Dr. Kaoru NATSUDA

NATSUDA is Professor at College of International Management, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan. He obtained his Ph.D in Economics from University of Sydney, Australia and his MA in International Development Studies from University of Bradford, UK. His research interests include industrial development, rural development and political economy in Asia and Central Europe. He published papers in many journals including Review of International Political Economy and European Journal of Development Research. He serves as a senior associate editor of PSU Research Review (Emerald Publishing) and an editorial board member of International Journal of Development Issues (Emerald Publishing).

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Prof. Dr. Ir. J.G. (Hans) WISSEMA

Dr. J.G. (Hans) Wissema (1942) is a management consultant, author, entrepreneur. international speaker and professor emeritus at TU Delft in the Netherlands. After a short career in a research institute and AkzoNobel. he became a management consultant, starting his own firm some years later. He was a non-executive director of several companies, acted as interim manager and was a member of the editorial boards of Long Range Planning, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management and a number of Dutch management publications. His current consultancy work is on university management and The New Learning.

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Waqar SYED

Waqar Syed is Head of US Institutional Research at AltaCorp Capital (USA). He joined AltaCorp from Goldman Sachs where he ran the firm’s US oilfield Services research practice. Mr. Syed's thirty-year career in energy and finance started with Schlumberger in the Middle East. He later provided Investment Research at major financial institutions like Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank. He has also worked for small private investment banks that he helped grow and were later sold to major institutions like Merrill Lynch and Macquarie Capital. He has a BSc in Electrical Engineering from University of Engineering & Technology. Lahore, Pakistan and an MBA from Yale University. USA.

Melikşah UTKU

Mr. Utku was born in Ankara in 1968. He received his BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Boğaziçi University in 1990. He took his MA from London School of Economics between 1990-1992 and earned his Ph.D. in Economic Development from Marmara University between l996-1998. He started to work as a consultant to the General Director at Albaraka Türk. After serving as the chief economist for Albaraka Türk for two years, Utku wrote an economy column for The Yeni Şafak Newspaper from 1996 to December 2009. Starting as the Vice President CIO in 2009 and continuing his career at Albaraka Türk as the CFO responsible for Financial Affairs, Budget and Financial Reporting and Corporate Communication, Utku served as the executive board member of İstanbul stock exchanges between 2013 and 2016. He has been serving as the President of Albaraka Türk since October 2016.

Prof.Dr. Franco MOSCONI

Mr. Mosconi is the Jean Monnet Professor of Industrial Economics at the University of Parma and the European College of Parma. He was previously Research assistant and Lecturer at the University of Bologna (1988-1986), and Economic Advisor at the Italian Prime Minister's Office (Rome, 1996-1998). After graduating in Economics and Business from the University of Bologna (Laurea Magna cum laude) he went on to specialise at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is an applied economist whose areas of interest covers European Industrial Policy; SMEs, industrial districts and clusters; the 'Emilian Model'. His latest book is The New European İndustrial Policy, Global competitiveness and the manufacturing renaissance [Routledge, 2015],

Hasan DEMİRHAN

Currently. Mr. Demirhan serves as Vice President Banking of the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank responsible for managing a wide range of financing activities of the Bank, which are mainly project financing, loans, trade financing, equity investments, credit lines and various types of guarantees provided to the member countries. He took up his duties on July 17, 2018.

Haşan Demirhan started his professional career in the banking sector in 1987 as Internal Auditor at Etibank in Ankara, Turkey. In 1997 he became General Manager at the Kalkinma Investment and Securities Company in İstanbul. Mr. Demirhan joined the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) in Jeddah in 1999 as Senior Internal Auditor and made his career at the Treasury Department to become Director of the Department in 2009, overseeing IsDB’s extensive funding, investment, financial management and corresponding banking relationships. In 2016 he took the duties of Director for Financial Policies and Planning Analytics responsible for Bank’s liquidity, credit rating exercises, balance sheet Management, strategic financial planning and financial policies development. Mr. Demirhan was a member of IsDB’s Committees on Assets and Liabilities, Investment. and Risk Management, and represented IsDB on the Supervisory Board of Bosna Bank International in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Mr. Demirhan graduated from the Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences of the Hacettepe University in Ankara and holds an MBA degree in Banking Administration from the University of Exeter, United Kingdom. Additionally, he is at the final stage of writing-up his dissertation to complete his Ph.D in the field of finance in the Ankara University Faculty of Political Science.

Mr. Demirhan is a Turkish national, born in 1964. He speaks Turkish, English, and Arabic. He is married and has three children.

Banu ONARAL

Banu Onaral is H. H. Sun Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering at Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA (PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.) She served as the founding director of the school from 1997 until 2014. In this capacity, Dr. Onaral led the translational research initiative for rapid commercialization of biomedical technologies developed at Drexel University. The program has been awarded the Coulter-Drexel Translational Research Partnership Endowment in 2011. She currently serves as the Senior Presidential Advisor for 'Global Innovation Partnerships' at Drexel University and leads the development of the Global Innovation Partnership endowment created under her name.

Her academic focus both in research and teaching is centered on information engineering with special emphasis on complex systems, biomedical signal processing in ultrasound and functional optical brain imaging. She has led major research and development projects and founded several laboratories including the CONOUER (Cognitive Neuroengineering and Ouantitative Experimental Research) Collaborative.

Throughout her career, she actively forged international academic and translational research partnerships with universities as well as science and technoparks, primarily in China and Turkey. She has been recognized by the Turkish University-Industry Collaboration Platform (USIMP) Accomplishment Award in 2014 and as one of the 30 Most Influential Turkish American Women in USA by TeamOfAmerica in 2015.

She is the recipient of a number of academic excellence awards and honors. She is a fellow of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and a Founding Fellow of American İnstitute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). Among her many national and international professional responsibilities, she served as President of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS),the largest member-based biomedical engineering society in the world.

Diego AULESTIA

Representative of Ecuador to the World Trade Organization and other Economic Organizations in Geneva since August 2017. He chaired the Committee of Trade and Development at the WTO in 2018. Former Minister of International Trade and Minister of Urban Development, he was also head of Ecuador’s Development Bank BEDE, senior executive at the Development Bank of Latin America CAF (Caracas. Venezuela) and Ambassador to Portugal.

He obtained Master’s Degrees in Economics at the University of Oregon (USA) and in Latin American Studies-Economic History at the London School of Economics (UK). He has also pursued graduate studies in history (Ecuador) and urban issues (Portugal). He is Professor on leave from Universidad Hemisferios (Ecuador).

Alhadi ALWAZİR

Alhadi graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Aerospace Engineering Program at the University of Maryland College Park in 1991. He was a recipient of the Aerospace Department Academic Achievement, the Robert M. Rivello Scholarship and the Summer Senior Scholarship Awards in the field of Composite Structures. He has worked for STX Hughes at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre, for Societe Generale’s derivatives and financial products group as a financial engineer and Eastgate Capital Group as an equity partner focused on infrastructure and life science related investments. He is an active early stage investor in several technology and life science companies.

Ebru ÖZDEMİR Chairwoman at Limak Investmens

Ebru Özdemir graduated from TED Ankara College in 1991 and completed her BS degree in Civil Engineering at Boğaziçi University (İstanbul. Turkey). She holds an MBA degree on international business and finance from Fordham University (class of 1997).

Joined in 2007, Ebru Özdemir serves as Chairwoman at Limak Group of Companies’ affiliate Limak Investments that constitutes the domestic and international investment arm of the group operating mainly on infrastructure and energy sectors: while providing services in energy generation. distribution. sales and trading; airport, port, high speed train station, bridge and highway investments. Ms. Özdemir also serves as Executive Board Member of Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEİK) and President of DEİK/Turkey-Kuwait Business Council; Board Member at Turkish Contractors Association (TMB) and Endeavor Turkey; Member at Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD).

Being the only elected member from Turkey to the Business Advisory Board of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Public-Private Partnerships (UNECE PPP) since 2014, Ms. Özdemir is also a member at the Young Society Leaders of the American Turkish Society. Ebru Özdemir is among Founding Members and Board Members of Turkey’s 30 Percent Club, a voluntary platform aiming to develop a diverse and gender balance pool of talent for all businesses at all levels while she also holds Board Membership at Women in Technology Association (Wtech Turkey) and Business Council for Sustainable Development Turkey (SKD Turkey). Being a member at International Women’s Forum Turkey. a global network of women leaders, Ms. Özdemir also presents at Boğaziçi University Foundation’s Board of Trustees and Vodafone Foundation’s Board of Overseers, Ms. Özdemir was named as the member of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors since 2016, while she also presents at International Advisory Board of the Atlantic Council, Advisory Board of OSTIM Technical University and Advisory Board of the İstanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD) of the UNDP.

Ebru Özdemir also acts as Limak Foundation’s Chairwoman, a private foundation established in 2016 in order to professionally manage social investments of Limak Group of Companies. ranging from Limak Philharmonic Orchestra, Engineer Girls of Turkey (TMK), Outstanding Achievement Scholarship of Gülseren Özdemir, Junior Engineers Program (EKM).

Rehan CHAUDHRİ

Rehan Chaudhri is CEO of Peak XV Advisors and is a global investor in the technology. health care, and emerging energy sectors. He is a retired principal and former portfolio manager. at Altrinsic Global Advisors. Prior to Altrinsic. he was a portfolio manager for Lazard Asset Management, on its $30 billion investment fund. His previous investment experience includes Brandywine Asset Management’s (Legg Mason group company) global and international funds as a Managing Director as well as a telecommunications equity research analyst for Morgan Stanley. He began his career as a technology and strategy management consultant and worked for Booz. Ailen & Hamilton.

A graduate of McGilI University in Montreal, and he received his M.B.A. from the Wharton School.

Nuri BİRTEK

Currently the Secretary General of the Union of Financial Development Agencies of the Member Countries of Islamic Development Bank, Nuri Birtek previously worked as the President of the E U Centre of Education and Youth Programs (National Agency). D uring his presidency, Turkey joined various EU Education and Youth Programs, including the ERASMUS program. Previously, he worked as the Head of the Bilateral Economic Relations and Technical Cooperation Department under the State Planning Organization of Prime Minister's Office. He started his career as a Project Engineer and Project Manager at ETİBANK, and later on, he worked as the research engineer at the Witwatersrand (WITS) University in South Africa. He has an undergraduate in Engineering Degree from the London University (Imperial College) and a Master’s Degree from WITS University.

Muzaffer ÖZDEMİR

Mr. Özdemir was born in Yusufeli town of Artvin Province, Turkey. He completed his higher education in Sarikamish town of Kars. He graduated from the Civil Engineering Department of the Middle East Technical University in 1991. While studying for a Master’s degree at the same University, he also worked as a research assistant. Between 1994 and 2017, Mr. Özdemir worked for the ERG Construction- Pl Group. Presently, he is the CEO of Ozaltin Holding. During his career he worked for several national and international big turn-key infrastructural projects, and occupied managerial positions in many 'build-operate-transfer' model projects in energy and transportation sectors. He has a rich experience particularly in the field of locally manufacturing and internationally marketing of construction machine's eguipment.

Ahmet KARAYİĞİT

Mr. Karayigit was born in Dortyol, in 1952. He is a graduate of the Law Faculty of İstanbul University. He served as public prosecutor in Pervari, Ardahan, Camlihemsin and Şebinkarahisar. He then served for the following 20 years as Chief Public Prosecutor in Vezirköprü as well as Çanakkale, Gaziantep and Balikesir provinces. He was elected to the Membership Court of Cassations in 15 April 2007 and worked at the Civil and Criminal Chambers. He became a member of the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) between 25 October 2010 and 25 October 2014. While retaining his membership to the Court of Cassations, he was appointed as the Chief Adviser to the President of Republic on Legal Issues on 27 November 2014. He was retired from membership of the Court of Cassations on 23 February 2017. On the same date he was reappointed by the Presidency as a Chief Advisor. He was also appointed by the Cabinet of Ministers as a member of Ethic Board of Civil Servants. İn the earlier years of his career, he acted as a prosecutor in charge of prisons for 24 years. He has certifıcates and licences on criminal law, human rights training, mediator ship, notoriety and attorneyship. Mr. Karayigit speaks French. He is married and has two children.

Osman OKYAY

Mr. Okyay was born in İstanbul in 1966. After completing his primary, secondary and tertiary education in İzmir, he graduated as a mechanical engineer from the Boğaziçi University in İstanbul. He then received Master’s degree of mechanical engineering at the University of New Hampshire. Between 1990 and 1993, following completion of his compulsory military service, Mr. kyay started to work, first as technical service engineer, and then as the planning manager of technical service at the İstanbul Office of the Digital Eguipment Corporation company. While working for Digital, he assumed the responsibility to establish and maintenance of the infrastructure eguipment of inter-banks Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT) systems. Mr. Oktay joined in 1994 to Kale Group Company. In this period he attended MBA courses for managers at Koc University. He started to work as Deputy Director General of Kalekalıp Company under Kale Group in 1994 and he promoted as a Director General of Kalekapi in 1997. In 2000, he was raised as a head of Technical Department of the same Group. He is currently the Vice President of the Kale Group and at the sametime Head of Technical Department. Following his entry into the Kale Group, Mr. Oktay directed the company to the field of high technology. He guided Kale Group to invest in the areas of robotics and automation, industrial energy eguipment, programming and simulation, high-tech ceramics and defence industry and aviation. He helped the Kale Group to establish business partnerships with such global giant companies as General Electric, Pratt 8c Whitney. He also played important roles in making the Kale Group the direct sub-contractor of leading companies of the Aviation and Defence industry like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Airbus, and Northrop Grumman. Furthermore, he was instrumental in forming a partnership in 2017 between the Kale Group and Rolls Royce for developing, producing, caring and maintaining of aircraft engines in Turkey. In parallel to his responsibilities in the Kale Group, Mr. Oktay also play active roles in NGOs and similar organisations. He was elected for a period between 2013 and 2015 as the President of Turkish side of Turkish-US Business Council which was formed under the initiative of Turkish Ministry of Economy in order to set a partnership model between Turkish and US entrepreneurs. Additionally, he assumed such responsibilities as the presidency of the Turkish-Canadian Business Council under Foreign Economic Relations Agency; Vice Presidency of Turkish-UK Business Council; membership of Executive Board of the Turkish-US Business Council; Membership of YASED Executive Board; Membership of TOBB Higher Coordination Board; Chairpersonship Assembly of the Chamber of Trade and Industry of Canakkale; Presidency of the Executive Board of the Association of Aviation and Aerospace Clustering; Membership to the General Assembly of OYAK; Executive Board memberships Boğaziçi University and Fatih Sultan Mehmet University Foundations. Mr. Oktay is married and has one child.

Halil ŞENER

After graduating from Bursa Boys' Highschool, he studied management at Middle East Technical University (METU). Receiving a Master's and Ph. D. degree from the Faculty of Political Sciences in Ankara, he then went on to pursue postgraduate studies in various fields and universities including Economics at Manchester University, Organizational Design at Boston University, Banking at MIT and Political Management and Corporate Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School. He got an internship in Financial Programming at IMF İnstitute and another at the World Bank and studied some Financial İnstitutions in New York. Later, he worked at the State Planning Organization studying the relationships between industry and economy, heavy industry and light industry, industry and MSEs as well as the effects of science and technology on industry and economy.

He also participated in Turkey's integration with the EU and negotiations, Turkic World Conventions, and the high level Asian Strategy of the USA, China, Russia and similar countries workshop.

Positions he has held include economic advisor to the Prime Minister, assistant consultant at the SPO, planning expert, Department Head at the EU General Directorate, Development Bank consultant, analyst at the Strategy and Budget Department ofthe President's Office.

His latest studies cover Reorganization of the Development Processes and Organizations in Turkey and a Corporate Assessment of SPO, The Course of Development, Solution of Structural Issues through Technological Progress and Recommendations to the incumbent administration of the economy.

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Ibukun A. OLADITOYE

Ibukun A. OLATIDOYE is presently the Director of Pan African Institute for Global Affairs and Strategy (PAIGAS), Abuja. PAIGAS is a think-thank research, advocacy and training Institute devoted to the promotion and development of a Pan African view on the management and conduct of Global Affairs.  A retired Nigerian Diplomat and former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the Developing Eight Countries for Economic Cooperation (D-8), a multilateral economic Organization with Headquarters of the Secretariat in Istanbul, Turkey. Ambassador Olatidoye served as Nigeria’s Principal Representative to the D-8 Organisation from September 2011 – June 2015.

During his tenure as the Head of Nigeria’s Office at the D-8 in Istanbul, Ambassador Olatidoye used his expansive experience in the Diplomatic Service to facilitate injection of the much needed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from the Eight Member Developing Countries into Nigeria such as never experienced in the economic relations between the Eight Countries since their establishment of Diplomatic Relations with Nigeria. The level of international trade between the eight countries improved tremendously.

Olatidoye retired from the Nigerian Foreign Service in July 2015 after a meritorious thirty five years of service to the Nigeria nation.  Prior to his appointment as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the D-8 Office in Istanbul, Turkey, Ambassador Olatidoye served in various capacities at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Nigeria and Nigeria’s Diplomatic Missions abroad, notable among which includes Ottawa, Canada (1994-1996 and 1998-2001), Ankara, Turkey (2005-2009), Dublin, Republic of Ireland (1982-1983) and Mogadishu, Somalia (1986-1989) and Istanbul, Turkey (2011-2015). His last assignment at the Headquarters Office of the Ministry was as Director, Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja2009-2011).

Meanwhile, in the course of his Diplomatic career in the Foreign Ministry which spans three decades (1980-2015), the Ambassador also served in various Departments at the Foreign Ministry’s Headquarters namely: Director Office of the Permanent Secretary, International Organisations Department, Second United Nations Department, European Affairs Department, West Africa Department, Bilateral Economic Cooperation Department and also as Director, Legal Services Department of the Ministry. Also he attended several International conferences, Seminars and Workshops. He also served severally as Special Adviser to the Nigerian Delegations at the annual General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA) New York, USA and as member of Delegation on Presidential visits abroad.

Ibukun Olatidoye’s educational qualification includes a Master’s Degree in International Law & Diplomacy (MILD, Jurisprudence & International Law), of the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He also holds a Post Graduate Diploma Certificate in International Law (PGD) and Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy (B.A Hons.) of the University of Lagos. He has attended several local and International fellowship programmes.

 He is a member of several socio-cultural Organizations that focuses mainly on Social Development. Ambassador Olatidoye is blessed with children and has interest in reading and travels.