Meet the Speakers

Chief Executive Officer Middle East & Africa 

Since June 2017 Amadou Diallo is CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Middle East & Africa. He is the founder of Saloodo! GmbH. He was previously CEO DHL Freight, CEO Africa and South Asia Pacific DHL Global Forwarding and prior to this Chief Financial Officer of DHL Logistics Divisions and Managing Director for the integration of Exel and DHL. Mr. Diallo has more than 25 years of experience in the tourism, banking, express and logistics industries. He is Senegalese and is fluent in several languages including English, German, French, Fulani, Wolof and Spanish. Mr. Diallo is Chairman of Amref in Germany and in the boards of Welthungerhilfe, Africa 2.0, Schiller International University.

Head of eCommerce, DHL Express, UAE

Ben McLean is the Head of eCommerce at DHL Express UAE, part of DHL Group, the world’s leading logistics company. With over 25 years of international experience in logistics, air transportation, and supply chain management across Europe and the Middle East, he has held various roles in business operations, commercial leadership, and strategy. For the past six years, Ben has focused on eCommerce and cross-border initiatives, collaborating with industry partners to enhance the UAE market. He is committed to supporting local and global brands in their expansion efforts while driving innovation and delivery excellence in logistics.

Founder of BEEN

Founder Genia Mineeva began her career as a political journalist at the BBC, where her curiosity led her to the world of campaigning for organizations like the UN and Change.org. However, a particular issue—coffee cup waste—ignited her passion. Frustrated by the lack of markets for recyclable materials, she engaged with recycling plants, material manufacturers, and sustainability experts, uncovering the potential in 'waste.'

Genia studied Sustainable Value Chains at Cambridge and later Accessories Design at the London College of Fashion, aiming to merge innovation with local craftsmanship. This journey culminated in the launch of the first BEEN London bag on Kickstarter, showcasing handcrafted quality while addressing sustainability.

Founder @ The Luxury Closet

Kunal is the founder of The Luxury Closet, the leading luxury resale marketplace in the region for buying and selling high-end items. After earning his MBA from INSEAD, he began his career at Louis Vuitton as a Sales Manager at the Mall of Emirates boutique. Seeking to create a customer-focused company, he left in 2011 to develop The Luxury Closet, which launched in 2012 and quickly gained traction. The platform supports the sustainability movement by re-homing luxury goods, benefiting both consumers and the environment.

Now headquartered in Dubai, The Luxury Closet serves clients in 85 countries, attracting 10 million unique visitors annually and boasting over two million members. With a team of 200+ employees and over $32 million raised from top investors, the platform features the largest luxury catalog in the region, offering 80,000+ unique styles from prestigious brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Rolex. As one of the first luxury platforms to embrace circular fashion, The Luxury Closet highlights the positive impact of preloved fashion on sustainability.

CSI Sector President eRetail & Fashion, DHL

Mirella is responsible for leading a global team that serves the company’s top customers in online marketplaces, fashion and luxury. As part of DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation (CSI), her team simplifies the customer experience by providing a single point of contact to all DHL business divisions.

Recognizing the potential for e-commerce to rapidly change business behaviors, Mirella has for many years helped to build DHL’s e-commerce capabilities. Prior to her current role, Mirella was Vice President of DHL Global E-commerce and was driving the development of the DHL e-commerce sector. Mirella has held a number of other senior leadership positions in sales, people management, and virtual team management, and has lived and worked around the world

Head of Corporate Innovation at Chalhoub Group

Nick is Head of Corporate Innovation at Chalhoub Group, the largest distributor & retailer of luxury fashion & beauty in the Middle East. After working as a business consultant for 6 years, Nick joined Chalhoub Group as Head of Growth, in 2019. After growing Faces.com by 10x and re-structuring Tryano.com, Nick now spearheads corporate innovation at Chalhoub Group. Nick is an avid keynote speaker, guest lecturer and former entrepreneur with a passion for growth marketing, e-commerce and innovation.

Co-founder & Chief Strategy Officer (Middle East Fashion Council)

Founder of Paris-based Sarayu Consulting, Payal's career spans across Europe, India and the UAE for over two decades in the Fashion and Luxury Industry. From being on the global leadership teams of Chanel and Bonpoint, to Givenchy (LVMH), she now lends her 360 deg global expertise in the industry to strategically drive and build the MEFC as the platform of reference for the region. 

Head of Fashion, Dubai Global Connect (DGC)

Jessica is responsible for the commercial strategy and the development of Dubai Global Connect's (DGC) fashion division. DGC is an initiative of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) to develop a state-of-the-art, global, B2B sourcing centre in Dubai for Food, Fashion and Home products.

Having spent several years working at the British Fashion Council on their portfolio of events and business development initiatives, Jessica has worked directly with well renowned global brands, SME’s, and start-ups helping them to grow their businesses. Most recently she has been working for event organisers in the UAE on trade shows and conferences utilising her customer centric approach to deliver for clients. 

Vice President eRetail & Fashion Sector

Pascal has over 20 years of experience in the logistics industry, holding an MSc in Marketing from Strathclyde University and an MA in English Literature from Grenoble University. He joined DHL Supply Chain in 2001 in the UK, progressing through several operational and commercial management roles across DHL Supply Chain, DHL Freight, and DHL Express. In 2010, he transitioned to DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation, taking on Regional and Global Customer Management positions. In 2017, he became Vice President Sales for the Technology Sector in the USA and later led the eRetail & Fashion Sector for DHL in the EMEA region from Germany in 2020.