Krishnakumar known as "KK" in the Trade Finance fraternity has been with Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) since mid-June 2012. KK is the Head of Trade Finance managing both Sales and Product functions within Transaction Banking in ADCB.

KK is a Trade finance professional since 1995 having started his career in HSBC and has helped clients in structuring trade solutions which optimize working capital requirements, providing risk mitigation structures for Open Account trade and efficient working capital solutions for Supply Chain financing.

His Excellency Abdulla Al Saleh is Under Secretary of the Foreign Trade and Industry at the UAE Ministry of Economy. Among his responsibilities is to drive closer cooperation, increase trade and investment flows, and deepen economic ties between UAE and the world. He is the head of UAE Free Trade negotiations team (within the GCC framework) with regional blocks and other countries. He is also Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the World Trade Organization. He oversees trade policies and UAE's fulfilment of commitments at WTO. He is responsible of UAE trade offices around the world to assist UAE export and to promote UAE economy, attract FDI and opening new opportunities to UAE investors overseas.

Massimo Falcioni is the CEO of Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI), the UAE Federal Export Credit Company tasked to accelerate and sustain national economic diversification by supporting export and re-export of goods, services and the foreign investments, of the UAE businesses.

Born in 1967, he is a seasoned and dynamic leader in the financial industry with over 27 years of solid business experience. Based in Dubai (UAE) since 2012, he joined ECI from Compagnie Francaise d'Assurance pour le Commerce Exterieur (Coface), where he was the CEO for Middle East Countries. Prior to that, he was the CEO for Gulf Cooperation Council Countries in Euler Hermes, an Allianz company.

He gained an extensive international experience in various senior and board management positions for leading multinationals including Exxon-Mobil, Philip Morris International and Volkswagen Financial Services and an Allianz Group company. A graduate of Business and Managerial Economics from Sapienza University of Rome in 1991, he is an international lecturer and expert in cross-cultural work settings, strategizing for various economies and organizational changes, with proven achievements in Trade Credit Insurance Management and Financial Services.

He has received several prestigious awards in recognition for his achievements in the Credit Insurance sector in the Gulf countries. He is the elected Vice President & Secretary General of the Italian Business Council Dubai & Northern Emirates since 2016, founding member of the French Business Council Dubai & Northern Emirates Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Committee, Member of UNUCI from 1991, Member of Rotary International Club Roma from 2001 to 2012 and Member of Rotary Jumeirah Club (Dubai) since 2012.

In 2017, the President of Italy conferred him with the Knighthood of the Order of the Star of Italy, for promoting bilateral trade and financial relations between the United Arab Emirates and Italy.

Tariq Bin Hendi is the Executive Vice President and Head of Products & Advisory, Retail Banking & Wealth Management at Emirates NBD Group. Tariq previously served as the CEO of Emirates NBD Asset Management and in an acting-CIO role for Emirates NBD. He has over 18 years of experience, with a primary focus on asset management, private equity and investment banking. Prior to his current role, Tariq held various roles at Commercial Bank of Dubai, Mubadala, Citigroup, Dubai Holding, Delta Airlines and UPS. He holds a PhD in Economics from Imperial College London (UK) as well as graduate degrees from Columbia University (USA) and London Business School (UK), and an undergraduate degree from Clayton State (USA)

Osama Al-Tajer currently holds the position Chief Underwriting Officer – Commercial Lines (Marine & Aviation) at Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company. He joined ADNIC in 2013, Mr. Al-Tajer is responsible for the underwriting and strategic directions in the Marine Hull, Cargo and Aviation lines of business. Since joining ADNIC Mr. Al-Tajer has spearheaded ADNIC’s participation in the international aviation insurance market insuring aircraft, aviation liabilities ̧ aircraft manufacturers, as well as coverage for satellite launches and whilst in-orbit.

Prior to this position, Mr. Altajer worked at Gulf Air as it’s Director of Treasury & Insurance, where he was responsible for the management of Gulf Air’s financial interests with multiple financial services providers from banks, export credit agencies, insurance companies, insurance brokers, commodities brokers, and taxation affairs. Prior to this, he worked in Bahrain Kuwait Insurance Company as an Underwriting Officer within the Personal Lines Division, with primary involvement in the bancassurance function.

Mr. Al-Tajer holds an MSc in Air Transport Management from City University, University of London, in addition to a BSC (Hons) in Business Studies from the University of Edinburgh. Mr. Al-Tajer holds the qualification of Certified Insurer (Cert CII) from the Chartered Insurance Institute in the UK.

Previous experience

• > 20 years banking experience including 12 years within structured and export finance

• > Led Structured Trade & Export finance team in France since 2007 prior to joining Dubai in September 2014

• > Previously worked at HSBC with various roles including Global Trade Finance, pre-export finance for commodities and receivables purchase programmes

Selected transaction experience

• > Deal Team Leader for ECA Coordinating Bank for USD 1 billion ECA financing for ENOC

• > Deal Team Leader for a EUR 3.5 Billion combined cycle power plant in Egypt for Siemens and Egyptian Electricity Holding Company

• > Arranging a USD 675 Million multi-ECA and commercial loan for Al Sufouh Tram Project to the Dubai Department of Finance

• > Arranging of a GBP 2 billion ECA financing for a GCC sovereign

• > Arranging of a USD 420 Million Multi-ECA backed financing for a new aluminum smelter to EMAL, UAE

• > Deal team leader for arranging USD 1.8 billion BPI (formerly Coface) backed financing for a new satellites constellation to Iridium, USA

• > Arranging of a USD 2.2 Billion Multi-ECA backed financing for the Jubail refinery project to SATORP, KSA

• > Deal Team leader for arranging of a USD 165 Million BPI (formerly Coface) backed financing for the supply of several electricity power units to Saudi Electricity Company, KSA

Leslie Kurshan is a Managing Director and AFIC Leader for the Credit Specialties Practice at Marsh, a global leader in insurance broking and innovative risk management solutions. Prior to taking on her current role, Leslie was Leader, Innovative Client Solutions for Marsh's Specialty Practices in the United Kingdom and was heavily involved in the development of the Marsh AFIC Aircraft Finance Non-Payment policy. Since the formal launch of this offering in June 2017, the AFIC platform has supported the financing of 45 commercial aircraft and approximately USD 3.5 billion in financing, as well as being recognized with a number of industry awards (Ishka - Most Innovative Deal of the Year; Reactions - Global Achievement of a London Market Broker; Airfinance Journal - Overall Deal of the Year, 2017 Tax Lease Deal of the Year, 2017 Aviation Finance Person of the Year, Airline Economics - Editor's Deal of the Year for Innovation).

Bharat Bhatia is the founder and CEO of Conares, the only privately owned steel manufacturer in the UAE. With over three decades of experience in the steel industry, Mr Bhatia has transformed Conares from its origin as a traditional single proprietortrading outlet to a steel manufacturer with investments exceeding US$ 250 million.

Hailing from India, Mr. Bhatia landed in Dubai in 1983 and worked with a firm for a few years. Determined to create his own identity, Mr. Bhatia, in 1988, set up a trading firm of his own. Since then, there has no looking back -- his growth as an entrepreneur has been phenomenal. He established Abu Abdullah Trading that evolved to Mech-Weld Trading, and then to United Metal Supply, which was later renamed Conares Metal Supply and now Conares. Having built extensive partnerships with leading steel plants across the world, Mr. Bhatia brought global standard competencies to the region. In 2013, the company revamped its brand identity as Conares, reflecting its strength and stability while sharpening its focus on steel manufacturing.