Speakers

H.E. Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne H.E. Baroness Nicholson was elected as a Member of the European Parliament for the South East region of England in June 1999, and H.E. was re-elected as MEP for the same region in June 2004. She currently serves in the European Parliament as a member in the Committee of Foreign Affairs and in the Human Rights Subcommittee as well as in the Delegation for Relations with Iran and in Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly Delegation.

Her Highness Sharifa Zein Alsharaf bint Nasser HH Sharifa Zein is the Assistant for Youth, Women, Education and Development at His Majesties Tribal Affairs Advisory, The Royal Hashemite Court in Jordan. HH is also the Advisor & board member of the Hashemite Fund for development of Jordan Badia. HH is also Chairwoman of The National Bedouin Women's Committee in Amman and the National Water Harvesting Committee in Amman. She is also member of several Committees including The Steering Committee for Badia Rehabilitation Program with the UNCC, The National Committee for Housing for the Poor, Low & Middle Income Groups, Royal Committee for Development of Higher Education & Vocational Training, Faculty of Agriculture Council, University of Jordan. HH was previously the Development Department Director at the Royal Hashemite Court, and Finance and International Relations Director at the Higher Council for Science & Technology. HH Sharifa Zein graduated from St. Stevens College, Kent, England, and undertook extended studies in Hatchlands College, Surrey, England and Infosystems, San Diego, California

Mrs. Sarra Kanoun Jarraya Mrs Sarra Kanoun Jarraya id currently Minister for the Affairs of Women Family, Childhood and the Elderly in Tunis. Previously Mrs Jarraya worked as a doctor of public health and as doctor responsible for the national program for the health of the mother and the child. She was also Director General of the Institute for the advancement of disabilities and Director General of the National Institute for Child welfare. Mrs Jarraya contributed to the preparation and publication of several studies as well as medical and social research. Among her most important writings a thesis on the Tunisian adolescent, his health and his environment, and on the child in Tunisia, awarded by the President of the Tunisian Republic. H. E. holds a doctorate of medical science from the University of Tunis.

H.E. Dr. Amal Abdallah Jomaa Al Qobeissi H.E is a Member of the Federal National Council in UAE, and the first Emirate female to be elected at the Council. H.E. is also a Member of Health, Labor & Social Affairs Committees. Dr. Qobeissi received several awards, among which are the Middle East Award for the Distinction of Women Leadres, and Rashed Award for Scientific Excellence. H.E. Dr. Qobeissi holds a PhD in Architecture Engineering from Shiffeld University, UK.

HON. Saïda Agrebi Member of Tunisian Parliament

H.E. Mrs. Nawal Saleh Chalhoub H.E. Mrs. Chalhoub is the wife of the General Councilor of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in UAE. She is also the President of the Diplomatic Ladies Association in Dubai and Northern Emirates. H.E. Mrs. Chalhoub was awarded as the “Lady of Humanitarian and Social Donations for year 2007”. H.E. previously was a teacher in KSA and was elected as the Perfect Administrator in the Western province. H.E. was member in the Mother and Child Association in the Kingdom of Bahrain during her residence there. H.E. Mrs. Chalhoub holds a degree in Psychology.

H.E. Mrs. Dona Turk Mrs. Turk was the former Councilor of the Economic Department in the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was also the Councilor of Economic Affairs at the Lebanese Embassy in France. H.E. handled the position of first Secretary of Consular Affairs at the Lebanese Embassy in Belgium.

Eng. Fatima Obaid Al Jaber Eng. Al Jaber is currently the Chief Operating Officer at Al Jaber Group. She was a member of the Board of Directors for companies including The National Investor, Abu Dhabi National Takaful Company and Al Jaber Holdings. Recently, Eng. Al Jaber was appointed as the Assistant Undersecretary for the Building Sector of Abu Dhabi Municipality and she joined the Board of Directors for the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Al Jawhara Bint Mohammad Al Angari Over 31 years, Ms Al Angari contributed to establishing several associations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She is currently the President of Al Iman Cancer Society for Women in KSA, and finding member, Vice President of The National Association for Human and Family Rights in KSA. Ms An Angari has numerous contributions in the field of social awareness, as she contributed to researches, lectures, editorials and Radio shows to increase and support awareness of family and women issues. She received several awards from many official and civil associations. Ms Al Angari holds a BA in Anthropology from AUB, Beirut.

Mrs. Souad Al Humaidi President Souad Al Humaidi Group of Companies, Kuwait

Ms Khalidah Ahmed Al-Qatami Ms Al Qatami is the founder of Al Khaldiya International Trading and Al Qatami Pharmacy. She is also the founding member of the Kuwait Pharmaceutical Association. She is also the Chairman of Khunaini Al Qatami General Trading and Chairman of Gulf Equipment Company in Dubai. Previously, she was board member of Kremenco, a specialised oil services company in Kuwait, and worked in the Ministry of Public Health in Kuwait.

Mrs. Suheir Azzouni Mrs. Azzouni serves as the Director of the Centre for Women at the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, ESCWA. Prior to that, she worked as Regional Advisor at the Commission providing advisory services and training to various Arab countries. Ms. Azzouni lectured and wrote about the situation of women in the Arab world and in particular the situation of Jordanian and Palestinian women.

Mr. Mazen Hayek MBC Group Director of Marketing, Public Relations and Commercial

Mr. Hosam A. Al Qurashi Mr. Al Qurashi is currently the Brand Manager for Pantene, at Procter & Gamble. Mr. Al Qurashi was key in developing the ‘Pantene Shine Programme’ to support the new Pantene brand philosophy in the GCC. The programme will focus on empowering ambitious young Arab women to achieve their professional and personal goals. Mr. Al Qurashi is the holder of a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah.

Mr. Samer Jabr Market Research Manager Procter & Gamble

Ms. Aysegul Ildeniz Ms. Ildeniz is currently the Regional Director of Intel Corporation- Middle East, Turkey & Africa. She is a member of the executive boards of the Turkey Informatics Association and serves on the Management Board of Intel for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Prior to joining Intel, she worked in various media and internet service companies in San Francisco and in Istanbul. Ms. Ildeniz has a Master’s degree of Arts in electronic communications from San Francisco State University and a degree in Business Administration from Bosphorus University.

Mr. Ali Faramawy Mr. Faramawy is currently the Area Vice President of Microsoft Middle East & Africa and Vice President of Microsoft International. He previously was the Regional Director – in charge of Sales, Marketing & Services for the Middle East and Africa Region. Mr. Faramawy graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, majoring in Computer Science & Automatic Control and has an MBA in Strategic Marketing from the University of Hull in the UK.

Dr. Deisi Noeli Weber Kusztra Dr. Kusztra acts as the President of the World Family Organization, and the representative of the organization at the United Nations, Governments and Inter-governmental Organizations level. Dr. Kusztra is Consultant to many International Institutions, such as the World Health Organization, Pan-American Health Organization, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Canadian International Development Agency, U. S. Agency for International Development, and United Nations Fund for Population Affairs. She has received many national and international awards and prizes, in recognition of her dedication and her work towards the promotion of Family Policies throughout the world.

Dr. Lama Abdul Aziz Suleiman Dr. Suleiman is a Board Member at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Rolaco Holdings, Nutrition Institute for Health Services and Saudi French Business Council. She is also the Owner of the Chamelle Health Club for women in Jeddah and President of Khadija Bent Khowailed Center. Dr. Suleiman holds a PhD in Biochemical Nutrition from Kings College, London University

Dr. Haifa Allail Dr. Allail is the Dean of Effat College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She was the Dean of the Girl’s Campus, King Abdul Aziz University, and the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Administration. She was the Chairperson of the Public Administration Department, Faculty of Economic and Administration, Girl’s Campus, King Abdul Aziz University. Dr. Allail was awarded as A Distinguished Arabian Woman, for contribution in the field of academic administration, from the Arab women studies center, Dubai, and won the 1000 women Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.

Mrs. Nabila Al Anjari Mrs. Al Anjari is currently the CEO advisor of Grand Real Estate Projects Company in Kuwait. She is currently member of the Touristic Enterprises Company Board of Directors and member of the Divined Zone Agreements and Kuwait Islands and Mega Projects Development Team. She was the Assistant Undersecretary for Tourism Affairs in the Ministry of Information, State of Kuwait, and Project Director for Kuwait Tourism Master Plan, under the supervision of the World Tourism Organization and the United Nations Development Program.

Dr. Salwa Khoury Dr. Khoury is an Adjunct Associate Professor, she teaches Macroeconomics and International Business at the American University in Dubai since 10 years. She also does asset management work for her family businesses. She has taught at the Emirates Banking Institute in Sharjah and at the Centre for American Education in Dubai. Dr. Khoury holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California

Mrs. Elaine Jones Mrs. Jones is currently the CEO of Asteco Property, UAE. She is also a Founder Board Member of Dubai Property Group and an active shareholder of Asteco Contracting LLC and Asteco Development Management. She started her career with Rolls Royce Aero Engine Division as a Business Technician and she became one of today’s leading experts in the Dubai real estate market. Mrs. Jones completed her ONC & HNC in business studies.

Mrs. Abby Disney Mrs. Disney is the Founder and President of the Daphne Foundation, USA. She serves on the boards of the White House Project, the Global Fund for Women, and the Fund for the City of New York. She is also the Vice Chair of the board of the investment company, Shamrock Holdings of California and a board member for the newly reinvigorated Harlem Globetrotters International. She previously was the Chair of The New York Women’s Foundation.

Ms. Mona Abou Sleiman Ms Sleiman is the Executive Manager for Strategic Studies at the Kingdom Holdings, Riyadh, KSA. She is also an Anchor at The Middle-East Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), as she is one of the Anchors of the renowned Pan Arab social entertainment & variety weekly television program, Kalam Noua’em. Apart of the Media Committee, ms Sleiman is the Director of Friends of Saudi Arabia Association (FSA) in Riyadh.

Dr. Heba Kotb Dr. Kotb is Member of American Academy of Clinical Sexologists. She edits a weekly-article in the e-magazine: “Boswtol”. She lectures about sexuality and she invented courses for sexual culture for married couples, couples to marry, adolescents, and professionals. She is the author of four books about sexuality, and runs the first TV program to discuss sexuality in a frank yet respectful way. Dr. Kotb is also Consultant of the UNFPA Bureau in Egypt concerning sex education for youth.

Mrs. Anette Halabi Ms. Halabi is the Executive Vice President of Acceleration, Ltd. She previously was Department Managing Director and member of the Shareholder Strategic Board. EUROSPORT Ms. Halabi was also appointed Director of Marketing and Communication Strategy and International Relations, focusing heavily on the Olympic movement, and was a member of the Executive Management Board of Eurosport. Ms. Halabi graduated from the Boston College, BA and Marketing concentration.

Mr. Samir Attallah, Lebanese Journalist

Mrs. Caroline Faraj, Dubai Chief Operations Director and Arabic Editor, CNN, UAE

Mrs. Khadija Chahine, Lancôme Regional Director, UAE

Dr. Buthainah Al-Shunnar Dr. Al Shunnar owns a private practice at Al Shunnar Plastic Surgery in Dubai. U.A.E. She previoualy held the position of Consultant Plastic Surgeon at Sheikh Khalifa Medical Center in Abu Dhabi for two years. Dr. Al-Shunnar is an American Board certified Plastic Surgeon with extensive experience in breast surgery, body contouring, aesthetic facial surgery, hand surgery, cancer reconstruction and microsurgery. She is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. She is also a member of the Johns Hopkins Medical and Surgical Association. After graduating with honors from the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland Dr. Al-Shunnar received her five years of general surgery training at the Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore and George Washington University Hospital in Washington D.C. After training, she operated as Consultant Plastic Surgeon in Pennsylvania, and held an academic position at Hershey Medical College.

Mrs. Giselle Kazzi In 2003, Gisele Kazzi joined Al Arabiya TV. After her graduation in journalism from the Lebanese University, she started working for LBC in artistic programs and children programs. Later, she shifted to politics and her program "Hiwar el Omer" had the highest rate of viewers in Lebanon. In 2005, she was classed number seven among the ten top female journalists in the world according to the New York Times and she was the only Arab woman in the list.

Mr. Rui Sancho Fernandes Mr. Fernandes is currently the President of ALFA B TV. He previously was the Production Manager for Constroi, Executive Vice-President of Ecoal and Cabinet Chief to the Ministry for Construction. He was also elected as Vice-president of the Industrial Association of Angola and President of the Association of Constructors. Mr. Fernandes graduated from the Industrial School of Luanda and acquired a degree in public works management and management and administration from the Turin School, Italy.

Ms Nagwa Kassem Ms Kassem is a TV and news presenter. She started her media career as TV and news presenter with the Lebanese New TV station. In addition to presenting news and programs, and preparing reports and programs, she is also considered to be one of the first Arabic female journalists to actively cover war. She survived a devastating explosion at the Al Arabiya offices in Iraq in 2004 where 8 people, including 5 colleagues, were killed and more than 20 people injured. Ms Kassem holds a Master’s degree in Architecture

Ms Norma Naoum Ms Naoum is currently and Executive Producer and Presenter for “Project Fashion” the Middle East version of Project Runway on Future TV terrestrial and Satellite. She previously presented several renowned shows including Studio El Fann & Jar El Kamar and was elected Miss Lebanon for year 1999. Ms Naoum is also selected as Brand Ambassador for Pantene and Jaeger Le Coultre. Ms Naoum holds a Bachelor’s degree in Lebanese and French Law from La Sagesse University in Lebanon.

Mr. Walid Chmeit Mr. Chmeit is currently the Vice-President ALFA B TV. He was previously the Vice-President de la chaîne ALFA B TV, Editor in Chief for Radio Orient, Paris, Daily Editor for Ach-cham, Paris and Manager of Scientific Analysis at As-Sifr, Paris. Mr. Chmeit was also the President and member of the Arab Press Club.

Mr. Ahmad Koubeissy Mr. Koubeissy is a stylist and cosmetologist. He established the Ahmad Koubeissy Institute in Beirut. He is the author of several publications about cosmetology and he was awarded with the “Artistic Creativity Award” in Cosmetology Festival in Miami. Mr. Koubeissy holds a Diploma in Cosmetology from Institutes in Beirut, Canada, Paris and USA.