Anete Garoza

CEO & Co-Founder
East Africa Carbon Markets Forum

Chitra Venkatesh

Senior Manager  Environmental,
Social and Governance  APAC
Hilton Hotels & Resorts

Dr Cintia Külzer-Sacilotto

Assistant Professor of Innovation,
Technology, and Entrepreneurship
United Arab Emirates University (UAEU)

Dr Cintia Külzer-Sacilotto is an Assistant Professor of Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). Prior to joining UAEU, she was a Senior Research Fellow at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University, and a Research Fellow at the Technology and Management Centre for Development, University of Oxford. Her research interests include sustainable entrepreneurship, green innovation, R&D management, business networks, and industrial clusters. Dr Cintia has co-authored several books and case studies on entrepreneurship and innovation and has published papers in leading peer-reviewed journals. She has conducted research and consultancies for both private and public sectors, as well as international organizations such as the World Bank and the World Economic Forum. Dr Cintia holds a DPhil in International Development and an MSc in Economics for Development from the University of Oxford, as well as a BSc and MPhil in Economics from the University of Chile.

Khalid Bin Hadi

Managing Director UAE
Siemens Energy

Khalid Bin Hadi is the Managing Director for the subregion UAE at Siemens Energy. Prior to assuming his current role, Mr. Bin Hadi held various leadership positions. He was the Managing Director of Siemens Energy Oman, concurrently serving as the Head of Government Affairs for the Middle East. He also headed the Oil and Gas business for Siemens in the Middle East. Before joining Siemens, he started his career in the energy sector at ABB. Since 2024, he has been a member of the Board of Directors at the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ADCCI).

Mona Alhashmi

Cross-Border Manager
Hub71

As a dedicated Cross-Border Manager at Hub71, Mona Alhashmi brings over 13 years of diverse experience across distinct sectors in strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Born and raised in Abu Dhabi, Mona possesses a unique understanding of the local ecosystem. With a robust background in project and program management, she focuses on driving initiatives and fostering strong stakeholder relationships within dynamic environments. Since 2019, Mona has played a key role in developing connections between global opportunities and local ecosystems within the innovation and entrepreneurship space.

Mona holds a Master of Business degree, double majoring in Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Marketing from the University of Queensland, Australia (2018), with her academic foundation complementing extensive practical expertise. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Pennsylvania State University, USA (2011). A passionate Emirati professional, Mona leverages a unique blend of strategic insight and hands-on execution to propel cross-border ventures and advance the entrepreneurial landscape.

Nour Mezher

Group Sustainability Manager –
Engagement and Circularity
Al Futtaim

Nour Mezher is a seasoned Climate Change and Sustainability expert with over 13 years of experience driving impactful environmental initiatives across the public and private sectors. Nour has led high-profile projects in climate policy, sustainable event management, and corporate sustainability strategy. In her current role, Nour leads on circularity initiatives across the different divisions at Al-Futtaim to enhance waste management. She is also leading on internal and external engagement on sustainability, including upskilling staff on climate change science.

Previously, Nour worked on climate change and sustainability in varying capacities. At Expo City Dubai, Nour spearheaded the transformation of the “Seeds of Change” program into a dynamic engagement platform and played a pivotal role in the sustainable delivery of COP28, overseeing sustainable operations, data governance, accessibility audits, and sustainability training.

Nour also served as a consultant to organizations such as the UN High-Level Climate Champion team, Live Nation, and Emirates Nature-WWF, delivering technical research and training on climate finance, net-zero strategies, and nature-based solutions. Her decade-long tenure at Emirates Nature-WWF saw her lead the Climate and Energy Programme and develop pioneering initiatives like the Leaders of Change and Target Climate (now known as UACA).

Fluent in English and Arabic, Nour holds a Master’s in Water and Environmental Engineering from Masdar Institute, and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the American University of Beirut. Nour has also received the Public Health and Climate Change certificate from Yale University.

Pooja Dhingra

Regional Sustainability Manager
UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Oman
Ikea

Dr Reem Al Junaibi

Founder & CEO
Stellr Studio

Riccardo Toxiri

Advisor to the Director-General
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

Riccardo Toxiri is an economist with a strong commitment to sustainability and international cooperation in the energy transition. After graduating with an MSc in Economics and Business, he began his career as a Senior Auditor at Ernst & Young. Driven by a passion for climate action, he redirected his path by completing a post-graduate Master’s in Renewable Energy.

Following an internship in voluntary carbon markets and international carbon-forestry projects, Riccardo served as Advisor in the CEO Office of Italy’s national energy agency, supporting international collaborations and initiatives on climate and sustainable energy policies.

Since 2018, Riccardo has been part of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), where he initially supported the work of the Governance Support Office, facilitating the decision-making processes of IRENA’s Governing Bodies and leading engagement with key stakeholders, including parliamentarians and youth.

He now serves as Advisor to the Director-General, contributing to high-level strategic initiatives and strengthening partnerships to accelerate the global energy transition. A dedicated advocate for youth empowerment, Riccardo plays an active role in shaping IRENA’s youth engagement agenda, fostering the new generation of energy leaders.

Roberto Perez

Senior Specialist Sustainability
ADNOC Group

Roberto Perez is a seasoned sustainability engineer with over 30 years of experience in environmental and social management, regulatory compliance, and sustainability projects. He holds a degree in Civil Engineering and a specialization in Environmental Engineering. Throughout his career, Roberto has held various positions, from Sustainability Specialist to Country Environmental and Social Manager, demonstrating his expertise in managing complex environmental and social projects across multiple industries, including oil and gas, construction, and waste management.

Roberto has a proven track record in developing and implementing sustainability strategies and policies, conducting environmental and social impact assessments, and ensuring compliance with international and domestic regulations such as IFC, GRI and ISO standards. His skills in stakeholder engagement, grievance management, and team building have been instrumental in successfully delivering projects for renowned organizations like ADNOC, Shell Global Solutions Int., AMEC Foster Wheeler, and Bechtel.

Fluent in Spanish and English, Roberto is committed to quality and sustainability, continuously seeking innovative solutions to address environmental challenges and promote sustainable development.

Ruaa Al Shehhi

Senior Research Analyst
UAE SDGs Secretariat
Government Experience Exchange Office
Ministry of Cabinet Affairs

Ruaa is part of the UAE SDGs Secretariat at the UAE Government Experience Exchange Office, where she supports national efforts to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals through stakeholder engagement, progress reporting, and collaborative partnerships. She contributes to key initiatives such as the Global Councils on SDGs, the XDGs 2045, and the SDGs in Action Forum at the WGS, with a focus on enabling cross-border and cross-sector knowledge exchange, fostering partnerships, and shaping forward-looking approaches to sustainability beyond 2030.

Previously, Ruaa worked as a Data Analyst at the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre where she supported the advancement of the UAE’s open data and data science portfolios, as well as broader statistical digital transformation efforts. Her work included managing the UN Big Data Hub hosted in the UAE and contributing to national data innovation efforts.

She holds a BA (Hons) in International Media and Communications Studies from the University of Nottingham and is a graduate of the MBZUAI Executive Program (2022) and the Frontiers in Sustainability Program (2024) by First Abu Dhabi Bank and IMD.

Yasin KASIRGA

Decarbonization Leader-Middle East & Africa
Carbon Solutions-Gas Power
GE Vernova

Yasin Kasirga leads GE Vernova's Decarbonization business covering Middle East & Africa. Yasin and his team are closely collaborating with GE Vernova's customers a and partners to achieve their individual decarbonization/Net Zero targets, while keeping an eye on economic viability and supporting them in strengthening their position for a decarbonized energy future. The collaborative decarbonization solutions span over a wide range of ready-to-deploy as well as emerging/innovative solutions; from pre-combustion decarbonization through low-carbon/no carbon fuels to post-combustion carbon capture technologies.

Yasin has 19+ years of technical and commercial experience in strategy, business development, execution, marketing and sales, with a strong track developing/selling/buildimarketing and sales, with a strong record of developing/selling/building more and more than 6 GW Renewables (hydro, solar, geothermal and 25+ Wind Power Plants) within Europe, Middle East and Africa.

He has been in leadership roles with increasing responsibilities within GE, leading Sales for Wind and Hydro, leading Market Development for the Hybrids Business, and leading Project Execution for Wind projects covering the MENAT region.

In 2023, Yasin has served as a Senior Energy Advisor and Member of the Energy Transition Team leading the initiatives under COP28 Climate Conference at the Office of the UAE Presidency Climate Change Special Envoy, where he led the "Tripling Renewable Energy and Doubling Energy Efficiency pledge, along with supporting the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter, Industrial Decarbonization Alliance. He was one of the co-authors of the report "TRIPLING RENEWABLE POWER AND DOUBLING ENERGY EFFICIENCY BY 2030 CRUCIAL STEPS TOWARDS 1.5°C issued by the COP28 Presidency, IRENA, and the Global Renewables Alliance.

Prior to joining GE, Yasin worked as Business Development and Sales Manager in charge of Gas, Hydro, Wind, Nuclear, Geothermal and Renewable Steam Plants Businesses in Alstom Turkey, following 8 years of Project Management and EPC experience with Gama Power and Calik Enerji, building industrial and power plants across Europe and Middle East.

Yasin holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering with an Executive MBA from Middle East Technical University. He is also a graduate of GE's signature leadership development program (XLP).

Zeeshan Omar Inamdar

Group Sustainability Manager
Al-Futtaim Group

Zeeshan Omar Inamdar is a dedicated sustainability professional with a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S. in Renewable Energy Engineering.

With over a decade of experience in the HVAC and building industry, Zeeshan is a Group Sustainability Manager at Al-Futtaim and also a CEM® certified Energy Manager and LEED AP. Since 2015, He has been a key figure at Al-Futtaim, leading sustainability projects, reducing CO2 emissions, and promoting sustainable practices.

His expertise includes conducting Carbon Accounting for GHG inventory emissions, upskilling departments in climate literacy and carbon accounting basics, waste reduction approaches, energy audits, managing sustainability projects, and implementing AI-based sustainable solutions and rooftop Solar PV projects.