Allison Carlson is the Executive Vice President of FP Analytics & Events at Foreign Policy. She oversees FPA’s cross-cutting research at the intersection of policy, technology, and global markets as well as Foreign Policy’s global dialogues and convenings. Prior to these roles, Carlson led FP Analytics’ energy and technology team for more than a decade, evaluating evolving policies, regulations, and market factors to identify opportunities for project development and advanced technology deployment internationally. Before joining FP, she led the Latin America program for a boutique consulting firm assisting European companies on investing in emerging markets’ energy and financial sectors. Carlson has presented her work at a variety of international conferences and before the U.S. Senate. She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, where she received a master’s degree in international relations and international economics.

Ophira Ginsburg, M.D., M.Sc., is a medical oncologist and global women’s health researcher with nearly 20 years of experience in global cancer prevention and control. In 2022 she joined the National Institutes of Health, as a Senior Advisor for Clinical Research at the National Cancer Institute Center for Global Health. Formerly based at the University of Toronto, Canada, she was a Medical Officer at the World Health Organization Geneva, Switzerland (2015-2016) where she provided technical support on cancer control for countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle-East, and Latin America, and contributed to the development of normative guidance on cancer early detection and screening. 

Dr. Ginsburg has since served as an ad hoc consultant to WHO, UNFPA, and IAEA-Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy. From 2017-2021 she was the Director of the High-Risk Cancer Genetics Program at the Perlmutter Cancer Center, an NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and an Associate Professor in the Departments of Population Health and Medicine at NYU School of Medicine. Prior to joining the NCI, in 2021 Dr. Ginsburg was a Senior Visiting Scientist in the Cancer Surveillance Unit at the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the WHO’s specialized cancer agency. Her research is focused on improving equitable access to breast and cervical cancer prevention and control. She has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and numerous commentaries in high impact journals, and co-chairs The Lancet Commission on women, power, and cancer. In 2022 she received the Humanitarian Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology. 

Chitkala Kalidas, PhD, is Senior Vice President and Global Head of Environment, Social & Governance (ESG) at Bayer. In this role, Dr. Kalidas is responsible for advancing Bayer’s commitment to ESG & Sustainability, providing ESG governance & reporting and ensuring occupational health & safety at Bayer.   

Prior to this role, Dr. Kalidas was the Global Head of Oncology Regulatory Affairs and Oncology Sustainability at Bayer. In this role, Dr. Kalidas and her team of Regulatory Professionals were responsible for developing global regulatory strategies for cancer drug development programs in all stages of development and for the global registration of drugs as well as in vitro diagnostics. Dr. Kalidas has also led the Oncology Sustainability Initiative at Bayer. This initiative, which is focused on Global Health Equity in underserved communities around the globe, reflects Bayer’s commitment to remedy disparities in access to quality cancer care and bring to life Bayer’s vision of Health for All. Through public-private partnerships in India, Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria and Ukraine, Dr. Kalidas and her team have led capacity building projects to connect primary and secondary health care centers in rural/underserved communities to tertiary/specialized centers. The overarching goal of these activities is to create more equitable ecosystems of cancer care by bringing together relevant stakeholders and to improve patient outcomes. Bayer’s Oncology Sustainability Initiative has been recognized by the US White House Cancer Moonshot team, the Ministry of Health and Population in Egypt and by the Ghana Health Services.   

Dr. Kalidas is active in the area of multi-stakeholder collaboration to address access gaps in health care. She has more than 23 years of experience in drug development. Prior to joining Bayer, Dr. Kalidas was at Merck & Co. Inc. where she worked on drug development programs across multiple therapeutic areas and geographic regions. Prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry, she was a Management Consultant at the Boston Consulting Group. Dr. Kalidas has a PhD in Microbiology from Cornell University. 

An expert in industry cloud solutions, Sicilia is responsible for research and development, go-to-market strategies, and overall operations for Oracle’s industry business units. These units help distinct markets including retail, financial services, communications, healthcare, life sciences, hospitality, engineering and construction, food and beverage, local government, and energy and water solve their most complex business challenges.

In previous roles at Oracle, Sicilia held development and business management leadership responsibilities in the industry business units.

Prior to joining Oracle, Sicilia worked at Primavera Systems (acquired by Oracle in 2008), He joined the development team in 1993, where he worked as a software engineer. In 2006, he was named Primavera’s chief technology officer. As CTO, he set the technology direction for products and managed the global development team. Sicilia also led the technical and due diligence team that worked through the Oracle acquisition.

Sicilia has a BS in computer science from Saint Joseph’s University. He is a board member for the Friends of Father Judge High School where he assists in fundraising efforts for improvements and academic programs at his alma mater. He also works closely with Oracle’s Diversity and Inclusion team to create academic opportunities and career paths in technology for underrepresented groups. As part of that work, Sicilia helped spearhead an Oracle-led scholarship fund for Meharry Medical College School of Applied Computational Sciences.

Dr. Ashwin Vasan is the 44th Health Commissioner of New York City. He is a practicing primary care physician, epidemiologist and public health expert with nearly 20 years of experience working to improve physical and mental health, social welfare and public policy outcomes for marginalized populations in New York City, nationally and globally. 

In his role as Commissioner since early 2022, Dr. Vasan has reshaped the city’s public health system to focus on addressing the main drivers of declining life expectancy in the post-COVID emergency era, including overdoses, chronic and diet-related diseases, birth inequities, climate change, and gun violence, while simultaneously strengthening the Health Department’s emergency response-readiness capacities. Throughout this work, he has brought in a unique, unparalleled focus to combating the mental health crisis, releasing a comprehensive citywide mental health plan addressing the second pandemic – a crisis of mental health plaguing youth, vulnerable New Yorkers with severe mental illness, and those impacted by the overdose epidemic. Dr. Vasan has concurrently led several other key health priorities, such as leading the ongoing response to COVID-19 as the first American jurisdiction to kickstart vaccination efforts, combatting the 2022 mpox outbreak and pioneering readiness and response to the first case of polio in the US in a decade. Under his leadership, the city also took charge on protecting reproductive rights by launching the NYC Abortion Access Hub, connecting people from New York and nationwide to providers and becoming the first jurisdiction in the US to offer free medication abortions in its clinics. 

Having begun his career in global health working at Partners in Health and the HIV Department of the World Health Organization, he most recently served as the President and CEO of Fountain House, a US-based mental health nonprofit. He currently serves as faculty at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. 

Dr. Vasan received his BA in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles; his ScM in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health; his MD from the University of Michigan; and his PhD in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He completed his clinical training in internal medicine-primary care at New York Presbyterian Hospital. His work has been published extensively in academic literature in journals such as the Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Journal of General Internal Medicine, Health Policy and Planning, and AIDS, and has been featured in several mainstream media outlets, including the New York Times, BBC World News, NPR, Al Jazeera, the Guardian, and NBC News Think. 

Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil is the Chairman of Burjeel Holdings, one of the leading healthcare services providers in the UAE. An entrepreneur and philanthropist, Dr. Shamsheer set up the first hospital, LLH Hospital, in Abu Dhabi in 2007 to address a gap in top-quality tertiary care in the UAE. In the last 15 years, Dr. Shamsheer has tirelessly worked to build one of the largest and most dynamic healthcare companies in the Gulf and the Middle East. Through Dr. Shamsheer’s vision and strategy, Burjeel Holdings swiftly expanded into diverse brands comprising hospitals, medical centers, homecare and occupational health, and retail pharmacies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Shamsheer and Burjeel Holdings have been at the forefront of mobilizing advanced healthcare protocols through screening, testing, treating, and vaccinating people across the UAE, Oman, and India. Dr. Shamsheer has received numerous global and local awards for his continuous pursuit of excellence in developing healthcare, philanthropy, and entrepreneurship across the region. He is the recipient of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, India’s highest civilian award presented to Non-Resident Indians, and is among the first investors to receive a long-term residency in the UAE and Oman. Dr. Shamsheer is a member of the UAE Medical Council. Born in Kozhikode in the south Indian state of Kerala, Dr. Shamsheer pursued MBBS and MD in radiology in India. Growing up in a family environment in his native Kerala, Dr. Shamsheer attributes his inclination for philanthropy to the value system fostered by his parents, where doing charity is an inherent part of the family. He hopes his philanthropic efforts will make a deep impact on public health globally and inspire other young entrepreneurs to follow suit.

His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi is UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, a position he has held since July 2020. He is responsible for overseeing the development of non-oil foreign trade, the expansion of global trade partnerships and increasing UAE exports. 

As part of his role, H.E. Al Zeyoudi leads the nation’s efforts to secure Comprehensive Economic Partnerships Agreements (CEPAs) with strategic allies around the world, which supports the UAE’s aim to boost exports by at least 50 percent by 2030. In May 2022, the first of these CEPAs, and the first ever bilateral deal         signed by the UAE, was concluded with long-standing trade and investment partner India. 

H.E. Al Zeyoudi’s experience of global trade negotiations was recognized with his appointment as Chair of the 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (MC13) held in Abu Dhabi in February 2024, where he was instrumental in ensuring the successful delivery of the Abu Dhabi Declaration, a package of agreements that helped to advance open, rules-based trade. 

H.E. Al Zeyoudi also leads the efforts to enhance the UAE’s investment climate and strengthen its position as a prime destination for business and investments at both regional and global levels. This includes his portfolio as Minister in Charge of Talent Attraction and Retention, in which he ensures the best global talents have the pathways, incentives and opportunities to contribute to the UAE’s long-term economic objectives. 

In October 2023, His Excellency was appointed as Chairman of Board of The Emirates Drug Establishment, a newly established federal agency responsible for regulating the UAE’s pharmaceutical and medical industries, promoting research and development in this sector, and ensuring the quality, safety, and availability of medical products in the UAE. 

His Excellency also serves as Vice Chairman of the Industry Development Council and Chairman of the Council’s Executive Committee, as well as Deputy Chairman of Etihad Credit Insurance’s Board of Directors. He is also a member of the Supreme Committee for the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), the decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 

Prior to his appointment as the Minister of State for Foreign Trade, he served as Minister of Climate Change and Environment and supervised the implementation of the country’s strategies on climate action, agricultural development, animal husbandry and fisheries, in addition to combating desertification and preserving biodiversity.