Meet Our Advisory Board Members
Our diverse and experienced leadership team brings together expertise from various industries to guide our vision and strategy.
Sabrine Makkes
Founder – Envizion Consulting LLC | Women in Mentoring (WIM & WIM for HIM)
Legal and compliance expert, DE&I advocate, and award-winning leadership coach.
- •18+ years in legal & compliance leadership
- •Founder – Envizion Consulting LLC
- •Founder – Women in Mentoring (WIM & WIM for HIM)
- •Global Women Leadership Award 2024
Ahmed Nagy
Senior Legal Counsel, Emirates Islamic Bank PJSC
Brings 15+ years of expertise in Islamic & conventional banking with a focus on legal innovation.
- •15+ years in Islamic & Conventional Banking
- •Certified LMAs & QMS Lead Auditor (CQI & IRCA)
- •3 Postgraduate Diplomas (IP Rights, Int'l Arbitration, Economic Courts)
- •Key contributor to ISO 9001:2015 Certification of Legal Departments
Dr. Omar S I Abasheikh
Senior Legal Counsel at HALCON
20+ years in arbitration, corporate law & compliance across global industries
- •Barrister & Dispute Resolution Expert
- •Certified GRCPTM & GRCATM Professional
- •20+ years in commercial & corporate law (16 PQE)
- •10+ years in the defence industry
- •PhD in International Commercial Arbitration
Ahmed Zaki
Senior Vice President – Legal Affairs, Al Hamra
Over 30 years in judiciary and legal sectors; accredited arbitrator and award-winning legal strategist.
- •General Counsel of the Year 2025 – LexisNexis Middle East
- •In-House Counsel of the Year – Infrastructure & Construction 2023 – Legal Community MENA
- •Real Estate & Construction In-House Legal Team of the Year 2024 – Legal Era Middle East
- •Most Influential Legal Leaders in the Middle East 2025 – Middle East Leaders
Vijay Ojha
Group Company Secretary, Sharaf Group (Dubai)
Governance and compliance leader with 20+ years of experience across GRC, M&As, and corporate affairs.
- •Group Company Secretary, Sharaf Group (Dubai)
- •Fellow Member, Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI)
- •Graduate in Business Administration & Law
- •Life Member, Institute of Directors (IOD), India
- •Expertise in GRC, corporate structuring, M&A & board governance
- •Named among the Most Influential Legal Leaders in the Middle East 2025
Nivedita Arora
Consultant at Counselect
Legal innovation and tech consultant helping in-house teams modernise workflows and adopt AI-led legal solutions.
- •Consultant at Counselect, focusing on legal ops and GLCCs in India
- •3+ years in the legal technology space
- •Ex–Senior Legal Tech Consultant at MikeLegal
- •Corporate law experience at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
- •LL.M. and BBA LL.B. from Jindal Global Law School
Role of Advisory Board Members
Advisory Board Members play a strategic and reputational role in shaping the direction, quality, and global relevance of BGLS conferences. Their involvement ensures that each summit delivers high-level, practice-driven content aligned with current and emerging challenges in litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution.
1Strategic & Thought Leadership Role
- Advise on conference themes, focus areas, and emerging trends in litigation, arbitration, and cross-border disputes
- Provide guidance on jurisdiction-specific and industry-specific issues relevant to the region of the summit
- Help ensure the agenda remains forward-looking, practical, and senior-level
2Agenda & Content Advisory
- Review and suggest session topics, panel formats, and discussion angles
- Recommend areas where deeper discussion or specialised sessions (roundtables, closed-door discussions) may be valuable
- Offer inputs to maintain a balanced mix of legal, commercial, and regulatory perspectives
3Speaker & Moderator Recommendations
- Nominate or recommend senior speakers, moderators, and thought leaders from their professional network
- Help maintain speaker quality, diversity, and subject-matter depth
- Assist in identifying voices that bring real-world experience, not just theoretical insights
4Brand Credibility & Positioning
- Lend credibility and stature to BGLS through association
- Be featured as an Advisory Board Member on:
- Conference website
- Agenda & marketing materials
- Event collateral and post-event publications
5Limited Event Participation (Optional)
- Attend the summit where feasible
- Participate as:
- A speaker or moderator
- A senior discussant in selected sessions or closed-door roundtables
6Networking & Community Building
- Facilitate high-level introductions where appropriate (law firms, corporates, institutions, counsel)
- Support the development of a trusted, invitation-only BGLS community across regions
7No Operational or Financial Obligations
- Advisory Board Members do not have operational responsibilities
- No requirement to manage logistics or sales
- No mandatory financial contribution unless the member independently opts for sponsorship or partnership
Advisory Board Value Proposition
- -Visibility as a thought leader in global litigation & dispute resolution
- -Association with a premium, curated legal summit brand
- -Opportunity to influence meaningful, high-level legal dialogue
- -Access to a global network of senior decision-makers