Richard Thompson

Editorial Director – MEED

Richard Thompson is the Editorial Director of MEED. He is responsible for the content of MEED Magazine, MEED.com, MEED Projects & MEED Insights. A keen student of Middle East political and economic affairs, Richard regularly writes and contributes articles to the wider media, including Financial Times and the BBC. He is also a regular speaker on Middle East economy. Richard joined MEED as Managing Editor in February 2003. During his time at MEED, he has covered many areas of the Middle East economy including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. He was named MEED editor in April 2007 and become Editorial Director in February 2010. He has a Masters degree in International Relations, and a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering with Management Law. Prior to becoming a journalist he worked in the UK construction industry for Atkins and for Laing O’Rourke

Donald Bremner

Managing Director – Stirling Hospitality Advisors

Donald is the Managing Director of Stirling Hospitality Advisors with 20 years of experience in asset management, development and hospitality advisory services, primarily within the Middle East.

Donald has held multiple roles across the industry including Hotel Manager, Asset Manager, Director of Development and Director of Rooms for Jumeirah Group and Operations Analyst, Revenue Manager, Director of Rooms and Director of Food and Beverage for InterContinental Hotels and Resorts.

Donald is the Industry Chair for the Hotel Asset Management Association and has a BSc from Aberdeen University.

Olivier Harnisch

Head of Hospitality – Public Investment Fund

Olivier Harnisch is Head of Hospitality for the Public Investment Fund, based in Riyadh and responsible for the development of the Fund’s Hospitality investments. Prior to that Olivier held the position of CEO at Emaar Hospitality in Dubai from 2016 until 2019. He began in the hospitality industry in 1986 in Nice, France. His career to date includes 14 years at Hilton where he was Vice President for Northern and Central Europe and 4 years as COO of the Radisson Hotel Group in Brussels. Olivier holds an MSc in Organisational Behaviour from the University of London, an MBA in International Finance from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and a Degree in Hospitality Management from Berlin School of Hotel Administration. Having worked across the globe, Olivier is fluent in six languages, he is also a passionate airplane pilot.

Jalil Mekouar

Founder and CEO – inHovate Solutions

Jalil Mekouar is the Founder & CEO of inHovate (www.inHovate.com) – the hospitality industry’s first and only Intelligent Business Transformation System that empowers operators, owners/investors and their advisors/asset managers to realize transformative results & maximize asset value.

A visionary global leader and entrepreneur, Jalil Mekouar has 30 years of international investment, finance, operations and asset management leadership experience in hospitality, real estate, wellness, and technology. His career spans over 35 countries in 6 continents with the world’s largest hotel operators, investors, developers, advisors and asset managers, in senior roles such as CEO, President, COO, MD, etc.

In addition to excellence in hospitality and technology, Jalil Mekouar is also passionate about wellness and sustainability. He sits on various Advisory Boards including Delos - a New York based global wellness, real estate and technology pioneer - alongside Deepak Chopra, Leonardo DiCaprio and other inspiring celebrities and illustrious thought leaders who have a major influence on the sustainability and well-being of our planet and its inhabitants (https://delos.com/company/people).

As a respected thought leader and a trusted hospitality, real estate and wellness advisor to a variety of investors, developers and operators, he has developed a vast global network of relationships, successfully established partnerships, businesses and JVs internationally, and is frequently invited to speak at international conferences around the world.

In addition to his MBA from Cornell University and his various certifications in Artificial Intelligence for Business from MIT, Fund & Asset Management, Real Estate Finance, Board Director Certification for Public Listed Companies, etc., Jalil Mekouar is also a member of Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG), Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and other reputed international professional associations.