Peter de Ruiter has a strong affiliation and broad experience with International Business in the Netherlands, EU and Africa. In any organisation he will optimise the people, finance, tax and legal functions. He is a visionary leader who defines clear and convincing strategies with his teams and ensures effective implementation. Peter believes the private sector plays a crucial role in the economic and sustainable development of Africa. He is involved in the work of the Netherlands-African Business Council as Senior Counsel for many years, he was NABC’s managing director between 2017-2021. Prior to this, Peter built up over 30 years of professional experience as Partner in PWC and EY. He worked and lived in a number of countries and gained international business expertise in emerging and developing markets such as in Central Eastern Europe, Nigeria and West-Africa.

Hamza is the co-founder of SOWIT, a start-up providing decision support systems to more than 22,000 African farmers. He is a 2018 Marshall German Fund and Policy Center for the New South Emerging Leader.

SOWIT is incorporated in France, Morocco and Senegal and leverages all the power of remote-sensing, AI and agronomy to provide key insights to farmers enabling them to optimize crucial operations such as fertilization or harvest.

Hamza is co-author of the landmark report published by the African Union entitled “Drones on the horizon: Transforming Africa’s Agriculture”. The report forms the basis upon which the AU Executive Council issued the Decision  EX. CL/Dec. 986-1007 (XXXII), recommending all Member States harness the opportunities offered by drones for precision agriculture.

Intissar Rajabany is a development professional with over 16 years of experience designing and implementing projects in the MENA region focused on social change, women and youth empowerment, inclusive economic growth, and private sector facilitation. She has a passion for researching and writing on gender and cultural practice, economic empowerment, leadership, politics, and security. Her experience includes a diverse set of individual, private, national and international stakeholders, including the USAID, the British Council, GAC, EU and UNDP among others. Owing to her rich multidisciplinary background, Intissar has a talent for solving problems in complex and dangerous environments, and a passion for working with people. A pharmacist by training, linguist, and communication expert, Intissar has over 20 years of experience in the oil and gas sector and she is the co-founder of the Women in Business Committee – Tripoli. Intissar holds an MA in International Relations Theory from the University of Warwick, and a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from the University of Tripoli.

Aurélien Pastouret began his career working in the private sector as lobbyist in Paris and Brussels and his first assignments in the public sector were in the French ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the French Prime Minister’s Office, where he worked on ACP countries. He moved on to the management of development projects and joined DG INTPA in 2018 with responsibilities on operational and financial cooperation with Sub Saharan African countries. In 2021, Aurelien Pastouret joined DG NEAR unit B2, in charge of regional programmes for the Southern Neighbourhood. He is in charge of several regional programmes in the areas of economic development (on issues such as SME development, entrepreneurship, innovation, trade and investment, green economy, financial inclusion) including blending under the EFSD+.

Hayfa Sdiri is the Head of Youth Engagement at RIVET. A global organization that channels the economic power of youth to fund youth-led solutions worldwide.

She is also the founder and president of SDG Camps Tunisia, a foundation that supports young changemakers tackling SDG-related challenges through incubation and mentorship.

Over the past 6 years, she has worked with citizens, governments, start-ups and non-profit organizations to design and implement social change through innovation and entrepreneurship mechanisms Her areas of interest include meaningful youth engagement, social entrepreneurship, organizational change, youth-led innovation and systems transformation. She has travelled and collaborated with experts across the MENA region, Europe, North America, and West Africa.

Hayfa worked with the UNDP, the ITU, UN-Habitat and other developmental organizations as a staff member and consultant and has mentored dozens of startups in the MENA region & Africa.

In 2019, as a result of her work, she has been listed as one of the 100 most influential women by BBC.

Khaoula Behi, as the Managing Founder of Future Islands, plays a pivotal role in reshaping the landscape of entrepreneurship and fostering a culture of innovation in Tunisia. She has further extended her impact by establishing a Berlin-based platform dedicated to sustainable and inclusive solutions for communities facing crises, harnessing the power of collective knowledge.

With a diverse professional background, Behi has served as an innovation consultant, a facilitator, and a program designer, contributing her expertise across both the African and European regions. Her primary areas of focus encompass green innovation, entrepreneurship promotion, and bolstering community resilience. Additionally, Khaoula is actively engaged in research endeavours, exploring crowdfunding development in the North African region, with the aim of advancing alternative financing mechanisms to support innovation initiatives.

Mr. Walid GADDAS is an agronomist graduated from Agro. Toulouse and holder of a DEA in Chemistry applications to agriculture from Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France. He is the Managing Director of STECIA International, a consultancy firm specializing in the development of sustainable agri-food value chains which operates in more than 25 countries in Africa, Europe and Asia.

Deputy Director General – North Africa, African Development Bank
Based in Tunis, Malinne oversees the African Development Bank’s operations in North Africa. As Country Manager for Libya, Mauritania and Tunisia, she also ensures business development, oversees the portfolio, and leads dialogue with governmental, private sector and development partners, aiming at transformative interventions at scale. Malinne brings extensive experience from the Bank’s operations across the African continent in terms of building a strong projects pipeline and structuring and delivering advisory services and investment projects with diverse financing arrangements to meet client needs. Prior to joining AfDB, Malinne worked as Financial and Institutional Advisor at the Ministry of Water and Environment in Uganda, and as Manager at Arthur Andersen Business Consulting in the UK, advising and implementing projects for clients in the Financial Services Industry. Malinne holds an MBA from IMD in Lausanne and an MSc in Economic and International Business from University of Linkoping.

Naaman Elbouri is an investment banker with more than 30 years of international experience. He has been the chairman of the Assary Trade and Investment Bank (ATIB) in Libya since 2011. He is a member of the Berlin Economic Track.

Naaman was the Head of Middle East at Arner Bank in Lugano between 2009-2012 and the Executive Director at UBS Investment Bank Geneva/ Switzerland for 14 years within the Equity Linked division.

He is a founding member of Nour Libya Marine Services (2004) and a founding member and Chairman of Trans Sahara Oil Services. He is equally a founding member of Tadawul Financial Services, Libya’s first Asset Management Co. He is also a founding member and Chairman of Libya’s first Private Electronic Payment Provide “Tadawul Tadawul Technology”

Zeineb serves as the Executive Director at The Dot, Tunisia’s digital innovation Hub, leveraging over 15 years of industry experience. She’s dedicated to fostering innovation, mentoring emerging talents, and creating entrepreneurship programs. Zeineb’s journey includes co-founding her hometown’s first co-working space and contributing to Réseau Entreprendre Tunisia’s growth as an entrepreneurial support organization.

She’s been fortunate to share insights as a speaker and support various events focused on entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment. Zeineb also participates as a member of the selection committee for the Flywheel support program within Tunisia’s national initiative, Startup Tunisia. She serves also as a board member for Tunisian Startups, Tunisia’s pioneering startup association.

Zeineb has a master’s degree in international trade and she’s a proud mother of two. 

Ms. Gertrude Wagemans (MA) – Senior Strategic Adviser on International Cooperation & Private Sector Development – MENA Region – RVO / Netherlands Enterprise & Development Agency (NL Government)

Gertrude Wagemans has been working in International (Development) Cooperation for more than 20 years now, in different roles. She spent many years abroad, in various countries on the African continent as well as in Asia. She worked as country director for Agriterra (Tanzania), Impact Investment Adviser/ Philanthropy Adviser (West-Africa/Sahel) and as a Capacity Development Adviser for a large Dutch NGO (Madagascar). Currently she works as a senior strategic adviser to the NL Government on sustainable transitions in International Development (systems approach – coordination/coherence – localization). She also advises on Private Sector Development in the MENA region.