IJMA3 is pleased to confirm participation of two of the leading global ICT figures for the upcoming MENA ICT Week 2010, to be held January 26-28 in Bahrain: Chair of the UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development Talal Abu-Ghazaleh; and US State Department Senior Advisor for Innovation Alec Ross.
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh’s name has been synonymous with global ICT leadership for decades. He has been a pioneer in industry and international diplomacy. As the founder and Chairman of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Company (TAGCO) and Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP), he quickly became known as the “godfather of Arab accounting.” After a series of prestigious appointments, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon appointed Abu-Ghazaleh deputy chairman of the UN Global Compact in 2007, a leading initiative to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies. Later than year, he was inducted into the IP Hall of Fame, thus joining the world's most prominent figures in IP. Recently, Abu-Ghazaleh took over as Chair of the UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development, a leading global initiative composed of leading representatives from the international public, private and civil society sectors.
No less distinguished, Mr. Ross has played a key role in bridging the digital divide by bringing broadband into the homes of low-income residents, and developing online hubs for information on jobs, health care, and education. He first broke onto the international stage by founding the non-profit One Economy, which uses technology to help low-income communities. Joining President Obama’s presidential campaign in 2006, he was tasked with developing the candidate’s tech and innovation strategy. Ross subsequently brought his talents to the State Department, where he was named senior adviser for innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. There he is tasked with figuring out how to use the global communications network to address health pandemics, human rights violations, poverty and diplomacy, and is one of the administration’s chief thinkers and strategists on technology, innovation, and global development.
No less distinguished, Mr. Ross has played a key role in bridging the digital divide by bringing broadband into the homes of low-income residents, and developing online hubs for information on jobs, health care, and education. He first broke onto the international stage by founding the non-profit One Economy, which uses technology to help low-income communities. Joining President Obama’s presidential campaign in 2006, he was tasked with developing the candidate’s tech and innovation strategy. Ross subsequently brought his talents to the State Department, where he was named senior adviser for innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. There he is tasked with figuring out how to use the global communications network to address health pandemics, human rights violations, poverty and diplomacy, and is one of the administration’s chief thinkers and strategists on technology, innovation, and global development.
