Speakers & Panelists - CIO Leadership Awards 2025

Topic:

Validating Gen AI: How Enterprises and Business Leaders can apply Gen AI to revolutionize their industries.

Keynote Speaker

Rehan Shahid

Regional Channel & Alliances Head – Midde East & Pakistan
Hitachi Vantara

Rehan Shahid

For over 2 decades, Rehan Shahid, has been a successful and noteworthy leader working for major multinational IT vendors and is playing a significant role in supporting the Digital Transformation of large, complex and often ransformational IT solutions into major organisations across a wide range of industry sectors. Recently, as a Regional Channel & Alliances Leader across Midde East, Rehan has been working closely to transform Hitachi Vantara’s partner ecosystem and strongly believes that “A Strong Channel Builds a Strong and Satisfied Customer Base”.

Additionally, he has also been advising on defining and building an AI Growth Strategies within some of his focusssed ecosystem of Channel Leaders.
He is a fan and loves playing cricket, table tennis and Golf whenever he gets some time off from his work and home.

Panel Speakers

Loubna Imenchal

Vice President & Head of Enterprise Business – AMECA & Turkey
Logitech

Loubna Imenchal

Padam Sundar Kafle

Head of IT, Automations and Innovations
Aster Hospitals – UAE and Oman

Padam Sundar Kafle

Rami Nehme

Regional Sales Director – South Gulf, Levant & Pakistan
OPSWAT

Rami Nehme

Rami Nehme is a senior cybersecurity leader with over 15 years of experience in the industry. In his current role, Rami leads strategic sales initiatives and drives business development across UAE, Qatar, Oman, Levant & Pakistan helping organizations strengthen their security posture through OPSWAT’s innovative solutions. Before joining OPSWAT, Rami held leadership positions at renowned cybersecurity companies, where he played a pivotal role in developing and executing go-to-market strategies, building strong client relationships, and driving revenue growth. Throughout his career, Rami has been a trusted advisor to clients, helping them navigate the increasingly complex cybersecurity landscape. His deep understanding of security challenges, combined with his passion for technological advancements, has enabled him to deliver tailored solutions that mitigate risks and enhance security resilience.

Samer Semaan

Director of Distribution & Alliances -META
Pure Storage

Samer Semaan

Wolfgang Kroj

General Manager – Sales – Middle East and Africa
Hitachi Vantara

Wolfgang Kroj

With an impressive 45-year journey in the IT industry, Wolfgang Kroj is a seasoned leader known for shaping high-performance teams and driving innovation across global markets. Having held senior leadership roles at Sun Microsystems and Oracle, he led the EMEA Systems Presales Team, fostering excellence across the region.

Now at Hitachi Vantara, Wolfgang has been instrumental in developing and leading teams across Central Europe, Turkey, South Africa, and now the Middle East. His deep expertise in business transformation, leadership, and cultural intelligence makes him a sought-after voice in the industry.

As a business coach, Wolfgang is passionate about helping organizations and individuals navigate change and unlock their full potential.

Join Wolfgang as he shares insights from decades of industry leadership, offering game-changing strategies for growth and success in today’s fast-evolving digital landscape.