Class of 2017-19

Abdulaziz was appointed the Deputy CEO and Chief Operations Officer of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) in 2017. As Deputy CEO and Chief Operations Officer, AlJaziri leads a number of projects at DFF in partnership with Government, Private Sector and Academia.

In DFF, Abdulaziz leads the Research, Content Dissemination, Capacity Building and Design and Acceleration streams. His focus is to support Dubai leaders better navigate the future, develop high-quality content about the future, equip generations to come with skills of the future and foster an innovation ecosystem that develops experiments.

Abdulaziz is part of the integral team behind the Museum of the Future. Additionally, he has led, managed and launched DFF’s AREA 2071 in 2016, an innovative ecosystem where a diverse set of partners design the future.

Amy works as Delivery Lead at Made Tech. Her role focuses on advancing digital capabilities across local government services in the UK. As a consultant, Amy has been working to enable organisational transformation, digital adoption, and service improvement in the public sector. Her current role follows from enabling digital transformation for the English National Health Service.

Alongside professional engagements, Amy maintains a decade-long commitment to frontline volunteering with London’s homeless and vulnerably housed adults. It had shaped her interest in co-designing with those most affected by the interventions, services, and policies in urban settings. She is drawn to interdisciplinary problems of place-making and belonging, migration and the rise of nationalism, colonialism and climate change-driven displacement. As co-facilitator to the London node of the global Design Justice Network, Amy welcomes fellow practitioners to critically examine their work through the lens of design justice and the co-liberation of communities.

Amy holds academic qualifications in Communications (Corvinus University of Budapest – Hungary), where her research focused on education of children in orphan care, and that of young offenders.

Assim is the Head of Communication at Oman Sail, a leading sailing and sport events’ organiser based in Muscat, Oman. In this role, Assim oversees the planning and implementation of strategic communication programmes, global media operations and stakeholder value creation. An integral part of the role is strategically aligning the organisation to local and global frameworks such as Oman’s Vision 2040, and global trends in terms of socio-economic impact, health, sustainability and the environment. Throughout his service at Oman Sail, Assim implemented effective campaigns at varying levels around the world, putting Oman in the global spotlight, and enabling the organisation to earn multiple credible accolades, the last of which was being named the “Best Sport Event Organiser of the Year” in 2022 by the prestigious Sport Industry Awards SPIA.

Assim has been involved in driving economic and societal impact through the Omani government’s diversification programme pertaining to sport tourism, Tanfeedh Initiative 4 from 2016 – 2019, and in measuring the soft and hard impact in cities, inbound tourism, population lifestyle, SMEs’ development and sport performance in collaboration with reputable impact measurement consultancy agencies. He holds an academic B.A in Translation (Sultan Qaboos University – Oman).

Ayan is Deputy General Director of Development at the largest construction company in Kazakhstan specializing in social, transport, and engineering infrastructure. In this position, he is responsible for the development and scaling of the company’s products such as cultural, sports, tourism, and academic facilities, as well as urban transport projects. Moreover, within Ayan’s mentoring has been organized a group of specialists that actively interacts with the city authorities in the development of comprehensive urban plans.

Ayan was invited as chairman of the architectural competition for the elaboration of development plans for the Turkistan city. He is also the originator of the construction of advanced-format schools in the Republic of Kazakhstan through public-private partnerships, which were included in the overall plan of the Ministry of Education for the construction of 1000 schools in Kazakhstan until 2027.

He holds academic qualifications in economics (Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan) and an MA in tourism and hospitality (Cezar Ritz, Switzerland).

Bruno is an architect working for Systra, a global engineering firm specialized in urban transportation projects. As head of the Mass Rapid Transit department at Systra for over 10 years, he managed a multidisciplinary team of architects, urban planners and engineers, specialized in the design of large transportation infrastructures projects.

Within Systra, he has promoted a more holistic approach to Urban Transport design, crossing bridges between technical issues and social/urban ones. His department has been involved on various projects located around the world: New Delhi Line 7 MRT project in India; the planning of two new metro lines in Makkah, Saudi Arabia; global transportation feasibility plan for the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia; Dubai’s elevated metro system; Singapore Circle Line, among others.

At present, he is the Lead Design Manager on the Hs2 Old oak Common Station located in West London, a project currently under construction. It is through his significant involvement on these transportation projects that his interest extended towards more global urban issues, specifically the relationship between public transport and the urban realm.

Charles is a Precinct Director at the State Government of Victoria’s Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA). The SRLA is responsible for delivering Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop (SRL), an ambitious integrated transport and precinct development project that will reshape the city. As Precinct Director, Charles is responsible for building consensus around urban change and for identifying, aligning and sequencing the planning and investment to unlock and shape the growth catalysed by the new rail connections.

In his role as advocate for SRL Precincts, Charles will be a custodian of coherent and compelling place visions and will guide the delivery of vibrant, distinctive and future focused precincts around SRL stations. Charles joined the SRLA early in its formation, moving from a long private sector consulting career in property and development, advising on urban renewal masterplanning, property strategies and development joint ventures.

Prior to consulting he practiced as an architect and spent time working in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Aboriginal Lands in remote South Australia in a housing management and community development role.

Charles has academic qualifications in Environmental Design (University of Canberra) and Architecture (University of Melbourne).

Claudia has over twelve years’ experience in large-scale transport and urban renewal projects in Australia and overseas for government and the private sector. She is currently an independent consultant to Transport for New South Wales (Australia), advising on how to assess and value the economic benefits of public realm improvements associated with transport projects. She is also co-managing investments in real assets and technology.

Claudia has previously worked in government and for PwC, AECOM, and EY. Claudia’s professional focus is project development, strategic policy advice (infrastructure plans, investment prioritisation, evaluation frameworks), demand modelling, transport planning, economics, finance and funding, business cases, investment assurance, sell/buy-side due diligence, and market engagement.

Claudia’s experience is multi-modal (ferries, buses, rail, ports, motorways), across greenfield and brownfield sites, and in projects that include property development. An example is her recent role leading the Strategic and Final Business Cases for the Circular Quay Renewal project, Australia’s most iconic location and transport interchange. Other significant projects include Sydney’s Central Station Renewal, Northern Beaches B-Line buses, and Western Harbour Tunnel motorway.

Claudia holds a Bachelor of Economics Honours (First Class) from Macquarie University and a certificate in Real Estate Economics and Finance from London School of Economics.

Eden is currently the head of Physical Planning Department at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Ghana. He is responsible for the physical planning and human settlement development within the metropolis. He coordinates activities and projects of departments and other agencies including non-governmental organizations to ensure compliance with planning standards, prepares and revises spatial plans to guide future physical development. He promotes policy dialogue among key stakeholders in the public and private sectors and public education activities. Coordinator of a project in Developing Risk Management Approaches for Climate Risk (Developing Insurability Project).

He serves as a Regional Leader on the newly formed International Advisory Board on the Special Program for Urban Regional Studies (SPURS), Massachusetts Institutes of Technology (MIT).

Eden holds a Bachelors degree in Planning from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and a Masters degree in Human Settlement from KU Leuven, Belgium. He was a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow in Special Program in Urban and Regional Studies (SPURS), Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Elizabeth is an experienced urban infrastructure manager with demonstrated history of working in the housing and urban development sector. She is driven to deliver infrastructure developments hinged on elements of circularity and sustainability which helps cities become more resilient, competitive and liveable. During her work at the renowned Two Rivers Development a mixed-use urban node, she demonstrated competence for driving execution in adopting international best practices to deliver results in highly complex market settings.

Most Recently, Elizabeth offered technical support to development of urban infrastructure resilience strategies for Nairobi, under Kenya Urban Support Program (KUSP), where she supported the formulation and implementation of urban development plans for the establishment and operation of institutional arrangements for urban infrastructure investments.

Elizabeth works for Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) where she is responsible for providing technical assistance on sustainable management and restoration of Parks in Nairobi CBD, which has committed to breaking the ‘decline-and-restore’ cycle pattern of open spaces, through rebuilding facilities in the public realm by renewal of landscapes, infrastructure and facilities to ensure they are environmentally sustainable. In 2019 she set up a practice Urban Know that works collaboratively on local and international projects. Combining her strong skills in engaging local partners involved in Urban Infrastructure Development projects.

Mayor Fahad Albuliheshi has served the people of Madinah as a Executive Chairman of Madinah Development Authority MDA, and now also as the Mayor of the Region in Saudi Arabia. He is leading the development programs, strategies, plans and projects of the future development of the city in coordination with the development partners to build the region and the city of Madinah as a stronger, healthier, and modernized city that delivers for all their citizens, visitors and investors. Through his service, he has achieved satisfactory results of how city can be well developed, planned, and directed towards a better, healthier and more prosperous future. MDA has successfully accomplished a variety of achievements, such as the Platinum Certification of the World Council on City Data (WCCD), occupying the 4th rank on regionally and the 73rd internationally of the IMD Smart City Index 2021, as well as obtaining the Global Gold and Silver Awards for Livable Sustainable Communities 2018, among other awards.

Madinah city is experiencing currently real challenge to respond efficiently to the facts that people need more than high quality homes, employment, efficient and sufficient public services, and recreational facilities to be able to achieve economic prosperity and enjoy healthy and meaningful lives. The challenge of the future development of Madinah needs special intervention capabilities, new sorts of resilient development and creative strategies, thoughtful innovative expertise, and sustainable resources. Urban changes should be directed towards a wide-ranging vision to achieve a substantial better quality of life for all; a quality of life that promotes social inclusion and effective city governance, and drives inclusive local development, recognizing the critical role that cities can play in successfully response to the current ecological and climate challenge.

Gonzalo leads the Housing and Public Space Department at the Municipality of Las Condes in Santiago, Chile. From there, he oversees strategic planning tackling complex urban issues such as housing deficit and urban segregation. As part of his tasks, he must lead projects ranging in scale, from urban regeneration, public space design, sustainable mobility, and urban resilience, which in turn have a strong innovative and participatory component. Las Condes has a population of more than 300,000 people and is characterized by its broad territorial diversity, much like a small-scaled city with residential areas, financial districts, urban parks, and modern transportation infrastructure. Within this diversity, there are also areas that have considerable social needs and problems to be solved.

Gonzalo holds a degree in Architecture from the Pontificia Universidad Católica of Chile and completed a Certificate Program in Integrated Urban Planning. He has extensive city planning and project management experience in both public and private sectors and has a strong public duty and determination to generate urban public policies that help develop fair and integrated cities.

Manish works as the Head of Urban Programme and Policy at Save the Children India. He is responsible for Programme development and research, resource mobilization, external engagement, and forging partnerships with Government, Corporates, and Think Tanks for collaborative work. He provides technical support and advice to the Programme Teams at the State Project Offices to ensure timely implementation and delivery of programs. He works closely with Research, Advocacy, Campaign, and Communication team to build and undertake research, advocacy, and campaigns linked to the issues of urbanization and its impact on children. He has over 18 years of experience in the social and development sector.

Before Save the Children, he worked with private consulting companies in social and market research, infrastructure and engineering, etc. He holds a Masters and M. Phil. Degrees in Applied Geography from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Marianna is Australia Precincts Lead for Mott MacDonald, a global engineering, management, and development consultancy. Precincts is an Australia-wide initiative focussing on city-shaping place, precinct, and urban development programs which optimise economic, environmental, social, and cultural outcomes. The role includes opportunities to work at significant scale across Australia (and Asia Pacific), integrating the exceptional advisory and technical expertise of colleagues, and working in collaboration and partnership with public and private sectors to address complex urban challenges and create thriving places and communities.

Prior to this, Marianna held multiple senior executive roles within the New South Wales Government. She led multidisciplinary place and portfolio initiatives across economic development, health, innovation, education, cultural, sports, tourism, mixed-use and transport-catalysed precincts. She holds non-executive and advisory roles, including Urban Development Committee Member and Chair, Precinct Subcommittee for the Urban Development Institute of Australia, and board member and Chair, Property and Development Committee for a leading independent school.

She has qualifications in governance (Australian Institute of Company Directors), project leadership (Australia Institute of Project Management) and landscape architecture (University of New South Wales).

Mark is a lawyer specialised in Urban Planning and Environmental Law. He is Partner at GSK STOCKMANN, one of Germany’s leading law firms for Real Estate and Infrastructure Projects. Mark advises investors, developers and public sector clients on often large-scale real estate and urban development projects. His focus lies on strategic and legal advice on Urban Planning and Permitting procedures. At his firm, he has had several management functions, including Member of the Management Board as Head of the Projects & Public Sector group.

Prior to joining GSK STOCKMANN, Mark worked for the Bavarian State Ministry of Environmental Affairs. Mark was born in Germany into a German-British family. He studied Law and Politics at the University of Regensburg (Germany) and Aberdeen University (Scotland). He holds a PhD in International Environmental Law from the University of Regensburg.

As Senior Advisor to Burning Man Project, Megan provides leadership and strategic direction for the non-profit organization that produces Black Rock City, an annual gathering in the remote desert that attracts nearly 80,000 citizens dedicated to participation, communal effort, civic responsibility, and self-expression. Burning Man Project supports a growing global network of makers, artists and community leaders, including ambassadors in 44 U.S. states and 37 countries. For nearly a decade, Megan served as Director of Communications, overseeing public and media relations for Burning Man during a period of rich experimentation and rapidly growing influence in areas such as public art, civic leadership, event production, urban planning, and design.

Megan’s earlier career included work in environmental protection and HIV/AIDS prevention, on political campaigns, and as staff to a member of the United States Senate. Born and raised in Juneau, Alaska, Megan earned a Bachelors degree in English & Art History from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. She was a 2007 graduate of the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs, a competitive, cross-sector leadership training program. She currently sits on the Board of Trustees of the Western States Arts Federation.

Patrick was most recently the Director of Council Initiatives for the Metropolitan King County Council in Seattle, WA, USA. In this role he led a number of high-profile and politically sensitive projects that typically spanned multiple year. This includes serving as the Legislative Branch staff director for a multi-billion USD rebuild of Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, WA, USA; serving as the Staff Director for King County’s Decennial Charter Review Commission and serving as the Project Manager for King County’s Decennial Redistricting Commission.

A public policy and finance professional, Patrick has twenty years’ experience in local government in the United States and has also previously served King County as the Director of Legislative Analysis and Staff Lead for the County’s Budget and Fiscal Management Committee. In addition, Patrick has served on the Board of King County’s Deferred Compensation Program, a Committee Member for the Committee of Ethics of the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada and has extensive experience training other public finance professionals on Ethics. Patrick has significant academic experience studying at Michigan State University, Central Michigan University and Western Michigan University. Patrick relocated to the United Kingdom with his family in October 2021.

Pedro is the Managing Partner of GWIC, an EPC Consultancy Company that provides support to public and private entities in the planning, development, and management of engineering projects worldwide. The company is headquartered in Lisbon (Portugal) and has also established offices in Luanda (Angola), Maputo (Mozambique), and San José (Costa Rica). Pedro has been involved in several large infrastructure projects in Angola, Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique, Costa Rica, Algeria, Ecuador, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Guatemala.

He holds academic qualifications in Civil Engineering (BSc and MSc – University of Coimbra, in Portugal, with recognition by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Economics (Post-Graduation Degree in Finance, with specialization in Management and Real Estate Finance by ISCTE, Portugal, and a MSc in Management also by ISCTE). Pedro is a registered Professional Engineer in Angola, Brazil, Mozambique and Portugal, and a registered Professional Economist in Portugal. He also holds the title of European Engineer.

Preeti is currently Director at the Socratus Foundation. Previously, Pretti was a Social Policy Strategist leading participatory governance efforts to strengthen slum infrastructure up-gradation for 3000 informal settlements under the world’s most extensive slum up-gradation program with the Government of Odisha – JagaMission. A Senior Manager with Janaagraha Center for Citizenship & Democracy – she believes in strengthening cities through active citizenship and empowered city governments. Previously, she managed the India programs for the Bernard van Leer Foundation, an independent foundation working worldwide to inspire and inform large-scale action to improve the health, protection, and well-being of children.

Her over a decade of experience includes national and state programs aimed at: (a)Developing social policies, and practices to strengthen early childcare and learning for children from indigenous communities within the National Early Childhood Care and Education Policy 2013. (b) Reducing child poverty; through policy advocacy for a safe and healthy environment for young children growing up in urban poverty across twenty-three cities in the country. (c) Public policies and processes to strengthen the fiscal health of city governments – that would support 25% earmarking of municipal funds for slum up-gradation and service delivery. (d) Social Protection coverage to mitigate the impact of COVID -19 pandemic on migrants and urban poor.

Richard is an adviser and consultant to the professional services markets. He has extensive experience of business strategy and transformation, both as a practitioner and in leadership roles. At Deloitte, he was a consulting partner for 15 years specialising in strategy and organisation design, working with a range of global clients. As managing partner for strategy and for clients & markets, he was involved in developing and implementing many of the firm’s key global strategies.

At Allen & Overy, he built Peerpoint from start up to one of the leading platforms for consultant lawyers. At Thomson Reuters, he was chief strategy officer focused on the impact of technology on both disrupting and enhancing professional services. Throughout his career, he was worked across many geographic markets.

Richard is a graduate in Geography from St Catharine’s College, Cambridge and a Chartered Accountant. He has been a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum. He is a trustee of the Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research.

Robyn is an Urban Planner and Professional Land Economist with nearly 20 years of planning, economic development and ICI market experience. Ms. Brown, as Director and Senior Practice Lead in the Real Estate Economics and Planning group, leads a group of planners, economists and GIS specialists, using her extensive knowledge and experience in the real estate market to assist clients with their planning and real estate needs.

Previously to joining IBI Group, Ms. Brown worked as a sales representative at DTZ Barnicke, a nationally represented commercial real estate brokerage. Focusing land acquisition and leasing, Robyn participated in the disposition of over 500 acres of development land across the Canada along with portfolio analysis, industrial leasing and real estate disposition strategies. Robyn’s work at IBI Group includes market, economic and development feasibility studies for public and private clients across the North America, Europe and the Middle East.

Ryan focuses on the Economic Development portfolio within the Chicago Commitment portfolio. Through this work, he supports Place-based initiatives in historically marginalized communities within the city of Chicago. He presently serves on the steering committee of We Rise Together and the Chicago Racial Justice Pooled Fund.

Prior to joining MacArthur, Ryan served as the Director of Community Programs at the University of Chicago’s Office of Civic Engagement. In that role, Ryan led the work of the Community Programs Accelerator, which supports non-profits whose work benefits South Side neighbourhoods in Chicago.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Chicago, where he graduated as a Carnegie-Mellon scholar and pursued graduate studies at the University of Chicago’s Divinity School in Philosophy of Religion.

Sandra is an Administrative Director at the German Historical Institute London, a research institute of the German Max Weber foundation. Having served in the public service in various countries and in different roles, she gathered an extensive experience in human resources, budget and finance, and facility management.

Furthermore, due to her master studies in sustainable development cooperation, she has a sound knowledge of the pillars of sustainability and applies this consistently in her work. Having lived in various cities in Africa, she saw first-hand how fast-growing cities are facing challenges providing adequate services and opportunities for their citizens.

Sandra is particularly interested in the mega trends of urbanization, sustainability and digitalization, and the role they play in shaping cities.

Twila was hired by The Hill School in 2015 to lead the then-newly created Hobart’s Run initiative, bringing with her compelling experience in public administration, economic and real estate development, non-profit management, and community organizing. She soon implemented various community start-up to improve the quality of life in the neighbourhood, earning her the Rotary of Pottstown’s “Person of the Year” award in 2017. She also launched several signature incentive programs and annual events to encourage local revitalization, reduce neighbourhood crime, increase homeownership, and improve streetscapes.

Prior to The Hill School, Twila developed extensive non-profit and public sector experience, working for 20 years in the City of Reading, Pennsylvania. She has been a licensed real estate agent and investor since 2005 and is fluent in Spanish. She currently serves on six local boards and committees in various capacities.

Aaron is managing director of the Social Investment Practice at The Kresge Foundation where he oversees a team of eight and a portfolio of over $350 million in high impact investments. He previously served as a social investment officer supporting the American Cities and Detroit Programs at Kresge. He joined the foundation in 2016. Prior to Kresge, he served as executive director at JPMorgan Chase Bank, where he was involved with community development banking focused on New Markets Tax Credits and Historic Tax Credit investing.

He started his career in impact investing at Cinnaire (formerly the Great Lakes Capital Fund) addressing affordable housing, and previously worked with Legal Aid of Central Michigan. He has served on the board of directors for the Michigan Magnet Fund, Lake Trust Credit Union and the Core Cities Strategic Fund advisory board.

A native of Michigan, Aaron earned a bachelor in business administration in corporate finance and accounting from Central Michigan University and a Juris Doctorate from the Michigan State University College of Law.

Adair is the president and CEO of Pillsbury United Communities, a pioneering community impact agency.

Adair’s bold strategic framework for Pillsbury United, adopted in 2019, moved the agency’s focus upstream to building infrastructure and collaborations that address multi-dimensional social issues at the population level. That led to a $1M community-health partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota and a $1M investment from the Kresge Foundation in support of policy change initiatives. In 2020, he launched Justice Built Communities, an equitable economic development corporation that prioritizes wealth creation in black and brown communities.

Previously as Pillsbury’s Chief Innovation Officer, Adair led a $7 million dollar capital campaign to build North Market, a first-of-its-kind grocery store and wellness centre that’s transforming food access, community health, and economic vitality in North Minneapolis.

He is a sought-after public speaker on topics including health equity, leadership, innovation, and disruptive system design. In 2019, Adair was selected to represent the Twin Cities region at Harvard Business School’s Young American Leaders Program focused on U.S. Competitiveness. He was an American Express Leadership Fellow and earned a certificate in Human-Centered Design at Stanford’s d.school.

Andrew is currently the Director for Asset Management, Residential at the Peterson Group, Vancouver. He was formerly the Director of Operations, British Columbia, for CAPREIT, Canada’s largest publicly traded residential landlord. Based in Vancouver, Andrew oversees the asset and property management of roughly 5000 residential rental units across the province. He has lived and worked in several urban markets across Canada.

Prior to Vancouver, he was stationed in Amsterdam, where he oversaw CAPREIT’s entry into the Dutch residential market as their Senior Operations Manager. He recently founded Third Beach Corp, which is both a vehicle used to invest in residential properties, and as a consulting service to assist investors in pivoting into the Canadian residential market.

Andrew volunteers for several local organizations, including Jewish Family Services Senior Outreach and Food Services, UBC Farms harvest, and previously with Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Toronto. He holds a BA from the University of Guelph, with a major in European Studies, focusing on Commerce, and a minor in Spanish.

Anthea has spent two decades designing and delivering innovative and collaborative solutions that address priorities at the interface of development and environment challenges. She is currently responsible for the Climate and Sustainability Component of the Cities Support Programme at the National Treasury. She was previously Director of the National Grasslands Programme at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), and Acting Country Director and Programme Manager for IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) in South Africa.

Anthea has an MSc in Environmental and Geographical Science from the University of Cape Town and has held positions on the board of directors for PhytoTrade Africa, the Southern African National Products Trade Association and on the advisory panel of Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa. She is currently a member of the Scientific Committee for the AFD-GDN Biodiversity and Development Awards.

Emmanuel is the Municipal Coordinating Director (City Manager) for Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly, a Local Government Authority in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana. In his role as a City Manager, he is responsible for the coordination, harmonization, organization and implementation of the policies and programmes of the Assembly. He also ensures effective and efficient management of the resources of the Assembly. He is the Chief Policy Advisor to the Municipal Chief Executive (Mayor). He is an Administrator and a Local Economic Development (LED) practitioner. He has worked with six local government authorities in different administrative regions in Ghana. He worked with the International Labour Organization (ILO) as Local Economic Development Adviser. He was also a part time lecturer at the Institute of Local Government Studies, Madina, Legon.

Emmanuel holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies with Specialization in Local and Regional Development from International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in the The Hague, and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with History from University of Ghana, Legon. He is the author of the book Meso Institutions and Endogenous Development in Ghana Published by Lap Lambert Academic Publishing based in Germany. He has a strong passion for urban governance, local economic development and green economy issues.

Frazer is a landscape architect and Senior Principal at Boffa Miskell, Hamilton, New Zealand. He has 15 years’ experience across a variety of urban environments in New Zealand, China, the Middle East and UK. His expertise covers a wide spectrum of urban design and landscape architecture disciplines.

Frazer’s project experience extends from providing high level urban design and landscape frameworks, strategic input into the design of major infrastructure projects to stadium, school and university campus design, master planning and town centre design and public realm revitalisation projects.

Gabriel is a Councilman at Belo Horizonte City Council, Brazil. He graduated in Law, with a Masters in Constitutional Law and is a professor and bachelor in Advertising and Journalism. He was Undersecretary of Youth in the Minas Gerais government during Antonio Anastasia’s administration. He is also currently an advisor at Jusbrasil and a professor at RenovaBR.

Gabriel started his second term as Councilman in 2021 after receiving 13,088 votes. His goal for the next four years is to make Belo Horizonte a more open, democratic, and participatory city. The proposal covers five axes: mobility, economic development, social development, education, and regionalization of the mandate.

Irene is Mayor’s Office Advisor at the Municipality of Curridabat. She is an advisor in Urbanism, Wellbeing, Biophilia, Innovation & Place Branding. As an urbanist, Irene envisions an enjoyable city, with thriving public spaces where biodiversity reclaims its role within the urban landscape and where people may rethink how they commute.

Irene is a Biotech Engineer with an MBA in Marketing from ITCR, the leading tech university in Costa Rica, and has a Sustainability Management degree from INCAE Business School. She currently works as the Mayor´s advisor and has developed as an holistic advisor for her own company for more than 10 years.

Imbuing the Sweet City vision with a wellbeing approach which embraces state-of-the-art science, Irene has transformed the traditional notion of what a city can be. She has represented the Municipality of Curridabat as Chief Innovation Officer at the City Lab, Aspen Institute and Bloomberg Foundation on four consecutive occasions. The Sweet City Vision has been recognized for Innovative Practices by UN-HABITAT’s New Urban Agenda Award (Colombia 2016), for Urban Innovation by the Guangzhou International Award (China 2016) and by the Le Monde Smart Cities Global Innovation Award (Singapore 2017) amongst others.

Jake is Senior Lead, Sustainability in the Bloomberg Associates (BA) Sustainability Practice, where he advises mayors and senior city officials on sustainability projects that spur local investment, improve quality of live, and drive greenhouse gas reductions. In his work, he helps cities leverage data analysis and stakeholder engagement to navigate the transition to clean energy, build new infrastructure that improves quality of life for residents, and implement policies that mitigate the impacts of climate change. He is a recognized expert on urban sustainability and infrastructure issues; having co-authored several white papers and served on multiple city advisory boards. He also supports selected Bloomberg Philanthropies initiatives including the American Cities Climate Challenge and U.S. Virgin Islands hurricane recovery efforts.

Jake has developed deep expertise in global public policy development and implementation, having advised over 50 public sector clients in Europe, North America and Latin America. Before he joined BA, Jake was a member of Accenture’s Public Service Strategy Practice, where he worked with leaders of state and local governments, higher education institutions, and non-profit organizations.

Jonathan is a Senior Urban Planner with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). He has been responsible for managing a portfolio of projects across Asia, the Middle East and Africa. His focus has been on working with cities and municipalities to identify opportunities to better integrate displaced populations and climate resilient solutions within their urban plans and policies through data-driven spatial analysis and participatory planning. This includes developing sus-tainable development strategies for protracted refugee settlements in Kenya, and a secondment to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to work with field teams in Cox’s Bazar, Bang-ladesh, to coordinate robust infrastructure interventions across the Rohingya Camps.

Originally trained as an architect in the UK, he started his professional career in architecture in Lon-don before taking an opportunity with Tsinghua University Design Institute in Beijing. This led to a transition of his practice into more urban scale work. Following an internship with the European Un-ion Delegation to China focusing on Sustainable Urbanisation Policy, he went on to work for Atkins Asia Pacific in Beijing as an Urban Designer. In that role, he worked on Low Carbon oriented urban projects for Chinese Cities and urban regeneration and industrial upgrading projects across South-east Asia.

Jonathan in now focusing on developing a small consulting business in Hong Kong and remains a consultant to UN-Habitat.

Juliana leads strategic planning projects for the private and government sectors in URBANA, a Co-lombian urban consultancy firm, which works alongside major construction companies, as well as local and national government organisations in Colombia.

Currently, she is leading the strategic planning for four municipalities located in the northeast of Bo-gota, in order to strengthen their role in the metropolitan region from an economic, social, and en-vironmental perspective. Juliana is also involved in the creation of an online decision-making tool for government agencies, which will contain updated information on education infrastructure on a na-tional scale. The aim of the platform is to support better investment policies in educational infra-structure in rural and urban areas of Colombia.

From 2016 to 2020 she was involved in several high-profile projects with the local planning depart-ment to update Bogota’s master plan, which is the long-term urban development strategy for the city. Also, she worked with Bogota’s Urban Development and Renovation Company, supporting the renewal of opportunity areas and development of expansion zones.

Juliana holds an MSc in Sustainable Urbanism with Distinction from The Bartlett School of Planning -London UCL as well as a Bachelors Degree (Honours) in Architecture from The Pontificia Universidad Javeriana

Kai is Design Director at CRCC Real Estate Group. He was trained as an architect in China and started his professional career in Florence Italy for award winning practice of Studio Archea and Design Magazine AREA. After completing his MRes at the London Consortium, University of London, Kai extended his career in the UK as a magazine editor and reporter at Chinese Weekly, focusing on urbanism and design.

Kai further pursued his design practice and research regarding cities and the built environment after returning to his homeland. In 2015, he was made visiting scholar to the Bauhaus Foundation in Dessau Germany, with a research grant from the institution. He now serves as the Design Director of the China Railway Construction (CRCC) Real Estate Group’s Chongqing office, regarded as one of the major property developers in the country.

Kate is an experienced urban and regional planner, who has spent much of her career working for the State Government of Victoria. Kate has a passion for land use planning reform and has contributed to a number of new policy and planning initiatives.

In the past 3 years, Kate has had a lead role in the planning and delivery of transport at the Department of Transport. Kate’s strengths included innovative and lateral thinking on complex policy problems and project management.

Khalil has been a senior policy advisor at GIZ (German International Cooperation) for 18 years, the Cairo Governor’s advisor since 2006, and a senior contract administrator. During his 30 years of pro-fessional experience, he negotiated and drafted several contracts in different businesses’ discipline and participated in several Dispute Resolutions Boards, Mediations as well as institutional and Ad-hoc Arbitration cases. He is a Certified Mediator and Trainer by CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolutions – London).

Khalil is a key person in outlining the current vision for the development of the informal areas within Cairo governorate as well as he is currently involved in many mega projects in Cairo to reshape and upgrade the Urban Fabrics and upgrade major informal areas with proper community participation and a defined business model. He is active in community participation related to development works and involved with local youth groups and NGOs for efficient role in the development activities to integrate within the local administration. He is a member of many professionals’ associations in UK, USA and Egypt.

Landiwe is currently the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Sekhukhune Development Agency(SDA) and the Director Amazwe Holdings. He is a development economist and strategist with extensive experience in local governance, development finance and infrastructure development.

He previously worked for the Development Bank of Southern Africa where he held various Executive and Specialist positions and is a former full-time Chairperson of the Municipal Demarcation Board.

He is serving as an Economic Advisor to the South African United Business Confederation, Member of the Emfuleni Planning Appeals Authority and an a member of Inter-Ministerial Advisory Panel on Electricity Distribution and Reticulation. He has served on the Board InterWaste Holdings and Seakay Holdings (both Johannesburg Stock Exchange Listed Companies) amongst others.

Leila is an independent consultant, with 25 years of experience of working in urban development and urban management. She started off in the NGO sector and then in government in 1994. She was appointed Executive of Planning, LED, Housing, and Environment in a sub-structure of the City of Johannesburg and later as the metro co-ordinator for strategic projects and restructuring of the planning function. In addition, she established Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) and was appointed CEO in 2000. JPC was the first municipality in South Africa to ring-fence its portfolio to manage it with the purpose of maximising value.

Following JPC, Leila was part of establishing a development management company that managed several large-scale urban projects and drafting property strategies for large public landholders. She was then employed by Kagiso Urban Management (part of Kagiso Property Holdings) responsible for CID and urban management plans and strategies for municipalities. She was also involved in property evaluations for KPH.

Most recently, Leila has worked as an independent consultant across the various disciplines of housing, planning, urban management, and property, and has drafted several papers on spatial integration, public properties, housing, and planning. She is currently involved with Urban Real Estate Research Unit based at UCT.

Moti is the Chairman & Founder of Wise City LTD, a consulting firm that provides strategic consulting services to municipalities and local councils and helps lead processes of formulating urban vision and strategic innovation & rejuvenation programs. Moti serves as consultant to corporations & NGOs, is an environmental activist and a former journalist. His present and previous clients include The Israel Land Authority, the city of Bnei Brak, Jerusalem City Council members, the Venture Capital Fund JVP, the Israeli medical emergency organizations United Hatzalah & The Association of Private Ambulances and more.

Moti is the Chairman and founder at the “Neighbors of the Yarkon” association in Tel Aviv, Israel, which aims to stop pollution in the Yarkon River. He is Founder and Member of the Board of Directors at the Israeli Heart Association, an organization that aims to support heart patients in Israel. He is also Member of the command team, spokesperson, and medic at The IsraeLife‎ Foundation Task Force to disaster areas in the world and was a member of the search and rescue Israeli delegations to help Nepal earthquake victims in 2015 and the victims of Hurricane Irma in the Florida Keys in the US in 2017.

Nicolas is General Manager of the Mobility Department for the Region Grand Est (Strasbourg, Metz, Nancy, Reims), in charge of the regional train network (180,000 daily passengers). He was educated at Ecole Polytechnique, Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées (Paris) and University Pompeu Fabra (Barcelo-na). He has held various managing positions in the mobility field for the French state and French lo-cal authorities.

Prior to his current role, Nicolas was General Manager of the Mobility Department for the Bordeaux Metropolitan area, in charge of all the infrastructure development programs, among which a 1 billion-investment plan to extend the tramway network by 27 km.

Rabih is the Managing Member of Urbia, a property development & consulting company located in Liberia, West Africa. Rabih helped acquire and develop multiple properties in the city of Monrovia and is currently developing the Four Points by Sheraton due to open in 2023.

Rabih has extensive knowledge of the zoning and building regulation in the city of Monrovia and holds academic qualifications in International Business (Lebanese American University) and a mas-ter’s in business administration & finance (University of New Haven-US).

Reid presently serves as the Deputy City Manager for the City of Lynchburg, Virginia. In this role, he oversees and provides strategic leadership to a variety of municipal functions such as city planning and development, public safety, economic development, public works, and transportation. Over the past 15 years, he has served cities and towns in leadership roles throughout Virginia, creating a cul-ture of innovation and equity in public service.

Reid has a PhD in Public Policy from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a Master’s and undergraduate degree from James Madison University in Virginia. In his spare time, Reid enjoys flying airplanes throughout the eastern United States, kayaking Virginia’s scenic rivers and serving the arts community in various volunteer roles.

Waleed is Program Manager on Climate and Energy at Friedrich Ebert Stiftung – Egypt office. His role entails program design and delivery on climate and energy with local partners with the aim of creating policy dialogue, building capacities of local institutions and creating platforms for local actors to interact.

His work’s keyword is socioecological transformation, the ambition is to steer dialogue between the government, academics, experts and the independent actors on sustainable urbanization, climate action, Eco-tourism, and sustainable mobility.

Yasmin Coovadia is advisor on city planning and economic growth to the Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Yasmin is a town and regional planner in South Africa with a master’s degree in Town & Regional Planning.  She has approximately thirty years’ knowledge and experience of urban development in respect of national and sub-national legislation, policies, and systems. Seven of the thirty years of this experience was gained in housing development as a member of senior management in the South African government between 1996 and 2003; another nineteen years’ experience was gained working in the private sector in companies that provided niche financial and urban development services to government; and four years’ experience was gained during the pre-democratic years working at community level.

In the last ten years Yasmin was contracted to the National Treasury of South Africa to work on various projects in the Cities Support Programme, identifying and analysing key urban challenges and designing improved responses from government to these urban challenges. One of her key projects has focused on designing a more outcomes-led approach to urban planning, budgeting and reporting.

Abidemi is the founder and Chief Executive officer of ROWGA an Urban Tech start-up focused on Unlocking the potentials of African Cities through the seamless integration of Tunnelling and Underground space use. He also founded Nigeria Tunnelling Association and is currently an executive council member of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (which has a consultative status with the United Nations). He has been involved in several high-profile Tunnelling and Underground related projects with direct and indirect impact on the dynamics of their host cities within Europe.

Abidemi has in the last 4 years championed the promotion and creation of awareness of the benefits of extensively exploring tunnelling and underground space use in achieving resilience and future proofing key African Cities. He led the discussions in Partnership with delegates from the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association with the 8th Nigeria National Assembly for the proposition of adopting Tunnelling and Underground Space Use into the Land Transportation Act. He holds academic qualifications in Geology (University of Calabar), Civil Engineering (University of East London). He is also registered with the Council of Registered Engineers Nigeria.

Peter has served as a professional planner in South Africa’s public service for 24 years. He grew up in the UK and gained Town and Country Planning undergraduate and post-graduate degrees from the University of Manchester (1989-1993) before relocating to South Africa in 1994. The Gauteng Provincial Departments of Planning and Housing provided formative professional planning opportunities (1996-2001).

He worked for more than a decade at the City of Johannesburg (2001-2013) heading their metropolitan planning unit and for brief periods with the Johannesburg Social Housing Company (JOSCHO) and the national Housing Development Agency (HDA) prior to relocating province and city in 2014.

For the last six years he has managed the metropolitan spatial planning unit at the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality. The team he leads champions the primary metropolitan scale, spatial planning policy and strategy documents including the Municipal Spatial Development Framework and Built Environment Performance Plan. He is also a member of the City’s Municipal Planning Tribunal.

In addition to contributions to international and local planning publications he is the founder and host of the Talking Transformation Podcast – an open conversation about spatial transformation and built environment issues in South Africa’s town and cities.

Samer is currently the CEO of the Jordan Bromine Company. Before that, he was the Senior Advisor for Policy and Regulations for the Royal Commission for Makkah City & Holy Sites.

In 2017, Samer served as Regional Director for Tesla in the Middle East. In 2012, Samer was appointed in His Majesty’s office as Director for Economic Affairs. Prior to that, he was the Executive Director for Government Sector at (PwC).

Samer served in 2011 as the CEO Jordan Investment Board. Between 2009 – 2011, he was Senior Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister. Prior to that in 2008, he served as Commissioner for Investment at the Development Zones Commission. He was Deputy City Manager for Economic Development Planning & Investments at Greater Amman Municipality (2006-2008), where his main mission was to set the city vision for the next 20 years through the Amman Master Plan.

He holds an MBA degree being the first in class, from University of Denver as well as an MSc in International Securities, Investment and Banking from the University of Reading. Samer is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), Member of Young Global Leaders and received the highly regarded President Eisenhower Fellowship in 2005.

Erik is Partner and Head of Agency at Colliers International Latvia. In this role, he co-manages Colliers International operations and business development in Latvia. Focusing on real estate consulting during last 12 years, Erik has established a strong team of experts, helping property owners, occupiers, as well as public companies to achieve their real estate goals in the Baltics.

Erik is the member of Green Building Council in Latvia, as well as the member of Real Estate Developers Association in Latvia. Being part of the team in several large-scale real estate projects, which are shaping the city of Riga, he is an active promoter of sustainable and affordable real estate development, as well as its further use.

Claire’s career to date has had 3 phases. Claire bring 20 years of corporate expertise working across international cultural environments (HK, India, UK, US).

From 2001 – 2005 Claire ran the logistics for a growing hedge fund in New York, including relocating the company to a custom built space. From 2005 – 2013 Claire worked at JP Morgan in New York building and delivering leadership development programmes for technical talent. In 2013 she moved to London and took a role at HSBC to implement an integrated technical career path for HSBC.

In 2016 the CIO sponsoring the leadership initiatives invited Claire to join the new innovation function. She discovered a passion for strategy working with internal clients adopting new technologies and evolving the capabilities of a 150 year old financial institution. Her most recent project supported the innovative transformation of Regulatory Compliance, replacing HSBC’s communications surveillance system with a next generation analytical platform hosted on Google Cloud.

For her next career phase she would like to play a part in helping cities evolve. Realising the potential for innovative new technologies will require active engagement with many varied stakeholders to effectively integrate them in a way that works for all citizens.

Mick is the Chief Executive of the New South Wales Government’s Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC). LAHC’s core business is the supply and maintenance of social housing for the people of New South Wales, with over $50 billion (AUD) in assets, 125,000 properties under management and a $1.2 billion (AUD) turnover per year. A key challenge for the business is the redevelopment of its portfolio with limited capital available for growth.

Prior to leading LAHC, Mick led the government’s Revitalising Newcastle program from 2014 and in 2016 he took over as the Chief Executive of Hunter & Central Coast Regional Development Corporation in the Hunter Development Corporation and oversaw its annexing of the Central Coast.

Mick has a over 30 years experience in property and his experience spans concept to completion, having led both projects and businesses through all aspects. In 2019, Mick completed the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program (AMP196) and holds an MBA (Executive) from the University of New South Wales, a masters of Property Development from the University of Technology and a Construction Management Degree from Newcastle University (Australia).

Amara is a Strategist, Public Policy expert and Social Impact professional on city and state policy as well as international affairs with expertise in Central Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

She serves as a representative of the African Union in the Diaspora representing the 6th Region of the African Union Commission. She is also Policy and Research Coordinator for the Movement for Black Lives and serves as a Strategy Advisor for corporations, organizations, and governmental institutions globally. Prior to her current roles, she worked in the Mayor’s Office for the city of Chicago, and served as Executive Director of community-based organizations. As a grassroots organizer she worked on issues of education equity, economic justice and environmental justice.

Amara holds a Bachelors degree in Broadcast Journalism and Bachelors degree in Political Science. She also holds a Masters degree in education, a law degree, and PhD in Education Policy. She serves on the National Advisory Board of the Public Banking Institute and on the boards of the Chicago Community Loan Fund, and Chicago Neighbourhoods Initiative. She maintains proficiency in Igbo, Spanish, French and Portuguese and was named a Public Policy Global Leadership Fellow with the Global Strategists Association.

Jargalan is the Executive Director of Erel Group of Companies, a vertically integrated construction and development company in Mongolia, starting from raw material production to manufacturing insulated precast building materials. He is deeply involved with the regeneration of Ulaanbaatar City, redeveloping from existing traditional Nomad Ger districts to modern, affordable, and sustainable housing.

He serves on the Board of Arig Bank, the main focus on developing the financing mechanism for affordable housing. He is also on the Board of Erel Energy, in the early stage of developing the Waste Incineration Plant in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. He holds academic qualification in Development Studies and Economics (SOAS, University of London).

Sam is a Liberian national residing in the United States of America. He came to the United States as a young boy in 1971 to pursue his dreams of being a banker and social activist. He has over 40 years of experience in finance, economics and sustainable development. He started his career as a clerk at Security Pacific International bank and rose to a senior level position in corporate America.

Sam has worked for the Liberian government in several capacities, beginning as Deputy Comptroller at the Ministry of Finance and rose to the position of Minister of State for Economic and Financial Management, his last position in government. Over the past 17 years of Liberia’s postwar economic development, Sam has played the role of leading consultant in sustainable development. He consulted with many multinational corporations in Liberia preparing social impact assessments and linkage plans.

Sam’s major accomplishment as a lead development consultant was Senior Economist on the United Nations High-Level Panel for the Post 2015 Development Agenda, where he supported former Liberian President Ellen in her role as Co-Chair with former British Prime Minister David Cameron and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Monita was appointed as the Head of Financial Services in 2018, responsible for FinTech business development.

She joined Hong Kong Telecommunications Limited (HKT) in 2001. HKT is the leading service provider of home and wireless broadband for consumers, enterprises and the government. She led the consumer marketing from 2005 to 2011, during which she played an integral part of the success of high speed optical fibre service rollout in Hong Kong. She took the leading role in the operations, marketing and relationship management of affluent customers in 2011 driving service excellence. Since 2014, she had been involved in the planning and implementation of Hong Kong’s first mobile payment service and virtual banking.

Prior to joining HKT, Monita spent 10 years working in Chase and American Express, where she focused on consumer credit and payment card business in Hong Kong. Ms Leung graduated from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, with a Bachelor’s Degree equivalent in Business Management.

Cindy is the Managing Director of Keppel Urban Solutions, an end-to-end master developer of large scale precincts and townships in Asia. Concurrently, she is the Director of Group Corporate Development at Keppel Corporation. In these roles, Cindy is focused on harnessing the Keppel Group’s capabilities in energy & environment, property & urban development, infrastructure and connectivity to create highly liveable, smart and sustainable communities.

Since joining Keppel, Cindy has held several leadership appointments within the Group, which includes infrastructure services, quality system, talent management as well as productivity, innovation related programs.

Cindy holds a Second Class (Upper) Honours degree in Mechanical & Production Engineering from the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She also holds a Executive Master of Business Administration from Singapore Management University.

Bernardo is the Secretary of the Environment of the City of Rio de Janeiro, President of the Forum of Secretaries of Environment of the Brazilian Capitals (CB27) and the President of the Promotion Agency of the City of Rio de Janeiro – Fomenta Rio.

He holds a law degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) and a post-graduated leader by the Master in Leadership and Public Management – MLG, with an international degree at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS). He also holds an MBA in PPP and Concessions from Fundação Escola de Sociologia de São Paulo (FESPSP) and London School of Economics (LSE). At Rio de Janeiro’s City Hall, he was also Under Secretary of Administration, President of the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Pension and Assistance Institute (PREVI-RIO) and Administration and Finance Director at RIOLUZ.

Ramon is an urban economist, writer, and activist with a passion for people and places. He is currently Director of Placemaking Europe and Strategy Advisor to the Creative Bureaucracy Festival. Before, he has served as the Chief Strategy and Finance Officer at La Marina de València, Valencia’s waterfront redevelopment agency, and a board member of the Worldwide Network of Port Cities (AIVP). Ramon is a co-editor of the book “Our City? Countering Exclusion in Public Space” (2019) and the host and co-curator of Placemaking Week Europe 2019. His work focuses on the interface between public space and economic development.

He has been a researcher at the University of Valencia (Spain), Western Sydney University (Australia), and FLACSO (Ecuador). He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Valencia and an MSc in Economics and Geography from Utrecht University. He received the Spanish Social Entrepreneur Award in 2012 and co-authored four books and published more than a hundred columns on urban issues in some of the main Spanish newspapers. In 2012, Ramon also co-founded Urbego, an international network of urban professionals dedicated to improving cities through active participation, co-creation, and knowledge sharing; personally leading projects in Australia, Ecuador, Brasil, and Colombia.

Leandro is an economist and specialist in Leadership and Public Management at the Center for Public Leadership – CLP, with executive training at Harvard Kennedy School. He worked as a consultant in several public and private organizations in Brazil. As a consultant, he implemented projects in industries, public transport companies, retail, mining, airport management, executive government departments.

As an executive, he led initiatives in the public sector in different positions; he was Chief of Staff, Special Advisor and Manager. Through these diverse experiences, Leandro developed skills to lead initiatives in planning and restructuring organizational structure, to deal with crisis and conflictive environments and to work on projects that are sensitive to issues social and political.

Currently, Leandro works as a consultant in urban planning and community development projects. In 2020, in particular, Leandro is head of communication and political strategy in an election campaign for the mayor of Poços de Caldas, a Brazilian city with more than 150 thousand inhabitants.

Bruce is Vice President, Market Strategies at Lowlaw Companies Ltd. His career in information systems and retail started with a small consulting firm specializing in the implementation of geographic information systems (GIS) for business purposes. With this understanding of how to develop visual insights to drive key decisions, Bruce’s career migrated from a business support role to a leadership role at Loblaw, Canada’s largest retailer. The use of geographic information to build and optimize our retail store network remains his core responsibility today.

Through this journey, Bruce has been involved in the assessment of key urban projects along with mergers & acquisitions, and have built a small team of high performing specialists. He is keen to further develop his understanding of how complex urban systems are growing along with Canada’s cities.

Salma is currently the Mobility Program Officer at UN Habitat where she is working to promote sustainable mobility in order to improve accessibility in Greater Cairo. Prior to her work on mobility, Salma was part of the governance team where she worked on the first land readjustment pilot in Egypt.

Salma holds a Master of City Planning from University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts and Science from McGill University. In 2018, Salma was chosen as a Remarkable Women in Transport award by the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative. Salma started her career in the development field where she worked at UNAIDS on HIV programs for vulnerable populations.

Rohit serves as the Authority’s chief of human resources where he takes a lead role in identifying organizational strengths, vulnerabilities and opportunities.

He comes to the Authority after having served in a multitude of public sector leadership roles, including deputy chief human resources officer at the Chicago Housing Authority, deputy chief talent officer at City Colleges of Chicago, director of human resources at the Academy for Urban School Leadership, and director of talent acquisition at Chicago Public Schools.

During his tenure at Chicago Public Schools, Rohit helped the organization reach historic lows in the number of unfilled teacher vacancies that serve approximately 400,000 students. He was recognized as a top school district leader utilizing technology to fast-track and efficiently manage HR functions. In his later roles as a senior human resources advisor, he launched initiatives to address and revitalize culture and climate, implemented or upgraded existing performance processes, and developed professional learning programs.

Rohit currently serves on the board of two non-profit organizations focused on social justice. He holds undergraduate degrees from Loyola University Chicago, a law degree from the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, and a master’s in business administration from the University of Notre Dame.

Alexander currently works on policy initiatives for circular economy with the Ministry of Ecology in Kyiv. In particular, waste management and recycling. He is also a renewable energy developer based in Ukraine with River Wind Technologies, with a focus on wind and solar farms. He separately set up hydrogen alliance with German partners with a view to produce green hydrogen.

Previously, Alexander managed IT outsourcing company with a client base mainly made up of start ups funded through crowdfunding platforms in Northern Europe and some local corporate clients. His first jobs were with finance and investment firms with deals ranging from property finance and transportation to private transactions in agriculture and IT.

Maria Camila is an economist specialized in cities and Latin American development. She currently works as a Consultant for the Cities Network in the Housing and Urban Development Division of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). At the Cities Network, she specializes in transferring knowledge to Latin American and the Caribbean cities that address urgent urban challenges related to inequality, economic development, and environmental sustainability

Before joining the Cities Network, she worked at the IDB country office in Bogotá, Colombia in the preparation and implementation of an operation for investment projects to support neighbourhood improvement and fiscal strengthening in intermediate cities as well as the evaluation and promotion of sustainability in cities.

Prior to joining the IDB, Maria Camila was Deputy Director of Projects and International Cooperation of the Secretary of Environment of Bogotá Colombia and Technical Advisor of the Water and Waste Management Regulation Commission (CRA). Maria Camila holds an MSc in Latin American Development from Kings College London as well as an MBA from Bentley University.

Ahmed is the Associate Minister for Industrial Affairs at the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Egypt. In this role, he is responsible for developing and implementing the Industrial strategy in Egypt, managing national mega industrial projects, coordinating with IFIs and MDBs to leverage on their international expertise in industrial development, as well as linking Egyptian industries to regional and global value-chains. Ahmed’s portfolio covers the establishment of new industrial zones and clusters development projects for SMEs according to international standards.

Prior to joining the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ahmed served as an Advisor to the Minister of Investment and International Cooperation in Egypt, where he was managing the work of several multi-lateral institutions in Egypt including the World Bank, EBRD, IFC, as well DFID-UK. Some of the projects under his management included Upper Egypt Local Development Program, Solid Waste treatment facilities, dry-ports development projects, and Benban Solar Farm, which is the biggest solar farm in Africa and amongst the largest in the world. Mr. Reda is also the national focal point for Closing the Investment Gap, an initiative in collaboration with the UN. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy (American University in Cairo).

Gabriela is the Head of Climate, Energy and Future Cities Policy at the British Embassy in Mexico City, where she leads on the implementation of the bilateral cooperation strategy between Mexico and the UK for these portfolios.

As part of her role, Gabriela works to identify and enable opportunities for accelerating climate action at the local level, advising on the design and delivery of a wide range of development programmes funded by the UK government to mobilise climate finance internationally.

Prior to joining the British Government, Gabriela worked with a number of industry associations advancing sustainable development practices in areas like waste and water management, air quality, and environmental compliance. She acted as coordinator for the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) in Mexico, a UK initiative to promote industrial symbiosis and circular economy as tools to foster clean growth in industrialised cities. Gabriela holds an Environmental Engineering degree and qualifications in green finance, public policy, climate and energy diplomacy, project management and international cooperation.

Scott is a principal and the group leader for Arup’s Los Angeles office. In this role, Scott is responsible for all aspects of Arup’s Southern California operations with a particular focus on planning, designing, and delivering high-performing buildings in the healthcare and transport sectors and sustainable infrastructure and mobility systems for public sector clients.

A city planner by background and member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, Scott spent much of his professional career in the field of public dispute resolution, helping communities develop consensus-based solutions to critical infrastructure challenges. He holds graduate degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Oxford’s Said Business School.

Soraya is Social Specialist in the Environmental Safeguards and Social Unit at the Inter-American Development Bank. Her work ensures that large development programs do no harm to communities that surround them through the management of social impact assessments, resettlement and rehabilitation plans, and social audits.

Soraya has been working in International Development for over 15 years for large non-governmental organizations and Inter-governmental organizations. Prior to settling in Washington, D.C. she lived in Mexico, Honduras, Spain, Dominican Republic, Kosovo and Haiti. It is her firm belief that real development must be sustainable and provide the opportunity for every human being to live with dignity in a society that benefits one and all.

She holds a MA in Peace and International Development.

Hannah has experience across Development Management, Architecture and Urban Renewal. She is currently working for Infrastructure NSW as a Senior Development Manager in the team responsible for the delivery of the new Powerhouse Museum in Parramatta. Prior to this she worked for Neeson Murcutt Architects, Sydney and Peter Rich Architects, Johannesburg across a number of national and international projects of cultural significance.

Her career to date has been focused on making a difference. Whether it is a public sector organisation or a private enterprise, she is driven by a desire to improve the lives of the people it serves.

She has degrees in both Interior Design and Architecture and a Property Development Diploma.  Upon graduation she won the University medal and the Board of Architects Queensland medallion.

Hannah has tutored across design, technologies and professional practice units in Australia, Asia and Africa and has published and presented work on future cities research and written articles for Architecture Media.  In 2016 she was a recipient of the Dulux Study Tour and travelled to Copenhagen, London and Madrid.

Most recently, she has been the 2019 recipient of both the inaugural Australian Institute of Architects Christopher Procter Prize and David Lindner Prize.

Albert is a Senior Private Sector Specialist at the World Bank based in New Delhi, India. His work program includes projects on firm-level productivity and technology adoption, innovation ecosystems and local economic development. A seasoned economic development practitioner in the subnational policy space, he has conducted numerous regional and sector-based economic analysis to facilitate action-oriented dialogue with local stakeholders across Europe, South Asia and Latin America. Prior to joining the World Bank, he delivered strategic recommendations to national and subnational governments as a regional competitiveness and cluster development consultant, and implemented policy interventions as a manager and public official in the Catalan Competitiveness Agency (Government of Catalonia) in Barcelona, Spain.

Albert wants to explore holistic approaches to city management, convinced that cities hold the key to global prosperity as they host a growing share of an increasingly urbanized population. Cities, as units of analysis and stakeholder mobilization, constitute platforms to design innovative policy-making and test public-private solutions to tackle the world’s most pressing social, environmental and development challenges.

Albert holds a Mid-Career Master in Public Administration (MPA) from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of San Francisco.

Sultan is a senior civil servant from Pakistan Administrative Service, currently leading Asian Development Bank’s funded Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement Investment Program (PICIIP) as Deputy Program Director. Nine intermediate cites of the Punjab province are undergoing integrated urban development thru this program. Just recently, he was serving as Principal Staff Officer in the Prime Minister’s Office of Pakistan since incumbent government took charge in August 2018. He brings two decades of public sector experience in diverse roles and themes that are highly relevant to urban development and local governance.

As Assistant Commissioner, Director Estate Management Capital Development Authority, Islamabad and Director Excise & Taxation he focused primarily on municipal service delivery and local revenue generation. He has served in district governments as Deputy Commissioner, and his time as Director General of Gilgit Development Authority provided him with valuable city development experience. He was selected by the Japanese Government for the prestigious Young Leaders Program where he acquired skills tailored specifically for sub-national governments from School of Local Governance, Tokyo. Before joining civil services, Sultan also served the Pakistan Air Force as a pilot for more than a decade.

Maria is Principal Technical Lead of the Housing and Urban Development Division, coordinating the Cities Network of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). She served as Representative of the Bank in Chile, and later worked in the coordination of the Institutional Strategy of the IDB Group. Before that, she served as Head of the Services Section for the Committees and the Executive Directors in the IDB Secretariat.

She has over 18 years of experience in the Colombian public sector, having served as Secretary of Planning of Bogotá, Director of Cadaster and Tax Director of the same city, advisor to the Ministry of Finance of Colombia and to the National Planning Department. Local and urban fiscal matters stand out amongst her many specializations.

Maria has undergraduate and Master’s degrees in Economics from the Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University.

Patricia is an Economist at the Economics Department of the European Investment Bank. In her work, she focuses on human capital and investment, regional inequalities and analyses strategies to advance inclusive economic development.

Patricia regularly contributes to EIB publications and has authored numerous working papers and articles in her fields of expertise. Her research interests are in European policy, political, economy, economic geography and human capital development.

Prior to this, Patricia worked at Deutsche Bank Research, where she conducted i.a. research on housing, and Google. She holds a Master degree from Freie Universität Berlin and a doctoral degree from Mannheim University.

Musaad is currently the Partnerships Manager at the World Green Economy Organization (WGEO) in Dubai, seconded from Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). In this role, he is responsible for membership discussions on the establishment of a new type of a multi-stakeholder institution with treaty foundation to support countries with their transition to a green economy. In addition, he is responsible for the development and implementation of high-impact bankable projects pipeline focused on smart green cities and sustainable infrastructure projects.

Previously, Musaad served as the Senior Policy Associate for MENA region at GGGI Abu Dhabi office where he was responsible for knowledge sharing programs and regional partnership outreach activities related to planning and implementing green growth policies. Prior to joining GGGI, Musaad was a Programme Analyst for Energy, Environment and Climate Change at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the Barbados and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Subregional Office. Musaad played a pivotal role in strategically mapping renewable energy opportunities and initiatives with Global Environmental Facility (GEF) projects by identifying needs and gaps within the Eastern Caribbean SIDS.

Silvia is an Architect and Urban Planner. Throughout her eighteen years of experience, she has actively participated in the definition and management of major processes of urban transformation in Barcelona’s Metropolitan Area, focused mainly on the city of Viladecans (Barcelona).

The last three years she was in charge of an Urban Development Office in Viladecans City Council (Barcelona), she managed multidisciplinary teams to approach the Master Plan to regenerate an Industrial area with a broad strategic vision incorporating ‘smart concepts’ to configure an innovative district. She also worked as a link between politicians and citizens coordinating participatory processes to achieve agreements in complex environments.

Previously, as a Senior Coordinator (2007-2015) and as a Senior Architect (2003-2007) in Viladecans City Council (Barcelona), she worked on different types of projects, from large-scale urban planning, through urban landscape design to detailed architectural projects. She designed the projects and managed the budget and construction of these works. It is important to highlight that she is always driven by a sustainable approach. Sílvia has recently moved to London due to a desire for international experience. Her aim is to keep building more competitive, sustainable and inclusive buildings and territories.

Manuel is the founder and president of Aston Group, a private equity firm based in Central Mexico with a strong focus on Real Estate investment and development. To date, the Aston Group has invested over $1B USD in projects throughout Mexico, North America and Europe. In this role, he provides the leading strategy and is responsible for new business and development functions that cover a wide variety of sectors such as real estate, technology, natural resources, education, and financial services. Manuel has over twenty years of experience in developing retail, industrial, residential and mix-use projects.

Prior to founding Aston Group, Manuel had a ten-year career with Hines Interests. His main role was to participate and lead emerging market fund projects, aimed at investing into emerging markets. The target was to achieve a higher return on investment while significantly improving the construction standards in the respective country.

Manuel holds academic qualifications in International Business (Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM)) and a Master of Business Administration (University of Texas).

Melody is an Urban Resilience Consultant working at the intersection of climate change adaptation and sustainable, inclusive development. In her work, Melody focuses on small islands states with a regional emphasis on the Caribbean. She specializes in disaster risk management and risk reduction for greater resilience to a changing climate that is expected to bring more frequent and intense disaster impacts. She also supports post-disaster economic recovery efforts with the US Economic Development Administration (EDA). At the World Bank, she works with the Building Regulation for Resilience Program and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) to strengthen regulatory processes for the built environment in Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Through EDA, she has supported the economic development and recovery of the US Virgin Islands and Nebraska after significant disasters events had pronounced impacts on economic activities.

Prior to this, Melody helped advance socially responsible finance practices at the Royal Bank of Scotland in London, Sustainalytics in Boston, and Arabella Advisors in Washington, DC. She holds a degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.

Gergely is co-founder and majority partner of CreaCity, a Budapest based consultancy specialized in human-centred urban development. CreaCity is working with small and mid-size cities on their most pressing leadership challenges, from renewing their development practices and adapting to climate change, to regulating the sharing economy and retaining their home-grown entrepreneurial talent. CreaCity frequently uses Design Thinking methods such as ‘Customer Journey Mapping’ and ‘360° Empathy’ to bring the most out of its network of internationally renowned experts, as well to make local liveability the core aspect of urban development.

Gergely studied International Relations at Corvinus University of Budapest. He pursued a Master of Business Administration at Central European University and participated in the Executive Program in Social Entrepreneurship of Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is also founder of Brain Bar, the largest European festival on the future, and head of Design Terminal, a leading innovation agency in Central Europe.

Mei Ghee is Senior Manager with Capital Project and Infrastructure (CP&I) team, Mainland China and Hong Kong-based PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). In this role, Mei Ghee is responsible for financial advisory for the development of infrastructure projects, mostly in the planning or pre-financing green-field stages. In her current role, she is involved in many different types of deals, namely public private partnership (PPP) structuring, international public bidding, unsolicited bidding exercises with negotiations with local authorities, feasibility studies to form investment decisions, amongst others. She has completed a number of transactions in power and transportation sectors. Mei Ghee has deal experience across all continents, with a concentration in Africa and Asia.

Before joining PwC, Mei Ghee worked in rating agency and debt capital market (DCM), raising capital for corporates as well as infrastructure projects.

Marion is the inaugural CEO of the Committee for Perth Ltd, a role she has held for the past thirteen years. She is an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia and holds an MBA from Curtin Graduate School of Business.

The Committee for Perth is a private sector funded think tank. Its focus is on the Perth region’s growth from its current population of 2 million people to 3.5 million expected around 2050 and the challenges and opportunities this will bring. The purpose of the Committee is to inform and advocate for change that improves the cultural diversity, economic prosperity, sustainability and world-class amenities of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. To deliver on its purpose, the Committee takes an evidenced-based and solutions-focused approach and over the past decade has released over one hundred pieces of research. Its outputs are trusted sources of truth for public policymakers and the media.

Marion has led projects ‘by Perth, for Perth’ on transport and congestion, gender equality, economic diversity, governance and brand reputation. Her on-the-ground research covers almost forty cities across the developed world in order to evaluate what Perth can learn from elsewhere.

Justyna is Head Coordinator for Sustainable Development & Green Areas in city of Warsaw Mayor’s office. Previously, she was a candidate for the post of the President of Warsaw, representing a coalition of twelve urban movements in local elections of 2018.

She graduated from the Warsaw School of Economics with MA and the LSE, where she obtained a PhD in political economy of European integration. Justyna started her professional career at the Office of the Main Negotiator of the Accession Treaty with the European Union, trainee at the European Commission Budget DG. For two years she coordinated the work of a group of policy experts in the Chancellery of the President of Poland.

Justyna is an expert in public affairs, territorial self-governments, regional policy design and implementation, including mechanisms of EU funds distribution. She has also published numerous articles and co-authored books in this field of expertise. She has been an activist for more than 10 years, involved in a local social movement fighting for better environmental policies and public space in one of the City of Warsaw’s districts.

Khaled is CEO and Founder of Karma Lebanon SAL, the leading packer and exporter of fresh Lebanese produce. A consumer-centric advocate, he innovated several processes to optimise farm to consumer cycle and extend produce shelf life in transit. He is active in the agriculture domain and has led several national initiatives to develop and modernise the sector. He is also Chairman of the External Advisory Board at the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science at The American University of Beirut and Secretary General of Harvard Business School Alumni Club of Lebanon.

Khaled is currently interested in creating national awareness about the importance of agriculture and its role in promoting democracy and alleviating poverty, mainly through education and developing a favourable eco-system for private sector intervention in the sector.

João is a parliamentary advisor at the Brazilian Federal Senate and has been in public service for eighteen years in various positions. He has served as a Member of the Brazilian National Congress (2015-2019); Mayor of Blumenau/SC (2005-2012), the third-largest city in the Santa Catarina State; Member of the Santa Catarina State Legislative Assembly (2003-2004), Santa Catarina State Secretary for Health (2015-2016), CEO of the Santa Catarina Development Bank (2013-2014) and CEO of the Southern Brazil Electrical Power Transmission Company (2001-2002).

He holds a BA in History (Federal University of Santa Catarina) and a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration (Santa Catarina State University).

Lior currently works as the CEO of the region environmental enforcement unit. In his job he manages a team of environmental officers who are in charge of keeping the environment in the region safe. Previously he was the advisor to the Mayor of Rahat, a city in the south of Israel. The city of Rahat was built by the government in the 70s for the Bedouin nomad community. Lior deals there with strategic planning, project managing, planning annual work plans and assisting the mayor with high priority tasks.

He has a BA in Business and Politics and a Master’s in Public Policy. Lior participated in an excellence program conducted by the government that aims to train tomorrow’s local government leaders in Israel. He has profound knowledge and field experience in development of unserved communities in Israel.

Jan has over ten years of experience in real estate investment and finance. The formative years of Jan’s career were spent at JPMorgan underwriting real estate loans, following construction lending, real estate Private Banking at Wells Fargo and commercial lending thereafter. Most recently Jan worked for a private equity firm in real estate acquisitions covering gateway cities: London, Paris, Frankfurt, New York, Boston and Washington D.C.

Throughout his career, Jan was an active advocate with steady interest in sustainable development and Green buildings. In the past few years, Jan’s Green initiative led to direct investments in the buildings that are LEED (US Green Building Council) certified and/or uphold BREEAM (UK) standards.

Rohin currently manages two organisations, Fixing Dad and Boofel Enterprises, their primary focus being upon the media, healthcare and tech environments. Fixing Dad is based in the UK and is currently in the process expanding to nine countries with a vision to create a smart solution that can help empower citizens to tackle, reverse and prevent a range of conditions including diabetes, obesity, heart failure/cardio-vascular disease, mental illness, respiratory illness and some forms of cancer.

Rohin has over twenty years of experience across media, tech/digital and gaming, having led companies globally and been responsible for leading growth, overcoming complex challenges and international expansion for numerous organisations and franchises. To date, he has helped lead five start-ups, five exits, six turnarounds, four global media corporations, one IPO and production/distribution of over three hundred hours of content to one hundred and forty countries.

Rohin graduated in Law from King’s College London and has previously served as CEO for World Poker Tour and Bookie Mania and served as Managing Director/COO/GM roles with appScatter, Active Research, Fox Kids Europe, Lightstream Animation Studios, digital-first inc and in senior exec positions with Nickelodeon Asia-Pacific, Fox Sports USA, PartyGaming and Chiligaming.

Nayoka is Senior Program Manager and Thematic Coordinator for Urban Development at the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). She is a development cooperation practitioner with 20 years of experience from the government sector, as well as from bilateral and multilateral financing systems.

In her current position at Sida, Nayoka is responsible for preparing financing decisions and monitoring and analysing the results from Sida’s global urban portfolio which consists of long-term funding to various UN and multilateral agencies, universities, think tanks and international NGOs. She also provides advice to policy and strategic planning processes of the Swedish government and of external partners, and represents Sida in international advisory committees of relevant urban initiatives.

Previously, Nayoka worked as Human Settlements Officer at UN-Habitat headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, where she was responsible for designing and setting up UN-Habitat’s Global Program on Public Space. Nayoka began her professional career in the Philippines working with various development-financed programs and projects.

Stefan is a Registered Architect and Urban Designer. He is an Associate Director at Ethos Urban, a newly created Australian urban consultancy firm with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Since 2016 Stefan has been involved in establishing a design practice within Ethos Urban. He co-leads the Sydney design team which works alongside town and strategic planners, social strategists, economists and engagement specialist on small to large urban transformation projects for government as well as the private sector. He is also a design studio leader in the Master of Architecture course at the University of New South Wales. His studio focuses on large-scale, multi-use structures and precinct and explores the program, performance and architecture of buildings at a city scale.

His fascination with cities started in his home town of Dresden in Germany which, growing up, was still heavily marked by the impacts of World War II as well as current socialist rule but then swiftly and fundamentally transformed after the collapse of the communism in Eastern Europe. Stefan holds a degree in architecture and urban design from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany but has spent all his working life in Australia.

Langdon is Senior Partner of InnovationLabs LLC, one of the world’s leading innovation consultancies. He works with a global clientele including major corporations, small firms, and governments, to help develop and implement successful innovation programs and projects. He is author, co-author, or editor of 15 books in the fields of innovation and strategy. Some of his works are used as university textbooks worldwide, and he has taught and lectured on six continents.

He is a partner of FutureLab, a technology incubator working at the leading edge of blockchain and quantum technologies, and a board member of the International Association of Innovation Professionals and chair of its annual conference, Innova-Con. He is also Co-Chair of the Innovation Council at RedTeam Engineering, and a Member of the USA Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for ISO 56000, the new global standard for innovation management now under development.

Previously, Langdon was Associate Editor of the International Journal of Innovation Science, and Senior Practice Scholar, Ackoff Center, University of Pennsylvania. He was originally trained in architecture and worked for many years as an apprentice to renowned architect and urbanist Paolo Soleri on the Arcosanti project in Arizona, USA

Michael leads land use and infrastructure regeneration projects in Melbourne Australia. In his current role, he leads a cross and intergovernmental team preparing a transport and land use framework for a large part of the inner city. He is also managing structure planning processes for several major urban renewal and social housing regeneration opportunities.

Previously, Michael worked for large property developers, consultants, and State and local governments in urban development and economic development roles. This included working for a publicly listed company on large master-planned communities, housing and mixed-use projects from inception to completion and preparing an innovation district strategy for the Bays Precinct in Sydney. Michael has qualifications in urban planning, sustainable design and business administration.

Joey is a corporate real estate veteran with twenty-four years of experience in the Philippines. He is currently Vice Chairman and Head of Occupier Services & Commercial Agency for Knight Frank in the Philippines. He engages in major tenant and landlord representation assignments, strategic consulting on development, acquisition, disposition, and investments for Global Fortune 500 companies and select private client groups. He also advises clients on selecting the right labour markets and developing workplace strategies. Prior to joining Knight Frank, he worked for CBRE and Colliers International. He started his career with a local developer gaining extensive experience in residential project investment sales.

Joey is currently the Philippines Chapter Chair for CoreNet Global, a non-profit organization headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, USA promoting the corporate real estate profession around the globe. He holds academic qualifications in Business Administration (University of Santos Tomas – Philippines), Real Estate Management (De La Salle – College of St. Benilde – Philippines) and recently completed an executive certificate in Real Estate Finance (National University of Singapore).

Arief is the Director of Finance and Business Service of PT Jakarta Industrial Estate, a developer owned by Government of the Republic of Indonesia and Provincial Government of Jakarta. In this role, he is starting an initiative to transform an industrial estate into an integrated development zone, as an integral part of Jakarta’s Urban Regeneration Plan.

Arief originally joined the Ministry of Finance in 2000. During his tenure in the ministry, he played roles in various assignments on modernization of administration system. Following his fruitful career at Ministry of Finance, started 2008 Arief broadening his mindset with contributed in several Indonesian reformation programs funded by multi-donor international agency. He also has been very fortunate to serve as an expert staff for Presidential Office’s National Economic and Industrial Committee, House of Representative’s Committee on State Budget Accountability and Supreme Court assistance team on court modernization.

Arief is a chartered accountant and Magister in Business Law from University of Indonesia School of Law, read economic policy to pursue Master in Public Administration at the National University of Singapore.

Adam leads the Philadelphia Fire Department’s ~3,000 members in protecting the 5th-largest US city from fires and emergencies arising from all hazards; he also directs the city’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM). From 2014-2016, Adam was a Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security for the Commonwealth of Virginia where he helped provide strategic direction, policy advice, and operational coordination for eleven state-wide agencies with an overall budget of more than $3B and 30,000 employees.

His 27-year career spans five states (MD, NC, VA, AZ, and PA) as a chief fire officer, incident commander, company officer, fire and emergency services instructor, hazardous materials team leader, paramedic, technical rescuer, structural/wildland firefighter, swiftwater rescuer, and rescue SCUBA diver. He has directly participated in planning, response, and recovery efforts for multiple Presidentially-declared disasters and National Special Security Events (NSSEs), including the 9/11 tragedy, hurricanes, tropical storms, floods, an earthquake, major blizzards, international sporting competitions, and political gatherings. Beyond public service, Adam co-founded two successful consulting practices advising a wide range of clients on crisis management, resilience, leadership, organizational development, risk analysis, and strategy. He is a 2018 Eisenhower USA Fellow, published author, adjunct faculty member, and has presented around the globe.

Magali is currently working at The Children’s Trust charity in Surrey, looking at their future vision and strategy, and how their estate development can support these. She will also be working from September as a Public Practice associate at Great Ormond Street Hospital. She will be Project Lead for Place Making, leading the public realm around the hospital’s new Children’s Cancer Centre.

Previously, Magali worked for fourteen years at Marks Barfield Architects where she was a director. Specialising in education projects, she led a successful education team there through the BSF years. She worked on many award-winning schools, and more recently on a number of community-led projects, including a potential Centre for Cycling Excellence in Surrey, and an award-winning primary school in Cambridge.

Magali is on the Design South East, Sutton and Brighton design review panels, providing design support to local authorities, developers and communities in the South East. She has also acted as a judge for the Architects Journal. She holds academic qualifications in Architecture (Oxford Brookes University and Architectural Association – UK).

Efrat is CEO and founder of Gazit Globe Real Estate Institute at IDC, an Israeli private university where she teaches urban economics and real estate finance & investment while conducting applicable research on issues of housing and real estate. In addition to her work at IDC, she also works in housing development in Tel Aviv City.

Efrat serves as a member of Tel Aviv City Council and has previously served as a board member for various firms owned by Tel Aviv city, including Atidim Hi Tech campus (co-owned by Tel Aviv University). She is currently a member of the Capital Market, Insurance and Saving Authority advisory committee and has previously served as a board member for various Tel Aviv Stock Exchange traded firms such as Bank of Jerusalem and Babylon.

Louis was formerly the Executive Director, Performing Arts of the Hong Kong West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA). He left the position in June 2019 is now having a career break.

Louis joined WKCDA in June 2010 and was responsible for steering the planning and development of the performing arts facilities in the District, and for overseeing the strategies and operating models for these facilities. He played a pivotal role in leading the design and construction of the performing arts facilities, including the Xiqu Centre, Freespace and the Lyric Theatre Complex. He has also overseen a series of public, talent-nurturing and cultural exchange programmes for dance, drama and theatre arts, music and xiqu.

He has over thirty years of experience in arts administration and management. His former roles include Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Arts Centre.

Nouf works for the Department of Economic Development in Dubai as the Innovation and Creativity Department Manager. She is responsible for transforming the organization from a regulatory and service provider to an innovative agency able to shape the future using futuristic analysis and strategic foresight. As such, she manages key projects under the Dubai Future Accelerator initiative to turn ideas into unique innovations that will contribute to society. She also speaks at local and international conferences about innovation, employees’ happiness and productivity focusing on ways to improve work environment, culture and capabilities.

Nouf has previously worked for a number of government entities, including a role in the Prime Minister’s Office analysing competitiveness and innovation reports. She is also an active board member in committees and think-tank groups. She is a graduate from Kingston University in London with a Master’s Degree in business administration and a Bachelor’s degree in pharmacy.

Sisto is the Chief Executive Officer of Sub Sahara Solutions LLC, a provider of
professional technical and Management Support Services. Sisto is a multifaceted
individual, with specialities including mining and mineral exploration,
renewable energy technologies, civil engineering, green design and built industry,
construction project management, energy and minerals policy, energy efficiency,
security management and administration, and African government relations.
Currently pursuing an Executive MSc in Cities at LSE, Sisto has a BSc in Construction
Management and a BSc in Building and Civil Engineering Construction. Sisto is also
an LEED Green Associate and a building analyst professional. He is a member of
several professional bodies including the Construction Management Association
of America, the Project Management Institute, the United States Green Building
Council, the Building Performance Institute, the OSHE, the National Fire Protection
Association, the Association of Professional Estimators of America, the Sierra
Leone Institute of Professional Engineers, and the Value Engineering Association

Christine is the social development and social innovation advisor to the Mayor of
Cali, Colombia. During the last two years she has been leading the city’s placebased,
social inclusion strategy. The strategy aims to fight poverty, exclusion
and violence in the eleven most vulnerable communes of the city by focusing,
articulating and coordinating the social investments of all branches of the
local government. Its main goals are to reduce poverty, contribute to peace
building, renew a sense of solidarity and responsibility (both among and within
communities), design and implement social ties and build civil society´s capacity
to synchronize efforts and articulate social investment.
Before joining the public sector, Christine was the force behind the work carried
out by Fundación Sidoc in Siloe, one of Cali´s most underprivileged districts. As
a result of her efforts, high-risk youth were brought into productive projects and
cultural activities with the aim of strengthening community and individual identity.
Christine has a degree from London School of Economics and holds an NGO
Management certificate from Georgetown University