Nicholas “Nico” Preston, PhD, is a data scientist and paramedic with expertise in health, technology, and innovation. He is passionate about leveraging emerging technologies to inform situation awareness in complex emergencies. For 15+ years, Nico’s work has impacted diverse sectors, from epidemics to natural disasters, empowering professionals at the leading edge with decision support, data visualization, informatics, and situation awareness.

He is the President of the Scientific Council of the National Blood Agency and the President of the National Commission of Technical Experts. An expert in Quality Management and Risk Management, he has been an International Lead Auditor for ISO 9001 since January 2011 (RAB QSA). The center he manages is the only hospital organization certified under ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and ISO 27001 – “Information Technology – Security Techniques – Information Security Management Systems” – since June 2023. With dual expertise in clinical biology and digital project management, he has successfully integrated digital technologies to optimize care pathways and enhance the patient experience, particularly in laboratory diagnostics, monitoring, and blood transfusion. Several solutions have been developed or integrated within his center, including LIS, middleware, ERP systems, AI solutions for blood cell recognition based on approved IVD tools, decision-support systems for hematology diagnostics, and externalized IQC digital solutions. Professor Frigaa is currently completing an MBA in Business Strategy and Operational Management, enabling him to combine clinical and strategic approaches. As a department head, he prioritizes a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach. Committed to digital transformation in the healthcare sector, he advocates for the ethical and human-centered adoption of digital solutions in healthcare.

Souheil Guessoum is a visionary entrepreneur with over 32 years of experience in key sectors such as information technology, healthcare, and digitalization. Holding a degree in Applied Mathematics and an EMBA from the John Molson School of Business, he has founded and led multiple companies. Among his achievements, he co-founded Smart Drilling Operations, an innovative startup in the oil sector, and ProvenMed, a globally recognized medical company known for its innovative healthcare devices. He also led Alpha Computers Spa, transforming the company into a leader in IT solutions in Algeria. A recipient of numerous international awards, including the Dubai Smart Entrepreneur Competition and the MIT Enterprise HUB71 MENA Growth Competition, he is recognized as a key player in innovation and entrepreneurship.

Based in Geneva, Switzerland, Mouloud is a strategy, policy, and governance advisor and consultant with over thirty years international exposure, spanning multiple industries across public, private and non-profit sectors. Mouloud has an extensive and multidisciplinary experience as an entrepreneur, lecturer, mentor, coach, and seminar leader facing diverse audiences, leading workshops on digital strategies for various innovative entrepreneurial ecosystems. He has advised private and public sector organizations on sustainable tech policies driving the knowledge economy. Mouloud is also a policy analyst and research team leader with the Centre for AI and Digital Policies (CAIDP), an instructor for The Internet Society, and a tech policy contributor to the Geneva Internet Platform – Digital Watch Observatory. In January 2024, Mouloud was selected by the United Nations Secretary-general Office of the Special Envoy on Technology (OSET) to join the UNDP-Digital working group co-designing a Safe Digital Public Infrastructure (SafeDPI.) For the past years, he has been involved in the Algerian tech startup ecosystem in various capacities. Mouloud is an active contributor and a member of the organizing team for the annual African Startup Conference. In April 2024, he was named by the Algerian Minister of Knowledge Economy and Startups as a member of the Scientific and Technical Council (CST) of Algeria Venture (nation-wide startup accelerator, public sector commercial entity under the ministry.), and in January 2025, he was elected as President of the Council, and as such joined Algeria Venture’s board of directors. Mouloud holds a Master of Engineering from Ecole Nationale de l’Aviation Civile (ENAC, Toulouse), a Master of Science from Institut Polytechnique (Toulouse), an MBA from HEC Montreal (Canada), and an Executive Master of Advanced Studies from the Geneva Graduate Institute (Switzerland.) He completed an Advanced Diploma in Digital Governance from DiploFoundation and an Executive Certificate in Sustainable (SDG) Investing from the Geneva Graduate Institute. Mouloud is also a certified trainer for the International Labor Organization (ILO) SYIB Entrepreneurship program.

Benoît Dubuis is the President of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW) and Chairman of the Inartis Foundation, which oversees a range of programs dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. These include the UniverCité/Station R and Espace Création innovation hubs, the MassChallenge and i-teams accelerators, as well as the Clefs du Savoir publishing company. With over 30 years of international experience in the life sciences sector, both in industry and academia, Benoît Dubuis holds a chemical engineering degree from EPFL and a PhD from ETH Zurich. He has held various senior management roles in leading pharmaceutical companies, including Chemap, Ciba-Geigy/Novartis, and Lonza, before joining EPFL, where he founded the Life Sciences faculty and served as its inaugural dean. In 2004, he co-founded the seed capital fund Éclosion in Geneva, and later went on to establish Excellgene, GenKyoTex, and GeNeuro—two of which are publicly listed. In June 2013, Benoît was appointed Director of Development at the Wyss Center and Director of the Campus Biotech Foundation, roles he held for a decade before focusing his efforts on the Inartis Foundation and SATW. He has been President of SATW since 2021. Benoît Dubuis is also a Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva.

Nazim Sini is a university lecturer in the field of economics, and a financial expert. after a career in the banking sector, he created his own consulting firm where he offers support services for companies wishing to establish themselves internationally. He has carried out dozens of research works in the field of economic foresight. he is the initiator of the Algeria 2030 conference which met with great success.

Samir Tagzout obtained his Engineering and Majister’s degrees in Electronics at USTHB in Algiers, his Doctorate in Electronics at ENP of Algiers, his Graduate Certificate in Information Technology Project Management at the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at the University of Ottawa in Canada. Since 2012, he has worked in the Top Management of organizations based on Research, Development and Innovation, at CDTA, in Groupe Cevital and its Business units: the Groupe Brandt and the R&D&I subsidiary Right Innov, in CERIST’s subsidiary EPE Proxylan and currently at Cosider Engineering. From 1992 to 2012, he worked in R&D departments as an Engineer and Integrated Circuit Designer at CDTA in Algeria and at Zarlink Semiconductor (Currently Microsemi) in Canada. His career is marked by contributions to the management and development of widely deployed tech products and services as well as high-ranking publications.

Mr. Anys Boukli is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Digital Partners SA. Anys combines 20 years of International Leadership experience. Senior Executive with 25 years of professional experience in digital entrepreneurship, digital technologies, Innovation Strategy; Digital Transformation, Innovation, Government, Digital payments, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, ecommerce, and Digital Maturity Assessment in sectorial domains like Public services and digital health initiatives. Senior lecturer and External Professor at Universities (EPFL, UNIL, HESGE, Glion Institute…). Expert in Digital Strategy, Transformation, Technologies, Disruptive Business Models, Board Advisory. Innovation Expert at the European Union and the United Nations (Big Data, Artificial Intelligence & Analytics, Open Innovation, Data Driven Policy Making). Digital Innovation Process, Business Innovation, Innovation Maturity assessment, Digital Roadmap. Mr. Boukli served as Chief Operating Officer for Switzerland & Middle East at Sword Group SE and was responsible for developing the regional market strategy for the services arm of the business in the Swiss and MENA market. Previously Mr. Boukli was a Partner for the EMEA region within Cambridge Technology Partners / Novell before joining Bedag Informatique as Head of the French-speaking Swiss market and board member. Prior to that, he held various management positions in the Consulting and IT industries in Europe. Mr. Boukli holds a State Engineering degree in Computer science, as well as several Management and Leadership degrees from the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, the George Washington University and the Malik Institute in St-Galles.