17-18 November 2025

Speaker Biography

Christopher Williams

Professor, ESSCA School of Management, France

Christopher Williams is Professor in the Strategy, Entrepreneurship and International Business Department at ESSCA School of Management in France. His research interests include international strategy, innovation in international firms and contexts, R&D and organizational resilience. Before entering academia in 2007, Dr Williams spent two decades in international companies, including 10 years with IMS Health. His research appears in various academic journals, and he has published a range of teaching cases on strategy and innovation in international contexts. He is author of Venturing in International Firms: Contexts and Cases in a High-Tech World (Routledge, 2018), Management Consultancy for Innovation (Routledge, 2019) and Organizing for Resilience (with J. You) (Routledge, 2021), Strategic Business Case Analysis (Routledge, 2023), as well as lead editor of FDI and Cities: Global Case Studies for Theory and Practice (Routledge, 2025).

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Jan van Bilsen

Country Manager for Germany, the Nordics and Switzerland, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Germany

Jürgen Raizner

Director

Steinbeis Enterprises in Stuttgart (DE), Baku (AZ), Bucharest (RO), Uzhhorod (UA) and Vienna (AT)

Patrick Breuer

General Manager DACH & Netherlands, HABYT, Germany

Spyros Kouvelis

Chairman, Verimpact/ Team Leader EU-GCC Cooperation on Climate Change and Energy/Senior Associate of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership/former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs/former MP

Aleksandra Božović

Head of the Department for International Cooperation and Investment Environment Development, Montenegro Investment Agency (MIA), Montenegro

Matthias Beier

President & CEO, Transatlantic Business & Investment Council (TBIC)

Tigran Harutyunyan

Founder, Myler Mountain Resort, Armenia

Vanessa Völkel

Deputy Director, UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion Office (ITPO), Germany

Andreas Kieb

Advisor to Global Head of Real Estate, DREES & SOMMER SE, Germany

Anne Eberhardt

Project Manager Commercial Sites, Rheinisches Revier, NRW.Global Business, Germany

Christopher Williams

Professor, ESSCA School of Management, France

Natalia Bejan

Director, Invest Moldova Agency

Dušan Radonjić

Director of the International Cooperation Department, Chamber of Economy of Montenegro, Montenegro

Theo Föllings

President, EURADA, Belgium

Dr.-Ing Georg Leuteritz

Senior Director Trends & Innovations, hannoverimpuls GmbH, Germany

H.E. Mothanna Gharaibeh

Minister of Investment, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Gökhan Yücel

Head of the Communications Department

Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye

Arnar Guðmundsson

Head of Foreign Direct Investment, Business Iceland, Iceland

Jürgen Schmitz

Office for Investment support, Business settlement projects and Cluster management, City of Mainz, Germany

Dr. Tobias Traupel

Director General, European, Legal  and Foreign Trade Department, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North-Rhine Westphalia

Maryna Khlystun

Executive Director, UkraineInvest, Ukraine

Jens Manke

Director Germany and Central Europe

OCO Global

Dr. Eric Anthony Johnson

Assistant City Manager, City of Austin, Texas, USA

Besnik Vasolli

Managing Director of German - Kosovo Economic Chamber

Rita Aloi

Director EMEA, ResearchFDI, Italy

Bogusława Kruczek-Gębczyńska

Head, Silesian Investor and Exporter Assistance Center

Dr. Kai Bindseil

Head of Division Healthcare | Industry | Infrastructure, Berlin Partner for Business and Technology

Daniela Schmitt

Minister, Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture

Maryna Khlystun

Executive Director, UkraineInvest, Ukraine

Dragoslav Pavlovic

Mayor City of Nis, Serbia

Councillor Ray McAdam

Lord Mayor, City of Dublin, Ireland

Andreas Lippert

COO, Investor Services at Saxony Trade & Invest Corp., Germany

Joana Aguia

Project Manager, Invest Madeira

Regional Government of Madeira (Portugal)

Steffen Rietzschel

Head of Economic Development Office, City of Dresden, Germany

Dr. Chloë Voisin-Bormuth

Managing Director, Paris-Île de France Capitale Économique (PCE), France

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Jürgen Barke

Minister of Economics, Innovation, Digitalisation and Energy and Deputy Prime Minister of Saarland, Germany

Chigozie Nweke-Eze

CEO, Integrated Africa Power (IAP)

Board Member, Hydrogen-Africa

Günther Fehlinger

Austrian Economist, Management and Development Consultant

Holly Garforth

Business Development Head – Lead Generation

Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) - Government of Ras Al Khaimah

Ms. Simone Hartog

Representative for Abacus (Seychelles) Ltd.

Aminta Zettel

Strategic Country Manager Europe and the United Kingdom

Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) - Government of Ras Al Khaimah

Honoré Achille Simo

Executive Director, Value and Risk Advisory, JLL

Jens Manke

Director Germany and Central Europe

OCO Global

Faraz Rojid

Director

Economic Development Board (EDB) of Mauritius

Gordon Einstein

Founding Partner

CryptoLaw Partners – specializing in crypto and blockchain

KOSTIANTYN LISNYCHYI

Strategic Advisor to UkraineInvest, Business Development

Christoph Kannengießer

CEO, Afrika-Verein der deutschen Wirtschaft e.V. (German-African Business Association)

Rakan I. Algaraawi

Office Director - Central/Eastern Europe

Saudi Investment Promotion Authority

Theo Föllings

President

EURADA

Dennis Schulmeyer

CEO and Founder

LADE GmbH

Ovidia Caba

Director of Regional Policies, Programs Unit

RDA Centru, Romania

Mr. Rifat Hyseni

Director of Information Technology Department In Tax Administration of Kosovo

PROF. PETER PLATZER

Secretary General of EUREKA, Co-Founder of 3rd School of Austrian Macroeconomics

Philipp Lemmerz

Partner

Government & Public Services practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers Middle East

Charles A. FitzGibbon

Vice President of Sales

Conway Data, Inc.

Carmelo Corral

Investment Promotion Manager

IPEX Spain

Jürgen Raizner

Director

Steinbeis Enterprises in Stuttgart (DE), Baku (AZ), Bucharest (RO), Uzhhorod (UA) and Vienna (AT)

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Levon Ohanesyan

CEO

Enterprise Armenia

Jürgen Raizner

Director

Steinbeis Enterprises in Stuttgart (De), Baku (AZ), Bucharest (Ro), Uzhhorod (UA) and Vienna (AT)

Mathias Fillon

COO

ANIMA Investment Network

Vahan Kerobyan

Minister of Economy

Government of the Republic of Armenia

PILAR MADRIGAL

Director Investment Advisory

CINDE – Invest in Costa Rica

Sergiy Tsivkach

Executive Director

UkraineInvest

Dr. Manuel Kallweit

Chief Economist

German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA)

Dr. Alexander Blass

Head of Operations

NEURA Robotics

Gordon Einstein

Founding Partner

CryptoLaw Partners – specializing in crypto and blockchain

Christian Kingombe

Co-Founding Managing Partner

4IP

Emmanuel Rutagengwa

Head, Transport Policy & Planning

Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency

FERNANDO BALLESTA

Director of Foreign Trade, Investments and Industrial Infrastructures

Murcia Regional Development Agency

Dr. Ahmed Bennis

Managing Director, Tanger Med Zones and

Secretary General, Africa Economic Zones Organization (AEZO)

Reinhold von Ungern-Sternberg

Director International Markets

German Association for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (BVMW)

H.E. Dr. Sania A. Ansari

CEO

Ansari Group Ltd. and Strategic Partner for SGD Cities Initiative

Alexandra Dublanche

Chairwoman

Choose Paris Region

COURTNEY FINGAR

Chairwoman of IME

Founder and Principal of Fingar Direct Investment

Micheal Perschke

CEO

Quantron AG

Jens Manke

Director Germany and Central Europe

OCO Global

Svilen Rangelov

Co-Founder and CEO

Dronamics

Heike Freimuth

Head of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group Office in Germany

Ferruh Parmaksız

Country Advisor of Germany

Invest in Türkiye

Georg Schattney

Group Head of ESG / Sustainability Officer

CORESTATE Capital Group

Chigozie Nweke-Eze

CEO, Integrated Africa Power (IAP)

Board Member, Hydrogen-Africa

Gilbert Ewehmeh

Investment & Innovative Finance Expert

Chairman, Accelerate Africa

Gül Ertuğ

Finance and Accounting Leader - CFO

Ford Otosan

Dr. Nurettin Tekin

Hydrogen Product Management

KAWASAKI Gas Turbine Europe GmbH

Dr. Henrik Meincke

Chief Economist

German Chemical Industry Association (VCI)

PROF. PETER PLATZER

Secretary General of EUREKA, Co-Founder of 3rd School of Austrian Macroeconomics

Subhashini Chandran

Vice President Social Impact Asia Pacific

Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

Achim Hartig

Managing Director,
Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI)

Chair of OECD Network of Investment Promotion Agencies,
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Günther Fehlinger

Austrian Economist, Management and Development Consultant

Mohammed Juma'a Al Musharrakh

CEO

Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah)

Lionel Grotto

CEO

Choose Paris Region

Frank Beckmann

CEO / Investment Advisor

GVI Germany GmbH

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Douglas van den Berghe

Founder and CEO, NxT Zones

JÜRGEN RAIZNER

CEO | Administrator / Steinbeis-Transferzentrum Ost-West-Kooperationen

Moshe Bar Zvi

Principal of Love Israel Venture Capital

Mateusz Wachowski

Senior Inspector in the Investors Assistance Department, Katowice City Hall

Jon Whiteaker

Editor, Investment Monitor

Johannes Jung

Head of Department 5 Strategy, Law, Foreign Trade and European Affairs Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism, State of Baden-Württemberg

Guy Van der Beken

President of EUREKA

H.E. Mulu Solomon Bezuneh

Ambassador, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of F.D. R. of Ethiopia to F. R. of Germany

Sarah Jaax

Senior Consultant, FDI Center

Jens Manke

Director Germany, OCO Global

Prof. Peter Platzer

Secretary General of EUREKA, Co-Founder of 3rd School of Austrian Macroeconomics

DIPL. ING. HEIKO SCHNEIDER

CEO and Managing Partner GoGaS Goch GmbH & Co. KG

Dr. Ahmed Zaid Al Hussain

CEO of the Royal Commission Jubail within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

Heike Freimuth

Head of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group Office in Germany

Fabio Righi

Minister of State for Industry, Handicraft and Trade, Technological Research and Regulatory Simplification of the Republic of San Marino

Alice Mashingaidze

Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe in Berlin, Germany

GUNTHER FEHLINGER

Secretary General CEE-BC

Magdalena A. Kolka

Deputy Director of Investors Assistance Department, Katowice City Hall

Professor Stefan Liebing

Chairman, German-African Business Association

ACADEMICIAN PROF. DR. MILAN KRAJNC

Psychotherapist, Nobel Prize nominee and Author of the Dynamic Leadership Model

Phina Jerome

Research and Planning Manager, Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC)

MR. MARKUS LEHNER

Principal of LEHNER INVESTMENTS

Marcin Woźniak

CEO at Swarmcheck | President of the board at Optimum Pareto Foundation.

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Dr.-Ing. Nurettin Tekin

Hydrogen Product Management, KAWASAKI Gas Turbine Europe GmbH

Miguel Solis

Trade Counsellor, Embassy of Guatemala in Berlin

Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann

Minister for Economy, Science and Digitalization of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

H.E. Laila Rahhal El Atfani

Founder & President at Business Gate / Global President CEC-UK

Prof. Heinz-Peter Platzer

Co-Founder at the 3rd Austrian School of Macroeconomics and Secretary General of Eureka.

Heiko Staubitz

Senior Manager Investor Consulting Hydrogen & Energy Infrastructure, Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI)

ALBIN KURTI

Prime Minister of Republic Kosovo

Academician Prof. Dr. Milan Krajnc

Psychotherapist, Nobel Prize nominee and Author of the Dynamic Leadership Model

Vanessa Völkel

Deputy Head, UNIDO ITPO Germany

Professor Olga Mroz, Dame of Honour

Al-Khalifa Business School

GUNTHER FEHLINGER

Secretary General CEE-BC

Prof. Dr. Claudia Dalbert

Minister for the Environment, Agriculture and Energy of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Her Excellency Lady Elizabeth Kelly

Businesswoman in Dubai (UAE)

Yassir Ahmed

Advisor Sudan, UNIDO ITPO Germany

Aïssata Lam

Director General - Investment Promotion Agency of Mauritania (APIM)

Mr. Daouda Sangaré

Advisor Côte d'Ivoire, UNIDO ITPO Germany

Carlos Andrés Alvarez

Senior Advisor Foreign Investment, PROCOLOMBIA

Reinhold von Ungern-Sternberg

Director International Markets

Ksenija Cipek

Ministry of Finance, Tax Administration of the Republic of Croatia.

Paul Soubry

President & Chief Executive Officer, NFI

André Steinau

Co-Chair Clean Energy Partnership

H.E. Dr.Dr.h.c. Raphael Nagel

Chairman at The Abrahamic Business Circle

Dipl. Ing. Heiko Schneider

CEO and Managing Partner GoGaS Goch GmbH & Co. KG

Ms. Zoë Harries

Senior FDI & Economic Zones Advisor I Partner & Director, EZDA I Founder & CEO, Impact Zones & Impact Advisory Middle East I Project Director, World FZO I Lecturer & Public Speaker

Markus Exenberger

German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ)

Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart

Minister of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia

ROSE DOREE BOKELEALE EBETA

Deputy Managing Director of the National Investment Promotion Agency (ANAPI DRC) of the DR Congo

Dr. Rüdiger Meyer

Application Expert Energy Storage, Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG

Jürgen Raizner

CEO | Administrator / Steinbeis-Transferzentrum Ost-West-Kooperationen

Dr. Philipp Steinberg

Head of Economic Policy Department, German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

Adekunle Olusile

Advisor Nigeria, UNIDO ITPO Germany

H.E Denisa Gokovi

Founder & CEO at Hoinser Magazine | Speaker| Philosopher| Writer| Musician| | Award - winning| Sovereign Ambassador.

Dr. Maike Schäfer

Minister for Climate Protection, the Environment, Mobility, Urban and Housing Development for the city-state of Bremen, Germany

Douglas van den Berghe

CEO of NxtZones and FDI

Nuno Maposse

Senior Investment Expert, Mozambique Investment and Export Promotion Agency (APIEX)

Mr. Markus Lehner

Principal of LEHNER INVESTMENTS

Jessica Neumann

Investment and Technology Promotion Expert at UNIDO ITPO Germany

Jens Deutschendorf

State Secretary, Hessian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Transport and Housing

Gustavo Weigel

Managing Director, WEIGEL Finanzas Corporativas, Uruguay

Dr. Simone Burel

CEO of LUB GmbH

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Mr. Norbert Barthle MdB

Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development

Ricardo Pedroza

Director Europe, PROCOLOMBIA Frankfurt

Yofi Grant

CEO, Ghana Investment Promotion Center

Hans-Joachim Hebgen

Senior Consultant for financing, policy issues develoPPP.de and textile industry

Sering Bamba Saho

Founder and CEO, M + S Piano-Express GmbH

Mirko Twardy

Head of Business Development Finance and Promotion – Dr. Kakuschke & Partner AG, Berlin

Mr.Flamur Kuçi

Ceo of ADVICE, Management Consulting Albania

Mr.Sheku Lexmond N. Koroma

CEO at Sierra Leone Investment and Export Promotion Agency

Dr. Martin J. Worms

State secretary at the Ministry of Finance of Hessen

Justus Vitinius

Director Corporates Latin America, German Investment and Development Corporation (DEG)

Gustavo Weigel

Managing Director , WEIGEL HALLER CORPORATE FINANCE (Uruguay)

Ms.Yeva Zeynalyan

Country Coordinator for PPD Network, Armenia

Hon. Dennis Waweru

Vorsitzender, Kenya Investment Authority

Mr.Michael Voigt

Wirtschaftsförderer, Wirtschaft und Tourismus Villingen-Schwenningen GmbH

Mr.Alush Gashi

Minister and Functions in the Assembly of Kosovo

Fellanza Podrimja

Public relations, economic and educational advisor to the Mayor of Prizren Municipality

Jürgen Raizner

CEO | Administrator / Steinbeis-Transferzentrum Ost-West-Kooperationen

Carolin Welzel

Senior Consultant International Organizations, Agency for Economy & Development (AWE), Berlin

Mr.Stefan Günther

Manager regionale, Projekte Invest in Bavaria – Die Ansiedlungsagentur des Freistaates Bayern

Mr.ERIC MENGES

President & CEO FrankfurtRheinMain Region

Dr. Corinna Franke-Wöller

Director Agency for Economy and Development

Ms.Saida Kahouli

Deputy director in Foreign Investment Promotion Agency-FIPA TUNISIA

Mr.Mirsad Jašarspahić, dipl.ing.maš.

President, Chamber of Economy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Dr. Eyup Vural Aydin

Chairman – Istanbul PPPCoE

Teodor Bate

Chief architect of the Dambovita county, Romania

Sarah Russis

Director, fDi Intelligence – Financial Times Group

Ms.Mariam Kuchuloria

Deputy CEO of EBA Georgia

Arlind Zeqiri

Head of International Office Bern, Agency for Foreign Investments and Export Promotion of the Republic of Macedonia

Mr.WANG Shunqing

Generalkonsul at Generalkonsulat of People

Paola Suárez Buhrmann

Manager at FDI Center

Ms. Tessa Jacques

President of the Caribbean Association for Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA)

Ikechukwu Okoli

Head of Advisory and Investment, Kiakia Gas Limited

Ángel D. Morales Castillo

President, German-Nicaraguan Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Mr.Nikola Jankovic

Senior Investment Advisor, Serbian Development Agency

Kadio Fofana Diop

Investment Direcor for APIX SA

Christian Weber

Executive Director Representative Office Mexico, Bayern International

Francisco Mackenney

Consul General of Chile in Frankfurt

Albin Kurti

Former Prime Minister of Republic Kosovo

Ali Mehrez

Director in charge of Industrial sectors at AMDIE – Moroccan Investment and Export Development Agency (AMDIE)

Mr. Aleksejs Stecs

Vice Chairman of Rezekne city council on development and investment

Sarah Jaax

Location marketing, Ministry of Economics, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture Rhineland-Palatinate

Georgi Petrov

Regional Manager – ECA PPP Transaction Advisory, IFC

Courtney Fingar

Editor-in-chief, FDI, at New Statesman Media Group

Ms Božica Lapić

Director for Investments, Agency for Investments and Competitiveness of Croatia

Andreas Stephan

Dipl. -Geophys., MBA SPRINT! Energy Consulting GmbH

Ms.Olga Mroz

Dama of Honour

Mr.Eric Menges

CEO of FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH

Ms. Mariyana Nikolova

Deputy Prime Minister for Economic and Demographic Policies in Bulgaria

Prof. Julien Chaisse

School of Law | City University of Hong Kong – Hong Kong SAR

Mr.Jacopo Dettoni

Editor of fDi Magazine – Financial Times Group

Franka Ismer

CEO – persönlich + gesellschaftlich + unternehmerisch

ARSHI AYUB MOHAMED ZAVERI

CEO – TrustWithTrade Group | Senior Advisor Royal Family Office, Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

Gunther Fehlinger

Secretary General CEE-BC

Miguel Solis

Commercial Advisor, Embassy of Guatemala

Wolfgang Leidig

Director and Project Manager of the Innovation and Training Park ITP in Prizren Kosovo