Akram Awad
BCG Partner Saudi Arabia, Global Lead for Smart Cities
Speaker Bio: Dr. Awad is a Partner based out of the BCG Riyadh office. He leads the Smart Cities topic in BCG globally and is a core member of the senior leadership of Technology and Digital Advantage and the Public Sector Practices, with over 15 years of experience in consulting, telecommunications, and technology. Since joining BCG, Dr. Awad has been focusing on shaping tech & digital agenda for a diverse group of leading clients, mainly in KSA. He built deep expertise in Data, AI and Smart City strategy and activation, digital transformation, technology strategy and Agile, primarily in Public Sector and TMT. Most recently, Dr. Awad has been advising senior clients and leaders in the Middle East on unlocking the value of national data through AI to advance economies and societies. He’s also driving Smart City strategies’ development and activation at national and city levels. He is playing a key role in driving KSA’s national data and AI agenda, including developing the national Data, AI and Smart City strategy and governance, and activating whole-of-government AI-powered policy development and decision-making. He’s been championing a number of global initiatives focusing on human-centric AI, including the Global AI Summit. Prior to joining BCG, Dr. Awad worked with several telco and tech firms covering clients in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. As a Visiting Professor with IE, Akram engages with young future entrepreneurs on the role of technology in shaping the future society, from creating digitally innovative business models to promoting an impactful and sustainable innovation culture. Dr. Awad holds a PhD in Information Systems and an MBA in Global Management.
Barbara Llanos Jimenez
Celonis Spain, Sales Director Iberia & Latam.
Speaker Bio: Barbara Llanos is Sales Director Iberia & Latam @Celonis and manages an outstanding and very experienced sales team that covers customers across several industries such as Telco, Public Sector, Banking & Insurance, Energy & Utilities, Manufacturing & Portugal. Being a proud Celonaut, Barbara aims to help companies achieve their maximum potential by helping them improve their processes to positively impact their P&L. She studied law in Carlos III University and holds a Deusto MBA but soon in her career shifted to the sales world joining the Tech industry in the early 2000 in Sun Microsystems. She has devoted her career to customers in different industries and comes from diverse roles in Microsoft and Salesforce as well as from an Energy related startup experience. As a person, she loves networking with people, enjoys travelling and reading, practicing sports and yoga and spending time with her two 16 and 14 year old teenagers and with close friends.
Tawfik Jelassi
UNESCO, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information.
Speaker Bio: Dr. Tawfik Jelassi assumed the role of UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information on July 1, 2021. In this capacity, he oversees UNESCO’s initiatives to foster inclusive knowledge societies, drive digital transformation, shape ICT’s role in education, and promote freedom of expression. Dr. Jelassi earned his Ph.D. in Information Systems from New York University (USA) and holds postgraduate diplomas from the University of Paris Dauphine (France). He currently serves as a full-time professor at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD). Before joining IMD, Dr. Jelassi held the position of Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Information & Communication Technologies in Tunisia’s transition-to-democracy Government from 2014 to 2015. He also served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ooredoo Tunisia, the country’s leading mobile telecoms operator. From 2000 to 2013, Dr. Jelassi was a Professor and Dean of the Business School at Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris. Previously, he was the Coordinator of the Technology Management Department and an Associate Professor at INSEAD. His research contributions have been published in esteemed academic journals such as MIS Quarterly, Journal of MIS, Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, Journal of Strategic Information Systems, and more. His insights also feature in practitioner-focused publications like Harvard Business Review and European Management Journal. Dr. Jelassi’s extensive experience and leadership roles in academia, government, and industry make him a valuable contributor to UNESCO’s mission and global initiatives.
Maria Alvarez Caro
Google Spain, Head of Government Relations Google Cloud – EMEA
Speaker Bio: Maria is currently Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Google Cloud Iberia and also leads data governance and privacy for Europe in Google Cloud Government Affairs since September 2021. Prior to her current role in the Cloud division, she worked for three years in the Iberian Government Affairs department for Google and joined the company in 2018. She has also worked for BBVA research in digital regulation, for the Spanish Association for Digital Economy, for Government affairs and communications consultancy firms and has been a collaborator of Expansion newspaper for 5 years. She holds a PhD in Law from San Pablo CEU University and is an IE alumnus (part-time MBA 2009-2010). She is a member of the academic advisory board of the magazine Digital Law and Innovation (Wolters Kluwer-La Ley) and currently teaches in several academic institutions like Centro de Estudios Garrigues or Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.