WLP Global Summit Discussion Leaders

President, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority
Chairman, Dubai Airports Chairman & Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group
Chair of Steering Committee, World Logistics Passport

H. H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum has been at the forefront of Dubai’s remarkable economic development for over three decades. He has been spearheading the successful expansion of aviation and, more recently, formulating economic, investment and fiscal policies and strategies in support of the emirate’s overarching vision.
Embarking on his career in the aviation industry in 1985, Sheikh Ahmed was appointed as the President of the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) – the governing body - to oversee the activities of Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai Duty-Free, among others. In the same year, Emirates Airline – Dubai’s international carrier was launched under Sheikh Ahmed’s Chairmanship. He is now the Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group, which includes dnata – one of the world’s leading providers of air services and travel services, and other aviation-related entities.
Sheikh Ahmed also chairs the steering committee of World Logistics Passport (WLP) and has helped launch WLP at Davos 2020.

Chairman, DP World and Ports, Customs and Freezone Corporation (PCFC)
Member of Steering Committee, World Logistics Passport

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem is one of Dubai's leading businessmen. He is the Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DP World – which has played a significant role in launching WLP at the 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos. He is also the Chairman of the Ports, Customs, and Free Zone Corporation.
Mr. Bin Sulayem’s expertise and visionary leadership have spearheaded the rapid expansion of Dubai’s infrastructure, including ports and free zones. Consequently contributing to the stellar growth trajectory of the United Arab Emirates. He has also been instrumental in developing the infrastructure supporting Dubai’s successful tourism industry, among various other sectors.
Furthermore, Mr. Bin Sulayem is a Board Member of the Dubai Executive Council, the UAE Federal Tax Authority. He is also Chairman of Virgin Hyperloop One.

Chief Operating Officer, Group Technology, DP World
Chief Executive Officer, World Logistics Passport

Honorable CEO of the WLP, alongside being the COO of DP World Technology, Mike Bhaskaran draws valuable experience in Blockchain, e-commerce technology, and driving innovative digital capabilities in complex supply chains. As an Engineering major, he later moved into Distribution Operations and Supply Chain at Dell Computer Corporation. Before joining the WLP and DP World, Mike was the Chief Supply Chain Officer at Staples Inc.

Chief Operating Officer and Chairman of the board, DT World
General Manager, World logistics Passport

Mr. Al Bastaki has played a vital role in the advancement of e-business in the Middle East. With his expert influence in e-governance solutions, he led Dubai Trade as the CEO before commencing his current responsibilities. He has also been the former Acting Director of E-Services of the Dubai E-Government where he devised the E-Government Strategy at that point.

Director of Compliance and Facilitation, World Customs Organization

Mr. Pranab Kumar Das started his career in 1985 as an Assistant/Deputy Commissioner in the regional Customs of Bengaluru Area in India. Since 1992, he has held numerous positions at Customs Authorities including Commissioner of Customs at Delhi Preventive Zone, Chief Commissioner of Customs at Chennai Customs, and Special Secretary and Member of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.
In January 2019, he was made Chairman of Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs, Ministry of Finance. Mr. Pranab Kumar Das was then elected as a Director of the Compliance and Facilitation Directorate at World Customs Organization, and joined the Secretariat in January 2020.

Director, Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, World Economic Forum

Philippe Isler is the Director of the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, a public-private partnership for trade-led growth, supporting governments in developing countries implement the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement. Mr. Isler has 25 years of experience leading trade facilitation initiatives in most parts of the world. In particular he developed and deployed solutions aimed at digitalising supply chain processes in a number of developing countries mostly through public-private partnership mechanisms. Previously, Mr. Isler was Vice-President at SGS Group leading the business development and implementation of trade community systems, e-government, telecom monitoring and port and customs operations. Mr. Isler earned a Bachelor’s in Aerospace Engineering from Bristol University.

Global lead for New Globalisation

John is the head of Economist Impact’s New Globalisation practice. He is responsible for leading and developing the practice across different geographies and sectors, including both public and private organisations. As the global economy is being transformed by multiple forces including geopolitics, technological progress, and climate change, the practice works with clients to navigate these structural shifts and lead conversations towards global progress. Most recently, as Director of Macroeconomics, he was responsible for guiding The EIU’s global economic analysis across 200 countries. Prior to this, he was Director of Country Analysis and Global Forecasting. John holds a Master’s degree in International Economics from Sussex University where he specialised in macroeconomics and trade, and an Honours degree in Psychology from the Australian National University.

From the very start of his career, Bram has been involved in the, then budding, AI revolution, obtaining a Ph.D. in Science, with a specialization towards Machine Learning and AI, as early as 2006.

After his academic career, Bram shifted his focus towards helping organizations enhance their operational efficiency, by facilitating strategic digitally driven transformations. In 2012, Bram established the first data science team within AE, a Belgian consulting firm, crafting AI solutions for its customers.

Since 2021, Bram has taken up the role of Chief Product Officer at Customaite, steering the innovative AI-driven solution into the future. Essentially a SaaS solution, Customaite’s vision of “Human-Assisted AI” streamlines the customs declaration process and is now used by major customs and logistics players throughout Europe, to automate and optimize their customs declarations. Customs declarants can rely on a digital AI assistant that supports them in their daily work by ensuring accuracy, efficiency, and compliance in the complex world of customs declarations.

Alan is a former businessman, now politican, and since 2019, Premier of the Western Cape. Before he began his career in politics, he started and successfully operated 10 businesses in his hometown of Knysna. Determined to contribute positively to his town, he then became a councilor, and later, became a member of the provincial parliament.

In 2009, following the DA’s victory in the provincial election, he became the Provincial Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, with a firm focus on growth and jobs. It was this same focus that drove his campaign for the premiership, which was centred on improving economic and household prosperity by getting the basics right, such as education and healthcare, and improving safety and public transport for all the residents of our province. He further committed to improving the efficiency of government service delivery through innovation, new technology, and culture change.

Since becoming Premier, he has implemented several programmes to achieve these goals, including rolling out lifestyle audits for his cabinet and launching a billion rand safety plan through which over 1000 officers have been deployed to high crime areas. He also oversaw the province’s response to Covid-19, building an 862-bed hospital in a record 6 weeks. In Februrary 2022, he announced a major focus on infrastructure to help recover the province’s economy post-covid, which includes a new emphasis on a dedicated mobility department to improve public transport

Dr Stéphane Graber has been Director General at FIATA International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations since 2020. FIATA is the largest non-governmental organisation in the field of logistics. It is made up of 109 Association members representing 40,000 freight forwarding and logistics firms around the globe, employing some 10 million people.

He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the ICC DSI (the International Chamber of Commerce’s Digital Standard Initiative) and a founding member of the Future International Trade (FIT Alliance) which aims to raise awareness and accelerate the adoption of a standards-based electronic bills of lading (eBL) across all sectors of the shipping industry. He also participates in the Cargo IQ Board, an IATA interest group whose mission is to create and implement quality standards for the global air cargo industry.

Prior to joining FIATA, Dr Graber was Secretary General at STSA (Swiss Commodity Trading and Shipping Association) and led the eGTSA as Chairman and Director General, a company that successfully developed a digital platform used by commodity trading companies and commodity trade-finance banks, which was sold to Komgo in 2019 and known today as Console. Alongside his professional activities, Dr Graber also taught for 20 years at the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne on various Executive MBA programmes and was the Academic Director of the EMBA in Commodity Trading and Shipping.

A UAE National, with more than 22 years of experience, Nadia is a business, marketing, Supply chain, and logistics professional, worked in the aluminium business as a business analyst and was involved in metal hedging on the London Metal Exchange at DUBAL – Dubai Aluminium- now known as EMAAL. She has also worked for DULSCO LLC - one of the oldest and largest companies which was incorporated by her grandfather almost 90 years ago, the largest manpower supply company to the shipping, airlines, ports, trade, and logistics industries.

Nadia is CEO of a freight forwarding company UNASCO Cargo LLC and President of NAFL - National Association of Freight and Logistics in the UAE. She has also served 2 terms as the Vice President of FIATA Extended Global Board – the largest global freight organization globally. Currently Chairing the International Chamber of Commerce-Customs and Trade Facilitation Commission UAE.

Nadia heads the WILAT NGO for the Middle East and is the Global Vice Chair for women in logistics and transport for more than 2 terms. Empowering women in the supply chain logistics industry through capacity building, certified training, networking events, mentoring, and coaching. She assisted in hosting the CILT event in 2015 in Dubai-UAE, and sponsored the “Inspiring Women’s Award at Burj Al Arab in 2015”. A fellow Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistic member -CILT UK. She received various CILT Leadership and Support Awards.

She also works closely with various consulate trade offices to ensure all investors coming into the UAE are well connected. Ms. Nadia is a member of the Dubai Logistics Council (Dubai Foundation – Dubai Executive office), DCCC- Dubai Custom Consultative Council and continuously strives to support foreign investments in and outside of the UAE.

Saeed Al Suwaidi is Director of Agri Commodities at DMCC.

Appointed to the role in January 2022, Saeed is responsible for driving the strategic growth and expansion of DMCC’s soft commodity portfolio and related ecosystems.

With vast experience in international supply chains, logistics, and FMCG digital business models, Saeed leads the operational management and commercial teams at both the DMCC Coffee Centre and DMCC Tea Centre. He is also tasked with engaging DMCC’s growing number of local, regional and international members in the agriculture commodities sector. Prior to joining DMCC, Saeed served in an advisory role at the Prime Minister’s Office in Dubai.

Senior Vice President UAE Cargo

Guillaume is Senior Vice President UAE Cargo and leads the Global Cargo Strategy for dnata. He holds his current role since 2021 and is also a board member of dnata Logistics and Wallenborn Middle East Logistics. Guillaume started his career with the Emirates Group in 2011. His previous positions include DVP Operational Performances and Product Development for International Airport Operations (IAO), VP Operational Performance IAO and COO in Switzerland. Before joining the Emirates Group his aviation career covered various leadership positions across the cargo industry, mainly in the Cargo GSSA segment. Guillaume holds a master’s degree in business management from EM Lyon Business School.

Dr Margareta Drzeniek is Managing Partner with Horizon Group and a globally recognized expert on global risks, economic development, notably in the Arab World, competitiveness, and innovation.

For many years she was Member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum, where she led the economics unit. She is the lead author of The Global Competitiveness Report, The Global Risks Report in addition to other benchmarking reports of the World Economic Forum. She advised government agencies, ministers, national competitiveness councils and the private sector in the Arab World and worldwide on how to manage global risks, improve competitiveness, boost exports and investment, or measure impact. She is a regular speaker at high level conferences and events, including World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, IMF/WB Annual Meetings in Washington DC, sessions of the UN General Assembly in NY, etc. and serves as expert for media (BBC, CNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, etc)