Speakers

With over 20 years of experience in the fields of cybersecurity, AI, and digital transformation, Dr. Mohammad is a futurist and technology/business leader who drives strategic projects and partnerships with e&, a leading provider of cognitive, smart and safe city solutions. He leverages his strength on various industry experience, his extensive knowledge of corporate governance, corporate excellence and innovation, future foresight and accelerations, analytics and big data, and critical infrastructure protection and resilience and PhD in Computer Science to deliver value-added services and outcomes for public and private sector clients.

As a Director of Business Development and Strategic Projects, he leads large cross-functional teams to build and deploy AI, cloud, and big data analytics solutions that digitize services, accelerate smart and safe nation transformation, and support the efforts of critical infrastructure owners and operators to manage risks and achieve security and resilience. He is also a strategic thinker, global mentor, and advisor for international companies, technology vendors, and academic institutions, where he shares his insights and expertise on smart and safe city architectures and challenges. He is a member of the Board of Advisors at Abu Dhabi University, British University in Dubai, and Headline Bulletin, and an Adjunct Professor for Doctorate and MBA at Abu Dhabi University.

Jorge Carrasco is a Blockchain and Web3 expert and enthusiast with more than 15 years of experience building and developing lines of business related to emerging technologies. He currently supports clients in developing strategies for enterprise blockchain implementations, advises clients from multinational enterprises to start-ups on their value proposition and product-market fit in the Middle East and gets involved in complex virtual assets regulatory matters.

Mr. Carrasco is a prominent member of the Middle East blockchain industry, involved with numerous organizations, events and endeavours across blockchain, NFT and Web3.

Laila is a highly respected global futurist leader with over 18 years of experience in the Government and Private sector. As a renowned expert in Smart Sustainable Cities and Digital Transformation, she has been at the forefront of Metaverse development since 2006.

With a strong focus on the Middle East, Laila has become one of the region's leading Smart Cities advisors. She is currently leading an advisory company in smart and sustainable cities, while also serving as an advisor for different global consulting firms. Laila has worked extensively with various UN organizations and has held a Research fellowship in UNU eGov. Additionally, she founded the Smart Cities Ambassadors program, which aims to empower individuals to become leaders in the field.

Laila is an award-winning global leader and considered one of the most inspiring and influential women in the Middle East. In 2021, she was recognized as one of the top 50 inspiring women in Oman and the Middle East, as well as one of the most inspiring personalities in Oman. She is a global jury and mentor in different competitions and is passionate about empowering others.

Lukas Sokol is responsible for the Masdar City master plan including land use, transportation, public realm, development approvals, and sustainability.

His team explores the latest strategies and technologies to pioneer a new model of development in which people live more meaningful, productive, and sustainable lives.

Prior to joining Masdar City, Sokol came to the UAE to help with the founding of the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, where he managed the Urban Design Studio for more than a decade. His work focused on development reviews, urban design, and master planning for the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Sokol has worked internationally in planning and urban design for over 20 years. He is passionate about designing cities that enable people to live meaningful lives and continues to research and lecture on city urban planning and design.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Arizona in the U.S. He also holds a master’s degree in cities from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Mr. Heaviside is a member of the Smart Cities Program at the Rochester Institute of Technology. His expertise in digital transformation, smart buildings, smart cities, and technology has led to significant efficiency improvements and cost savings for multiple organizations. Matthew is a member of PMI, the IEEE, and sits on the Building Transformations Smart Cities Think Tank. He also studies Computer & Information Technology at the University of Pennsylvania, with an emphasis in Artificial Intelligence & Data Science. As an American Muslim, he reads Islamic History, Culture, Sciences, and the Holy Quran.

Mohamed Ali Hamad Futais Al Marri is a pioneering Emirati technology expert with over 29 years of experience in government and semi-government sectors. As the First Arabic PHP Developer and first emirati Microsoft Certified Professional, he has led numerous large-scale technology and data analytics projects in Abu Dhabi. Al Marri currently serves as the Director of Dissemination Department and Act. Director of Research & Innovation Dept. at SCAD.

Mohamed Al Breiki is responsible for leading the advancement of sustainable development at Masdar City, from investment and planning to delivery and sustainable community management. Al Breiki provides strategic planning, value creation, and financial oversights in the development of real estate assets while maintaining highest standard of excellence.

He has over 20 years of development management experience, including planning and design, new construction, commercial tenant fit-out, operations optimization, and business plan execution. Previously, he has held roles at Mubadala, ADEK, and the Urban Planning Council.

During his 10 years at Mubadala, he managed major projects in various sectors such as real estate, health care, education, aerospace, and information and communications technology. Some of his notable Abu Dhabi projects include the design and delivery of New York University, the Four Seasons Hotel, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, and Khazna Data Center.

While at the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, Al Breiki contributed to the master planning of various mixed-use developments across Abu Dhabi and worked collaboratively with real estate developers to ensure their plans were professionally designed, sustainable, and well-managed. At ADEK, he managed the development and implementation of a schools master plan in Abu Dhabi.

Al Breiki holds a BTEC national diploma in business studies from Southampton City College in England. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, a post-graduate diploma in business administration, and a master’s degree in engineering management from the Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi.

Steve Severance oversees numerous projects that balance sustainability and economic requirements, guaranteeing each project meets sustainability, revenue, cost, and schedule targets.

Severance also leads the development of the technology lines of business, including district cooling, mobility, and smart city initiatives. He develops new business models, execution of strategies, and partnerships with leading global companies to implement technology requirements.

He has 20 years of experience in project and program management, strategy consulting, financial analysis, and economic development in the United States, Moldova, and the Middle East.

Severance holds a Master of Business Administration from San Jose State University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cedarville University in the U.S.

Wissam holds the position of Senior Director of Innovation at EllisDon MENA region. His primary responsibility is to manage the creation and execution of creative digital delivery approaches for EllisDon's operations, which is a part of the Project Management Consultancy (PMC) services. With over 17 years of experience in developing and implementing BIM and VDC applications for Design-Build-Operate projects, Wissam possesses a diverse range of skills and knowledge in the Digital Project Delivery industry. He is currently leading a team of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to design solutions for implementing digital twin and smart building technologies.