Archives: Speakers

A Civil Engineer by academic background with a versatile projects management, contracts, and procurement experience. Currently leading development procurement efforts at Soudah Development (wholly owned by PIF). Experienced working on complex projects and operational environments involving large and diverse teams

Duncan is widely regarded as a leading regional, and global expert in the field of financial and government strategic, structuring and procurement advisory. He draws on nearly 40 years experience including 22 years in the Middle East Region. Clients have included the Governments of KSA, UAE, Qatar and Kuwait, PIF, Saudi Aramco, SPPC, SWPC, EWEC (formerly ADWEA). DEWA, Kahramaa, KEPCO, Masdar, TAQA. He is a frequent conference speaker and panelist

3 years with Schlumberger wire-line and testing
Started as field logging engineer in Oil and gas drilling rigs with Schlumberger to acquire data vs. depth trained in Egypt then worked in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar.
15 years with Saudi ARAMCO
9 years in engineering design services with Saudi ARAMCO executing Industrial design projects both in-house and through General Engineering Services Contractors.
4 years in project management in KAUST/Town center project completed conceptual design, detail engineering, procurement, construction, handover and closeout.
2 years in project management in King Abdullah Sports City /Main stadium completed conceptual design, detail engineering, procurement and started construction.
12 years with Saudi Binladen Group (SBG)
4 years Chief Procurement Officer in Public building and Airports Division
4 years Commercial Director for Haramain Division.
4 years chief supply chain offices for SBG Contracting
(all projects Haramain and non-Haramain)
Total of 30 years Total experience in the fields of engineering design, supply chain and project management .

Nesma Renewable Energy (NRE): Chief Investment Officer
Chief Investment Officer PPP Nesma Water and Energy: Responsible for the full project cycle including development, asset management and portfolio expansion.
Executive Director of Water Aljomaih Energy and Water: Responsible for the investment of project cycles from origination, business development, tendering and expansion of the water business and special projects.
Head of Business Development for Middle East Tractebel Engie: Responsible for the full business development cycle of projects covering water, power, hydro, T&D and Urban.
Regional Director for Middle East, CIS and North Africa Grupo Cobra: Responsible for the Business Development, Regional expansion and Project Development of Water, Power, Hydro, Oil&Gas including EPC projects
Board Member for Jubail International Water Company and Yanbu International Water Company representing Nesma

Wesley Thomson is a globally recognized leader in ESG and sustainability, with over 20 years of experience driving transformative strategies across both the public and private sectors. As Partner and Head of ESG at Knight Frank MENA, he spearheads the development of cutting-edge, high-impact ESG initiatives that are reshaping the regional real estate and investment landscape.

Throughout his career, Wesley has held senior leadership positions at top-tier organizations including Accenture, JLL, and ADQ, where he was instrumental in embedding sustainability into the core of business operations. His work has consistently delivered long-term value and measurable impact, making him a trusted advisor to governments, global institutions, and Fortune 500 companies alike.

Known for his strategic foresight and results-driven approach, Wesley is at the forefront of advancing ESG innovation in the MENA region—bridging global standards with local relevance to accelerate the transition toward a more sustainable future.”

Susan Amawi is the General Manager of Knight Frank Saudi Arabia, bringing over 20 years of experience in the real estate sector, including 18 years in the Kingdom. She holds an MBA in Corporate Finance (2005) and a BBA in Marketing and International Business (2003) from Wichita State University. In 2021, she completed the Women’s Leadership Program at Yale Executive Education, further enhancing her leadership skills.

Prior to joining Knight Frank, Susan held a number of senior regional roles, including Head of Strategic Consulting at JLL in Saudi Arabia and Head of Real Estate Consulting at KPMG. Throughout her career, Susan has advised on multi-billion Riyal real estate projects across Saudi Arabia, conducting feasibility studies, highest and best-use analyses, and strategic business planning for both public and private sectors.

Major projects under her leadership include Jeddah Central Development, Knowledge Economic City in Madinah, Project Clay, Qiddiya Coast, and various Roshn projects in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Makkah, including Ruaa Al Madinah, Roshn Sedra, and Ruaa Al Haram.

Eli Konvitz is Director for Urban Planning and Development at Jacobs based in Riyadh.

Eli is a strategic leader focused on cities and sustainable urban development, with over 25 years’ global experience on 5 continents leading multidisciplinary teams on high-profile, complex projects in master planning, urban development and infrastructure advisory, sustainability and climate change. He is passionate about creating more livable environments, mentoring talent and championing diversity.

Prior to joining Jacobs, Eli worked at Atkins where he founded and led the urban advisory and planning practice for South East Asia, was Net Zero leader for Asia, regional practice lead for consulting, strategy, and advisory, chaired the global urban planning network, and was global co-head for cities and urban infastructure for Atkins Acuity; consulted on planning, policy, and economics at Arup; and founded a startup in climate change retrofit.

A graduate of the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Eli is adjunct associate professor at the University of Hong Kong, Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, Council Member of the Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design, Vice-Chair of the Urban Land Institute Hong Kong and a member of the ULI Asia-Pacific Executive Committee, and a member of the Pacific Basin Economic Council.

Dr. Mark Smith leads the Middle East Capital Projects Advisory team at HKA, a globally recognised consultancy in risk mitigation and dispute resolution. Based in Dubai, Mark brings a wealth of experience supporting owners, contractors, and government agencies across the full lifecycle of capital programs. His team at HKA is particularly strong in delivering strategic advisory services on major capital and infrastructure projects, with a unique lens on governance, delivery assurance, and risk.  Mark has been involved with numerous KSA Giga Projects for Vision 2030 and will offer his unique insights.

Nicolas Mangon is the Vice President of AutoCAD & AEC Industry Strategy. Mangon is a recognized thought leader in the global advancement of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and industry transformation to Cloud. He is also an accomplished structural engineer.

Mangon infuses his industry expertise in the ongoing development of innovative solutions for architects, engineers and contractors to optimize the life-cycle management of their projects.

Mangon joined Autodesk in 2003 as a product manager for Revit Structure, and quickly became a key player in Revit platform development for the BIM industry. By 2009, Mangon took over both business and strategy for the Building Industry segment. In 2012, he assumed responsibility over civil engineering industries and natural resources with the primary objective to enhance business growth and ensure greater customer adoption of the Autodesk product portfolio.
Prior to Autodesk, Mangon worked at Graitec in Paris, where he led a team of product managers, software designers and developers to address the needs of the structural engineering market. He then immigrated to California to oversee the development of analysis software for pre-stressed concrete structures.

Mangon holds a Master of Science in Civil and Structural Engineering from the Ecole Spéciale des Travaux Publics, du Bâtiment et de l’Industrie in Paris, and a Master’s degree in Engineering specializing in Water and Fluid Dynamics from the University of Le Havre.