Our Esteemed Judges

Alaba Fagun is the Group Managing Director and CEO of Berger Paints Nigeria and one of West Africa’s most dynamic industrial leaders. With more than 20 years of cross-sector experience, she has redefined leadership at one of Nigeria’s oldest manufacturing companies.

Under her leadership, the company achieved 195 percent cumulative after-tax growth between 2022 and 2024, with subsidiaries like Swift Painting Nigeria seeing significant expansion. Fagun is a champion of diversity, equity and inclusion, fostering mentorship, collaboration and operational excellence across her organization.

Fadle Saad leads HP’s strategic growth in Saudi Arabia, drawing on more than 15 years of experience across the Middle East, Turkey and East Africa. His leadership combines professional rigor with warmth, fostering an empowered and high-performing workforce.

From computer engineer to technology leader, Saad has a global perspective and frequently speaks on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and regional business development. He advocates for accessible technology, digital equity and economic empowerment, driving innovation and positive societal impact across HP’s operations and beyond.

Khalid Al-Khatib leads NAFFCO, a global leader in fire and safety solutions operating in more than 100 countries. Under his guidance, the company leverages a 18,000-strong workforce and 11 million square meters of manufacturing facilities to deliver innovative safety solutions worldwide.

He has positioned NAFFCO as a leading provider of products and services that protect lives, property and the environment, with a strong commitment to technological advancement, sustainability and global expansion.

Lance Kawaguchi is a globally accomplished executive with more than 26 years of experience in financial strategy, capital deployment and international growth initiatives. He has structured more than US$42 billion in energy and infrastructure transactions across six continents.

Based in Riyadh, he guides cross-border partnerships in EVs, clean energy and AI. He also serves as Strategic Advisor to the CEO at Mental, helping scale an AI-powered mental health platform, and as a board advisor at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Formerly CEO of Cure Brain Cancer Foundation, Kawaguchi led a biotech accelerator and clinical trials funding program, earning recognition as The CEO Magazine’s Not-for-Profit Executive of the Year and Third Sector’s CEO of the Year in 2022 – the only executive globally to receive both honors in the same year.

Mishal Kanoo is one of the Middle East’s most iconic business figures, renowned as a futurist and strategist with expertise in forecasting economic developments. He chairs The Kanoo Group, one of the Gulf’s largest and longest-running independent family-owned companies.

He also holds leadership positions in Gulf Capital, KHK & Partners, Dalma Capital, Johnson Arabia and KAAF Investments. A motivational speaker and published business author, Kanoo has been investing personally and corporately since 1991. He is passionate about helping people achieve professional goals and positively impacting lives.

Mohammed H Al Qahtani is a prominent Saudi businessman and thought leader. He served in senior public sector roles for 12 years before dedicating himself to the private sector in 2006. His leadership bridges public and private enterprise, reflecting the transformational spirit of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

He shares insights on the Saudi economy and Vision 2030 through LinkedIn and publishes Vantage Point, a geopolitical newsletter read by over 100,000 senior business leaders. Al Qahtani’s combination of strategic vision, public-private experience and regional influence has made him one of the most followed and impactful voices in Saudi Arabia.

Phillip Khoury is CEO of ADSO, a third-generation logistics company in the United Arab Emirates. He has transformed ADSO from a family-run business into a modern logistics powerhouse connecting the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa through multimodal transport and cross-border trucking.

A visionary leader, Khoury emphasizes that “my people are my greatest asset,” building one of the largest and most comprehensive door-to-door logistics services in the Arabian Gulf and Commonwealth of Independent States markets. His leadership blends tradition, innovation and operational excellence.

Tapan Vaidya is Group CEO of PJP Investments (PJP), the master franchisee for Papa John’s across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and India. With 35-plus years in the food and beverage industry, he has scaled brands including Burger King, Pizza Hut, Chili’s and Outback Steakhouse.

At PJP, Vaidya expanded Papa John’s from 40 to more than 110 stores in the Middle East and is leading its re-entry into India with a 650-outlet growth plan by 2033. Known for his hands-on leadership, strategic foresight and focus on people and quality, he is recognized as one of the Middle East’s most respected voices in quick-service restaurants and franchising.