The Power
Breakfast

Riz Ahmed is the Chief Executive Officer of SmartCrowd, a role he embraced after experiencing the platform from every angle – as a client, an angel investor, a board member, and now as its leader. His belief in SmartCrowd’s mission to protect and grow investor wealth is deeply personal and unwavering.

Riz brings a distinguished background in finance and strategic leadership to SmartCrowd. Prior to joining the company, he served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of GEMS Education, where he led over $5 billion in transactions, including one of the largest private investments in the Middle East.

His work spanned acquisitions of schools across Europe, Africa, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, as well as ventures in Education Technology. Riz began his career at PwC London, specializing in assurance, corporate finance, and restructuring.

Beyond his corporate achievements, Riz is the founder of EqualEd, an education charity that connects volunteer teachers with schools around the world and provides free teacher training through an online platform. His commitment to education and empowerment reflects the values he brings to his leadership at SmartCrowd.

Riz is a qualified chartered accountant and holds a First Class degree in Economics from University College London (UCL), a Certificate of Management Excellence from Harvard Business School, and an Executive MBA from the University of Oxford. His leadership style is defined by transparency, innovation, and a relentless focus on delivering value to investors.

Nagham Hassan is a Market Analyst at eToro, where she provides expert insights on a wide range of assets including stocks, commodities, and crypto. With six years of experience in the crypto industry, she has a strong foundation in fundamental analysis and macroeconomics. She has been interviewed on Asharq Bloomberg and Al Arabiya, and her market analysis has appeared in The National and Arab News. Nagham is committed to delivering research driven market insights while making complex financial concepts accessible to both seasoned traders and first time investors.

Azhar Sajan is a second-generation entrepreneur and Director of Casa Milano and Danube Hospitality, two businesses under the Danube Group that are redefining residential and hospitality environments across the Middle East and Africa. At Casa Milano, he leads one of the region’ s fastest-growing home improvement brands, offering an extensive portfolio that spans bathware, kitchens, wardrobes, tiles, flooring, and architectural solutions. His vision is to bring international design excellence to the region while delivering integrated project solutions that combine style with functionality

In parallel, Azhar heads Danube Hospitality ’ s Operating Supplies & Equipment division, supporting hotels, hospitals, and restaurants with tailored post-construction solutions to ensure seamless operational readiness. By bridging both pre-opening fit-outs and postconstruction functionality, he delivers a complete design-to-delivery experience. With a strong focus on innovation, partnerships, and strategic growth, Azhar plays an active role in shaping the future of the Danube Group and transforming how spaces are designed and experienced

Sebastian Goeres is the Chief Executive Officer of LGT (Middle East) Ltd. since 2022 and the former Head Front Office – Private Banking. He is responsible for all business, staff, operational and regulatory aspects of the LGT business in the Middle East. Before moving to Dubai, Sebastian was the Head Business Sales Development at LGT Bank Ltd. in Vaduz. Prior to that, Sebastian worked at UBS and as a Project Manager at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. There he advised major international industry and service enterprises on all issues of business management – from strategy to new business processes and organizational structures, such as define and implement clientcentric sales processes, develop, and implement new strategic pricing systems and sales processes. Sebastian has over 15 years of professional experience in Business Development, Private Banking, Asset and Wealth Management. He holds a Bachelor in Business Administration and Master in Banking and Finance from University St. Gallen, Switzerland. Originally born in Germany, he was raised in South-East Asia, North Africa and Europe. He is fluent in German and English.