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Keynote Speaker
Loubna Imenchal
Vice President & Head of Enterprise Business – AMECA & Turkey
Logitech
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Loubna Imenchal
Loubna Imenchal is a champion for women in technology, dedicated to empowering the next generation of female leaders. As Head of Enterprise Business at Logitech, she leads with a mission to foster inclusive leadership, mentorship, and career advancement for women across the Africa, Middle East, Turkey, and Central Asia region.
With over 20 years of experience in sales, operations, and business expansion, Loubna has built and led high-performing teams at Johnson Controls, Jabra, Honeywell, and FedEx. She is committed to mentoring and developing women in tech, advocating for equal opportunities, leadership visibility, and workplace diversity.
Loubna holds an MBA from École des Ponts Business School and an MPA in Public Affairs and Lobbying from the University of Oxford. A sought-after speaker, she continues to inspire and drive change by bridging the gap between women’s potential and leadership opportunities in the tech industry.
Panel Discussion: Empowering Women Leaders: Leveraging AI to Advance Careers
Esha D'Souza
CEO & Partner
Corporate Group
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Esha D'Souza
Esha’s journey in the consulting world commenced at a remarkably early age, giving her 20 years of professional expertise in her career. She first embarked on her career in her father’s auditing firm in India. Through a strong, clear motive to be successful within the consulting landscape, she relentlessly pursued her aspirations, ultimately achieving the prestigious milestone of becoming a Qualified Chartered Accountant. Her academic endeavors paralleled her professional trajectory as worked with top 10 Auditing firms in geographies like Singapore, Qatar and UAE before beginning her entrepreneur journey in the UAE.
Her hard work and dedication have resulted in success. Some of these achievements are quite significant awards that have recognized her for her relentless efforts to be a leading consultant in her industry.
She has been awarded the best upcoming Corporate Services Provider firm in the region from the Arabian Best of Best of Awards 2022. The UAE Women Leaders Awards also celebrated her with the Award for Emerging Women’s Leaders in 2023. Following that, she was named in the Top 10 Indian Women Leaders in the UAE 2023 by the Women’s Entrepreneur India Magazine and also named the Most Inspiring Leaders to Follow in 2023 by The Enterprise World Magazine. Recently she has led the organization to win the Organizational Transformation Leader of the Year in the Tax and Auditing at the Future Enterprise Awards 2024.
She has been a speaker and panelist at various events held by the ICAI Dubai and Abu Dhabi chapter, IIA Chapter in Sharjah, Sri Lankan CA Institute to name a few and various events conducted to improve industry knowledge.
Loubna Imenchal
Vice President & Head of Enterprise Business – AMECA & Turkey
Logitech
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Loubna Imenchal
Loubna Imenchal is a champion for women in technology, dedicated to empowering the next generation of female leaders. As Head of Enterprise Business at Logitech, she leads with a mission to foster inclusive leadership, mentorship, and career advancement for women across the Africa, Middle East, Turkey, and Central Asia region.
With over 20 years of experience in sales, operations, and business expansion, Loubna has built and led high-performing teams at Johnson Controls, Jabra, Honeywell, and FedEx. She is committed to mentoring and developing women in tech, advocating for equal opportunities, leadership visibility, and workplace diversity.
Loubna holds an MBA from École des Ponts Business School and an MPA in Public Affairs and Lobbying from the University of Oxford. A sought-after speaker, she continues to inspire and drive change by bridging the gap between women’s potential and leadership opportunities in the tech industry.
Dr. Pallavi Ranjan
Faculty in AI | Deep Learning | Earth Science | Computational Intelligence
School of Information Technology, Murdoch University Dubai
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Dr. Pallavi Ranjan
Dr. Pallavi Ranjan is a faculty at Murdoch University Dubai and a research scientist in AI focused on computer vision, image processing and earth sciences. With over 15 years of full-time academic experience in the Middle East and India, Dr. Ranjan is a visionary leader with a strong focus on mentoring and nurturing future tech professionals. She earned her PhD in AI and Machine Learning from Delhi Technological University in 2024 and a Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy (UK) in 2017 for her teaching excellence. Dr. Ranjan completed her master’s in computer science engineering as a gold medallist in 2010 after successfully clearing the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering. Presently, she is steering the Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems program at Murdoch University Dubai.
Her research involves developing novel algorithms in Computer Vision, Image Processing, Generative AI, Data Science and Machine Learning with remote sensing, HSI, earth sciences, urban development, and disaster management applications. She has published over 30 papers in SCI/E journals and conferences, authored multiple book chapters, and filed several patents in the Indian Patent Office and the Australian Government. Dr. Ranjan actively participates in government and industry-funded projects and reviews for prestigious journals, including IEEE TGRS, Earth Sciences, Signal Image Video Processing, and JISA, to name a few. Believing that teaching, industry, and research are inseparable parts of academia, Dr. Ranjan has chaired sessions at leading conferences and organised and hosted conferences powered by the British Computer Society, CISCO, Oracle MEA, Robotics Club @The Assembly during her tenure at Middlesex University. She was honoured with the Commendable Research Award from Delhi Technological University for her contributions to the field. Extremely close to her heart, Dr. Ranjan is committed to empowering women to pursue careers in science and tech. She previously served as the Head of the ORACLE Academy MEA and is a Senior Member of IEEE, where she continues to contribute to her domain.
Vasudha Khandeparkar
AI and Data Expert Lead
Grant Thornton – UAE
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Vasudha Khandeparkar
Vasudha is an AI and data expert with nearly 15 years of international expertise spanning various industries and functions. She has been at the forefront of establishing and scaling data teams, crafting tools and capabilities that enable businesses to leverage their data for enhanced customer relationships and improved growth metrics. As a recognized leader, Vasudha has been brought to the UAE to spearhead the AI and data practice at a leading global firm.
Prior to the role, Vasudha led a strategic and operational analytics team at Barclays in the UK, where she played a pivotal role in optimizing and transforming the bank’s customer contact strategy. Her visionary approach saw her launch a market-leading AI tool for marketing automation nearly a decade ago and firmly positions her as an advocate for data democratization and education within any organization.
Vasudha holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the USA and a Masters in Operational Research from the University of Southampton. More recently, she has completed her MBA from London Business School, which she pursued while on her maternity leave. Her academic credentials, combined with her practical experience, underscore her status as a top-tier expert in the AI and data fields.
Zina Ashour
Founder
Women in Crypto Arabia (WIC)
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Zina Ashour
Zina Ashour is a leading entrepreneur and a Web3.0 enthusiast, renowned for her advocacy for women’s involvement in the crypto space. As the founder of Women in Crypto Arabia, she passionately promotes the participation of women in the cryptocurrency industry.
With over two decades of start-up experience and expertise in business management, entrepreneurship, and the evolving domains of Blockchain, Zina is a certified Metaverse Expert actively contributing to the crypto landscape. She is dedicated to spreading accurate information about Blockchain technology and encouraging more individuals to enter this space.
Zina’s interests encompass business development, public relations, and entrepreneurship. She holds an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology and is a certified Business Strategist. Additionally, she has completed certifications in Digital Marketing and Blockchain Technology.
In 2018, Zina co-founded iOWNX, a secure and decentralized platform designed to simplify the entry into the Web3 domain for users. She continuously expands her knowledge on crypto and blockchain-related topics, including NFTs, the Metaverse, and Web3.
Zina’s commitment to education and empowerment is evident in her founding of ‘Women in Crypto Arabia,’ aimed at encouraging more women to participate in crypto. The group regularly conducts workshops on the basics of Blockchain technology and Cryptocurrencies. Recently, she also obtained an online degree in Blockchain for business.
Key Achievements:
– Founder of Women in Crypto Arabia, promoting women’s participation in crypto
– Co-Founder of iOWNX, a secure and decentralized Web3 platform
– Marketing consultant for Mining Race, the first Bitcoin mining network in the world
– MBA holder from New York Institute of Technology
– Certified Business Strategist with expertise in branding and advertising
– Completed an online degree in Blockchain for business
– Over 20 years of start-up experience
– More than 8 years in the Blockchain and cryptocurrency domain
– Certified Metaverse Expert and Digital Marketing professional
– Founded Dhad World, an ED-tech company
– Active investor with a strategic focus on Blockchain and cryptocurrency projects
– Actively involved in learning about NFTs, the Metaverse, and Web3
– Conducts workshops on Blockchain basics and Cryptocurrencies, a rapidly evolving landscape
Zina Ashour continues to be an influential figure in the crypto space, driving innovation and fostering inclusive growth within the industry
Panel Discussion: Pioneering Parity: UAE's Leadership in Empowering Women in Tech
Aarti Mohan
Senior Director – Business Applications (ECEMEA)
Oracle
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Aarti Mohan
Aarti Mohan is the Senior Director for Business Applications at Oracle. In this role, Aarti is responsible for driving success in the area of Digital Transformation at Oracle for ECEMEA (Eastern Europe, Central Europe, Middle East and Africa Region). Aarti has been working with cutting edge cloud solutions for over 20 years in several roles.
Aarti has been instrumental in helping organizations understand the value of adopting best practices in finance and operations for a world class solution and has worked closely with major customers across the region. Aarti’s strong background in finance transformation is leveraged in supporting the CFO’s to drive change within organizations to ensure they stay current and adopt latest technology to drive their business goals.
Most recently Aarti has built expertise on AI to support Oracle’s customers in their AI journey.
Ekta Puthran
Sales & Regional Marketing Director – Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa
Barco
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Ekta Puthran
Mariana Missakian
Advocate for mother-inclusive workplaces & founder of The UNMUTE Project
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Mariana Missakiam
Mariana Missakian is a storyteller, a best-selling author, TEDx speaker, and a doctoral candidate researching mothers in leadership in tech. Originally Armenian, Mariana was born in Lebanon and moved to Dubai at age 18. Over the next 15 years, she excelled in highly competitive, fast-growing industries, working with IBM, Intel, and McKinsey to develop product, market, and customer strategies to drive organizational change. By age 28, she was leading the communications strategy for a $240 million M&A and managed the corporate communications for a $34 billion IPO.
Mariana holds two master’s degrees. An MBA from the University of Roehampton and an MPhil from UCAM in Diversity and Inclusion in Leadership. Her MBA thesis, explored the influence of female leadership in promoting career advancement for women, particularly in Dubai. Her MPhil dissertation expanded on this work, examining the impact of diversity and inclusion policies on career advancement opportunities for mothers in Dubai, a topic central to her current doctoral research. Through her research Mariana continues to focus on leading the conversation on mother-inclusive workplaces, and she frequently speaks on how to advance diversity and inclusion beyond maternity leave and flexible hours. Through her research, speaking engagements, and workshops, Mariana strives to challenge outdated narratives around working mothers, inclusion, and leadership, emphasizing: “Women lead when mothers lead.”
In 2021, Mariana published her first book, That Suburbia Lady, a satirical memoir exploring the authenticity of choices, voices, and dreams.
The book was added to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library catalog in 2022.
By 2023, she was a featured rising local author at the Emirates Literature Festival and delivered a TEDx talk on the seasonality of life, the power of personal stories, and how they shape our identities.
In 2024, Mariana launched The UNMUTE Project a platform that amplifies voices and stories often “muted” in a curated world. The initiative challenges the status quo on authenticity, identity, belonging, and representation. Each season, The UNMUTE Project invites on stage different voices from the community to share their raw and real stories to start conversations on what matters most. With each season focusing on unique and different topics and themes.
Mary O'Leary
Tax and Sustainability Expert
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Mary O'Leary
Mary is a specialist in tax policy, tax technology and sustainability. Formerly she worked for the OECD in Paris and EY MENA. She has now started her own consultancy advising governments and companies around technology for tax process optimization and the achievement of sustainability goals
Suraya Turk
Managing Partner
Legal Circle
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Suraya Turk
An Australian qualified lawyer, certified leader and business coach, Suraya Turk exhibits a strong commitment to personal and professional development, leveraging diverse work experiences and education to finesse legal skills and business acumen.
Currently serving as the Managing Partner and Head of Private Equity, Capital Fundraising, and Corporate Commercial at Legal Circle Law Firm in the UAE, she works extensively with clients ranging from tech startups to multinational companies, providing counsel on various corporate matters. Previously, she held roles leading prominent local and international law firms in the UAE and has coached high level executives in business.
Passionate about making a meaningful impact, Suraya is the UAE Chapter Director of Women in Tech, and actively extends her expertise to startup founders, investors, and women in business, collaborating to help them exceed their goals. As a thought leader, speaker and moderator, she contributes significantly to seminars, panel discussions, trainings, and workshops on law and business.