Invited Speakers

H.E. Dr Rowsch Nori Shaways

Deputy Prime Minister for Economic and Industrial Affairs

Dr Shaways first served as Prime Minister of the KDP-controlled part of Kurdistan. After 2004 he served as one of Iraq's two Vice Presidents in the interim government established in 2004. Subsequently, he was a Deputy Prime Minister in the government headed by Ibrahim al-Jaafari.
Previously, Dr Shaways served as speaker of Parliament in the Kurdish autonomous region and is a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party. Dr Shaways earned a doctorate in engineering in Germany and returned to Iraq in 1975 to join the Kurdish resistance against the regime in Iraq.

Rt Hon Lord Green of Hustpierpoint

UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment

Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint is Minister of State for Trade and Investment. He took up his appointment after a 28-year career with HSBC which culminated in his appointment as Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings in 2006.
He has been Chairman of the British Bankers' Association and Chairman of the Prime Minister's Business Council for Britain. He has also served as a trustee of The British Museum and an honorary trustee of Peking University.

H.E. Dr Sami Al-Araji

Chairman, National Investment Commission

Dr. Al-Araji was appointed Chairman of the National Investment Commission in 2009. Prior to this, Dr. Al-Araji was the Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Industry and Minerals where he held numerous positions including Director General (DG) of Planning, DG of Engineering Inspection and Quality Control, and Head of the Nuclear Safety Authority at the Atomic Energy Commission.
Dr. Al-Araji is a member of many reputable committees and professional societies worldwide including the American Society of Aeronautics & Astronautics, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Nuclear Society, North American Research Society and others.
Dr. Al-Araji has over 80 publications to his credit and holds a BSc, MSc and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University.

Faruk Mustafa Rasool

Chairman Farouk Group Holding

Faruk Mustafa Rasool is a good example of the new Iraq and the big opportunities available within this new nation. He is the Founder, Owner and Chairman of many companies in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region through his company Faruk Group Holding (FGH).
Rasool’s group includes Asiacell, two cement companies, and many other sectors including: IT, hospitality, hospitals, construction, manufacturing, insurance, trading, housing and automotive dealerships.
Rasool’s view is to create leading Iraqi companies in their fields with an added value to their employees and customers.

Matthew Mould

Regional Director of Sales The Royal Mint

Matthew Mould is Regional Director of Sales for the Middle East and South Asia, and has worked at the Royal Mint for seven years. Matthew’s previous role at the Royal Mint was as Commemorative Coin Trade Manager for the Asia Pacific region.
The Royal Mint is the world leading manufacturer of coins and medals with an international reputation for the highest quality, beautiful design and maximum security. The Royal Mint is the largest exporting mint in the world supplying 60 countries annually as well as manufacturing all UK coinage.
The Royal Mint has a long and proud history and association with the Republic of Iraq having, for almost 100 years, been the manufacturer of the majority of Iraqi circulating coins.

Bishr Baker

Ernst & Young - Office Managing Partner, Jordan and Iraq

Bishr is the Managing Partner at Ernst & Young Jordan, and Iraq , leading the Amman, Baghdad and Erbil Offices.
Drawing upon 25 years of client servicing expertise, he has extensive experience working with the largest regional banks and investment firms in the Middle East as well as government agencies, telecoms, real estate, hospitality and mining.
Since joining Ernst & Young in 1992, he played an important role in major transactions in the Middle East, more specifically in Jordan and Iraq and has considerable experience in advising clients on key transactions, due diligence, valuations and IPOs. Bishr has been in charge of the reconciliation of Iraq’ external debt since 2004, where E&Y is the Reconciliation Agent for the Ministry of Finance.
Baker holds a B.Sc. in Economics and Accounting from the University of Bristol, UK. He is both a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and is a member of the Jordan Association of Certified Public Accountants.

H.E. Dr Qusay Al-Suhail

First Deputy President of Parliament

Dr Qusay Al-Suhail is a top political leader in the Sadrist movement in Iraq (one of the largest factions among Iraq's Shi'ite majority) and a senior member of the Iraqi National Assembly.
Dr Al-Suhail is also Assistant Professor at the Department of Geology, University of Basrah. Dr Al-Suhail graduated from Baghdad University with MSc and PhD degrees in Hydrology. He’s a renowned expert in the water resources of Iraq and the wider region.Apart from his brilliant scientific career, Dr, Al-Suhail has always been actively involvedin charitable and civil society organisations in Iraq.

H.E. Dr Sinan Al-Shabibi

Governor, Central Bank of Iraq

Dr Al-Shabibi holds a B.Sc. in Economics and a Diploma in Advanced Studies in Economic Developmentfrom Baghdad University. He also holds an M.A. in Economics from the University of Manchester, and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Bristol.
Dr Al-Shabibi formerly held senior positions in the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and Ministry of Oil. Since taking over as central bank governor, Al-Shabibi has introduced the Bank's employees to modern finance, made the switch from typewriters and calculators to computers, introduced the Bankto financial instruments like currency auctions, and replaced Iraq's pre-2003 banknotes with the New Iraqi Dinar. He has also reduced inflation to single digits and increased foreign exchange reserves further supporting further Iraq's macroeconomic stability.

Ahmed Ramadan

Senior Vice President, Sales & Project Finance, General Electric

Ahmed has lived most of his life between the US and Egypt where he Graduated from the American University in Cairo with a BA in Economics and speaks fluently English and Arabic.
Ahmed has a 17-year experience at senior positions in the Banking sector specializing in Corporate and Investment Banking as well as Asset Based Finance. He started his banking career at Commercial International Bank, Egypt where he concluded the Chase Manhattan Credit Training Program, he then moved to Citibank, Egypt. Before joining GE, Ahmed was the North Africa & Levant Regional Manager for Cisco Capital. His geographical focus has been MEA over the last 6 years.
Ahmed has been intensively involved in the financing of trade and investment flows between MEA and Europe and has a deep knowledge of trade and export /project finance techniques and practices, together with a large portfolio of banking and institutional relations in the Region. Ahmed joined GE in 2007 and leads the Customer and Project Finance activities supporting all industrial businesses of GE covering the Southern & Eastern Africa Region in addition to the Gulf and Levant.

Ziad Badr

International Finance Corporation (IFC), Iraq Country Manager

In July 2011 ZiadBadr joined IFC and became their first manager in Iraq responsible for setting up the new IFC office in Baghdad. He is also charged with developing and executing IFC's strategy in the country, and leading IFC's dialogue and coordination with the Iraqi government, private sector, donors, and other stake-holders.

Sharon Poulson

Iraq Finance Manager Shell EP International Limited

Sharon Poulson is currently holding the position of the Iraq Finance Manager in Shell- mainly focusing on building a finance team to deliver an integrated support across Shell’s Upstream Business in Iraq. The Iraq Finance Team covers all finance activities on the Majnoon Field Development (Shell-Operated), West Qurna 1 (Exxon-operated) and South Gas Venture (JV-Operated).
Sharon moved to Dubai in January 2006 to join Upstream Commercial Finance providing commercial finance advice to upstream new business teams in the Middle East. She has held a number of Finance Lead positions, including a large-scale CO2 capture to Enhanced Oil Recovery.
Prior to that, Sharon was the Economics & Treasury Manager for Shell Renewable & Hydrogen - ranging from minority stakes in Hydrogen venture cap funds to large capital intensive offshore wind farms. She joined Shell in January 2002 as a business development manager for Shell Wind Energy.

Pre-Shell experience includes energy sector project finance in Russia for IFC (World Bank Group) and peace-keeping activities at the United Nations

Wadie Habboush

President & CEO
Habboush Group

Wadie Habboush is the President & CEO of Habboush Group, a trusted strategic alliance partner of some of the world’s leading energy and financial companies operating in emerging markets worldwide.
Habboush is actively engaged in oil, gas, and infrastructure projects in southern and central Iraq. A descendant of Iraq, he has deep ties to the tribes and local communities.
Formerly an attorney in the London and Washington offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, he specialised in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, leveraged buyouts, equity offerings, and other cross-border corporate transactions.
Habboush has been consulted on Iraq policy by the highest levels of the U.S. Government, including the President, and engages widely with senior Iraqi officials.
Habboush holds a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University and a B.Sc. magna cum laude from the American University in Washington DC.