Techne

2025 Speakers

Ahmed Safwat

Managing Partner for MENA region & Board Member

Healthcare International Group (HCI)

Youth & Entrepreneurship Proposition Director

National Research Centre (NRC)

Egypt

Mahmoud ElHefnawi

Professor

National Research Centre (NRC)

Egypt

Dr. Mahmoud ElHefnawi is the Informatics and Systems Department Head , Biomedical informatics and chemoinformatics group leader and founder since 2009 and professor at Informatics and Systems Department at National research centre. He was also a part time adjunct associate professor and senior scientist at Nile University as well as adjunct faculty in many other universities. His H index is 22 on Scopus and led many projects in bioinformatics, gene therapy , cancer, and drug discovery as well as machine learning in biomedicine. He is also the PI for many projects including an affiliated node for the H3 bionet NIH African project. He published more than ninety International publications on topics including rational drug design, docking, gene therapy of siRNA, miRNA for infectious diseases and cancer; structural bioinformatics and motif predictions applications in virology,and applications of machine learning in bioinformatics and medical informatics as well as other bioinformatics and medical biotechnology applications.His interests span the computational biology as well as the medical biotechnology and life sciences fields. From the informatics and engineering point, he worked on data mining and classification algorithms, deep learning, and other machine learning techniques. In the bioinformatics application side, he worked on: applications of the Bioinformatics methods and techniques to study viral evolution, prognosis drug resistance mechanisms and modeling, modeling viral immune system networks of interactions, rational drug design, small molecule inhibitors virtual screening and selection, and siRNA design, selection and validation in vitro models. Also, he worked on NGS informatics, metagenomics, the human microbiome, and personalized genomics He has many national and international collaborations with other research groups. He has/ had in supervisions more than thirty five MSc and PhD thesis from different disciplines and faculties.

Mahmoud Eldefrawy

Co-founder & Chief Medical Officer

Therapy Area medical Lead

AstraZeneca

Egypt

Ahmed Hammad

Chairman's advisor on Health policies and systems

Egypt Healthcare Authority

Egypt

Ahmed Hammad

Chairman's advisor on Health policies and systems

Egypt Healthcare Authority

Egypt

Dr. Ahmed Hammad is a distinguished healthcare professional with a diverse and extensive background in dentistry, health policy, management, and global health. He has made significant contributions to the healthcare sector in Egypt through various high-profile roles. Currently, Dr. Hammad serves as the Chairman's Advisor on Health Policies and Systems at the Egypt Healthcare Authority (EHA) since April 2023. He also holds the position of Director of the Chairman's Technical Office at the EHA, a role he has been in since June 2022. Prior to this, he was the Internal Audit Director at the EHA from August 2020 until June 2022. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Hammad played a crucial role as a member of the Central Crisis Room at the Ministry of Health and Population in Egypt from February to November 2020. Concurrently, he managed the Technical Office of the Minister Assistant for Monitoring and Follow-Up and was the Deputy Director for the Universal Health Insurance (UHI) Implementation National Project from January 2019 to November 2020. Additionally, he served as a Senior Technical Officer at the Minister's Office at the Ministry of Health from July 2016 to August 2020. Dr. Hammad's early professional career was rooted in clinical practice, working as a dentist from November 2010 until June 2015. Recognizing the importance of integrating business acumen with healthcare, Dr. Hammad completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at ESLSCA Business School (2017-2019). He continued to broaden his horizons with a Master's degree in Medical Science in Global Health Delivery from 2020 to 2022 from Harvard Medical School.

Rimon Sami

Marketing Director

Edita

Egypt

Rimon Sami is an accomplished Marketing Director at Edita, a leading FMCG company in the MENA region. With over a decade of experience spanning FMCG marketing, Marketing for tech startups, and product development for big local and multinational companies, Rimon has consistently driven brand growth and innovation across diverse markets. Throughout his career, Rimon has contributed and led the successful launch of several high-impact snack brands and played a key role in introducing a new frozen bakery line to market. His ability to blend consumer insights with strategic execution has positioned him as a trusted leader in brand development and market expansion. Rimon’s expertise lies at the intersection of traditional FMCG practices and the fast-paced world of tech startups. This unique perspective enables him to craft agile marketing strategies that resonate with today’s dynamic consumer landscape. His work is grounded in design thinking, creative storytelling, and a deep commitment to delivering value through innovation and bridging legacy brands with digital-native consumers. He holds a degree in Marketing from the American University in Cairo (AUC) and is passionate about mentoring emerging talent, fostering innovation, and building brands that endure. Rimon is passionate about discussing practical knowledge and strategic insight on topics such as brand building in competitive markets, product innovation in the food industry and deep understanding of what drives consumer loyalty and market success.

Nashwa Ghaleb

Design Manager & Hospitality development

City Edge Developments

Digital Health & Innovation Partner

Roche

Egypt

Dr. Michael Safwat

Medical Affairs Manager / Medical Excellence Manager

Career Center Manager

University of Hertfordshire hosted by GAF

Co-Founder, Leankhana Business

Group Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

Paymob

Egypt

Mohamed Sadat

Group Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

Paymob

Egypt

Mohamed Sadat is a distinguished Group Chief Information Security Officer with two decades of experience shaping cybersecurity strategies across fintech, digital payments, and enterprise environments. As Group CISO at Paymob, he leads resilience, regulatory, and risk programs in the financial services sphere, previously serving as Head of Information Security and earning recognition as Arab CISO of the Year (2019–2024) and one of IDC CISO of the Year (2020) finalists. He holds a Master of Science in Cybersecurity and, most recently, an MBA from Liverpool John Moores University, grounding his technical expertise with proven business acumen. Bolstering professional standards, he sits on both the CCISO Exam Committee and the CTIA Scheme Committee, and serves as Vice President of ISACA’s Cairo Chapter. A sought-after voice in the cybersecurity discourse, Mohamed is a Packt Tech Advisory Board member and recognized as a Top Cybersecurity Voice on LinkedIn. His thought leadership spans crucial topics such as: • Aligning security with business goals to translate threats into enterprise risk • Embracing adaptive, continuous cybersecurity resilience • Defending critical attack vectors like email to gain strategic response capacity • Ensuring data protection through robust encryption policies Mohamed has delivered keynote addresses at premier forums including the Arab Security Conference, GRC Summit Egypt, CSCAMP, and EngineeRex where he discussed fintech cybersecurity and quantum-safe architectures Community-driven, he champions knowledge sharing and development through ISACA and public speaking. He blends deep technical mastery with executive-level vision, driving cybersecurity as a strategic business enabler. He’s a proven leader shaping security culture, mentoring future professionals, and demonstrating cyber leadership in a digital-first world.

Loay El-Shawarby

Principal

El Shawarby Attorneys-at-Law

Design Point Interiors

Egypt

Moataz Lotfy

Chief Business Development and Partnerships Office

Pledge Communications

Modern Foundation for Development and Education Improvement (MDE)

Egypt

Ann Adham

Professor of Marketing and Luxury Brand Management

Positive Discipline Educator

The Samurai Hub

Egypt

Ahmed Morshed

Invesment Product Senior Manager

MNT-HALAN

Egypt

Salma Farouk

Senior Investment Associate

Dare For marketing solutions

Strategic Concept Creator

Freelance Consultant

Egypt

Dahlia Abulwafa

Strategic Concept Creator

Freelance Consultant

Egypt

"Dahlia A. Abulwafa – Strategic Concept Creator & Marketing Expert “Innovating concepts and crafting strategic marketing solutions that turn visions into success stories.” Dahlia A. Abulwafa is a Strategic Concept Creator and Marketing Expert with over two decades of experience shaping brands and business strategies across diverse industries, including hospitality, FMCG, retail, and e-commerce. Known for transforming ideas into market-winning strategies, she specializes in branding, rebranding, marketing innovation, and digital transformation for multinational corporations and startups alike. Dalia’s career is defined by her ability to build concepts that become market leaders, from spearheading major rebranding initiatives for Fine, Zeina, and Monginis, to leading the complete digital transformation of Sofitel Hotels in Cairo — elevating online bookings from $1,000 to $14 million within a year and setting a global best practice benchmark. Her expertise spans concept creation, business strategy development, brand architecture, consumer insights, and holistic marketing campaigns, combining creativity with a sharp strategic mindset. As a consultant and marketing coach, she empowers companies — from emerging startups to global corporations — to build strong brand identities and craft impactful marketing plans. A multi-award-winning professional with more than 15 industry accolades, Dalia is also a renowned public speaker, invited globally to share her thought leadership on marketing strategies, branding, growth marketing, and franchise models. Her unique approach blends innovation, perseverance, and values-driven leadership, making her a trusted partner in shaping future-ready brands."