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His Excellency Omar Ahmed Suwaina Al Suwaidi
Undersecretary
Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT)
Saeed Alghafri
Chief Executive Officer
Emirates Steel part of EMSTEEL
Saeed Alghafri is the CEO of Emirates Steel, part of EMSTEEL Group, where he is driving growth and success while setting benchmark standards for production in the steel industry. Alghafri has 21 years’ experience in the industrial sector, most of which he amassed at Emirates Steel, where he excelled in multiple roles, such as CCO, Chief supply Chain and Planning Officer, VP – Procurement and Logistics, Assistant VP – Procurement and Logistics, Head of Procurement – Raw Materials, and Quality Assurance Engineer. Alghafri is one of the key players who contributed to the establishment of the Emirates Steel and key expansion projects across the globe. Before joining Emirates Steel, Alghafri served as Operations Engineer at the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO). Alghafri is also an Executive Wellbeing Leadership Coach for C-Suite and senior leaders, sharing invaluable insights derived from his own wealth of experience to develop conscious leaders looking to achieve success the right way. Alghafri holds an MBA from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, and a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tulsa in the United States of America
Raju Daswani
Fastmarkets
Raju’s passion for commodity markets goes all the way back to his boyhood in Hong Kong. He loved nothing more than going to his family office to watch his father trade commodities such as textiles and electronics. Growing up in Hong Kong, a tiny but hugely successful island nation, also instilled in Raju a belief that everything is possible if you work hard and stay positive. The opportunity to learn more about global metals markets attracted Raju to Fastmarkets when he joined as a commodities economist more than 25 years ago; the pace of change and the talented, passionate people have kept him here ever since. In that time, Raju has relentlessly evolved the products and the way customers are served in an increasingly fast-paced, digital world. The breadth of Raju’s experience at Fastmarkets means he can empathise with every employee and is always happy to roll up his sleeves. Today, he gets his best ideas and innovations from his interactions with employees across the organisation at every level. As CEO, his driving purpose is to build a successful business that allows everyone at Fastmarkets to meet their potential and be proud of their achievements. Raju’s energy and vision are infectious – he motivates his team by painting the picture of a future that can become reality. His long-term vision for Fastmarkets is to build on their strengths as a multi-commodity, data-first business to help customers trade successfully and sustainably. Raju has a degree in economics and finance from the London School of Economics. He took a graduate trainee role at Rio Tinto Alcan, his first foray into industrial commodities, before joining Fastmarkets in 1995.
Rewant Ruia
Director
Essar Group
As a member of the founding family of Essar, Rewant has developed considerable knowledge and experience in the oil and gas, refining, metals and mining, and infrastructure sectors. His global exposure, fresh perspectives and arc of activities have contributed to Essar’s strategy and operations. Rewant has been focused on Essar’s expansion in overseas markets and has been involved in identifying and investing in new business opportunities for the Group. He is focused on Essar’s greenfield expansion, acquisition opportunities in core economy sectors, transitioning Essar’s Portfolio into Green Technology focused future ready investments in metals and mining and energy. Rewant received his MBA from Stanford and travels between New York, London, the Middle East and Mumbai. His understanding of global markets helps drive Essar’s strategy of building a sustainable portfolio of assets. Rewant’s aspiration is to transition the organisational portfolio from assets built over the last fifty years to assets that are state-of-the-art and relevant for the next fifty years.
Ravi Singh
SULB Company
Ravi is a leading expert in the steel industry having spent 34 years in various roles including engineering, corporate quality, retail business development, operations and marketing. He became CBU in Tata in 1997 with responsibility for multiple business units and Vice President of Operations in 2005. Ravi has been CEO since 2013, having served as CEO of Essar Steel Processing now AMNS, CEO of ESPD and Hypermarts, CEO of ANIE, UAE and since 2018 CEO of SULB. He has also served as Vice President of Business Development (Asia and Africa) and Senior Vice President of Marketing. As CEO of SULB, Ravi strategically leads the integrated steel plant with DRI and EAF and structural steel sections. SULB is established as the largest section producer in the GCC and has a wide range of sections to serve the market needs across light, medium and heavy. Ravi is a Mechanical Engineer with distinction from BIT and an MBA from IIM, Calcutta, India. His skills have been honed in various training programs at SIM, Singapore, ISB, Hyderabad and TMTC, Pune. He takes pride in having turned around three businesses to profitability in his career.
Hassan El Marakby
El Marakby Steel
Hassan El Marakby is the CEO of El Marakby Steel, a position he has held as the third generation in his family. Hassan graduated from Cairo University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and furthered his education with a Master of Science in Engineering. He also holds an MBA from the prestigious London Business School. Over the past decade, Hassan has driven significant growth at El Marakby. Under his leadership, the company has seen remarkable achievements, including the successful investment in a new Meltshop and the tripling of its rolling capacity. These strategic moves have not only enhanced the company's global presence but also increased its market share domestically. Hassan's leadership style is characterised by his strategic vision, resilience, agility and commitment to innovation. He is known for his hands-on approach, actively engaging with all levels of the organisation to ensure alignment with the company's goals. His ability to navigate the complexities of global steel markets, manage financial and logistical challenges, and foster a culture of continuous improvement has been instrumental in the company's success. In addition to his role at El Marakby, Hassan is a board member of the Chamber of Metallurgical Industries in the Egyptian Industrial Association, where he contributes to the advancement of the metallurgical sector in Egypt. He has also played a crucial role in several trade remedies cases with the Egyptian authorities, including safeguard and anti-dumping cases, demonstrating his commitment to protecting and promoting the interests of the industry. Hassan is deeply committed to fostering sustainability within the company. He has spearheaded initiatives to adapt production processes to achieve the minimum carbon footprint for their steel production, reflecting his dedication to environmental responsibility and sustainable growth. Hassan is a member of AmCham Egypt, German Arab chamber of commerce and UN Global Compact.
Sharjeel Azhar
Al-Ittefaq Steel Products Company (Altuwairqi Group)
Sharjeel Azhar is the Chief Executive Officer of Saudi based Al-Ittefaq Steel Products Company (Al-Tuwairqi Group), one of the largest private sector steel mills in the GCC with operations in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. ISPC is the second largest steel producer in KSA with over 2.5 million tonnes of long product production. He has been with the Company since 2012 spearheading its new strategy and reorganization. Prior to joining ISPC, Sharjeel has an Investment Banking background and has worked in senior positions with several international banks. He joined the Company from HSBC, where he was Director and Head of Strategic Transactions Group, overseeing the M&A and ECM business in Saudi Arabia. He has an MBA and is a CFA Charter holder. He is a member of the Young Presidents Organization.
Ahmed Al Musawa Al Hashemi
Hafeet Rail
Ahmed Al Musawa Al Hashemi is the CEO of the company in charge of the development of the railway link between the UAE and Oman. Amassing over 17 years of experience within the transport and infrastructure industry, he has continuously proven his acumen in planning, developing, and implementing transport infrastructure that enables the continuous movement of goods and people across cities and regions. He is now a key driver of the UAE and GCC’s rail sectors. In his current capacity as CEO for Hafeet Rail Company, Ahmed leads the development of borderless movement between the UAE and Oman, via the development of seamless transport solutions for freight and passengers across the neighboring countries. Ahmed has also played a key role in the establishment of the UAE’s National Railway with Etihad Rail, a company he has been involved with for over ten years. He has previously served as Etihad Rail’s Executive Director of Commercial, and CEO of Etihad Rail Mobility, where he was the driving force behind the creation of long-term mobility solutions and evolving Etihad Rail’s prospectus of offerings to both logistics and mobility, changing the landscape of travel within the Emirates for decades to come.
Raha Moharrak
Saudi Arabian Adventurer and Athlete
Raha's journey began with a curious spirit and a dream of grand adventures. Encouraged by her supportive parents to dream big and embrace life fully, she pursued a degree in Visual Communications from the American University of Sharjah and started her career in advertising. Her life transformed upon summiting Kilimanjaro, igniting a passion for climbing that led to conquering eight more peaks. On May 18th, Raha made history as the first Saudi woman to summit Everest and the highest peaks on each continent, proving that with confidence and curiosity, we can achieve the extraordinary.
Michael Rion
Chief Commercial Officer
Emirates Steel
Michael Rion, the Chief Commercial Officer at Emirates Steel, part of the EMSTEEL Group, is a distinguished leader with an illustrious career in the steel industry. With a relentless passion for innovation and a proven track record of driving business growth, Rion is committed to transforming organizations and delivering exceptional results. Rion brings extensive experience and expertise to his role, having held various leadership positions within Emirates Steel, including Vice President of Sales and Director of Heavy Section Mill Sales. His strategic vision and deep industry knowledge empower him to craft winning strategies that drive profitability and expand market share. Before joining Emirates Steel, Rion served as General Manager Commercial at Sulb, where he further honed his expertise in commercial operations and strategic management. He also held pivotal roles at ArcelorMittal, where he contributed significantly to shaping the company’s market presence and driving commercial success across various regions. Rion holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Vlerick Business School, complemented by executive certifications from prestigious institutions such as Stellenbosch Business School, the University of California, Berkeley, Duke University, ESCP Business School, and Ichec Brussels Management School.
Jeremy Leonard
Managing Director, Global Industry Services
Oxford Economics
Since joining Oxford Economics in 2012, Jeremy Leonard has been responsible for overseeing the work of the industry forecasting team and managing the operation and output of Oxford Economics’ Global Industry Model as well as related consultancy work, serving a portfolio of more than 400 clients, including numerous major steel manufacturers. His core areas of expertise include capital-goods manufacturing, construction and automotive. Jeremy’s knowledge and past experience span a broad range, including competitiveness and offshoring/reshoring, commodity price modelling, and applied economic research on sectors ranging from biotech to transport equipment to telecoms. Prior to joining Oxford Economics in 2012, Jeremy ran his own consulting firm based in Montreal, Canada for more than a decade providing a variety of economic analysis and forecasting services related to commodity prices, competitiveness, and the Canadian, US and European economic outlooks.
Anna Griffin
Chief People Officer and Head of ESG
Arabian Gulf Steel Industries (AGSI)
As the Chief People and Sustainability Officer, Anna is a dynamic and visionary leader with over 23 years of experience in sustainability, business strategy, global operations, corporate governance, innovation, future of workforce and transformation. Anna is driving the Net Zero Steel agenda at the AGSI through embedding sustainability into the company’s DNA while shaping the future of work and championing environmental stewardship. Her vision is to take accelerated steps towards the Carbon Neutrality and Net Zero by 2050 vision not only for her company, but for the hard-to-abate sector at large. Ex-PwC Director of Global Operations, Business Strategy and Transformation with industry experience in steel sector, energy, oil and gas, and mining globally. Anna also drives a corporate and people agenda focusing on ESG, operational efficiencies, leadership, and people-centric solutions. Her expertise extends to implementation of People Sustainability Agenda, which takes a holistic approach to corporate human capital practices, including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Anna delivers the Workforce of the Future strategies, future-proofing the organisation and delivering the company’s vision to be a Net Zero Steel producer while being ‘future-ready’ through the design of the next generation workplace focused on leadership capabilities, digitisation, and innovation. She delivers a strategy to create and cultivate a culture of ‘smart company’ through re-thinking of the use of technology, data, and driving forward-thinking mindset. Anna is a published author, holds MBA and Gemmology degree, amongst other certifications.
Russell Robertson
Gulf Mercantile Exchange
Russell joined the Gulf Mercantile Exchange ‘GME’ in 2019 (then the Dubai Mercantile Exchange ‘DME’) in a Strategic Development role based in Dubai before becoming the Chief Commercial Officer now situated in Singapore, bringing his extensive knowledge and experience of Exchange Traded Derivatives amassed from 25 years in various roles across the full trade life cycle from trading to clearing. Prior to the GME, Russell was part of technology and operational product development with CME Group in London, leading numerous new product initiatives across a range of asset classes. Prior to this he held a similar role at ICE Clear Europe following a 10 year career as a Multi Asset Proprietary Derivatives Trader. In early 2024, DME announced that Saudi Tadawul Group would acquire a 32.6% stake in DME Holdings Limited, the parent company of Dubai Mercantile Exchange (DME), becoming the joint largest shareholder alongside CME Group and hence rebranding to GME. The investment by Saudi Tadawul Group brings together world-class strategic partners and expertise to accelerate GME’s growth potential, including CME Group, the Oman Investment Authority, and Dubai Holding alongside global financial and commercial shareholders. The partnership will unlock further opportunities in the energy, metals, and agricultural commodity markets and support the ongoing transition to a sustainable economy through the launch of next-generation derivative contracts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC region.
Dr. Ankur Dana
Dana Group
Dr. Ankur Dana is the CEO of Dana Group of Companies. He joined the Group’s Steel Coil Service Centre division in July 2005 and was initially responsible for company operations. Since joining Dana Group, he has been instrumental in starting the Value-Added Steel Manufacturing Division and is also actively involved in strategic planning. Dr Ankur’s involvement in strategic planning for the Group has been critical for the long strides of success Dana Group has taken in the recent years. Prior to his experience in the steel business, Ankur completed his bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery from India, and also practiced medicine for one year. Later on he also acquired his Executive MBA in Dubai. In 2005, he moved to Dubai with Dana Group and joined the Group’s manufacturing division, and his passion for steel led him to head the Group’s Steel Division. He was awarded the YUVA RATNA award in 2018 and he has also been recognised and honoured as a Next Generation Leader by Forbes Middle East Magazine in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Kaushalendra Prasad
Star Global
Mr Kaushalendra Prasad is a veteran of the iron ore industry, having more than 50 years of Global experience, spread across iron ore, pelletising, DRI, shipping and logistics. He started his career with KIOCL Ltd., right from its inception and continued to head its commercial division until1990. Mr Prasad joined Bahrain Steel in 1990 and became CEO in 2011. During his tenure, he established Bahrain Steel as a major supplier of DR pellets, laid a strong foundation and turned around the company. Mr Prasad is currently a Director with Star Global, a major trading house of Dubai, engaged in supply chain of steel and associated raw materials. Star Global is expanding its activities in shipping, logistics and material handling. He is a regular invitee at major iron and steel conferences and shares his experience with other Industry experts.
Dr. Ruchi Dana
Partner and Executive Board Member
Dr. Ruchi Dana is a qualified medical practitioner, who has transitioned successfully into a seasoned entrepreneur and business leader. Ruchi did her MD from AMU and her full-time MBA from Stanford University. Ruchi has been recognised by Forbes Middle East as the ‘Next Generation Business Leader, Arab World’ for three consecutive years 2017, 2018 and 2019. She has also been recognised by Campden Wealth as the ‘Women to Watch’ in the September’18 issue, and was conferred with the Yuva Ratna Award, 2018. Ruchi has also been recognised as ‘Top 75 Family Business Leaders’ 2019 by Campden Research (UK). Recently, Dr Ruchi was featured on the Forbes ME Top Power Businesswomen 2020. Since joining Dana Group, Ruchi has been instrumental in starting the Value-added Steel Manufacturing Division in 2008, Lubricants and Grease Manufacturing Division and also Retail and Real Estate Divisions for Dana Group in 2014. In 2023, Dr Ruchi was invited to speak at COP28, at the Metals, Mining Day to speak on Dana Steel’s Green and Industry 4.0 initiatives. Ruchi has also worked with Golden Seeds, an investment firm in New York and New Silk Route Growth Capital, a PE firm in Dubai, she has mainly focused on investments at both these firms. In the year 2008-2009, when the global recession struck UAE, Ruchi was instrumental in steering DANA Group amidst the rough economic climate and navigating through the crisis. Her strategic insights in ‘Value-Add’ were instrumental in establishment of DANA group's Value-Added Steel Product Manufacturing Verticals.
Vahid Fouladkar
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Metal Park
Vahid Fouladkar is a visionary leader in the metal industry, renowned for his innovative approach and strategic thinking. As the fifth generation of the Fouladkar family, which boasts over 120 years of experience in the metal industry. Born and educated in a region with a rich industrial heritage, where he quickly established himself as a problem-solver and strategic thinker. Vahid Fouladkar is the mastermind behind the concept of Metal Park, a pioneering integrated metal platform and park. As a Co-Founder and CEO, he has led the company to introduce groundbreaking solutions such as the 'Assets-As-A-Service' model, revolutionising the entire metal downstream. Under his leadership, Metal Park has become a benchmark for excellence in the industry, promoting sustainable practices and cutting-edge technologies. Vahid Fouladkar’s dedication and innovative vision continue to inspire and shape the future of the metal industry.
Julian Skyrme
Vice President, Commercial – Ports Cluster
AD Ports Group
Julian Skyrme joined AD Ports Group in 2014 and is the Vice President Ports Commercial within the Ports Cluster. In his role, he is responsible for the commercial sales development of all ports within the Ports Cluster AD Ports Group, driving and growing the Ports’ commercial business within the UAE. Julian has more than 35 years’ experience in the maritime industry, the majority of which have been within the Middle East Region, country management roles including terminal development, trade lane pricing and line management. Prior to joining AD Ports Group, he held a number of senior leadership positions Abu Dhabi Terminals, the Port of Salalah where he held the position Regional Commercial and Marketing head and DP World where he held senior roles in both commercial and strategy.
Mariia Lytvyn
Global Head of Talent and Reward
GFG Alliance
Mariia is a dynamic and strategic leader, specialising in the development and implementation of multinational reward and talent programmes. With a passion for fostering positive and productive workplace cultures, she expertly aligns business priorities with impactful strategies to attract, engage, develop, and retain top talent. Her career began in consulting with Aon, followed by Mercer in the UK. Now, as the Global Head of Reward and Talent at GFG Alliance, Mariia leverages her consulting background to refine people practices and drive the global evolution of Reward, Talent, and L&D programmes across the organisation. A strong advocate for horizontal growth at GFG, she promotes creative approaches to upskilling, starting with herself. Mariia holds a degree in Investment and Financial Risk Management from Bayes Business School in London and achieved FCIPD accreditation in May 2023, further reflecting her dedication to professional development and lifelong learning.
Ahmed Al Yammahi
Director of People Operations
EMSTEEL Group
In his role as the Director of People Operations at Emirates Steel Arkan (ESA), Ahmed Al Yammahi is responsible for overseeing the group’s People operations, which include Talent Acquisition, People Shared Services, Organization development, Total Rewards and Plant Services. With over 14 years of professional experience in both Finance and Human Capital domains, Al Yammahi's career journey began in ESA's Finance Department. Over time, he transitioned his career into the realm of Human Capital, taking on various managerial roles. These roles included positions such as Head of Employee Relations & Customer Services, Head of Emiratization, Manpower & Talent Acquisition, and Human Capital Manager. He has progressed to his current role as Director of People Operations. Ahmed Al Yammahi holds a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in Business Administration and Management, General, from the American University in the Emirates (AUE). Additionally, he is SHRM certified, underscoring his commitment to professional development and expertise in human resources.
Rima Al Muharrami
Senior Manager – Events
Rima Al Meharrami is a highly experienced Senior Manager in Events with 18 years of expertise in event management strategies, employee engagement, and corporate wellbeing. Currently, she holds the position of Senior Manager of Events at Emirates Steel, where she drives impactful event strategies, manages budgets, and ensures seamless collaboration between teams and stakeholders. Rima has a proven history of enhancing organizational culture and fostering engagement. Before her current role, she served as Senior Manager of Engagement & Culture and Corporate Happiness & Engagement Manager at Emirates Steel. In these roles, she successfully implemented initiatives that cultivated a positive workplace and aligned with the company’s core values. Her efforts have consistently led to higher employee satisfaction and retention rates.
Yousef Gamal El-Din
Anchor and Entrepreneur
Salam Al Sharif
Chairman
Al SHARIF Metals Group
Dr. Salam Al Sharif is a Civil and Metallurgical Engineer, who graduated from Texas A&M University. He obtained his Executive MBA from Cambridge Massachusetts and a Doctorate in Business Administration (Socioeconomic Sustainability) from London. Dr. Al Sharif is the Founding Chairman of the Recycling Association of Africa (RAA), Former Chairman of the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR), Founding President and Patron of the Bureau of Middle East Recycling (BMR) and has been listed twice amongst the top 100 most influential recyclers (Recycling International Listing) in 2021 and 2022.
Abu Bucker Husain
Al Ghurair Iron & Steel (AGIS)
Abu Husain has a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and Accounting, membership at The Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, London and an MBA in Finance from Boston University, US. Mr. Husain worked on Wall Street for eight years, before joining AGIS to setup the steel galvanising plant in Abu Dhabi, the first of its kind in UAE. He took the operation from a start-up to completing 17 successful years of operation, including the joint venture deal with Nippon Steel Corporation, successfully doubling capacity from 250k tpa to 500k tpa. He has won several awards including ‘Best CEO – Steel & Metals Industry Middle East’ and ‘UAE’s Growth Strategy CEO of the Year’ from Business Worldwide Magazine in 2016 and ‘Man of the Year 2016’ Award from World News Media.
Mohamed Zada
Deputy General Manager and Chief Supply Chain Officer
Suez Steel Company
Mr. Zada is currently the Supply Chain Chief Officer and Deputy GM of Suez Steel Company SSC, where he joined the group in November 2019, with 22 years of experience in the Supply Chain function and commercial operations in heavy industries. Before Joining Suez Steel Company, he was the Chief Supply Chain Officer of El Marakby Steel for four years. Before then, he was in charge of the supply chain function at Egyptian Steel for three years after spending eight years at Lafarge Middle East and Africa Cement Group being the Regional Head of Purchasing and Logistics for the New Developments Projects along with MENA running business units. He started his career at Caterpillar Earth moving Equipment for two years, handling the national accounts. Mr. Zada has served 10 projects in the steel industry as well as 12 running business units while for cement he served on eight different cement projects, in addition to running business units in the MENA region, being in charge of the whole commercial operations where he played a key role in the success of new development mega projects. He introduced the methodology of setting up the flat specialised supply chain function introducing the categories-basis function. He comes from an engineering background graduating from the American University in Cairo. Additionally, he holds MBA, specialising in Strategic Management from Maastricht School of Management ‘MSM’.
Markus Abel
Co-Owner and Managing Director
tripleS GmbH & Co KG
Markus is the Co-Owner and Managing Director of the technological leading consulting and engineering company tripleS, specialising in EAF-steelmaking and decarbonisation of the industry. Markus has a Diplom-Ingenieur Fachhochschule in Process and Environmental Engineering from the University of Applied Sciences. Prior to tripleS, Markus was Director for Electric Steelmaking at Horst Wiesinger Consulting, Head of Process Group EAF and LF at Siemens VAI (former FUCHS Systems) and Product Manager EAF at Siemens VAI. He is the author of various technical papers and holder of various patents in electric steelmaking.
Anders Lydén
Key Account and Technical Manager
Calderys
Anders Lyden graduated from the University of Lund in 1990 with degree in Civil Engineering. He joined the refractory project business in 1993 and gained experience, both domestic and internationally, with Megamet, Plibrico, Greenland Industrimurning, among others. Since 2007 Anders has worked as a part owner of his refractory company, The company served multiple clients in the Nordics and Europe such as Befesa, Ovako Steel, Svenskt Stål AB, Volvo, Scania, Sandvik, Atlas Copco etc. In 2016 Fagersta Eldfasta AB was acquired by Calderys Nordic AB and Anders joined Calderys as Project Execution Manager with overall responsibility for safety, financial outcome and quality of refractory projects. In 2019 Anders entered a new role for Calderys Middle East and Africa and relocated to the United Arab Emirates. Based in the Dubai Office as Key Account and Technical Manager he supports the Calderys Sales team as well as many of the clients directly.
Ramia Farrage
Senior Presenter and Producer
Forbes Middle East
Ramia is a Senior Presenter and Producer at Forbes Middle East, as well as a Moderator at a variety of public and private sector events. From its launch in 2007 until 2021, Ramia led the Emirates News broadcast on Dubai One TV as the Presenter and News Bulletin Editor. Previous to her role at Emirates News, from 2002 to 2007, Ramia presented and produced the programme Business Arabia, which aired internationally on CNBC. Ramia has interviewed several world leaders including General Pervez Musharraf, President of Pakistan, Mohammed Khatami, President of Iran, Gerhard Schroeder, Chancellor of Germany and Jimmy Carter, US President. Ramia moderates at major events including the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh and the World Government Summit in Dubai. She is also a freelance contributor published in Arabian Business Magazine and Forbes Middle East among several other publications. Ramia holds a MA in Global Diplomacy-International Relations from the University of London, SOAS, as well as a BA in Communications from the University of Winnipeg and an Associate’s Degree in Journalism from Red River College.
Dr. Alexander Fleischanderl
Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President, Global Head of Green Steel
Primetals Technologies
Dr. Fleischanderl is based in Linz, Austria and Member of the Executive Management team at Primetals Technologies. Since April 2024 he has taken over as global CTO. In this role he oversees the whole solution portfolio including intellectual property (IP), information technology (IT) and innovation management (R&D). Alexander is a recognised expert in the field of sustainable iron and steel production and also heads the Green Steel organisation at Primetals Technologies. He holds more than 100 single patents in his name. Alexander was honoured as Siemens Inventor of the year in 2013 and received the Best Innovation Award from MHI (Mitsubishi Heavy Industry) in 2019. Alexander holds a PhD in Process Engineering.
Dr. Vincent Chevrier
General Manager, Technical Sales and Marketing
Midrex Technologies
Dr. Chevrier is General Manager – Technical Sales and Marketing for Midrex Technologies Inc., and is based at the Headquarters in Charlotte, NC. His role consists in studying of long-term market trends and evolution, which includes the transition from carbon-based to fossil-free steelmaking. He earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering at the Université de Technologie de Compiègne (France), a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech (USA) and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (USA). Dr. Chevrier began his career in the steel industry at IRSID in France (now part of Arcelor-Mittal R&D) in 1992. After obtaining his doctorate, he worked in the melt-shop and scrap yard for J&L specialty steel in various engineering and management positions. Subsequently, Dr. Chevrier held management positions at Keywell LLC, a leading recycler of high-performance metals, prior to joining Midrex in 2011. For the first eight years, Dr. Chevrier was responsible for all innovation, R&D and technology improvement programmes for Midrex and led all work on decarbonisation before it became mainstream. The increased market demand for green ironmaking morphed his interests to technical marketing and business development. Dr. Chevrier joined Form Energy in 2021 to develop and scale the iron anode of a novel long duration storage battery. He re-joined Midrex in April 2023.
Robert Montgomery
Senior Plant Sales Manager, Middle East
Robert began his career at Midrex in 2013 and has been instrumental in the promotion, negotiation, and sale of MIDREX® Shaft Furnace Direct Reduction Plants in the Middle East and North African regions. Robert’s skills in sales and marketing, client experience, and project management make him a valuable asset to the Midrex Commercial Team.
Nicola Bassano
Steel Sector Manager
Magaldi Power
Nicola Bassano was born in Salerno in 1977. He has 16 years of experience in designing, testing, installing, commissioning and maintaining bulk material handling systems. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a master’s degree in industrial engineering. Nicola has been a Sales Area Manager and a Maintenance Supervisor in the field of Power Generation for the Magaldi Group, working in Europe and Asia for more than 10 years. He's currently responsible for the development of Magaldi conveying technologies for Steel Industry, in particular for applications like steel scrap handling and preheating, furnace infeed, hot DRI and HCI transportation, HBI cooling, iron ore pellet/sinter transportation and drying/cooling, slag handling and cooling.
Mona El Marakby
Board Member and Chief Supply Chain Officer
Mona El-Marakby is the working Chief Supply Chain Officer and Board Member for El-Marakby Steel, a leading steel manufacturing company. She has over a decade of experience in the industry, having joined El Marakby Steel in 2012. Mona holds a Master's degree in Supply Chain Management as well as a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) in Supply Chain Management. She is also a certified CPIM (Certified in Production and Inventory Management) professional. In her role as Chief Supply Chain Officer, El Marakby is responsible for overseeing the company's entire supply chain, including procurement, logistics, and inventory management. She is known for her strategic approach and data-driven decision making, which have helped El Marakby Steel optimise its supply chain operations and improve overall efficiency. As a member of the company's Board of Directors, El Marakby contributes her expertise in supply chain management to the overall corporate strategy and decision-making processes. Her commitment to continuous improvement and innovation has been instrumental in driving the company's growth and success in the highly competitive steel industry.
Ramy Saleh
Chief Business Development and Sustainability Officer
Ramy Saleh has been with El Marakby Steel since the end of 2016 serving the sustainable growth of the group. Prior to that Ramy worked for several multinational and international firms within the steel and construction industries for 20+ years among them ArcelorMittal, EZZ steel, Kandil Steel and Orascom Construction Industries. Ramy has worked in many fields in both the technical and commercial areas within the steel industry such as production, quality control, product development, export sales, foreign purchasing and projects management before focusing on strategies related to sales, marketing, export, international business, sustainability and business development functions. He has previously spoken on behalf of the Egyptian steel industry at many events globally and locally. He holds an MBA from the American University in Cairo (AUC) and a bachelor of metallurgy and material science engineering from the Specialised Faculty of Petroleum and Mining Engineering Suez University, Egypt. Ramy is also a member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt and United Nations Global Compact Network.
Christoph Aichinger
Vice President, Agglomeration
Christoph Aichinger has an academic background in Mechanical Engineering. He received a master’s degree from Technical University of Graz, Austria (DI) and from University of British Columbia, Canada (MASc). Christoph joined Primetals in 1995 (at that time operating under the brand name VAI) where he has worked in different positions such as process technology, project management, site management and technical sales. Since 2007 he has been globally responsible for the Agglomeration Business within Primetals Technologies which is headquartered in Linz, Austria. The Agglomeration Business comprises sintering, pelletising and beneficiation technologies and represents the front end of Primetals full liner portfolio in iron and steelmaking.
Wolfgang Sterrer
Vice President, Direct Reduction
Wolfgang Sterrer completed his master’s degree in material science and metallurgy at the University of Leoben in 1994. After graduating he joined VOEST-ALPINE Industrieanlagenbau and began as a process engineer in the department of smelting reduction technologies. During his career Mr. Sterrer spent many years on blast furnaces, smelting reduction plants like COREX and Finex as well as Midrex Direct reduction plants for commissioning startup and operation. He was appointed principal expert for ironmaking and worked as head of technology for direct and smelting reduction at Primetals technologies. From 2017-2020 Mr. Sterrer was responsible for operation of the voestalpine Texas HBI plant. Since 2020 Mr. Sterrer has been responsible for the direct reduction business of Primetals Technologies.
Daniel Amhoff
Industry-Connect
Daniel has been tracking and tracing steel products for the past 17 years and traceability continues to be the focus of his ongoing research. His MBA minor focused on technology and innovation with a strong understanding of the need to underpin a traceability project with a solid business case. Daniel’s consultancy firm designs and supplies turnkey traceability solutions for the world’s largest oil and gas companies, aluminium smelters, and steel mills. Daniel leads a team of highly specialised traceability experts and partners with external talent to solve complex problems in the world’s harshest environments.
Yuan Wenjiong
Dao Fortune
Mr. Yuan Wenjiong is the Chairman of Dao Fortune Co., Ltd. As a proficient economist, he has been deeply involved in steel trading over the last 25 years. He and his team have been leading China's steel exports since 2004, covering most of the markets in Asia, Central and South America and the Middle East. Nowadays, Dao Fortune has become an international steel trading company and is very active in the regions. Dao Fortune owns a research team of 11 people, covering studies of macro economics and industrial status, both domestically and internationally, which helps Dao Fortune have a deep understanding of its domestic steel market.
Melinda Moore
Vice President of Innovations and Commercial Development
HPX Inc
Melinda Moore is a seasoned C-suite executive with over 25 years’ experience across commodities analysis, trading, finance, and sector technology innovation. Her expertise spans international commercial, investment, operations, marketing, and advisory roles; grounded in strong governance, sustainability, and ESG principles. Melinda is renowned for navigating complex regulatory and cross-border environments, driving strategic change, and ensuring business success in fast-shifting markets. Melinda was the first woman to trade iron ore financial derivatives in 2012 and the first to forecast China would become a major steel exporter (ridiculed at the time!). Melinda has presented at numerous commodities conferences and advised on LME and SGX steel/bulk derivative contracts and industry disputes. Melinda has been listed as one of the top 100 inspirational Women in Mining. Passionate about innovation, Melinda’s work continues to support the natural resources sector’s global transformation and energy transition.
Dr. Reza Poorvash
Global Chief Sales and Transformation Officer
Bedeschi
Ross Yeo
Regional Editor, Scrap – EMEA and APAC
Ross Yeo, Fastmarkets’ scrap editor for Europe and Asia, has 15 years’ commodity pricing experience, including five years as European Steel Editor during which he helped launch the world’s first green steel prices. In his current role, he oversees the coverage of a wide range of scrap and recycled metal markets across Europe and Asia, including steel scrap.
Stefano Maggiolino
President and Chief Executive Officer
Tenova HYL
Stefano began his career at the Techint Group in 1996, when he first joined the programme of Junior Professionals at Tenaris Tamsa in Veracruz, Mexico. In 1998, he moved to Italy as Project Manager at Techint SpA (now Tenova), working across a number of worldwide steelmaking projects. In 2005, Stefano moved back to Mexico as Project Director and COO at Tenova HYL, in Monterrey, where he led direct reduction plant projects. Since July 2015, he has been President and CEO of Tenova HYL. Stefano trained as a mechanical engineer, graduating from the Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy. He holds an MBA from EGADE Business School Tecnológico de Monterrey and an MBA from the University of North Carolina Charlotte with a specialisation in Global Business and Strategy and Executive Management from IPADE Business School in Ciudad de Mexico. Stefano believes that innovation in sustainability and safety are key to long-term profitability of the steel industry and sees direct reduction specifically as a path to reach these goals. He values teamwork and efficient organisation, and tackles problems with a positive, solution-driven attitude. Stefano’s strategic clarity is combined with his passion for people – he builds excellent and enduring relationships with all stakeholders. Thanks to his in-depth expertise in the sector, he is the Inventor of various patents, author of numerous international papers, and regular speaker at international conferences.
Paulo Carvalho
Independent Consultant and Managing Director
decarbValue
Paulo is a green steel and iron ore market expert and helps clients navigate commercial and partnership opportunities emerging from the energy transition. He has recently supported the financing of several green steel and HBI plants in Europe and the Middle East, designed market entry strategies for various products and geographies, and acted as expert witness in various international commercial arbitrations. His current interests include the circularity of scrap steel, drivers of demand for low-carbon materials, and emerging standards for green steel and other materials. Paulo is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies and previously held various positions in consulting and industry at ERM, CRU Consulting and Vale S.A.
Massimo Tommaso Cosentino
Senior Proposal Manager, Electric Arc Furnace and Ladle Furnace
Tenova
Massimo is a Mechanical Engineer who graduated from Politecnico di Milano in 2000. He started working at Tenova that same year, initially in the Technical Department as a Project Engineer, where he was responsible for the technical co-ordination of a specific project, for the design and calculation of structural components, material selection, hydraulic equipment and auxiliary packages. Thanks to the acquired experience, in 2006 he moved to the Commercial Department as a Proposal Engineer. In this role, he was responsible for developing and co-ordinating the study of projects for new and existing steel plants, focusing on the feasibility and configuration of all main Tenova’s core equipment. During this experience, he was appointed Project Manager for a strategic project in India (2009-2014), where he had the opportunity to commission all major equipment in the Tenova Upstream portfolio. Since 2014, he is a Senior Proposal Manager for EAF and LF, responsible for and coordinator of project study activities and for the preparation of technical and economic offers for the product line, including contractual documents preparation.
François Lavoie
Senior Vice President, Sales, Technical Marketing and Product Development,
Champion Iron
In 2017, François Lavoie joined Quebec Iron Ore (QIO), a subsidiary of Champion Iron, as Chief Metallurgist and contributed to the Bloom Lake mine site recommissioning in 2018. He was promoted to Senior Vice-President, Sales, Technical Marketing and Product Development in July 2024 and is now a member of Champion Iron’s management team. In this capacity, he evaluates and develops new approaches to improve high-purity iron ore products that support steel industry decarbonisation projects around the world in addition to being responsible for the company’s sales and marketing strategies. He also helps lead growth projects and build partnerships, while fully participating in the organisation’s strategic planning and mission. In recognition of his outstanding early career achievements in mineral processing, the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) awarded him the Bill Moore Special Achievement Award in 2022. He was also a founding member of the Canadian Mineral Processors (CMP) Côte-Nord and Labrador chapter and served as its president for over five years. Mr. Lavoie holds a bachelor’s degree in metallurgy from Université Laval.
Eduardo de Matos
Head of Sales, West Asia and Africa – Steel
RHI Magnesita
Eduardo graduated with a degree in law and has an MBA. He joined the RHI Magnesita group in 2009 to work in the commercial department in Brazil. His first international assignment was in Quito, Ecuador, to manage the Cuban, Ecuadorian and Trinidad & Tobago markets. Eduardo moved to the Gulf in 2013 in order to setup a regional sales office headquartered in Dubai, UAE. He oversaw different markets and customers until 2018 when he was invited to join the Recycling Project of RHI Magnesita in The Netherlands. After a two-year hiatus, Eduardo returned to the Middle East in 2020 to lead the sales for steel customers in West Asia and Africa.
Luisa Orre
Chief Procurement Officer – Procurement, Logistics and Infrastructure
Stegra
Luisa Orre is Chief Procurement Officer at Stegra, covering electricity, raw materials, logistics and project procurement, as well as infrastructure related to power, rail and port. Prior to Stegra, Luisa was Chief Financial Officer of a consumer technology start up and part of building the company from pre-product and pre-team. Luisa spent six years at McKinsey & Co. advising technology, consumer and private equity clients on corporate, growth and digital strategy. Luisa holds a Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration from the Stockholm School of Economics.
Przemek Koralewski
Global Head of Market Development
Przemek Koralewski is an accomplished commercial and people leader with over 15 years of experience in the commodity derivatives and intelligence industry, spanning North America, Europe, and Asia. Currently the Global Head of Market Development at Fastmarkets, he oversees a global team focused on spot pricing mechanisms and commodity derivatives. Przemek has held key roles, including Head of Business Development at SSY Futures Ltd. and leadership positions at Nasdaq. His expertise lies in commodity markets, data, and derivatives trading, with a focus on growth markets. Przemek holds an Executive MBA from London Business School, showcasing his dedication to strategic leadership and innovation in business development.
Dr. Tim Ochel
Global Head of Green Steel
SMS group
Tim Ochel holds a degree in industrial engineering and earned his doctorate in production systems from RWTH Aachen. He began his career in strategy consulting, where he gained extensive experience in guiding companies through complex challenges. In 2022, Tim joined SMS group as a Corporate Developer, where he advised the executive board on strategic initiatives and sustainability efforts. Due to his expertise and leadership, Tim was appointed to lead the Global Green Steel Hub in June 2024, with the mission of advancing SMS group’s global success in green steel technologies and driving the industry’s transition toward sustainability.
Stephan Krämer
Executive Vice President
Stephan graduated from the School of Mechanical Engineering, Siegen University in 1987 before becoming a Research Engineer for the Engineering Research Group at SMS Schloemann-Siemag AG. In 1998 he became General Manager of the Engineering Research Group (major fields: plant and process development, process models hot and cold rolling) and Executive Vice-President of Flat Rolling Plants in 2005 before taking on his current role of Executive Vice President in 2020.
Marina Shulga
Team Leader, Steel and Ferro-Alloys, EMEA
Paolo Frediani
Senior Steel Analyst
Paolo Frediani is a senior analyst at Fastmarkets, where he oversees forecasting and analysis within the finished carbon steel segment for Europe and Asia. He joined the company in 2020, initially focusing on steel tube and pipe research. Previously, he worked in analysis, reporting and public relations roles at different companies/institutions including Argus Media and Italy’s prime minister office. He holds a degree in Economics and Arts Management from Italy’s Catholic University, where he graduated with full marks and honours.
José Noldin
President
GravitHy
José Noldin is the CEO of GravitHy, a company launched by a world-class and international industrial consortium that aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of the global steel industry by producing direct reduced iron (DRI) from low-carbon hydrogen. He oversees the development of the company, including its first project in Fos-sur-Mer (south of France), which will require 2.2 billion euros of investment and is expected to create over 3,000 direct and indirect jobs. For over 25 years, José Noldin has impacted the iron and steel industry by leading successful and innovative industrial ventures, with special focus in business impact and decarbonisation. José Noldin is an engineer and holds a PhD in metallurgical engineering from the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Brazil, he has received several industry awards, including the Thomas medal (UK's Iron and Steel Society), the Ironmaking prize (ABM in Brazil), an AIST Presidential Citation, besides multiple recognitions for his contributions to the iron ore, steel, and sustainable development sectors.
Raj Shah
Vice President, Trade
Ore & Minerals UK
Alexander Kershaw
Senior Analyst, Steel Raw Materials
Alex is a senior analyst in the Fastmarkets steel research team, responsible for forecasting steel raw material prices that include scrap and iron ore and editing the Fastmarkets Steel Raw Material research reports. He has a BA from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and an MSc from University College London, London.
Renato Pereira
Samarco
Renato holds a degree in mining engineering and an MBA in Finance, along with certifications in marketing and strategy. He also attended executive programs at MIT and Harvard Business School. With over 20 years in the mining sector, Renato has held executive roles at Vale and Harsco Corporation.
Deepak Bhandari
Rutger Gyllenram
Kobolde & Partners
Rutger Gyllenram is a Swedish process metallurgist focusing on resource conservation and decarbonisation. He is the Founder of Kobolde & Partners AB, a company working on raw material assessment and optimisation, and Co-Founder of FerroSilva AB, an industrial project on producing DRI from pellets with a reduction gas from gasified biomass followed by CCUS of the biogenic CO2 to produce ship fuel.
Andrea Diasparro
Executive Vice President and Group Sales Director
Danieli
Andrea Diasparro graduated as a Mechanical Engineering Technician and has more than 25 years of experience in the metal industry, specifically in rolling mills and steelmaking. Andrea has worked in engineering and in the project office, gaining extensive experience. He has also gained experience in purchasing and procurement of plants and technologies, worldwide. In 2007, he joined Danieli, working in the proposal department of the Danieli Morgardshammar Bar and Wire Rod Mill Division, becoming head of the department, before being appointed Vice President of Sales. In December 2022, he was appointed Executive Vice President and Group Sales Director, enlarging his responsibilities in Business Development and Marketing Strategies to Key Account Management and Area Management, globally. His competences include geo-political analysis, international trading and financing institutions.
Nicolò De Laura
Sales Manager, MIDA
Nicolò has been working for the Danieli Group since 2007. His experience began with six years as a technician for Meltshop and CCM plants, first in the Technical Office and then in the Sales Office. He was consequently appointed Sales Manager for Continuous Casters and presently acts as Sales Manager for MIDA technologies. During his career, he has mainly focused on the MENA and Far East regions with some experience in the US and Eastern Europe. Nicolò graduated as a Technical Mechanical expert.
Mohab Mahmoud
Technical Sales Engineer
Mohab has worked for Danieli since June 2023, and with four years of experience in the steel Industry, during which he achieved the highest annual production record of 1.3 million tons of HRC as a HSM Operation Engineer. Mohab currently works as a Sales Engineer for the Danieli Centro Metallics division, where the business is focused on the technologies of beneficiation and direct reduction of iron ores. Previous to this role he was a Operation Engineer for both Hot Strip Mill and Thin Slab Caster for EZDK, a subsidiary of EZZ Steel.
Dr. Rajesh R. Agarwal
Executive Director
RKG International FZC
Dr. Rajesh has transformed the Dubai-based recycling company into a major player with four recycling facilities in the UAE, dealing with 33 countries. He began his career in 1979 in India with metal container manufacturing. Under his leadership, RKG Recycling yards feature state-of-the-art technology which deals in ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Rajesh is Vice President of BMR, a Gold Member of BIR, Ambassador for the UAE, Member with MRAI, ReMA, Board Member of DRBG, initiative of Dubai Chambers. Chairman of UP-Connect and Asian–Arab Chamber of Commerce, UAE. He is the recipient of the First Golden Visa from Fujairah in 2020, Dada Vasu Shroff Global Awards from HE Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of UAE for Tolerance and Coexistence, ICONS of UAE Award, 2024 from India Today Group.
Harsh Choudhry
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
sentra.world
Harsh Choudhry has 17+ years’ experience in industrial sustainability. He is experienced on a wide array of topics including GHG accounting, decarbonisation strategies, industrial energy efficiency, climate policy, CBAM, renewable energy and carbon credits. He has supported 100+ organisations in 30+ countries transition to a sustainable future. Harsh has published several articles on sustainability. Prior to sentra.world, he was Junior Partner with McKinsey in Singapore. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering and is certified in Business Sustainability.
Serife Durmus
Senior Steel Price Reporter, Middle East
Norman Fong
Senior Price Reporter
Norman is a Senior Price Reporter with Fastmarkets' Asia Ferrous team, specializing in price coverage over mid-grade to high-grade iron ore trade flows in Asia Pacific and Middle East-North Africa markets.
Dr. Khaled Al-Hajeri
Vice President, Building Materials
National Industrial Development Center (NIDC), Industrial Centre
Dr. Khalid Al-Hajeri serves as the Vice President of the Building Materials Sector at the National Center for Industrial Development, bringing forth over 31 years of hands-on experience in industry, research, and business development. His academic journey includes a Master's degree in Metallurgy from the University of Sheffield, UK, and a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, USA. Prior to his current role, Dr. Al-Hajeri dedicated himself to various research and management positions within the iron and steel industry, where he cultivated valuable insights and skills. Notably, Dr. Al-Hajeri has played a key role in leading the Home of Innovation initiative at SABIC, demonstrating his commitment to fostering innovation within the industry. His modest yet impactful contributions underscore his dedication to advancing industrial development and research excellence in the field of building materials.
Bansri Shah
Head of Production
Jozi Shuli
Vice President of Technical Sales, Hot Rolling for Flat Product,
Jozi has a Master’s Degree in Engineering from the University of Trieste. He began his career as a technician for rolling mills for long products, initially in the Technical Office and later in the Sales Office. He was then appointed Sales Manager for multi-product projects, a role he held for three years. Jozi spent three years as Sales Manager for MIDA technologies and an additional two years as Technical Sales Head in the same division. Jozi joined Danieli in 2014 and for the past two years, has served as Vice President of Technical Sales for Hot Rolling Mills for Flat Products.
Alexander Levy
LEVYTEK
Lloyd Hain
Research Chairman
AME Research
Lloyd heads AME’s research and consulting divisions. He is responsible for the executive management of the AME Research Group. His principal interest is developing AME's work relating to infrastructure, transactions and financing in the resources industry, as well as strategic and project advice. Lloyd is a mining engineer with considerable depth of experience in industry having worked in technical, operational and management roles. He has experience in the planning and operation of mines.
Jawed Ahmed
Al Qaryan International DMCC
Jawed is passionate about the commodities market, especially ferrous and nonferrous metals, going all the way back early 2003, when they were growing incrementally towards their height in 2008. Prior to commodities, Jawed started his career in finance after graduating in 1999 and gaining his MBA in 2005 in India. He has spent over 25 years in various roles including finance, sales, marketing, operations, and business strategic planning. In 1999, Jawed joined HDFC Ltd. in India as a Client Officer and managing diversified fund portfolios. In 2003, he joined as Finance Head, before moving to Commercial Head and Vice President of Al Qaryan Group, Saudi Arabia. In 2020, Jawed became CEO of Al Qaryan International DMCC, Dubai dealing in ferrous and nonferrous base metals. Al Qaryan International is subsidiary of Al Qaryan Group.
Iqbal AZIM
Director – Strategy & Growth, Board Member
SFS Industrial Group
Iqbal AZIM has been in Iron & Steel Industry for over two decades. His current role with a growing industrial group has been transformational, leading the growth and expansions of their industrial footprints in UAE, Saudi Arabia and West Africa. He has been working with major steel producing companies including ArcelorMittal in GCC region. With his experiences, market insights, clientele exposures and high networking in the industry – he has been instrumental in new industrial assets, business turn-around, restructuring, and profitability as his core. Iqbal is a post graduate in business – general management, and educated in secondary steel making & stainless steel. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in the area of Green Steel.
Andrea Mazzarano
Business Developer and Sales Manager
POMINI Long Rolling Mills
Born in Italy in 1960, Andrea obtained his degree in Chemistry cum Laude in 1983. After his military service as an Officer in the Army Engineering Corps, he joined Centro Sperimentale Metallurgico SpA (CSM), the corporate R&D of Italian public steel producing companies. He started as a researcher in steelmaking, then became Head of European R&D Projects, key account manager for primary Italian steel companies, marketing and sales manager for Turkey, CIS, China and MENA Countries, and finally Industry 4.0 business manager. In January 2024 Andrea joined Acciaierie d’Italia for EU Relationships and in August 2024 he finally joined POMINI LRM for the Indian Market. He is the author of more than 20 papers and has nine patents filed under his name.
Débora Gracio
Head of Iron Ore Briquettes Business Development, Europe
Vale
Débora is a Metallurgical and Production Engineer with an MBA in Logistics, currently working as Head of Iron Ore Briquettes Business Development for the European market. She has 18 years of experience in Vale. Prior to her current position she has had a diversified career within the company, developing strong expertise in R&D, Operational Planning and Control, Quality Assurance and Customer Services. In January 2020, she was invited to join the team responsible for fully developing and implementing this new business: Cold Agglomeration – Iron Ore Briquettes.
Kelvinder Singh
Director of Batteries, Mining and Industries
Société Générale
Kelvinder is a senior banking professional and leads the business development activities for the Batteries, Mining and Industrial sectors in the Middle East. Kelvinder’s advisory experience (debt and equity) spans over multiple jurisdictions and across the metals value chain, with a continued focus on the decarbonisation of the iron and steel value chain.
Nandakumar Pandalai
Utmost Group
An MBA, with over 40 years of experience in Construction & Building Materials, Property Development, Facilities Management & Consumer businesses. He started his career in the USA, and has worked in India, Oman, and for the last 20 years, in the UAE. He is currently Chief Executive Officer of Utmost Group, UAE. Group companies of Utmost include Utmost Building Materials, one of the largest Rebar traders & Cut & Bend suppliers in the UAE, Utmost Properties & Bahwan Technical Contracting.
Vladimir Arshinov
Group Chief Technology Officer
Dr. Dimitrios Dimitriou
Vice President, ESG and Sustainability
EMSTEEL
Dr Dimitrios is currently Vice President of ESG & Sustainability at EMSTEEL. He has more than 20 years of cross-sectoral experience in clean energy business development, C-suite advisory, consulting and asset management in the hydrogen and derivatives industry, including steel and fertilizers, leading new business development, sustainability strategies, and commercial growth company and project propositions. Previous managerial roles include hydrogen business development in the UAE for ADNOC HQ, advisory roles in Nexant UK and Senior Engineer in Johnson Matthey UK. Dr Dimitrios has a PhD from Imperial College and an MBA from Alliance Manchester Business School.
Görkem Bolaca
Managing Director
Galex Steel
Mr. Bolaca earned his Master of Business Administration degree from La Salle University in Philadelphia, USA, in 2002. He began his career in the United States, working for the multinational company Saint-Gobain. Subsequently, he joined SEI Investments, a Fortune 500 company and a major mutual fund trader in the US. In 2005, Bolaca ventured into the steel industry, taking on a role at a flat steel mill in Turkey to enhance exports. By 2010, he had been appointed Director of Steel Commodities at LN Metals in London, a global commodity trading house owned by First Rand Bank. In 2012, Gorkem Bolaca founded Galex Steel International, a multinational trading company specializing in flat steel products. Galex exports to Europe, Turkey, South America, the Middle East, and the Far East, while also supplying raw materials to integrated and rerolling steel mills worldwide. Galex Steel maintains offices in the UK, UAE, Turkey, Vietnam, and India to facilitate its global steel supply operations.
Yasin Kanbur
General Manager, Middle East
Hangzhou CIEC Group Co.
Yasin Kanbur is an experienced professional with over 14 years in the private sector, primarily focused on the iron and steel industry. Throughout his career, he has excelled in key roles within import and export departments of various organizations. Since 2017, Yasin has been with Hangzhou CIEC International Co., Ltd., China’s largest state-owned iron and steel company, and currently serves as General Manager for the Middle East. In this role, he leads the development and execution of trade strategies across the region, while actively monitoring industry trends to strengthen the company’s competitive edge.
Zain Nathani
Vice President
Material Recycling Association of India (MRAI)
Mr. Zain Nathani is a well-known expert in the recycling industry both in India and abroad. Zain is the Vice President of the Material Recycling Association of India (MRAI) and is also currently Managing Director of Nathani Group— one of the oldest Indian companies involved in the Metal Recycling Industry and work exclusively with Radius Recycling, USA (ex-Schnitzer) to supply bulk cargoes into South Asia and the Middle East Bangladesh.
Satyajit Roy
Elegant Exit Company
Roy is a global citizen who was born in India lived across various countries who ventured into entrepreneurship at an early age. Currently a Director at the Elegant Exit Company looking in to the concept of Ship to Green Steel and handles all trading activities including scrap metal trading Roy looked after the recycling of the vessel Wan Hai 165 in Bahrain which is considered a landmark project in the ship recycling industry where a vessel was taken to a Dry Docks for recycling adhering to the highest recycling standards. Informatively, Roy has degrees in Electrical Engineering and Economics from the Pennsylvania State University, USA
Luke Ravenscroft
Senior Market Analyst
Clarksons Dry Bulk
Luke Ravenscroft is the Senior London Dry Bulk Analyst at Clarksons PLC, the world’s biggest shipping services provider. Luke joined Clarksons in early 2022 and sits alongside the shipbroking team, providing bespoke market analysis to the company’s broad client base (including ship owners, charterers, and investment funds). Prior to this, Luke worked for another London-based shipbroker for four years on the dry cargo markets, which followed his bachelor’s degree in History and Economics from Exeter University. Luke is an accomplished public speaker, giving papers on the dry bulk markets and environmental regulation at company seminars and industry events including LME week in London, Clarksons Annual US Gulf Conference and the John Marshall Lectures.
Sunil Kumar
Chief Marketing Officer
Jindal Shadeed
Susanta Ghosh
Chief Operating Officer and Head of Green Steel
ACME
Arne Ballantine
Ohmium International
Arne Ballantine is CEO and Co-Founder of Ohmium International, a PEM Electrolyzer company. Arne has 20+ years of power generation technology experience as Vice President of Systems Engineering (Bloom Energy), Product Manager and Joint Lead of Engineering (Plug Power) and Lead Engineer (IBM). He has 192 Issued US Patents in the Semiconductor and Hydrogen industries. Arne earned his Nuclear Engineer Certification serving as a US Navy Submarine Officer. He has a degree in Physics and Computer Science from Harvey Mudd college, served as City Energy Utility Commissioner at Palo Alto, California, Board Member in the ECE Department at Rutgers University, and as an ASME Energy Technology Advisory Panel Member.
Ibtisam Al Saadi
Director of Industrial Policies and Legislation
Ibtisam Al Saadi is a highly experienced professional with over fifteen years of experience in the private and industrial sectors. She currently holds the position of Director of the Industrial Policies and Legislation Department at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), UAE. In this critical role, she is responsible for developing and refining policies and regulations essential for guiding and advancing the UAE’s industrial sector. Her duties also include overseeing the implementation of strategic sector-related initiatives and leading international trade negotiations within the Trade in Goods chapter under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and matters related to the GCC, ensuring maximum benefit to the industrial sector. Prior to her current role, Ibtisam held the position of Acting Director of the Industrial Development Department at the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), within the Department of Economic Development (ADDED). There, she was instrumental in leading transformative projects that significantly contributed to the growth of Abu Dhabi’s economy. Among these were the Abu Dhabi Local Content (ADLC) program, the Electricity Tariff Incentive Program (ETIP), and a strategic rental rebate initiative aimed at supporting the private sector through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ibtisam played a crucial role in the development of Abu Dhabi’s Industrial Strategy, which aims to make the emirate a top destination for industrial investments. This ambitious plan, supported by a 10 billion dirham budget, is set to propel the manufacturing sector to new heights. In her previous private sector engagements, Ibtisam exhibited strong leadership and delivered major projects, such as the Abu Dhabi Wi-Fi system, enhancements in Fujairah Energy, and innovative Mobile Apps Development. Ibtisam is a graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Information Technology from the Higher College of Technology in Abu Dhabi. Her vast experience and strategic insight are key in navigating the UAE's industrial policies and legislation, driving them towards an innovative and prosperous future.
Sabri Al Sadi
Economic Advisor, Industry Growth Sector
Sabri is the leading economic expert for the National ICV (In-Country Value) Program, currently directing its national implementation at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) in collaboration with strategic partners. With over 15 years of experience in the oil and gas sector, Sabri played a key role in launching the ICV program at ADNOC before transitioning to his current role at MoIAT. He is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), overseeing the work of 25 audit firms and certifying bodies to ensure the programme's successful execution.
Amna Al Mulla
Specialist- IOP Procurement
Sabri Al Saadi
Economic Advisor at the Industrial Growth Sector
Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology
Sabri is the leading economic expert for the National ICV (In-Country Value) Program, currently directing its national implementation at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) in collaboration with strategic partners. With over 15 years of experience in the oil and gas sector, Sabri played a key role in launching the ICV program at ADNOC before transitioning to his current role at MoIAT. He is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), overseeing the work of 25 audit firms and certifying bodies to ensure the program's successful execution.
Cedric Perrault
Marketing and Technology Director, Flow Control, EMEA
Vesuvius
Eng. Yousef Al-Marzouqi
Director of Standards and Technical Regulations