Archives: Speakers

Kelly Knowles is currently the Senior Director of Client Services at Signant Health and has been with the company for almost 12 years. Prior to joining Signant Health she held project management positions at a contract manufacturing company in Philadelphia as well as within the Clinical Supplies and Process Development groups at Centocor.  She has her Bachelor degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Penn State University and her MBA from Villanova University.

Bruce Curry is a vice president for collections and recovery consulting and sales at analytics firm FICO, helping clients across Europe, the Middle East and Africa improve performance in collections and recovery. Before joining FICO, Bruce held successive senior operational management positions over 16 years with Barclays vehicle asset finance (Dial Contracts), Marks and Spencer Financial Services and Royal Bank of Scotland Cards. In April, Bruce was named to the Credit 500 Hall of Fame by Credit Strategy magazine. Read more of Bruce’s advice for debt collectors at www.fico.com/en/blogs/author/bruce-curry

Trishna Bharadia is a multi-award winning health advocate and patient engagement champion. From the UK, she has worked across Europe and the world with multiple stakeholders to get the patient voice heard louder, stronger and more effectively throughout the entire healthcare journey. Her work includes health information, patient support programmes, disease awareness campaigns, improving the clinical trial experience, engaging with BME communities and development of patient-centred strategies, among many other things. She is a regular conference speaker, advisor, writer and media spokesperson. Among her accolades, she was recognised by the UK Prime Minister’s Office with a Points of Light Award in 2018, for her work with patient communities.

Victoria is Director of Advancing Net Zero, the pioneering WorldGBC global project to ensure that all buildings are “net zero” carbon by 2050. In this role, Victoria oversees and supports Green Building Councils participating in the project, as well as a number of other partnerships which provide funding and support, marketing and communications, and the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment.

With a strong background in the sustainable development industry, ranging from client side advisory services, green building rating tool consultancy, and an on-site Head of Sustainability for a major international contractor, Victoria brings a unique perspective to the Advancing Net Zero project.

Victoria has a degree in Architecture and Environmental Design from the University of Nottingham, and co-authored the book: A Whole System Approach to High-Performance Green Buildings.

James Ehrlich is Founder of ReGen Villages a Stanford University spin-off company realizing the future of living in regenerative and resilient communities, with critical life support of organic food, clean water, renewable energy and circular nutritional flows at the neighborhood scale. James is also an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Stanford University School of Medicine Flourishing Project, Faculty at Singularity University, Senior Fellow at NASA Ames Research Center and (Obama) White House Appointee for Regenerative Infrastructure. Ehrlich founded ReGen Villages as a Dutch (EU) impact-profit company in 2016, with its patented VillageOS™ operating system software to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to define, design and autonomously manage regenerative neighborhoods that promote healthy long-term outcomes for residents and wider communities. ReGen Villages are planned for global replication and scale in collaboration with established industrial partners, universities, governments and sovereign wealth and pension funds, enabling an optimistic post-COVID green transition.

Anis Abou-Zaki studied architecture at the American University of Beirut. After graduating, he worked as an architect in the Middle-East prior to moving to London and obtaining his MSc in Environmental Design and Engineering from the Bartlett School of Graduate Studies, University College London.
Anis participated in winning several competitions and played a central role on highly renowned sustainable projects. He leads teams of environmental engineers and designers delivering integrated design projects and sustainable masterplans in many parts of the world.
Anis is an expert in passive and responsive design, environmental and microclimate analysis, wind environment, renewable energy and low to-zero-carbon technologies.
He is a LEED Accredited Professional (BD+C) and GSAS-CGP with extensive knowledge in application of sustainability accreditation tools and benchmarking systems such as HQE, Estidama (Abu Dhabi UPC), Chinese Assessment Standard for Green Buildings and Well building standard.
Anis has presented at several international conferences and has been a guest lecturer and design reviewer at different universities in the UK and abroad. He is on the advisory board and panel of several universities and research projects.

Dirk Rinze graduated from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands with a MSc degree in Structural Engineering in 2005, and joined BuroHappold Engineering in 2014. He has over 15 years’ experience spanning three continents: Europe, Middle East and North America and speaks Dutch, Frisian, English, Spanish and German. He has worked on a variety of projects ranging from historical renovations, residential buildings, sport complexes, high-rise, hotels, educational and multi-purpose centres.
Dirk Rinze is a very experienced Project Director overseeing 20+ engineering disciplines and he has been involved in numerous high-rise projects.

Dirk is also lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture at the Delft University of Technology since 2013. He has also been lecturing at the UCL Bartlett School of Architecture in London, UK.
He has written quarterly columns in journal Cement for the last 4 years, but he also shares his opinion on the engineering profession on one-off invitations, like for KIVI and Bouwen met Staal.

Kevin P. Flanagan design solutions resolve both the city context and environmental concerns in a single bold concept; his designs are a response to the nature of place. He spoke most recently on the topic of Timber Towers, and a Vision for a more liveable Greener City at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat CTBUH 10th World Congress in Chicago.

He is a founding member and former Partner at PLP Architecture, London, with over 35 years’ experience realising visionary award-winning designs throughout the World. He began in Montreal and Toronto and worked at SITE in NYC and KPF Architects in NYC and founding the London office; being with the practice for 25 years. He has lectured, exhibited and published widely.

Notable recent work , The Edge, Amsterdam, won among others, the ULI Award, the BREEAM Awards 2016 for both Best Office and the Most Sustainable Building in the World, and AIA Europe Sustainability Design Award. His earlier work includes the Grant Thornton Tower, Chicago and the multi-award winning International High-Rise Award design for the De Hoftoren Headquarters for the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science  in The Hague, and the landmark Headquarters of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) in Abu Dhabi ADIA, Abu Dhabi, UAE, both winning the Chicago Anthenium Awards.

Kevin has studied at Carleton University, Canada, the Architectural Association School of Architecture, London, University of Texas, Arlington; and through Study Scholarship in Rome.

Lasse Lind is an Architect and partner in GXN – the research based Think tank of 3XN Architects. GXN employs s cross disciplinary team of architects, engineers and social scientists, and conducts both funded research and consultancy within three focus areas: behavior, digital and circular design.

Sanjay leads the Design, Planning and Economics studio for AECOM in the Middle East. A masterplanner / urban designer by profession, Sanjay is also part of the team shaping AECOM’s approach to new international markets.

With projects ranging from strategic-level planning to heritage and transport led urban regeneration, Sanjay has over 18 years of experience in leading multi-disciplinary teams for large scale development projects across 20 countries spanning Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa and Central America.

Sanjay has special interest in creating destinations and and is a trusted development adviser to various clients such as private equity, venture capitalists, multinational developers to Sovereign Wealth Funds.

Prior to joining AECOM, Sanjay led the International portfolio for Atkins UK and led the London design studio. He has served as a Governor for Goodenough College (one of the Royal Charities) and Chair for its International Relations Society