Speaker Biography
Gökhan Yücel
Head of the Communications Department
Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye
Gökhan Yücel was born in 1977 in Istanbul. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communications from Marmara University and pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Essex, the University of Oxford, and Harvard University. During his D.Phil. studies, he also worked at the regional desks of two renowned consulting firms: Oxford Analytica and Global Water Intelligence.
Between 1996 and 1999, he began his career in journalism as an editor at Sabah Newspaper. From 2003 to 2007, he gained extensive academic experience as a teaching assistant at the University of Oxford. In Türkiye, he went on to teach courses in strategic communications, strategic management, entrepreneurship, and digital diplomacy at Yıldız Technical University, Bahçeşehir University, and the National Defense University.
Yücel has also held prominent advisory roles in government. From 2009 to 2011 and again from 2018 to 2020, he served as Chief Policy Advisor at the Ministry of National Education. Between 2012 and 2018, he worked at Arter Advertising as a Senior Political Communication Strategist. From 2020 to 2023, he played a pivotal role as the Founding Department Head of Strategic Communications and Crisis Management at the Directorate of Communications of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye. In addition, he has served as an advisor to the Digital Diplomacy Working Group of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
His contributions extend internationally, having worked on projects with organizations such as the OECD, the United Nations, and UNESCO. He was a member of the Artificial Intelligence Commission of UNESCO’s National Committee and continues to serve on the judging academies for the Global Teacher Prize and the TRT Young Communicators Competition.
Currently, Gökhan Yücel is the Head of Communications at the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye. He is fluent in English and French.
Other Speakers
Christopher Williams
Professor, ESSCA School of Management, France
Natalia Bejan
Director, Invest Moldova Agency
Maryna Khlystun
Executive Director, UkraineInvest, Ukraine
Daniela Schmitt
Minister, Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture
Maryna Khlystun
Executive Director, UkraineInvest, Ukraine
Steffen Rietzschel
Head of Economic Development Office, City of Dresden, Germany
Jens Manke
Director Germany and Central Europe
OCO Global
Dr.-Ing Georg Leuteritz
Senior Director Trends & Innovations, hannoverimpuls GmbH, Germany
Dušan Radonjić
Director of the International Cooperation Department, Chamber of Economy of Montenegro, Montenegro
Besnik Vasolli
Managing Director of German - Kosovo Economic Chamber
Dr. Kai Bindseil
Head of Division Healthcare | Industry | Infrastructure, Berlin Partner for Business and Technology
Aleksandra Božović
Head of the Department for International Cooperation and Investment Environment Development, Montenegro Investment Agency (MIA), Montenegro
Jürgen Schmitz
Office for Investment support, Business settlement projects and Cluster management, City of Mainz, 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
Jan van Bilsen
Country Manager for Germany, the Nordics and Switzerland, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Germany
Andreas Kieb
Advisor to Global Head of Real Estate, DREES & SOMMER SE, Germany
H.E. Mothanna Gharaibeh
Minister of Investment, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Dr. Eric Anthony Johnson
Assistant City Manager, City of Austin, Texas, USA
Patrick Breuer
General Manager DACH & Netherlands, HABYT, Germany
Dr. Chloë Voisin-Bormuth
Managing Director, Paris-Île de France Capitale Économique (PCE), France
Vanessa Völkel
Deputy Director, UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion Office (ITPO), Germany
Councillor Ray McAdam
Lord Mayor, City of Dublin, Ireland
Arnar Guðmundsson
Head of Foreign Direct Investment, Business Iceland, Iceland
Gökhan Yücel
Head of the Communications Department
Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye
Anne Eberhardt
Project Manager Commercial Sites, Rheinisches Revier, NRW.Global Business, Germany
Andreas Lippert
COO, Investor Services at Saxony Trade & Invest Corp., Germany
Rita Aloi
Director EMEA, ResearchFDI, Italy
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
Joana Aguia
Project Manager, Invest Madeira
Regional Government of Madeira (Portugal)
Bogusława Kruczek-Gębczyńska
Head, Silesian Investor and Exporter Assistance Center
Dragoslav Pavlovic
Mayor City of Nis, Serbia
Tigran Harutyunyan
Founder, Myler Mountain Resort, Armenia
Jürgen Raizner
Director
Steinbeis Enterprises in Stuttgart (DE), Baku (AZ), Bucharest (RO), Uzhhorod (UA) and Vienna (AT)
Theo Föllings
President, EURADA, Belgium
Matthias Beier
President & CEO, Transatlantic Business & Investment Council (TBIC)
Jens Manke
Director Germany and Central Europe
OCO Global
Chigozie Nweke-Eze
CEO, Integrated Africa Power (IAP)
Board Member, Hydrogen-Africa
Ms. Simone Hartog
Representative for Abacus (Seychelles) Ltd.
Carmelo Corral
Investment Promotion Manager
IPEX Spain
Theo Föllings
President
EURADA
PROF. PETER PLATZER
Secretary General of EUREKA, Co-Founder of 3rd School of Austrian Macroeconomics
Jürgen Raizner
Director
Steinbeis Enterprises in Stuttgart (DE), Baku (AZ), Bucharest (RO), Uzhhorod (UA) and Vienna (AT)
Gordon Einstein
Founding Partner
CryptoLaw Partners – specializing in crypto and blockchain
Honoré Achille Simo
Executive Director, Value and Risk Advisory, JLL
Ovidia Caba
Director of Regional Policies, Programs Unit
RDA Centru, Romania
Mr. Rifat Hyseni
Director of Information Technology Department In Tax Administration of Kosovo
KOSTIANTYN LISNYCHYI
Strategic Advisor to UkraineInvest, Business Development
Holly Garforth
Business Development Head – Lead Generation
Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) - Government of Ras Al Khaimah
Rakan I. Algaraawi
Office Director - Central/Eastern Europe
Saudi Investment Promotion Authority
Faraz Rojid
Director
Economic Development Board (EDB) of Mauritius
Aminta Zettel
Strategic Country Manager Europe and the United Kingdom
Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) - Government of Ras Al Khaimah
Dennis Schulmeyer
CEO and Founder
LADE GmbH
Jürgen Barke
Minister of Economics, Innovation, Digitalisation and Energy and Deputy Prime Minister of Saarland, Germany
Charles A. FitzGibbon
Vice President of Sales
Conway Data, Inc.
Christoph Kannengießer
CEO, Afrika-Verein der deutschen Wirtschaft e.V. (German-African Business Association)
Günther Fehlinger
Austrian Economist, Management and Development Consultant
Philipp Lemmerz
Partner
Government & Public Services practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers Middle East
Svilen Rangelov
Co-Founder and CEO
Dronamics
Frank Beckmann
CEO / Investment Advisor
GVI Germany GmbH
Dr. Henrik Meincke
Chief Economist
German Chemical Industry Association (VCI)
Mathias Fillon
COO
ANIMA Investment Network
Jens Manke
Director Germany and Central Europe
OCO Global
Sergiy Tsivkach
Executive Director
UkraineInvest
Günther Fehlinger
Austrian Economist, Management and Development Consultant
Dr. Ahmed Bennis
Managing Director, Tanger Med Zones and
Secretary General, Africa Economic Zones Organization (AEZO)
Ferruh Parmaksız
Country Advisor of Germany
Invest in Türkiye
Chigozie Nweke-Eze
CEO, Integrated Africa Power (IAP)
Board Member, Hydrogen-Africa
Achim Hartig
Managing Director,
Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI)
Chair of OECD Network of Investment Promotion Agencies,
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Dr. Alexander Blass
Head of Operations
NEURA Robotics
PILAR MADRIGAL
Director Investment Advisory
CINDE – Invest in Costa Rica
Emmanuel Rutagengwa
Head, Transport Policy & Planning
Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency
Christian Kingombe
Co-Founding Managing Partner
4IP
Lionel Grotto
CEO
Choose Paris Region
FERNANDO BALLESTA
Director of Foreign Trade, Investments and Industrial Infrastructures
Murcia Regional Development Agency
Alexandra Dublanche
Chairwoman
Choose Paris Region
Micheal Perschke
CEO
Quantron AG
Subhashini Chandran
Vice President Social Impact Asia Pacific
Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth
Heike Freimuth
Head of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group Office in Germany
H.E. Dr. Sania A. Ansari
CEO
Ansari Group Ltd. and Strategic Partner for SGD Cities Initiative
Levon Ohanesyan
CEO
Enterprise Armenia
Jürgen Raizner
Director
Steinbeis Enterprises in Stuttgart (De), Baku (AZ), Bucharest (Ro), Uzhhorod (UA) and Vienna (AT)
Dr. Manuel Kallweit
Chief Economist
German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA)
Gilbert Ewehmeh
Investment & Innovative Finance Expert
Chairman, Accelerate Africa
Dr. Nurettin Tekin
Hydrogen Product Management
KAWASAKI Gas Turbine Europe GmbH
Vahan Kerobyan
Minister of Economy
Government of the Republic of Armenia
Gül Ertuğ
Finance and Accounting Leader - CFO
Ford Otosan
Georg Schattney
Group Head of ESG / Sustainability Officer
CORESTATE Capital Group
PROF. PETER PLATZER
Secretary General of EUREKA, Co-Founder of 3rd School of Austrian Macroeconomics
Mohammed Juma'a Al Musharrakh
CEO
Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah)
Gordon Einstein
Founding Partner
CryptoLaw Partners – specializing in crypto and blockchain
COURTNEY FINGAR
Chairwoman of IME
Founder and Principal of Fingar Direct Investment
Reinhold von Ungern-Sternberg
Director International Markets
German Association for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (BVMW)
Jon Whiteaker
Editor, Investment Monitor
Douglas van den Berghe
Founder and CEO, NxT Zones
Fabio Righi
Minister of State for Industry, Handicraft and Trade, Technological Research and Regulatory Simplification of the Republic of San Marino
Phina Jerome
Research and Planning Manager, Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC)
MR. MARKUS LEHNER
Principal of LEHNER INVESTMENTS
Prof. Peter Platzer
Secretary General of EUREKA, Co-Founder of 3rd School of Austrian Macroeconomics
Jens Manke
Director Germany, OCO Global
H.E. Mulu Solomon Bezuneh
Ambassador, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of F.D. R. of Ethiopia to F. R. of Germany
JÜRGEN RAIZNER
CEO | Administrator / Steinbeis-Transferzentrum Ost-West-Kooperationen
Mateusz Wachowski
Senior Inspector in the Investors Assistance Department, Katowice City Hall
Heike Freimuth
Head of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group Office in Germany
ACADEMICIAN PROF. DR. MILAN KRAJNC
Psychotherapist, Nobel Prize nominee and Author of the Dynamic Leadership Model
Alice Mashingaidze
Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe in Berlin, Germany
GUNTHER FEHLINGER
Secretary General CEE-BC
DIPL. ING. HEIKO SCHNEIDER
CEO and Managing Partner GoGaS Goch GmbH & Co. KG
Professor Stefan Liebing
Chairman, German-African Business Association
Sarah Jaax
Senior Consultant, FDI Center
Guy Van der Beken
President of EUREKA
Marcin Woźniak
CEO at Swarmcheck | President of the board at Optimum Pareto Foundation.
Magdalena A. Kolka
Deputy Director of Investors Assistance Department, Katowice City Hall
Dr. Ahmed Zaid Al Hussain
CEO of the Royal Commission Jubail within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
Moshe Bar Zvi
Principal of Love Israel Venture Capital
Johannes Jung
Head of Department 5 Strategy, Law, Foreign Trade and European Affairs Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism, State of Baden-Württemberg
André Steinau
Co-Chair Clean Energy Partnership
Vanessa Völkel
Deputy Head, UNIDO ITPO Germany
Carlos Andrés Alvarez
Senior Advisor Foreign Investment, PROCOLOMBIA
GUNTHER FEHLINGER
Secretary General CEE-BC
ROSE DOREE BOKELEALE EBETA
Deputy Managing Director of the National Investment Promotion Agency (ANAPI DRC) of the DR Congo
Jessica Neumann
Investment and Technology Promotion Expert at UNIDO ITPO Germany
Reinhold von Ungern-Sternberg
Director International Markets
Douglas van den Berghe
CEO of NxtZones and FDI
Dipl. Ing. Heiko Schneider
CEO and Managing Partner GoGaS Goch GmbH & Co. KG
Mr. Markus Lehner
Principal of LEHNER INVESTMENTS
H.E. Laila Rahhal El Atfani
Founder & President at Business Gate / Global President CEC-UK
Her Excellency Lady Elizabeth Kelly
Businesswoman in Dubai (UAE)
Dr. Maike Schäfer
Minister for Climate Protection, the Environment, Mobility, Urban and Housing Development for the city-state of Bremen, Germany
Dr.-Ing. Nurettin Tekin
Hydrogen Product Management, KAWASAKI Gas Turbine Europe GmbH
Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart
Minister of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
Adekunle Olusile
Advisor Nigeria, UNIDO ITPO Germany
Prof. Dr. Claudia Dalbert
Minister for the Environment, Agriculture and Energy of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Miguel Solis
Trade Counsellor, Embassy of Guatemala in Berlin
ALBIN KURTI
Prime Minister of Republic Kosovo
Paul Soubry
President & Chief Executive Officer, NFI
Professor Olga Mroz, Dame of Honour
Al-Khalifa Business School
Dr. Philipp Steinberg
Head of Economic Policy Department, German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
H.E. Dr.Dr.h.c. Raphael Nagel
Chairman at The Abrahamic Business Circle
Aïssata Lam
Director General - Investment Promotion Agency of Mauritania (APIM)
Academician Prof. Dr. Milan Krajnc
Psychotherapist, Nobel Prize nominee and Author of the Dynamic Leadership Model
Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann
Minister for Economy, Science and Digitalization of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Nuno Maposse
Senior Investment Expert, Mozambique Investment and Export Promotion Agency (APIEX)
Jürgen Raizner
CEO | Administrator / Steinbeis-Transferzentrum Ost-West-Kooperationen
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
Ksenija Cipek
Ministry of Finance, Tax Administration of the Republic of Croatia.
Prof. Heinz-Peter Platzer
Co-Founder at the 3rd Austrian School of Macroeconomics and Secretary General of Eureka.
Dr. Rüdiger Meyer
Application Expert Energy Storage, Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG
Heiko Staubitz
Senior Manager Investor Consulting Hydrogen & Energy Infrastructure, Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI)
Markus Exenberger
German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ)
Mr. Daouda Sangaré
Advisor Côte d'Ivoire, UNIDO ITPO Germany
Dr. Simone Burel
CEO of LUB GmbH
Jens Deutschendorf
State Secretary, Hessian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Transport and Housing
Gustavo Weigel
Managing Director, WEIGEL Finanzas Corporativas, Uruguay
Yassir Ahmed
Advisor Sudan, UNIDO ITPO Germany
H.E Denisa Gokovi
Founder & CEO at Hoinser Magazine | Speaker| Philosopher| Writer| Musician| | Award - winning| Sovereign Ambassador.
Ms Božica Lapić
Director for Investments, Agency for Investments and Competitiveness of Croatia
Mr.Sheku Lexmond N. Koroma
CEO at Sierra Leone Investment and Export Promotion Agency
Sarah Russis
Director, fDi Intelligence – Financial Times Group
Francisco Mackenney
Consul General of Chile in Frankfurt
Albin Kurti
Former Prime Minister of Republic Kosovo
Mr.Mirsad Jašarspahić, dipl.ing.maš.
President, Chamber of Economy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ms.Yeva Zeynalyan
Country Coordinator for PPD Network, Armenia
Mr.Alush Gashi
Minister and Functions in the Assembly of Kosovo
Jürgen Raizner
CEO | Administrator / Steinbeis-Transferzentrum Ost-West-Kooperationen
Sarah Jaax
Location marketing, Ministry of Economics, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture Rhineland-Palatinate
Ricardo Pedroza
Director Europe, PROCOLOMBIA Frankfurt
Mr.Flamur Kuçi
Ceo of ADVICE, Management Consulting Albania
Yofi Grant
CEO, Ghana Investment Promotion Center
Sering Bamba Saho
Founder and CEO, M + S Piano-Express GmbH
Justus Vitinius
Director Corporates Latin America, German Investment and Development Corporation (DEG)
Mr. Norbert Barthle MdB
Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
Teodor Bate
Chief architect of the Dambovita county, Romania
Mr.ERIC MENGES
President & CEO FrankfurtRheinMain Region
Ms.Saida Kahouli
Deputy director in Foreign Investment Promotion Agency-FIPA TUNISIA
Carolin Welzel
Senior Consultant International Organizations, Agency for Economy & Development (AWE), Berlin
Fellanza Podrimja
Public relations, economic and educational advisor to the Mayor of Prizren Municipality
Mr.Nikola Jankovic
Senior Investment Advisor, Serbian Development Agency
Georgi Petrov
Regional Manager – ECA PPP Transaction Advisory, IFC
Ms.Mariam Kuchuloria
Deputy CEO of EBA Georgia
Mr. Aleksejs Stecs
Vice Chairman of Rezekne city council on development and investment
Mr.Jacopo Dettoni
Editor of fDi Magazine – Financial Times Group
Mr.Eric Menges
CEO of FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH
Hon. Dennis Waweru
Vorsitzender, Kenya Investment Authority
Mr.Michael Voigt
Wirtschaftsförderer, Wirtschaft und Tourismus Villingen-Schwenningen GmbH
Kadio Fofana Diop
Investment Direcor for APIX SA
Andreas Stephan
Dipl. -Geophys., MBA SPRINT! Energy Consulting GmbH
Ali Mehrez
Director in charge of Industrial sectors at AMDIE – Moroccan Investment and Export Development Agency (AMDIE)
Mirko Twardy
Head of Business Development Finance and Promotion – Dr. Kakuschke & Partner AG, Berlin
Arlind Zeqiri
Head of International Office Bern, Agency for Foreign Investments and Export Promotion of the Republic of Macedonia
Wolfgang Leidig
Director and Project Manager of the Innovation and Training Park ITP in Prizren Kosovo
Gunther Fehlinger
Secretary General CEE-BC
Mr.Stefan Günther
Manager regionale, Projekte Invest in Bavaria – Die Ansiedlungsagentur des Freistaates Bayern
Franka Ismer
CEO – persönlich + gesellschaftlich + unternehmerisch
Gustavo Weigel
Managing Director , WEIGEL HALLER CORPORATE FINANCE (Uruguay)
Prof. Julien Chaisse
School of Law | City University of Hong Kong – Hong Kong SAR
Dr. Corinna Franke-Wöller
Director Agency for Economy and Development
Dr. Martin J. Worms
State secretary at the Ministry of Finance of Hessen
Paola Suárez Buhrmann
Manager at FDI Center
Courtney Fingar
Editor-in-chief, FDI, at New Statesman Media Group
Ikechukwu Okoli
Head of Advisory and Investment, Kiakia Gas Limited
Mr.WANG Shunqing
Generalkonsul at Generalkonsulat of People
Ms. Tessa Jacques
President of the Caribbean Association for Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA)
ARSHI AYUB MOHAMED ZAVERI
CEO – TrustWithTrade Group | Senior Advisor Royal Family Office, Vereinigte Arabische Emirate
Ángel D. Morales Castillo
President, German-Nicaraguan Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Hans-Joachim Hebgen
Senior Consultant for financing, policy issues develoPPP.de and textile industry
Ms. Mariyana Nikolova
Deputy Prime Minister for Economic and Demographic Policies in Bulgaria
Christian Weber
Executive Director Representative Office Mexico, Bayern International
Ms.Olga Mroz
Dama of Honour
Miguel Solis
Commercial Advisor, Embassy of Guatemala
Dr. Eyup Vural Aydin
Chairman – Istanbul PPPCoE