On Thursday, December 10 at 12:30 a.m. ET (9:30 a.m. GST) the Atlantic Council’s MENA Futures Lab and Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) will host their fourth annual Women in Finance programming.
Themed, “Women in finance: Accelerators of invention,” this year’s event will explore the increasingly important role women play not simply as participants in global financial markets, but as decision-makers who determine how and where capital is allocated. These decisions ultimately shape which ideas become enterprises, which innovations become industries, and which investments become engines of economic growth.
Bringing together senior financial executives, investors, entrepreneurs, and policymakers from around the world, the event will offer insights into an evolving financial landscape, highlighting opportunities to foster collaboration, strengthen investment strategies, and advance economic development across the Middle East and North Africa region and beyond.
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Speakers
More speakers to be announced.
Agenda
9:30-9:35 a.m. | Welcome to women in finance
Welcome remarks will set the stage for a morning of thoughtful and consequential conversations on the role of women not simply as participants in global financial markets, but as decision-makers who determine how and where capital is allocated.
Featuring
Linda Fitz-Alan
Registrar and Chief Executive,
Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts
9:35-9:40 a.m. | Opening address
The economic transformation of the Middle East and North Africa is not shaped by chance. Rather, it is shaped by innovation, entrepreneurship, and human capital development. The opening address of this year’s programming considers whose voices are heard, what it means to be in the rooms where priorities are set, and how decisions made today determine the world inherited tomorrow.
Featuring
Khalid Azim
Director,
MENA Futures Lab
9:40-10:05 a.m. | The allocators: Who decides what gets built?
The power to allocate capital is the power to shape economies. From private equity and institutional investment to sovereign wealth funds and businesses transforming emerging markets, the women making these decisions are determining which industries grow, which ideas attract support, and where the next generation of wealth is created. This panel will examine what distinguishes successful investment judgement, who receives funding, and what responsible capital allocation looks like at scale.
Speakers
Michele Joyeux
Managing Director & Head of Global Strategic Accounts,
Golub Capital
Anne Walsh
Managing Partner,
Guggenheim Partners
Moderated by
Cate Ambrose
Chief Executive Officer & Board Member,
Global Private Capital Association
10:05-10:30 a.m. | Investing in invention: Finding tomorrow before everyone else
This panel will bring together women who have shaped emerging markets, backed ambitious entrepreneurs, and identified investment opportunities ahead of the curve. The discussion will explore where they see the greatest opportunities today, what drives their investment decisions, and how they distinguish lasting innovation from passing trends. This panel will also explore which emerging technologies and industries could shape the next decade of economic transformation in the region.
Speakers
Huda Al Lawati
Founder & Chief Executive Officer,
Aliph Capital
Stephanie Nour Prince
Partner,
Nuwa Capital
Stephanie Sirota
Partner & Chief Business Officer,
RTW Investments
10:30-10:50 a.m. | A conversation on leadership and legacy
This conversation brings together insights from the highest levels of finance, examining what it takes to build successful businesses, navigate uncertainty, and challenge established practices. It will also explore the lessons learned along the way and how leaders can create opportunities for the next generation.
Featuring
May Nasrallah
Chairwoman of PJT Partners MENA; Partner at PJT Partners,
PJT Partners
10:50-11:10 a.m. | Opening up ownership: Who gets to participate?
For generations, access to financial markets and wealth creation has depended on geography, institutions, and financial resources. New investment platforms, digital assets, and emerging business models are challenging those constraints, creating opportunities for broader participation in the global economy. This conversation will explore who stands to benefit from this shift, what barriers remain, and whether greater access to financial markets can translate into more meaningful economic ownership.
Speakers
Yi He
Co-Founder & Co-Chief Executive Officer,
Binance
11:10-11:35 a.m. | Power in motion: The changing geography of global finance
Economic influence is shifting as new financial centers emerge and established institutions adapt to changing global markets. The Gulf’s growing role as a source of global capital is reshaping where investment decisions are made and how financial relationships are built. Bringing together perspectives on sovereign investment, global banking, international trade, and regulation, this discussion will examine how financial power is shifting, the evolving relationship between capital and economic influence, and the Gulf’s role in shaping the future of the global economy.
Featuring
Rola Abu Manneh
Chief Executive Officer,
Standard Chartered
Andrée Chakhtoura
Head of Investment Banking for Middle East, Turkey & Africa,
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
11:35 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | From influence to impact: The power to act
Bringing together women leaders across finance, regulation, and business, this discussion explores how leadership can drive economic and institutional progress. Panelists will highlight where women are breaking barriers and driving change across industries while examining the challenges that remain and how today’s leaders can overcome them.
Featuring
Wedad Almarzooqi
Co-Founder & Co-Chief Executive Officer,
Binance
12:00-12:25 p.m. | Money rewritten: The new architecture of finance
From tokenization and digital payments to new banking models and technologies, innovation is reshaping how money moves and how value is stored and exchanged. This panel will explore these developments, their implications for financial institutions and regulators, and the key players shaping the future of global finance.
Speakers to be announced soon.
12:25-12:45 p.m. | The vision conversation
The future of financial leadership will be shaped by decisions that extend beyond traditional banking. As investment, technology, and the relationship between business and society continue to evolve, this discussion will explore the opportunities leaders see ahead, the conventional thinking they are challenging, and their ambitions for the future.
Speakers to be announced soon.
12:45-12:55 p.m. | The final word: Tomorrow starts here
As global finance continues to evolve, decisions about investment, technology, and leadership are shaping its future. This closing keynote will probe the priorities, challenges, and opportunities that will drive economic growth in the generations to come.
Speakers to be announced soon.
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The MENA Futures Lab at the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East is shaping solutions to empower entrepreneurs, women, and youth and building coalitions of public and private partnerships to drive regional economic integration, prosperity, and job creation.
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