WTC (BEIJING) BUSINESS SERVICES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Program Manager, Asia Pacific Regional Office
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- Membership Development Lead, Europe
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- Business Development Consultant - North America
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- Business Development - India / Asia Pacific
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- Communications Specialist
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- Regional Director, Latin America
Carlos Ronderos Ph.D. supports WTCA activities in Mexico, Central and South America. Doctor Ronderos has been involved in WTC development and played an important role in the development of WTC in Colombia, Chile, Uruguay and Panamá during the nineties.
Dr. Ronderos has had a long involvement in international trade, having been a professor of International Trade at universities both in Colombia and the United States. He is an economist with a doctorate degree with studies in Bogotá, Scotland and Buenos Aires.
Dr. Ronderos is a former Minister of Trade of Colombia, has been an adviser both to the WTO and UNCTAD. He is a consultant to both private and public companies on international trade and has been involved in the discussion of a number of free trade agreements.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Managing Director of World Trade Center
Catherine Lee serves as the Managing Director of World Trade Center Suzhou, as well as Managing Director of World Trade Center Nanjing, a 4.3 million square-foot mixed use development. As the head of development and marketing, she gathered a team of international design and planning experts and made WTC Nanjing one of the most iconic WTCs in China. It has garnered recognition for excellence in planning, hosts the first interactive WTC branding center and is slated to become a WTC LEED® certified mixed-use development.
Ms. Lee is a published professional with over fifteen years of corporate real estate experience. Prior to joining F&T Group, she worked as part of the Acquisitions and Development Group at Tishman Speyer and in Development Consulting at Cushman & Wakefield. She began her career in equity research at Wachovia Bank.
Ms. Lee received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Tufts University and a Masters degree in Real Estate Development from Columbia University where she was a William Kinne Scholarship recipient. She is also an avid collector and a supporter of the arts and culture. Presently, she sits on the Boards of the Queens Council of Arts (QCA), Queens Library Foundation (QLF) and the Museum of Contemporary Art Beijing.
Job Titles:
- Senior Communications Advisor
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- Senior Communications Manager
- Communications Manager at the World Trade Centers Association 's Headquarters
Chanelle Dimalanta (formerly Chanelle Kasik) is the Communications Manager at the World Trade Centers Association's Headquarters in New York where she manages internal communications (via Member e-blasts, e-newsletter, and WTCA's social media channels) and external communications/media relations.
With over a decade of experience in public relations, she has worked with B2B, financial service, hospitality, pharmaceutical and real estate clients. Notable past clients include Bloomberg Live (formerly Bloomberg Link) Conferences; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Concierge Auctions; Deloitte Digital; D+H; DJK Residential; Eli Lilly and Company; Halstead Property Development Marketing (HPDM); Novartis Vaccines; Perkins+Will's New York office; and The World's 50 Best Restaurants. In her past roles at various PR agencies, she provided strategic counsel and support for her clients, and led the day-to-day implementation of client deliverables including media relations, internal communications, and account management. During this time, her key focus was to foster relationships between her clients and the media, positioning them as thought leaders in their respective industries.
Born and raised in the Bay Area of California, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in communications with a concentration in public relations from Boston University, and a minor in French.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- CEO of the World Trade Center Trieste
- Chartered Public Accountant
Cristina Sbaizero is the CEO of the World Trade Center Trieste, with more than 20 years' experience in international business development, corporate strategy, change management, public-private-partnerships, and global event organization within the WTCs network. Through her efforts, WTC Trieste hosted the WTCA Spring Meeting in 2000, the WTCs European Regional Meeting in 2017 and 2018.
Cristina Sbaizero is Chartered Public Accountant since 2007, and Legal Auditor since 2009 registered at the Minister of Finance in Italy.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director - Member Services for the World Trade Centers Association
Crystal Edn is the Executive Director-Member Services for the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA). She has worked in the not-for-profit field for over 20 years and has been with the WTCA since 2017. She and her team develop events, programs, and resources for the WTCA's global membership, connecting World Trade Center businesses and their local members in over 300 cities worldwide to each other.
Job Titles:
- Business Development Lead - Europe
Job Titles:
- CEO
- World Trade Center Arkansas CEO
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- Director at Fairhomes Group of Companies
Ed Allison-Wright is a Director at Fairhomes Group of Companies, the proud developer and operator of World Trade Center Gibraltar.
Mr Allison-Wright is a Chartered Surveyor with specialism in Commercial Real Estate and is also a Chartered Town Planner. He has experience in attracting inward investment, encouraging localised growth and in providing a platform for start-up enterprises to thrive, through his involvement with several public-private sector partnerships. Mr Allison-Wright continues to be heavily engaged in these initiatives, holding board positions since 2012.
Within the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA), Mr Allison-Wright has been a Member of the WTCA European Regional Advisory Council from its inception in October 2018 to September 2021, as well as Chairing the Real Estate Members Advisory Council since it's inception in January 2018. He has also been involved in the WTCA's 2019 Accreditation Pilot Programme and has judged the WTCA Champions Awards. Mr Allison-Wright was elected to the WTCA Board of Directors in September 2021 and sits on the Executive Committee.
Mr Allison-Wright holds a BSc (Hons) in Estate Management from the University of Reading (Berkshire, UK) and a MSc in Town Planning from the University of Brighton (East Sussex, UK). Accordingly, he is a Professional Member of both the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). He is also the holder of a Private Pilot Licence.
Eric Dahl served as second Chief Executive Officer in the history of World Trade Centers Association from 2012-2015
Job Titles:
- Administrative Specialist
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- Technical & Facility Director
Ghazi Abu Nahl was born in Barbara, Palestine in 1946. He started his career in insurance with an Insurance Agency (Arab Commercial Enterprises) in Qatar in 1960. Today, the Jordanian businessman is a major shareholder and Chairman of a Group whose net assets exceed US$300M with subsidiaries and affiliates in the MENA region, UK, Spain, Qatar, Oman, Cyprus and Malaysia.
In 1979, with 20 rich years of experience under his belt, he started Qatar General Insurance & Reinsurance Company as a domestic Insurance company in Qatar now with a Paid-up Capital of US$37M. He has been the General Manager since then, and today the shareholders equity stands at more than US$320M. The Company is publicly quoted in the Qatari Stock Exchange and considered an excellent security in both Middle East and the International Market with a BBB+ Rating.
In 1989, he established Trust International Insurance Company BSC© Bahrain, Trust Re, as one of the then few Reinsurance Companies in the region, with a Paid-up Capital of US$15M now standing at US$100M. He has previously held the Chairman position and is currently a Board Member and a Special Advisor to the Board. The recent upgrade of TIIC- Bahrain rating to A- (AM Best) is one of the major achievements of Ghazi Abu Nahl and a great pride to the Arab Reinsurance Industry.
For Ghazi Abu Nahl, Trust is not just a business tag; it is a name he has carefully chosen to reflect the trust he has in the potential the Arab markets holds and the capabilities the Arab Professionals enjoy; Trust that hard work and persistence definitely yield positive results.
He believes that success is achieved by building trust with all stakeholders; employees, colleagues and business partners and he has always strived to build this trust. Trust as a keyword is evident in the expansion in the Arab geographical scope especially in countries where the political or legal situation was not particularly encouraging to investors and businessmen like Palestine or Algeria (at the time of the establishment of Trust Algeria).
1989 was truly a year brimming with achievements with the establishment of Nest Investments (Holdings) Ltd of which he is the Chairman and 100% Shareholder. The company's net assets exceed US$300M.
Job Titles:
- Manager WTC Amsterdam Business Club
Mr. Kanca's prosperous career based over more than 20 years of experience mainly concentrated on finance, international trade, logistics, business consultancy and real estate management.
World Trade Center Istanbul is the major attraction center of international exhibitions with its state-of-the-art fairgrounds, and facilities that include 2 hotels, a convention center, 3 business towers and its prestigious business club named World Trade Club (WT Club) in its fascinating complex.
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Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President
- Treasurer
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- Director, Global Business Solutions
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- Business Development Consultant - Brazil
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- Marketing Manager, Economic Development
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- Chairman
- Founder and President of the Drew Company
John Drew is founder and President of The Drew Company, a Boston-based real estate management and development company that is internationally known for its innovative real estate projects. John Drew serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Seaport Companies, which includes the World Trade Center Boston and Seaport Hotel, and is Chairman of Trade Center Management Associates, which manages the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Mr. Drew has served on the Board of the World Trade Centers Association since 1990 and has been its Chairman since 2019.
As developer and President of the World Trade Center Boston and Seaport Hotel, John Drew is a pioneer in the development of Boston's revitalized Seaport District. Since its opening in 1986, the World Trade Center Boston has become one of the premier facilities for conferences and exhibitions in New England. Mr. Drew led the development of a three-building, 1.75 million s.f. expansion of the World Trade Center complex that included hotel, offices, retail and parking facilities. The 426-room Seaport Hotel opened in 1998, World Trade Center East opened in 2000, and World Trade Center West opened in 2002. In addition, Mr. Drew's company is co-developer of Waterside Place, a 1.2 million s.f., mixed-used project to be located adjacent to the World Trade Center.
Mr. Drew's second major trade center project is the International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., which opened in 1998. The International Trade Center, located at the Ronald Reagan Building, is the US government's most prominent site for trade promotion. In addition, the ITC's conference center has become the premier forum in Washington D.C. for international meetings and major special events.
The Drew Company's development portfolio includes the Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts, Bayside Exposition Center and Constitution Plaza in Boston. The firm also provides asset management services, as well as development advisory services to businesses in the U.S. and abroad.
Prior to founding his firm, Mr. Drew served as Director of Federal Relations for the City of Boston. During that time, he was responsible for the creation of the "Boston Plan," a redevelopment plan for the city. In recognition of this achievement, the Boston Jaycees named him one of its "Ten Outstanding Young Leaders."
Mr. Drew received his undergraduate degree from Stonehill College, a master's degree from Boston University, and is one of the region's top authorities on public-private partnerships and development. His civic commitments include Chairman Emeritus for Caritas Christi Health Care System in Boston, and Chairman of "A Better City" (an organization of business leaders working to ensure Boston's future competitive advantage).
Mr. Drew serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Boston History Collaborative, The Boston Public Library Foundation, Stonehill College and was appointed Honorary Consulate of Monaco - Boston. He also served as Chairman of the Boston 2000 Commission, having been appointed by the Mayor of Boston.
Mr. Drew's impact on tourism, hospitality and development in the Boston area has won him numerous awards and distinctions. He has received an honorary degree from Newbury College and a lifetime achievement award from the Boston Jaycees. He was presented with the "Distinguished Individual" award from the Massachusetts Hospitality Association, was honored as one of the "Top 125 Leaders Making a Difference in Boston," from Banker and Tradesman, and was honored by NAIOP (National Association of Industrial and Office Properties) in 2002 as "Developer of the Year." Under his leadership, Seaport Companies was recently named "The Best Place to Work in Massachusetts" by the Boston Business Journal.
Karen Gerwitz brings 30+ years' experience in international business to the organization in the private, public and non-profit sectors. She currently serves as Chair for the WTCA's Member Advisory Council on Trade Services for the Americas. Her enthusiastic vision for how Denver can become a more globally-conscious city is what is driving the organization to its new development in the Fox Park neighborhood near downtown. With business development, strategic growth and marketing as her main functional expertise, Karen has served overseas in Ghana and Austria, and in Colorado in multiple sectors including: IT, Aerospace, Lumber, Science, Mining, and Government. Her protocol and international cultural expertise prepared her well to host the official visits of the Emperor and Empress of Japan, the G8 Summit, the Western Hemisphere Ministerial Summit, and hundreds of other delegations. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in International Business and her Masters of Public Administration from the University of Colorado.
Job Titles:
- Business Coordinator, Latin America
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- Business Development Consultant - Mexico
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- Ex - Officio Director & Board Managing Director
- President and CEO of the World Trade Centre Winnipeg
John Drew is founder and President of The Drew Company, a Boston-based real estate management and development company that is internationally known for its innovative real estate projects. John Drew serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Seaport Companies, which includes the World Trade Center Boston and Seaport Hotel, and is Chairman of Trade Center Management Associates, which manages the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Mr. Drew has served on the Board of the World Trade Centers Association since 1990 and has been its Chairman since 2019.
As developer and President of the World Trade Center Boston and Seaport Hotel, John Drew is a pioneer in the development of Boston's revitalized Seaport District. Since its opening in 1986, the World Trade Center Boston has become one of the premier facilities for conferences and exhibitions in New England. Mr. Drew led the development of a three-building, 1.75 million s.f. expansion of the World Trade Center complex that included hotel, offices, retail and parking facilities. The 426-room Seaport Hotel opened in 1998, World Trade Center East opened in 2000, and World Trade Center West opened in 2002. In addition, Mr. Drew's company is co-developer of Waterside Place, a 1.2 million s.f., mixed-used project to be located adjacent to the World Trade Center.
Mr. Drew's second major trade center project is the International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., which opened in 1998. The International Trade Center, located at the Ronald Reagan Building, is the US government's most prominent site for trade promotion. In addition, the ITC's conference center has become the premier forum in Washington D.C. for international meetings and major special events.
The Drew Company's development portfolio includes the Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts, Bayside Exposition Center and Constitution Plaza in Boston. The firm also provides asset management services, as well as development advisory services to businesses in the U.S. and abroad.
Mariette Mulaire has been the President and CEO of the World Trade Centre Winnipeg since its official opening in April 2013. Prior to that, she was the President and CEO of ANIM from its inception in 2007, where she was involved in numerous economic development initiatives on behalf of Manitoba including helping to spearhead the creation and hosting of Centrallia, the first international B2B forum of its kind in Western Canada. Her previous economic development experience includes holding the position of Executive Director for the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities for ten years and serving as a civil servant with both the Department of Western Economic Diversification Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage. Ms. Mulaire has served on the Board of the World Trade Centers Association since 2015, has been its Vice Chair-Secretary since 2019 and chair of its Executive Committee.
Mr. Eftekhar has been a Director and the Group Head of Corporate Services at Nest Investments Holdings Ltd. since 1995. Through his efforts, WTC Cyprus obtained certification as a Center of Excellence, and hosted the WTCA EMEA regional meetings in 2006 and 2015. Mr. Eftekhar was advisor to WTCA's Ad Hoc Governance Committee, helping bring reforms and added transparency to WTCA's business practices. Mr. Eftekhar has been involved in real estate developments located in, Algeria, Jordan, Australia, China, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Cyprus, United Kingdom and Spain.
Mr. Eftekhar is a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, having qualified in 1978. He is also a Fellow of the UK Institute of Directors and a Chartered Director.
Job Titles:
- Membership & Business Development Lead - Middle East & Africa
Mr. Vijay Kalantri, an eminent and versatile business leader, is the first generation entrepreneur who has made remarkable contribution to Industry & Trade Promotion, Infrastructure Development, Development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Sector, Financial Services and Globalization of Indian Business. His work with the central and state governments of India to promote trade and commerce is only matched by his contributions to leading International business organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), UN International Labor Organization (ILO) and UNIDO-India Industries Council.
Mr. Kalantri is the pioneering spirit behind the Balaji Group of Industries, which owns businesses in the Textiles, Leasing Finance and Infrastructure Development sectors.
Throughout his long career, Mr. Kalantri has been at the forefront to promote social welfare and won a number of laurels from private institutions and government bodies alike.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Chairman
- Board Director of the World Trade Centers Association
Ms. Pascual is currently a Board Director of the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA), the WTCA Foundation Board, and a member of the WTCA Executive Committee. She was recently appointed Chairperson of the WTCA Regional Advisory Council for Asia Pacific. Ms. Pascual is the new President of the Philippine Association of Convention/Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers (PACEOS and was the former and pioneer WTCA Chairperson of the MAC for Conferences and Exhibitions APAC.The inaugural WTCA Champions Award for Member of the Year 2020 was awarded to Ms. Pascual. She was also recipient of the 2018 Philippines Women Leadership Award.
Job Titles:
- Hotel Pullman General Manager
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- Board Member / Vice President - WTC Antwerp
Remy Swaab holds degrees in Financing and Banking as well as in Computer Science and Systems, both from the Universidad del Istmo in Panama where he additionally took advanced specialized courses in Business Administration, Marketing, Accounting, and Economy. He maintains ongoing studies in the IT realm to keep up with the ever-changing technology. He is fluent in Spanish, English, French and Dutch.
Mr. Swaab has diverse networking and interpersonal skills as well as extensive knowledge of business management and dynamic leadership. He has widespread experience having worked in different industries such as Technology, Financial Services, Shipping and Logistics, Advertising and Real Estate, mainly occupying C-level positions. He has set up multiple commercial companies and partook in the co-founding of different associations (both professional and recreational). He has been asked to join multiple Boards of Directors, mainly occupying the Chairman position during his collaboration.
His additional business interests include companies dedicated to Banking and Fintec Technology, Commercial Real Estate Management and International Business.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director - Business Development
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- Interim Executive Director
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- Vice President, Asia Pacific
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- Member Engagement Manager
Simon Wang was born in Taiwan, grew up in Taipei, and thrived at TAITRA, the owner and operator of WTC Taipei. He has worked his way up through the rank and file. He started out as a project manager and then moved up to deputy executive. That was followed by a promotion to the executive director and he eventually rose all the way up to the executive vice president and now the President &CEO. During his tenure at TAITRA, he has studied at Northwestern University in Illinois, USA as well as accepted an assignment to work in Northern Europe. Simon has been exploring business opportunities for Taiwanese enterprises for over 36 years.
As a global trade promoter of high proactivity and great innovation, Simon has enthusiastically accepted the challenges to lead his teams to win bids for government projects. With his forward thinking in terms of the digital future and his ability to see the big picture, surely he will greatly contribute to elevating Taiwan's foreign trade promotion.
Job Titles:
- Director, Global Trade Activator
Job Titles:
- Head of Marketing and Communication
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- Chairman
- Investment Banker
- Member of the Government of Ghana Transition Team
Ghazi Abu Nahl is also a Board Member of the World Trade Centers Association-New York since April 2004 and is the Chairman of World Trade Centre Holdings (Cyprus) Ltd. The Cyprus World Trade Centres Holding Company owns and operates 15 World Trade Centres in the MENA, Cyprus, and Perth (Australia) region.
Ghazi Abu Nahl has a profound vision to see the entire Group maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and to be a household name regionally. His colleagues and staff unanimously agree that irrespective of the many ways in which he phrases his vision; it is the faith and commitment he works with and the motivation he spreads that inspires them to work up to this vision.
He has an affirmed commitment to build up and strengthen his staff calibre and professional ability, which he demonstrates in the substantial amount of time and resources dedicated to training and development. Enhancements of the in-house training facility and internal on-the- job training have been on-going and a new ambitious graduate trainee programme was introduced to refine the staff expertise and ability.
Ghazi Abu Nahl is relentless in strengthening and enhancing long-term relationships with strategic partners in select markets as well as expanding presence in new markets within the Group's geographical scope. He is a Pro of solid non-opportunistic investment policy and in adding value through intensified marketing and innovative underwriting philosophy.
Ghazi Abu Nahl has three sons and two daughters Kamel, Fadi, Hamad, Reem and Amal. Having firmly differentiated the Group as a well-reputed and reliable regional player, he has given them a strong platform to take the driver's seat, capitalise on opportunities and expand and strengthen presence and activities towards a continued growth and profitability while maintaining the highest level of operational ability and client satisfaction.
Described by Mr. Abdul Khaliq Raouf, the Secretary General of the General Arab Insurance Federation, Ghazi Abu Nahl has remarkable finger-prints in the Insurance & Reinsurance Industry through a Group of insurance and reinsurance companies that blend some of the best technical and managerial Arab expertise with high level of professionalism and adherence to high standards. On the personal level, he describes him as someone who has never hesitated in lending a helping hand whenever he felt needed.
The least that can be said about the future outlook of Ghazi Abu Nahl is not bounded: more geographical expansion, enhancing corporate risk management and corporate governance, strengthening human resources, rating, diversifying investments, keeping up with technological development are just some of the headlines that will keep the team of Trust working hard towards the vision of its founder.
Despite his frequent travels juggling issues, Ghazi Abu Nahl is a family man; his perfect free time is amidst his wife, children and grandchildren. He seems to always find the time to catch up with the news and the occasions of his brothers and sisters and big family.
Togbe Afede XIV is an investment banker with more than 20 years' experience. He is the Executive Chairman of World Trade Centre Accra and founder of the SAS Finance Group Ltd, comprising of Strategic African Securities Ltd, a stock brokerage and corporate finance advisory firm, and SAS Investment Management Ltd, an asset management firm.
As a member of the Government of Ghana Transition Team , Togbe led a three-man interim Ministry of Finance management team which prepared the draft national budget for 2009.
Job Titles:
- Head of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp
Job Titles:
- Director, Trade Institute
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- Chief of Staff
- Chief of Staff at WTCAR
- Director of Grants and Finances at the World Trade Center Arkansas
Trish Watkins Promoted to Chief of Staff at WTCAR - Trish Watkins, the longtime director of grants and finances at the World Trade Center Arkansas, has been promoted to the center's chief of staff. "I'm looking forward to continuing the mission of WTC Arkansas, which is to grow bilateral trade and promote economic development... more
Job Titles:
- Business Development Manager
Xiang Li joined WTCA Beijing Rep. office as Business Development (BD) Manager. Li received a Bachelor of Communications with Social Studies from the University of Malta. She last worked as BD Manager at WTC (Beijing) Business Services Co., LTD for 1.5 years. Previously, Li worked as a Membership and BD Manager at International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) for 2 years.
Job Titles:
- Director of Business Development