Jyoti Lalchandani is a seasoned business executive with more than 25 years of experience in emerging markets across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). In his role as IDC’s Group Vice President and Regional Managing Director for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META), he has been instrumental in establishing IDC’s presence in the region – first, through the initial expansion of the Dubai headquarters and then by spearheading the development of IDC offices in Johannesburg, Istanbul, Riyadh, Casablanca, Lagos, Nairobi, and Cairo.
Jyoti is responsible for the planning, development, implementation, and coordination of IDC’s market intelligence and advisory services, sales, conferences and events, go-to-market services, and office development activities across the META region. As a respected authority on emerging market tech trends, he is also regularly invited to speak at major industry events throughout the region and is frequently quoted by both the national and international media.
His field of expertise includes key tech areas such as cloud, analytics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, and he is well known for providing guidance on digital transformation strategies for the entire C-suite. He is a trusted advisor to senior executives in the supplier/enabler space across the ICT ecosystem, as well as to tech buyers from the CIO and line-of-business communities.
Starting at IDC’s CEMA (Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) headquarters in 1995 in Prague, the Czech Republic, Jyoti served as IDC’s regional consulting manager. In this role, he headed several country-based project teams that advised local and multinational IT vendors on issues relating to entry strategy, competitor analysis, ROI analysis, distribution and partner evaluation, and market segmentation. He later took on the additional responsibility of overseeing the CEMA software practice, in which he was responsible for overseeing all related research (applications, system infrastructure, and tools) and advisory work across emerging EMEA countries.
Before joining IDC, Jyoti served on the national board of international non-profit organization AIESEC, where he managed the association’s partnership agreements with leading Indian conglomerates. He graduated from Loyola College, India, where his studies focused on strategy management and business policy. He later attended a corporate-sponsored program at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts.

Frank Theisen leads IBM’s Technology Product Business across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), overseeing revenue growth for all Software, Infrastructure, and Product Services in a region spanning more than 100 countries. He focuses on working closely with clients and partners to accelerate digital and technology transformation, with a strong emphasis on hybrid cloud and AI-driven innovation.

Prior to his current role, Frank served as Managing Director and Vice President for IBM Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Previously, he held a number of Leadership positions within the region and multiple global leadership positions across Research & Development and Sales, with a focus on Data & AI and IBM Technology.

With more than 25 years of international experience in the information technology industry, Frank is a seasoned executive specializing in data, analytics, AI, and hybrid cloud. He is recognized for building high-performance teams and delivering business value through large-scale digital transformation initiatives.

Saad Toma is the General Manager of IBM Middle East and Africa, where he leads the company’s growth and innovation across technology sales, consulting, technical communities, and IBM Research. He is deeply committed to advancing IBM’s success in the region by focusing on client relationships, talent development, and transformative technologies like AI and hybrid cloud.

Under Saad’s leadership, IBM has expanded its regional presence, opening new headquarters and a software lab in Saudi Arabia, initiating an AI research collaboration with MBZUAI in the UAE, including plans for two AI Centres of Excellence in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. During his tenure, IBM has led several strategic partnerships with leading cleints like Riyadh Air, e&, Saudi Data and AI Authority.

Saad is a global leader with extensive experience across the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, UK, and Europe. He holds degrees from Oxford Brookes University and the University of Southampton, along with executive education from Harvard University.

Khalid Murshed is the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of e& enterprise. Prior to this, he was the Chief Technology & Information Officer (CTIO) of e& UAE. With over 26 years of experience in the MENA telecom industry, he brings a wealth of expertise in technology leadership and operational excellence.
During his tenure as Chief Technology & Information Officer of e& UAE, Khalid spearheaded several groundbreaking achievements, including the deployment of the region’s first enhance 5G Standalone network and achieving the world’s fastest 5G speeds of 30.5Gbps and aggregated 5G-Advanced speed of 62Gbps. Under his leadership, e& UAE also set benchmarks in completing trials of ultra-high-speed optical solutions and net-zero 5G Massive MIMO site deployments at COP28, aligned with the group’s commitment to innovation and sustainability.
He joined e& in 2013 as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for e& Egypt (formerly Etisalat Misr), where he played a critical role in launching the 4G network alongside various mobile networks, establishing the company as the second leading telco in Egypt. Following this, he assumed the role of e& UAE’s CTIO in January 2022. Prior to joining e&, Khalid held leadership roles at Emirates Telecommunications Company (du) as Vice President Mobile Access Network and at Mobily as Director of Network Development, where he was instrumental in overseeing the development and optimisation of mobile networks.
Drawing upon his technological expertise, strategic vision, and deep understanding of industry trends, Khalid’s leadership is set to drive innovation and transformation at e& enterprise, further strengthening the company’s position as a digital transformation leader in the region and beyond.
Khalid holds a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications Engineering from Khalifa University in the UAE.

Atul Soneja is Chief Operating Officer at Tech Mahindra. A core part of Tech Mahindra’s leadership team, Atul comes with a rich and extensive professional background and has served as the COO at CitiusTech, where he successfully oversaw the overall delivery and operations for the organization. Prior to that, he spent over two decades at Infosys, managing multi-billiondollar services lines across financial services, retail, and manufacturing industry segments.
Moreover, he headed the Infosys subsidiary, EdgeVerve, where he led the platforms and products business with a focus on AI and automation.

Atul holds a Bachelor of Technology from the prestigious IIT Kharagpur and did his schooling at
De Nobili School, Dhanbad.

In addition to his professional and family responsibilities, he is passionate for sports, travel, and
immersing himself in diverse cultures and cuisines.

Roland Boulos serves as UnifyApps’ vice president of go-to-market strategy and solution consulting. In this role, he leads global solution consulting initiatives, advising enterprises on how to operationalize AI at scale and translate strategy into measurable business outcomes across industries. He is a frequent speaker at industry forums, where he shares practical insights from real-world projects on enterprise AI adoption and the structural changes required to unlock sustainable transformation.

Samir Akel is the Regional Vice President for Emerging Markets at Nintex, where he oversees operations across the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. With over two decades of experience driving digital transformation across both public and private sectors, he has held senior leadership roles at global technology leaders including Oracle, BMC Software, and Udacity.

At Nintex, Samir leads the regional growth strategy, strengthens the partner ecosystem, and champions customer success across some of the world’s most dynamic digital economies. His expertise spans go-to-market leadership, cloud transformation, and scaling high-impact teams that deliver measurable business outcomes.

Sachin Bhatia, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer at Exotel, brings over two decades of experience in customer engagement and communication technology.

As Co-Founder of Ameyo, he scaled the company into one of the largest CX players in emerging markets, serving 2,000+ customers across 60+ countries. Following Ameyo’s merger with Exotel and the acquisition of Cogno AI, Sachin has been driving Exotel’s vision to become a leading customer engagement platform- trusted by enterprises across India, Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa.

Aaron is based in Dubai and is the SVP, Advisory Services for Middle East & Africa. With 11+ years of industry experience, he has worked in a wide range of industry sectors, including Financial Services, Retail, Insurance, Government, and Telecommunications. Aaron is a GIAC Certified Defence Analyst (GCDA), and has extensive knowledge in incident response, threat hunting, vulnerability management, cyber security operations, threat intelligence, and cyber security consultancy

Khalid Shahbic is a transformative technology leader with over 15 years of cross-sector expertise spanning telecom, real estate, and sports technology. As the IT Director at Manateq, he architects the digital strategy driving Qatar’s economic diversification, overseeing a complex ecosystem of Infrastructure, Applications, Service Management, and Governance.

Khalid’s reputation for delivering value under pressure was cemented during the FIFA World Cup Qatar, where he played a pivotal role in implementing critical IT infrastructure. He successfully deployed diverse Command Centers and stadium management systems that ensured a flawless digital experience for millions of visitors.

Currently, Khalid is pioneering the practical application of Agentic AI to redefine industrial efficiency. He is leading the deployment of autonomous AI frameworks designed to review investor applications and optimize logistics operations—turning theoretical AI potential into measurable business wins. His work focuses heavily on the economics of innovation: managing implementation costs while deriving tangible operational value for Qatar’s logistics and factory sectors.

Khalid holds an MBA and a B.Sc. in IT Management from Bradford University. He is a strategist who bridges the gap between technical complexity and business ROI, making him a key voice on the future of industrial intelligence.

Fatma Al Sowaidi is the Director of Information Technology at the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA), where she leads the strategic development and transformation of the organization’s technology landscape. With over 18 years of experience in the IT sector, she has been instrumental in driving innovation, operational excellence, and the adoption of next‑generation digital capabilities within the regulatory environment.

Fatma oversees enterprise-wide technology strategy, major digital transformation initiatives, and the implementation of cloud, network, cybersecurity, business continuity, and disaster recovery programs. Under her leadership, the QFCRA became the first government entity in Qatar to operate fully on the cloud—an achievement that significantly strengthened operational efficiency, resilience, and alignment with the country’s broader digital agenda.

She also leads the development and execution of the QFCRA’s Artificial Intelligence strategy, positioning the authority as a regional benchmark for regulatory modernization. Her vision centers on leveraging AI to enhance supervisory effectiveness, streamline operations, and elevate regulatory excellence.

Based in Dubai, Giovanni Everduin serves as chief strategy and innovation officer at Commercial Bank International. He is also the bank’s head of ventures. He is a Harvard Business School alum with a creative, entrepreneurial background, who is passionate about the intersection of tech and impact, particularly around leveraging new technologies like AI and blockchain to support global and local sustainability goals. Giovanni also serves as an advisor and mentor to several start-ups and founders within the fintech and AI space, and currently sits on the boards of Zypl, a Series-A AI and synthetic data start-up; Tekle Holographics, a leading geospatial holographics company; Luna PR, a fintech-, AI-, and web3-focused PR firm; and Tumar, the fund between the World Bank and the government of Kazakhstan. He has over 20 years of experience driving change and delivering strategic benefits to organizations across the globe.

Sonny Tran serves as director of strategic growth at EdgeNext. He is a senior technology and commercial leader with deep expertise in content delivery, edge cloud, and digital infrastructure. At EdgeNext, he leads strategic growth initiatives across carrier-grade CDN and edge computing, helping enterprises, media platforms, and digital service providers deliver high-performance, scalable, and resilient digital experiences across Europe, the Middle East, and other high-growth markets. Sonny works closely with ISPs, hyperscalers, and enterprise customers to support the adoption and commercialization of distributed network architectures, enabling organizations to optimize performance, improve reliability, and modernize their digital infrastructure at scale. His work focuses on bridging technology strategy and commercial execution, particularly for latency-sensitive workloads in media, gaming, and high-traffic digital platforms. Prior to joining EdgeNext, Sonny held roles at IBM and Verizon, where he supported large multinational organizations with enterprise networking, cloud, and carrier-grade services, gaining first-hand experience in the operational and strategic challenges faced by global CIOs.

Nadeem Qureshi is a senior business leader focused on helping enterprises turn technology transformation into tangible business value. With deep experience engaging CXOs and executive stakeholders, he brings a market-driven perspective on how organizations can prioritize modernization, optimize investment decisions, and align cloud strategies with growth, resilience, and operational efficiency. His work centers on bridging business intent with execution, enabling leadership teams to move beyond technology adoption toward sustained competitive advantage.

Mr. Dave Horton, VP, Solution Engineering, Airia, is a software security professional with over 20 years of experience in software security. David currently leads the Solutions Engineering team at Airia Enterprise AI. Over the course of his career, David has driven significant growth at prominent organizations, including OneTrust, VMware, AirWatch, SHI International, and, most recently, Odaseva, where he was SVP of Solutions Engineering. With expertise spanning cybersecurity, data protection, AI, and cloud technologies, Dave has a proven track record of developing innovative solutions to complex challenges.

Mr. Dave Horton holds a range of sector-specific certifications, including CISSP, CIPP/E, CIPM, and FIP, reflecting his deep industry knowledge and leadership in the field.

Ahmad is part of Cloudflare Solutions Engineering team with more than 18 years of sales and technological experience with high passion for cybersecurity. He is focused on designing reliable solutions for customers to enhance their security posture while improving performance of their applications and networks. With extensive customers’ engagement around the GCC and Middle-East region across different industries and verticals, Ahmad acquired a deeper and thorough understanding of positioning cybersecurity and AI solutions, demonstrating the value proposition and elaborating the problems addressed.