WUWM Abu Dhabi 2022

Christopher Mejía-Argueta is a Research Scientist at the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics. He develops applied research on retailing, e-tail operations, and agrifood supply chains in the Food and Retail Operations Lab (FaROL). He has over 15 years of experience developing applied research projects in over 12 countries on four continents. He researches last- and first-mile operations, humanitarian logistics, and supply chains for multiple stakeholders, including producers, logistics providers, consumer packaged goods manufacturers, and retailers. He has published four books, and over 30 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters for prestigious journals and editorial houses.

Dr. Chris Mejía is also the director of the MIT SCALE network for Latin America and the Caribbean. This initiative, conducted by the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics in the region, aims to lead impactful research and education projects for diverse organizations with top universities and support the Center for Latin-American Logistics Innovation (CLI).

He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Monterrey Tech, Mexico, where he got summa cum laude. Chris has worked for Hewlett Packard Laboratories, Monterrey Tech, CLI, and the Eindhoven University of Technology. Christopher collaborates with multi-lateral funding sources, corporates, non-governmental organizations, and several associations worldwide.

Delphine Acloque is a researcher and expert in agriculture and food studies in the Middle-East. She works as a consultant for the Club Déméter in Paris and is a member of the editorial committee of The Déméter.

Her work focuses on agri-food challenges in arid areas (Egypt ; Arabian Peninsula) and she analyses agricultural strategies in the MENA region.

She has completed her PhD on the agricultural frontier in Egypt's desert areas in 2019. Her doctoral dissertation was awarded by the French Academy of agriculture and the French Institute of Islamic Studies and Societies of the Muslim World (2020). Now based in Doha, she has a long experience in the Arab world.

Dr. Fabio Massimo Pallottini is an Economist, expert in economic and territorial problems development. During his career he has developed a consistent administrative and managerial experience.

He has chaired important Bodies and Companies in the agri-food sector and he has been and still is a member of numerous Working Groups and Commissions in the field of agri-food.

Since 2014 he is the Managing Director of CAR Scpa, the company that built, owns and manages the Centro Agroalimentare Roma, the first Italian structure in the sector. In this capacity he is responsible for the management of the structure and ensures its productive and economic results.

At the same time as Managing Director of the C.A.R scpa, since March 2015 Dr. Pallottini serves as Chairman of ITALMERCATI - Rete di Imprese, to which the main Italian Agri-Food Centers belong, the first Italian experience of development of the system of large agri-food Markets.

At international level, since 2015 he is a member of the Board of Directors of WUWM (World Union of Wholesale Markets). For two years now he is also European Group Leader of WUWM and WUWM focal point at FAO.

Since 2016 he is Board Member of CSO - Italy, an organization for the promotion and international development of Italian fruit and vegetables in the world.

Dr. Fabio Massimo Pallottini is graduated in Jurisprudence with economic address at the University La Sapienza of Rome and since 2020 he is Professor of Food Economics at the University of Roma Tre.

Over the years, he has been a speaker at many conferences on the subject of entrepreneurship and the agrifood sector. He has published numerous articles including several essays on the subject of regional development and he is also the author of a publication on exports agri-food industry in Southern Italy.

Dr.J.S.Yadav hold the degree of P.h.D. (Economics) from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak. He has legendry saleable experience of training, research and consultancies in the field of agricultural marketing and agribusiness. Started his carrier in 1979 with Govt. of Haryana, Dept. of Agriculture as Statistical Supervisor. More than 25 years in the level of Director and Above in Centre, State and Corporate (1992-2017). Now holding the post of Managing Director Haryana International Horticultural Market (HIHM), Govt. of Haryana and Managing Director, National Council of State Agricultural Marketing Boards, (COSAMB) August-2017 onwards Also the Director of World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM), The Netherland and for the last so many years, elected/consecutive for a tenure of 2 years by election and scored highest votes in the World, casted votes by not less than Chairman/CEO/MDs of World largest 150 Agri Wholesale Markets representing around 50 counties of all continents (Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa etc.) and treated as one of the most coveted professionally Sound member of the Board.

He possessed quite a rich experience from the last 40 years in the field of Strategic Planning, Profit Centre Operations, Business Development, Policy Formulation and General Administration. A strong blend of Academics and practice in agricultural marketing & agribusiness. He is also the First Founder of Modern Terminal Market in India. He is also author the books namely “Horticultural Marketing and Exports”, “Agricultural Marketing and Market Planning”, “Modern Trends in Agricultural Marketing”, “Evaluation of Agricultural Extension”. Also done a hundred projects/reports related to Agricultural Marketing and Act.

His area of interest, apart from his core area is developing others: ability to encourage and support the long-term development of others by providing coaching and feedback on competencies and arranging learning opportunities.

Dr Lawrence Haddad is GAIN’s Executive Director since 2016. From September 2020 and up to the United Nations Food Systems Summit that took place on 23 September 2021, Lawrence chaired Action
Track 1: Ensuring Access to Safe and Nutritious Food for All. Lawrence is also the co-convener of the Standing Together for Nutrition. Prior to GAIN, Lawrence was lead author of the Global Nutrition Report, Director of the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), and Director of the Food Consumption and Nutrition Division at IFPRI.

He is the winner of the 2018 World Food Prize together with David Nabarro. Click here for more.

Dr Morris joined GAIN in September 2017, and leads the technical support to, and quality assurance of, the organisation’s $32m annual programme portfolio across Asia and Africa. He manages a team of approximately 30 staff focusing on: food fortification; supply chains for nutritious foods (including small enterprise development), and contextual drivers of food systems change such as environment, urbanisation, and youth.

Dr Morris was previously Head of the Nutrition and Public Health Intervention Research Unit at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (University of London), and also worked as a Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington DC, as well as a visiting university lecturer in Brazil. He has 85 publications in peer-reviewed journals, including as one of the core group of authors of the original (2008) Lancet series on maternal and child undernutrition.

Dr Morris also spent a total of 13 years working for three different funding organisations: the United Kingdom Department of International Development, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF). At the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation he led a $200m cross-cutting initiative on child health, while at CIFF he was Director of the Strong Start team, focusing on nutrition and early childhood development.

Dr Morris has a PhD in epidemiology and a Masters degree in medical demography. He has additional professional qualifications in: adult learning; accounting, and French.

Dr. Mariam Alyousuf AlSuwaidi, is the Acting Deputy Director General of the operational affairs at Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), in charge of supervising the sectors of agricultural affairs; animal wealth; development & innovation; and control & inspection. Dr. Mariam is supporting the development, empowerment, and compliance of agricultural and livestock production, supports research and data analysis to develop the sector, and ensures oversight of food safety and biosecurity. She held the position of the Executive Director of the Control sector at ADAFSA for five years, she oversaw the enforcement and inspection roles in the field of food and agriculture (plant and animal domain). She was the Executive Director of the Policy and Regulation sector in ADAFSA for 8 years (2008 _2016). She has led the establishment of the policy and regulatory platform pertaining to the agriculture and food safety domains within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and effectively contributed to developing the strategic plan for the Authority as well as capacity building. Dr. Mariam played an important role on the national and GCC level in food safety domain. Dr Mariam used to be a board member of the Zoo and Aquarium Public Institution in Al Ain in UAE since 2017 until 2021. She has previously occupied the post of the Assistant Director General of the Food Safety Sector during 2006_2007. In 2005 she was the executive director of the drug division in ADAFSA. In 2004 she worked as Director of Research in Zayed Complex for Herbal Research and Traditional Medicine. In 2002, she worked in the United Arab Emirates University as Assistant Professor in the College of Science, Department of Chemistry.

Dr. Mariam received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry/Physics, University of the United Arab Emirates in 1989; and Master of Science in Environmental Sciences, UAE University in 1995; and her PhD in Chemistry of Medicinal Plants from the University of Portsmouth, UK, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, in 2002; and received her second master's degree in Security and Strategic Studies, from the National Defense college in the UAE in 2016.

His Excellency Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi is the United Arab Emirates’ Minister of State for Foreign Trade and Minister in charge of Talent Attraction and Retention. As Minister, he is responsible for leading the development and expansion of the country’s non-oil foreign trade, enhancing national polices and measures to enable increased inflows of foreign direct investment to the UAE, and implementing initiatives to attract and retain strategic global talent in the UAE.

Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri is appointed as the Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE. In this capacity, she leads the Ministry’s mission of spearheading the UAE’s drive to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change, protect the country’s ecosystems, and enhance its food and water security through developing and implementing effective measures, policies, and initiatives.

Prior to her current role, Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri was appointed as Minister of State for Food and Water Security. Her responsibilities included monitoring national food stocks and water supply, channeling investments in food and water technology innovation, and building
international partnerships in this area.

Previously, Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri held the post of Minister of State for Food Security, where she oversaw the development of the necessary infrastructure to achieve the country’s food security objectives in line with the UAE Centennial 2071.

H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi is a member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED). His wealth of management experience in the private sector combined with his distinguished and dynamic leadership style have placed him in a unique position to actively contribute to the Emirate’s economic success.

His Excellency is one of the outstanding national figures recognized for his outstanding success, professional intelligence and dedication to the homeland. This is reflected in his high educational background and keenness to join establishments that reflect his interests. He holds an MBA from the London Business School and certificates from prestigious international institutions, including MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Citibank Global Asset Management, Harvard Business School in addition to the senior executive leadership program of the University of Harvard.

H.E. Al Shorafa is currently the head of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) - an ADDED affiliate, Chairman of the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (KFED), Chairman of Hub71 – a key initiative of the Abu Dhabi Government’s development accelerators program, Chairman of the Board of the Securities & Commodities Authority (SCA), Chairman of Free Zones Council - Abu Dhabi, Chairman of the Etihad Aviation Group, and Vice-Chair of the Abu Dhabi Global Market.

H.E. Al Shorafa was the CEO and managing director of UEMedical, a board member in the Strategic Partnership Council of the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi, and a board member and chairman of the Healthcare Working Group of the UAE-UK Business Council. In addition to that, he was also the vice chairman of United Eastern Group (UEG) and Gulf Contractors Company (GCC). Al Shorafa spent nine years at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) before taking on his next challenge by launching UEMedical.

The organizations, where HE is involved, are contributing to the economic growth of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. In view of his many significant accomplishments, H.E. Al Shorafa was named by Arabian Business, in partnership with Bombardier, as one of the world’s most powerful Arabs in the years 2019 and 2021.

His Excellency Rashid Al Blooshi has started his professional career 24 years ago from Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, to assume different
positions until he became the CEO of ADX. As he could attract attention to his competence and leave an obvious mark as a successful economic
character and a modern executive with a clear future vision in the alignment of Abu Dhabi market strategy with the plans of Abu Dhabi
government, in addition to developing its performance to promote the local economy.

Al Blooshi holds the position of Undersecretary of ADDED, as a holder of a pioneering experience who plays a pivotal role in the diversification of
economic investment in the emirate, as well as the enrichment of knowledge economy in a manner that contributes to the economic vision of Abu Dhabi 2030. As he oversees the launch of leading programs and initiatives that are based upon innovation and development of plans and
strategies that promote the competitive environment, streamline businesses and support the investment attraction of Abu Dhabi to become one of the best regional and international destinations for doing businesses and attracting capitals and investments.

In addition to his current position, Al Blooshi assumes several memberships in the Board of Directors as well as local and federal committees.

H.E. Saeed Al Bahri Salem Al Ameri is an accomplished visionary leader. He has extensive work experience in the UAE, Europe, and Africa, combined with professional expertise and an innovative leadership style.

With nearly two decades of experience in the government and private
sectors, he has worked on sustainable agriculture development, food security, agribusiness startups, mergers & acquisitions, medium and large agricultural projects. Studied in the UAE, USA, and Europe at reputed institutions.

At present, H.E. Saeed Al Bahri Salem Al Ameri is the Director-General of Abu Dhabi Agriculture & Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), the local government entity responsible for Food Security including the agriculture and food sector, where he leads a large team of experts and specialists in the fields of agriculture, food security, biosecurity, and food safety to develop an integrated and sustainable agricultural production system in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, that boosts economic
diversification, food security, and biosecurity through a wide range of services provided to over 65,000 entities, including 24,000 agriculture farms, 24,000 livestock farms, and 17,000 food establishments.

Currently, Mr. Al Ameri's primary focus is enabling sustainable local production, strengthening agriculture R&D, promoting private investments in food & agriculture through smart legislations,
policies including true digital transformation in the food and agriculture sector to Enhance food and water security.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Al Ameri was the Managing Director of Elite Agro, one of the region's leading producers of fresh vegetables and fruits and Cluster Managing Director at Yas Holdings Moreover, he serves on and chairs a number of councils and committees, including the Emirates Council for Food Security (ECSF), Emirates Council for Climate Change and Environment, Abu Dhabi Energy Committee, United Arab Emirates University Council, Board of Trustees of SHK Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and agricultural innovations, and Steering Committee of the SHK Khalifa Bin Zayed Centre for Marine Research, Infrastructure Committee.

Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif (Malaysia) is the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), appointed at the level of Under-SecretaryGeneral by the Secretary-General, following an election by the General Assembly on 22 December 2017. She succeeds Dr. Joan Clos of Spain.

As the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Ms. Sharif has focused on reforming and rejuvenating the agency, mobilizing for internal and external support for the organization's restructuring and new Strategic Plan 2020–2023. Key initiatives undertaken by Ms. Sharif as the Executive Director of UN-Habitat include the adoption of the General Assembly Resolution 73/539 after 14 years of negotiation, which established a new governance
structure with universal membership, governed by the UN-Habitat Assembly.

Prior to this appointment, Ms. Sharif was the Mayor of the City Council of Penang Island, Malaysia. In 2011, she was the first woman to be appointed President of the Municipal Council of Seberang Perai. As mayor of a local authority, she led the Municipal Council of Seberang Perai to achieve its vision of a “cleaner, greener, safer and healthier place to work,
live, invest and play.” Ms. Sharif began her career as a Town Planner at the Municipal Council of Penang Island in 1985. In 2003, she was promoted to Director of Planning and
Development, a position she held until November 2009.

Born in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, on 26 August 1961, Ms. Sharif holds a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Town Planning Studies from the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology, UK and a Master of Science in Planning Studies from the Malaysia Science University.

Abdullah Humaid Al Hameli is the Chief Executive Officer of Economic Cities & Free Zones at AD Ports Group.

With more than 15 years of experience in different industries, including Human Resources and Administration, Maritime Trade, Finance and Corporate Operations and Services, Al Hameli currently oversees the growth and expansion strategy of the AD Ports Group’s economic and commercial zones portfolio.

Prior to his current role, Al Hameli looked after the corporate services function across AD Ports Group’s entire portfolio as Executive Vice President Corporate Support at AD Ports Group.

1. Wholesale Merchant of the Ecatepec Supply Center, Specialized in
Onion product, since 1987
2. President of the Union of Merchants, Producers and Owners of the
Ecatepec Supply Center, for the period 2007-2011
3. President of the Board of Directors of the Latin American Federation of Supply Markets (FLAMA), period 2011-2014 and 2018-2022
4. President of the National Executive Committee of the National Confederation of Groups of Merchants of Supply Centers, A.C., period
2013-2016 and currently 2022-2025
5. Director of the Americas at the World Union of Wholesale Markets
(WUWM) 2020-2022

Thanks to his Great Leadership Arturo Fernández has led in recent years projects such as the construction of the Central de Abasto in San Vicente Chicoloapan and TECAMAC of the State of Mexico, projects that opened recently as well as the modernization of the Central de Abastos de Ecatepec.

Throughout his career he has participated in Forums, Congresses and Assemblies in Mexico and in different countries of the world promoting the importance of Markets Wholesalers and Traditional Trade, generating alliances that allow the commercial exchange, experiences and business models.

As a member of the SEMMARIS Strategic Committee, he manages the Planning, Construction and External Affairs functions. A graduate of the Ecole Centrale and Sciences Po (with expertise in urban planning and development), Benoît JUSTER, 60, is a specialist in corporate management in the real estate, development and infrastructure sectors. After starting his career as a Transport and Infrastructure Engineer in France and then in Egypt, he then headed a team in charge of urban planning, mobility and environment projects at Beture Conseil in Lille, then consolidated his experience as branch manager and director of transport, infrastructure and urban policy projects at ISIS.

From 2010 to 2017, he was CEO of EGIS Conseil, relying on his ability to manage large-scale projects combining real estate, infrastructure and development.

From 2017 he has been Executive Director in Rungis Market – Semmaris managing the development of Rungis activities in Paris Region, in France and worldwide.

Colin Foreman is MEED Deputy Editor, Specialist Construction Journalist. He is responsible for news and analysis on MEED.com and MEED magazine. He has been reporting on the region since 2003, specialising in the construction sector and its impact on the broader economy.

He has reported exclusively on a wide range of projects across the region including schemes such as Dubai Metro, the Burj Khalifa, Jeddah Airport, Doha Metro, Hamad International Airport, and Yas Island. Before joining MEED,

Colin reported on the construction sector in the Middle East and Hong Kong. He has a bachelor’s degree from Newcastle University and a master’s degree from the University of Reading.

David Bucca is the founder and CEO of Change Foods, a precision fermentation food tech company creating animal-free dairy products, starting with cheese. David's a passionate food industry professional with expertise in alternative proteins, and who was previously an aerospace engineering leader at Boeing for over 13 years.

Following a career change in 2016 motivated by his mission to create more sustainable, ethical, and innovative food systems, he became founding director of Food Frontier, an innovative think-tank & industry accelerator for alternative proteins in Australia/NZ. He also became the COO of a hemp foods startup, and subsequently the APAC manager for a U.S. plant-based meat company. David holds a graduate certificate from Melbourne Business School, a double degree in Aerospace Engineering and Applied Science from RMIT University, and a Commercial Pilot License for Airplanes.

Fabrice has over 25 years’ experience in sales and business development. Prior to embarking on a career in the aviation industry, he was an Instructor Officer in the French Army.

Fabrice began his aviation career as a Station Commercial Representative at Air France in 1998. After four years, he relocated to the regional headquarters as Head of Studies and Statistics, where he developed analytical tools that helped steer sales.

In 2008, he joined Air France KLM Cargo, initially to oversee Sales for Eastern France and later held a position within the France Sales Management team until 2012. In 2013, he was appointed as Sales Manager & Developer France of the Air France KLM Pharmaceutical Group, where he set up a vertical organization while being involved with local Pharma Associations (SFSTP & Pharma Logistics Club).

In January 2017, he took on the role of Head of Product & Development for Pharmaceutical Logistics, where he led the global product team that supported the sales and operational departments in focusing on high-end, time and temperature-sensitive, pharmaceutical and biotechnology products. In January 2019, Fabrice assumed global responsibility for Quality under GDP/QA Pharma and launched a performance program enhancement and investment for cool chain products.

Since joining Etihad Cargo in May 2020, Fabrice has led both Pharma and Fresh high-value goods segments.

Fabrice holds a License level in History, and several distinction awards within sports, the military, foreign languages and in IATA Quality and Risk Management for Temperature Controlled Cargo.
Currently based in Abu Dhabi.

Feroz is a Partner at Roland Berger and focuses on Financial Services and Consumer and retail sectors. He is also the co-head of the Global Crypto Economy practice within Roland Berger. Feroz has advised some of the largest companies in the region as a leadership sounding board for CEO's.

Among other projects he has been involved with building strategies for the world's largest bitcoin mining facility, developed clusters for regulated financial markets and worked with large sovereign funds and corporates on future proofing their strategies. Previously, Feroz was the
founder of the Middle East, Turkey and Africa office of Intel Capital, a venture capital and private equity arm of Intel Corporation.

Feroz holds an electrical engineering degree from The University of Maryland (honors) and an MBA from the Ross School of Business at The University of Michigan. He was a member of the Abu Dhabi Chapter of YPO (Young Presidents Organization, www.ypo.org), Is a charter member of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs, www.tie.org), and currently belongs to numerous technical and leadership honor societies.

Graham Burne is a highly accomplished supply chain professional with extensive experience in leading various facets surrounding end-to-end supply chains including e-commerce, project and commercial management. At AD Ports Group, Graham oversees the complete movement of goods, including highly temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products, from the point of manufacture through AD Ports Group’s advanced cold and ultra-cold warehouse facility in KIZAD, right to the final mile distribution.

With 25 years of supply chain management experience, over 20 of which were spent in the GCC region, Graham brings proven success in the areas of integrated business planning and road mapping, design and deployment of robust supply chain processes, and adoption of advanced digital solutions.

Prior to joining AD Ports Group, Graham recently served as Vice President of Supply Chain at Huda Beauty, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Emirates Food Ind., General Supply Chain Manager at NADEC, and Supply Chain Director at Mondelez/Kraft Foods.

Graham Sanders is the Chief Executive Officer of the Abu Dhabi Food Hub - KEZAD, a public-private company between Abu Dhabi Ports Group and Ghassan Aboud Group, in collaboration with Rungis International Market.
Prior to his current appointment, he has held several CEO roles in large logistics, wholesale market and infrastructure organizations across the APAC region, including Swire Group in Australia, Asia Pacific & China, Thai Agro Exchange Co. Ltd in Thailand, MetroPac Movers in the Philippines and was also the senior advisor to Metro Pacific Investments Corp. – the largest Infrastructure conglomerate in the Philippines.
With this experience, Graham is building an organization and workforce that will contribute towards positioning Abu Dhabi Food Hub – KEZAD as the leading wholesale food trade & logistics centre regionally.
Graham holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Adelaide University and a Master of Business Administration from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

Mr Triantafyllis is the vice chairman of the Board of Directors of the World Union of Wholesale Markets and has served it through various positions (Chairman of European Working Group, Head of the Waste disposal best practices Commitee) and has represented the Union in various fora and institutions like the High level forum for the unfair trade practices in the b2b food supply chain and the EU Fruit & Vegetables market prices observatory.

He is also the General Manager of Central Markets and Fisheries Organization, the state-owned company that administrates two central markets and 11 fish-markets in Greece. He has been serving the organization for 32 years in a variety of positions.

Mr Triantafyllis is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Planning and Regional Development of the University of Thessaly, Greece, with a research on how food markets are incorporated in the urban tissue. He has a bachelor in Business Administration from the Technological Institution of Athens and an MBA from the University of Piraeus, Greece. The subject of his Master thesis was how fresh food prices are formatted from farm to fork, and the specific role of the Central Markets.

He has published academic works on financial programming in food distribution within central markets and financial planning. He also possesses five Certificates of Specialization from the VTC - University of Athens:

• Environmental & Nutritional Crises Management
• Project Management & Risk
• Greek Economy
• Internal Auditing.

Mr Triantafyllis has been counsellor to various committees under the Greek Ministry of Commerce, in subjects dealing with the wholesale trade. He has designed the observatory of prices which are traded in the Athens Wholesale market and has actively participated in committees dealing with the Greek observatory. He has also contributed as an advisor or expert in food supply chain matters in the interests of various governments in the Middle East and Africa.

Javad Mushtaq is the Deputy CEO / Managing Director at EAT Foundation, a leading global organization working to transform the global food systems in a healthy and sustainable way.

His professional background is from the private sector, spanning a corporate career in 5 continents with experience from the energy sector with Corporate Strategy and M&A, serial social entrepreneurship and early stage impact investing.

Javad is the Founder and CEO several social startups, including MAK (Systems change – Diversity and Inclusion), MinMentor (Education for All, reduction of dropout rates) and is also the Founder and Managing Partner of WE& Capital, Norway's first impact investment firm focusing on diversity, innovation and startups.

He serves as the youngest person in several Board of Directors, Advisory Boards, and has been part of the Norwegian Government's Expert Committee on Lifelong Learning. Javad has been widely recognized for his work, latest in Kapital’s 40 under 40 - New Stars in Norwegian Business, as Norway’s top leadership talents under age 35 in 2017, 2018 and 2019, European “Coca Cola Hero of the Year Highly Commended” recognition for his on Diversity and Inclusion, and received “Pride of Performance” award handed out by the Norwegian PM.

He is also a World Economic Forum Global Shaper. Javad holds an MSc (Honors) in Business and Economics from BI Norwegian Business School, and was in 2018 recognized with the 'Young Alumni Award', as the most influential graduate in the past 10 years from the business school.

Javad is a Norwegian national with ethnic origin from Pakistan.

João Tiago Carapau is currently the corporate general manager of SIMAB - Sociedade Instaladora de Mercados Abastecedores, S.A., a public company operating since 1993 in food and logistic sectors, responsible for the previous studies, sizing, designing, construction, installation, management, training and promotion of the four main Portuguese wholesale food markets and with consultancy activity in wholesale and municipal/local retail markets projects in Portugal and abroad. He manages resources and human capital; institutional marketing; innovation and sustainability; consulting projects; and international affairs company areas.

Born on 3 November 1973, João Tiago Carapau has a degree in Agronomics, Agricultural Economy, and Rural Sociology from the Higher Studies Agronomy Institute (ISA), University of Lisbon. He also has a post-graduation in Marketing Management from the Higher Studies Economics and Management Institute (ISEG), as well as the curricular component of the master's degree in Marketing and an advanced post-graduation course in ‘International Trade and Industrial Organization: Theory and Policy’.

Degree in Law from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, PADE IESE Business School and Diploma Sustainability Program from the Said Business School Oxford University. Professionally I have been in the public and private sector and life has taken me to live in the United Kingdom, Chile and Mexico. Since October 2020, I have been the general manager of Mercabarna, the Barcelona's wholesale Market (Barcelona Food Hub). Previously I have had several positions in public&private sector, such as: Mayor, Minister Regional Goverment, President Barcelona Port Autorithy, and general manager of Suez Group in Latinoamerica.

I have lectured in seminars and postgraduate courses at ECLAC (UN), IDB (World Bank), ESADE and IESE, as well as publications on topics related to infrastructure management, local policies and Public Private Associations.

Luke leads a globally-oriented foresight and strategy practice with a focus on food security, food-energy-water and sustainability, technology, and geopolitics.

Working with corporates, institutions, governments, and international organisations, he advises on emerging issues, scenarios, and strategic opportunities, and supports foresight capability development, and future-readiness initiatives.

Luke speaks and writes extensively for a range of international policy, foresight, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and innovation platforms. Focal themes include emerging technology, business, and policy opportunities in ESG; urban / national / regional / global food system transformation; consumer education, “food citizenship”, and countering misinformation; and the future of strategic agrifood value chains.

In addition, as Resident Futurist at venture builder Budding Innovation, Luke helps shape BI’s work to ideate, innovate, and implement future-ready health, wellness, and sustainability solutions.

Before founding Cornucopia, Luke served for two decades in leadership roles in the agrifood and transport spheres of the Singapore public service, including foresight and strategic planning, international relations, people development, infrastructure development, operations, and corporate governance portfolios. His work involved advising leaders at the political and senior official level, and engagement with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, ICAO, UNDP, APEC, G20, ASEAN, and various country-level stakeholders.

A historian and political scientist by training, Luke graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, and was trained in foresight methodologies in the Singapore public service and at Stanford University. Luke is a member of the World Futures Studies Federation, and the Asia-Pacific Futures Network.

Serving as Director of Commercial Zone Development at KIZAD Group, Mansoor Al Marar oversees the strategic and operational
development of multiple business clusters including metals, polymers, food and agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and logistics. In his role, Mansoor manages and develops specific, customised value propositions and investment strategies for KIZAD.

Mansoor has laid the strategy for the development of an integrated food and agriculture value chain at KIZAD that is
aligned with the UAE’s national food security strategy. He also developed new product concepts for the sector as well as created key differentiators that enable the growth of processing and distribution services and platforms that serve to support the
Agtech sector.

Prior to his joining KIZAD, Al Marar garnered more than 12 years’ experience in the energy and industrial industries gaining expertise in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI).
Mansoor holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Denver, Colorado, in the United States, and a Master’s degree in International Relations from Zayed
University.

Marcello Vicovaro is an expert in sustainable markets and value chains in the Food and Nutrition Division at FAO, Rome. He has worked at FAO since 2014, where he has focused on the analysis and development of territorial markets (short chains, farmers' markets, etc.) as well as on certification systems and gender-sensitive value chains in several developing countries.

He holds a Specialized Master's Degree in Innovations and Policies for Sustainable Food (SupAgro Montpellier, France) and a master’s degree in Cooperation, Development and Human Rights (University of Bologna, Italy).

Mohamed Al Hosani is the Domestic Direct Investment Director at the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO).

Mohamed focuses on ADIO’s domestic development and outreach. His team is responsible for launching domestic projects. They work closely with qualified leads to explore investment opportunities and provide suitable technical assistant across different economic sectors and specialised zones.

Throughout his 20-year career, Mohamed has held roles across a diverse range of the economic sector. His previous experience includes working as a part of Abu Dhabi’s first investment promotion agency Al Dhafra Development Council and being a part of ADNOC’s Engineering Development team.

Mohamed has obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU).

Muharrem Galip Onar is the Chief Digital Officer, Technology Sector, of Silal. He is responsible for driving the organisation forward by bringing to life Silal’s digitalisation and technology agenda to ensure growth, and productivity.

Onar holds a B.S. degree in Computer Technology Information Systems from Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey.

Onar joined Silal in June 2022 and plays a principal role in defining and overseeing the implementation of the company’s digital strategy. He is tasked with continuously assessing Silal’s digital capabilities, as well as exploring and embedding innovative and cutting-edge food and agritech technologies to drive revenue growth for Silal.

Prior to joining Silal, Muharrem Onar worked at Credit Suisse First Boston New York, USA, and then joined Baruch College New York as the Technology Manager. After that, he spent six years in Citibank in both Turkey and London, before joining Accenture, where he was the Technology Growth Platforms Financial Services Manager. He also worked at SAP as Principal Business Consultant BTS EMEA Financial Services, and then joined Unilever and was the Geography IT Manager. Then, he worked at Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company for six years, during which he held senior positions, including the Chief Technology Officer and the Group Strategy, Innovation & Commercial Solutions Director.

Peter Defranceschi leads the Global CityFood Program of ICLEI, a globally operating organisation of cities committed to integrated sustainable development. As director of the ICLEI Office in Brussels he has been representing urban sustainability issues vis-à-vis European institutions and other strategic stakeholders.

Since he joined ICLEI in 2005, Peter has been working on sustainable food procurement, climate change (mitigation and adaptation), biodiversity, water, mobility and city regional food systems.

Peter is Italian and a lawyer by training. Before joining ICLEI he had been working in various organisations in Europe and Latin America, dealing also with human rights issues.

Phillip Grant is the Chief Executive Officer of the Hunts Point Produce Market. The Market is composed of 29 merchants with a deep history in supporting New York City’s essential food infrastructure and spanning multiple generations of expertise. Phillip, in collaboration with these merchants, was pivotal to keeping New York City fed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, Phillip held the role of Senior Vice President and Director of Construction for the Asset Management Operations division of the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC).

Phillip led the divisions over $1 billion capital project portfolio. Key projects included NYC Ferry, Brooklyn Army Terminal Phase V, the Made in New York Campus (MiNY), and various capital projects in the Hunts Point area of the Bronx. Phillip is currently leading a historic public fundraising campaign in partnership with the NYCEDC and has raised nearly a third of a billion dollars to revitalize the Hunts Point Produce Market - with more funding to come. The funding will go towards a nearly $1 billion redevelopment project that will transform the Market into a state of the art facility of sustainable and complimentary businesses that will support New York City's food infrastructure for generations to come. Phillip is a Licensed Professional Engineer in New York, a certified construction manager and a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University and holds an MBA from Mercy College.

Entrepreneur at heart since always, I studied in HEC Montreal Business School and led several projects in the food area.
In 2014, when I discovered Rungis - the biggest wholesale food market in the world, I knew it was the place that I wanted to revolutionize. From then on, I co-founded Califrais with the ambition to re-invent the fresh food supply chain in order to optimize and decarbonize large-scale flows and to fight against food waste.

Dr Qu Dongyu, who took office on 1 August 2019 as Director-General of FAO, fully engaging with how to eradicate hunger worldwide.

Born in 1963 in Hunan Province, China, Qu studied horticultural science at Hunan Agricultural University and then plant breeding and genetics at the graduate school , CAAS. He later added a PhD on agriculture and environmental science at Wageningen University, in the Netherlands.

Before coming to FAO, Qu served as China’s Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, where one of his achievements was to promote inclusive and innovative development and make sure information and communication technologies (ICT) were available in rural areas so that more than 400 million farmers could use their smartphones as a
new farming tool.

That vision has been consistent across a professional career that includes periods in central and local government, in and
leading research institutes, and as a human resources leader at the China Three Gorges Project Development Corporation
(the largest green energy Co in the world).

Among his national initiatives has been to improve marketing mechanism for agricultural products in China and foster the
establishment of national specialty production areas geared to making local comparative advantages work to the benefit of local farmers. As Vice Governor of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, one of China’s landlocked and poorest areas, Qu formulated action plans aimed at poverty reduction, women empowerment, youth startups, agritourism and solidarity between ethnic groups.

Qu says he represents the combination of an “Asian soul” and a “global mind”. Recognized for scientific innovation as a
young scholar, Qu has for 30 years been involved in international exchanges and orchestrated major events including the
World Potato Congress, the International Rice Congress and the International Conference on Plant Protection, and participated in multilateral initiatives such as the World Trade Organization and the G20 as well as numerous bilateral initiatives involving Asia, Africa and Latin America. He has also directly helped design flagship South-South Cooperation projects with FAO and the World Bank.

As the DG of FAO, Qu makes the full range of his efforts to build a dynamic, open, transparent and deliverable FAO for a better world, with transformation of agri-food systems and successful achievement of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development Goals.

Richard McCarthy is an author, speaker and community development specialist who sees food as a pivotal organizing tool.

He serves as the Provisional President for the newly-formed World Farmers Markets Coalition based in Rome in order to grow the capacity of farmers markets internationally. He also serves on the board of Slow Food International to support the organization’s protein transition, and to cultivate thematic communities, like Slow Beans, the Earth Markets, Slow Wine, and others.

Devoted to the theory that behavior change comes first, he has recently published his first book with co-author Tsuyoshi Sekihara of Niigata, Japan: KUNI, A Japanese Vision and Practice for Urban-Rural Reconnection on North Atlantic Books. Founder of the New Orleans practitioners’ think tank devoted to public markets for public good — Market Umbrella and its flagship Crescent City Farmers Market in 1995, he played a pivotal role in rebuilding the regional food community after the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster. He served as the Executive Director for Slow Food USA, President and co-founder of the US Farmers Market Coalition, where he played a pivotal role in the piloting and expanding the use of health incentive programs in farmers markets.

Stéphane Layani began his career as a Commissioner at the DGCCRF before becoming the first Secretary General of the "Comité Economique du Médicament", an inter-ministry commission responsible for setting the prices of reimbursed medicine in France. Stéphane Layani then joined the European Commission as a Seconded National Expert in the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection. He was particularly successful in promoting the first protocol between retailers and consumers on the changeover to the euro.

In 1999, he joined the Ministry of Economy and Finance in the cabinet of two ministers of SMEs, trade, crafts and consumption, where he dealt with issues including administrative simplification, the changeover to the euro, merchants and food crises. After a stint at the General Inspectorate of Finance, Stéphane Layani was appointed Director of the National Agency for the Guarantee of Miners' Rights, a public institution in charge of managing the staff of the French coalmines and the social consequences of the end of mining in France.

In June 2012, he was appointed Chairman and CEO of SEMMARIS, the management company of the Rungis International Market. Since 2021, he was also elected as the Chairman of the World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM).

At the head of the world's largest fresh produce market for more than 10 years, Rungis Market, Stéphane Layani has considerably strengthened the essential role of this institution in the supply of diversified, high-quality fresh produce supplying 18 million citizens per day. By carrying out an ambitious investment plan of more than 1billion euros, he has contributed to its transformation in order to ensure its future: that of a market that is exemplary in terms of sustainability of the fresh food supply chain.

Suresh Vaidhyanathan is an accomplished business leader with an experience of 28+ years working for multi-billion conglomerates in Middle East, Asia & Africa at the group leadership level.

Presently he is the Group CEO at the UAE headquartered Ghassan Aboud Group (GAG) leading a diverse portfolio of businesses that include automotive, retail, food, hospitality, logistics, healthcare and
eB2B digital platforms (FMCG & Automotive).

Notably, Suresh led the initial conceptualisation and structuring of the GAG's prestigious joint ventures
with the Abu Dhabi Ports Group and KEZAD for the development of regional hubs for Food (wholesale market) and Automotive sectors as PPP projects.

In his earlier career as Group CFO, Suresh was included amongst the Forbes List of Top 10 Indian CFOs
in the Middle East and within the Top 20 CFOs in the GCC 2021 (Khaleej Times NAFA List).

He is an alumnus of the Leading Digital Business Transformation program at IMD Business School in addition to his certifications in Blockchain Technologies and Artificial Intelligence at MIT Sloan School
of Management. He completed the M&A program at University of Chicago Booth School of Business and programs in governance and investing at INSEAD and Wharton.

In 2012, Suresh was accorded the recognition as NACD Board Leadership Fellow (National Association of Corporate Directors, USA). He is a Certified Board Director with the Institute of Directors, Dubai
(Hawakamah) and is a Lifetime Fellow Member at Institute of Directors, India

Lawyer, Specialist in Senior Management from the University of Medellín, Master in Management for Development from the Externado de Colombia University in the city of Bogotá and current regional director for Latin America in The Global Foodbanking Network.

Senior executive with more than 17 years of experience in administrative, financial and legal management of public and private organizations at regional and national level, coordinating and executing social and nutrition projects, social responsibility and sustainability.

She has developed competencies in resource management, team leadership in normal and adverse situations, situational adaptation, persuasion, cultivation of innovation, collaborative work and generation of high-level relationships. With traits of social leadership, agility and energy in the management of processes, motivated by the balance between work and personal life, where group decision-making and the achievement of shared goals prevail. With a preference for process-oriented, structured and stable work environments.

She has more than 20 years of professional experience, between the public and private sector. 10 years of experience in public entities of the municipal, departmental and national order and 8 years in the private sector, in Food and Nutrition Security programs, sustainable development and overcoming poverty.

Deputy Mayor for Education and in charge of Food Policy

Anna Scavuzzo is Vice Mayor of the City of Milan and deputy mayor for Education. From 2017 she is also in charge for the Milan Food Policy. Within an innovative framework of the food system governance, she is developing actions in several fields: reducing food waste, circular economy for food, local public procurement, facilitating joint efforts of thematic deputy mayors and municipal departments.

Within this role as political representative for the food policy, she had the opportunity to participate in the international debate about urban food policies in several high level events in Dakar, Stockholm, Tegucigalpa, Vilnius, Washington and Tel Aviv, at events organized by the C40 Food System Network, the Eurocities Working Group Food and the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact.

As deputy mayor of Education, she works closely with the municipal agency for school canteens (85.000 meals per day) and she works for the promotion of policies that encourage more organic local procurement and healthier diets.

As city councilor, in the mandate 2011-2016, Ms. Scavuzzo focused her attention on the rural-urban linkages, becoming also metropolitan councilor and member of the board of the Agricultural Southern Milan Park (47.000 hectares with 1.500 farms).

Master degree in Physical, she worked on the applied info technologies, data analytics and public administration learning tools for a leading editorial group.

Ms Carrara is an expert in food policies, food security and sustainable food systems developpement. As the Secretary General of the World Union of Wholesale Markets since 2020, Ms.Carrara works hand in hand with this all the major actors of the fresh food sector to accelerate the transition of the fresh food value chain towards sustainability and resilience. She has served as Chief of Staff to the CEO of Rungis international wholesale Market ( Paris, France) , led the preparatory work for the organisation of the International Forum of Gastronomy in France for the French Government, and accompanied the Mayor of Paris as her advisor in charge of economic development and food policy. Eugenia is graduated from the Ecole Normale Superieure (ENS, France) in sociology and political sciences and from the Ecole National d'Administration ( ENA, France) in public administration.

FAO´s Director-General appointed Dr. Eve Crowley as FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Latin
America and the Caribbean, FAO Representative to Chile and Secretary of the FAO Regional Conference in October 2013.

She holds a Master and PhD in Anthropology from Yale University, United States and a dual degree in Government and Anthropology from Smith College. Dr. Crowley is a United States national and has worked for over three decades in international organizations, leading multidisciplinary teams in the analysis, formulation and implementation of public policies and social, economic, and environmental
programs to promote the sustainability of food and agricultural systems, rural development, and the wellbeing of vulnerable populations.

Prior to this appointment, she served as Deputy Director and Director ad interim of the FAO Gender, Equity and Rural Employment Division (ESW), Senior Officer for Sustainable Livelihoods and Poverty Eradication and Focal Point for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development all at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Dr. Crowley has also served as Senior Advisor on Food security and Gender Issues at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), post-doctoral researcher at the International Center for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF and TSBF) and consultant for the Club du Sahel of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO), among others.
Her efforts to build cross-cutting consensus across policy, development, and research agendas, along with her leadership on food security, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, are reflected in the broad political and financial support for gender equality
and social inclusion in food and agriculture, better governance of natural resources, sustainable livelihoods, and cooperative enterprises and collective action.

Jane Witherspoon is Bureau Chief, Middle East for Euronews. Jane joined Euronews in January 2019 with a special focus on news and magazine programmes. She is regularly featured in some of Euronews’ best-known titles, like Target, Business Line and Taste.

Recent public speaking engagements include hosting and moderating sessions at the Tourism Recovery Summit and the 5th anniversary of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute in Riyadh, the Global Cybersecurity Forum, the Digital Wellbeing Summit at Ithra, Dammam, the 2019 World Government Summit and 2020 GITEX and Ai Everything conferences at Dubai World Trade Centre.

Prior to Euronews, she worked as entertainment correspondent for Sky News and news reporter for the BBC. She also conducted extensive work as a freelancer for ITV, Reuters, and Getty. During these years, Jane covered significant events such as the US Presidential elections, the London Olympics, and the Oscars, and interviewed numerous A-list stars, like Madonna, George Clooney, and Tom Cruise, as well as former British Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and David Cameron.

Jane holds a BA (Hons) degree in Media for the Liverpool John Moores University.

Juliette Coca is the Founder and President of Circular Influence, a knowledge and innovation multistakeholder community platform (an ecosystem) that works to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

Juliette was born in Argentina and has a Master's Degree in International Economics & Stakeholders Strategies, specializing in Organizational Management for International Development from the Université of Pierre-Mendès France in France, a Bachelor's Degree in Public & Business Administration from the University of Buenos Aires, and a Programme Analyst Degree from the ORT Technology Institute.

She began her career in the private sector in 1995 in international companies such as Shell, Energizer, Ontario Foods, and Overlap. During this time she also dedicated herself to higher education as a teacher at the University of Buenos Aires in Game Theory.

Throughout her career, she took on the positions of a CFO, Controller, Professor, Programme Management Officer, Market Analyst, Trainer-Entrepreneurship, Debt Analyst, and Fundraising Officer, and even managed several regional economic integration projects. She worked with more than 50 Latin American, Africa, Europe, Middle East, and Asia countries. Thanks to her passion, she has managed to establish strategic public-private partnerships and multi-stakeholder alliances for sustainable development, raising funds from the private sector, and from major international donor institutions for amounts equivalent to USD 15'000'000.

Even more, she is also certified EMPRETEC (entrepreneurship trainer) from the United Nations where she immersed herself in training entrepreneurs in West and South Africa as well as in Latin America. Juliette is also certified PMP®️ by the Project Management Institute (PMI®️), a Circular Economy trainer from Circulab, Climate Change Trainer from Climate Collage, and has followed several pieces of training on Innovation & Entrepreneurship from EIT Climate-KIC. On top of Juliette’s efforts in all the mentioned organizations and agencies, she has also developed her startup.

Juliette speaks 6 languages and has lived in 5 countries: Argentina, the United States, France, Switzerland, and Spain. She is an avid traveler and has spent a large portion of her life traveling all around the world.

Kristie joined HealthBridge full-time in January 2011 as Director of the Livable Cities program. Her role includes providing technical assistance to local partners, program planning and implementation, and monitoring of local programs.

Kristie has a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Waterloo (2010) and a Bachelor of Arts, in psychology, from the University of Guelph (1997).

Kristie’s head office is in Ottawa but she travels extensively to meet with HealthBridge’s local partners around the world.

British national Laura Buckwell is an industry event EMCEE and former TV News Anchor. Throughout her time, Laura has interviewed many high profile CEO’s, personalities, entrepreneurs and government bodies.

As a prominent figure within the events industry, Laura enjoys hosting and moderating at high profile industry platforms, including the 18th Session for UNIDO, the Saudi Green Initiative Ryiadh, IPTC, the Global Smart Energy Summit and Future Sustainability Summit to name a few.
Laura has had the privilege of introducing global leaders to the stage including Royalty, Presidents, Ministers, and UN officials.

Awards nights are also a forte, from the BBC Good Food Awards for 5 years running to the Emirates Woman Awards, Laura continues to be booked for prestigious gala dinners, recognizing different segments of society and industry.

Economist from CUNEF, Master's degree in Senior Management of Agri-Food Companies from San Telmo Business School and Sustainability Program Diploma from CEOE CAMPUS.

I have more than 30 years of professional experience in both the private and public sector. Initially as a financial analyst in stock market companies and afterwards as a manager responsible for Finance and Business Strategy in Mercamadrid, SA., a public sector company responsible for the management of the Large Wholesale Market of Madrid with responsibilities in Finance (Financial Director), Strategic Planning, Management Control, Corporate Development, Institutional Relations, Corporate Social Responsability (CSR), Training, Promotion and Communication and ICT's (Corporate Development Director).

Currently promoting NEXT GENERATION projects, Big Data, the internationalisation of companies within the food unit and the professional training in the agri-food sector.

Seta Tutundjian is a global thinker and advocate for transitioning to circular food systems and regenerative economy in water-scarce
regions. For the past 25+ years, she has led the formulation and execution of acclaimed transformational programs that have engaged
stakeholders and mobilized community action. These programs introduced novel approaches to build a demand management culture in
the water, agricultural and energy sectors. Due to their overwhelming success, they are used as case studies for best practices.

Seta co-leads the global Food is Never Waste coalition; and is on the General Board of United Cities. Prior engagements include:
member of the European Commission's High-Level Expert Group to setup an International Platform for Food Systems Science; Chair of
the Environment Working Group of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021; Executive Committee member of the Association of Agricultural
Research Institutions in the Near East.

A holder of a MSc. in Climate Change and Development, Seta is the Founder and CEO of Thriving Solutions, a boutique consulting firm, dedicated to presenting innovative solutions that advance circular, regenerative urban food systems. Previously, Seta was:
· Director of Programs at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture - ICBA
(2018-2021).
· Director of Partnerships and Knowledge Management at ICBA (2014-2018).
· Sustainable Development Consultant (2012-2014).
· Outreach, Communications and Public Engagement Project Management
Specialist at USAID/Jordan (2009-2012).
· Policy Reform and Institutional Strengthening Project Management Specialist
at USAID/ Jordan (2000-2008).

In recognition of her work, Seta has received several awards including the prestigious
Superior Honor Award by the Government of the United States of America.

Passionate about mathematics since childhood, I have always been fascinated by complex systems and their modeling. The discovery of the Rungis market, the largest fresh produce market in the world, was then a revelation that combines my love for food systems and local produce with my taste for solving massive and complex problems. This led to the creation of the start-up Califrais. For the past 8 years, we have been creating technologies that re-invent the food supply chain on a large scale, as well as a project with a very high ecological and social impact.