Ali Al-Ganzory
Ali Al-Ganzory is a distinguished oil and energy executive with over 15 years of expertise in the global base oils and lubricants sector. Renowned for his strategic vision and entrepreneurial drive, he has established a strong track record in developing innovative supply models and building impactful international partnerships across the MENA region and beyond.
He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Khepri Lubes United GreenTech, a fast-growing company specializing in re-refining and trading base oils and lubricants, with expanding operations in Egypt and across Africa. Through this venture, Ali combines his passion for sustainable development with his commitment to advancing industry collaboration.
A frequent speaker at leading global conferences, Ali actively advocates for sustainability, industrial growth, smarter supply chains, and greater regional integration in the downstream sector. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Analytics and continues to champion forward-looking strategies in base oils, specialty fluids, and low-carbon fuels.
Dr. Mahdi Shahbakhti
Mahdi Shahbakhti is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alberta, Canada. He previously held faculty and research positions at Michigan Technological University (2012–2019) and the University of California, Berkeley (2010–2012).
Dr. Shahbakhti’s research focuses on Automotive AI, Fleet management and optimization including electric, hybrid electric, fuel cell, and conventional vehicles. He has authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications and has received research funding from organizations including Canada Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Alberta Innovates, the US National Science Foundation, ARPA-E, the US Department of Energy, and major automotive companies such as Ford, GM, Toyota, and Cummins.
He is the former Chair of the ASME DSCD Automotive and Transportation Systems Technical Committee (2020–2022) and the Energy Systems Technical Committee (2018–2020). He currently serves as Technical Editor for the IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics and has previously served as Associate Editor for the ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control (2017–2023) and the International Journal of Powertrains (2014–2020).
Frederik Bisbjerg
Frederik Bisbjerg (born 1973 in Denmark) is a highly respected international C-level executive and sought-after leading expert specializing in AI strategies for insurance companies, digital transformation, and business model innovation within the insurance industry, particularly across the MENA region.
He is Head of MENA and Digital Transformation specialist with the Digital Insurer. At The Digital Insurer, he is a founding member of the world’s first mini-MBA in Digital Insurance, where he lectures on the topics of Strategy and Transformation, Big Data, and Best Practice Tech Architectures.
He’s been Deputy Chief Executive Officer at eData Information Management, a pioneering AI and data analytics company providing tailored solutions to insurers, focused explicitly on driving tangible profitability improvements.
Previously, Frederik held senior executive roles, including CEO of Al Wathba Insurance, Chief Transformation Officer at AXA Global Healthcare, and Senior Vice President of Digital Transformation & Innovation at Daman National Health Insurance Company, one of the GCC’s largest insurers. At Daman, he successfully led initiatives transforming the company into a digitally-driven, agile, and resilient insurer.
He served as Executive Vice President for Qatar Insurance Group (QIC), the largest composite insurer in the MENA region and one of the largest insurers in Asia.
Frederik possesses strong business acumen and is recognized for his ability to build businesses and forge new, often previously unseen, alliances between business partners for mutual benefits; a skill refined and honed through many years of working internationally for a top-tier management consulting firm.
He’s the author of the best-selling book "Insurance_Next", a practical guide on how to transform an incumbent insurer into a flexible, agile, and resilient insurance company, ready for the New Normal following the COVID-19 outbreak and the introduction of publicly available generative AI models.
Jacob Peled
Mr. Jacob Peled is the Founder and Executive Chairman of the Pelmar Group of companies, headquartered in Israel. For the last 50 years, the Pelmar Group has focused on technology, equipment, engineering, and promotion related to the tire and rubber industry. Mr. Peled has focused on the subjects of sustainability and particularly recycling of both technical rubber products and tires. Graduate of Tel Aviv University and post-graduate of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Mr. Peled is an Executive Board member of the Retread Tire Association (RTA) and a member of the Rubber Division, American Chemical Society and several other world-organizations.
Raj Kumar Prasad
Raj K. Prasad is an accomplished expert in sustainability and management systems, with over 25 years of professional experience and more than 14 years of specialisation in management systems implementation. As a certified Lead Auditor and Lead Tutor (IRCA No. 6018807), he has conducted more than 3,000 audit man-days across 20+ countries and trained professionals in over 100 auditor courses.
His industry expertise spans oil & gas, petrochemicals, industrial manufacturing, mining, cement, construction, and financial services. Raj has worked with global organisations such as British Petroleum, Shell, Saudi Aramco, Qatar Petroleum, Oman Petroleum Development, and Emirates NBD.
Holding an M.Tech. in Environmental Science & Engineering, a Diploma in Industrial Safety, and NEBOSH certification with distinction, Raj combines firm academic grounding with extensive hands-on expertise. His career journey includes roles with the Central Pollution Control Board, The Energy and Resources Institute, Asian Paints, Whirlpool, and international oil pipeline projects before joining BSI in 2006.
At BSI Middle East & Africa, Raj leads sustainability initiatives, conducting audits and providing guidance on quality, environmental, health & safety, energy, and integrated management systems, helping organisations achieve operational excellence and sustainable growth.
Sebastian Kempf
Sebastian serves as Senior Partner and global co-leader of McKinsey’s aftermarket & services practice. He advises clients globally on growth and sales strategy, services transformation, operating model enhancements, digital disruptions, and performance transformations. More recently, he supported clients on aftermarket growth, new business models, M&A, as well as performance improvement. Sebastian holds a B.Sc. degree in Business Administration from the European Business School, Oestrich-Winkel, Germany. He earned an M.B.A. with distinction from INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France, and The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, where he was awarded the Henry Ford II Prize for graduating top of his class.
Shahzad Tauqir
Responsible for driving business results across multiple functions with full P&L responsibility. Manage cross-functional team of Parts Sales, Supply Chain, Warehousing, Field Operations, Warranty, Technical & Customer Services.
Steven Pickering
Steven Pickering is the General Manager of BuyParts24, the Middle East’s first truly multi-brand B2B auto parts digital platform, built in Dubai by the Ghassan Aboud Group.
He was recruited in 2021 to launch and achieve product–market fit of the digital platform, by aligning technology and key supplier relationships to solve various customer persona needs.
Today, BuyParts24 connects over 100 OEM, aftermarket, and TBA brands to 5,000+ garages, fleets, retailers, and fuel networks across the region, in which it delivers close to 10,000 orders a month, most of which arrive within 3 hours.
Previously, Steven was Regional Director & General Manager (Middle East, Africa & Asia) for ARB Corporation, the world’s largest 4x4 accessories manufacturer.
From 2016–2021, he established ARB’s regional HQ and distribution centre in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone, delivering market share growth through strategic distribution agreements, product localisation, and channel expansion.
When first arriving in the UAE in 2013, Steven served as Business Director of Key Accounts for OBS Automotive LLC, overseeing OEM importer partnerships to drive parts and service profitability through value-added aftermarket solutions within preventative maintenance categories.
Steven holds a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from UniSC and an MBA from the University of Wollongong, both based in Australia. His ongoing interests and commitment to learning include digital transformation, talent development, building value across platforms, route-to-market strategy, automotive e-commerce, AI applications in aftersales and innovative sales and marketing initiatives.
With the unique regional experience of leading a first mover e-commerce auto parts platform in the GCC, Steven’s practical, innovation-focused approach provides actionable insights for industry leaders navigating the shift to digital platforms, in pursuit of transforming aftermarket sales and service offerings in their own respective competitive eco systems.
Vishnu Suresh
Vishnu Suresh is a strategy and operations leader with deep expertise in global automotive supply chains. He has worked with the Big Three automakers in Detroit and two of the largest OEMs in Saudi Arabia, advising on supplier strategy, industrial localization, and manufacturing scale-up. His experience with Tier-1 suppliers across the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East gives him a global perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry.
Vishnu has led supplier localization programs in the Middle East, focusing on the unique dynamics of building competitive ecosystems in emerging markets. He also brings a strong perspective on electrification and its transformative impact on supplier value chains.
He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Bombay and an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.