Malcolm Stephens is a highly sought-after international expert with over 40 years of experience in the export credit, export finance and political risk field, including five years as Chief Executive of UK’s Export Credit Agency (ECGD) and six years as Secretary General of the International Union of Credit and Investment Insurers (the Berne Union). Mr. Stephens was also the Head of the Trade and Export Finance Operations for Barclay’s Group. In his role with International Financial Consulting Ltd., he has advised numerous governments and agencies from around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, China, South Africa, Turkey, Chile, Bangladesh, among others. He is a frequent speaker at international meetings and has published widely, including a book for the IMF entitled “The Changing Role of Export Credit Agencies”

Diana Smallridge is a well-known expert in the area of Export Credit Agencies, EXIM Banks and Development Banks. She has extensive knowledge of export credit and development finance systems around the world, as well as a special focus on strategic planning, performance measurement, and governance issues relating to commercially operated government agencies. Ms. Smallridge is the Conference Chairman for the Annual Global Convention on Export Credit and Political Risk, held in London. She has won recognition as a pioneering thinker in export finance and is a sought-after speaker and advisor on the role of government in the export credit and development finance areas. She is regularly invited to participate in workshops and conferences as a guest speaker, facilitator or chair.

Jennifer Brookins has a background in Financial Planning and Investment Management. With 13 years in the financial industry, her strengths include client relations, public speaking, project development and management, as well as systems analysis. Ms. Brookins has also served as Executive Director of a non-profit organization, where she oversaw marketing, fundraising, publication, conference planning, and product development.

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Hugh Baylis is a seasoned international banker with forty years experience. Hugh has held senior management positions in New York and London with Chase Manhattan Bank, Paris and Madrid with Continental Illinois, and has worked in South America, Brussels and Bahamas with Lloyds International. Hugh's experience includes trade finance, corporate lending, investment banking and operations. Hugh is also an accomplished consultant, having worked in management consulting roles at Chase and EBRD.

Elizabeth Garner has specialized in African development issues, as well as financing mechanisms for development and trade. At International Financial Consulting, she assisted in the preparation of an international benchmarking study of government-owned financial institutions. During a six-month internship at the African Development Bank in Tunisia, she contributed to the launch of a new initiative that promotes the use of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa as catalysts for tourism and SME development. She is also trained in the latest techniques for socio-economic impact evaluation. Ms. Garner has a Master of Arts degree in Economics from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Econometrics from Queen's University in Kingston. She is fluent in French and English.

Dr. Mohamed El Fatih Hamid was until mid-2003 the General Counsel and Director of the Legal Department of the Islamic Development Bank, a position which he held from 1979. Between 1964 and 1979, he was Lecturer (1964-1973), Senior Lecturer (1974-1976) and an Associate Professor of Law (1977) and Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Khartoum, Sudan (1975-1979). Presently he is a Fellow in the Faculty of Law,University of Khartoum. Dr. El Fatih has published several articles on the comparison between English and Islamic law of contract, and contributed a number of conference papers on the legal and Shariah issues of Islamic modes of financing. Dr. El Fatih was educated at the University of Khartoum where he obtained an LLB (1962), and the University of London where he obtained an LLM (1964) and Ph.D. (1971).

Sarah Hargrove is a seasoned financial executive with over 30 years of experience in commercial and investment banking, government, and international consulting. As Secretary of Banking for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, she was the primary regulator responsible for the safety, soundness, and regulatory compliance of the Commonwealth’s state-chartered banks, trust companies, savings associations and credit unions with aggregate assets of $90 billion. Since leaving government service in 1995, Ms. Hargrove has been a Principal of Hargrove Consultancy providing general financial advisory services to banks and bank supervisors in primarily emerging markets in Central Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Her knowledge and experience span a number of financial disciplines, including developing and providing training, in Asset and Liability Management (ALM)/Treasury Management; Bank Supervision; Basel II; Corporate Governance; Derivatives; Investment Banking; and Risk Management. She has an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). She attended the State and Local Program of the JFK School of Government, Harvard University. She was a delegate to the US-USSR Emerging Leaders Summit (1988) and has served on several Boards. Ms. Hargrove is based in the United States.

Bob Hughes is responsible for all accounting and financial management functions.  He has over 20 years experience providing domestic and international financial management solutions in a wide variety of corporate settings, including  complex multi-company environments and in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. He is a graduate of the University of British Columbia where he studied Accounting and Urban Land Economics.