PwC innovation leader Laurent Probst to speak at knowledge summit in Dubai
PwC economic development and innovation leader Laurent Probst will feature among a range of speakers at the 2018 Knowledge Summit to be held in Dubai next month.
To be held over the 5th and 6th of December at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation’s 2018 Knowledge Summit in its fifth year carries the theme of ‘Youth and the Future of the Knowledge Economy’, with a broad range of speakers set to take the stage to discuss a number of surrounding topics, including PwC Luxembourg partner Laurent Probst.
An 18-year veteran with PwC’s Luxembourg branch, Probst in addition to being partner and economic development leader also serves as the firm’s Global Network Leader for its regional innovation ecosystem, and further played a leading hand in the development of PwC’s Accelerator programme. Launched in 2012, the accelerator supports high-potential next-gen companies with global expansion – with more than 500 European technology companies having been accelerated from Europe to Asia under Probst’s guidance to date.
For the past seven years, Probst has specialised in economic development initiatives and implementation for European governments and institutions, especially in areas related to digital innovation and transformation, with many proposed future policy recommendations surrounding issues such as big data, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity among others having recently been adopted by the EU Commission.With an event schedule of 45 panel discussions and workshops, Probst will feature among a line-up of more than 100 experts and decision makers from attending from all corners of the globe, including local government, public sector and business leaders, including the Director of UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States and UN Assistant Secretary-General Mourad Wahba and leading regional science advocate HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan.
In terms of the consulting realm, other speakers to appear will include former EY senior consultant and now CEO of Bahraini fintech hub Bahrain FinTech Bay, which recently launched an Islamic financial innovation centre, and long-term communications, media & technology expert with Booz Allen Hamilton/Booz & Company (now Strategy&) Karim Sabbagh, who was appointed as the CEO of cyber-security advisory DarkMatter earlier this year. Former Bain & Company and PwC partner and current Vice Chair for the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council Yasar Jarrar will also share his knowledge and expertise.
Falling within the greater Vision 2021 agenda of the UAE, which is geared toward diversifying away from a reliance on resources and developing the Emirates into a leading knowledge economy – including policies for ‘Emiratisation’ (increasing the meaningful employment of UAE citizens) and local skills capacity building, the Knowledge Summit conference this year will cover themes which include the promotion of youth entrepreneurship.
“The youth are the fuel of the future and the cornerstone in sustainable development efforts in any community,” said Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation CEO Jamal Bin Huwaireb, who will preside over the agency’s awarding of the Knowledge Award during the opening ceremony. “Hosting the event here in the UAE underlines the country’s status as a hub for constructive cultural dialogue, which spurs visions and plans for robust knowledge-based societies.”