Dr. Philip Boigner

Assistant Professor

Dr. Boigner, an Austrian national, has a vast industrial experience in the areas of investment banking, asset management, private equity, M&A, venture capital, software engineering and consulting in Europe, Australia and the Middle East. In 2011, Dr. Philip Boigner moved to the UAE, the country with one of the most developed and fastest growing economies in the world, to contribute his knowledge and expertise and was engaged as Vice President for Investments in a multi-billion dollar Dubai government entity. His mandate encompassed the development of modern technologies in the Emirate of Dubai and the greater MENA region. More recently, he was appointed as the CEO of the largest Innovation and Venture Capital fund in the region with its offices in Muscat, Oman.

Furthermore, Dr. Boigner is involved into investment-related research, including quantitative hedge funds and emerging markets technology funds.

Professional Background

• Ibtikar Innovation Oman, Oman
• Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, UAE
• PBI Group SA, Monaco
• Moravia Capital AG, Switzerland
• LRP Capital GmbH, Germany
• Flinders Consulting Ltd., Australia
• IBM Central Europe Ltd., Austria

Educational Background

• Doctor of Business Administration, International University of Monaco, 2013
• Doctor of Business in Finance, Sophia Antipolis University of Nice, France, 2012
• Master in Law & Economics, Sophia Antipolis University of Nice, France, 2009
• Master of Business Administration, University of Southern California, USA, 2006
• Master in Science in Information Systems, Hawaii Pacific University, USA, 2001
• Bachelor in Science in Business Administration, Hawaii Pacific University, USA, 2000

Jana Krok

Lecturer (Part-time)

Jana Krok, a German national, has expertise in consulting and processing the establishment of companies in the UAE and GCC region. Her main duties involve drafting and negotiation of contracts like NDAs, LOIs, Agency Agreements, Share Transfer Agreements, Board Resolutions. Her practical experience further spans to writing legal opinions in various fields of law - labor law, corporate law, inheritance law and international taxation. She has been a guest lecturer at MODUL University Dubai since its inauguration and an adjunct lecturer for undergraduate and MBA legal courses.

Dr. Oliver Loisel

Assistant Professor

With extensive experience in corporate management as well as management consultancy, Oliver Loisel balances strategy, business models and processes with E-Business and IT. His work covered the process industry, energy supply and infrastructure, governmental and education, banking, insurance and IT. As co-founder of the ATLAS group, he built up several companies in the service and IT industry and actively manages them. Dr. Loisel´s focus is on strategy and business models in the internet of things.

Dr. Loisel has more than 15 years of experience in top management consulting and adult education. He trained companies, managers, undergraduate and postgraduate students regarding General Management, Strategic Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation. For over a decade he held several hundreds of speeches during Europe´s largest E-Business Roadshow.

Oliver Loisel is an Austrian national based in Switzerland and has been active in the Middle East since 2011.

Professional Background

• Managing Partner and CEO, ATLAS group
• Project Manager, Malik Management Zentrum St. Gallen
• Interim Manager, ÖBB Holding
• Executive Partner, Loisel.Consulting
• Project Manager, IDC
• Project Manager, Braintrust

Educational Background

• Doctor of Laws, University of Vienna, Austria, 2008
• Master of Science Human Resource Management and Organizational Development, PEF Private University for Management, Vienna, Austria, 2004
• Master of Business Administration, University of Economics and Business Administration, Vienna, Austria, 2004
• Master of Advanced Studies Information Technology Consulting, Danube University, Krems, Austria, 2002
• Master of Laws, University of Vienna, Austria, 2001

Dr. Rashad Yazdanifard

Assistant Professor (Part-time)

Dr. Rashad Yazdanifard earned his Doctor of Philosophy (Management) from Multimedia University, his Master of Industrial Management from Shahid Beheshti University, and his Bachelor Degree in Business Administration from Azerbaijan Accounting and Management higher education institute. As an experienced lecturer with undergraduate and postgraduate experience, he is someone with potential and promise of teaching effectiveness and excellence at the undergraduate, MBA, DBA, and PhD levels, a track record of professional development, and student advising abilities, as well as other services to the department, school, and community. As a lecturer in different well-known universities and colleges teaching mostly international students in different levels of undergraduate and postgraduate, he has become a skilled academician with wide range variety of experiences. Moreover, he has been actively involved in training employees of different organizations internationally. Dr. Rashad has published widely in scientific journals and presented frequently in different international conferences.

Line Serhan

Lecturer (Part-time)

Line has an extensive knowledge in advising and helping clients navigate through all their financial, operational and budget related challenges at the policy and process level whilst ensuring compliance with international standards. She is currently responsible for overseeing financial operations for a strategic advisory company, after holding this position in an international advertising company.  She worked with two of the big four accounting firms as a financial auditor and tax advisor, where she assisted MENA based conglomerates adhere to changing government regulations. She also participated in the VAT implementation, where her role was the preparation and review of the audit manual and the training of the auditing team.

Line holds a BA and a master in Finance and Banking from St. Joseph University in Lebanon and a Certified Public Accountant from California USA.

Dr. Theodor Strohal

Professor (Part-time)

Dr. Strohal is an Austrian national and a Founder of Strohal Legal Consultants. In 1979, Dr. Strohal got admitted to the Austrian Bar cum laude after graduating from Vienna University. He has been working as a foreign lawyer in Singapore since 1993 in addition to offices in Myanmar and Qatar. Dr. Strohal has been a lecturer in financial and corporate law at postgraduate courses at the European Journalist Academy in the University of Vienna Campus from 2002 to 2004 and MODUL University Dubai from 2017. His main interests are: real estate, joint ventures and international taxation and corporate law. 

Awards and Recognition

• Twice awarded a scholarship for outstanding academic records

Main Areas of Activity

• Frequent speaker in seminars on Austrian and International property law.
• Working experience in Indonesia, Singapore and South America and the UAE
• Lecturer of European Journalist Academy in the University of Vienna Campus
• Post Guest Lecturer at University of Dubai on UAE Corporate Law
• Speaker in Singapore (government institution) on market entry and corporate law in GCC countries
• Training professor in arbitration practice seminar, Yangon, Myanmar

Educational Background

• Graduated from Vienna University, School of Law in 1974 (cum laude)

Thomas C. Meier

Lecturer (Part-time)

Thomas Meier is a Senior Counsel and Managing Director of Strohal Legal Group’s UAE-office in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, which is owned by Dr. Theodor Strohal.

Thomas Meier, a graduate of University of Innsbruck, Austria, School of Law, was working for over 6 years in renown international law firms in Vienna, Austria, and has passed the Austrian Bar exam with distinction. He also worked in New York City, USA, as well as in Hanoi, Vietnam. Furthermore, he has published articles about various legal issues concerning business law.

Since the beginning of 2017 he has been working in Strohal Legal Group’s Ras Al Khaimah office, where he advises clients from all over the world  in every area of business law, including company setup, corporate law, labour law, international tax law and international contract law, amongst others.

Prof. Dr. Edith M. Szivas

Full Professor Programme Area Director

Dr. Edith M Szivas, a British national, is a leading international expert in the area of Tourism and Hospitality with the track record in strategy and development of over 25 years. Her involvement into a number of Governmental projects aimed at strategic development of the hospitality industry across several countries in Europe and Middle East. She is an author of numerous publications and also she is actively engaged into public speaking.

Dr. Szivas has a vast academic experience in the Universities of London, Surrey, Greenwich, Macau, and others. Her ongoing consultancy activity with the leading global organizations like UNWTO and USAID has made her contribution into development of the industry truly invaluable.

Professional Background

• Director, SeaStar Consultancy, UAE
• Senior Management positions at various financial, educational and hospitality institutions (Budapest Bank, University of Surrey, Jumeirah Group)

Educational Background

• PhD in Tourism Employment and Labour Market, University of Surrey, UK, 1997
• MSc in Tourism Planning and Development, University of Surrey, UK, 1994
• BSc in International Trade, Kulkereskedelmi Foiskola, Hungary, 1990

Dr. Ana Stranjancevic

Assistant Professor

Dr. Ana Stranjancevic is an Assistant Professor in the field of Management, Tourism and Hospitality Management, and Sports Management. She graduated from the Department of Geography, Tourism and Hospitality Management at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad in 2005. She obtained her MSc degree in 2009 and PhD degree in 2012 in the Association of Centers for Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Studies and Research at the University of Novi Sad. She attended post doctorate mobility programme at the University of Deusto in Spain at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences in 2014/15.

From 2007 she has been engaged at the Faculty of Tourism, Mediterranean University in Montenegro, as a teaching assistant, and from 2013 as an Assistant Professor. She has been an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of International Management in Tourism and Hospitality Montenegro / Algonquin College Canada since 2013. She has participated in several national and international projects in her field of expertise, as a researcher and a consultant. She has been a Visiting Professor at the University of Belgrade in Serbia, the Akdeniz University in Turkey, the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Poland, the University of Business Studies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Burgenland University in Austria, and at the Canadian University Dubai in the UAE.

Prof. Dr. jur. Habil. Dr.h.c.,MBA Jurgen Walter Simon

Full Professor (Visiting)

Prof. Jürgen Simon, with for 40 years of academic experience, is a Guest scholar at the Law University Hanoi in Vietnam, Head of the Institute of Law at the University of Lüneburg, Chair of the European Technology Platform for Nanomedicine and former Head of the innovation and cooperation department at Siemens Healthcare. He has also held positions at CERN and the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. His research focuses on themes relating to Law and Biotechnology, Environmental Law, Economics and New Information Technologies. He is the author of many books and articles in these areas.

Professional Activities

• Tenured Full Professor of Civil Law, Economic Law and Environmental Law at Leuphana University in Lower-Saxony, Economic Faculty 
• Member of CELLS/Medical University Hannover and worked at the University of London. Director of the Institute of Law at the University of Lüneburg since 1989
• Head of the Research Centre of Biotechnology and Law
• Head of the European Academy of Environment and Economy in Lünebur
• Head of the “Further Education in Environment, Management and Law” at the University of Lüneburg
• Co-organisator of the further education course (M.A.) “Bio-conflict Management (with Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Knoepffler, Head of the Ethics Institute Jena)
• Director of the Academy Finance, Insurance & Law in Hamburg
• Director of the Bioethics Law e.V.
• Assistant Professor at the Universities of Freiburg (Roman and Civil Law) and Munich (Economic History, 1973-1979)
• Assistant Professor at the University of Hannover (1980-1988)
• Founder and Director of the Institute of Law and the Faculty of Environmental Science at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg
• Research Fellowship at the New University of Lisbon/Portugal (2009-2010) and the University of London/United Kingdom (2011-2013)
• Member of the Institute of the Medical University Hannover “Center of Ethics and Law in the Life Sciences” since 2009
• Member of the “Global Applied Ethics Network”, an international network of professional experts in applied ethics from a variety of disciplines (as Prof. Julian Savalescu/Oxford, Xiao Wen/Zhejiang, Takeshi Nakazawa/Tokyo, Tom Beauchamp/Georgetown and Stephan Sonnenberg/Harvard) since 2009

Karl W. Feilder

Senior Lecturer (Part-time)

Business experience

Since starting his first company with six friends in 1990, which was sold to Microsoft in 1995, Karlhas built and sold five companies, the most recent in 2009 to global logistics company Deutsche Post DHL, and led two companies to their Initial Public Offering.

He has encountered and overcome “Founder’s Syndrome” both in his own companies and in those companies he has mentored, and he has had the rare experience of growing his own company from a two person start-up to a international business encompassing 15 subsidiaries and an IPO on the stock exchange.

A British national who moved with his family to Dubai in 2009, he has experience conducting business in 46 countries, and has established subsidiaries in over 20. Karl now describes Dubai as his home, with his active business interests spanning South Africa, the UK, New Zealand, and the GCC.

Since 2006, Karl has dedicated his time to making a global difference in the battle to mitigate climate change. His direct actions have changed the path of such global corporates as DHL, Anglo American, and McDonald’s resulting in over 10 million tonnes of CO2e savings.

Academic experience

Karl’s first degree is in Industrial Engineering, and although he qualified as a C and C++ software programmer, he prefers business, graduating top of his class from Henley Management College with an executive MBA in 2006 writing his thesis on “Psychological profiling of start-up teams”.

In 2010 he became the first Adjunct Lecturer at the prestigious Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi, with a special interest in sustainable business strategies.

In 2017 he was selected as a Judge for the prestigious Hult Prize, which led to his appointment at a Catalyst Lecturer for the Hult International Business School which is a private global business school with campus locations in San Francisco, London, New York City, Dubai, Boston, and Shanghai.

Karl has become a regular guest speaker at the UAE GEMS schools, inspiring the students to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Mentoring experience

Karl’s mentoring experience started in 2002, when he helped a Silicon Valley startup at the request of Accenture, and thereafter he has mentored multi-national teams in a variety of industries including software, IT hardware, wireless, encryption, logistics, recruitment, wearable technology, and sustainable technology.

From 2014 to 2017, Karl was a Mentor for the SEED Entrepreneurship programme, an initiative of The Private Office of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum.

Business results in chronological order

Business results in chronological order

Network Managers – Grew from garage start-up to trade sale to Microsoft

GMT Holdings - Privately funded, sales in excess of 5 million software licenses, and then trade sale.

Sempres Holdings  - Consolidated 15 companies and led the company to IPO

Stock was 50% oversubscribed at IPO and shares rose steadily to a consistent 20% over listing price.

Globeflow - Repositioned company strategy, facilitated and mediated trade sale negotiations to UK PLC

Red-M - Restart a VC backed (APAX, Amadeus, Intel Capital) company

Created and executed innovative business plan, led to IPO

Improved gross margin from 22% to 71%

Increased revenue by 3x within 2 years, from loss to profit

Identum - Re-positioned a university spin-out, raised funding and  trade sale.

Neutral Services - Created the 10 year global sustainability strategy for DHL, designed and executed clean tech pilot projects. Built C level global knowledge base, reporting to DHL CEO and then the Deutsche Post CEO. Trade sale to DHL

SIGNIFICANT RECOGNITION and AWARDS

“2017 Energy Supply Chain Manager of the Year” – Finalist – Logistics Middle East Awards, UAE

“2016 Golden Shield for Sustainability” – Arab Organisation for Social Responsibility, Middle East

“Best innovation in practice 2015 ” – Neutral Fuels – winner, Institute of Chemical Engineers, UK

“Global Best of Green 2014” - The Neutral Group - company winner, awarded by McDonald’s Corp, USA

"Ecopreneur of the Year 2012" – Finalist - Dubai Chamber of Commerce, UAE

“2012 Planet Champion” - Logistics Category, McDonald’s Global Best of Green 2012 Awards, USA

“Asian Sustainability Leader award 2012” Asian Confederation of Businesses, Stars of the Industry

“Sustainable Transport Award 2012” – RTA, Dubai – Company Winner Neutral Fuels and McDonald’s

“Innovator of the Year 2011” – LOG Magazine, Middle East, Winner

“CEO Award 2010” – Diamond Driver, Best New Product Winner, Deutsche Post DHL, Germany

“Technology Entrepreneur of the Year 2005”- Finalist - UK Tech, Innovation and Growth Forum

“Technology Pioneer 2004” – CEO and Company Winner, World Economic Forum, Switzerland

“Fastest Growing Software Company in the USA 1998” – Winner, awarded by Softletter Corp. USA

EXPERIENCE and KEY SKILLS

• Led 5 companies to Trade Sale, 2 to IPO, including 3 turnarounds for shareholder investors
• Sustainability strategy creation and execution for well-known brands – DHL, McDonald’s
• Named inventor in two patents:
  • 2006 “The use of elliptic curve cryptography to secure voicemail over IP”
  • 2008 “Apparatus and method for carbon emissions resulting from operation of a vehicle”

• Award winning, communicative leader with excellent multicultural leadership experience

CURRENT ROLES

The Neutral Group CC Chairman 2006 – date

Neutral Fuels LLC Non-executive Chairman 2010 – date

Neutral Assets Non-executive Chairman 2017 - date

Neutral Software Pty Ltd Non-executive Director 2007 – date

Dr. Hounaida Abi Haidar

Assistant Professor (Part-time)

Dr. Hounaida Abi Haidar, an Irish/Lebanese national, is an expert in the areas of Urban Geography with the track record in strategy and policy analysis. Her involvement into a number of Academic and Non-Governmental urban and environmental projects gained her experience in the field. Dr. Abi Haidar is a graduate of the American University of Beirut- Lebanon, Oxford University- UK and Trinity College Dublin- Ireland and has worked at these universities. She has 10 years of academic experience in Environmental and Urban Policies, 10 years of research in basic sciences and urban studies and 5 years experience in private sector.

Professional Background

• Analytics Manager, PharmaPatient, Dublin Ireland
• Lecturer, Trinity College, Dublin Ireland
• Unit Coordinator, AUB Medical Center, Beirut Lebanon
• Executive Officer, Greenline NGO
• Researcher, AUB Medical School, Beirut Lebanon
• PhD in Urban Geography, Trinity College, Ireland, 2009
• MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Policy University of Oxford, UK, 2002
• BSc in Environmental Sciences, AUB Lebanon 1998

Prof. Jeremy B Williams

Professor (Part-time)

• Demonstrated strategic and leadership skills at a senior executive level in both public and private sectors
• A PhD degree in economics, economic history and politics, with a special interest in sustainable development. Also qualified at postgraduate level in education
• Publication of three textbooks, more than 40 refereed journal articles, chapters, book reviews and conference papers, and over 50 other articles and papers
• More than 20 years of experience in international education ranging from postgraduate management education to preschool teacher education. A specialist in the area of digital pedagogies and learning design, with a focus on the provision of custom-built programs to meet the specific needs of individual learners
• Deep knowledge and first-hand experience of contemporary issues affecting the tertiary, secondary and early years education sectors in Asia, Europe and North America. Extensive personal networks throughout these geographies developed over a period of more than 25 years
• An education futurist, acknowledged as a pioneer in the field of technology-enhanced learning. Frequently called upon to present keynote speeches at international conferences on the subject, most recently on the disruptive impact of online education on traditional education business models
• Skilled in the leadership of cross-disciplinary teams in a variety of formats: ‘traditional’ distance education, blended delivery, on-line delivery (domestically and globally), and face-to-face on a single and multi-campus basis
• An award-winning teacher including the U21Global Prize for Excellence in Pedagogy, QUT nominee for the Australian Awards for University Teaching, finalist in the John Wiley Australia Award for Innovation and Excellence in MBA Teaching, and the QUT Award for Outstanding Academic Contribution (Teaching Performance and Leadership). Student evaluation of teaching scores consistently in the ‘high distinction’ range. Teaching prize money and grants amount to more than $100,000
• Highly developed interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills. An accomplished public speaker and capable negotiator whether dealing with private sector executives, university committees, or government officials
• Founder and Chief Inspiration Officer of Green School for Girls (GS4G), a sustainable enterprise that seeks to produce strong, independently-minded, entrepreneurial young women, capable of earning a good living for themselves and their families whilst also serving the interests of the community and the natural environment.

Dr. Declan McCrohan

Associate Professor

Dr. Declan McCrohan, an Australian national, has over a decade of experience working in the field of Academia throughout Asia and the Middle East.  His academic experience and unparalleled leadership skills have enabled him to develop and deliver a number of unique undergraduate and postgraduate courses at a number of universities including Alfaisal University in the KSA, Zayed University  and Heriot Watt University in the UAE and Victoria University in Australia. Dr. McCrohan’s research interests cover a wide range of areas including financial modelling of Middle Eastern stock markets, entrepreneurship drivers in the Middle East and the development of international education offshore programmes, with particular focus on Australian Tertiary Institutions’ expansion into Asia and the MENA Region. Dr. McCrohan was also the team leader of the 2009 UAE GEM Study into Entrepreneurship in the UAE.

Professional Background

• Austock Group, Melbourne, Australia
• Australian Trade Commission, Sydney, Australia

Dr. Hanen Gharbi

Assistant Professor (Part-time)

Dr. Hanen is a lecturer with 8 years of academic experience at international Universities such as Université Paris – Sorbonne, Université Paris XII Creteil and Université d’Angers in France. She has also taught a wide range of courses in UAE (Canadian University in Dubai, Synergy University in Dubai) and Tunisian universities. Dr. Hanen’s fields of expertise are Monetary Economics, International Macroeconomics and Exchange Rate Regimes. Dr. Hanen worked also as an economist in a consulting company in Dubai.

Educational Background

• In Economics, Université Paris Dauphine, France, 2012
• In International Economics and Finance, Université Paris Dauphine, France, 2000
• In Economics, University of Tunis III, Tunisia, 1999