Company/Organization & Achievement Awards Judging Committee
Chair:
Roman Axelrod, Founder & Managing Partner
XPANCEO, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Roman, a seasoned entrepreneur and passionate tech enthusiast, has a great track record of building ventures in the computer vision, esports, and fintech industries. Skillfully facilitating the expansion of these companies into Western Europe, the USA, and APAC, he forged valuable partnerships with major global brands, leaving a lasting impact on customers.
Roman has assembled one of the world's best teams of scientists, engineers, and executive leaders to create the next generation of computing. In 2021, Roman founded XPANCEO, where he spearheads strategy, corporate development, product management, data-driven business development, and marketing communications, as well as team management and operations. Roman holds a degree in Financial Management and International Private Law.
Committee:
Hind AlEssa, Senior Executive Services
ENOC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Hind AlEssa is a results-driven Senior Executive in the oil and gas sector with seven years of experience, known for enhancing operations, delivering impactful service solutions, and driving innovation across teams.
Ferdaws Alsharif, Senior Executive
DMCC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Ferdaws Alsharif is an experienced professional specializing in the Freezone industry, with strong expertise in government relations. She has successfully led multiple projects, driven innovation and delivered impactful results across various institutions.
Kameliya Atanasova, CAO
Pontica Solutions, Sofia, Bulgaria
As Chief Administrative Officer at Pontica Solutions, a leading European BPO and CX provider, Kameliya led global strategy across people and culture. Kameliya drives organizational performance and resilience, advances talent availability and employer branding, and ensures strategic resource allocation to enable sustainable, scalable growth.
Nare Bandaranayake, Strategic Finance
Headway, New York City, New York, United States
Stanford GSB and Cambridge alumna with a decade of experience in digital innovation and entrepreneurship. Former Chief Growth Officer at a leading healthtech startup and founder of Barressential, Sri Lanka’s first women-led wellness franchise. Passionate about scaling tech-enabled solutions globally.
Vlad Cazacu, Co-founder & CEO
Flowlie Technologies, Miami, Florida, United States
Vlad is an ex-VC investor, published author, and the co-founder and CEO of Flowlie Technologies, a VC-backed tech startup based in Miami, FL, building an end-to-end fundraising AI agent for the busiest founders from Seed to Series B.
Victoria Clotet, Founder & CEO
Influsfera, Panama City, Panama
Victoria is the founder of Influsfera and a startup advisor with deep experience in product, innovation, and AI-powered strategy. She knows how to bring actionable insights to help you turn AI into your biggest competitive advantage. She is a tech founder and software engineer with international experience in LATAM, Europe, and the US.
Obet Cruz, Chief Consultant / Lecturer
Changeagent Management Consultancy / De La Salle - College of St. Benilde (DLS-CSB) - SPaCE Department, Mandaluyong / Manila, National Capital Region, Philippines
Obet is a consultant and educator with a passion for bringing back humanity to organizations. He champions empathy, trust, and authenticity in leadership, creating spaces where people thrive. Known for his thoughtful facilitation and purpose-driven approach, he helps leaders build meaningful, human-centered cultures that drive real impact.
Vikesh Dudhankar, Vice President
Morgan Stanley, Arlington, Virginia, United States
Victoria has extensive experience in application, cloud, and network security, leading global pentesting teams and driving secure architecture. She ensures compliance with PCI, SOC II, and FINRA. With a master's in cybersecurity, she specializes in Agile security testing and Red Team engagements across diverse environments and has experience in application, cloud, and network security.
Hanan Ali Ekhzaimy, Head Of Competitiveness and Quality Marine Department
Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Hanan is a graduate of a Bachelor of Science and a Master’s degree in Quality Management. She loves to search for scientific fields and works hard on self-development by focusing on aspects of science that raise the level of her scientific and administrative performance. She previously worked for Dubai Municipality.
Kiran Elengickal, VP Business Development & Technology Alliances
Siemba,Inc., Alpharetta, Georgia, United States
As the Vice President of Global Alliances and Business Development at Siemba, Kiran leads transformative technology partnerships that accelerate innovation, scale joint solutions, and drive strategic growth across the enterprise technology ecosystem. Kiran works closely with hyperscalers, OEMs, ISVs, and emerging tech providers to shape go-to-market strategies that align with evolving market demands and customer needs.
Dr. Mohamed Rabie Elsheikh, Founder & CEO
Tanmyah for Management Consulting & Training, Kuwait
For 30 years, Dr. Mohamed has led and contributed to various projects to assess organizational performance, improve effectiveness, and create GREAT customer & employee experiences in the GCC, Middle East, and Africa. Previously Mohamed worked for Zain Group in Kuwait & Bahrain, Vodafone Egypt, Arthur Andersen, Beyout Investment Group and the Ministry of Finance in Kuwait.
Yeni Fowotade, Principal Consultant
africon GmbH, Bremen, Germany
Yeni Fowotade leads market expansion strategies for global companies entering Africa and other emerging markets. As a regional leader with advisory experience across various industries, she brings deep expertise in market entry, cross-cultural leadership, strategic partnerships, growth and business sustainability.
Akanksha Gupta, Senior Director, Corporate Development and Strategy
NextEra Energy, Juno Beach, Florida, United States
Akanksha Gupta has over 15 years of experience in the energy industry leading strategy and operations at NextEra Energy, McKinsey & Company, and Transocean. With a focus on sustainable and accessible energy, she thrives at the intersection of business, financial, and technical challenges, creating long-term value for companies.
Ritesh Gupta, Category Manager
Nordic Naturals, Watsonville, California, United States
Food industry professional with 19+ years of global experience across food safety, sustainability, supply chain, and sourcing. Passionate about building climate-smart supply chains and driving meaningful impact. Led high-performing teams in leading MNCs, delivering strong results through strategic thinking, collaboration, and purpose-driven leadership.
Shazia Hassan, Specialist Leader
Deloitte Consulting, LLP - Washington, DC, Loganville, Georgia, United States
With a distinguished career spanning over 18 years, Shazia has emerged as a Specialist Leader in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), primarily focusing on transformative projects within the Life Sciences & Healthcare sectors. Renowned for orchestrating successful transformational projects, her expertise has been pivotal in steering organizations through the nuanced phases of PLM initiatives.
Jenna Joseph, Commercial Manager - PCRO Americas
Shell, Katy, Texas, United States
Jenna Joseph has 25 years of experience in the energy industry, 22 of those years with Shell. A certified accountant, Jenna has held various leadership roles within Finance, Commercial, Asset Management, and Business Transformation. Jenna is passionate about people and co-creating high-performing team cultures founded on trust and collaboration.
Inderpal Khanuja, Engagement Manager
McKinsey and Company, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Seasoned management consultant with 15+ years of expertise serving clients across 10+ countries to propel growth and create long term value for companies across the spectrum, from Fortune 100 companies to small-medium companies. Industry and consulting experience with proven ability to deliver results and create sustainable, tangible value for companies.
Oleksandr Logvin, Founder & CEO
LLC ALEX INVEST GROUP, Kyiv, Ukraine
Founded one of Ukraine’s first self-storage services and has over 15 years of experience in consumer logistics, e-commerce, and fulfillment. Leads Cherdak as CEO and is recognized as an industry expert. Active member of international business and entrepreneurship communities, contributing to the growth of emerging service markets.
Sameedha Mahajan, Design Coordinator
www.hdrinc.com, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Sameedha, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP ND, is an accomplished architect and urban designer with a diverse portfolio spanning aviation, wastewater, critical infrastructure, and healthcare projects. With extensive experience in the architecture and planning industry, she brings a unique, multidisciplinary perspective to her work. She is deeply committed to mentoring emerging professionals and students.
Adhithiya Murali, Investment Banking Vice President
Citigroup, New York City, New York, United States
Adhi is an Investment Banking Vice President at Citi, where he has spent the last four years advising technology companies on IPOs, M&A, and capital-raising transactions. He led implementation consulting and customer success teams at Broadcom, driving digital transformation initiatives with VMware technology for Fortune 500 clients. Adhi holds an MBA from Yale.
Ramalakshmi Murugan, Product Strategy Manager
Google, San Jose, California, United States
A strategic business professional, Ramalakshmi Murugan has over 15 years of experience spanning consulting, product management, and sales. She has a proven track record of delivering exceptional results by effectively translating business needs into clear objectives, creating clarity from ambiguous situations, and driving complex projects to successful completion.
Sayaka Ohshima, Audit Associate
Haskell & White, Irvine, California, United States
Sayaka Ohshima is a U.S. based auditor and business writer specializing in cross-border accounting, contributing to numerous international publications. She holds an MBA from Utica University with her work focused on SEC compliance, economic policy, and global capital flows, promoting financial transparency and innovation through public accounting and thought leadership.
Ozioma Onyeibor, Vice President
Iroko Capital, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria
Senior finance professional with 19+ years of experience in investment banking, principal investments, and portfolio management. Expertise includes recapitalizations, M&A, fundraising (debt and equity), and strategic investments. Holds an MBA from Imperial College Business School and is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Securities Trader.
Pallishree Panigrahi, Head of Data & Insights
Amazon Key, Santa Clara, California, United States
Pallishree Panigrahi is Head of Data at Amazon Key, where she leads global data strategy at the intersection of technology, operations, and marketing. With 15+ years of experience across Amazon, Meta, and other industry leaders, she builds intelligent, ethical data systems that drive innovation, business performance, and customer trust at scale.
Praneeta Pujari, CEO
UniqueHuman, San Francisco, California, United States
Praneeta Pujari is the Founder & CEO of UniqueHuman, an AI-powered consumer health tech company dedicated to making health care experience intuitive and personal. Praneeta is a seasoned executive with over a decade of expertise driving business and product innovation at renowned technology companies such as Apple, Amazon, and Flipkart.
Kavitha Ramaswamy, Chief of Staff, Principal Investments
Mercurius Media Capital, Sunnyvale, California, United States
Kavitha Ramaswamy is Chief of Staff and Investment Principal and part of the founding team at Mercurius Media Capital, where she helped launch the first U.S. dedicated media-for-equity venture fund. A former Tesla operator and Deloitte consultant, she brings deep cross-sector expertise in strategy, finance, and scale, with a focus on global market entry and founder growth.
Sven Riegel, Founder | Experience Creator
neoTED experience creator, Dresden, Saxony, Germany
Sven, an award-winning creative and designer, has made significant contributions to the hospitality, entertainment, and leisure industries. He founded neoTED experience creator, a company dedicated to crafting immersive and story-driven guest experiences. Riegel's expertise has been instrumental in various global projects, including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Super Nintendo World, and Epic Universe.
Angelina Samoilova, Account Executive
Notion, Dublin, Ireland
Angelina is an accomplished international tech sales professional with a proven track record driving over 7 figures in revenue at multi-billion-dollar companies. Most recently, Angelina is growing Notion in EMEA, championing AI adoption in digital workspaces.
Anastasiia Shakula, Senior Staff Accountant
Ashton Woods Homes, Alpharetta, Georgia, United States
Anastasiia Shakula is a Senior Staff Accountant at Ashton Woods Homes with international experience in audit and accounting. She holds a Master’s degree in Accounting and Taxation and specializes in financial reporting, corporate accounting and process improvement, bringing both strong analytical skills and a global perspective to her professional expertise.
Gaurav Shekhar, Vice President - Senior Group Application Manager
U.S.Bank, Kildeer, Illinois, United States
Gaurav Shekhar is a distinguished engineer and Vice President - Platform Engineering Manager with over 20 years of exemplary industry experience. Renowned for leading innovative platform solutions, he excels in driving scalable, high-performance systems, fostering cross-functional teams, and delivering cutting-edge technology transformations across diverse, high-impact engineering environments.
Alan Sienes, Corporate Technical Executive
San Miguel Corporation, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Alan Sienes is a manager and brewmaster at one of the Philippines’ largest and most diversified conglomerates. He has more than 30 years of leadership experience in brewing technology and operations management under his belt, obtained from a wide variety of cultures in Southeast Asia, China and South Asia.
Chris Simms, Vice President
Condé Nast London, London, United Kingdom
Chris Simms is a highly accomplished professional with more than 25 years of experience in Global Support, Service Operations, IT, and Infrastructure. Currently serving as the VP of Global Support and Infrastructure at Condé Nast since 2019, Chris is known for his strategic problem-solving, exemplary leadership, and dedication to excellence.
Nitin Singh, Chief Value Advisor and Practice Leader- Cloud ERP
SAP AMERICA, INC., Newtown Square, United States
Nitin, serving as the Chief Value Advisor and Practice Leader at SAP America, is a seasoned digital transformation expert. His proven track record spans the enterprise application Industry, where he has spearheaded digital transformation initiatives for numerous Fortune 500 companies. Recognized as a thought leader in his field, Singh boasts multiple publications.
Suhel Soudagar, Senior Consultant
Intueor Consulting Inc., Irvine, California, United States
Suhel Soudagar is a seasoned digital transformation leader and enterprise asset management expert with extensive experience driving strategic initiatives across transportation, defense, and infrastructure sectors. He specializes in organizational change management, technology optimization, and translating complex business challenges into actionable solutions that deliver measurable results.
Sandeep Telu, Senior Principal - Business Consulting
Infosys Consulting, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States
Sandeep Telu is a visionary Digital Transformation Business & Technology Executive with a proven track record of driving successful large-scale, multi-million-dollar business transformations across Retail, Consumer Goods, Hi-Tech, and Manufacturing. Adept at aligning corporate strategy with digital investments, leading enterprise application portfolios, ERP modernization, and leveraging AI, Data and Cloud.
Naveen Thangaraj, Delivery Executive – Application Managed Services
Capgemini America Inc, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Delivery Executive with 18 years in IT, holding a Bachelor's in Computer Science & IT from India. Experienced across Oracle and SAP ERP systems, led 4 greenfield implementations and digital transformations, and managed services. Progressed from Programmer to Executive, mentoring grads and delivering value across diverse client engagements since relocating to the U.S.
Nawal Alhanaee, Director of Future Energy Department
Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Eng. Nawal Alhanaee is the Director of Future Energy at the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. She leads national strategies on clean energy and hydrogen, represents the UAE in global climate forums, and has received multiple awards for her leadership in sustainability, innovation, and energy transition.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zeki Yuksekbilgili, Founder
Yuksekbilgili Egitim & Danismanlik, Istanbul, Turkey
Zeki Yuksekbilgili, an accomplished individual, holds a doctorate degree in Business Management. He is widely recognized as the visionary behind Yuksekbilgili Training Co., one of Turkey's largest training companies. Moreover, he serves as a distinguished lecturer at Istanbul Gelisim University. His teachings primarily revolve around Marketing Management, Sales Management, and Research Methodology.