Jose Abad

José Abad is an economist with expertise in macroeconomic analysis, banking, energy, and climate issues. He is currently a senior advisor at Oliver Wyman financial services and risk practices in Europe; a consultant at the IFC’s World Bank Group Global Markets & Research department in Washington, D.C.; a member of the advisory board of the Instituto Hermes Foundation; an economics professor at ICADE; and an independent non-executive board member of REDEIA in Madrid, Spain. A publicly listed company, the REDEIA Group controls both REE (Spain’s transmission system operator) and Hispasat (Spain’s largest satellite operator). Before that, he worked for the IMF’s Monetary and Capital Markets department, Goldman Sachs’s Global Investment Research division, Moody’s Sovereign Risk Group, and the UniCredit’s CIB Research division in Washington, D.C., London, and Frankfurt. From 2012–2015 he worked for the Spanish government as chief economist of the Instituto de Crédito Oficial, Spain’s national development bank. José graduated from the Advanced Studies Program in international economics at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in Germany and holds a dual licenciatura in law and finance from ICADE in Madrid, Spain.

H.E. Saeed Al Nazari

H.E. Saeed Al Nazari spearheads transformational projects and creative affairs at the Executive Office of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Dubai. He also leads the Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development and serves as secretary-general of the Great Arab Minds initiative. Saeed has over 13 years of experience in strategic policy development and strategic project management, previously serving as director general of the Federal Youth Authority, executive director of Youth Affairs at the UAE prime minister’s office, and chief strategy officer of the Arab Youth Center. Saeed has led around 50 national projects and 30+ teams. He sits on the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals and was formerly a member on the Board of Directors of Emirates Schools Establishment, the national SMEs Board, Emirates Council for Advanced Skills, the Quality of Life Council, Digital Quality of Life Council, and the National Human Resources Development Fund Management Committee. He also led the Youth Committee of the GCC and was a member of the Youth Committee of The Arab League and the Global Shapers of the World Economic Forum. Currently a member of the UAE Government Leadership Program, Saeed was also a member of the first Emirates Youth Council and was appointed a global innovation ambassador at the Global Innovation Management Institute. Saeed holds a master's degree in leadership and corporate entrepreneurship and a B.A. in business administration and human resources management from the Higher Colleges of Technology in Dubai. He also graduated from the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program at New York University in foreign policy and the professional management studies program at Cambridge University and studied strategy and planning at the London Business School.

Noura Al Neyadi

Noura Al Neyadi is an Emirati creative visual storyteller, anthropologist, and philanthropist. She roams the planet telling stories of many nations. leveraging unique perspectives and creative treatments. She enjoys bringing passion, energy, and creativity to her approach to managing projects and creating content. Noura has spent her career so far learning a lot about a lot of things: she earned her bachelor's degree in health sciences and organic chemistry, then worked on safety systems for border control in the Arabian Sea for four years, then earned her master’s degree in international business, trade, and commerce from Zayed University. In 2020, She started work for the Abu Dhabi government media office, where she is a full-time strategist and content creator.

Renée Beckoff

Renée Beckoff joined Bridgewater in 2019 as senior counsel, working to support initiatives driven by executive leadership, including the transition of control from the firm’s founder to the operating board of directors. Renée now acts as legal advisor to the Board. During her time at Bridgewater, she has established a pro bono program, taken on a leadership role in the firm’s Hispanic-Latinx affinity network, and represented the legal department on the company’s DEI Council. Prior to Bridgewater, Renée spent six years as an associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, where she was part of the Latin America practice group and worked from both the New York and Buenos Aires offices. She also held several roles focused on assisting immigrants seeking status in the U.S., including as an intern for the Immigration Project at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, volunteer child advocate with the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, and Judicial Extern with Chicago’s Executive Office of Immigration Review. Additionally, Renée – who holds an A.B. in international relations and Hispanic studies from Brown University and a J.D. from The University of Chicago Law School – spent a year in Toluca, Mexico, through a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship.

Dr. Travis Bias

Dr. Travis Bias is a board-certified family medicine physician who has practiced medicine in the U.S., taught medicine in East Africa, and taught comparative global health systems and global health diplomacy for the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. He is currently chief medical officer of the Clinician Solutions business housed within 3M’s Health Information Systems Division, where he drives clinical strategy and advises on the implementation of technological tools that improve physician efficiencies within the electronic health record. During his first two years with 3M, he served in a clinical operations consulting role bolstering hospital efficiencies. Travis’ interest in strengthening health systems began with targeting shortages of human resources for health. This led to teaching stints in central Kenya, in Kabarak University’s new family medicine residency program, and then in Mbale, Uganda, at Busitema University’s Faculty of Health Sciences, as part of a public-private partnership between the U.S. Peace Corps and Seed Global Health. His experiences have highlighted the importance of leadership and good governance for health, so he and his partner, Ashley, are active members of Human Rights Watch’s San Francisco Committee. Ultimately, he aims to continue positively impacting health systems through diplomacy.

David Boman

David Boman is a career international government affairs professional with experience collaborating with businesses and governments across the globe. He currently works at Intuitive, a global leader in robotic-assisted surgery, where he provides advice and counsel associated with the company’s global policy environment and manages corporate engagement with a diverse set of government agencies, trade associations, and other stakeholders associated with international markets. Previously he worked for PwC’s Hong Kong-based regional marketing and communications team, where he supported Asia Pacific market- and multilateral forum-focused policy engagement, thought leadership, and media relations initiatives. He also spent several years at the National Center for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, a trade association focused on U.S. business engagement in the forum as well as policy advocacy in Washington, D.C., and several Asian and Latin American countries. David has a master's in advanced studies in international affairs from University of California San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy and a bachelor's in history and sociology from Vanderbilt University. His interests include team leadership and management, as well as building partnerships between different types of organizations that create a positive impact on societal, economic, and health-related challenges.

5McPherson

Giulia McPherson is the director of advocacy and operations at Jesuit Refugee Service/USA. She has 20 years of leadership experience in the humanitarian and development sectors and currently leads JRS/USA’s policy and advocacy portfolio, community engagement program to educate and mobilize advocates, and institutional operations. Prior to joining JRS/USA in 2015, Giulia was with CARE USA for over 10 years. She has a bachelor's in political science from Villanova University and a master's in international development studies from George Washington University. She serves as chair of the board of directors for Educate2Envision International, chair of the board of directors for AMP Global Youth, and member of the board of directors for Magis Americas.

5Muthal

Kiran Muthal is a management consultant at EY in Amsterdam, working at the intersection of finance and technology in top global financial institutions. He specializes in financial risk and closely follows geopolitics, technology, and ethics as a part of his job profile and personal interest. He has strong cultural awareness, developed by living and working on three continents. Apart from his primary job, Kiran also acts as an advisor for a tech startup at a top Dutch university and as a research analyst at another Dutch university. He is interested in learning how public-private partnership can help to build sustainable and inclusive financial systems.

5Naimer

Karen Naimer is director of programs at Physicians for Human Rights (PHR). She oversees all strategic initiatives within PHR’s program division, including responses to conflict-related sexual violence, torture, mass atrocities, excessive force, and attacks on healthcare. She supervises all projects pertaining to research and investigations, capacity development and training, advocacy, digital tools and technologies, and the development of innovative standards and best practices for survivor-centered, trauma-informed forensic evidence collection, documentation, and preservation to support accountability. She has worked in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Iraq, Ukraine, and Syria. Her global teams include medical, law enforcement, and legal professionals based in the U.S., East and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Karen was the founding director of PHR’s Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones. She has more than 20 years of experience in international criminal law, international humanitarian law, and human rights law. Karen holds a B.A. from McGill University, an M.A. in international relations from the University of Toronto, a J.D. from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, and an LL.M. in international legal studies from New York University School of Law.

5Norton

Logan Norton currently serves as an export policy analyst for the Bureau of Industry and Security’s (BIS) Regulatory Policy Division at the Department of Commerce. He specializes in writing regulations pertaining to the Nuclear Supplier Group and Australia Group multilateral export control regime changes, Section 1758 technologies, and end-user controls. Before coming to BIS, he obtained a master’s in public policy from the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. His graduate degree concentrated on foreign and economic policy. While obtaining his graduate degree, he interned with the Clinton Foundation’s Clinton Global Initiative. He obtained a bachelor’s from East Tennessee State University, majoring in political science and minoring in mathematics and physics. When he is not working, you can find Logan taking walks around the District of Columbia, reading in cafés, or spending time with friends.

5O'Connell

Kristen O’Connell manages governance and partnerships at the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), a global fund dedicated to preventing violent extremism. Based in Geneva, Kristen manages GCERF's partnerships, including public and private sector engagement, and GCERF governance, including ethics-related policies and board relations. She served as a fellow for the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Humanitarian System. Previously, Kristen managed digital marketing and communications for financial services companies in New York. Kristen has an M.Phil. in international peace studies from Trinity College Dublin.

5Oyelade

Adebisi Oyelade is a senior counsel in the World Bank Group (WBG) with substantial experience in international law, business ethics, compliance, and labor and employment law. He currently works in the WBG Ethics and Business Conduct Department where he conducts misconduct reviews and advises WBG staff on compliance with WBG rules and policies. He also works on policy development to mitigate risk for the WBG and raise awareness on ethical issues. Prior to joining the WBG, Adebisi spent several years as an attorney in Nigeria specializing in labor and employment law litigation. He has extensive litigation experience representing multinationals in trial and appellate courts, as well as dispute tribunals. Adebisi obtained an LL.B. from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, and an LL.M. from Washington College of Law, American University. He is licensed to practice law in Nigeria and New York.

5Quesenberry

Carmen Jane Quesenberry is currently the senior export policy analyst for the End-User Review Committee Chair Office in the Bureau of Industry and Security at the U.S. Department of Commerce. She has served in the U.S. Army Reserves for more than 18 years, currently serving as the intelligence officer (G2) and sexual assault response coordinator (SARC) at the 87th Training Division in Birmingham, Alabama. Carmen has enjoyed serving with the Army in several locations including Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and South Korea. She previously worked with the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps in Germany, South Korea, and Virginia and with the Navy JAG at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in Virginia. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in English and psychology and a master's degree in criminal justice from Radford University. She obtained her J.D. and LL.M. in homeland and national security from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School and is licensed in the state of Michigan. Carmen is passionate about assisting veterans with benefits and volunteering in Veteran’s Treatment Courts as well as working to improve Army programs such as the Sexual Harassment Assault Response Prevention program. She also enjoys traveling, singing, writing, and running.

5Rubio

Juliana Rubio is a program manager with the Americas Program at CSIS. She joined the Americas Program in December 2021. She is passionate about international development and has over 10 years of experience working with nongovernmental organizations, international governmental organizations, and the private sector. Before joining CSIS she was the senior program coordinator for the Andean region at the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs. She has also worked as a research and evaluation specialist at Fundación Capital in Colombia, conducted multiple consultancies for NGOs and social impact organizations, and worked for four years at the International Monetary Fund. She has done fieldwork and research in countries such as Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Dominican Republic, and in Gaziantep, Turkey. Juliana has a B.A. in government and politics from the University of Maryland and an M.A. in international development from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

5Saleh

Dr. Muhammed Saleh obtained his medical degree in Nigeria and his master’s degree in public health in Cameroon. He obtained an additional master’s degree in business management from the UK. In 2015, he attended the civic leadership track of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders at Tulane University. He was involved in student activism and rose to the position of president of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Medical Students Association during his undergraduate days. In 2014, he volunteered and led the first emergency response that provided socio-medical care to teenagers who escaped the captivity of insurgents (Boko Haram) in the north-eastern part of Nigeria, which garnered international attention by the humanitarian crisis community to provide essential life-saving services to vulnerable and displaced populations in Nigeria. He is a recipient of several local and international awards including the ambassador’s recognition as the distinguished locally employed staff of the United States Mission in Nigeria. Muhammed is a fellow of both Public Health Emergency Management, CDC Atlanta, and Chartered Institute of Leadership and Governance, New Mexico. He is married with two kids.

5Tayama

Eri Tayama is a humanitarian practitioner with over six years of experience in the sector. She is based in Islamabad, Pakistan, as a program officer with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). She leads mental health and psychosocial support programming and coordinates UNHCR’s efforts to protect refugees and displaced persons from sexual exploitation and abuse in the course of humanitarian interventions. She is frequently engaged in policy formulation in the support of Afghan refugees and others in need and enjoys furthering her understanding of the realities of policy implementation. Eri started her career at the Japanese Red Cross Society where she developed the strategic direction of the organization’s humanitarian responses. Through missions in Bangladesh, South Sudan, Lebanon, and Ukraine, she supported partner national societies’ emergency response by undertaking needs assessments, designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating. Eri later worked with UNICEF where she coordinated headquarter’s support for country offices to prepare for emergencies and scale up humanitarian response in Afghanistan, Syria, and Yemen. She also assisted the organization’s strategic engagement with high-level coordination mechanisms, donors, and member states. She holds master's degrees in international affairs and public health from Columbia University and a bachelor's degree in global political economy from Waseda University.

5Usman

Dr. Samuel Usman is a medical doctor trained in the renowned Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria. He holds public health degrees from Stellenbosch University in South Africa. He has over 21 years of experience in public health; clinical service delivery in infectious diseases; maternal, newborn, and child health; and health systems strengthening. He is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School executive leadership course, a Harvard-trained HIV specialist, member of theAmerican Academy of HIV Medicine, and WHO=certified consultant in TB-HIV care and treatment. Since 2014, he has been the secretariat director of CORE Group Partners Project, a USAID-funded project supporting Nigeria’s polio eradication effort and global health security. Samuel has worked for NGOs like Abt Associates, Catholic Relief Services, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Institute of Human Virology, and Family Health International amongst others. He has consulted for several organizations including the Nigerian legislature. He authored articles for the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene amongst others. Samuel is a Rotarian, Rotary major donor, and past president of a Rotary Club which won the Rotary Gold Citation award. He has held several positions in Rotary District 9125. He loves reading, music, and travel.

5Vakili

Valla Vakili is a digital executive and entrepreneur with a record of delivering product innovation and revenue growth in rapidly changing industries. He combines creative vision and business acumen to enable businesses to anticipate and adapt to changing markets and opportunities. At Visa, Valla heads the company’s global network of innovation centers, leading the development of next-generation products and solutions for clients and partners worldwide. Before joining Visa, Valla was managing director and head of Citi Ventures Studio, where he developed award-winning digital products and built new practices in blockchain and digital assets, public-private innovation, and technology and racial equity. Valla also co-founded Citi’s startup accelerator, D10X, as the company’s first entrepreneur-in-residence. Prior to Citi, Valla spent 15 years in digital media and technology, as a startup founder and CEO and in product leadership roles at Yahoo and iHeartMedia. Valla is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and has conducted doctoral research in Asian and Middle Eastern studies at the University of Oxford. He is a board member at École Bilingue de Berkeley. Valla resides in the Bay Area with his wife and two children.

5Zaki

Mary Zaki is a humanitarian diplomacy fellow at the American Red Cross national headquarters in Washington, D.C., focusing on developing the humanitarian diplomacy file of the International Services Department of the organization. In 2018, Mary’s interest in social impact and cross-border understanding inspired her to obtain a master’s in gender and development studies. Mary has been a humanitarian and development practitioner for nine years, working with local and international organizations, implementing partners to UN agencies, and foreign-funded projects in her country, Egypt. Throughout her career, Mary has served in different leadership roles, such as social work supervisor for a sexual violence clinic with MSF/Doctors without Borders supporting migrants and refugees. Before coming to the U.S., Mary worked as a senior child protection officer managing multidisciplinary teams in two governorates to provide emergency and social services to unaccompanied and separated minors referred from UNHCR to its implementing project at Save the Children, International. Mary was awarded a fellowship with the Swedish Institute Gender Equality Lab in 2019 and then awarded for being a Young Leader of Women Deliver Programme, 2020 class. In 2023, Mary completed a humanitarian diplomacy diploma with Diplo Foundation in partnership with the International Federation of the Red Cross.

5Zakirova

Lilia Zakirova is a public policy director in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA) at MSD, which is known as Merck in the U.S. and Canada. She has been with MSD for five years. She is also currently a CapABILITY EEMEA chapter lead, which is an employee business resource group that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Prior to MSD, Lilia worked for the Industry Association in the financial market in Russia and was a board member of one of the stock exchanges. She has a background in international relations and diplomacy, finance, and investment banking. Being a lifelong learner, a couple of years ago Lilia completed several courses in coaching and is a certified coach.