Douglas Alistair McNeil

Chief Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister, HM Government

Advisor to the Rt Hon Rishi Sunak since his appointment as Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2020. Specialisms include fiscal policy, the financial system, and international economic relations. Similar positions under prime ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson, following 20 years in the financial markets in London and Milan; head of economic research for the Conservative Party in opposition. Has written on politics and economics for the Times and the Financial Times and spoken about these subjects on the BBC, CNN and other channels. Graduate of Oxford, Edinburgh and Johns Hopkins universities; member of the Royal Economics Society.

Mohamed Al Sharhan

Managing Director of the World Governments Summit Organization

Mohamed Al Sharhan is the Managing Director of the World Governments Summit Organization at the UAE Prime Minister's Office. Mohamed held the position of the Deputy Managing Director between 2020 and 2023. Between 2018 and 2020, Al Sharhan was the Projects Manager at the Dubai Future Foundation, where he led a number of projects such as Dubai 10X and the FIRST Global Championship for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, which witnessed the participation of 191 teams from different countries around the world, and the CEO Summit hosted under the patronage of the Crown Prince of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum.

Prior to joining the Dubai Future Foundation, Al Sharhan worked as an engineer specialized in sustainable transport, and as a researcher at Masdar Institute in the field of transport and sustainable development between 2011 and 2013.

Mohamed is a National Expert at the UAE Presidential Court since 2019. In 2019, he was selected as a participant in the first Global Secondment Program for Emirati Leaders by the Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development and was a graduate of the Impactful leader's program in 2023.

Al Sharhan holds an MSc in Engineering Systems and Management in 2013 from the joint Higher Education program between Masdar Institute and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a Masters in Leadership and Innovation from Rochester Institute of Technology in the US, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 2011 from the American University of Sharjah in the UAE.

Sima Ganwani Ved

Founder and Chairwoman, APPAREL GROUP

Sima Ganwani Ved is the Founder and Chairwoman of the renowned Apparel Group. The multi-billion-dollar company based in the UAE has firmly established itself as one of the largest retailers in the Middle East with an impressive portfolio of 85+ prestigious brands across 2,100+ stores in 14 countries, supported by a dedicated workforce of over 20,000 employees. Over the years, Sima Ganwani Ved’s achievements garnered numerous professional and personal awards and accolades including The Philantropreneur of the Year, Retailer of the Year, Great Place to Work, Great Women’s Award and Emirates Woman of the Year Awards.

Sima Ganwani Ved, born in Africa, embarked on a remarkable journey that would shape her into the successful entrepreneur she is today. In the 1970s, she relocated to Dubai alongside her self-made entrepreneur father, immersing herself in a world of ambition and opportunity. She later moved to the UK to pursue her education, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree from King’s College London, followed by an MBA in Business Management. At the age of 20, Sima Ganwani Ved made her foray into the business world as a Department Manager in her father’s shopping mall. This experience laid a solid foundation for her work ethic and reinforced her commitment to sound business principles.

In addition to her remarkable achievements in the business world, Sima Ganwani Ved is also an active member of various global organizations such as YPO and CEO. Sima Ganwani Ved’s compassionate nature extends beyond her professional pursuits and that led her to mentor her teenage daughter, Sarisha Ved to launch her own Athleisure brand, F5 Global where 100% of the profits from the “Fees for Tees” collection go towards children’s education. Simultaneously, Sima Ganwani Ved also mentored her eldest daughter, Selina Ved, to establish NESSA, a social e-commerce beauty platform.

Sima Ganwani Ved’s persona is a blend of diverse talents. In the early 2000s, she expressed her creative side by writing a newspaper column and dabbling in play acting, receiving accolades for both. She also hosted “Hi Tea with Sima Ved” on Star Plus International, showcasing her versatility.

Sima Ganwani Ved, with her entrepreneurial spirit, philanthropic heart, and creative flair, continues to be a beacon of inspiration in the business world. Her story is not just of business success but of a person's holistic growth in various facets of life, making her an exemplary figure in the international business community.

Tejpreet Singh Chopra

Designation President & CEO, BLP Group ( Industry.AI )

Tejpreet S. Chopra is the Founder & CEO of Bharat Light & Power Group (BLP). BLP is one of the leading clean energy generation (IPP) and technology companies in India. BLP has 3 companies in the group. The first focuses on developing, owning, and operating utility scale wind and solar farms. The second is an investment vehicle in partnership with AP Moller Capital focused on responsibly investing in infrastructure assets in India with a primary focus on transport, energy and digital infrastructure sectors. The third group company, “Industry.AI” is an Enterprise AI and Industrial IoT software product company. It provides end to end monitoring, reporting and advanced analytics that improve productivity, efficiency and sustainability across industries including manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, steel, auto, oil & gas etc. The BLP Group has had joint ventures with the Italian utility, Enel Green Power, and the Norwegian utility, Statkraft.

Tejpreet’s 22 years of global management and finance experience was gained in various business roles held in France, England, Hong Kong, India and USA, of which over 14 years were at General Electric.

Until 2010, Tejpreet was the President & CEO of General Electric in India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh, and was responsible for directing GE's strategies for growth in these countries.

Prior to that, Tejpreet served as President & CEO of GE Capital (Commercial Finance) in India, where he successfully restructured and expanded the business, thereby establishing GE Commercial Finance as one of the premier financial institutions in India.

Since joining GE in 1996, he has held positions in marketing, structured finance and risk management, in Stamford and Hong Kong for GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS). In 2005, he moved from the unit's headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, to open GECAS’s office in Delhi. As Senior Vice-President and Country Head-India for GECAS, Tejpreet arranged over US$1 billion in financing for India's growing airline industry.

At present, he is an Independent Director on the board of SRF Limited, the Anand Group (top 5 Automotive Component Groups in India), IEX (Indian Energy Exchange), Tube Investments of India (Murugappa Group), Eicher Group, and Chairman of the board of APM Terminals Pipavav port (A.P. Møller - Maersk A/S group). He is also on the board of the World Economic Forum Foundation (WEF) for YGL’s; and the London based global philanthropic organization, the Clean Air Fund. Tejpreet was recently nominated to the Board of Governors of the Lawrence School, Sanawar. He is the National Skill Development Corporation (Govt of India and Indian Industry initiative) Nominee Director on the Board of the Power Sector Skill Council.

Tejpreet is involved in various industry associations. He is a member of the National Council of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), was the Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in India (AMCHAM), and was on the Board of Directors of the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC). He is a member of the Council of Management of the All India Management Association (AIMA). Tejpreet was appointed the Co[1]Chair of the World Economic Forum’s, Global Future Council (GFC) on Advanced Energy Technologies, the Stewardship Board on the Future of Energy, and is a member of WEFs CEO group on Advanced Manufacturing. He is a participant of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and the Cornell University Council. He is also an Aspen Institute Fellow, a part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. He was nominated as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2010. Tejpreet has also spoken at several international conferences, including Asia Society’s CEO Forum Series in New York and LA, the Economist’s India Business Summit in London, the Wharton India Economic Forum, the Harvard Business School India Conference, and the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos.

He graduated from The Lawrence School, Sanawar. Tejpreet holds an MBA degree from Cornell University, a B.A. Honors degree in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University and attended an executive program at the Harvard Kennedy School. He enjoys sports and music – and was a national level swimmer.

Prashant Ruia

Director, Essar

Prashant Ruia, 54, a second-generation entrepreneur, has been at the helm of decision-making for the Essar Group for more than a decade. Essar Group has an asset base of $ 9.5 billion and revenues of $15 billion. Essar invests in building and creating value in core sectors of Energy, Infrastructure, Metals & Mining and Technology & Retail. Under Prashant’s leadership, Essar is transitioning its existing assets towards a greener economy. Prashant is an active member of the UK India Business Council (UKIBC), Young Presidents Organization (YPO), Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), and a board member of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).