Ahmed Bin Sulayem

Ahmed Bin Sulayem is the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DMCC and has driven its growth from a start-up of 28 member companies in 2003 to the world’s leading free zone in 2020 with over 18,000 member companies from 180 countries, employing over 60,000 people.

Tasked with enhancing commodity trade flows through Dubai, DMCC has introduced to the market a number of value-added products and services under Mr Bin Sulayem’s leadership. In 2020, DMCC has been named the ‘Global Free Zone of the Year’ by The Financial Times fDi Magazine, for a record sixth consecutive year.

Mr Bin Sulayem oversaw the exponential growth of the DMCC Free Zone master development in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT), a 200-hectare business and residential community in Dubai of over 100,000 people living and working across 87 towers. Mr Bin Sulayem also oversees the development of DMCC’s latest real estate project; the much-anticipated Uptown Dubai district.

Mr Bin Sulayem currently serves as the Chairman of the Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE) and the Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange (DGCX).

The Kimberley Process officially appointed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the first and only Arab country to Chair the Kimberley Process in November 2015. Shortly after, the UAE Ministry of Economy officially appointed Mr Bin Sulayem as the UAE’s Chair of the Kimberley Process for 2016.

Juan Gonzalo Botero

Agronomist with a specialization in Political and Economic Studies and Logistics of International Transport of Goods, academic programs that he carried out at the School of Agriculture of the Humid Tropical Region and at the University of the North of Barranquilla.

Deputy Minister Botero has had extensive experience in the public sector, passing through entities such as the Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Government of Bolívar and the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Rio Grande de la Magdalena (Cormagdalena). In addition, he worked at National Postal Services 4-72, between 2013 and 2020

Juan Pablo Rivera

Industrial Engineer from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Specialist in Mass Consumption Marketing from the Universidad ICESI, and Executive MBA from the Universidad de Los Andes.

Currently, President of the Zona Franca Bogotá Group, and as such, responsible for the development and execution of the Strategic Plan of the organization. He has held management positions in companies such as Grupo Las Américas S.A., Agropecuaria Lindaraja Ltda., Lloreda Grasas S.A., Avianca Inc., and Carvajal S.A. He is also an active member of Board of Directors of associations such as ANDI (National Asociation of Industrials of Colombia), Chamber of Free Trade Zones ANDI, Chairman of the board of the American-Colombia Chamber of commerce, Honorary Presidente of the Iberoamericana Asociation of FTZ-AZFA.

Hiroshi Wago

He has developed his professional career in strengthening relations between Colombia and Asia, from the private sector, academia and government, from 2011 to 2020 he led ProColombia in Asia, and currently leads the Vice Presidency of International Strategy and Innovation of this organization.

Master in International Relations. Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan).

Professional in Finance and International Relations. Externado University (Bogotá, Colombia).

Mónica Conde

Ms. Conde Barragán leads international initiatives that strengthen and position services portfolio of the Bogota Chamber of Commerce. She has developed successful and sustainable global projects that have positively impacted the global business advancement of the entity’s members. She keeps building-up on an already outstanding network of international partners to collaboratively implement business strategies that will strength SMEs in Bogota and the Region. María Mónica joined the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce in 2005. Ms. Conde Barragan has more than 17 years of experience in international trade and internationalization. She obtained an MBA from the Tecnológico de Monterrey and a BS in Industrial Engineer and is specialized in Marketing.

Rodrigo Venegas

Mr. Rodrigo Venegas is the founder and CEO of Wiracoxa and Attorney by profession, an entrepreneur by choice since finishing law school. Mr. Venegas has previously started companies in the international trade, mining and chemical sectors and has represented different international companies in their operations in Colombia. One of Mr. Venegas companies was acquired by an international mining company that later was taken public, Mr. Venegas participated in the process as a team member and shareholder. Mr. Venegas holds an MBA from Quantic School at Washington DC and a Blockchain specialization to develop Decentralized Applications and manage software project development from the same institution.

Laura Aparicio

Laura Aparicio's fashion heritage is the result of an engaging creative line: Bogotá - Milan. Colombian by birth, Italian by adoption, Laura Aparicio was born in Bogotá in 1991 but her passion for fashion led her, just nineteen, to Milan where she studied Fashion Design at the Marangoni Institute, one of the most prestigious international fashion schools.

After her graduation, in 2014 she joined the design team of Aquilano Rimondi - a luxury brand famous for its ability to focus on the quality of cuts, fabrics and details - working between Milan, Paris and Bogotá.

In 2016, she decided to dedicate herself to launching a special collection the namesake line: Laura Aparicio. The new line consists of sophisticated innovative pieces: effortless silhouettes inspired by South American culture, contemporary art, and architecture, with masculine cuts and hyper-feminine details.

The fashion of Laura Aparicio is made, since its launch, of pure and clean shapes. Cuts and lengths sought, dynamize silhouettes that highlight her personal perspective of the essential. A collection created by adding timeless pieces full of character, crossed by a personal style – never banal - in a constant dialogue between historical memories and flash of the present.

Sanjeev Dutta

Sanjeev Dutta is the Executive Director of Commodities and Financial Services at DMCC. He oversees DMCC’s commodities vertical, and directs the development, implementation and regulation of the organisation’s financial products, platforms and services.

An expert on trade finance and commodity markets, Sanjeev is responsible for identifying new business opportunities for DMCC and nurturing existing commercial partnerships. He was instrumental in establishing the DMCC Tea Centre, DMCC Coffee Centre and the award-winning DMCC Tradeflow platform, and now tasked with enhancing the trade of agri and softs, precious metals and stones through Dubai.

Sanjeev is a senior member of DMCC’s executive leadership team and supports the general management, strategic direction and growth initiatives of the organisation. Sanjeev devised and implemented the organisation’s Code of Corporate Governance, and established its comprehensive risk management protocol.

Joining on its inception, Sanjeev has held a number of senior roles within DMCC and previously served as the Chief Financial Officer of Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DCGX). A distinguished speaker, Sanjeev regularly represents DMCC at international industry events and is an expert on trade, commodities and Islamic Finance.

A Chartered Accountant by profession, Sanjeev has over two decades of multi-industry expertise in auditing, financial controls, consulting, risk management, corporate governance and general management with both PwC and KPMG.

Stephanie Figueredo