous ICT talents, aiming to establish a self-sufficient and self-sustaining ICT organization.
With a wealth of experience at the senior leadership level and a strong track record in complex IT infrastructure projects, Basim excels in identifying, innovating, developing, and executing digital transformation roadmaps that align seamlessly with the organization's ultimate objectives.
HA
HE. Eng. Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali
Minister of Transport, Communications & IT
Said Al Mahruqy
Service Key Account Manager at KONE OmanSaid has over 9 years of results-oriented experience in business development and sales. He currently serve as a Key Accounts Manager at KONE Corporation in Oman, specializing in mentoring , ensuring data accuracy for strategic decision-making, and establishing key relationships with decision-makers. My role involves expanding the company's maintenance capabilities, identifying emerging markets, and implementing strategic plans for growth. Previously, as a Sales Engineer at KONE, He successfully managed organizational sales, exceeded budgeted targets, and capitalized on market trends. I have a proven track record of generating leads, cultivating client relationships, and managing major accounts. His approach involves optimizing team performance, transforming challenges into success stories, and developing strategic business plans to understand and surpass competition.
Khalid Ahmed Alhosni
Chief Executive Officer at K.A. Consultants LLCKhalid Alhosni is a seasoned C-Suite professional with experience in multiple industries including financial information, oil & gas logistics, facilities management, and online marketplaces. He was a member of the global internet society and the original steering group that created the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers in 1998.
As a Chief Data Scientist, he is driven by the need for leveraging data to solve real-world business challenges. He excels in crafting effective business use-cases and is a proponent of generative AI to extract crucial Customer / User behavioral insights from unstructured data like images, videos, audio, emails, reviews, and feedback. Khalid's strength lies in simplifying complex machine learning models into straightforward business solutions that seamlessly fit into and enhance existing ERP and Digital Management systems.
Recognizing the untapped potential of large language models in leveraging Customer Leadership, Khalid has pioneered innovative approaches that have revolutionized the way organizations engage with their clientele. His task-specific language models are designed to offer unprecedented levels of customer personalization, creating a more intuitive and responsive interface that adapts to individual user needs. He has also developed predictive models that integrate seamlessly into existing systems, boosting productivity by +40% or more, using real-time data analytics to optimize workflows, automate routine tasks, and predict customer behavior, thereby enabling organizations to allocate resources more efficiently.
Pedro Alves
VP Global Business Development – Extended Borders at IDEMIAPedro is Vice President Extended Borders within IDEMIA’s Public Security and Identity business unit. In his current role, Pedro is responsible for the global business development and structuring of IDEMIA’s extended borders offer. This includes border control, API-PNR and passenger facilitation. Pedro works with all regions and helps them shape IDEMIA’s sales strategies for its latest technologies.
Pedro has spent most of his professional career in business development serving border control and aviation markets. His focus has been on the digital transformation of the passenger journey and on promoting security and convenience to citizens around the world.
Pedro’s previous projects include:
- Supporting a digital transformation pilot at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, France. This project was a first step in enabling a scalable and global multi-airport solution for Vinci Airports.
- Positioning ID2Travel, IDEMIA’s solution that includes the use of biometrics and an identity management platform. It enables increased security and facilitation at all airport touch points, while meeting IATA One ID and ACI NEXTT interoperability and privacy standards.
- Supporting a successful multi-biometric, seamless walk-through solution in Muscat International Airport, Oman. This project aimed at strengthening border security while improving passenger convenience at the same time.
Before working for IDEMIA, Pedro started his career as a Business Development Manager for CGI where he was responsible for delivering global airport IT solutions at multiple airports. Pedro has also worked as Director Global Business Development and Sales for Vision-Box. He has over a decade’s experience of working intensively with governments around the world, industry bodies, major airports and airline carriers.
Pedro is a native Portuguese speaker and speaks English and Spanish fluently. He has worked in Portugal, Spain, the UK and Colombia.
Pedro holds a BA and a master’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.
Mohamed Amin
Head of Digital Transformation, Middle East & Africa at NokiaMohamed Amin has 15+ years of experience in the telecommunication industry. He is a strong believer in the role of technology in industrial transformation and strives to challenge the silos that prevent innovation and business success. His experience ranges from engineering to pre-sales, business development and sales with Alcatel-Lucent & Nokia in different roles covering Europe, Middle East & Africa region.
Amin has received several awards in his professional career from Nokia & IEEE. He is also an active volunteer and IEEE member, serving currently as Industry Engagement committee member at IEEE and Careers Subcommittee Chair at IEEE R8 (EMEA)
Steve Armitage
Head of Technology, Design and Innovation at Heathrow Airport LimitedMore than 35 years of Aviation industry expertise gained in multiple roles / areas at British Airways and Heathrow Airport – operating in both IT & Technology and core business departments.
Since joining Heathrow, I have been involved in the first steps of passenger automation and improvements in security processing. Currently Head of Design and Innovation team whose purpose is to solve current issues and anticipate future challenges by finding creative solutions.
Currently working across many areas including Efficient Airport, Carbon & Sustainability and Future Aviation.
Mansur Arslan
Senior Manager of Digital Applications and Software Development at iGA Istanbul AirportAs the Senior Manager of Digital Applications and Software Development at IGA Istanbul Airport, one of the largest and busiest airports in the world, Mr. Mansur ARSLAN leads a talented team of IT experts who create digital solutions that improve the passenger journey and optimize airport operations using data analytics.
Mr. Arslan has a wealth of experience in various domains, having successfully delivered projects involving mergers and acquisition, digital transformation, infrastructure development, innovation and R&D, e-commerce and sales systems for over 20 years. He is applying his expertise to support the digital transformation of the Turkish Aviation sector for the past seven years.
Mr. Arslan had Bachelor’s and Master’s degree education in Computer Engineering from the prestigious Bogazici University in Istanbul.
He has also successfully completed a PMP Certification programme from PMI and holds a CobIT5 certificate from ISACA.
Reem Asaad
Vice President, Middle East & Africa at CiscoReem Asaad is the Vice President for Cisco Middle East, Türkiye, Africa, Romania, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). She is responsible for driving the company’s position as a leading technology provider and consultant across 82 markets.
Reem’s role focuses on strengthening collaborations with governments, customers, and partners, underpinned by Cisco’s portfolio of state-of-the-art technologies. The company is also playing an active role in supporting local digitization agendas via the Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) Program – where Cisco partners with national leadership, industry, and academia to help bridge the digital divide and drive sustainable, secure, and inclusive communities.
Cisco empowers its customers to securely scale airport digital infrastructure – supporting more efficient, resilient, and sustainable network operations. With the modernization of ground operations and enhanced digital capabilities, airports can experience improved operational performance, faster turnaround times, and enhance airside security, powered by Cisco technologies.
In addition, Cisco is enabling airports to meet customer expectations via immersive digital experiences, offering dependable passenger Wi-Fi, seamless onboarding, and reliable application experiences.
Stefano Baronci
Director General of ACI Asia PacificMr. Stefano Baronci is the Director General of Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific and Middle East, an association representing the interests of airports in Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Appointed in December 2019, Mr. Baronci is responsible for driving and executing the strategic plan of the association and overseeing a team of professionals at the Regional Office based in Hong Kong.
Mr. Baronci has more than two decades of analytical and representational experience at national and international levels in the aviation sector, representing both airport and airline industries. He is very familiar with the ACI community, having previously served as the Director of Economics at ACI World in Montreal and Senior Policy Manager at ACI Europe in Brussels. He has also served as Secretary General of Assaeroporti, the Italian airport operators association, and Assistant Director and ATM Infrastructure Expert at the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Mr. Baronci, a native of Italy, holds an Executive MBA from Warwick University in the United Kingdom and graduated with a Law degree from La Sapienza University in Rome, Italy. He is married with two children.
Andy Bien
Chief Digital Officer, Global Aviation at HuaweiFormer Chief Information Officer, Hong Kong Airport Authority, 40 years of ICT and management experience, 20 years in the airport industry. He was responsible for strategic technology planning and execution at Hong Kong International Airport.
His focus was on advancing airport technology in several key areas, including biometrics, mobile and self-service technology, robotics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence and digital twin; enabled by smart infrastructure, including the enterprise analytics platforms, hybrid cloud infrastructure, IoT platforms, future wireless platforms including WiFi 6, and an enterprise 5G infrastructure across the entire airport island.
Mr Bien is currently the Chief Digital Officer, Global Aviation of Huawei Technologies. In this capacity, Mr Bien continued to focus in the area of future connectivity, green aviation and AI applications in the industry.
Selahattin Bilgen
Chief Executive Officer at iGA Istanbul AirportSelahattin Bilgen was born in 1981. He completed his undergraduate studies at Bilkent University in 2003, followed by an MBA at Bogaziçi University. He is married with two children.
He has been appointed by the Board of Directors as the new CEO of iGA Istanbul Airport in September 2023, while continuing his role as the Chief Financial O cer of the companies established under iGA Istanbul Airport since January 2018. Prior to being the CFO of the airport, he worked in the fields of Corporate Banking, Corporate Finance, and Project Finance from 2003-2018 and served as the Finance Coordinator of Cengiz Holding, as well as the Executive Director of UniCredit Türkiye Financial Advisory, and the Corporate Project Finance Director of Yapı Kredi Bank.
Bilgen, who undertook important roles in the provision of financing and refinancing for the iGA Istanbul Airport project, largest project financing in Türkiye to date, was listed among the "50 Most Influential Financial Leaders of Türkiye" by BMI Business School and DataExpert in 2022.
He was also included in the list of "Türkiye's Most Influential Senior Executives" by Business Life
magazine in the same year.
Furthermore, he is leading the establishment of related group companies, enhancing their operational capabilities and setting key corporate functions such as Finance, Budgeting, Financial
Reporting and Planning, Revenue Management, Accounting, Contract Management, Taxation and
Insurance.
Laurent Boisson
Corporate Affairs, Head of External Affairs at AirbusLaurent Boisson works at Airbus Corporate Affairs, whose mission is to promote Airbus innovation capabilities to Regulators, Policy Makers, Airports, Air Navigation providers as this knowledge is fundamental to the elaboration of future regulation, operational practices and standards. Corporate Affairs also ensures Airbus contributes to international cooperation projects allowing regions of the world to develop their aviation ecosystem and be ready to operate new technologies. This activity requires establishing a constant relationship with ICAO, Civil Aviation Authorities, Standardisation Development Organisations, Air Navigation Service Providers, Airports and Airlines as well as industry associations such as ATAG, IATA, ACI, CANSO, ASD, ICCAIA among others.
Key topics we address are Airport & Airspace capacity growth, new ways of flying with Urban Air Mobility, Autonomous flying, formation flights, Traffic Flow Management & Time Based Operations, Continuous Descent Approaches, Required Navigation Performance
(RNP) procedures, Aircraft connectivity, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Digital & Big Data solutions and of course reducing Aviation impact on climate as well Aircraft Noise footprint at Airports.
It is of paramount importance as an Aircraft manufacturer to foster ground infrastructure & Airspace Capacity growth as well as addressing our Industry's Environmental challenges.
Laurent Boisson Started his career at Airbus in 1992, joining the Engineering Division to work on configuration management solutions for Aircraft manufacturing and later as a customer Engineer to define jointly with Airlines customized aircraft specifications. He then moved on to business development starting with Airlines contracts management, and then as Airline Marketing Director for the Central & Northern Europe region.
Laurent is graduated from the French ENAC “Ecole Nationale de L’Aviation Civile” and holds a Master’s Degree in Mechanics Engineering from “Université Pierre et Marie Curie” of Paris. He is the father of a 28 years old son.
Jihad Boueri
Vice President Strategy & Innovation, MEA region at SITAJihad Boueri is the Vice President Airports & Communication Sector – Middle East & Africa at SITA.
Jihad has a wealth of experience in Project Management, Solution Architecture, Master Systems Integration, and Bid Management across the majority of airports in the Middle East, India, and Africa. He was instrumental in the design and implementation of airport systems at the majority of newly built or upgraded airports in his region, including Abu-Dhabi, Muscat, Bahrain, Doha, Istanbul, Riyadh, Jeddah, Addis Ababa, Bombay, etc...
He holds an Engineering Degree in Telecommunications from St. Joseph University, Beirut, and an MBA from Strathclyde Graduate Business School, Scotland.
Currently, he is in his final year of a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programme at Universite de Cote d'Azur in Nice, France. His research focuses on the implementation of complex ICT projects, with airports as the primary reference point.
Jihad has successfully completed the ACI-ICAO AMPAP programme, ACI Airport Operations course, and the ACI-Concordia University Aviation Management Institute's Airport Executive Leadership Programme (AELP).
Martin Bowman
Director, Aviation and Transport, Consulting of Deloitte MCS LimitedMartin is UK Aviation Director at Deloitte, the leading professional services provider. He has spent over 20 years in aviation technology and operations, working across airlines, airports and air traffic control to enhance industry collaboration and increase efficiency and effectiveness. Martin has worked with aviation clients across the globe including major players in the region such as Dubai Airports, Hamad Airport and Emirates, with his knowledge and expertise spanning multiple areas including integrated airport operations, aviation tech trends, predictive analytics and data-enabled stakeholder collaboration. Martin sits on the Strategy and Operations Committee and Strategic Technology Committee of the Air Traffic Control association CANSO.
Armando Brunini
Chief Executive Officer of S.E.A. S.p.A.; President of ACI EUROPEArmando Brunini is Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of S.E.A. S.p.A. (Milan Airport management company), he is member of the Board of Assaeroporti and President of ACI Europe (Airports Council International Europe).
Previously he has been CEO of GE.S.A.C. S.p.A. (Naples Airport management company).
Earlier, he held different top management roles within the aeronautical industry, first as Head of Strategy in Aeroporti di Roma, then as Executive Vice President-Commercial in the airline Eurofly and formerly as Managing Director of Bologna Airport (at the same time he served as member of SAGAT - Turin Airport Board of Directors).
Prior to that he worked in the management consultancy sector for KPMG, PWC and subsequently AT Kearney.
Armando Brunini is graduated with honors in Economics and Business from the University of Naples Federico Il .
Federico Cabrera
Operations and Passenger Experience Manager at Aeropuertos UruguayFederico Cabrera holds a BD in International Trade (Magna Cum Laude) by UDE University, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Over 25 years of experience in private sector, always in major companies in the services industry.
In 2012 joins Carrasco Intl. Airport team as a Procurement Manager, moving in 2016 to operations, first as PX Manager, and in 2020 as Operations and Passenger Experience Manager in Aeropuertos Uruguay.
In the last 7 years, Mr. Cabrera leaded the transformation of Carrasco Intl. in a passenger-centered airport, over the EASY AIRPORT project, reaching impressive goals, such as:
+ Passenger satisfaction index (ACI-ASQ) consistently over 4,2 (max. 5).
+ Carrasco Intl. was awarded in 2019 with the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Award for Best Airport by Size and Region (2 to 5 million passengers per year in Latin America and Caribbean)
+ Carrasco Intl. earned in 2020 the ACI Customer Experience Accreditation – Level 1.
+ Carrasco Intl. achieved in 2020 the AHA - ACI Airport Health Accreditation programme.
+ Carrasco Intl. was in 2017 the first airport in Latin America with self-service biometric passport control multi-airline, available for 35+ nationalities.
+ Carrasco Intl. was in 2018 the first airport in Latin America with biometric boarding, and a curb-to-gate 100% digital passenger flow.
Mr. Cabrera is Vice-Chair of the ACI WORLD Facilitation & Services Standing Committee and member of the ACI LAC Security, IT & Services Standing Committee
Tunc Cavcav
Head of İGA Academy at İGA Istanbul Airport.Educated in the UK, Cavcav earned his master's degree in political economy from the London School of Economics, before returning to Turkey to secure his PhD in International Relations. Not limited to academia, Cavcav also holds a helicopter pilot's license.
Since 2021, he has served as the head of the academy at Istanbul Airport, where his diverse skills and knowledge have contributed to shaping the future of the aviation industry. Known for his intellectual prowess and commitment to excellence, Cavcav stands as a significant influencer in both academic and aviation circles.
Tunc Cavcav, in his role at iGA Academy, has quietly yet effectively played a vital part in the transformative journey of the institution, nurturing the talents of a 15,000-strong workforce while supporting their academic and career pathways.
With a humble approach, Cavcav has facilitated numerous global partnerships, contributing to the academy’s recognition as a significant player in the international training landscape. His efforts have helped iGA Academy to emerge as the second most international training delivering institution in Europe, as well as one of the top three global aviation organizations in terms of Secondees deployed.
Cavcav’s leadership, characterized by modesty and a deep commitment to excellence, has driven the academy to engage in various innovative initiatives. These include meaningful collaborations with 21 universities, as well as the implementation of sustainability projects that have garnered international accolades. The academy’s foreign languages school, too, has earned praise for its quality education, reflecting Cavcav’s dedication to holistic excellence.
At the heart of Cavcav’s leadership is a sincere commitment to fostering individual growth and contributing to the greater good of communities and the planet. His quiet yet impactful work continues to leave a positive mark on the aviation industry and education, demonstrating that humble leadership can indeed lead to transformative change.
James Cole
Global Head of Future Aviation at Mott MacDonald LimitedJames Cole is Mott MacDonald’s Global Head of Future Aviation, where he is focussed on identifying and forecasting future aviation trends and technology – sustainable aviation and environmentally managed growth, zero-carbon flight and advanced air mobility, aeropolitical and air transport policy development.
James represented Mott MacDonald on the UK’s FlyZero project, developing concept designs for hydrogen powered zero-carbon aircraft for the 2030s, where he was responsible for the commercial & market strategy and economic case.
Prior to joining Mott MacDonald in 2015, James was director at Airport Coordination Limited, responsible for slot allocation at some of the world’s busiest airports such as Heathrow and Dubai. His background is in airport management with the BAA Group and Heathrow, and as an aerospace engineer with Bombardier and DeHavilland.
Talal Darras
Senior Vice President, Strategic Risk Consulting Leader IMEA at MarshTalal is leading the Strategic Risk Consulting (SRC) Practice within Marsh Advisory for India, Middle East and Africa (IMEA). SRC covers Enterprise Risk Management, Business Resilience and Cyber Risk Consulting.
Talal led several Risk & Resilience projects across IMEA to raise organisation’s resilience maturity through effectively anticipating, responding and adapting to incremental change and disruptive events. He Implemented preventive and corrective controls to minimise Business Interruption and Operational Disruptions across multiple industries and geographies. Talal articulated global / regional and industry risks into organization specific C-Suite discussions, leading to identification and management of top corporate risks.
Before joining Marsh, Talal worked as Head of Business Continuity / Corporate Resilience at Dubai Airports. He implemented Business Continuity & Crisis Management System in line with ISO 22301 and other local standards following the PDCA cycle. He also conducted Corporate Risk Reviews related to incident / crisis management and operational disruption. Conducted Business Impact Analysis / Operational Impact Analysis, identified key BC Strategies and implemented Business Continuity Plans.
Extensive experience in:
Risk & Resilience Governance
Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Design and Implementation
Organizational / Operational Resilience
Disruption Management / Business Continuity Management
Emergency Response / Incident Management / Crisis Management
Cyber Security / Information Security
Supply Chain Risk & Resilience
Previous professional experience:
Head Airports Business Continuity & Corporate Resilience I Dubai Airports
Manager - Enterprise Risk Services I Deloitte & Touche M.E, Abu Dhabi
Senior Consultant I IT Risk & Assurance Services I Ernst & Young, Amman
Education:
Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems, Indiana University – Bloomington, IN, USA
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
Hisham S. Dekmak
Manager, Sales & Business Development, Middle East & Africa at TAV TechnologiesA senior consultant and subject matter expert with over 12 years of multifaceted experience encompassing technical, operational, and business proficiencies within the aviation sector. Throughout his career, he consistently demonstrated ability to optimize the functionality of operational IT systems and deliver value-added services that augment the efficiency and effectiveness of airport operations, both on the landside and airside.
His extensive hands-on background spans a comprehensive spectrum, featuring specialized expertise in the airport and airline operations domain. This expertise includes mastery of critical systems such as Airport Operational Database (AODB), Resource Management Systems (RMS), Flight Information Display Systems (FIDS), Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) implementation and integration, IATA Type B message telex parsing, data quality assurance, passenger tracking and monitoring solutions, software testing, as well as comprehensive technical and business support.
KJ Devasia
Assistant Vice President and Head - Enterprise Risk and Corporate Resilience at Bangalore International Airport LtdDr KJ Devasia is currently heading the Department of ‘Enterprise Risk & Corporate Resilience’ at Bangalore International Airports India holding the responsibilities of Corporate Resilience, Disaster Management, Aviation Emergency Management, Business Continuity, Enterprise Risk Management, and Airport Medical Service.
Dr Devasia, having more than 22 years of domain experience, has been integral part of construction and commissioning of the Terminal-1, Terminal-2, Runway-1, and the Runway-2 of Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru. He has been spearheading the fight against COVID-19 for the pan-airport organizations at the Airport.
He is the winner of the award ‘Continuity and Resilience Professional (Private Sector-INDIA) 2017’ by the Business Continuity Institute (BCI-UK); and recipient of the Karnataka Chief Minister’s Meritorious Award for Civil Defence and Disaster Management.
Besides his current role, he is:
Asia Pacific Regional Representative - ACI World Facilitation and Services Standing Committee
Co-chair - ACI Working Group for Airport Performances.
Member – IATA Aircraft Recovery Task Force
Chair - Aviation Council Think Tank under Business Continuity Institute, UK.
Dr Devasia has been a much sought-after Speaker; he has addressed more than 23 International Conferences in various countries, besides numerous national level conferences in India.
He can be contacted at: sajijacob123@gmail.com
Alfio Faro
Senior Partner at Studio FuksasAlfio Faro studied architecture in Rome and in New York at the Columbia University where he graduated in 2001. After several international experiences he joined the Fuksas Office in 2006. He is currently a Senior Partner and the Director of the Paris Office. During his 25 years experience he managed several projects among which the Shenzhen Bao’An Airport Terminal 3 (CH) the New Fontvieille Commercial Center in the Principality of Monaco , the National Archives in Pierrefitte /Paris (FR) the New Convention Center of EUR in Rome (IT) and the Armani 5th Avenue Flagship Store in New York (US). Alfio Faro’s interest in technology, sustainable materials, and innovative building techniques, is evident in his global experience and demonstrated by award winning projects with the Fuksas Office.
Aidan Flanagan
Director of Airport Capacity & Operations at ACI EUROPEAidan Flanagan is Director of Airport Capacity & Operations at ACI EUROPE. He is responsible for coordinating ACI EUROPE’s work on slot allocation and ensuring a strategic approach to airport capacity optimization alongside matters relating to airside operations, safety, air traffic management and operational performance. Aidan coordinates the work of Technical, Operations & Safety Committee (TOSC), and works closely with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), EUROCONTROL and European Commission.
Prior to joining ACI EUROPE, Aidan worked as Senior Policy Manager at CLECAT, the European Association for Forwarding, Transport, Logistics and Customs Services. Before that, he spent 5 years at Hill+Knowlton Strategies in Brussels, where his clients included Cathay Pacific and the Japanese International Transport Institute among others. During this time, he was also the appointed representative in Brussels of The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA). Other previous employers include Athenora Consulting and the European Commission (DG MOVE).
Aidan holds a B.A. (Hons) in European Studies & French from the University of Durham and an MSc (with distinction) in International & European Politics from the University of Edinburgh.
Fabio Gamba
Director General of Airport Services AssociationFabio is a seasoned manager in Air Transport, with more than 20 years in the industry.
He was born in 1970 in Geneva, Switzerland, and moved to Brussels in 2002, where he currently resides, with his wife and son. He graduated from the International Relations Institute in Geneva (IUHEI), Switzerland, and got an M.A. in International Relations at the University of Vienna, Austria. Prior to that, Fabio did a two-year apprenticeship of assistant Air Traffic Controller at Geneva airport.
He worked for different companies and trade associations, all related to air transport. He started his career at the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) upon his return to Geneva in the late 90s, then joined The Boeing Company as a Deputy Director Air Traffic Management in Brussels. He proceeded with the position of Deputy SG of the now defunct Association of European Airlines (AEA), before leading the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) during six years until 2016. He is currently managing two Associations in parallel, namely the Airline Catering Association (ACA) based in Belgium, and the Airport Services Association (ASA) based in Switzerland.
Next to his family and work, Fabio enjoys history books and essays, particularly on the Antiquity period. He is also a regular tennis player and a big fan of any sports that involves rackets.
Kirk Goodlet
Senior Director of InterVISTAS ConsultingKirk Goodlet is Senior Director at InterVISTAS Consulting. Prior to joining InterVISTAS, Kirk worked in the aviation industry for 10 years. Kirk has extensive experience in strategic planning, border and security facilitation, airport accessibility and barrier-free travel, biometric technologies, and passenger experience. Since 2018, Kirk has served on the ACI-World Facilitation and Services Standing Committee (WFSSC) where he co-leads working groups that focus on universal access, accessibility, and the future of travel. Kirk is also a member of Accessibility Standards Canada (ASC) Wayfinding and Signage Technical Committee, which is developing a standard based on universal design principles to enhance wayfinding at all airports, rail stations, and ports in Canada.
In addition to his work in the aviation sector, Kirk helped establish the Office of Biometrics and Identity Management (OBIM) as part of Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Kirk serves on the Board of Directors for Inclusion Winnipeg and is a champion of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). He holds a masters and PhD from the University of Waterloo and is a designated International Airport Professional (IAP) by Airports Council International (ACI) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Claus Grunow
Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Digitalization at FraportClaus Grunow is Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Digitalization at Fraport. He is responsible for transforming Fraport-Group into the digital age through various transformational initiatives. A great example is the Digital Factory framework which enables and accelerates the speed of innovation and digital transformation within the Group. This goes in line with his passions including innovation, digital transformation, and new mobility concepts, to name only a few.
Shivagami Gugan
Chief Technologist at Amazon Web ServicesDr. Shivagami Gugan is a Technologist and Aviation Specialist with extensive experience in transforming mission-critical systems to modern architectures. Having built Organizational strategies and led the Software Engineering and Infrastructure functions at the Emirates Group for more than two decades through modernizations, she derives inspiration when technology advancements are applied rightly to deliver business value. She is a pragmatic Technology Transformation Leader who seeks to apply Data Engineering, Machine Learning, AI, Reliability Engineering and Cloud Architecture for long-standing growth and sustainability. She is a DevOps Institute lead ambassador and Linux Foundation, lead author of the SRE practitioner and the Observability courses and principal speaker at international events. At Amazon Web Services, she is the Chief Technologist for Middle East, Turkey and Africa and a Digital Identity evangelist for Public Sector. Shivagami was awarded the "Woman of Excellence" by the Government of India for her outstanding contribution towards Technology Innovation and AI towards building the Nation.
Kazumi Hiraoka
General Manager, DX Development and Planning Department, Corporate Planning Division at Narita International Airport CorporationJoined New Tokyo International Airport Authority (predecessor to Narita International Airport Corporation) in April 1991, and originally involved in the operation and maintenance of Radio Navigation Facilities such as ILS, VOR and DME. Subsequently managed the operation and maintenance of LAN system at NRT.
In 2003, officially dispatched to The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ)
as an Exchange Program Trainee for two years. Conducted studies of airport security systems and deployment of IT facilities at three major airports (JFK, LGA and EWR) servicing New York area.
Upon return to Japan, designed the Airport Operation Center, a vital function necessary for the access and integration of widespread operational data in real time at NRT.
Participated in Survey Team for Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) in Vietnam on behalf of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). As an authorized Specialist Advisor for JICA,
provided operational and maintenance assistance for the original Terminal building.
Managed the deployment of several IT systems at NRT such as upgraded Digital Signage System, installing 100+ new monitors, and introduced an innovative Speech Recognition Translation System for the convenience of Chinese and English passengers.
Redeveloped and continually upgraded the Flight Information Display System (FIDS) that had been operational since NRT opening in 1978. Supervised installation of new Flight Information Boards in Terminal Arrival and Departure lobbies.
Olivier Jankovec
Director General of ACI EUROPEOlivier Jankovec became Director General of the European Region of the Airports Council International (ACI EUROPE) in September 2006. ACI EUROPE is the European region of Airports Council International (ACI), the only worldwide professional association of airport operators. ACI EUROPE represents over 500 airports in 55 countries. Our members facilitate over 90% of commercial air traffic in Europe. Air transport supports 13.5 million jobs, generating 886 billion in European economic activity (4.4% of GDP). In response to the Climate Emergency, in June 2019 our members committed to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions for operations under their control by 2050, without offsetting.
Olivier first joined ACI EUROPE in March 2006 as Director of Strategy & Communications. He has more than 25 years of governmental and lobbying experience, having worked for Alitalia (2002-2006), Air France (2000-2002) and the Air Transport Directorate of the European Commission (1994-2000).
Immediately prior to joining ACI EUROPE Olivier was the Director of Institutional Relations for Alitalia where he was in charge of governmental affairs at national, European and International levels. During this time, he was also Chair of the Association of European Airlines Policy Committee. In 2006 and 2007, he participated in the EU’s High-Level Group on the future of aviation regulation in Europe.
Jan Willem Kappes
Senior Vice President Global Sales at Assaia International AGJan Willem holds a Bachelor degree in International Business from Maastricht University and a Master degree in Air Transport Management from Cranfield University in England.
He has more than ten years of working experience in various positions in the aviation industry, primarily in the fields of operations optimization, artificial intelligence, airline distribution and aviation consulting. Jan Willem so far worked with more than 50 airlines and airports all around the world, always supporting them in facilitating cutting-edge technology to improve operations.
Before joining Assaia, Jan Willem worked in INFORM Software’s aviation division, for Hahn Air Lines and M2P Consulting!
Kashif Khalid
Regional Director - Africa & Middle East of International Air Transport AssociationKashif Khalid is Regional Director – Africa & Middle East for IATA’s Operations, Safety & Security division with a core focus on Airports, Passenger Experience, Cargo, Ground Operations, Security & Facilitation, providing leadership and advocacy with stakeholders to further IATA’s mission, projects, strategic partnerships, and industry standards.
Formerly he was Head of Assets & Acquisitions at Abu Dhabi Airports, leading the Global Airport development and M&A function for the UAE Government entity and its Sovereign Wealth Fund as well as the innovation, sustainability, and operations strategy for the UAE Airports portfolio.
He has advised global Airports, Governments and Airport Investors/Operators on both Greenfield and brownfield development projects, Operations Strategy, Commercial-Nonaeronautical revenue development, privatizations, public private partnerships in airports and associated infrastructure projects and concessions.
Earlier on in his professional career he has had the privilege of holding several senior executive positions in Aviation with Dubai Government, Abu Dhabi Government, Citi, and British Airways.
Kashif graduated Magna Cum Laude from New York Tech in International Business & Economics and holds an MS-IB as well from New York, USA. His professional credentials include an advanced degree in Airport Planning and Finance, IAP – International Airports Professional and the ACI - Airport Executive Leadership program (AELP). He is also a Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society (MRAeS)
SGK Kishore
Executive Director of Hyderabad International Airport LimitedMr SGK Kishore is an Electronics & Communications Engineer from Andhra University and holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay. A Rank holder during Engineering and a Gold Medalist during his Masters with a perfect-10 GPA, Mr Kishore’s illustrious career spans over 30 years across Government and Private sectors.
A 1989 Batch Officer of the elite Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Mr Kishore has held several important positions with the Government of India including:
-District Collector of Palakkad, Kerala
-Vice Chairman of Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA)
-South India Head for Food Corporation of India (FCI).
In 2006, Mr Kishore resigned from IAS and took up a senior leadership role with the GMR Group. Over the years, within GMR Group, he has been the CEO of major Urban Infra/SEZ & City Development projects. In 2013, he took over as CEO of GMR Hyderabad International Airport with overall responsibility for the unique Hyderabad Airport Eco-system spanning the airport, the Airport City and various allied businesses.
Under his leadership, Hyderabad airport has set milestones/benchmarks in growth, customer delight, operational excellence, technological innovations and environmental management e.g.:
-Amongst Top 3 airports globally in ACI ASQ for 9 consecutive years in 5-15 million annual passengers category, and ranked World No. 1 in 2016 & 2017
-1st airport in India to implement a unique end-to-end E-boarding solution & fully ‘paperless’ travel
through the airport for passengers using digital technologies such as Face Recognition
-1st airport in Asia-Pacific in its size category to attain ‘Carbon Neutral’ status
From June 2020, Mr Kishore took on the role of Executive Director and Chief Innovation Officer for GMR Airports, overseeing the functioning of Hyderabad and other GMR airport sector assets across South India and also leading the innovation efforts across GMR Airports under the ‘GMR Innovex’ banner.
Mr Kishore is a director on the board of several GMR Group companies operating across the aviation value chain in sectors such as Air Cargo, Duty Free and Hospitality. He is also a member of the Airports Council International (ACI) World Governing Board and the First Vice-President of ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Board. He is also on the Governing Board of the Association of Private Airport Operators (APAO), India. Mr Kishore is also a key member of the Digital Cell formed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India to drive the ‘DigiYatra’ initiative focused on formulating National Policy and Standards for supporting New Technology adoption at Airports.
Benjamin Kloss
Director of Plug And Play Abu DhabiEducation
08/2015 - 08/2017 M.Sc. Economics, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
07/2016 - 01/2017 M.Sc. Economics, Boston College, United States
08/2013 - 06/2014 San Francisco State University, USA
10/2011 - 08/2015 B.Sc. Economics, University of Heidelberg
08/2001 - 06/2010 Abitur, Hegel-Gymnasium Stuttgart Vaihingen, Germany
Practical Experience
Since 07/2023 Director, Plug and Play Abu Dhabi
11/2019 - 06/2023 Director, Plug and Play Austria
09/2017 - 10/2019 Ventures Associate at STARTUP AUTOBAHN
04/2015 - 10/2015 Internship Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG
10/2014 – 04/2015 Student Assistant, University of Heidelberg
03/2014 - 08/2014 Student Assistant, University of Heidelberg
08/2010 - 06/2011 TTHA, Melbourne, Australia
Charu Kokate
Senior Partner at Safdie ArchitectsCharu Kokate is a Senior Partner at Safdie Architects and the Director of the firm’s Singapore office. She leads the global design firm’s efforts in Asia and is an advocate for civic-minded design. Charu has spearheaded ground-breaking projects including Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort, Sky Habitat Residential Towers, and Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore.
Charu is integral to realizing and delivering complex projects which fully embody their original design intent. She connects, empowers and enables clients, contractors, and consultants—from project inception through completion.
An active mentor to emerging industry professionals, Charu has a special interest in helping women in design shape their professional growth. In addition to public talks and lectures, Charu is an active mentor of young professionals, and is often seen as a keynote speaker, and design judge both internationally, and in Singapore where she is based.
On behalf of Safdie Architects, she is a two-time recipient of Singapore’s President’s Design Award for the firm’s work on Marina Bay Sands (Design of the Year, 2011) and Jewel Changi Airport (Design of the Year, 2020).
Ghassan Kosta
General Manager at Google CloudAs a senior leader at Google Cloud, Ghassan Kosta's expertise and leadership have been instrumental in managing the Cloud Enterprise Business across Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman. Joining Google Cloud in 2020 as General Manager, Ghassan has been driving step-change growth through strategic partnerships and initiatives in the Gulf region.
With over 20 years of IT experience in the Enterprise Field, including roles at EMC and Dell Technologies, Ghassan's market experience and successful team management have paved the way for major digital transformation projects across the region
Jérôme Lepage
Marketing & Business Development Director of JCDecauxIn 2009, Jérôme Lepage joined JCDecaux as Marketing Director of SAMDecaux - JV of JCDecaux with Shanghai Airports.
In 2012 he was appointed Marketing & Business Development Director for JCDecaux International Transport Division. Reporting directly to Jean-Charles Decaux, he is responsible for the Group’s transport-based activities and advertising in airports, metros, trains, buses and tramways. He is responsible, in particular, for speeding up and structuring the Digital transformation with a view to expanding JCDecaux’s range of products and services to meet the expectations of both the airport and transport authorities and their customers. It includes the airport data&audience strategy and its development in the different JCDecaux Transport Business Units.
From 2017 to 2019, Jérôme was also Vice-President of the Commercial Forum of ACI Europe (Airports Council International).
Lei Xinghua
Vice President of Enterprise Optical Business Domain at HuaweiLei Xinghua joined Huawei in 2005 and has served as an optical network solution engineer, project director, development director, and industry director. He has accumulated extensive experience in product R&D, marketing, and end-to-end optical solutions for enterprises. Now, he is in charge of Huawei Optical Business Product Line's work in the transportation and finance industries around the world.
Pablo Lopez Loeches
Head of Ideation & Entrepreneurship Division at AenaCurrently Head of Ideation & Entrepreneurship Division at Aena, responsible for Aena Ventures, Innova Program, Technological Surveillance team and innovative proofs of concept. He has been working in the company for more than seven years in the innovation and customer experience unit and participating in the digital transformation, customer centricity and sustainable development of Aena airports. He is also the Chairman of the ACI Europe Innovation Forum. Previously, he worked at Airbus
Stine Marsal
Regional Director of Hidden Disabilities Sunflower- The PAX Journey Experience: Accessibility as a key component to the human engineering of an airport space
- New Paths to Accessibility for People with Disabilities
Stine Marsal, is a trailblazer in the realm of customer experience, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion. Formerly the Service Excellence Director for Copenhagen Airport for seven impactful years, Stine pioneered the introduction of the Sunflower making it possible for staff and passengers to make their invisible disability visible. With a profound commitment to airport customer experience management and reducing barriers to access and inclusion, Stine has been instrumental in implementing the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower across all major Danish airports. Her expertise extends beyond aviation, having assisted over 400 diverse companies, from public transport providers to tourist attractions, in creating more accessible and inclusive environments. She is poised to share compelling insights and real-world examples that illuminate the transformative power of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower for both passengers and staff.
Apart from being an independent CX consultant she is also Nordic and German Regional Director for The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower,
Clive McNabb
Airport Digitalisation Lead at NACO, Netherlands Airport ConsultantsClive McNabb has more than 20 years' aviation experience, working together with airlines and handling agents both in operational, IT and consultancy roles. He currently holds the position of Airport Digitalization Lead within the Smart Aviation team at NACO.
Previously, Clive worked for more than 7 years in an international business development role, with an OEM supplying passenger security and baggage handling solutions.
Clive is actively pursuing new interesting sustainable business models, evolving from the introduction of new fuels and aircraft to how data and digital solutions will inform and support aviation stakeholders as a result.
Emmanuel Menanteau
Area Director, United States, Northern & Eastern Europe and South-East Asia of VINCI Airports; President of ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle EastFollowing many experiences abroad, Emmanuel Menanteau joined VINCI Airports in 2011 as CEO of Cambodia Airports.
In 2016, he was appointed as Co-Chief Executive Officer, Kansai Airports and Representative Director. He became Asia Area Director in 2018, and Area Director for Northern and Eastern Europe and South-East Asia in July 2019. In 2021, he also became Director for United States.
A graduate from the School of International Relations and the Paris Institute of Economics and Commerce, Mr. Menanteau started his career at Sextant Avionique where he held a range of positions as Sales and Marketing Manager, then as Head of the company's office in India. In 2004, he joined France's Thales, a world leading company for Defence, Transports and Aerospace markets, as Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, based in Singapore and then in China from 2010. In 2022, he became President of ACI Asia-Pacific as well as member of ACI World Governing Board.
Rana Nawas
Partner, Transportation & Services at Oliver WymanRana is a Partner in Oliver Wyman’s Transportation and Services Practice in Abu Dhabi. An Oxford graduate with 22 years of professional experience, she is passionate about solving problems in complex environments.
Rana’s path has been shaped by two key traits: optimism and infinite curiosity. One might say that her current role with Oliver Wyman is a culmination of various strands of her career coming together. As a multilingual global citizen, she has created trust-based relationships across the planet and helped realize global-scale projects. Rana’s engineering degree taught her how to solve complex problems, experiment, analyze and iterate. Her early career as a government strategist exposed her to different sectors of the economy and the public sector decision-making process.
Spending over a decade at the world’s largest aircraft lessor Rana developed deep expertise in the Middle East & African aviation industry. For a few years, Rana was also a solopreneur and consultant to help corporations become more inclusive. Most recently, she was Chief Revenue Officer for a logistics software company, helping to solve real-world infrastructure problems.
Just because something has not yet been done, doesn't mean it cannot be done. Maybe it's your unique combination of capabilities that is required to crack it.
In parallel to her career trajectory, Rana is a diversity, equity, and inclusion trailblazer on a mission to help women win. She has run several businesswomen networks and in 2017 created a chart-topping podcast called When Women Win, a show where female role models from diverse backgrounds share their inspirational stories and practical tools for success. The podcast is listened to in 183 countries, is a media partner of UN Women, is aired on all Emirates Airlines flights, and has been featured on CNN.
Daniel O'neill
Regional Manager (Middle East) at SkyportsDaniel is Regional Manager (Middle East) for Skyports, the leading enabler for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). He is responsible for leading the business in the Middle East, where his focus is on advancing the delivery of Skyports’ ambitious projects and expanding the company’s presence in the region.
Skyports builds and operates take-off and landing infrastructure for air taxis, and partners with world-class electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle manufacturers to enable safe, sustainable and efficient cargo and passenger flight operations within urban and suburban environments.
Luis Felipe de Oliveira
Dirctor General at ACI WorldLuis Felipe de Oliveira has led Airports Council International (ACI) World as Director General since June 2020, applying his vast experience in commercial and technical aviation. He firmly believes that aviation has a crucial role to playin fostering social and economic growth worldwide and is committed to helping ACI members and business partners sustainably recover from the impact of the pandemic.
Luis Felipe’s career in aviation began with IATA, Geneva, after serving 12 years at Shell(Latin America and Europe), to lead fuel and airport campaigns, in collaboration with governments, oil companies, fuel service providers and airports for diverse world regions. His tenure at IATA lasted a decade before he joined the World Fuel Services as Vice President of Supply Development for Latin America and Caribbean. Prior to joining ACI World, Luis Felipe successfully led the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (2017-2020), where he led a complete restructuring of the organization. This enabled it to be more effective and efficient, attracting members and strategic partners to support industry development in the region.
He is a Chemical Engineer from Catholic University, Rio de Janeiro, with a postgraduate degree in Finance, University of São Paulo, an MBA from Dom Cabral Foundation, São Paulo, and Post MBA from Kellogg University, Chicago.
Luis Felipe is a Board Member in Cirium and Advisor Board Member in Honeywell. He serves on the Board of the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) and is particularly dedicated to the sustainability of the sector.
Giulio Ranucci
Head of innovation & Digital at Aeroporti di RomaCreative and innovative mindset able to wear multiple hats, liaise effectively with communication, marketing and IT combined with the ability to help launch a new product/service and scale a team. Expert in digital transformation & Innovation tech passionate combined with a data driven entrepreneurial mindset; used to work with intercultural & international contexts.
Start team of first private high-speed operator in Europe Italo, digital transformation of the main state owned financial group CDP now head of Innovation & Digital to ensure cutting edges services and technologies in the airports of Rome.
Shalini Rao
Chief Marketing Officer at Bangalore International Airport LimitedShalini is a highly skilled and accomplished professional with a diverse range of experiences and expertise in teaching, consulting, leadership assessment, coaching, and marketing. Her current role at BIAL as CMO and leader of the Diversity and Inclusion initiative, and as a board member of the CSR Foundation of the company, gives her the opportunity to create memorable brand stories, make the workspace more inclusive, and enable employees and partners to get more involved for a social change.
With a focus on building businesses and giving customers an exceptional experience, Shalini has worked across industries and at various organisations – both national and international. As a member of leadership teams since 2004, she has a broad understanding of businesses and is a seasoned marketeer with sharp business acumen.
What makes Shalini an influential voice as a woman leader is her expertise in the marketing domain. She has driven brand establishment and growth across multiple industries and geographies by adopting a customer-first (internal and external) approach with particular emphasis on differentiation, creative communication, and customer delight. She has worked with brands such as the Taj Group, TetraPak India, Mars India, Gillette India, Marico, Captain Cook, and McKinsey & Company, in various roles including leadership positions, where she brought a holistic business perspective to the table. Some of the highlights of her career are relaunching the Taj Inner Circle consumer loyalty programme, creating and implementing India market entry strategies for Pedigree and building brand and segment strategies for Braun, Saffola Extensions, and Captain Cook.
As a team leader, Shalini's ability to balance performance standards and metrics with a traditional coaching style even as she encourages collaboration among those she works with portrays her strong leadership skills and interpersonal abilities. She is a manager who thinks coaching is a powerful way to promote learning.
Shalini has continuously improved her skill sets to succeed at what she does and stays up to date. As a certified NLP Practitioner and Coach, an Emotional Intelligence Coach and a leadership assessor, Shalini is a well-rounded leader and marketing professional. She is currently enrolled for the Senior Executive Leadership Program at Cornell.
With such a rich experience, it didn’t come as a surprise when Shalini was chosen as one of Asia’s 100 Women Power Leaders 2023 by White Page International. She has also been recognised by ABP News as one of India's top marketing influencers in 2021 and Portrait Businesswoman listed her as one of the top LinkedIn users to follow in 2022.
Thomas Romig
Vice President Safety, Security and Operations at ACI WorldThomas Romig joined Airports Council International (ACI) in November 2020 as Vice President Safety, Security and Operations. He heads up all advocacy efforts and programme areas related to airport operations – ranging from Airside Safety, Airport Capacity and Slots, through to Facilitation and Security and across into Innovation and IT.
Prior to this, he held a number of senior leadership positions at Geneva Airport in Switzerland, both in Safety and then Operations where among his multiple functions he was in charge of the development of the Airport Operations Center, the day-to-day management of airport operations and all the master planning activities.
Over the years he has been strongly involved in ICAO and EASA regulatory activities as a representative of the airport’s community through ACI. He still very much involved in ICAO Regulatory affairs and developments and the nominated ACI Observer on the ICAO Air Navigation Commission and a multitude of other ICAO groups.
Antoine Rostworowski
Senior Vice President, Programmes and Commercial Services at ACI WorldMr. Rostworowski is Senior Vice President at Airports Council International (ACI) World. He graduated from Université de Montréal in Business and Marketing at H.E.C. (Hautes Études Commerciales). In 2010 he received an Executive Certificate in Strategy and Innovation from the MIT Sloan School of Management. He has over 30 years of airline/airport experience at senior level with Canada 3000 Airlines, Air Canada, Aéroports de Montréal, in Operations, Marketing, IT, passenger & baggage processing, self-service, innovation, change management, non-aeronautical revenues, and Finance.
He joined ACI World in early 2015 and his responsibilities include executive strategic planning, commercial services and business development, Airports Accreditations Programs, airport assessments (APEX) and advisory services, communications and marketing, and global world events.
Stefan J. Rüter
SVP Controlling and Financial Planning at FraportStefan J. Rüter, born 1972, is SVP Group Controlling and Financial Planning at Fraport. The German based Fraport Group is one of the leading players in the global airport business with an airport portfolio of 31 airports that spans four continents and offers a wide range of operational and management solutions. From 2017 till end of 2021, Stefan was Chief Financial Officer at Oman Airports Group. The group majorly owns and operates seven airports in the Sultanate. In addition to the airport businesses, Oman Airports owns and operates Oman Groundhandling as well as Transom SATS Cargo, a premiere cargo operation handler. Before joining Oman Airports, Stefan was already SVP Finance and Investor Relations at Fraport. At the very beginning of his career Stefan completed a bank training and graduated as Master in International Finance and Law. After earning his degree, Stefan started in 1999 at Continental AG, a German blue chip automotive supplier, first in Corporate Finance and later in Investor Relations.
Sara Sabt
Director Risk Management of Gulf Air GroupSara is a Director in Gulf Air Group Holding Company (GFG) Executive Office. She has significant experience Enterprise Risk Management, Business Continuity Management, Information Security Management and Quality Management. She also works on compliance projects such as designing ESG framework and obtaining organization wide accreditations such as ISO certifications and other accreditations. Added to that, Sara plays a major role in incidents and accidents investigation.
Sara has over 13 years’ experience in Risk, Business Continuity, Information Security and Compliance Management. During her career, Sara designed risk registers and heatmaps, developed business continuity plans, disaster recovery plans and crisis management plans. She has successfully designed and implemented a wide range of management systems in line with international standards including ISO 27001/2, 20000, 9001, 22301, 45001, 14001, 37301, 31000, 55001 for several organizations operating in industries such as aviation, government, banking, retail and education and other accreditations including Skytrax COVID-19 five-star rating, ACI Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) and safeguard label for Bahrain Airport Company and Bahrain International Airport.
Sara is an International Airport Professional (IAP), a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Project Management Professional (PMP), ISO 37301 Lead Implementer and ISO 55001 Lead Auditor. She holds a Bachelor of Business Information Systems degree from University of Bahrain.
Seokhyun Son
Senior researcher at Incheon International Airport CorporationSeokhyun received his PhD degree in Computer Science, with a focus on Data Science.
Seokhyun is currently working in Incheon international airport corporation in Korea, as a Senior researcher, Big data engineers, metaverse and digital transformation strategists.
Seokhyun worked in Hana financial group in Korea, as a Deputy General Manager, Credit Scoring System engineers.
Seokhyun also worked in Korea Electronic Technology Institute in Korea, as a Researcher, IoT Platform engineers.
Research interest : Extended Reality, Digital Twin, Digital Transformation
Ada Tse
Director, Business Development and Marketing of Hong Kong International Aviation Academy LimitedMs. Tse is the Director, Business Development and Marketing of the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy (HKIAA) as well as the HKIA Consultancy, subsidiary companies of the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK).
With over 30 years of experience in the aviation industry in Hong Kong, Ms. Tse has held various positions in the Civil Aviation Department of the Hong Kong Government, Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co. Ltd. and AAHK.
In the 13 years with the AAHK, Ms. Tse has held senior positions in Terminal Operations and Airfield Operations with responsibilities ranging from day to day airport operations to Aeronautical Revenue Management, Aerodrome Licensing and Operational Staff Training and Certification. She was also involved in the management and business development of Zhuhai Airport in China under the joint venture agreement between AAHK and the Zhuhai Municipal Government.
Prior to joining HKIAA, Ms. Tse was the Deputy Director General of the Asia-Pacific Region of the Airports Council International (ACI Asia-Pacific) where she had the mandate to promote airports’ excellent practices and to advance airports’ interests.
Ms. Tse was a voluntary member of the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force where she was awarded an Air Efficiency Award and had a Private Pilot Licence issued in Hong Kong.
Ms. Tse has a Bachelor Degree in Laws with the University of London and Master Degree in Aviation Management with the University of Massey, New Zealand.
David Wilson
Managing Partner - Aviation at Dublin Airport Authority InternationalDavid has spent almost 30 years in the aviation industry, following several years serving in the British Army.
David spent 13 years in the Rescue & Firefighting Service at Edinburgh and Glasgow airport prior to moving discipline into Airside Operations in 2006 and was appointed Head of Airside Operations at London Gatwick in 2008.
During his time at Gatwick, he managed major organizational change, such as the sale of Gatwick from BAA to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) in December 2009.
David became Chief Operating Officer at Edinburgh Airport in June 2012 following the sale of the airport from BAA to GIP. He left Edinburgh Airport in August 2015 to set up his own business, providing consultancy services to the aviation sector, however, he moved back into Airport Operations in May 2016 when he joined Mumbai International Airport as Chief Operating Officer.
David was Group COO at Oman Airports from June 2017 to June 2022 and was accountable for the ORAT programme and preparedness for the future operation of New Muscat International Airport. He was also responsible for the strategic plan for operating all civil airports in the Sultanate of Oman.
David joined Dublin Airport Authority International (daa International) in June 2022 as Managing Partner – Aviation. He leads a team of subject matter experts, supporting daa International teams on various projects, across several global locations.
David is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, studied Tourism and Destination Leadership at Edinburgh Napier University and has represented ACI at many industry stakeholder working groups on matters relating to Airport Acquisitions, Airport Operations, Air Traffic Management, and the Licensing of Aerodromes.
Hyung-Kyu Woo
Senior Manager of Advanced Air Mobility Office at Korea Airports CorporationMr. Woo is Senior Manager of Advanced Air Mobility Office at Korea Airports Corporation.
Since 2020, He has been dedicated to developing AAM business strategies, infrastructure (Vertiport) & AAM airspace design. In the early stages of preparation for AAM, he was in charge of a South Korea AAM feasibility study.
As a member of UAM Team Korea, Mr.Woo has been committed to a vertiport W.G. and contributed to setting up the Korean government's “Vertiport Design Guidance” in 2021. He is currently spearheading a Korean government-led AAM demonstration project (K-UAM Grand Challenge) in the vertiport operation field. Since 2022, he has been leading an AAM Airspace W.G. and involved in the legislation of Korean AAM regulations.
For AAM Business, Mr. Woo is taking the lead in Jeju Island AAM business, particularly for business strategy and sustainable business model.
Korea Airports Corporation (KAC) has been operating 14 airports in Korea and managing ATM system for 43 years. Based on its diverse experience and expertise, KAC is expanding its business into AAM. As part of its effort, the airport operator is actively collaborating with SK Telecom-Joby Aviation and Hanwha systems to promote AAM business in South Korea