The LifeLab

Sean Pattwell is the CEO and Founder of CW8, a global strategic advisory firm operating at the intersection of reputation, geopolitics, capital and emerging technology. I had the pleasure of speaking with Sean on The LifeLab back in 2023 ( episode 15 if you’d like to revisit it), and it felt like the right moment to invite him back to share his perspective on how the global communications industry...

Sanjana Gandhi is a recognized thought leader in tourism and hospitality space with over 15 years’ experience as a management consultant advising governments and private sector organizations in the culture, travel, and tourism industries. One of the youngest ever female partners at Price Waterhouse Coopers in the Middle East, she has built a distinguished career helping clients shape national visi...

John Linden is the CEO of Mythical Games, a game company focused on building player-owned economies with top game developers and publishers in addition to own portfolioof games (Blankos, NFL Rivals, Nitro Nation, Pudgy Penguins coming soon). Prior to Mythical Games, John was the President of Seismic Games, developer of Marvel Strike Force and Magic the Gathering: Valor’s Reach). Prior to Seismic G...

Majed Al Tahan is the Founder & CEO, International Applications Company (IACO) and the Co-Founder & CEO of Danube Online. He innovated Saudi Arabia's first online grocery shopping service in 2016 in partnership with BinDawood Holding and led the development and operation of e-commerce channels for Danube and BinDawood retail chains in Saudi Arabia. He has played a pioneering role in Sa...

Jassem “J” Osseiran is an experienced entrepreneur and operational investor based in London. With a deep understanding of global finance gained through his Economics degree at the University of San Francisco, Jassem began his career as a tech venture builder with Rocket Internet in New York. He then shifted his focus to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), managing media portfolios and foundin...

As a visionary leader, Erika has demonstrated a consistent ability to craft strategies that drive brand growth, cultivate authentic connections with consumers, and seize commercial opportunities. Currently, Erika serves as the Global Vice President and General Manager of adidas /// studio, orchestrating the end-to-end go-to-market strategy, PNL, and business model for adidas's initiatives in b...

Eithne Treanor is a professional conference moderator and international communications consultant. Having worked as a business TV reporter, her expert knowledge covers energy, technology, security, infrastructure, and leadership. She is the founder and CEO of ETreanor Media, a successful communications training company based in Dubai, UAE. As a former international broadcast journalist, her TV rep...

Mohammad Al Duaij graduated from Leeds University Business School in 2002 with an accounting and finance joint honours degree. Mohammad started his career at the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development as part of the Asian projects funding team. He followed this by joining Global Investment House as investment manager, forming and managing real estate funds around the world. In 2008, he became t...

Adam Ridgway, Founder & CEO, ONE MOTO Adam Ridgway is a sustainabilist, keynote speaker and focused entrepreneur. Adam specialises in sustainable product development, tech-driven vehicles and delivering the future of mobility to the everyday commuter and logistics sector. In 2018 he founded, ONE MOTO, a multi-award-winning electric vehicle manufacturer company focused on smart mobility which o...

Seán Pattwell is the CEO and Founder of CW8 Communications. Prior to forming the Company in 2018, Sean was the Global Head of Communications at aircraft leasing giant Avolon. Sean advises global technology leaders, NGOs, Governments and corporate players the world over. Sean spent over ten years in Asia advising many of the world's leading brands, and advised on some of the largest M&A tra...

Julie Nguyen is an entrepreneur and innovation & marketing leader. She is the Co-founder of CrunchMoms; the first and only dedicated professional platform in the Middle East for women at all stages of their careers and motherhood. A Texan with Vietnamese roots, she has lived across continents and gathered 10+ years of experience in brand, marketing and digital transformation along the way.

Clara Naum is an International Certified Life Coach, esteemed author, and active contributor to an award-winning educational program that has positively impacted countless lives. Clara supports clients including top executives, high performance athletes and celebrities in the US and around the world to overcome their own perceived limitations, connect with themselves, find purpose and achieve auth...

Ahmad oversees the strategic direction of the Saudi based retail company, BinDawood Holding. BinDawood Holding manages two key retail chains – BinDawood and Danube – across 85 hypermarkets and supermarkets in major Saudi Arabian cities and employs over 10,000 people across the Kingdom. BinDawood Holding has a rich Saudi heritage, spanning over 50 years, 35 of which are in grocery retail. Since the...

Olivier Billon is the founder and CEO of YKONE. After graduating from Sciences Po Paris with a master’s degree in Marketing, he joined L’Oréal Paris as Digital Marketing Manager for the Luxury Division. In 2008, Olivier left L’Oréal in pursuit of his own business venture, YKONE – the world’s first influencer marketing agency to cater to luxury Beauty, Fashion, Travel, and Lifestyle brands. Over th...

John D'Agostino is an American business executive and entrepreneur. He is a senior advisor to Coinbase, Chairman of US Asset Management Committee for the Department for International Trade, a lecturer at MIT and Columbia, and a Harvard MBA graduate. He previously served as US Managing Director at the world's largest fund governance firm Waystone Governance, where he also served on the boar...

Award-winning journalist, beauty editor and business owner, Liz Dwyer has reported on beauty and aesthetics for over 20 years. Based in Ireland, she has reported predominately at IMAGE magazine, The Irish Times and at at National Irish broadcaster, TV3. She set up Beauty bootcamp in the noughties and PR + Brand Lab in 2015. In 2019, she joined forces with her sister Nikki Dwyer, a corporate lawyer...

Sophie Smith is the Founder and CEO of Nabta Health, a hybrid healthcare platform for women enabling the accelerated detection, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic diseases in women in emerging markets. Prior to founding Nabta, Sophie worked for Accenture as a technology consultant and then founded several impact enterprises including myZindagi (a doctor-finding platform based in Pakistan) and Le...

Yinka Martin is an award winning entrepreneur and founder and CEO of HairWeavon, an eCommerce business, with its headquarters in Dublin, Ireland.  HairWeavon.com is a marketplace for all products relating to wigs and hair pieces. Yinka’s business, which ships to over 42 countries across the world, supports a community of women and men across the world experiencing hair loss due to cancer diag...

Amman Ahmed is the founder of MusicForPets, which has been producing music for pets since 2011. Amman founded the platform with the intention of having a positive impact on the mental health of dogs and MusicForPets two main channels RelaxMyDog and RelaxMyCat focus on:   Relaxing Music    TV For Dogs and Cats   Advice and "How to" Vlogs      &...

James Whelton is an Irish entrepreneur, programmer, and co-founder of CoderDojo, a network of free computer coding clubs for children, which reaches hundreds of thousands of young people in over 110 countries across the globe.   James has built a wide array of software products, served as CTO for several e-commerce and technology companies, along with being a venture capital advisor. &nb...

Fares Jammal is a photographer and a founder of Shadow Studios, a Dubai-based leading creative and production house known for its prominent work in photography and videography in the region. Originally from Lebanon, Fares has been based in dubai for almost 20 years. His camera has taken him to the four corners of the globe, and he’s worked with global and regional leading companies creating high e...

Nitin Khanna has over 40 years’ experience in auditing, transaction services and corporate finance, and has executed some of the Middle East’s most landmark deals.  He has been nominated for ‘Deal of the Year’ on four different occasions. Post-retirement he founded consulting firm Nucleus, a boutique advisory firm specializing in corporate finance, financial due diligence ("FDD"), valuations...

Mercedes Torres is a restaurateur and founder of Copala in Dubai's Onyx tower.  Mercedes’s passion for food has been a lifelong journey. Following many years as a lawyer working in the corporate world, she followed her passion and made the dream of Copala come to life. A Mexico city native, listen to Mercedes' journey of show she founded Copala, delivering a restaurant with a menu that epitom...

Justina Eitzinger is a media and marketing professional with over 19 years of experience in the MENA region. Justina moved to the UAE in 2001 and her career has spanned the hospitality travel and media industries. As the COO at Images Group Middle East, her current role is to lead all brand initiatives including editorial, marketing, distribution and sales for the highly respected Images RetailME...