Peter Burdin is the BBC’s former Africa Bureau Chief. He has thirty-five years experience as a senior editorial leader in the BBC’s International News operation and has worked extensively in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the Indian sub-continent and Asia from where he has covered numerous major international news stories. He has won several Sony Awards for his news and documentary programmes, including the war in Bosnia, the Tiananmen Square protests, South Africa’s first democratic elections and the funeral of President Nelson Mandela. Peter is currently an Advisor to BBC Africa and is lecturing in International Journalism at universities in the UK and Africa.
Christopher Goodwin is a former army officer and has served in Cyprus, England, Germany and Northern Ireland. He later had a career in international banking at Commerzbank, in England, Germany and Hungary. He moved on to International Financial Services, London (formerly British Invisibles) and was responsible for promoting The City of London to Central and Eastern Europe, countries of the former Soviet Union and Latin America. He has worked as a Consultant for Official Monetary Financial Institutions, an economic Think-tank, and was a Board Member of the British Croatian Chamber of Commerce and Association of Economic Representatives in London. He has also been a Diplomatic Consultant at The Royal Garden Hotel and The Langham, and has developed close contacts with several West London hotels. On the diplomatic front he maintains close connections with many Embassies and High Commissions in London. He is fluent in German, a linguist in French and some colloquial Hungarian. He is a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London.
Craig Kelly is the Founder and CEO of Iconic Media Solutions, a London based media and publishing house and a Senior Communications Adviser to the partnership. Craig has 15 years experience working with some of the world’s best known international brands to create effective business and media strategies with a focus on branding and communications. Through Iconic Craig heads up several international trade and business events such as China Britain Trade Expo, MENA Britain Trade Expo and ALL Mediation Conference with such sponsors as the Guangdong Government, Barclays, Egyptian Government, FIPA, CMC, BDO, SpecialistInfo and the House of Lords. Iconic Media Solutions also publishes leading industry journals and trade publications such as Luxury of London, UK Mediation Journal and Medico-Legal Magazine.
Rana Nejem is the founding director of Yarnu (http://www.yarnu.com/), the first firm in the Middle East to specialize in business protocol and cross-cultural intelligence. Having previously worked as a broadcast journalist for CNN, she then moved into public diplomacy and communications, first at the Royal Hashemite Court and then at the British Embassy in Amman for 18 years. Rana carries a Master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. She is the author of When in the Arab World; An Insider’s Guide to Living and Working with Arab Culture.
Nadia Turki is an accomplished international journalist, writer, poet and academic, Ms. Al Turki writes in three languages and has an excellent command of both French and English. With a background deeply rooted in the media, she is a seasoned expert who has worked with, among others, Asharq Al-Awsat, Sterling University, Al Arab News, and Saudi Research and Publishing. She was president and founder of the International Academy of Media and Diplomacy (IAMD). Nadia participates in several radio and television programmes on a regular basis and contributes as a political analyst, mainly for the BBC Arabic service. She is a regular participant in London-based BBC Arabic features such as 7 Days, Open Agenda and Talk Time.
