Jury & Judging

Meet The Jury(in alphabetical order, after protcol)

H.E. Mr. Nazem El-Khoury, Minister of Environment - Lebanon

Holder of a Bachelor Degree in Political Sciences & Public Administration from the American University of Beirut (AUB), Mr. Nazem El Khoury has also a background in the insurance, reinsurance and the banking sector. He is the Chairman of “Hotels and Tourism Development Company” and “BLC Services”. Mr. Nazem is also a Board Member at “BLC Bank”, “Al-Ahli Bank”. He is the the founder of “Harbour Insurance Company” and the Former Chairman of “Lebano-German Insurance Company”. He has served as a trustee on the Boards of the Lebanese American University (L.A.U), Notre Dame University (N.D.U) and University of Science and Technology (AUST). In 2000, he was elected as member of the Lebanese Parliement. In 2008, Mr. Nazem was appointed Political advisor to the President of the Republic of Lebanon, General Michel Suleiman. And in June 2011, he was appointed Minister of Environment

Tatiana Antonelli Abella

After growing up in Paris and Rome, where she studied Architecture and Urban Planning, Tatiana landed in Dubai in 2005. She quickly realized that the local ‘eco environment’ was lagging behind and it made her think on how to help raise awareness among the local community: curb pollution, conserve natural resources and reduce our impact on the local environment. Her passion for Sustainability and the Environment led her to co-found Goumbook in 2009, creating the first green information resource and green directory for the MENA Region. Today she is actively involved in the green arena and co-hosts the Green Team radio show on DubaiEye 103,8FM.

Dr. Radhiya Al-Hashimi

Dr AlHashimi is currently an Environmental & Infrastructure policies and strategies advisor at the Prime Minister Office in UAE. Previously worked as UN-Habitat consultant for UAE & Oman. Prior to that she was the Director General of the Environmental Center for Arab Towns at Dubai Municipality and ATO in Kuwait for 5 years. She holds a Doctorate degree in Environmental Health and a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Texas, Houston, Texas. She conducted and published a number of researches and was a keynote speaker in different Environmental conferences locally & internationally.

Mohammad T. Asfour

Prior to chairing the JordanGBC, Mohammad was the Environment, Water and Energy Sector Lead at the USAID Jordan Economic Development Program, an Adviser to the Board of Trustees of Princess Sumaya University for Technology and a Founder & Director of Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship. He served as a regional advisor to OECD’ s MENA Investment Program, chaired UNEP – SBCI’s Advocacy Committee and is a founding board member at Al Shajarah NGO and currently a member of the Board of Directors at World Green Building Council.

Sarah Backhouse

Sarah Backhouse is the Founder & CEO of Future360.tv – an online video platform showcasing sustainable innovation.
Sarah is also a TV host and an environmental journalist. She has credits on CNBC, BBC, PBS, Fine Living, Discovery Channel, and Planet Green and is a recurring host on Al Gore’s 24 Hours of Reality.
www.sarahbackhouse.com
www.future360.tv

Marta Szigeti Bonifert

Szigeti Bonifert graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, the Central European University and from the University of Kuwait. She has a comprehensive experience in the business and governmental sector in senior management/official positions. She is a member of EBRD’s Environmental and Social Advisory Council, the Global Energy Prize jury, chair of the Environment and Security Initiative and scientific advisor of Agroinnova/Torino University Scientific Committee. She became executive director of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe in May of 2003.

Prof. Farid B. Chaaban

Prof. Farid B. Chaaban is the Chairman of the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at the American University of Beirut. His research interests include, amongst other topics, energy sustainability, energy efficiency and the environmental impacts of power generation. He is the author and co-author of a European patent and of large number of articles published in international scientific journals and conferences. Prof. Chaaban has been involved in a wide scope of projects with local and international organizations such as Parliamentary committees on Energy and on Environment, UNEP, UNDP, METAP, and ESCWA on issues related to the GHG emissions, transport, and energy sector sustainability.

Carl Duivenvoorden

Speaker, writer and sustainability consultant Carl Duivenvoorden helps people and organizations learn how they can save money, energy and our environment. One of the first Canadians trained by Al Gore, he speaks on subjects as diverse as transportation, economics, efficiency, biodiversity and renewable energy – because all factor into a healthy planet. His environmental column, Green Ideas, is carried in six newspapers. Carl lives in New Brunswick, Canada. Learn more at his website, www.changeyourcorner.com.

Pierre El Khoury

Pierre El Khoury is the Director of the “Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation” (LCEC) hosted at the Ministry of Energy and Water. El Khoury is the main author of the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Lebanon (NEEAP) 2011-2015. He also worked on the development of the National Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Action (NEEREA) with the Central Bank of Lebanon.

He is the national representative of Lebanon in the Board of Trustees of the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE). He is also the national focal point of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Mediterranean Solar Plan (MSP), the EU-funded MED-EMIP and MED-ENEC projects, as well as the UNEP En-Lighten Initiative. Pierre El Khoury holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Engineering Management, both from AUB.

Dr. Ziad Iskandarani

Dr. Ziad Iskandarani holds a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Iowa (1982). He worked for Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan (USA) in the plastic area from 1982 till 1992 where he transferred to Marion Merrell Dow pharmaceutical division in Cincinnati, Ohio and stayed till 1994. He joined Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) in Riyadh (KSA) in 1994 where he occupied the position of R&D Analytical Manager and later as Quality Manager. He currently holds the position of Certification Manager at Bureau Veritas since 2007. Dr. Iskandarani has written 9 technical publications, one book and is a holder of 2 USA patents.

Dr. Hilal A. Lashuel

Dr. Hilal A. Lashuel received his B.Sc. degree in chemistry from the City University of New York in 1994 and completed his doctoral studies at Texas A&M University and the Scripps Research Institute in 2000. After four years as a research fellow and later as an instructor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Lashuel joined the Brain Mind Institute at the EPFL where he is now an associate professor of life sciences and the director of the laboratory of molecular and chemical biology of neurodegeneration. (http://lashuel-lab.epfl.ch/). Dr. Lashuel is the secretary-general of the Society for Advancing Science and Technology in the Arab World. In 2012 he was named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

Talal Makdessi

Talal El Makdessi is the founder of The Holding Group (THG), the largest communications and marketing network in the MENA region. Until 2009, THG employed 1,412 executives working in 49 operations across 16 countries. The group included Team Young & Rubicam, Intermarkets, Partnership, ASDA’A, Polaris, Wunderman; Mediaedge and Tattoo. Elected “Man of the Year 2007” in Lebanon and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the fields of advertising and communications, El Makdessi is the Chairman of the Board of the Central News Agency (Al Markazia)in Lebanon, the Chairman and CEO of Tele Liban, and the President of “Hayat Li Ensan,” an NGO providing support and rehabilitation of prisoners. Eager to bring positive change in the areas of education, environment, mountain lakes, healthcare, El Makdessi has been actively involved in humanitarian work for decades, fostering development and advocating for the rights and welfare of the disadvantaged through the Makdessi Foundation.

Tyler Moorehead

Tyler Moorehead is a businesswoman and professional advocate specializing in environmental and social issues. Through her roles as CEO of Big Picture, and publisher of The Ecologist, she is recognized as a change-maker in global and environmental affairs. Tyler has also worked with the World Bank, the UN and most recently with WWF-UK on sustainable food policy. With more than 20 years’ experience in media, business strategy and social enterprises, Tyler has advised companies in the construction, fashion, automotive, sustainability and media sectors, including the BBC. As a journalist, Tyler recently completed 20 short films on sustainability for the International Olympic Committee, and is currently developing a global city project called ‘Wisdom of the Elders’.

Dr. Nizam S. Najd

Dr. Nizam S. Najd is a Civil Engineer and President of NP2 Consulting Services Incorporated, an international transdisciplinary consulting firm specializing in engineering, business, manufacturing, construction, and sustainability. Prof. Najd received his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering and Management from Oklahoma State University, USA and held several academic and administrative positions in Higher Education, both in the USA and Internationally. His research interests include technology transfer, system dynamics, energy and change management, and integrative-holistic-regenerative design. He is also a member of Sigma Xi, the international scientific research society and is a frequent presenter and trainer on sustainability, entrepreneurial, operational, and reliability solutions.

Timothy Paul

Timothy Paul is the UAE Climate Change Leader for the Climate Reality Project and the Head of Environment and Sustainability for Maersk Line’s West and Central Asia Region. Timothy oversees 22 countries with key responsibilities including energy efficiency, low carbon leadership, emission reductions (CO2, SOx, NOx), protecting the marine environment and instilling a sustainability mind-set within the organisational culture. Timothy has completed his MSc in Energy and Sustainability from the University of Cape Town specialising in solar energy policies and is an advocate for the solar ‘rooftop revolution’ believing that solar is the disruptive technology that has the ability to democratise electricity energy generation.

Marwan Rizkallah

Marwan Rizkallah is a senior environmental expert holding a Masters in Environment and Water Resources with significant experience in the field of environmental engineering and managemnet. Currently, he is a key expert for the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) on the Update of Priority Investment Projects for Protecting the Mediterranean Sea from Pollution; in addition, he is assisting in the startup of the Lebanese Environmental Pollution Abatement Project (LEPAP) at the Ministry of Environment (MoE).

Kathleen Rogers

Kathleen Rogers is the President of Earth Day Network. She has worked for more than 20 years as an environmental attorney and advocate, focusing on international and domestic environmental public policy and law. Kathleen has held senior positions with the National Audubon Society, the Environmental Law Institute, two U.S. Olympic Organizing Committees, and an environmental law firm.

Roula W. Ajouz Sidani

Roula Ajouz Sidani was elected Member of Beirut City Council for two terms from 1998 till 2010. She was the Initiator and previous Director of CRT (Cultural and Religious Tourism Project at the Office of the Prime Minister H.E. Saad Hariri. She is currently the publisher of Cedar Wings, the Inflight Magazine of Middle East Airlines; and Board Member of the Makassed Islamic Philanthropic Association in Beirut.

Gilbert Tegho

Gilbert Tegho is the CEO and founder of e-EcoSolutions. He is an advocate and a regular international Speaker on Sustainability. He is also the creator of e-GreenPages. Gilbert is currently a board member of the Lebanon Green Building Council (LGBC), where he was instrumental in the Technical and the Training committees developing Arz Green Building rating system by LGBC, with the support of the World Bank and IFC. Gilbert Tegho is also a member of the Emirates Green Building council, the Qatar GBC and the Saudi GBC. Gilbert Tegho was the first Canadian to get the LEED® Green Associate credentials from the US Green Building Council, and founded e-EcoSolutions with bases in Canada, UAE, Lebanon, Qatar, covering the MENA region. He was recently selected among thousands of poeple to join the Climate Reality Leadership Corps at a personal training with Al Gore in Istanbul, Turkey.

Aram Yeretzian

Aram Yeretzian BArch, MScArch co-founded Prime Design Architects in 1999, an office focusing on climate responsive master planning and architecture. Aram is also the current President of the Lebanon Green Building Council, a lecturer at the School of Architecture of the American University of Beirut, a member of the Order of Engineers and Architects in Beirut, and representative of the Ministry of Environment in issues related to the environmental aspects of buildings

Nada Zaarour

Nada Zaarour is a prominent environmental leader in Lebanon who has left a substantial impact on the Lebanese environmental movement during the last decade. Mrs. ZAAROUR is one of few women in the Arabic world at the head of a political Party as president of the Green Party of Lebanon. In addition to that, she is the president of the Green Mind Organization, and she has been President of the Association for Forest Development & Conservation from 2005 to 2011.

Sylvia Zulu

Sylvia is the Manager for IFC Sustainable Business Advisory covering the Middle East and North Africa, including Afghanistan and Pakistan. Sustainable Business Advisory offers advisory services to promote sound environmental, social, governance, and industry standards; catalyze investment in clean energy and resource efficiency; support sustainable supply chains and community investment. Sylvia holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Leicester Polytechnic, UK, and she is a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow (Pennsylvania State University).