The Latin American Business Conference

The Conference is the Berkeley Haas’ Latin and Hispanic Business Association most important event, contributing to fulfill its vision of becoming a leading organization inside our university. Held annually at Haas since 2010, the Conference is a full-day event, featuring highly respected business and political leaders who share their experiences and insights. It is a space for learning, sharing and debating about current trends and business opportunities.

About the Latin and Hispanic Business Association (LAHBA)
LAHBA is one of the largest student-run associations of the Haas School of Business. LAHBA unites students from all backgrounds who share an interest in Latin America, organizing and sponsoring activities to heighten the cultural, economic, and political awareness of the region at Haas and UC Berkeley.

If you are interested in sponsoring LAHBA or participating in future LAHBA conferences and events, you can contact: lahba@haas.berkeley.edu

Recognizing that the latest technology has dramatically changed our life and business, the 2014 Asia Business Conference discussed prospects of technology as a “changing driver” in many fields, including healthcare, CPG, and finance in Asia. In the afternoon, there was an interactive case study session to discuss technology’s impact on Asian markets. The day ended with a pitch competition to showcase student ideas that use technology to disrupt business practices in Asia.

Conference Agenda

Introduction

• Robert Price, Professor & Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, UC Berkeley
• Pierre Olivier Gourinchas, Director of the Clausen Center for International Business and Policy and Professor of Economics at UC Berkeley

Special Speaker: Ilker Ayci, President Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry Investment Support and Promotion Agency

Panel One: Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Financial Reform, Improved Governance, and Economic Development

• Abdullah Celik, President and  CEO, Bank Aysa
• Jeffrey Gedmin, President and CEO, Legatum Institute and former President of Radio Europe
• Ahmad Abdulkader, Partner Architect, Microsoft

Moderated By: Dariush Zahedi,  Director, Berkeley Program on Entrepreneurship and Development in the Middle East

Panel Two: Rise of Entrepreneurship
Cross-Borders Collaboration, Joint Ventures, International Expansion

• Ossama Hassanein, Chairman, TechWadi
• Abderahman Salaheldin, Egyptian Ambassador to Turkey
• Moderated By: Atef El Toukhy, Chairman, Aurum Capital Management

Keynote Speaker: Goli Ameri, President and CEO, The Center for Global Engagement and former
Assistant Secretary of State

Panel Three: The Road Ahead
Political Awakenings, Constitutional  Rearrangements, and Economic Impact

• Allen Collinsworth, President, Fara Group
• Noosheen Hashemi, President, The HAND Foundation
• Ali Ezzatyar, Executive Director, UCB Program on Entrepreneurship  & Development in the Middle East

Moderated By: Steven Fish, Professor of Political Science at UC Berkeley

Panel Four: Success Factors
Strategic Partnerships, Corporate Platforms, and the Role of High Technology

• Mustafa Kilicaslan, Director, Public Private Alliances at Microsoft Corp
• Babur Ozden, CEO, Maana  Big Data
• Dilawar Syed, CEO, Yonja  Media

Moderated By: Deena Shakir, Business Development, Tech. for Social Impact, Google

Conversation: Turkey and the Middle East
Successes, Failures, and the Future

• Hossein Askari, Professor of International Business and Affairs, George Washington University
• Ahmad Ghoreishi,  Professor of Political Science at the Naval Post-Graduate School

Moderated By: Harry Kreisler, Executive  Director, Institute of International Studies at UC Berkeley and Executive Producer of Conversations with History
Special Speaker: Dr. Ibrahim Turhan, Chairman and CEO of Borsa Ä°stanbul