Marloes Knippenberg

Chief Executive Officer – Kerten Hospitality

The award-winning CEO of Kerten Hospitality, Marloes Knippenberg, has established the organization as a disruptive, dynamic international hospitality group dedicated to the management of mixed-use developments in key global destinations.

Her journey in the hospitality field started with Hilton where Marloes held senior operational and commercial management positions for over a decade. At the helm of Kerten Hospitality, which she developed and launched with the backing of Kerten, Ireland-based investment vehicle, Marloes has grown the organization’s operational and pipeline portfolio from one brand in one country to 12 aspirational lifestyle-driven concepts in 35+ development projects across 3 continents.

Known for her mentorship empowering the next generation of hoteliers, the topic of sustainability within the larger context of ecosystem’s build and the creation of “authentic” experiences in “’Cities of the Future” developments, Marloes continuously pioneers the role of innovation across the whole value chain of investors, owners, academia and the hospitality leadership. Empowerment of female hospitality leaders within WiH Group has been her latest commitment.

She sits on the Vice Chair role of GRI’s Hospitality Club connecting C-Suite real estate and Infrastructure leaders from around the world. In addition, Marloes serves on the Advisory Boards of flagship events like IHIDC – Vienna, AHIC - UAE, HITEC - Dubai, IHIF - Berlin and is frequently invited to contribute Though Leadership to industry forums: ITHIC - Italy, SHIC - Saudi Arabia, HOST – London and The Retail Summit, Dubai. She has been a mentor for students in hospitality schools and was recently on the jury panel of the GENIO Innovation Summit by Hotelschool The Hague.

Marloes has been listed in the Hotelier Middle East Power List 2019 ranking the region’s most influential industry professionals. Most recently, she was listed in Hotelier Middle East 25 'women in hospitality power list' is a result of those women who are making waves in the industry. She is the Winner of CEO Today’s 2020 Business Women of the Year recognition in hospitality.

Lynn Chouman

News Editor – LinkedIn

Lynn Chouman is an experienced journalist and media professional. She is currently a News Editor at LinkedIn, providing members with news and views that help them build future-proof careers and navigate a dynamic professional landscape. Lynn moderates panels with key decision makers and experts, discussing different business topics that include Artificial Intelligence, Technology and Development. Prior to joining LinkedIn, Lynn was a business news anchor at Al Arabiya News Channel. Lynn brings experience in economic policy and development, having previously worked at the World Bank office in Beirut. She obtained a degree in Economics from the American University of Beirut.

Amro Nahas

Partner & Managing Director – Ritz Banc Group

Since January 2020 Mr. Nahas holds the position of Partner and Managing Director of RBG Holding. He is also an advisor and Investment Committee Member of the State Properties General Authority of Saudi Arabia as well as a board member of MASIC Logistics and Al Romaih Industrial Commercial Group.

From July 2012 until December 2019, Mr. Nahas headed the real estate investment division of Mohammed Al Subeaei Investment Company (MASIC) and manages the local and international real estate business of the MASIC. Mr. Nahas was also a member of the investment committee of MASIC and held Board positions in MASIC Logistics and Al Fhadli Company (a JV with Aramco), both subsidiaries of MASIC that he helped incubate.

Before joining MASIC, Mr. Nahas headed Shuaa Capital Saudi Arabia’s real estate division where he managed the real estate funds and the day to day operations of the real estate division. Mr. Nahas also acted as CEO for Al Oula International. In 2010 Mr. Nahas worked as the advisor of the BOD of Amer Group in Egypt and managed its IPO process and the eventual listing on the Cairo Stock Exchange. Mr. Nahas also worked as an expert advisor with Booz & Co (current Strategy &).

Mr. Nahas joined Al Oula International after holding the position of Investment Banking Director in charge of the Real Estate sector in the MENA region at HSBC Bank Middle East. During his tenure with HSBC, Mr. Nahas led the IPO of Drake & Scull and worked on many private placements and cross border transactions. Prior to HSBC, Mr. Nahas worked at the National Investor in Abu Dhabi, Bank Audi in Lebanon, and other leading institutions. His diverse experience extends to more than 25 years of consulting, corporate investment, and investment banking across Canada and the MENA region in the real estate, finance, industrial and manufacturing sectors. His portfolio of achievements includes leading many IPOs, most notably Tamweel and Kingdom Hotel and Investments, setting up real estate development and equity funds, structuring many debt transactions in conventional and Islamic finance, and successfully accomplishing many private placements and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Nahas executed more than USD 2.5 Billions of transaction and Managed assets worth more then USD 1.5Billion.

A Lebanese/Canadian national, Mr. Nahas holds a Bachelor and a Master’s degree in engineering with a specialty in industrial management from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He also completed an executive education program at Stanford University in negotiation strategies and in finance at Harvard University.