Appointed Vice President & Managing Director Middle East and Africa on June 1st, 2021, Laszlo Svinger comes with 20+ years leading businesses across EMEA § Notable positions at 3M + Senior Area Director FSD EMEA [2021] & Regional Business Director HCBG MEA [2019-2021], 3M Middle East & Africa + Area Business Director HCBG CEEMEA, 3M Gulf + Country Business Leader HCBG, 3M Russia [2012] § Joined 3M Hungary in 2008 to lead Safety, Security & Protection Systems after 11 years in Oil & Gas at ExxonMobil and ENI § MBA from University of Pecs, Hungary § Engineering Degree from University of Advanced Technologies, in Gyor, Hungary Career at 3M On June 1st, 2021, Laszlo Svinger was appointed Vice President & Managing Director Middle East and Africa [MEA] to continue strengthening 3M’s footprint both regionally and globally. His career at 3M was preceded by 11 successful years in the Oil and Gas Industry at ExxonMobil and ENI (Agip). Joining 3M Hungary in 2008, Laszlo Svinger began his career as a Business Development Manager in Safety, Security and Protection Systems [SSPS], now known as the Industrial Business. In 2010, Laszlo was appointed to the position of Country Business Leader, Healthcare Business Group [HCBG] for 3M Hungary. Under his stewardship the group thrived, and in 2012 he was moved to 3M Russia, where he led healthcare successfully for four years. In 2016, Laszlo was promoted and relocated to the Middle East in his capacity as Area Business Director HCBG, working across all countries in Central and East Europe and Middle East Africa [CEEMEA]. After a successful spell in this area role, Laszlo took the helm of the MEA region as Regional Business Group Director of the HCBG from 2019. At the beginning of 2021, he also became the Area Division Director of the Food Safety Division of Europe Middle East and Africa [EMEA]. Laszlo holds a Middlesex University MBA and degree in Economy from the University of Pecs in Hungary. Prior, the academically trained economist graduated in Engineering from the University of Advanced Technologies, in Gyor, Hungary. The regional Vice President and Managing Director MEA is trilingual in Hungarian, English and Russian.

Yolla Levitt is Senior Vice President, leading 3M Transportation and Electronics Business Group, in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Focusing on global transportation and electronic OEM (original equipment manufacturer) customers, the Transportation & Electronics Business Group is made up of Electronics (display materials and systems, electronic materials solutions), Automotive and Aerospace, Commercial Solutions, Advanced Materials, and Transportation Safety Divisions. Trained as an engineer and later getting an MBA in marketing and strategy, Yolla has an extended experience in both operational and strategic roles. She started at 3M as a process manufacturing engineer, then moving into a new product development role, 3M Health Care Business Group, where she developed and introduced several new products in Medical and Diagnostic fields. After getting her MBA, she moved into marketing roles in 3M Health Care, followed by various US and global marketing, portfolio management and business management roles in 3M Personal Safety division. As the next step in her career, Yolla held the Strategy and Mergers & Acquisitions roles, first in 3M Personal Safety Division and then as a Vice President of Global Strategy, M&A, Marketing and Sales Excellence for $10+B 3M Industrial Business group. After her strategy and marketing leadership role, Yolla led the Global Collision Repair business, 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division. Prior to her current role, Yolla was the President for 3M Separation and Purification Sciences Division that provided purification solutions to biopharma, industrial applications, and residential and commercial water filtration systems. Yolla holds Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University, and Master of Business Administration degree, Marketing and Strategy, from Carlson Business School of Management, University of Minnesota. Yolla is married with three children. She loves spending time with family, walking her dog, and being active outdoors.

Dr Raidan ALSAQQAF is the Resident Economist at the United Nations of Office in Abu Dhabi. He has over 18 years of international development experience in various capacities, including with the UN Development Coordination Office, UN-ESCWA, UNDP, ILO, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. His specific areas of expertise include Human Capital Development, Inclusive Social Development, and Crisis Response. He has life and work experience across the MENA region as well as Europe and Southeast Asia.

Marc Waters is Senior Vice President & Managing Director for Hewlett Packard Enterprise UK, Ireland, Middle East & Africa In his role, Marc is responsible for all people and business operations in the region, leading, 3000 employees across 13 country markets. In addition, Marc oversees HPE’s Supercomputing and Artificial Intelligence business across the entire EMEA region. He is an experienced senior leader with over 20 years’ in the IT industry, board level experience and a track record of success in roles encompassing general management, sales, operations, and marketing. Marc is a vocal advocate for the beneficial impact of inward investment and business acting as a force for good in society, he is active on these topics and maintains senior relationship with both Government, stakeholders, and industry bodies. Marc is a founding member of the UK Government Investment Council and alongside a select group of global business leaders advises the Government on the UK’s investment offering and landscape. He is a values orientated leader and places personal energy into inclusion and supporting opportunities for young people; in a personal commitment to strengthen HPE’s presence the UK regions and nations he has led a multi-year programme to increase the company’s footprint outside of London and the South East, investing in Scotland, the West Country and the North. Marc holds Masters in Business Administration from Henley Business School and outside of his professional life is a father of six, with interests extending boxing, football, politics, and economics.

Dr. Steven Griffiths is Senior Vice President for Research and Development and Professor of Practice at the Khalifa University of Science and Technology. At Khalifa University, he oversees the development and implementation of the university’s research strategy and operations. In addition to his executive management role at Khalifa University, Dr. Griffiths is a member of the Emirates Research and Development Council, a member of the Dubai Future Council on Energy, an elected member of the Global Energy Prize International Award Committee, a Zayed Sustainability Prize Selection Committee member, a member of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Low-Carbon Resources Initiative Research Advisory Committee, a Governing Board member of the Graphene Engineering Innovation Center at the University of Manchester, advisor to the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, and a board member of the Microsoft Energy Core. He is also a non-resident Fellow of the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines and a research affiliate at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Dr. Griffiths holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from MIT and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Prior to joining Visa, Dr Jaffar was the Managing Director at Alvarez & Marsal ME, the world’s leading turnaround and restructuring firm. Dr Jaffar has also held leadership positions at McKinsey & Company as well as Bain & Company, serving clients across the U.S., Europe and the GCC. Over her 20 years of professional career, Dr Jaffar has worked in the Middle East, Europe, and the U.S. on a wide range of strategic, M&A and performance-related issues with clients across a range of industries, while specializing in financial services including universal banks, private banks, investment banks, private equity firms, sovereign wealth funds, government institutions and family-owned businesses. Dr. Jaffar is an Emirati national and earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Boston University, where she was the valedictorian. She earned a master's degree and a doctorate in chemical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT.)

Born and raised in the USA, Cara has called Dubai home for 29 years. She is a versatile leader committed to providing strategic direction, vision, and management for programs/events and personnel. Cara’s passion for people led her to serve in the private and non-profit sectors providing some unparalleled event production opportunities. She has worked with the highest levels of leadership of Dubai and the UAE and has hosted events for President Jimmy Carter, President George HW Bush, and President Bill Clinton. As Managing Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Dubai since 2008, Cara’s demonstrated expertise in strategic planning, member sales and services, program management, economic development, public policy, nonprofit governance and operations, finance and accounting, public speaking and fundraising work to facilitate financial stability and sound governance. In her spare time, Cara is a wife and mother to three amazing children. As global citizen’s, they enjoy their time together when they are able to be together as a family when lucky enough to have everyone on the same continent!

Jad Bitar is a core member of Boston Consulting Group’s Global Health Care practice. Over the course of his career, Jad has worked with health care providers, public health entities, and private players on large-scale transformations, change management initiatives, national strategies, operational excellence, and innovation in the US, Canada and the ME. Jad has more than 25 years of professional experience in both the private and public sectors. His experience covers helping government agencies and private clients with strategy design and implementation, vision and mission development, corporate and unit strategy, and operating model transformation. He has deep experience in enabling strategy implementation and impact, organization design and implementation, and innovation management. Jad is passionate about the third sector and is the founder of 2 NGOs. Prior to joining BCG in 2014, Jad worked for Booz & Company, where he built and led the Middle East health care practice. He previously founded a technology start-up in Silicon Valle.