Speakers

Ahmed Bin Sulayem continues to play a leading role in positioning DMCC and Dubai as a major international commodities hub for trade. Under his leadership DMCC has built and delivered the UAE’s largest and fastest growing Free Zone; ensured the UAE has 60 percent market share of global tea re-exports, enabled mainly by the DMCC Tea Centre; helped establish Dubai as the world’s leading physical gold market and one of the world’s top 3 hubs for the diamond trade. Mr. Bin Sulayem’s extensive knowledge of the diamond trade also led to his appointment as global Kimberley Process Chair on behalf of the UAE Ministry of Economy in 2016. The UAE Chairmanship saw Mr Bin Sulayem travel to 20 countries including Latin America before concluding the successful chairmanship with a speech on the draft resolution “The Role of Diamonds in Fuelling Conflict” at the UN General Assembly in February 2017.

Currently leading DMCC’s Commodities vertical, Sanjeev Dutta has been with DMCC since its establishment and has been instrumental in building DMCC’s award winning finance department, its Tea Centre and Tradeflow platform.

In 2009 James became Director of Business Development for DMCC and now leads the business development unit for its Free Zone in Dubai.

James has worked for several global trading and investment companies providing him with over 20 years of extensive financial and physical trading experience and industry knowledge. Prior to joining DMCC in 2006, James was Chief Executive of Bartizan International Trading and Managing Director of Wonder International Mg-Shanxi Jinrun where he was also head of global trading, and risk management. James studied at the University of Westminster in London.

Elliott started programming computers in the 1980’s and has over 20-years of professional experience, helping hundreds brands such as Roche, Virgin and Accenture to navigate and leverage the digital revolution.

His proudest accomplishments include;

• The ongoing honor of leading the highly talented, committed and likeable group of individuals that is MintTwist
• Being invited to address 100+ international NGOs at the United Nations (Geneva) on the ‘Future of Mobile Communications’
• Co-authoring the material and acting as the visiting lecturer for City University’s courses on ‘Strategic Digital Marketing’ and acting as a regular speaker on ‘all things digital’, for organisations such as UK Department of Trade and Industry, Federation of Small Businesses, Dubai Government, City University and more.

Simon has 30 years’ experience and expertise in the international private client tax planning, trustee, corporate services, fiduciary, pension trustee and the market entry industry.

His career started with The Consult Group in the Principality of Andorra before joining the Gibraltar offices, the sister HQ of The Sovereign Group in 1990. As MD of Sovereign Trust in Gibraltar, he served 2 terms as Chairman of the Association of Trust & Company Managers and was a member of the Gibraltar Government Financial Sector Legislation Committee.

Moving to London in 1996 to establish the Group’s UK subsidiaries in London he continues to be the Managing Director of these two companies.

Simon has been a director of The Sovereign Group, was the Chairperson of the UK Chapter of The Offshore Institute, is still the Vice President of The Royal Society of Fellows, continues to be a member of The Institute of Management, is the founder and Chairman of International Professionals Association Ltd, is a regular lecturer and speaker at tax planning and financial services conventions throughout the world.

Aside from his career exploits, Simon was once a professional squash player and is currently an international cyclist.

H.E. Rawdha Al Otaiba is the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of United Arab Emirates in the UK since 2016. She formerly served as the Director of American Affairs department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation (MoFAIC), during which time she was responsible for bilateral relations between the UAE and the Americas. She has also served in the Directorate of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) as the head of IRENA section, liaising with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and overseeing the UAE’s IRENA host country affairs. She also represented the UAE as an active member state to IRENA, and helped lead the UAE’s negotiating team for Rio+20. H.E. was also a member of the team working on the development of the UAE’s sustainability-related foreign and domestic policy. Prior to joining DECC, H.E. Al Otaiba served in the American Affairs department in MoFAIC and was responsible for the US file. In 2009, she joined the UAE task force for IRENA campaign, which ended successfully with the UAE hosting the agency.

H.E. Rawdha graduated from UAE University with a Bachelor’s degree with Honours in Political Affairs, and a Masters degree in Public Diplomacy.

H.E. Rawdha was the recipient of the Professional Award from His Highness Sheikh Abdulla bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in 2011 for her work on the IRENA bid, as well as the recipient of the Special Leadership Award in 2011.

Russell has enjoyed the benefits of a highly successful international career in the technology sector and now focuses his efforts on supporting owners and boards of small and medium size companies to devise and implement growth strategies to create shareholder value. In his earlier career he has held board leadership positions with International companies achieving turnover more than £200m.

Core areas of focus are Leadership, Value Creation and Strategic thinking. He is a regular speaker at events on Leadership in business and has spoken at conferences from Los Angeles to Abu Dhabi.

Russell is founding Managing Partner of the advisory group, Exolta Capital Partners, www.exolta.com and Founding Chairman Scottish Business Network, www.sbn.scot the global network supporting Scottish business leaders. Other roles and accolades,

• Currently holds eight non-exec and board advisory roles with fast growing business and organisations.
• Member of Scotland Trade Board chaired by Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary.
• Named as one of the 100 most influential British Entrepreneurs and in thee top 100 most influential figures in technology today.
• A member of the Maserati List of business leaders who support the next generation of entrepreneurs.
• Scotland: Board member Institute of Directors Scotland, ScotlandIS, Merchant Company of Edinburgh and Asia Scotland Institute.
• London: Advisor to Tech Advocates and member of the Mentium Group.
• International: Board advisor Talent Tech Labs, New York.
• Addressing the gender imbalance in business through his support of the Association of Scottish Business Women and Changing the Chemistry.
• Advisor to a range of disruption led companies in UK and US.
• Investor/Advisor Par Equity angel investor fund.

Russell continues to live in Linlithgow, Scotland with his business interests based from London. Not all work – since turning 50 Russell has have developed a passion for endurance events and can often be found at weekends mud splattered clambering over obstacles and “trying to keep up”.

LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/russelldalgleish/ | Twitter: @russellexolta | Email: Russell@exolta.com

Peter Bishop is Deputy Chief Executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). Alongside his LCCI role, Peter is Chairman of the ICC World Chambers Federation International Certificates of Origin Council which oversees the issue of over 15 million origin documents worldwide annually.

At LCCI, he is responsible for the Chamber’s international trade facilitation and promotion activities which include documentation, an Enterprise Europe Network office, events and trade missions. In a typical year LCCI issues over 140,000 export and import documents, answers trade enquiries, and organises trade missions, export seminars and international trade training. He also has responsibility for the LCCI Asian Business Association and information service.

Peter was previously Chairman of the ICC WCF World ATA Carnet Council to manage and develop the temporary import and export regime for professional equipment, samples and goods for trade fairs worldwide. He holds an MSc in International Business and is a writer and consultant on the mechanics of international trade including procedures and regulations. His books include the Export Handbook and the International Trade Manual (co-author). He is on the LCCI board and is the editor of London Business Matters magazine www.londonbusinessmatters.co.uk.