H.E. Amr Talaat

Minister of Communications and Information Technology

Egypt

With over 35 years in IT and telecom, Talaat spearheaded Egypt’s Digital Transformation Initiative in 2020, aligning with Egypt Vision 2030. His efforts focus on advancing IT infrastructure, fostering digital talent, driving innovation, and enhancing government services. A firm believer in youth empowerment, he initiated several digital programs to support socio-economic development. Talaat’s leadership has attracted foreign investment through strategic projects, mergers, and acquisitions.

Before his governmental role, he expanded IBM Egypt, creating jobs and centers of excellence. Academically, he has taught marketing, strategy, and organizational behavior, and held esteemed positions on ICT boards.

Talaat holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Paris, an M.Sc. in Computer Science from Illinois Institute of Technology, an MBA from ESLSCA Business School, and an engineering degree from Cairo University.

H.E. Mothanna Gharaibeh

Minister of Investment

Jordan

Mothanna Gharaibeh is the Minister of Investment in Jordan. Previously, he served as Minister of ICT (2018–2019) and became the first Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (2019–2020), where he doubled digitally enabled jobs, attracted global companies, and grew digital government transactions by 580%. He was a core team member at Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision 2033.

Between 20020-2024, Gharaibeh chaired a company in technology outsourcing, led a company with a mission to integrate Jordan to the semiconductor supply chain, served as the Vice Chair of Al-Mamlaka TV, a board member at the Justice Center for Legal Aid and an executive board member of the Innovative SMEs & Startups Fund. Mothanna is an Eisenhower Fellow, he also co-chaired the Amman-Chicago Sister City committee.

Before the government Gharaibeh led Ericsson’s Business in Jordan. He has extensive technical & business experience around the region, including Oman, Syria, Afghanistan & Iraq.
Gharaibeh holds a BA in Communications Engineering from Jordan, and completed executive courses at Harvard, Aspen Institute, and leadership courses with Ericsson.

Ahmed Elzaher

CEO

ITIDA

Ahmed Elzaher brings over 27 years of experience in Information Technology, specializing in IT services, go-to-market strategies, leadership, and business development across Egypt, UAE, Kenya, and Algeria. Spending most of his professional career at IBM, he held key executive roles, including Vice President of IBM Cybersecurity for the Middle East and Africa, where he built and led teams delivering strategic solutions. Previously, as Director of Sales for Central, East, and West Africa, he drove regional go-to-market strategies.

In Egypt, he led IBM’s Global Technology Services and Sales divisions. Before joining MCIT, Elzaher served as Chief Commercial Officer at Digital14, the cybersecurity provider for Expo 2020 Dubai.

He holds a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Ain Shams University.

Mohammad Al-Otaibi

Acting Head, Research Development and Innovation Authority

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Dr. Mohammed Al-Otaibi is the General Supervisor of the Research and Development and Innovation Authority and Deputy Governor of the Communications, Space & Technology Commission in Saudi Arabia. With over 15 years of expertise in spectrum policy, he has led key projects and shaped Saudi Arabia’s national spectrum strategy for 2020–2025. His career includes roles as a Public Policy Advisor to the Council of Ministers, Technical Leader at the Communications and Space Technology Commission, and General Manager of Spectrum.

Dr. Al-Otaibi has a robust academic and research background, having contributed to policy and technology analysis at Carnegie Mellon University and Columbia University. He has completed advanced management programs at Wharton, Harvard, and MIT. Holding a Ph.D. and master’s in engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon, a master’s in electrical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and a bachelor’s from KFUPM, he excels in innovation and strategic management.

Ahmed El-Alfi

Chairman and Founder

Sawari Ventures

Ahmed is a veteran investor and venture capitalist from California with over 25 years of experience in top executive and management positions. Investment track record over the last 17 years includes the execution of numerous successful transactions in technology, Internet, healthcare and financial services at various stages of development. Has executed many rewarding exits, including several IPOs on the NASDAQ. 2006, CEO, EFG-Hermes Private Equity; then founded Sawari Ventures.

Farhat Jahangir

Founder, President & CEO

GSME

Farhat is the founder and CEO of GSME, where he brings over 25 years of hands-on experience in the semiconductor industry. Farhat is an expert in product, test, quality, reliability, and supply chain areas covering various hi-speed communication ICs, MEMS-based and CE System-based product lines. In 2016, Farhat led Quantenna to its IPO, which paved the way for the company’s acquisition by Onsemi for a staggering $1.1 billion in 2019.

As the General Manager/Vice President of Manufacturing at Onsemi, he successfully managed the 300mm EFK Fab as well as a revenue line exceeding $2 billion. Farhat is a recognized industry leader and uses his extensive experience to drive innovation in the field of semiconductor manufacturing. He began his career after graduating with a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arkansas.

Frank Tong

Managing Partner

QBN Capital

Former Global Head of Innovation and Strategic Investment at HSBC. Frank has had a long and distinguished career as a technologist and entrepreneur. Prior to joining the bank, Frank was CEO of the Applied Science and Tech Research Institute (ASTRI) in Hong Kong, and set out the FinTech strategy for Hong Kong Government.

Frank has started, scaled, and exited his own companies, mentored many others, and held senior roles in IBM Research, TDK, and HiSense.

George Chien

Senior General Manager, RF Design

Mediatek

Dr. George Chien, Senior General Manager, is responsible for analog/RF design groups at MediaTek, Inc. In Analog Design & Circuit Technology, the focus spans from wireline connectivity, data converters and power management IC’s, providing all necessary IP’s and essential companion chips to all MediaTek platforms (e.g. Smartphones, TV, Connectivity, IOT, etc.) In Radio System Solutions, the group is responsible for radio system architecture development, RFIC design and modem system validation covering cellular 4G/5G, WiFi, BT, GPS, NTN, etc. MediaTek has global analog/RF design teams across Asia, US and Europe regions.

Dr. George Chien received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in EECS from the University of California at Berkeley (UCB). Previously, he was with Marvell Semiconductor where he pioneered the monolithic CMOS transceivers for WLAN and BT with integrated Power Amplifiers. Since 2008, he joined MediaTek, Inc., where he focuses on a wide range of analog/RF designs from wireless to wireline in SOC applications. Dr. Chien holds 20+ patents and has published over 15 IEEE conference and journal papers; he served on the ISSCC Technical Program Committee from 2006 to 2012.

Giulietta Poltronieri

Partner

McKinsey & Company

Giulietta Poltronieri is a Partner in McKinsey’s Global Semiconductors and Advanced Electronics practices. She leads transformational programs with semiconductor clients along the full value chain, including semiconductor equipment players, IDMs, fabless, foundries, OSATs, and customers, with focus on operations, strategy and people topics.

She is leading McKinsey’s “Talent in Semiconductors” Global Service Line and is the EMEA “All-in, Diversity & Inclusion” Leader for McKinsey Advanced Industries practices, leading initiatives to attract and retain female talent in sectors where the male gender has traditionally been prevalent.

Giulietta holds a double Master in International Management from Bocconi University and HEC Paris. Before joining McKinsey, she has briefly worked at Google in the role of Business Associate.

Harald Straky

CTO

Dräxlmaier Group

Harald Straky is the Chief Technology Officer at the DRÄXLMAIER Group, a role he has held since April 2024. With over two decades of experience in the automotive industry, he has held leadership positions such as Vice President of Corporate Research and Advanced Engineering at MAHLE, CEO of MAHLE ZG Transmissions, and Vice President of Product Development Electronics & Mechatronics. His career includes pivotal roles at SEG Automotive and Bosch, specializing in powertrain, vehicle electrification, and advanced engineering.

A development engineer at Porsche early in his career, Harald Straky holds a doctorate from the Technical University of Darmstadt and a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Karlsruhe. He is a visionary leader driving innovation in automotive technology.

Hazem El Tahawy

Vice President, MENA

Siemens EDA

Dr. Hazem El Tahawy graduated from Cairo University, Faculty of Engineering (Electronics and Communication), in 1976 and earned his Master’s and Ph.D. in Microelectronics from the National Polytechnic Institute, Grenoble, France, in 1982 and 1987, respectively. He co-founded Anacad, a company specializing in analog design and CAD tools, which was acquired by Mentor Graphics in 1994. In 1998, he returned to Egypt to lead Mentor Graphics Egypt, expanding its development centers across the MENA region.

With over 20 years as a C-level executive, Dr. El Tahawy is an expert in electronics design and EDA technology. Passionate about community service, he has led prominent organizations, including EITESAL, Egypt’s largest ICT NGO, and is a member of ITAC’s steering committee. He actively contributes to fostering innovation and technology ecosystems through memberships in IEEE, EITESAL, AmCham, and ASTF, among others, promoting ICT development in Egypt and the region.

Hisham Al-Saeed

Director, Worldwide SW Business Development

Valeo

Hisham Al-Saeed is the Software Business Development Director at Valeo, with 19 years of automotive industry expertise. Since joining Valeo in 2005, he has led multiple teams across powertrain, interior experience, and Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS) domains. In his current role, Hisham leads both Software as a Service (SaaS) and Software as a Product (SaaP) strategies to meet the growing demand in the era of software-defined vehicles. He has spearheaded the development of vehicle middleware for high-performance compute platforms, integrating multiple domains to support the shift toward a centralized E/E architecture. Additionally, he has driven the delivery of hardware virtualization services to facilitate shift-left development. He also actively contributes to advancing automotive chiplet initiatives.

Hisham earned his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Cairo University.

Hisham Haddara

Chairman & CEO

Si-Ware Systems

Hisham has 40 years of R&D and business management experience in the semiconductor and microelectronics industry. Prior to founding SWS, Hisham was with Memscap as President for Asia and the Middle East. Before that, he was Executive Vice President and President of Memscap Egypt. Hisham was also the co-founder and General Manager of Anacad Egypt, which was later acquired by Mentor Graphics Corporation.

Hisham obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Ain Shams University. Hisham received his Ph.D. degree in Microelectronics from the National Polytechnic Institute, Grenoble, France. Hisham has been a Professor of Microelectronics at Ain-Shams University, Cairo.

He serves on the board of directors of the National Science and Technology Development Agency (STDF) and the Information Technology Development Agency (ITIDA) of Egypt.

Hossam Yahia

CEO

BrightDrive

Hossam Yahia is the CEO of BrightDrive, a Dubai-based pioneer in self-driving technology. With 14 years of experience in automotive software, he previously served as CTO of Automotive Systems at Brightskies, co-founding its embedded systems service line in 2016 with a focus on the automotive market and functional safety. Earlier, Hossam worked at Valeo as a functional safety expert, leading ISO 26262 deployment and initiating a software safety service line. He also led Valeo Egypt’s software team, developing body controllers and interior electronics. Before Valeo, he contributed to satellite navigation systems at the National Authority for Remote Sensing.

Holding a B.Eng. from Cairo University and an M.Sc. from Nile University, Hossam is a global functional safety trainer and published expert.

Jodi Shelton

Co-Founder & CEO

GSA

Jodi Shelton is the Co-founder and CEO of GSA. A pioneer within the technology space, Shelton was instrumental in the creation of the Alliance and has continuously addressed global issues in the industry as the voice of its members. Under her leadership, GSA has grown its membership to include companies throughout the supply chain representing 30 countries across the globe. In her role as president, Shelton oversees GSA daily operations, ensuring that the Alliance remains focused on achieving its defined mission and goal to foster a more effective ecosystem through collaboration, integration and innovation. She is the key liaison between GSA and the business community at high-level financial and industry conferences, providing insight on key topics pertaining to the global fabless supply chain.

Shelton earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from San Diego State University and her master’s degree in political science from the University of Houston.

Klaus Pototzky

Associate Partner

McKinsey & Company

Dr. Klaus Pototzky is an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company’s Munich office, serving clients along the semiconductor value chain, including equipment players, fabless companies, foundries, electronic players, and automotive OEMs. More recently, he led several growth projects (e.g., identifying new growth opportunities, building new fab capacities), projects building capability to deal with the challenging chip supply environment, and running commercial due diligences.

He holds a PhD in molecular electronics (he was a PhD student at the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics), a physics diploma, and a bachelor’s in mathematics.

Malcolm Penn

Founder & CEO

Future Horizons

Malcolm Penn has over 60 years of experience in the semiconductor and electronics industry, covering all aspects, including business development, management, manufacturing, marketing, and design. He is the founder and CEO of Future Horizons, a leading global semiconductor industry consultancy with a combined 260 years of industry expertise.

Founded in 1989, Future Horizons provides a comprehensive range of strategic, Board-level industry and investment advisory services. The company prides itself on its integrity, rigorous methodology, and commitment to delivering accurate and actionable insights.

Before establishing Future Horizons, Mr. Penn served as Vice President and Director of European Operations for Gartner Dataquest, where he led the establishment of its European research division. Earlier in his career, he was Manager of Component Engineering for ITT Europe and held various operations and marketing management roles within the global ITT Semiconductor Group.

Marco Warth

Vice President, Corporate Research & Engineering

MAHLE international

Dr. Marco Warth is the Vice President of Corporate Research and Advanced Engineering for the MAHLE Group since April 2024. Among many things, he is responsible for driving the development of new products for the MAHLE 2030+ strategy, for third-party Engineering Services as well as the MAHLE Tech Centers worldwide.

Prior to this role he was the VP for global product development in the MAHLE core business group Engine Systems and Components, after having initiated MAHLE’s transformation into electronics and software in heading up the advanced engineering. From 2010 to 2014, he oversaw the engineering services at MAHLE Powertrain, delivering services to all major OEMs globally.

Swiss-born Dr. Marco Warth graduated from ETH Zurich with an engineering degree and a Ph.D. in technical sciences in 2005.

Martin Kellner

Partner

McKinsey & Company

Martin is a partner at McKinsey’s Munich office and a core leader in the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility (MCFM) in Europe. He specializes in autonomous driving and vehicle technology and advises disruptors, investors, automotive OEMs, and suppliers on strategy and growth, focusing on future mobility trends like autonomous driving and automotive software. His work includes developing strategies for tier-one suppliers, OEMs, and cities, evaluating billion-dollar investments, and supporting start-ups.

Previously, he was a research engineer in autonomous driving at Audi.

Martin holds an MA in mechatronics from the Technical University of Munich and a BA in psychology from Ludwig Maximilian University. He has authored multiple McKinsey reports on autonomous mobility and vehicle software.

Naveed Sherwani

CEO

National Semiconductor Hub (NSH) of KSA

Dr. Naveed Sherwani is a well-known semiconductor industry veteran with over 35 years of entrepreneurial, engineering, and management experience. He is widely recognized as an innovator and leader in the field of design automation of ASICs and microprocessors and the main driver of the strategic evangelization of RISC-V International.

Naveed has founded or co-founded over eleven silicon companies and raised over $850M in over 15 funding rounds from marquee venture capital firms during the course of his career. He now serves as Chairman of GS Group, and also serves as the Chair of the Open Source FPGA Foundation and is a Charter Member of notable Silicon Valley business forums such as TiE and OPEN.

Dr. Naveed both a PhD and master’s degree in Computer Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and a BE degree at NED University in Karachi, Pakistan.

Paul de Bot

President

TSMC EMEA

Mr. Paul de Bot is President of TSMC EMEA. Mr. Paul de Bot joined TSMC in 2015, and after roles in account management, was appointed General Manager EMEA in 2022 and President in 2024, responsible for the TSMC business in Europe and Israel. Mr. Paul de Bot started his career at Philips in the area of video technology, reaching the position of Chief Strategy Officer of the digital TV systems division of Philips. In 2003 he joined Philips Semiconductors (which later became NXP Semiconductors) as Vice President Strategy & Business Development for their consumer, automotive and identification businesses, respectively. Prior to joining TSMC, Mr. Paul de Bot had further executive roles in the software industry and in corporate finance.

Mr. Paul de Bot received his M.S. in EE and Engineering Doctorate in Telecommunications from Eindhoven University of Technology of The Netherlands, and his M.S. in Business Valuation from TIAS Business School of The Netherlands.

Rami Abu Rmaileh

Chief of Staff

NEOM Investment Fund

Rami is the Chief of Staff for the NEOM Investment Fund (NIF). Previously, he led Strategy for the Fund since June 2022. He joins the fund, having served as the Chief Strategy Officer for Prosperity7, a $1bn venture capital fund for Saudi Aramco, as a corporate strategist for Saudi Aramco, and as Head of Strategy at the Dubai Mercantile Exchange.

He has 15 years of experience across strategy development & execution, business development, technology investments, corporate restructuring & turnarounds. He has worked in or served clients in infrastructure, power, mining, oil & gas, and metals sectors across the Middle East, Africa, East Asia, and North America.

He has an MS in Management from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, an MS in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and a BA/MEng in Engineering from Cambridge University.

Roawen Chen

Chief Supply Chain & Operations Officer

Qualcomm

Dr. Roawen Chen is Chief Supply Chain & Operations Officer of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. In this role, Chen is responsible for Qualcomm’s worldwide semiconductor operations and supply chain as well as all manufacturing engineering functions. Additionally, Chen has overseen Qualcomm’s product/test engineering, quality/reliability, global procurement. Previously Chen also served as COO at Qualcomm CDMA Technologies (QCT).

Prior to Qualcomm, Chen was vice president of manufacturing operations at Marvell Semiconductor. Before Marvell, Chen also held technical and business positions at Intel and TSMC.

Chen earned a bachelor’s degree in Physics from National Tsing-Hua University in Taiwan, a master’s degree in Materials Science from University of California, San Diego, and a doctorate in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley. Chen was also a graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Emerging COO Program.

Simon Armbruster

Vice President, MEMS Sensor Technology Center

Robert Bosch

Simon Armbruster was born in 1974 in Freiburg, Germany. He spent five years in Cairo, Egypt, where he attended school before returning to Germany to study physics at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, earning his degree as a diploma physicist. Following his studies, he worked at the Universities RWTH Aachen and IMTEK Freiburg, focusing on MEMS technology and completing his Ph.D. on porous silicon for automotive pressure sensors.

Since 2001, Simon has been involved in MEMS at Bosch, where he has held various R&D positions, including four years in Budapest, Hungary. Currently, he leads the Sensor Technology Center based in Reutlingen and Dresden, driving innovation in sensor technologies.”

Sunil Walia

Vice President & Global Sales Head - Semiconductor

Cyient

Sunil Walia is an accomplished professional in the semiconductor industry, currently serving as Vice President and Global Sales Head at Cyient. Sunil has held significant roles such as Advisor at Silicon Catalyst, General Manager and Sales Head for Hi-Tech at Wipro, and Senior Vice President at Tessolve Semiconductor. Additionally, Sunil served as Assistant Vice President in Sales and Business Development at Aricent.

Sunil’s academic credentials include a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Iowa and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical from Osmania University.

Tamer Azer

Partner

Shorooq Partners

Tamer Azer is a Partner at Shorooq based in Cairo, Egypt. Tamer received his bachelor’s from the University of Toronto and a Masters from the University of Oxford.

Tamer began his career at the forefront of policymaking with one of the world’s most influential business designers. He then went on and co-founded several startups working closely with different entrepreneurs for many years. He later joined Fahrenheit 212 as a Senior Innovation Consultant.

In 2016, he returned to Egypt to join A15, where he led investments and venture development. In 2019, he went on to join Sawari Ventures as Principal.

Wei-Ping Huang

Chairman

Qingdao Hisense Broadband Multimedia Technologies

Wei-Ping Huang is a renowned expert in photonic devices and integrated circuits, currently serving as Chairman of Qingdao Hisense Broadband Multimedia Technologies Co. He was the Chief Scientist of Hisense Group and the dean, School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong University.

Dr. Huang earned his Ph.D. from MIT and has held faculty positions at the University of Waterloo and McMaster University. He founded Apollo Photonics, later acquired in 1999, and co-founded Ligent Photonics Inc., now a global leader in optical transceivers.

With over 300 research papers, 7 U.S. patents, and numerous accolades, including the Cheung Kong Scholar and Shandong Ambassador Award, he has made significant contributions to photonics and optical technologies worldwide.