This event offers a platform for insightful talks and conversation, reconnecting with City, University of London, Bayes Business School (formerly Cass Business School), and networking with alumni, University staff, prospective students and strategic partners in the region.
, 18:00 – 22:00 GST
Hosted by Dr Sionade Robinson, Vice-President (Enterprise, Engagement & Employability) at City, University of London, and Professor André Spicer, Executive Dean of Bayes Business School, we are pleased to invite all alumni in MENA to a networking reception in Dubai on Tuesday, 7 May 2024. This is an opportunity for the alumni community in the region to come together again, listen to thought-provoking discussions, learn the latest news from the University and Bayes, and network with alumni, faculty and staff.
Beverages and delicious canapés will be served throughout the networking reception. You are welcome to bring a guest.
Programme
18:00 Registration and Networking
19:00 Welcome and update from City and Bayes
19:20 Panel discussion: ‘Drivers for Success: The Future of Entrepreneurial Leadership’
20:00 Q&A
20:30 Networking over canapés and drinks
Meet the hosts
Dr Sionade Robinson
Sionade is an impactful and collaborative leader in Higher Education, currently serving as Vice President Engagement, Enterprise, and Employability, at City University of London.
A member of the University's Leadership Team, she is responsible for a portfolio of strategic objectives including a sector-leading university-wide Career Activation Programme which has embedded career focused education and professional experience into every undergraduate degree, supporting 12,500 students and contributing significantly to City’s TEF GOLD for student outcomes.
Before joining the President’s team, Sionade was a member of the Bayes Business School’s Executive Committee, as Associate Dean People & Culture, and before that, Associate Dean MBA, leading the globally ranked programme for the maximum term 2012-2018.
Sionade is a skilled and innovative educator building differentiated learning experiences to enhance employability, student experience, and leading to engaged alumni and employers.Before joining Bayes Business School, she was a successful, commercially focused management consultant with proven expertise in improving customer experience in professional services, business to consumer and business to business contexts, with a track record of delivering measurable improvement in organisational performance.
Professor André Spicer
Professor André Spicer is Dean of Bayes Business School. He is also a Professor of Organisational Behaviour and the Head of the Faculty of Management. He is an expert in the areas of Organisational Behaviour, Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility.
Professor Spicer is originally from Aotearoa/New Zealand. He began his studies at the University of Otago and holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne in Australia. Prior to joining City, he was a Professor of Organization Studies at the University of Warwick.
He has been a visiting professor at London Business School, the Kellogg School at Northwestern, McGill University, Lund University, University of St Gallen and the University of Sydney.
Professor Spicer is known for his research on wellbeing, organizational politics, organisational culture, employee identity, new organizational forms, workspace and leadership. His work looks at a wide range of settings including knowledge intensive firms, financial institutions, government departments, seaports, universities, libraries, media organizations, and social movements.
Meet the speakers
Alaa AlRousan
(Executive MBA Dubai, 2024) - Regional Account Director, SWIFT
Alaa AlRousan is a Regional Account Director for SWIFT in the Middle East.
He is responsible for driving SWIFT’s initiatives in the region and working with banking communities and regulators to provide solutions to regional industry challenges such as payments innovation, operational excellence and cyber security.
Alaa specializes in payments solutions design, financial messaging, RTGS, ACH and instant payment networks. Alaa has been with SWIFT for more than nine years, during which he has held the positions of Technical Expert & Solution Designer for the Middle East, Turkey & Africa, and Country Manager of some of the largest markets in the region.
Prior to joining SWIFT, he worked in consulting and project management roles across the financial services industry. Alaa holds an MBA degree from Bayes Business School and an Engineering degree in Computers & Control Systems.
Mirna Sleiman
(Executive MBA Dubai, 2019) - Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Fintech Galaxy
Mirna Sleiman is the Founder and CEO of Fintech Galaxy, a Central Bank licensed Open Finance platform operating in the UAE, KSA, Egypt and other markets across the MENA region.
Mirna set the company’s mission to revolutionize the financial services industry with an open API infrastructure that enhances financial inclusion. She drives collaboration within the ecosystem through embedded finance and the integration of financial services within other non-financial services, providing a seamless and intuitive experience for customers.
Before founding Fintech Galaxy, Mirna provided digital transformation advisory to financial institutions and government entities across MENA. She also spent a decade as a journalist with Reuters, Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal.
Mirna has an EMBA from The City, University of London. She’s also certified in Fintech from MIT, Corporate Governance from The Wharton School and Digital Transformation from University of Cambridge.
Jelena Kezika
(Executive MBA, 2019) - Senior Director Strategy, Global Hotel Alliance
Jelena Kezika is a Senior Director of Strategy at Global Hotel Alliance.
Specialising in business strategy, Jelena uses her skills to help develop and launch strategic products and solutions to attain sustainable business growth for Global Hotel Alliance and its multi-brand loyalty programme, GHA DISCOVERY.
Prior to joining Global Hotel Alliance in 2013, Jelena worked with Jumeirah Group in Dubai. In her home country, Latvia, she worked with international companies as a translator and interpreter.
Jelena graduated from the University of Latvia, obtaining her Master of Arts degree. She also holds an Executive MBA from Bayes Business School, City University of London.
Jelena has been working and living in Dubai since 2009.
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