The Leading Speakers Bureau

American Philanthropist, Co-founder & Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Melinda Gates is a global iconic figure who has devoted her energies since her foundation’s naissance in 1994 to targeting the world’s three biggest killer diseases—AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria—among other scourges. She is a former unit manager for several Microsoft products such as Publisher, Microsoft Bob, Encarta, and Expedia. She retired from the board of Drugstore.com in 2006 to spend more time working for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Melinda was ranked in Forbes magazine list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in 2006, 2007 & 2008

[expand title=”In detail”] Melinda earned a bachelor degree in computer science and economics from Duke University in 1986 and an MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business in 1987, and served as a member of Duke University’s board of trustees from 1996 to 2003. After joining Microsoft Corporation in 1987, she distinguished herself in business as a leader in the development of many of Microsoft’s multimedia products. In 1996, Gates retired from her position as Microsoft’s General Manager of Information Products. In 2005, she and her husband, along with musician Bono, were named by Time as Persons of the Year. The Gates couple received the Spanish Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation in 2006 in recognition of their world impact through charitable giving. [/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Melinda’s influence over the world’s largest foundation is enormous. she works with local, national, and international partners to further the foundation’s goal of improving equity in four areas. She shapes and approves foundation strategies, review results, and helps set the overall direction of the organization. A capable and accomplished lady, Melinda Gates was a highly successful product manager at Microsoft and she brings to philanthropy a rare combination of compassion and the business skills she honed at Microsoft.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]A passionate and a shrewd businesswoman and speaker, Melinda Gates achieved amazing success at Microsoft. She plans to do it again with her very own style of philanthropy and offers audiences inspiration, education and hope.[/expand]

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Expert in Leadership and Business Development in BRIC Countries

Meow Yee is the Program Director, Emerging Markets, for IBM’s mainframe division. She is responsible for developing the unit’s business strategy and execution plans for growing in BRIC countries. Ms Yee is also passionate about the development of Asian women leadership. She is the President and Co-Founder of the Asian Women Leadership Network, a multi-company US not-for-profit organization.

“Meow Yee was profiled for the “Pathways to Power” by Time magazine

[expand title=”In detail”] As the project executive for Asian Initiatives, in Corporate Communications, Meow led and managed a groundbreaking project to drive new levels of collaboration to share best practices across multiple global companies around the Asian marketplace and Asian talent. Prior to that, she spearheaded efforts across IBM to deliver its On Demand Business Strategy and served as president of the Westchester & Hudson Valley Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans. She graduated with a Master of Science degree in computer science from the University of London and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of Malaya in Malaysia.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Meow Yee is a leading expert in the field of technical innovation, strategy and business development in emerging countries and particularly in BRIC. She talks about the key questions that business leaders must address in order to develop winning strategies.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Her fact filled and engaging presentations make Meow Yee a sought-after speaker at prestigious conferences around the globe.[/expand]

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Blue Ocean Strategist

Dr. Zunaira Munir is an Affiliate Member of the Blue Ocean Strategy Network and has worked with numerous big and small companies all around the world in their pursuit to create Blue Oceans of uncontested profitable growth. Having lived, studied and worked in Asia, USA and Europe, Dr. Munir has truly global credentials.

“Dr. Zunaira’s ability of handling a large audience and her great performance as an orator were considered great aspects of the seminar”

[expand title=”In detail”] With a Ph.D. in Innovation Management, an MBA in Finance and a Bachelors in Computer Sciences. Dr. Zunaira Munir offers an interesting blend of multi-disciplinary knowledge and expertise. She worked under Professors Kim and Mauborgne as a visiting researcher at INSEAD and has since been involved in Blue Ocean Strategy projects, initiatives and research. [/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Zunaira is a dynamic trainer and presenter and is extremely good at giving the audience concrete ideas that can be translated into practical steps for creating blue oceans. Her experience with diverse global business environments clearly gives her an edge in effectively catering for her global clientele.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Zunaira’s insightful presentations are high in content and a source of inspiration as we clarify our thinking about where we want to be and how we plan to get there. She captures the imagination and widens her audiences’ perspective on forming strategy.[/expand]

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Engineer, Broadcaster & TV Presenter

Kate Bellingham is probably best known for her role presenting popular BBC science show Tomorrow’s World. She returned to TV screens in 2010 as a regular co-presenter for Museum of Life for BBC2 about the Natural History Museum. She sits on the advisory board for the publications arm of the Institute of Electrical Engineers. In 2003 she obtained an MSc in Electronics with distinction at the University of Hertfordshire and her most recent accomplishment has been to become a fully qualified maths teacher.

“Kate has reported on a vast range of scientific & technological innovations”

[expand title=”In detail”] Katherine Bellingham did not set out to become a TV presenter. She was ‘spotted’ whilst working for the BBC as an electronics engineer and invited to audition for a Schools TV programme, Techno. Beginning her TV career, her engineering background, along with a degree in physics from Oxford University and experience as a computer programmer, came in useful during her four years as a presenter on Tomorrow’s World. She went on to present her own weekly programme on Radio 5 Live, The Big Bang on Children’s ITV and other programmes for the Open University, BBC Schools and Channel 5. Subsequent broadcasts included a seven-part science series for the Open University, an engineering series for the BBC2 Learning Zone, and Testing Times, a series for Radio 4 about the challenges faced on major engineering projects.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]With the ability to manage events smoothly, Kate Bellingham regularly hosts conferences and seminars and has presented numerous corporate video programmes for major companies and is also involved in projects promoting science, engineering and technology to the general public. She has served as President of Young Engineers, the national network of school and college clubs, is also a Patron of WISE and recently hosted the Young Engineers for Britain Awards Dinner in London.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]A talented communicator of science and a role model for young women in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Kate Bellingham puts everyone around her at ease with her warmth and professionalism. She is passionate about sharing her experience and enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering and maths.[/expand]

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Actress, Television Personality, Historian

Due to her father İnal Batu’s occupation as a diplomat, she spent her childhood in many foreign countries including Pakistan, Czech Republic, France and the USA. She completed high school at Marymount School in New York and also pursued musical and theatre training at Mannes College of Music. After starting literature and philosophy at New York University, she switched her subject to history and completed it at Boğaziçi University. She made her film debut in Harem Suare in 1999 and has gone on to act with several more films and TV series.

Batu also hosted a show titled Tarihin Arka Odası (The Back Room of History) which aired on HaberTürk with Murat Bardakçı and Erhan Afyoncu. Interested in poetry from a young age, she has written, translated, and published many poems.
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TEDGlobal Fellow & Renowned Journalist, Expert on Health & Social Welfare Issues in the Arab World

Shereen El Feki is a highly accomplished healthcare journalist and writer who also serves on the UN’s Global Commission on HIV and the Law. While she has worked in regional media, as a presenter with the Al Jazeera Network, and continues to write on health and social issues in the Arab world, her passion lies in the many projects in which she is involved which aim to better understand, and surmount, the social challenges facing Arabs, particularly young people.

“I would urge a combination of both patience and pragmatism, because there are no quick returns in social entrepreneurship in the Arab region.”

[expand title=”In detail”] Half-Egyptian, half-Welsh, Shereen El Feki was brought up in Canada. With a Ph.D in molecular immunology from the University of Cambridge she started her professional life in medical science and later worked as Healthcare Correspondent at The Economist magazine. She was a presenter for the Al Jazeera English channel (2006 – 2008), specialising in global health. She is also an international editor of MIT Technology Review and Middle East advisor to the Global Fund to Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and an expert consultant to PharmaFutures 3, an initiative looking at novel business models for the pharmaceutical sector in the developing world.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Shereen El Feki is full of fresh ideas on how to develop the field of health and science reporting in the Middle East, with a special focus on HIV/AIDS. She is experienced in the field and with deeper thinking beyond day-to-day journalism. A practitioner of open-door policy, she has vast experience in areas such as biomedical research, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, international public health and development. Acknowledging that AIDS exists in this part of the world is not a sign of threat or weakness, Shereen explains that it is an amazing opportunity to take action and show our strength.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]At the forefront of groundbreaking investigative journalism, Shereen El Feki has travelled the world to see how the balance of power is shifting in politics, business and society and she has a contagious enthusiasm and passion when speaking.[/expand]

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Foreign Correspondent for RTL Television, Middle East Expert, Award-winning TV Journalist

Antonia Rados is Germany’s most renowned reporter, a first-rate journalist from Austria with 30 years experience and an open mind on people and events. She gained recognition, becoming known for her reporting from Baghdad during the Iraq war in 2003. She has stopped counting the number of times she has travelled to and reported from Afghanistan.

“Only heroes and fools have no fear” Antonia Rados

[expand title=”In detail”] Antonia Rados studied political science in Paris and Salzburg, attaining a Ph.D. She won the German TV Prize and the Hanns-Joachim Friedrichs Award for her wartime coverage from Iraq. She also received the Robert Geisendörfer Prize, the German Camera Award and a nomination for the Grimme Prize and the German Television Prize. Her journalistic career had begun in the Austrian ORF. In 1991 she went to the WDR, from there she moved on to RTL. She had left in 2008 to join ZDF, where she was to work for the heute-journal. In November, RTL Television announced her return to Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Antonia Rados is a Middle East expert who has won numerous awards for her tireless and courageous work in documentaries on crisis-torn regions. As a speaker at major national and international forums, she vividly explains what it means to people in a war zone, that someone is interested in their fate and she provides insights into the constant battle against the stereotype of the emotional woman.
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[expand title=”How he presents”]Antonia Rados always displays a great deal of energy and enthusiasm, known as being an objective and sophisticated reporter. With vast media experience, she is a courageous and charismatic presenter.
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Primatologist and Anthropologist

Jane Goodall DBE is an internationally recognized authority on the primate world. She has written books for adults and children, contributed to documentaries and serves as a National Geographic explorer-in-residence, a United Nations peace messenger, and the president of Advocates for Animals. For her efforts to observe and preserve all species, she has received honors and accolades from governments, nonprofits, universities, and professional organizations, including a medal from UNESCO and the French Legion of Honor in 2006.

“One of the best-known and most highly respected scientists and educators in the world”

[expand title=”In detail”] Dr. Goodall’s involvement in tropical forests and conservation has led her to be actively involved in a number of environmental issues, and to found the Roots & Shoots youth group. She has also endorsed the Forests Now Declaration, calling for new market based mechanisms to protect tropical forests. One of her major contributions to the field of primatology was the discovery of tool-making in chimpanzees.[/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]Dr. Goodall takes the audience on an ecological journey, discussing highlights and low points of her experiences in the jungle. She shows how progress is helping research (DNA analysis) and hurting the environment (clear-cutting). She draws a dozen parallels between primate and human behaviour, making the point that we really aren’t all that different. She also speaks about the messages of hope that form the basis for her educational programme, ‘Roots and Shoots’.[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]Dr. Goodall lifts the audience to new heights, inspiring them to reach above and beyond through compassion, consumer action, and education.[/expand]

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Writer, Activist, Lecturer, Poet & Photographer

Nimah Nawwab is a writer, photographer, activist and lecturer and is considered a trailblazing poet. She is currently working on several book projects, as well as two anthology projects revolving around women and youth. She is the first Saudi Arabian female poet to be published in the US

“Nimah is a cultural ambassadress”

[expand title=”In detail”] In 2006, Nimah received the nomination for Young Global Leader of the Young Global Leaders Forum, an affiliate of the WEF. She has been a poetry judge and facilitator of poetry sessions and workshops in several countries. Nimah’s widely read academic articles have been translated from English into a variety of languages. She has been interviewed by various television and radio outlets such as BBC World Update and BBC World Today. In 2005, Nimah became the first writer and poet, male or female, to hold a public book signing at a major bookstore in Saudi Arabia, an occasion covered by the international media. Through her involvement with the WEF she has joined new leading executives from 50 countries to address global issues.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Nimah seeks to build bridges of understanding, develop compassion and a basic respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. She draws on her 15 years of experience in PR, writing and lecturing to work with institutes to address matters of concern, as well as highlight the vital importance of outreach and social and community service.[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]Nimah is a passionate, expressive and talented speaker who delivers an inspiring presentation either as a keynote speaker or facilitator. [/expand]

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Best-selling Novelist

Catherine Lim is a Singapore Chinese writer, she has written a number of short-story collections and novels written in English, published in the US, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and other countries. Since 1992 Dr Lim has been a regular speaker on cruise ships worldwide, in particular for Cunard and Silver Sea Cruise Lines. She has appeared on Radio in the UK and talks at international seminars.

“Singapore’s greatest story teller”

[expand title=”In detail”] She has a PhD in Applied Linguistics and was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Literature by Murdoch University, Australia. She contributes social and political commentaries to local and foreign newspapers and magazines.[/expand]

[expand title=”What she offers you”]Catherine offers audiences many colourful insights into modern day Singapore. She also offers great insight into the tensions that exist between the old Asian traditions and the newer progressive approach of the young professionals[/expand]

[expand title=”How she presents”]With characteristic verve and wit, Catherine Lim’s presentations are beautifully delivered and captivate audiences from around the globe.[/expand]
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