Programme Director

Dr Heather Jeffrey

Head of Subject and Associate Professor in Marketing at
University of Birmingham Dubai

Dr Heather Jeffrey is the Head of Subject and Associate Professor in Marketing at the University of Birmingham Dubai campus, specialising in Cultural Studies. Her research interests encompass gender, representation, mobility, and qualitative research methods.

Dr Jeffrey is a member of the European Commission-funded International Network for Comparative Analysis of Social Inequalities and an associate of the non-profit organisation Equality in Tourism. She serves on the editorial boards of Gender in Management and Tourism Planning and Development. Her work has been featured in various media outlets, including The Huffington Post, The Daily Mail, The Caterer, and The National.

Speaker

Saskia Hart

Assoc Fellow at
London Strategy Centre

Saskia Hart is a leadership consultant and executive coach specializing in Digital Leadership and organizational transformation. With over 20 years of experience as an engineer and leader in the British Army, Saskia is adept at integrating technology and leadership principles to drive innovation and performance in complex environments.

Leveraging her extensive experience leading high-performing teams under pressure, Saskia focuses on enabling senior leaders and teams to navigate digital transitions, enhance strategic decision-making, and foster agile organizational cultures. Her expertise includes digital strategy development, technology-driven process optimization, and enhancing collaboration through digital tools.

Saskia holds a Master’s in International Liaison and Communication from Westminster University and a Postgraduate Certificate of Academic Practice from King’s College London. Her engineering background and fluency in French have facilitated her work with multinational, cross-functional teams on digital and strategic leadership projects globally. Through targeted coaching, workshops, and consultancy, Saskia empowers organizations to build digitally capable leaders who drive sustained innovation, accountability, and success.

Speaker

Maya El Tal

Assoc Fellow at
London Strategy Centre

Maya El Tal is a Leadership Consultant, a Certified Coach and a Corporate Trainer. She holds a Master’s degree of Business Administration from the Lebanese American University in Beirut as well as a Master’s degree in Neuroscience and Neuropsychology from Bordeaux University in France.

Maya is a Faculty Member at Lebanese American University and Cranfield University, UK. She develops and conducts workshops in Leadership, Coaching and mentoring, Emotional Intelligence, Communication Skills, and various soft skills. She is also the founder and the instructor of the Professional Coaching Associate Diploma at LAU.

Maya works with organizations to help develop their leadership capacity and to build a well-established leadership culture. She also provides coaching and training for individuals as well as organizations, helping to unlock their potential and maximize their performance whether on a personal or professional level. She has been privileged to partner with many local and regional highly esteemed institutions, such as the Lebanese American University, BLOM Bank and Red Cross.

Due to her research interest in Neuroscience behind decision making, she is currently developing and promoting courses on how to become an effective leader based on Neuroscience and brain techniques Most recently she had studied Leadership Coaching at Harvard University in the USA, where she got her recent certificate. Maya’s outstanding strengths include leadership, communication, facilitation, and influencing.