concept middle east

Kevin Underwood

Vice President / Principal, AECOM Design + Planning

Kevin leads AECOM Design + Planning’s international masterplanning, urban design and landscape design work and has projects in the Middle East, Russia, Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.
His selected work experience include- Conceptual and Detailed Masterplan for the Heart of Doha, Qatar, Lusail Expressway Artscape Design, Doha, Qatar, Unified Landscape Masterplan Education City, Doha, Qatar, Grand Hyatt, Doha, Qatar and many more.

Nadia H. Bakhurji

Secretary General, Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation and President,Nadia Bakhurji Architectural and Interior Design Consultants

Nadia became a founding board member for the Arab International Women’s Forum in 2000, and in 2004 became the first Saudi woman to make public her intention to run as a candidate for the Riyadh Local Municipality elections. Nadia has taken an active role as a female pioneer in her field and as a professional role model to young women and has won two consecutive seats on the Board of the Saudi Council of Engineers in 2005 and 2009. In 2007, Nadia established NBA (Nadia Bakhurji Architectural and Interior Design Consultants) in Riyadh, specializing in providing complete architectural and interior design consultancy services for high end projects in community design, housing, education and healthcare and offering comprehensive design services in partnership with top leading European architectural and engineering firms. In 2010, Nadia became a member of the Consulting Offices Committee, established under the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce to create initiatives to improve the quality and business environment governing consulting firms in Riyadh. In 2011, Nadia established the first Interior Design Chapter under the Saudi Council of Engineers. In 2011 Nadia was appointed to represent Saudi Arabia on the Committee of Arab Women Engineers with a mandate to empower women in the engineering fields in the Arab world. As a continuation of her public work, in January 2012 Nadia Bakhurji was appointed as Secretary General of Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation where she will continue her work to develop society towards brighter economic prospects, education and employment.

Tim Makower

Partner, Allies & Morrison

Tim Makower joined Allies and Morrison in 1990 having worked for the practice as a student since 1983 and having taken an internship in New York in 1987. He trained at the University of Cambridge and the Royal College of Art. He is the Co-Chair of Architecture and Urban Design at Qatar University and is a member of the Advisory Panel for the Gulf Encyclopedia of Sustainable Urbanism currently being developed by Harvard University. He also has several publications and teaching roles in progress both in the UK and in Qatar.

Michel Mossessian

Principal, Mossessian & Partners

Established in 2005 by former SOM London Design Director Michel Mossessian, Michel and his experienced team are committed to architecture which adds cultural value and benefits society ‘beyond buildings’. Following twenty years design experience on major projects in Chicago, New York, Paris, and London, including leading the design team that won the competition for the new NATO headquarters in Brussels, Michel Mossessian chose to establish his independent practice in London to focus on the demands of complex, high density urban spaces.

Holley-Chant

Corporate Sustainability Director, KEO International Consultants

KEO is internationally recognized as a dynamic and highly capable leader in the delivery of Planning, Sustainability, Architectural Design, Civil Engineering and Project Management Services. At KEO, Miss Chant heads a team of Sustainability experts that include Building Physicists, Mechanical Engineers, Sustainable Infrastructure Engineers, Environmental Managers, Sustainable Material Specialists, and an Ecologist. She is the lead author of the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City Internal Roads Infrastructure Sustainability Guideline and acts as sustainability principle in charge of multiple planning and design projects throughout Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Marie Noelle Swiderski

Managing Director, Blanchard FZ LLC

Marie-Noelle Swiderski manages the Blanchard studio in Dubai she set up in 2006. Offering a tailor-made approach to interior design and architecture, the studio has realised private projects of a few hundred to several thousand square meters around the UAE, the UK and Europe, ranging from full architecture to accessorising and artwork. In all projects, Marie-Noelle brings her passion for beauty and function, a constant search for purity of line, exquisite detailing, a holistic approach to design by applying principles of Feng Shui and a strong commitment to sustainability. This was most recently recognised by High Commendations in 2010 and 2011 for Marie-Noelle as Interior Designer of the Year and the prize for Sustainable Interior Design of the Year at the Big Project and BGreen Awards 2011.

Isabel Pintado

Associate Partner, Godwin Austen Johnson

Isabel has worked on projects ranging from luxury hotels such as Bab Al Shams, Tripoli’s 7-star Guest House, Kempinski Palm Jumeirah to bespoke residences, trendy bars to museum cafes, commercial offices to health spas. Her versatile style is clearly evident, as each project is truly unique. More recently Isabel won the highly commended Interior Designer of the Year 2009 award.

Steven Charlton

Managing Director, Pringle Brandon

Steven has immersed himself in the MENA region and is focused on providing clients with design quality and a progressive professional service which meets international standards. Combining his local market experience with Pringle Brandon’s internationally respected reputation, as Managing Director of the Middle East, Steven and his team deliver benchmark projects in the MENA region. Before joining Pringle Brandon, Steven was managing director at Artillery’s UAE office and prior to that business director at Hamilton International, Dubai/Abu Dhabi.

Dr Saeed Zaki

Managing Director, Design Worldwide Partnership

He has over 20 years of planning, design and management experience on projects across Asia for both private and public sector enterprises. Saeed has successfully planned, designed and managed projects in Thailand, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Philippines and Cambodia. Saeed holds a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Urban Planning from the reputed Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), and also lectures regularly at local and international institutes as a visiting faculty and has authored research papers in the area of urban planning, design and sustainability.

Director, DPA Lighting Consultants

Barry Hannaford is a renowned lighting designer with 40 years experience in the lighting field. Through innovative and strategic lighting concepts he has developed and overseen the work from the London office from 1996 to 2004 and from the Dubai office since 2004. He has executed many projects in the UK and has worked in over 30 other countries including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Libya, Syria, India, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, Azerbaijan, Ireland, Argentina and China. He is a professional member of the IALD, I.Eng., ACIBSE and MSLL.

Ivar Krasinksi

Partner / Design Director, STR-EDGE

Ivar Krasinski AIA is an architect by training, but is engaged in many areas of study ranging from science and technology, through business and finance to the fine arts. He has been the leader for several design technology initiatives, the main focus of which is the balance of financial, cultural and environmental sustainability. As Partner and Design Director at STR-EDGE, his expertise lies in delivering optimized and integrated design in terms of planning / feasibility, sustainable design, urban design and architecture for varied project types such as master planning, residential, commercial, hospitality, mixed use, recreation and integrated developments.

Founder and CEO, ESADORE International

Ebrahim is the founder and CEO of ESADORE International. He is highly active and passionate about the future and development of the industry. Ebrahim has been leading large-scale Spa & Medi-Spa projects with major clients in Australia, Europe and now in UAE for well over 10 years.

Director, Light + Design Associates

More than 30 years experience in creative Architectural Lighting Design, Lee is a well respected award winning international Lighting Designer. Lee has applied his expertise to a diverse range of projects, the latest amongst them being the total light planning for the historic walled City of Derry in Ireland for the forthcoming European City of Culture event. He has designed lighting for signature Hotels, Restaurants and high profile retailers around the world, centres for Performing Arts in Singapore, Norway, Greece, the UK and many other countries, Airports in Libya, Russia and indeed Luxury Super yachts. In 2009 Lee was awarded the accolade of Architectural Lighting Designer of the year at the UK’s prestigious annual Lighting Design awards and his company has also won numerous Design awards, Civic awards and commendations. Most recently, Lee was the Lighting Designer responsible for Concept and schematic design planning for the Qatar National Convention Centre which opened to much accolade at the Education City Complex in November 2011.

John Rose

Director – Development, Msheireb Properties

John Rose is the Director – Development of Msheireb Properties. John brings with him an excellent professional record of two decades of real estate development experience in master-planning, design and construction of large scale mixed projects in Europe and the Middle East; working with organizations such as Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Tishman-Speyer Properties and Turner Construction International.At Msheireb Properties, John works and leads the creation of the development ventures including the signature sustainable downtown urban regeneration development that introduces a new Qatari architectural language and will be one of the catalyst for growth in Qatar running up to the 2022 World cup.

He has worked earlier as Regional Managing Director for Emaar International and managed Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia operations. Where he was involved in master-planning and project development in Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Pakistan and Egypt. John holds a Masters in Architecture from North Carolina University, and a Bachelors degree in Building Construction from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

Managing/Creative Director, DESIGNyoung FZ LLC

Mark is an accomplished Interior Designer, having been responsible for many notable hospitality and luxury residential projects around the world, during his career to date. He has been working in Dubai for the last 20 years, completing many high profile landmark projects across the Middle East Region including: Dubai Creek Golf Club; Emirates Towers Hotel; Al Maha Desert Resort; The Address Hotel, Downtown Dubai; Jumeirah Golf Estates; The Wave Muscat. Originally in 1991 Mark led the design team responsible for almost all of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid’s commercial and luxury residential properties, before moving on to WA International as GM in 1997. The next 8 years were spent developing a large range of commercial projects, including renowned Luxury Hotels and Serviced Apartments, Health Clubs & Spas and Corporate Offices. He established DESIGNyoung FZ LLC in 2006 and every year continues to grow and add many more international brand names to their Interior Design project list, but still keeping the focus that “we design profitable people places”. This is our commercial approach where we use design as our tool to increase the commercial success of our clients’ projects.

Head of Philips Lighting University-Middle East

In addition, he teaches lighting at leading universities in the Middle East and for Philips Lighting in other parts of the world.Prior to this he was a Lighting Application Specialist for the company, and was responsible for the design of many impressivelighting projects in the region. He combined this functionwith key positions in sales and marketing.

He graduated as an Electrical Engineer and holds a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from the University of Montreal, Canada.

General Manager – Operations, AL REYAMI INTERIORS

Rajesh Anil Mathias is an Engineering and Management Professional with over 15 years of experience in Operational Support, Business Development and Project Management. For the past 8 years he has been associated with Al Reyami Interiors – U.A.E. and currently holds the position of General Manager – Operations.Rajesh Anil Mathias holds a Masters degree in Structures. He has undergone Professional Training from LEED Concepts, Project Management, FIDIC Contracts, Quality and Safety Management and Leadership Excellence. He is also an internal auditor for ISO Certification.

InterfaceFLOR

Group General Manager, Al Tassameem Group

James Augustine is the Group General Manager at Al Tassameem Group. In this role, he is responsible for directing all activities related to 11 of the group’s divisions including advertising, textured glass manufacture and safety products. He also manages client and supplier relationships with some of the leading organisations within the Middle East, Europe, North America, Australia and Southeast Asia.Prior to his current role he was Division Manager at the group for nearly five years, in charge of hiring, training, supervising and leading high performing design, manufacture and marketing teams. Prior to this he was Marketing Manager, a role which saw him developing new business and managing client relationships with leading organisations within Kuwait and the UAE that resulted in a tenfold increase in sales and becoming the market leader.

Before the Al Tassameem Group, he was a Senior Account Manager at Clued Media DDB Kuwait, where he handled key accounts such as MTC- Vodafone , IKEA and Henkel Arabia.

He holds a Bachelor’s of Science, and a Master’s in Public Relations and Advertising from the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, India.

Lusail Project Controls Director, Lusail