ARAB INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S FORUM
ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2014
From Partnership to Prosperity:
Connecting Women in the Arab World, the
United Kingdom and the International Community
In partnership with and hosted by
AIWF Global Platinum Partner
Willis
The Willis Building
51 Lime Street
London EC3M 7DQ
22 October, 2014
Chairman’s Message
On behalf of the Arab International Women’s Forum, it is my great pleasure today to welcome honoured
guest speakers, distinguished AIWF Institutional Partners, Global Corporate Partners and Conference
Partners, members and participants to AIWF’s Annual Conference entitled From Partnership to
Prosperity: Connecting Women in the Arab World, the United Kingdom and the International
Community, on Wednesday 22 October, the first of three outstanding AIWF events to be held in the
City of London this week.
We are proud and delighted that this 2014 Annual Conference is being hosted by AIWF’s valued Global
Platinum Partner, Willis, at their prestigious London headquarters and will bring together eminent Arab,
British and global leaders, providing a unique platform for collaboration, dialogue and partnership
building on current themes, issues and trends and highlighting new opportunities for investment and
partnership in the MENA region.
AIWF’s aim at this Conference is to connect Arab business women with their counterparts in the United
Kingdom and the international community who are seeking to develop commercial relationships and
leverage market potential between the two regions, identifying common challenges and exploring
partnership opportunities in financial services, law, health and education, technology and media, retail
and tourism, energy and infrastructure.
Reinforcing AIWF’s focus on the fundamental importance of job creation, and as a consequence, the
need for education, leadership training, capacity-building and self-development for women and youth
throughout the Arab world, prominent speakers today will give consideration to a number of timely and
relevant issues.
There is a need to increase access to business finance, the provision of tools, resources and training
for women entrepreneurs and to explore government projects and private sector initiatives in the Arab
world, the UK and Europe that have successfully promoted and supported the role of women and SMEs
in economic development.
We shall also examine the positive changes taking place within family business which is the backbone
of the MENA economy and a significant contributor to the private sector and an area in which women
are really proving themselves, as demonstrated by the Forbes Middle East 2014 ranking of The 200
Most Powerful Arab Women in family business.
Consideration will be given to what more can be done to attract young women in the MENA region to
the professions and how to promote the highest international standards of training to empower young
female professionals.
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Finally, we shall investigate how to increase the number of women on corporate boards across the Arab
region, the UK, Europe and the international community.
AIWF believes that the jobs required for the millions of young Arabs predicted to enter the workforce
between now and 2020 will only come from a growing and vibrant Arab private sector and, to this
end, women’s entry into entrepreneurship, including in family businesses and in rural economies, is
absolutely essential to the sustainable development process. In advocating a greater role for Arab
women entrepreneurs, AIWF is, therefore, looking forward to working with key institutional partners
throughout the Arab States and the UK to evaluate and shape strategies for equipping Arab and British
women with the skills to grow and lead successful businesses, to learn from each other and offer each
other a springboard to growth in new markets and to strengthen links for the exchange of contacts,
business intelligence and best practice.
Madame Christine Lagarde, Chairman and Managing Director of the IMF, said that the empowerment
of women and equal opportunities are crucial for driving a stronger global economic recovery and that
the global economy is not utilising women effectively, “tossing away economic growth at a time when it
cannot afford such wanton waste.”
Women already play an important role in the MENA region as business owners but they will need to play
an even larger role at this critical time because, without more women in politics, business, finance and
civil society, playing significant roles in shaping the new Arab future, there will never be real, lasting and
sustainable empowerment for women and youth in the region.
The agenda for AIWF’s 2014 Annual Conference has been strategically developed with the involvement
of a number of women business leaders in the UK and in the Arab region and we are particularly
fortunate to be able to welcome distinguished and prominent speakers and guests who will share with
participants their own personal success stories, their experiences and their expertise in order to assist
us in fulfilling our conference objectives.
AIWF is particularly pleased and honoured to report that in the Forbes newly published list of 200 Most
Powerful Arab Women in family business, many of those listed form an integral part of the AIWF family,
whether as Board Members, Forum members, speakers or friends of AIWF, having all participated in
our mission and our vision of creating a greater role for women in the evolution of the Arab private sector
because it is only through greater economic performance that we can ensure stability and progress in
the region for the benefit of all its citizens.
I wish you all an enjoyable, stimulating and productive conference.
Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani
Founder Chairman, Arab International Women’s Forum
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Message From
Chief Executive Officer Central And Eastern Europe,
Middle East & Africa
Willis International
The past few years have been a time of real opportunity and positive change for women working in the
business world in the Middle East. The greater freedoms that women have gained in some countries
are producing incredible results, and momentum is growing.
Willis has seen these societal changes in action, especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Women
now form an essential part of the team there, and we have created a platform for talented, young Saudi
women which gives access to support, mentoring and training to help them realise their potential.
For Willis, this isn’t about the Middle East in isolation. We believe that diversity, inclusion and investing
in people are vital to the success of our business. We have our own initiative called Women at Willis
which is designed to develop and champion the talent within our organisation.
It is a great privilege to be supporting the AIWF Annual Conference and I hope you gain a lot from it.
Our relationship with AIWF only started last year and together we have already unlocked opportunities
to learn and grow. This unique event aims to encourage business bridges to be built between
different cultures and to provoke thought and discussion about how we can continue to help drive
change in the region.
Clearly, education is important, both in the form of professional support for those already working, and
for extending opportunities to the younger generation of women thinking about starting a career. The
region has a very young demographic and a huge skills potential that must not be wasted.
This conference will also address some fascinating issues that Middle East businesswomen have to
face. For example, securing finance – a fundamental part of many businesses – creates its own specific
problems for women in the Middle East, and that is something that must be overcome.
And while it’s welcome that major global organisations such as Willis are supportive of developing the
role and potential of women in the workplace, we have to remember that 85% of all companies in the
MENA region are family-owned, and that change there may be slower, or may need to be handled very
differently.
Willis’s business is all about risk – identifying it, helping companies understand it, and finding the best
solutions to mitigate it. A risk that every business faces is that its people are under-resourced, underutilised and feel undervalued. The challenge we all face is that such a risk is minimised throughout an
entire region of the world. The progress made has been incredible, and my hope is that it continues.
Toby Wemyss
Chief Executive Officer Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa
Willis International
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Message From
President Middle East & Africa
AIWF Global Corporate Benefactor Partner
Pepsico
As AIWF’s Global Corporate Benefactor partner, we deeply appreciate the strong collaborative
relationship that has been built over many years between our two organsations through a shared
commitment to empowering women in business and in life.
At PepsiCo, we are committed to delivering sustained growth through empowered people acting
responsibly and building trust; delivering on our philosophy of Performance with Purpose. In doing so,
we seek to ensure the existence of real opportunities for women and youth in the Arab region thereby
improving their futures. Our partnership with AIWF is dedicated to reinforcing the message that the
empowerment of women is absolutely essential to sustainable development in the Arab world.
Increasing the number of women leaders within PepsiCo through recruitment and development
initiatives around the world is a key objective for the company. For example, in Saudi Arabia, where
women represent less than five percent of the workforce, PepsiCo has constructed workplaces that
respect local customs while enabling women to work and advance.
PepsiCo will continue to pursue its mission of promoting a culture of diversity and inclusion throughout
all levels of the organization. This is a mission that includes developing and empowering our female
leaders, and advancing the role of women in the communities where we operate. Our partnership with
AIWF is a key enabler of that mission.
I wish you all a great conference. I am positive that this forum will be an important platform for the
exchange of experiences and learnings and an avenue where women can be inspired to grow and
develop to their maximum potential.
Sincerely,
Omar Farid
MEA Region President
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Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani MA, Economics
Founder & Chairman Arab International Women’s Forum
Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani, Founder Chairman, Arab International Women’s Forum is well known in
international government and business circles as a high-impact change agent focusing on leadership in
cultural and gender issues. An economist and graduate of the American University of Beirut and Oxford
University, she brings a wide range of skills and experience to her personal mission of encouraging
greater cultural understanding between Arab and international communities, supporting a strong role
for women in that process.
Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani holds senior roles in several cultural and educational UK and international
organisations. These include: Board Member, The Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard Kennedy
School; Advisory Board Member, The Middle East Institute, School of Oriental and African Studies,
University of London; Advisory Board Member, The Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World,
Lebanese American University, Beirut; Board Director, EastWest Institute and Board Member, MENA –
OECD Business Council. Mrs Al Kaylani became the first Honorary Member, the Euro Mediterranean
Association for Cooperation and Development (2012) and serves as a Freeman of the City of London
and is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of World Traders.
Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani received recognition as one of the Women eNews 21 Leaders for the 21
Century (2006); was included in the Muslim Power 100 Leaders in the UK listing (2007) receiving the
Education Excellence Award; she is a recipient of the International Alliance for Women 2008 World of
Difference Lifetime Achievement Award; Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani was named one of the 20 leading
Muslim women in the UK in The Equality & Human Rights Commission Muslim Women Lists 2009-2012
and received the United Kingdom Muslim Woman of the Year Award in 2013.
Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani was presented with an Award for an Outstanding Contribution as a Women
Leader of Palestinian Origin and was honoured by the Qatari Businesswomen Association and
presented with an Award for her contributions to the growth and development in the Arab region. She
was the recipient of the Global Inspirational Leadership Award 2013 and was honoured for individual
achievements as a role model and having made contributions worthy of acknowledgement towards the
role of women in Emerging Economies by the Georgia General Assembly.
Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani was included in the Power 100 List, compiled by Arabian Business Monitor
and recognised on the Arabian Business Power 500 List published by Arabian Business Magazine
and placed in the highest ever recording of 118 women in a list of Arab men and women leaders.
Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani was inducted in 2013 by the Centre of Economic Leadership & Development
into The Global Women Leaders Hall of Fame as a distinguished achiever and symbol of female
achievement globally.
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Toby Wemyss
Chief Executive Officer Central & Eastern Europe,
Middle East & Africa
Willis International
Toby started his insurance career with Willis in 2000 working in Global Markets International, which
provides property and casualty solutions for large and complex risks to its network of international
businesses. He rose rapidly through the ranks in under nine years from property broker to Chief
Operating Officer.
In 2009, Toby broadened his experience of the corporate world by moving to work in the Office of the
Chairman directly under the Chairman & CEO, Joe Plumeri and Group President, Grahame Millwater.
In May 2010 he returned to GMI as Managing Director and was appointed its CEO in January 2011. He
added to his responsibilities the leadership of Willis’s North American wholesale operation based in
London and Bermuda in June 2011.
In April 2013 Toby moved to Willis International where he was appointed CEO Central and Eastern
Europe, Middle East & Africa working directly under Tim Wright, CEO Willis International.
Toby is a Member of Willis’s Senior Business Leaders’ Forum, The Chairman’s Council.
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Guest Speakers
(In Order of Session)
HE Na’el Al-Kabarati
Chairman, Jordan Chamber of Commerce & Industry
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
His Excellency Eng Na’el Al Kabariti is the Chairman of Jordan Chamber of Commerce
and Aqaba Chamber of Commerce.
Mr Al Kabariti has dedicated his time to working hard to promote the local economy;
emphasising the keenness of His Majesty King Abdullah II for boosting relations between Jordan and
other countries in all fields; in addition to his current positions, he is a Honorary Consul of Turkey in
Jordan, and a Board Member of many local and international institutions and Member of Several Joint
Arab and foreign Chambers of Commerce.
Mr Al Kabariti left his mark on the Jordanian economy especially on the commercial and industrial
sector.
He was a member of:
• Jordan Senate
• Financial and Economic Affairs Committee in the Jordanian Senate
• External Affairs Committee in the Jordanian Senate
Mr Al Kabariti is the CEO/ Owner of several institutions in the following Sectors:
•Construction
• Financial brokerage
• Logistic Services
• Real Estate Investment
Dr Afnan Al-Shuaiby
CEO and Secretary General
Arab British Chamber of Commerce, UK
Since her appointment as Secretary-General and Chief Executive of the Arab-British
Chamber of Commerce in 2007, Dr Afnan Al-Shuaiby has excelled in her efforts to
promote trade between Britain and the Arab World.
Dr Al-Shuaiby was educated at King Saud University in Riyadh graduating with a degree in English
Literature, and went on to complete a Masters of Art in Educational Administration at the American
University in Washington DC. She holds a PhD from the George Washington University in Washington
DC, in Leadership Administration. She also holds a certificate in Peace and Conflict Resolution from
the School of International Service at the American University Washington DC and has a certificate in
Executive Education from the Harvard Kennedy School. Previously, Dr Al-Shuaiby worked as Advisor
to the President of the US Saudi Arabian Business Council in Washington DC.
Dr Al-Shuaiby was named Diplomat of the Year for the Middle East 2011 and received the Diplomat
Award, recognising her distinguished achievements as a foreign diplomat in London. She has also
received the 2011 TIAW World of Difference 100 Award 2011 by selection by The International Alliance
for Women (TIAW).
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Guest Speakers
(In Order of Session)
Ms Nicola Ehlermann-Cache
Head of MENA-OECD Investment Programme
Private Sector Development Division, France
Mrs Nicola Ehlermann-Cache heads the MENA-OECD Investment Programme at
the Global Relations Secretariat of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD). The OECD is an international organisation based in Paris which
sets standards and provides policy advice in all areas of economic policy for its 34
member countries and non-member countries alike.
The MENA-OECD Investment Programme is designed to help create the conditions for sustained
economic growth and investment, encourage private sector-led development, improve employment
prospects and foster regional and international co-operation. In this context, Mrs Ehlermann-Cache
initiated work on women’s economic empowerment and business integrity.
Prior to this, she worked in the OECD Anti-Corruption Division where she was responsible for designing
and carrying out assistance programmes relating to legal and institutional anti-corruption and governance
reforms in non-OECD member countries. She also developed innovative means and tools to prevent,
detect and sanction bribery. She directed and contributed to various publications.
Mrs Ehlermann-Cache joined the OECD Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs in 1991 after
having worked as business consultant and product manager at L’Oréal.
Mrs Ehlermann-Cache, who is of German nationality, holds a Master’s Degree in International
Economics and Finance from the Panthéon-Sorbonne University (Paris, France). She is married and
has two daughters.
Dr Florence Eid-Oakden, Founder
CEO & Chief Economist
Arabia Monitor, United Kingdom
Dr Florence Eid is the CEO and Chief Economist of Arabia Monitor, an independent
research firm specialising in economic and market studies in the Middle East & North
Africa. She has been a professor of economics and finance at the American University
of Beirut and a visiting professor at INSEAD and HEC Paris.
Formerly Head of MENA research at JP Morgan, she has also worked with the World Bank on Latin
America & North Africa and contributed to the World Economic Forum’s Arab World Competitiveness
Reports.
She serves on the Board of Directors for the Arab Banking Corporation International Bank (ABCIB) in
London, on the Advisory Board of the Al Faisal University College of Business, Saudi Arabia; and has
been a Trustee of the American University in Paris.
Dr Eid holds a PhD in Organization Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),
with a joint Harvard-MIT doctoral committee.
She is a patron of the Contemporary Arts Society in London, a member of the Young Arab Leaders, and
the Young Presidents Organization.
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Guest Speakers
(In Order of Session)
Ms Sana Bardawil
Director of Communications MENA & Senior Business Communications Manager,
Upstream International, Royal Dutch Shell
Sana Bardawil is the Director of Communications, Middle East and North Africa and
Senior Business Communications Manager at Royal Dutch Shell.
Sana joined Royal Dutch Shell in London in 2001, and currently manages a large team
of more than 30 communications professionals in 10 countries across the Middle East & North Africa,
as well as working closely with the business, and focusing on the non-technical parts of Shell’s work,
including the social investment as well as the communications portfolios.
Sana worked as a journalist for ten years in the UK for the BBC World Service Business programmes,
the European Business News and Dow Jones. She then worked as a Communications Advisor for the
European Commission in Beirut for a year before returning to the UK to join Shell.
Sana received her M. Phil in Modern Middle East Studies from St Antony’s College, Oxford University.
She had obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the American University of
Beirut.
Sana is a Board Member of the Arab International Women’s Forum
Ms Cynthia Haddad Abou Khater
Strategy Management Officer, Technica International
Cynthia Haddad Abou Khater is a shareholder at Technica International, the family
owned business, and is currently the Strategy Management Officer.
She has set the company strategy with the management team and is now working on
the strategy execution based on the Balanced Score Card methodology by Dr Norton
and Dr Kaplan.
Cynthia is also working with her family members on having a smooth succession from the G1 to G2 and
developing a family and corporate governance.
Among the major projects she led was changing the company logo and creating a corporate identity for
the company, in addition to improving the company quality and safety management systems and work
processes.
Prior to joining the family business, Cynthia worked as a Marketing Manager at Joseph Chacra and Sons,
Warner Bros and New Line distributors in the GCC, where she planned and implemented campaigns
including marketing, advertising, promotion and publicity for theatrical and DVD releases.
Cynthia started her career as an account Manager at MCAA, a local advertising agency, where she
worked on the launching campaign of LEXUS in the Lebanese market and on the re-introduction of
Toyota under a new local distributor.
She is a member of the Lebanese League for Woman in Business (LLWB) and has a BA in Advertising
and Marketing from NDU, Cynthia is married with 3 kids, loves to dance and to travel around the world.
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Guest Speakers
(In Order of Session)
Ms Ida Beerhalter
Co-Head of IOME Family Office, Saudi Arabia
Ida Beerhalter co-heads IOME, a Multi Single Family office and Private Investment
Partnership formed by women principals from the Gulf region with its head office in
Riyadh, KSA.
Additionally, Mrs Beerhalter also serves as Member of the Board, Trustee, Strategic
Advisor and Expert to various for-profit and not-for-profit organisations around the globe (amongst
others Astia USA, Omniastrategy UK, Bellwald Partner GmbH Switzerland, Impact Investment Partners
LLP UK, Yunus Social Business GmbH Germany, Social Business Earth Switzerland, First Light Trust
UK, MedPrivee Germany) specialising in a wide range of issues including women’s empowerment,
entrepreneurship, leadership, social business & impact investments, women’s empowerment and
investment in emerging markets.
Mrs Beerhalter is a registered acquisition coach at High-Tech-Gründer-Fonds Germany and serves as
judge and coach at the European Venture Contest.
Dr Shaikha Al Maskari
Chairperson Al Maskari Holding
Chairperson Tricon Group, United Arab Emirates
Dr Shaikha Al Maskari is the Chairperson of: Al Maskari Holding, the Tricon Group,
Johnson Controls and Global Communications, JCGC, Singapore Expo, SGME and
ORSAT.
Among Shaikha’s recent awards are: by American Chamber of Commerce, MENA Am/Cham The Best
Woman Entrepreneur of 2012; by The International Alliance of Women, TIAW, the 2012 Award for
“outstanding contribution in making all the difference in the world to the economic empowerment of
women”, by Am/Cham Abu Dhabi the prestigious Falcon Award 2013 for promoting UAE-US Trade
relations; by the University Of Iowa, “ 2013 EP Adler Lecture Award”, 2013 “Honorary Recognition by
CAPASTONE for “Global Humanitarian Services”, 2013 HH Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Award
for “Promoting Indo-Arab Relations”, 2014 the International Petroleum Institute and Kuwait University
for contribution to women in offshore engineering, the UAE Red Crescent and the Qatar Red Crescent
for consistent contribution to international emergency relief.
Shaikha started her career with the ADNOC Group and in 1989 she joined her family petroleum
company, Tricon Energy Operations, as Chairperson and steered it to become the Tricon Group
comprising multinational firms with strong international partnerships, several of which with governmentlinked corporations. In 2008, Shaikha diverted from non-core subsidiaries, merged synergetic portfolios
and established Al Maskari Holding, AMH, the umbrella organisation for all her family’s diversified
enterprises (engaged in oil, gas, renewable energy, mining, contracting, facilities management, health
care, food services, security, MICE, media and out sourcing), with offices in UAE, GCC, MENA, USA,
Europe, Turkey and Singapore.
In 2001 Shaikha established the Global Institute of Justice & Technology and the Global Paramedic &
Rescue Academy, which have trained hundreds of UAE and Gulf Ministry of Interior personnel in Police
Sciences, Security, Emergency and Public Safety Services, and in 2003 she was honoured by the US
Department of Commerce with the “Excellence Award for enhancing emergency medical services and
saving lives in the UAE”.
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Guest Speakers
(In Order of Session)
In 1993, Shaikha founded her family charity, United Mercy Foundation, UMF (presently operated under
AMH) which sponsors orphans and provides medical, emergency relief and food aid in the ME, Africa
and Asia.
In 2006, Shaikha co-founded the Diyarbakir Micro-credit Project in Turkey which has successfully
launched close to 70, 000 entrepreneurs with eight offices across Turkey and creating over 400,000
jobs.
In 2008, Shaikha established the Global Environmental Responsibility Alliance, GERA, to promote
cross-border collaboration to drive resources efficiency. Shaikha also founded the Global Social
Empowerment Alliance, GSEA, to drive fundamental transformation of family/social mind sets to raise
children on C4 (Confidence, Conscience, Compassion and Collaboration) for good global citizenship
(towards cross-ethnic, cross-cultural and inter-faith harmonious co-existence).
Shaikha serves on several Boards of non-profit organisations: she is a Board Member of Arab International
Women’s Forum (AIWF), a Member of the High Advisory Board of International Cooperation Platform
(ICP), a Board Member of Women For Sustainable Growth (W4SG), and an Advisory Board Member of
Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADAMF) and MOSAICA Schools.
Mrs Nadereh Chamlou
International Development Expert
Former Senior Advisor to the Chief Economist for the MENA Region,
The World Bank, USA
Nadereh Chamlou is currently an international development advisor. She was formerly
Senior Advisor to the Chief Economist of the World Bank’s Middle East and North Africa
Region. In her three decades with the World Bank, she held technical, coordination,
managerial, and advisory positions across the World Bank and International Finance Corporation in such
areas as economic management, private sector development, financial markets, knowledge economy,
environmental sustainability, corporate governance, gender and development, and infrastructure. Her
experience extends to Latin America, East Asia and Pacific, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and
North Africa. She co-authored the World Bank flagship report on “Corporate Governance: A Framework
for Implementation”, which led to her co-founding the World Bank/OECD sponsored Global Corporate
Governance Forum and heading its Secretariat from 1998-2000.
Her research focuses on labor markets, particularly on talent pool and knowledge economy, stressing
competitiveness and growth through diversity. She authored “Gender and Development in the Middle
East and North Africa Region – Women in the Public Sphere”; and “The Environment for Women’s
Entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa Region”. She has contributed articles to journals
and speaks frequently at international conferences. Mrs. Chamlou is a member of the Board of Trustees
of the Tunis-based Center for Arab Women’s Training and Research. She is a founding member of
the Gender Economic Research and Policy Analysis and a member of its Steering and Advisory
Committees; Member of the Advisory Council of the Global Fund for Women and Girls; Member of the
Board of the Iranian International Economic Association (IIEA); and the newly established West Asia
Council. She was Adjunct Professor at New York University’s Wagner School of Public Policy; member
of the scientific committee of the Dutch Gender Task Force; and member of the International Advisory
Committee of Nyenrode University in the Netherlands. She has a BS in Foreign Service and a M.A. in
Economics from Georgetown University.
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Guest Speakers
(In Order of Session)
Mrs Ceri Powell
Executive Vice President, Exploration, Upstream International
& Global Head of Exploration, Royal Dutch Shell, The Netherlands
Ceri is British by background, from Pembrokeshire in South Wales, United Kingdom.
She graduated with a BSc. in Geology from Liverpool University, and with a PhD in
Structural Geology from The University of Wales (Cardiff). Ceri joined Shell in 1990,
and has worked as a geoscientist in the UK, Angola, Malaysia, the Netherlands, and the
United Arab Emirates.
In 2009 Ceri was appointed as the Executive Vice President of Exploration for Shell, overseeing
all technical aspects of exploration in the company and accountable for exploration operations and
new business opportunities in Europe, Africa, Middle East, Russia/CIS, Asia and Australia. The staff
involved, including contractors, are approximately 2500 and the annual budget is $2+bln.
Ceri is an active member of the prestigious Advisory Board of the United Nations Sustainable Energy
for All programme, chaired by the Secretary General of the UN.
Since 2014 Ceri has served as a Non Executive Director on the Board of Carillion PLC, and as the
Chairman of the Board Sustainability Committee. Carillion is a construction and services company with
an international portfolio including the UK, Canada and the Middle East.
She lives in The Hague, Netherlands, and also has a home in the Cotswolds in the UK where she is a
passionate gardener specialising in medicinal herbs. Sporting interests include skiing and diving. Ceri
is married to Ajay Shah, also an energy industry professional, being Shell’s global expert on LNG/gas
markets.
As one of the most senior women in the Energy Industry today, Ceri has twice been awarded the
accolade of being on the Fortune Top 50 most Powerful Women in International Business, in 2013 and
again in 2014, currently listed at No 21.
Ms Roopa Hinton, Social Development Adviser
Middle East &North Africa Department
Department for International Development, United Kingdom
Roopa Hinton is a Social Development Advisor in the Middle East and North Africa
Department at the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). She has
responsibility for DFID’s work on women’s economic empowerment in the region.
Dr Rana El Chemaitelly
CEO & Founder, The Little Engineer SARL, Lebanon
Rana El Chemaitelly holds a BE in Mechanical Engineering 1993, AUB Penrose Award
1993, and Master’s in Engineering Management 2008. In 2009 she launched her second
venture The Little Engineer®, a Beirut-based Edutainment center geared towards
engaging young minds in science, technology, engineering and mathematics through
proven hands on learning activities to unleash their full potential in pre-engineering skills
while highlighting robotics, renewable energies and latest technologies working in parallel
on their leadership and presentation skills. For her initiative and business plan, she was recognised
as one of MENA’s most promising entrepreneurs by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in
2009. She was awarded the “Coup de Coeur Femme” by “Medventures” for the Mediterranean in 2010,
selected the woman entrepreneur by the American Embassy to participate in the International Visitor
Leadership Program “IVLP” 2011, won the Cartier Women Initiative for the MENA region in 2011 and
the Green Mind Award in 2012.
In 2013 The little Engineer signed a strategic Partnership with Airbus Middle East to deliver regional
workshops for youth .She is working hard to be a voice of change in the Arab World by investing in
young minds, our future leaders, preparing them for the challenging future, while at the same time
aiming high to empower women in her community, in her country and around the world.
12
Guest Speakers
(In Order of Session)
Ms Rania Rizk
Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel for the MEA region,
PepsiCo, United Arab Emirates
Rania Rizk is Vice President & Chief Legal Counsel for PepsiCo’s Middle East Africa
(MEA) Region. In this role, Ms Rizk is responsible for all legal aspects of PepsiCo’s vast
portfolio of food and beverage businesses across the MEA Region. She was appointed
to this role in 2009. From 2005 to 2008, Ms Rizk was head of legal for PepsiCo’s GCC
and North Africa Business Units. Personally committed to functional excellence and the
role of legal as business partner, Ms Rizk leads a strong and talented team of lawyers and paralegals
based in five countries across the Region. She has played a pivotal role in shaping the Performance
with Purpose strategy for PepsiCo’s MEA region, and has been executive sponsor of the diversity &
inclusion agenda in the region.
Prior to joining PepsiCo, Ms Rizk was in private practice in the US and Egypt from 1996 to 2001. She
headed Legal Services for Andersen and Ernst & Young in the Middle East from 2001 – 2005, and was
a Visiting Lecturer at Cairo University Faculty of Law from 2003-2005.
Ms Rizk is a member of the Dubai Businesswomen’s Council and a Board Member of the American
Business Council of Dubai and the Arab International Women’s Forum. She holds a Juris Doctor (JD)
degree with specialization in International Business Transactions from George Mason University School
of Law (1996) and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in International Relations from Boston University.
HE Ameera Binkaram
Chairperson, Sharjah Business Women Council, United Arab Emirates
Ameera is focused on Arab women’s empowerment and leadership in the region.
A true ambassador for progressive values, she is focused on a broad range of human,
animal and environmental issues. Since 2010 Ameera has been the Chairperson of
Sharjah Business Women’s Council. She is also the President of the Board of Trustees
and a founding member of Friends of Cancer Patients Society (FoCP) that was
established in 1999.
Since 2011 Ameera has been a Jury Member for the Emirates Women Award and in 2012 she
was honoured to be awarded the UAE’s “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Arab Women Award, an
organisation whose jury committee she has since been invited to lead.
She was also elected to head the Women’s Chapter for the world’s oldest and largest international
non-profit business association for CEOs: the CEO Clubs. She also serves on the board of Education
for Employment (EFE), a non-profit organisation dedicated to youth employment, with a network of six
locally-run non-profit affiliates across the Middle East and North Africa.
Ameera is also a member of the Olave Baden-Powell Society, which supports the mission of the World
Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) to enable girls and young women to develop
their fullest potential as responsible citizens of the world, and she sits on the board of the WAGGGS
Development Fund headed by Princess Benedikte of Denmark. She also represented her country in
2011 as part of the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) as a guest of the US Embassy.
13
Guest Speakers
(In Order of Session)
Mrs Chiara Corazza
Managing Director
Greater Paris Investment Agency, France
Chiara Corazza is an Italian and British citizen, resident in Paris. Married with two adult
children, she has a French Baccalaureat, a degree in Political Sciences and a doctoral
degree in public law from the Univerisity of Rome and speaks five languages fluently.
Mrs Corazza began her professional career at 18 as a German teacher at the French high school in
Rome and as jounalist at the Daily American. In 1981 she became a journalist for international economy
at the Italian daily newspaper il Globo.
Having arrived in Paris in 1985, she was chosen as Counsellor for International Affairs to the President
of the Paris Region. She there created Metropolis, the world association of large metropolitan areas
and, working with the French Foreign Office, she planned and implemented Paris regional international
policy.
In 1992 Chiara Corazza was nominated Director for International Affairs in the Paris Region. During
this 15 years at the head of international affairs in the Region, she initiated, negotiated and succesfully
managed bilateral co-operation agreements with Beijing, Beirut, Buenos Aires, Budapest, Dakar,
Hanoi, Johannesburg, Madrid, Mexico City, Montreal, Moscow, New Dehli, Santiago in Chile, Tokyo
and Warsaw among others .
In that capacity, Chiara Corazza was responsible for organising numerous international political and
business events in Paris and abroad and for welcoming more than a hundred high-ranking foreign
delegations to France, working with top business and political executives. She also contributed to
designing a legal framework for international cooperation for French local authorities.
In 1994 she establishes the first Paris Region representation in Brussels and created a network
encompassing Europe’s capital regions.
In 1995, she was entrusted by the University Paris Descartes to set up and lead the post- graduate
course “The Foreign Relations of Local Authorities” that she taught for 4 years.
In 1999, she was appointed, Director of International Affairs of Paris 2008, in charge of promoting the
Paris bid for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Since 2002, Chiara Corazza has been Managing Director of the Greater Paris investment Agency, in
charge of attracting foreign investors to the Paris Region and to enhance its attractiveness. To this end,
she also conducted regular global benchmark studies that became a reference for both economic and
policy makers.
In 2010, she was appointed member of the Commission for the evaluation of French diplomas in
management, by the Minister of Finance Christine Lagarde. Chiara Corazza also became a member of
the MENA-OECD Business Council.
In 2012, she was elected member of the Board of Directors of APRIL insurance company and of the
Board of Trustees of AIWF, the Arab International Women Forum.
In 2014, she was elected member of the Board of RATP, the world’s fifth largest public transport company.
Chiara Corazza is a Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur.
14
Guest Speakers
(In Order of Session)
Ms Esther De Raymaeker
Senior Projects Advisor Legal Projects Team
International Bar Association, United Kingdom
Esther de Raymaeker is a Senior Legal Advisor with the Legal Projects Team. A Belgian
qualified lawyer, she holds a Master’s Degree from the K U Leuven (Belgium) and an
LL.M in International Business Law from University College London. Before joining the
IBA she worked as an employment lawyer for DLA Piper UK LLP’s Brussels office.
Esther currently oversees the IBA skills building projects for women lawyers in the Middle East and
Africa in addition to a research project on sexual violence and a training project on asset recovery. She
also manages the relationship between the IBA, academia and the IBA’s student membership.
Ms Haruko Fukuda, OBE
Non Executive Director
Investec PLC, United Kingdom
Haruko Fukuda is a former Chief Executive of The World Gold Council. After a 30 year
career as a stockbroker and investment banker in the City of London, having been a
Partner of James Capel & Co, Vice Chairman of Nikko Europe Plc, and Senior Advisor
at Lazard, she embarked on a new career in 2003 to serve as chairman and nonexecutive Director of major international companies. She has been on Boards of Foreign & Colonial
Investment Trust PLC, and of AB Volvo, and has been an Advisor at Metro Cash & Carry of Germany.
She is currently a non-executive Director of Investec PLC, Global Resources Investment Trust PLC,
and Aberdeen Asian Smaller Companies Investment Trust PLC, and an Advisor to Braj Binani Group,
a diversified industrial company in India, and to Kreab Gavin Anderson, a PR communications group
in Sweden.
She is Japanese by birth but is a British citizen and lives in London.
15
Guest Speakers
(In Order of Session)
Umran Beba
Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer
PepsiCo, Asia, Middle East & Africa
Umran Beba is the Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, for
PepsiCo Asia, Middle East and Africa. She has held a wide range of roles since joining
the company in 1994. Before assuming her current position, she was the president of
PepsiCo’s Asia Pacific Region, spanning 25 countries.
She has also been the president of PepsiCo’s South East Europe Region, covering 14 markets including
Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and the Balkans and has served as the Business Unit General Manager for the
East Mediterranean, comprising Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Iraq.
She joined PepsiCo in 1994, when she started her career with the company at Frito-Lay in Turkey, and
held positions including Marketing Director, HR Director and ultimately General Manager.
Umran is a great supporter of PepsiCo’s Performance with Purpose sustainability mission and is also a
dedicated advocate of diversity and inclusion.
She holds an MBA and Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Bogazici University.
In 2012, Umran received the PepsiCo Steve Reinemund Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Legacy
Award. She is an advisory board member of Switzerland-based Women International Network (WIN),
and the “Mentorship for Women for Board Seats,” organized by Praesta and Forbes in Turkey.
She is also a non-executive Board Member of Calbee Company in Japan and a Global Council member
for the World Economic Forum- Future of Jobs Global Council.
Ms Sarah Turvill
Non-executive Director
Willis Limited, United Kingdom
Sarah has recently retired from the Willis Group, the global insurance/reinsurance broker
and risk adviser. She was most recently Chairman of Willis International, the area of the
Group which is responsible for Group’s global retail operations excluding North America
comprising 7000 employees and US$ 1bn in revenue.
She has now been appointed as a non-executive Director of Willis Limited the Group’s UK operating
company.
Sarah has spent all her professional life at Willis starting in the legal department. She was instrumental
in the establishment and development of the Group’s International presence through a series of
acquisitions and start-ups culminating in her running the fastest growing area of the Group as the
International Chief Executive for 10 years from 2001.
Sarah is also Chair of the Council of Exeter University and a Bencher at Gray’s Inn.
16
Guest Speakers
(In Order of Session)
Ms Helena Morrissey CBE
CEO Newton Investment Management &
Founder of The 30% Club, United Kingdom
Helena joined Newton in 1994 as a fixed income fund manager and was appointed CEO
in 2001. Newton manages more than £50bn for pension funds, charities and through
funds available to individual investors.
In 2010, Helena founded the 30% Club, a cross-business initiative aimed at achieving 30% women
on UK corporate boards by 2015 through voluntary, business-led change. This has now become an
international approach, with 30% Clubs in the US, Hong Kong and Ireland. She also chairs Opportunity
Now, Business in the Community’s gender diversity campaign.
In June 2014 Helena was appointed Chair of the Investment Management Association, the UK’s industry
trade body whose members manage £5trn.
Helena was voted one of the 50 Most Influential People in Finance by Bloomberg Markets Magazine
in October 2013. She is a Fellow of the Society of Investment Professionals, a Fellow of the London
Business School and was awarded the CBE in the 2012 New Year’s Honours list.
A Cambridge philosophy graduate, she began her career as a global bond analyst with Schroders in
New York. Helena is married with nine children.
17
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
22 October 2014
0900 – 0930 Registration & Refreshments
0930 – 1030 Opening Session
Conference Welcome
Keynote Address
Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani, Founder Chairman, Arab International
Women’s Forum, United Kingdom
Keynote Address
Mr Toby Wemyss, Chief Executive Officer, Central & Eastern Europe,
Middle East & Africa, Willis International, United Kingdom
Guest of Honour Keynote Address
HE Nael Al-Kabarati, Chairman, Jordan Chamber of Commerce
& Industry, Jordan
1030 – 1130 Session I
Women & Business Finance
Women’s wealth and their share of capital and assets is increasing
steadily in the region, particularly in the GCC, yet financial service
providers avoid lending to business women (many of whom lack
collateral or sufficient credit history). An IFC report found that less than
10% of women business owners had access to a business line of credit.
While it is well known that women’s entrepreneurship is a key driver of
economic growth in the MENA, the region overall lacks the financial
products that will meet the fast-changing needs of business women. In
this session, we will talk to prominent women in finance and executives
from both regions to discuss how restricted access to business funding
is impeding growth for women-owned businesses and what can be
done to further extend marketing support and business development
services for women entrepreneurs.
Guest Speaker - Moderator
Dr Afnan Al Shuaiby, Secretary General & CEO,
Arab-British Chamber of Commerce, United Kingdom
Guest Speaker
Ms Nicola Ehlermann-Cache, Senior Policy Advisor, MENA-OECD
Investment Programme, Private Sector Development Division, France
Guest Speaker
Dr Florence Eid-Oakden, Founder, CEO & Chief Economist
Arabia Monitor, United Kingdom
18
1130 – 1145 Tea & Coffee Break
1145 – 1245 Session II
Women, Wealth & Family Business
Family-owned firms are the backbone of the MENA economy - some
85% of all companies in the MENA region are family-owned. These
family businesses go back generations - almost three-quarters of the
region’s family businesses are owned and managed by the second
generation, with only 5% in the hands of a fourth generation or beyond.
Family-owned businesses are closely intertwined with the development
of the region, and can positively engage in dealing with the socioeconomic challenges that exist in the MENA region, including youth
unemployment issue, the skills deficit, and the inadequate environment
for promoting entrepreneurship. Family businesses also have the best
opportunity to engage more women in leadership and management
positions in the companies, which in turn will have a direct positive
impact on the health of their economies. In this session, we explore
corporate culture and characteristics of some of the region’s most
prominent family businesses, most of them large conglomerates with
diversified interests in all major industries. We will explore the positive
change taking place within family businesses in MENA, and the
renewed focus on streamlining operations, identifying the core sectors
and practices for future growth.
Guest Speaker - Moderator
Ms Sana Bardawil, Director of Communications MENA & Senior
Business Communications Manager, Upstream International
Royal Dutch Shell
Guest Speaker
Ms Cynthia Haddad Abou Khater, Strategy Management Officer,
Technica International
Guest Speaker
Ms Ida Beerhalter, Co-Head of IOME Family Office,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Guest Speaker
Dr Shaikha Al Maskari, Chairperson, Al Maskari Holding, Chairperson,
Tricon Group, United Arab Emirates
19
1245 – 1345
Session III
Women-Owned SMEs:
Meeting Economic Challenges through Collaboration
As the World Bank has noted: “Once women-owned start-ups mature into
SMEs, they become significant contributors to employment and GDP.”
Ensuring that Arab women are empowered to actively participate in private
sector growth, undertaking senior management positions, is the only way
to show the younger generation that successful women are the norm and
no longer the exception in the Arab world. With the public sector unable to
provide jobs for the millions of young Arab estimated to enter the workforce
between now and 2020, many women in the region are now turning to
entrepreneurship and governments are championing SME development
as a strategy to generate much-needed jobs and promote sustainable
economic development. However, for entrepreneurs to succeed and
SMEs to have any meaningful impact on GDP growth or play any real
role in economic development and job creation in this next critical decade,
entrepreneurs on the ground must be provided with the tools, resources,
training and financing they need.
This session explores government projects and private sector initiatives in
the Arab world, the UK and Europe that have successfully promoted and
supported the role of women and SMEs in economic development.
Guest Speaker - Moderator
Mrs Nadereh Chamlou, International Development Expert
Former Senior Advisor to the Chief Economist for the MENA Region,
The World Bank, United States of America
Guest Speaker
Mrs Ceri Powell, Executive Vice President, Exploration,
Upstream International & Global Head of Exploration,
Royal Dutch Shell, The Netherlands
Guest Speaker
Ms Roopa Hinton, Social Development Adviser, Middle East and
North Africa Department, Department for International Development,
United Kingdom
Guest Speaker
Dr Rana El Chemaitelly, CEO & Founder,
The Little Engineer SARL, Lebanon
1345 – 1500
Buffet Lunch & Networking
20
1500 – 1600
Session IV
Women Leading in Professions
This session will bring together professional women leaders that are
contributing to diverse sectors of the economy including law, accountancy,
media, engineering and management and financial services across the
Middle East as well as in Europe and internationally. AIWF will seek
to identify the challenges faced and the opportunities available for the
development of women in all disciplines and will discuss what more can
be done to attract young women in the MENA to the professions and the
promotion of the highest international standards of professionalism and
training to empower young female professionals.
Guest Speaker - Moderator
Ms Rania Rizk, Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel
for the MEA region, PepsiCo, United Arab Emirates
Guest Speaker
HE Ameera Binkaram, Chairperson, Sharjah Business Women Council, United Arab Emirates
Guest Speaker
Mrs Chiara Corazza
Managing Director, Greater Paris Investment Agency, France
Guest Speaker
Ms Esther De Raymaeker, Senior Projects Advisor,
Legal Projects Team, International Bar Association, United Kingdom
21
1600 – 1700
Session V
he Next Generation of Women Directors: Arab, British & International
T
Women on Corporate Boards
Major strides have been made in women’s workplace representation over
the past generation but a different picture emerges when examining the
participation of women on the boards of blue-chip companies in some of
the EU’s largest markets. As in the MENA region, female entrepreneurs in
the EU remain vastly outnumbered.
According to Forbes, “Research shows a correlation between the number
of women on boards and higher corporate profits. Companies with more
women board directors outperform by 66% in terms of return on invested
capital, by 53% in terms of return on equity, and by 42% in terms of return
on sales.”
In the UK, the Government has indicated that it wants to see more women
on boards and in senior executive roles. In this session, AIWF works
with corporations and NGOs to identify challenges and opportunities
for the next generation of women directors, continuing over a decade
of work in supporting the development of women in senior positions of
leadership with skills-based training and mentorship, towards seeing
an increase in the number of women on boards across the UK, Europe
and the MENA region. Prominent members of corporate boards and
representatives of organisations that work closely with women directors to
develop their potential will also be invited to share their experiences and
recommendations.
Guest Speaker - Moderator
Ms Haruko Fukuda
Non-Executive Director, Investec PLC, United Kingdom
Guest Speaker
Ms Umran Beba, Senior VP & Chief HR Officer, AMEA,
PepsiCo, Dubai
Guest Speaker
Ms Sarah Turvill, Non- executive Director, Willis Limited, United Kingdom
Guest Speaker
Ms Helena Morrissey CBE, CEO, Newton Investment Management
& Founder, The 30% Club, United Kingdom
1700 – 1730
Closing Remarks
Refreshments and Networking
22
The Arab International Women‘s Forum (AIWF) established in 2001 as an independent not for profit
organisation is a unique network linking Arab women with their international counterparts and serves
as the voice of Arab women, showcasing their development, ability and competence in business,
professional and public life, creating greater global awareness of women’s success and prospects in
the Arab world.
Now in its second decade of fulfilling its mission of Building Bridges, Building Business, the Arab
International Women’s Forum has been an agent of change for women in the Arab region encouraging
their potential to take greater leadership roles and reach higher levels of responsibility in all sectors
of business, public life and in civil society while at the same time contributing to the progress and
prosperity of their families and communities.
AIWF has been recognised for its vision and successful achievement of outstanding and timely
initiatives, with two landmark Reports and Recommendations in 2005 and 2007, on Women as
Engines of Economic Growth in the Arab World which set the benchmark for building and promoting
its policy recommendations and strategies that have a focus on capacity building and training,
economic competitiveness, sustainable human development and the empowerment of women, through
partnership, increased connectivity, innovation and collaboration, for women in the Arab world.
AIWF has received international recognition in the Arab world and internationally as a powerful advocate
of women in business for the advancement of women, and its growing role to promote and advance
legislative rights for the participation of Arab women, has been distinguished by many collaborations
with, among others, the League of Arab States, the European Commission and European Parliament,
United Nations organisations and agencies, the World Bank, the MENA-OECD Investment Programme,
women’s business councils in the Arab States, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, International
Chambers of Commerce and many globally recognised institutes of higher and further education.
AIWF places great strategic importance on the development of its global networks and the establishment
of key alliances with multinational corporations across all sectors. AIWF’s Global Corporate Benefactor
Partner, PepsiCo, and its other distinguished Global Partners, sharing the AIWF mission, are deeply
engaged in the Arab region and uphold strong diversity policies that enhance the recruitment, training
and development of women as key contributors to the Arab human capital pool.
In raising awareness and strengthening its connections with global media AIWF is proud to have a
special partnership with the leading communications company in the Middle East, Memac Ogilvy
and from June 2007 has had a continuing relationship and cooperation with the Financial Times (FT)
cooperating with the FT special reports which recognise the Arab world’s emerging women business
leaders. AIWF has supported the publication of Domains of Influence: Arab Women Business
Leaders in a New Economy, the first book of its kind and a unique testament to the impact of Arab
Women in today’s global environment of entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
In 2014 and beyond, the Arab International Women’s Forum and its Partners recognise that its role is
more important than ever and has widened its remit to connect women in the Arab world with women in
the other emerging economies with its enhanced Programme for Building Bridges, Building Business:
Emerging Economies, Emerging Leaderships. AIWF’s future direction will be on strengthening its
focus on the importance of education, leadership training, capacity building and self-development for
women and youth and urging governments and the private sector to work together to achieve much
needed job creation initiatives.
Arab International Women’s Forum
Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, London W1J 6BD, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 20 7887 7630 Fax: +44 20 7887 6001 [email protected] www.aiwfonline.com
23
Willis Group Holdings plc
Willis Group Holdings plc is a leading global risk adviser, insurance and
reinsurance broker. With roots dating to 1828, Willis operates today on every
continent with more than 18,000 employees in over 400 offices.
Willis offers its clients superior expertise, teamwork, innovation and marketleading products and professional services in risk management and transfer.
Our experts rank among the world’s leading authorities on analytics,
modelling and mitigation strategies at the intersection of global commerce
and extreme events.
24
PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and
territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $66 billion in net revenue in 2013, driven by
a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker
and Tropicana. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages,
including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Indra Nooyi, The Global Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo is a woman. She is also
the chief architect of Performance with Purpose, our philosophy and promise to do what’s right for the
business by doing what’s right for people and the planet – including how we can ensure we incorporate
diversity and inclusion into our company.
We are committed to increasing the number of women leaders within our company through recruiting
and development initiatives around the world but also have multiple initiatives focused on empowering
women in the community.
Performance with Purpose is at the heart of PepsiCo and it is our goal to deliver top-tier financial
performance while creating sustainable growth in shareholder value. In practice, Performance with
Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding
innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing
a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in
the local communities where we operate.
For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.
25
Shell in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Today the Middle East and North Africa region stands as not only a vital artery between the East and
West, but also as an important and influential source of energy to the world.
Shell’s relationship with the Middle East and North African countries dates back almost as long as the
company’s existence. The opening up of Asian markets via the Red Sea trade route, facilitated the
creation of the Shell Transport and Trading Company.
Countries in the MENA region have now become synonymous with the production, delivery and
distribution of oil and gas. As the world continues to demand more energy to mobilise, the MENA region
is expected to be central to providing oil and gas to people around the world for years to come.
Working hand in hand with governments and local partners, we in Shell are proud to support the
countries that make up the MENA region in producing and delivering the upstream and downstream
aspects of oil and gas production. We operate across the region in a series of joint ventures and
partnerships. We supply the technical expertise and economies of scale that come with running a
global portfolio of assets and interests.
Today, we are one of the largest private oil and gas companies in the world, with over 4,000 employees
in the Middle East and North Africa. Over 90% of our employees are regional talents. Our commitment
to sustainable investment in human capital does not stop at the fence line of Shell operations. In Shell,
we not only look to partner with host governments and national operations, we also believe in supporting
the local communities and environments in which we operate.
Shell has developed a number of social investment and development programmes to encourage growth,
self-reliance and prosperity of the countries in which it operates. These programmes focus on providing
training and learning opportunities for individuals as well as the wider community and are themed
around human capital, environmental awareness and increasing road safety.
26
Arabia Monitor
Arabia Monitor is an independent research company specialized in economic
and market analysis on emerging markets in the Middle East and North
Africa. Being the foremost expert on MENA economies and markets, Arabia
Monitor has firmly positioned itself as a leading independent research firm
with its in-depth, locally informed analysis consistently ahead of the curve in
identifying new trends within and around the region.
Besides conducting studies on MENA markets, we also focus on trade and
investment relations between the region and rest of the world.
We have published a series of reports covering relations between MENA
and China, Turkey, Iran, Sub-Saharan Africa among others.
27
AIWF 2014 Conference Acknowledgments
The Board of Trustees and Members of the Arab International Women’s Forum
wish to acknowledge with kind thanks and much appreciation the valuable support
and cooperation of the following AIWF Global Partners for the
AIWF 2014 Conference in the City of London:
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME PARTNER AND HOSTS
AIWF GLOBAL PLATINUM PARTNER
AIWF GLOBAL BENEFACTOR PARTNER
PEPSICO
28
Conference Programme Partner
AIWF GLOBAL PLATINUM PARTNER
SHELL
AIWF GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS PARTNER
MEMAC OGILVY
AIWF GLOBAL DIAMOND PARTNER
JUMEIRAH
The Board of Trustees and Members of the
Arab International Women’s Forum wish to acknowledge
with kind thanks and much appreciation the valuable support and cooperation
for the AIWF 2014 Conference in the City of London of:
AIWF KNOWLEDGE PARTNER
ARABIA MONITOR
The Board of Trustees and Members of the
Arab International Women’s Forum wish to acknowledge with kind thanks
and much appreciation the valuable participation of all our distinguished Guest Speakers
in the AIWF 2014 Conference in the City of London
29
Acknowledgment of AIWF
2014 Global Partners
The Arab International Women’s Forum would like to recognise the encouragement of the many
partners who share the AIWF Mission and whose endorsement, cooperation and participation
helps AIWF to activate the agenda for business growth, change and development. AIWF is
proud to have the confidence of the following Global Annual Partners and their commitment
and valued support for our work, for this Conference and other initiatives:
Global Corporate Benefactor Partner
PepsiCo
Global Platinum Partners
Pfizer, Shell, Sharjah Business Women Council
Global Diamond Partners
PricewaterhouseCooper, Jumeirah and Sung Joo Foundation
Global Institutional Partners,
Arab-British Chamber of Commerce, Hawkamah, Pearl Initiative,
IOD Mudara, Dubai Business Women Council
AIWF Global Communications Partner
Memac Ogilvy
30
AIWF WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE WITH APPRECIATION
THE VALUED SUPPORT OF AIWF GLOBAL ANNUAL PARTNERS
AIWF Global Corporate Benefactor Partner
AIWF Global Platinum Partners
AIWF Global Diamond Partners
AIWF Institutional Partners
AIWF Global Communications Partner
31
Arab International Women’s Forum
Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, London W1J 6BD, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 20 7887 7630 Fax: +44 20 7887 6001 [email protected] www.aiwfonline.com
Arab International Women’s Forum is registered in England and Wales, Registered Number 4205758
Registered Office: Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, London W1J 6BD, United Kingdom