Leadership Insights: Anticipating Change in a Dynamic World

Yaw Nyarko is a Professor of Economics at New York University (NYU) and the Director of NYU Africa House and the Center for Technology and Economic Development (CTED), as well as Co-Director of the Development Research Institute (DRI). As Co-Director of DRI, he was awarded the 2009 BBVA Frontiers in Knowledge Award on Economic Development Cooperation. He is a Fellow of the Econometric Society, a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development (CGD).

His research interests focus on the areas of economic development, theoretical economics, models of human capital as engines of economic growth, brain drain and skills acquisition, labor economics, and migration. His current research focuses on technology and economic development, commodities exchanges and markets in Africa, and determinants and returns of labor migration from South Asia in the UAE, as well as the impacts of various policy measures on the mobility of labor within the UAE.

He is the Chair of the Econometric Society Africa Regional Standing Committee. He has served as a consultant to organizations including the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the United Nations, and the Social Science Research Council. As the former Vice Provost of NYU, he managed a portfolio that included the oversight and establishment of campuses in Abu Dhabi, Accra, and Shanghai. Yaw Nyarko received his BA from the University of Ghana and an MA and PhD in Economics from Cornell University.

Dr. Gaurav Ganguly is the Chief Economist for Europe and the Middle East (EMEA) at Moody’s Analytics. His research interests include international economics, geopolitics, and climate change. Together with his research group, he focuses on the key risks facing economies in EMEA and the ways in which these might manifest. His economic scenarios, forecasts, and analysis are used by financial institutions, governments, and companies to actively manage risks. He is a well-known public speaker and frequently comments on economic issues across EMEA.

He has taught at various Universities in the UK and held visiting academic positions, including a research fellowship at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College. Gaurav has a Master’s degree and a PhD in Economics from the University of Oxford. He writes fiction in his spare time and has recently published his first novel, a geopolitical thriller set around the emergence of AI.

Dr. Jean Fares is a seasoned economist and senior policy advisor with over 25 years of experience in multinational environments. He has held senior positions in Canada, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates, building a reputation for innovative strategic thinking and deep knowledge of economic and government affairs. Dr. Fares currently serves as CEO for Investopia, a new investment platform supporting the global investment ecosystem. He is also the Senior Advisor to the UAE Minister of Economy, providing policy advice and contributing to economic policy formulation. Additionally, Dr. Fares is an adjunct professor at Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi.

Prior to his current roles, Dr. Fares spent 8 years as a senior advisor in the UAE Prime Minister's Office, focusing on national strategy and policy development, governance, and global partnerships. He led the development and launch of the UAE Government Accelerators, various national strategies, the Global Policy Platform of the World Government Summit, and the partnership efforts with multilaterals like the OECD, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and other global organizations. Before joining the UAE government, Dr. Fares was a senior economist at the World Bank in Washington DC, where he led many Bank projects and key flagship reports. Prior to that, he was assistant professor in the economics department of the American University of Beirut and earlier a senior analyst at the Bank of Canada.

Dr. Fares has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Montreal. He is fluent in English, Arabic, and French and is a Canadian and Lebanese national. He lives in Dubai with his wife and three children.

Dr. Monica Malik
Chief Economist, ADCB

Dr. Monica Malik has over 25 years of experience as an Economist specializing in the  MENA region. Monica holds the position of Chief Economist at Abu Dhabi Commercial  Bank, where she established the Economic research team.  

Previously, Monica was the Chief Economist at EFG Hermes and was the lead person in the Economics team. Before EFG Hermes, she was the Senior Economist for the MENA  region at Standard Chartered, Dubai, and at Dun & Bradstreet, London.  

Monica has authored a number of academic books and articles on Economic Development in the GCC. She has presented at a number of high-profile conferences and participated in policy round table discussions, as well as appearing regularly in the international media. 

Monica holds a PhD in Economic Development in the Middle East focusing on Private  Sector Development in Saudi Arabia from the University of Durham in the UK. 

Dr. Harun Kapetanovic 
Director, Industry Practice Lead Public Sector, APAC & Middle East, Moody's

Harun is responsible for Moody's efforts across Asia Pacific and Middle East in Government, Education & Research practice areas. 

A seasoned professional with 20+ years of experience across the spectrum of public policy, investments, and education, Harun's focus is on solutions with wide policy-making and research­based applications. 

In his last role, prior to joining Moody's Analytics, he was Economic Advisor to Dubai Government where he led conceptualization, design, and implementation of strategic policies and projects which were often regarded as industry-leading. His initiative to establish innovative retirement solutions for the expatriate workers in Dubai received global attention. Prior to his government role, he held senior roles in investment banking and treasury where he participated in and led transactions in resource mobilization, private equity, and advisory space. 

As a Chevening Scholar, Harun holds an MSc in International Securities, Investment and Banking from Henley Business School and a PhD from King's College London, School of Politics and Economics. 

Alexander Lipton is Global Head, Research & Development at Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Professor of Practice at Khalifa University, Connection Science Fellow at MIT, and Advisory Board member at ADIA Lab. Alex is a Co-Founder of Sila, a company providing, digital wallet & ACH payment services, and an advisory board member at several fintech companies worldwide. From 2006–2016, Alex was Co-Head of the Global Quantitative Group and Quantitative Solutions Executive at Bank of America. Earlier, he was a senior manager at Citadel, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, and Bankers Trust. In addition, Alex held visiting professorships at EPFL, NYU, Oxford University, Imperial College, and the University of Illinois.

Before becoming a quant, Alex was a Full Professor of Mathematics at the University of Illinois and a Consultant at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Risk Magazine awarded him the Inaugural Quant of the Year Award in 2000 and the Buy-side Quant of the Year Award in 2021. Alex has authored or edited twelve books and more than a hundred scientific papers on nuclear fusion, astrophysics, applied mathematics, financial engineering, and distributed ledgers. He frequently gives keynote presentations on Quantitative Finance and FinTech at conferences and forums worldwide. His new book Hydrodynamics of Markets: Hidden Links Between Physics and Finance with be published by Cambridge University Press shortly.