DUBAI PRECIOUS METALS
CONFERENCE 2021

H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri

UAE Minister of Economy

H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri was appointed Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under the new government structure approved in July 2020.

He is chairman of the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), the General Civil Aviation Authority, UAE International Investors Council, and CSR UAE Fund’s Board of Trustees.

Prior to his appointment, H.E. Al Marri held important positions in the government as a senior, top-ranking official. He was the Secretary General of the UAE Cabinet since 2017, during which he was instrumental in strengthening the interdependence between the federal and local governments. In this role, he also spearheaded many initiatives to get the pulse of the people and know their sentiments, as well as build the UAE’s long-lasting relations with international organizations such as the World Economic Forum.

H.E. is also the former Director General of the Executive Office of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He was part of the high-profile team that was behind the launch of ‘Area 2071,’ the nucleus of the future envisioned in the UAE Centennial Plan 2071. Furthermore, the UAE Minister of Economy, in his previous post, took part in the unveiling of the Hatta Economic Zone development project and the relaunching of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development.

In addition, he was the CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, enabling him to play a vital role in the successful launch of Dubai 10X and other initiatives of national importance. The Dubai 10X initiative, in particular, aims to strengthen the emirate’s bid to become the city of the future.

H.E. Al Marri is a member of the Boards of Directors of different federal entities. His memberships allow him to actively support the development of priority sectors in the country such as the Golden Visa initiative, which seeks to attract talented individuals from across the world.

The UAE Minister of Economy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Sheffield in the UK. Also, he is a graduate of the UAE Government Leaders Program and Mohammed Bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem

Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | DMCC

Ahmed Bin Sulayem is the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DMCC and has driven its growth from a start-up of 28 member companies in 2003 to the world’s leading free zone in 2020 with over 19,000 member companies from 180 countries, employing over 66,000 people.

Tasked with enhancing commodity trade flows through Dubai, DMCC has introduced to the market a number of value-added products and services under Mr Bin Sulayem’s leadership. In 2020, DMCC has been named the ‘Global Free Zone of the Year’ by The Financial Times fDi Magazine, for a record sixth consecutive year.

Mr Bin Sulayem oversaw the exponential growth of the DMCC Free Zone master development in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT), a 200-hectare business and residential community in Dubai of over 100,000 people living and working across 87 towers. Mr Bin Sulayem also oversees the development of DMCC’s latest real estate project; the much-anticipated Uptown Dubai district.

Mr Bin Sulayem currently serves as the Chairman of the Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE) and the Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange (DGCX).

The Kimberley Process officially appointed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the first and only Arab country to Chair the Kimberley Process in November 2015. Shortly after, the UAE Ministry of Economy officially appointed Mr Bin Sulayem as the UAE’s Chair of the Kimberley Process for 2016.

H.E. Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade

HE Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi was appointed the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, following the new UAE Government structure in July 2020, and has been assigned a file to attract the best talents and competencies to serve the strategic direction of the UAE. HE also oversees the development of non-oil foreign trade sectors and the expansion of global partnerships, in addition to enhancing the investment climate in the country, in order to cement its position as a major business destination at the regional and global levels.

He had held the position of Minister of Climate Change and Environment previously, during which he supervised the implementation of the UAE's strategies locally, advancing environment and climate actions. He also led the country’s efforts in limiting and adapting to the repercussions of climate change at the global level, while also focussing on the preservation of the UAE’s biodiversity through the development and implementation of a set of effective policies and measures.

Prior to assuming his ministerial position, HE Al Zeyoudi served as the permanent representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and Director of the Department of Energy Affairs and Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

He began his career as a petroleum engineer at the Abu Dhabi Marine Area Operating Company (ADMA-OPCO) before moving to the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), where he worked on the development of renewable energy technologies and solutions. He has played a major role in the UAE’s successful diplomatic campaign in 2009 to host the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in the capital, Abu Dhabi.

HE Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi holds a Bachelor's degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Tulsa; a Master's degree in Business Administration from the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT); a Master's degree in Project Management from the British University in Dubai; and a PhD in Strategy, Program and Project Management from SKEMA Business School in France.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Set the Ministry’s general policy and strategic direction concerning international trade.
• Develop, approve and follow up on the completion of the Ministry’s strategic plan and executive programs.
• Supervise the general workflow in the international trade affairs sector, approving regulatory decisions in accordance with the powers delegated to the Minister, and following up on the completion of reports.
• Prepare and implement the budget according to the set provisions and allocations.
• Propose the necessary laws, decrees, bylaws and regulations related to the international trade affairs sector and presenting them to the Minister of Economy for necessary actions.
• Represent the Ministry before the relevant authorities inside and outside the state, in coordination with the concerned authorities and in accordance with the powers vested in him.
• Sign agreements between the Ministry and other bodies, in accordance with the powers vested in him.
• Develop the strategic direction and general national policy to attract high-quality talents and the best minds to the state, fast-track the country’s shift to a knowledge-based economy, enhance science and technology capabilities, and follow-up on their implementation in coordination with concerned federal and local authorities.
• Identify priority target groups of people with the right talents and competencies, proposing and following-up on the impact of relevant policies and initiatives, and exchanging knowledge with national and global talents in coordination with concerned authorities.
• Coordinate with concerned authorities to promote the UAE as a regional and global destination for the brightest talents and the best minds.
• Establish a database of talents in coordination with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and other concerned parties.
• Perform any other tasks that are assigned to the Minister by virtue of laws, regulations, and decisions issued by the Cabinet, or assigned to him by the Minister of Economy.

H.E. Ebrahim Al-Zaabi

Assistant Governor of Monetary Policy and Financial Stability | Central Bank of the UAE

His Excellency Ebrahim Al-Zaabi was appointed Assistant Governor of Monetary Policy and Financial Stability at the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) in June 2021. H.E. Al-Zaabi holds over 27 years of local and regional expertise in the areas of financial markets, banking and insurance.

Prior to his appointment as Assistant Governor, H.E. Al-Zaabi held several senior positions within the CBUAE, as well as other key UAE regulators and sovereign wealth funds, such as the Securites and Commodities Authority and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

H.E. Al-Zaabi is also a member of several international, regional and local committees, including the Executive Committee of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS), the Selection Committee to appoint heads and members of the technical working committees in the IAIS, the Emerging Countries Committee of the IAIS, the Sustainable Insurance Forum at the United Nations, and the Higher Committee for the Development of National Human Resources in the Banking and Financial Sector. He was also a member in the Supreme National Committee for Combating Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism from 2002 to 2020, and sat on the Abu Dhabi Global Market Board of Directors from 2013 to 2018.

H.E. Al-Zaabi holds a bachelor’s degree in Management Administration from California State University and has completed a Diploma and Higher Diploma in Leadership Skills from IMD Business School.

Michael Saylor

Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer | MicroStrategy

Michael Saylor is a technologist, entrepreneur, business executive, philanthropist, and best-selling author. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Office of MicroStrategy.

Since co-founding the company at the age of 24, Mr. Saylor has built MicroStrategy into a global leader in business intelligence, mobile software, and cloud-based services. In 2012, he authored The Mobile Wave: How Mobile Intelligence Will Change Everything, which earned a spot on The New York Times Best Sellers list.

Mr. Saylor attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, receiving an S.B. in Aeronautics and Astronautics and an S.B. in Science, Technology, and Society.

For more details, visit Michael.com.

Mohammad Ali Al Kamali

Deputy CEO | Dubai Industries and Exports

Mohammad Al Kamali also serves as:

• Vice President of Arab Union for Industrial Exports Development (AUIED) – Arab League
• Head of the Executive Office of the Emirates Gold Bullion Committee
• Programme Director for SheTrades MENA – International Trade Centre

Mohammed Al Kamali is currently the Deputy Chief Executive Officer with Dubai Industries and Exports which is the central authority mandated to enhance the emirate’s industrial development and international trade. Al Kamali has over two decades of senior-level experience in Industrial Development, International Trade Promotion, Industrial Legislation and Standards, as well as Advanced Manufacturing. Due to his extensive experience, he was selected to be part of the newly formed Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology to oversee the design and implementation of industrial legislation and standards.

In his current role as Deputy CEO, Al Kamali has been instrumental in enhancing the global competitiveness of exports from the country as well as leading the industrial development within the emirate. Some of the successes include developing policies and initiatives to support strategic industries such as the gold sector with the Gold Policy leading to the formation of the international recognized Emirates Bullion Committee. The policies designed and implemented by Al Kamali have increased the value and diversity of exports from the emirate, encouraged overseas firms to use Dubai as an export and re-export hub, steered the participation in joint working groups in the UAE and at the international level with the International Trade Center, UNCTAD and WTO.

Al Kamali is passionate about developing innovative solutions focused on using technology and online platforms, to develop inclusive entrepreneurial opportunities, especially for women and youth. As the Programme Director for SheTrades MENA, he leads the regional centre for the advancement of inclusive export initiatives. The SheTrades initiative, in coordination with the International Trade Centre, is committed to assisting women-led businesses to grow and scale their businesses through international trade consistent with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

His collaborative approach and achievements have seen Al Kamali being nominated to several cross-governmental committees and working groups. He is a member of the “National Export Development Committee of the UAE” and a member of many joint committees between the UAE and its global trading partners. He was nominated to be a member of the Adjudicating Panel of the International Trade Centre in Geneva 2014-2016 rounds for the Trade Promotion Agencies Awards. He has also been named a ‘Distinguished Government Employee’ at the Department of Economic Development in the Dubai Government in 2015.

Previously, Al Kamali was the Director of Export Development at the Dubai Industries and Export during its formative period. Amongst his numerous achievements was to increase the number of exporters within the emirate. In particular, Al Kamali successfully encouraged small and medium-sized enterprises to enter the international arena through a diverse portfolio of innovative programmes and measures. He also served as Acting Director of Marketing for the international promotion of Dubai events, including the Dubai Shopping Festival, the highly successful Dubai Summer Surprises and Eid in Dubai. Before that, he served as Sponsorship Manager, within Dubai Shopping Festival, where he oversaw the commercial sector through commercial sponsorship and commercial campaigns at the government level.

Mohammed is a graduate in Marketing Management with a Bachelor Degree and Higher Diploma in Business Administration from the Higher Colleges of Technology in the UAE and he has a Master Degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from Lancaster University in the UK. Mohammed also participated is an Expert in Public Policy at – London School of Economics & Political Science (London University), UAE Government 4th Industrial Revolution Program, Said Business School, University of Oxford and more than 15 training and workshop from national and international entities such as, Arab Planning Institute, GOIC, Dubai School of Government and The Protocol School of Washington.

Tyler Gillard

Head of Due Diligence | OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct

Tyler Gillard is the Head of Due Diligence and Senior Legal Adviser in the OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct. He leads the OECD’s work in the financial, textiles, mining & metals, oil & gas and agriculture sectors.

Tyler joined the OECD in 2009 to lead the multi-stakeholder negotiation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. He has since overseen the development of numerous global supply chain standards. Tyler works closely with governments, the private sector and civil society to implement these standards and integrate them into national policies, regulations and industry practice.

Before joining the OECD, Tyler was a fellow in international law at Columbia Law School where he worked with the Human Rights Institute and the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment on responsible business conduct, international investment law and transparency in the extractive industry. He has an LL.M. from Columbia Law School and an LL.B. from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.

John Reade

Chief Market Strategist | World Gold Council

John Reade joined the World Gold Council in February 2017 as Chief Market Strategist. He is responsible for producing strategy and developing insights on the gold market; leading our global dialogue by engaging with leading economists, academics, policy makers, fund managers and investors on gold; and leading our research team.

John has over 30 years’ experience in the gold industry and related fields, most recently as a partner and gold strategist with Paulson & Co for the past seven years. Prior to that, he worked as a precious metals strategist at UBS for 10 years; a gold equity analyst in South Africa for 5 years; and over 8 years held various positions in production and project evaluation in the gold division of Gencor, then a leading South African mining house.

John has a degree in Mining Engineering from the Royal School of Mines, a constituent of Imperial College, London.

Philipp Dupuis

Deputy Head of Unit | Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission

Philipp Dupuis is since September 2020 Deputy Head of the Unit in charge of Multilateral Trade and Sustainable Development Policy, Green Deal and Conflict Minerals in the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission in Brussels.

From August 2015 to August 2020, he was Head of the Economic and Trade Section of the Delegation of the European Union in Thailand. He also covered Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Between August 2009 and July 2015, Philipp Dupuis was Deputy Head of the Unit in charge of the trade relations with North America in the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission in Brussels. In parallel, he was EU deputy chief negotiator for the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

Philipp Dupuis worked previously as Deputy Head of the Unit responsible for the trade relations with Latin America, the Middle East and the management of the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) and as Head of the Economic and Trade Section of the Delegation of the European Commission in Mexico, covering also Cuba.

Before moving to Mexico, he was an investigator in the anti-dumping department of the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission, was co-ordinator for the bilateral trade relations with Iran and Iraq in the same DG and head of section in the public procurement unit of the Commission Administration.

Before joining the European Commission in 1995, Philipp Dupuis was a consultant for Andersen Consulting in Frankfurt/Germany carrying out projects in the financial sector.

He studied Business Administration and, as subsidiary major, Political Sciences at the University of Mannheim in Germany and made a Banking Apprenticeship at the Deutsche Bank in Darmstadt/Germany.

Born 6 January 1965 in Darmstadt / Germany, of German nationality.

Manoj Kumar

Executive Director | IFSCA

Sh. Manoj Kumar, joined IFSCA as an Executive Director on deputation from SEBI and has been driving core regulatory initiative focusing on Capital Markets and Precious Metals at IFSCA. He is actively involved in enacting a conducive regulatory environment facilitating ease of operations with specific thrust on developing GIFT-IFSC as a thriving destination, particularly, for Bullion trading, FinTech, Sustainable Finance, Investment Funds, Insurance, and reinsurance.

Prior to joining IFSCA, he has been associated with Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), a premier autonomous regulatory body for securities market in India, for more than 24 years. During his stint at SEBI he was engaged with Market Regulations, Integrated Surveillance, Market Intermediaries Regulation and Supervision.

He has been associated with key SEBI initiatives such as Accounting Standards Committee chaired by Y H Malegam, Corporate Governance Committee chaired by Narayana Murthy. He has been the Member of the core group that successfully designed and implemented Integrated Market Surveillance System. Before moving to IFSCA he was spearheading critical initiatives of SEBI relating to Interoperability, Cyber Security, Fintech etc. at Market Infrastructure Institutions through SEBI’s Secondary Market Advisory Committee (SMAC), Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), High Powered Committee on Cyber Security and Committee for Financial and Regulatory Technology (CFRT).

He holds a postgraduate in Science and MBA.

Tom Kendall

Managing Director & Global Head of Metals Sales | ICBC Standard Bank

Tom is currently Managing Director & Global Head of Metals Sales for ICBC Standard Bank Plc. His experience in metals spans more than 25 years and covers both physical commodities and financial markets. He joined ICBC Standard Bank in June 2015 as Head of Precious Metals Strategy, a role that involved market analysis and business development.

Tom arrived at ICBC Standard Bank from LCM Metals UK LLP, an independent options brokerage. Prior to that he held market research and business strategy positions at Credit Suisse, Mitsubishi Corporation and at Johnson Matthey Plc.

Alan Davies

Chief Executive & Founder | Moxico Resources & Gem Auctions DMCC

Alan is Chief Executive of Moxico Resources, a Zambian copper company, and Founder of Gem Auctions DMCC.

He has extensive experience in running and leading mining businesses, most notably Rio Tinto as the Chief Executive, Energy & Minerals and previously held the position of
Chief Executive, Diamonds & Minerals since 2012.

Alan has held management positions in Australia, London and the US for Rio Tinto's Iron Ore and Energy businesses and has run and managed operations in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North and South America. He was also previously Chief Financial Officer of Rio Tinto's Iron Ore business.

Alan was a Non-Executive Director of Rolls Royce Holdings plc, the British aerospace engineering leader and is currently a Non-Executive Director of ioneer Limited. Alan is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and has degrees in law and business.

John Estrada

Head of eMacro | Credit Suisse

John Estrada is head of eMacro at Credit Suisse. The team specialize in pricing deep liquidity in FX, PM, and UST and rely heavily on recent advances in neural networks and novel hedging strategies to maintain a market leading product.

John has been at Credit Suisse since 2011 working previously at BNP, Sun Trading, and Lehman Brothers in a variety of roles. John earned a PhD in atomic physics at MIT working at CERN before his career in finance.

Les Male

Chief Executive Officer | DGCX

Les is the Chief Executive Officer of both the Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange (DGCX) and the Dubai Commodities Clearing Corporation (DCCC) - the largest and most diversified derivatives Exchange group in the Middle East. In 2019 the DGCX Group traded and cleared USD $866 billion, across four major asset classes; FX, Metals, Equities and Hydrocarbons. The DGCX Group enjoys a global membership base and several International accreditations for the Exchange (DGCX) and Clearing House (DCCC).

Les Male has nearly 30 years’ experience in the Global Commodities industry with particular expertise across Exchanges, risk management and trading systems. As an extensively networked and award winning business leader with a consistent track record of driving new business and growth, he builds outstanding customer relationships, whilst protecting and growing shareholder returns.

Les joined DGCX in 2018 from Nasdaq where he was responsible for EU/UK client facing activities on the Global Commodities product suite. He started his career managing strategic projects for the UK Network Code, culminating in leading the development of Europe’s first gas spot market (the OCM), he later became Commercial Director at EnMO and then continued in that role for APX-Endex. In 2010 he became the European Managing Director for the Green Exchange, a US backed venture for global carbon trading. After acquisition by the CME Group, his role took on the European gas and Global LNG strategy for Nymex, prior to joining Nasdaq in 2014.

Hadi Kabalan

Managing Director | Tokengate

Hadi Kabalan is a UAE-based managing director of Tokengate, a blockchain and tokenization business backed by Swiss-based Inacta Ventures. The Inacta group counts among its client base the majority of largest real estate and financial services companies in Switzerand. Hadi focuses on the commodities and real estate verticals.

Hadi built and integrated Emaar Properties PJSC's corporate token and real estate tokenization and issuance platforms as Director of Tokenization, and led Otonomos Ltd's regulated Ethereum-native business as Managing Director of EMEA and Americas, participating in the UK FCA sandbox and Dubai Future Accelerators programs.

Before becoming a full-time convert to the blockchain world in 2016, Hadi invested in technology companies for Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Blakeney Management, among others, and was portfolio manager of the award-winning Goldman Sachs Technology Portfolios.

Hadi is a CFA charterholder and holds a BSc(Hons) in Banking and International Finance from City University Business School (Cass) London (UK) and a certificate in Fintech Future Commerce from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA).

Ross Norman

Chief Executive Officer | MetalsDaily.com

Ross Norman has 35 years experience in precious metals trading and refining and is CEO of MetalsDaily.com.

Ross started his bullion career at the worlds largest gold refiner Johnson Matthey in Royston in 1987, before becoming a senior gold trader with Credit Suisse and NM Rothschild & Sons in London. Ross was formerly CEO and founder of Sharps Pixley Ltd, a physical bullion broker based on St James’s, London.

Ross has a strong track record in the LBMA's annual gold price forecasting competition over the last 22 years and maintains a high profile in bullion, being frequently quoted in the media.

Iris Van der Veken

Executive Director | Responsible Jewellery Council

Iris has a background in law and international relations. A sustainability pioneer, leadership executive, humanitarian, and coalition-builder, with more than 20 years of global experience working in fast-paced environments including technology, diamonds, jewellery, fashion, and government.

She initiated and Chaired the United Nations Global Compact Network Belgium. She was honoured by the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and European Affairs for her leadership role in initiating the Global Compact Network Belgium and for her work on promoting corporate social responsibility in Belgium and abroad with a focus on human rights including children’s rights and the role of business.

Iris is committed to the agenda of gender equality. She was appointed as RJC Executive Director in March 2019 and is dedicated to a ‘members first’ strategy and contributing towards the 2030 agenda and the 17 Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). Under her leadership she launched the Generation Equality Campaign for the global jewellery and watch industry. She is member of the Board of ISEAL, Diamonds Do Good and the Jewellers Vigilance Committee.

Iris has been an active volunteer for the Special Olympics for over 30 years. She ran the NY marathon for UNICEF.

Saleem Ali

Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment | University of Delaware

Saleem Ali holds the Blue and Gold Distinguished Professorship in Energy and the Environment at the University of Delaware (USA) and is an Honorary Professor at the Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland (Australia).

His books include Treasures of the Earth: Need, Greed and a Sustainable Future, (Yale Univ. Press); Environmental Diplomacy (with Lawrence Susskind, Oxford Univ. Press), Mining, the Environment and Indigenous Development Conflicts (Univ. of Arizona Press).

He serves on the United Nations International Resource Panel and is on the Independent Governance Committee of DMCC. Professor Ali received his doctorate in Environmental Planning from MIT, a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from Yale University and Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Tufts University.

Twitter - @saleem_ali

Jeffrey Rhodes

Founder & Managing Consultant | Rhodes Precious Metals Consultancy DMCC

Jeffrey founded Rhodes Precious Metals Consultancy DMCC in 2013 after a successful career in the precious metals industry spanning four decades working across four continents for major bullion banks and financial institutions. Since then has successfully advised a significant number of high profile clients across all segments of the global precious metals industry and is widely regarded as a leading gold market expert.

Jeffrey has been prominent in the development of the Dubai Multi Commodity Centre from its creation in 2002 and has been a member of Dubai’s Gold Advisory Group since its inception in 2003 until the present day. He is also a past chairman of the Public Affairs Committee of the LBMA and was the founding editor of its popular trade magazine The Alchemist.

He speaks regularly on the Dubai Eye’s Business Breakfast Show, appears frequently on financial TV such as Bloomberg, CNBC and Dubai One, and participates in global precious metals forums as a speaker and moderator.

Adam Webb

Director of Mine Supply | Metals Focus

Adam Webb is the Director of Mine Supply at Metals Focus. He is responsible for research and analysis of supply and operating costs across gold, silver and platinum group metals and has more than a decade of experience in the mining industry.

Prior to joining Metals Focus Adam was Head of Mine Economics at S&P Global Market Intelligence where he led research into supply and costs across 15 different commodities. Earlier in his career he worked as a geologist on mine sites and exploration properties in Western Australia.

He has a BSc in Earth Science from the University of Wales Aberystwyth and an MSc in Geochemistry from the University of Leeds.

Michael Lawrence

Chief Executive | Asia House

Michael Lawrence was appointed Chief Executive of Asia House in September 2012 following a career in journalism that took him to the highest levels of international media.

Michael was Global Editor of Reuters from 2006 to 2012, leading a team of 3,000 journalists covering news in text, video and pictures from almost 200 bureaux around the world. Michael was part of the editorial team that delivered Reuters’ much-praised coverage of the Iraq war, and he ran the region through the turbulent years that followed.

He has an in-depth knowledge of the Asian geopolitical landscape and economic affairs in the region.