Policy Advisors

John Lillywhite

John is a Digital Policy analyst focused on private-public sector partnership in emerging technologies. He has served two MENA governments; Senior Analyst to HRH Prince el Hassan bin Talal at Royal Palace in Jordan, and Google Research Fellow at Dubai School of Government (MBRSG), currently serving as a Public Policy Expert in Digital for the Dubai Chamber.

Policy interventions of note in the UAE include moderating early Chatham House roundtables with the Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA), publishing with Google on the Post-Covid-19 digital economy, training with the ICC in Digital Trade and validating a new Gaming Strategy with Dubai Chamber and the Dubai Future Foundation.

A technology accelerationist with on-the-ground experience; leading and rebuilding the team at Al Bawaba News as Executive Publisher and securing VC investment from the King Abdullah Fund for Development (KADF) for the publishing startup, ‘project pen.’

John believes that tech public policy is most effective when it works to enable and diffuse innovation rather than centralize state control. Key pillars of the policy work includes ensuring access to technology, the funding and expansion of R&D, and identifying legitimate entrepreneurship, economic transformation, and civilizational opportunities.

Dr. Graham Bright

Graham is Head of Compliance and Operations at an innovative financial institution specialising in Trade Finance, facilitating global trade for corporates and SMEs worldwide.

Spanning more than 40 years in the finance industry, his experience encompasses working collaboratively with industry utilities, regulators and Central Banks, consulting, and partner/channels management. He holds a Professional Doctorate in Leadership and Management, and a BA (Hons.) degree in Business Studies.

Formerly Director of FSI Solutions and Strategy at EMC, he was financial SME with responsibility for paperless banking, governance, compliance and risk solutions. Prior to EMC, he was Managing Director of Financial Tradeware, provider of a Swift Bureau service, broker and hedge fund trading systems.

Graham was a Regional Sales Manager at SWIFT for 20 years, a member of the UK CHAPS Technical Committee, account manager for the Bank of England RTGS system, onboarding and servicing banks across Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, and working in fintech partner relations.

He is a regular contributor to trade journals, interviewed for Reuters, Bloomberg and Forbes TV channels, featured with industry videos on YouTube and a published thought leader with articles in financial technology press. He is a recognized speaker at trade industry conferences across the globe including Transforming Finance, GTR and TXF, and receiver of prestigious bank and industry awards.

Lars Hansen

Lars is a leader and innovator in the banking and insurance sectors. With over four decades of professional experience, he has held positions as board member, CEO and Chief Risk Officer. He has extensive experience in strategy, systemic risk assessments, digitalization and general business transformation.

Lars has been instrumental in the development of trace:original, a solution for creating and managing electronic trade documents, functionally equivalent to paper documents that will enable logistic firms, banks and corporates to move form paper to digital. In this capacity Lars was consultative in the drafting process of the Electronic Trade Documents Act, supporting the Law Commission of England and Wales.

His alma mater is Stockholm School of Economics, where he holds the local equivalent of an MBA in International Finance and Economic Psychology.

Rakhi Dhulia

Rakhi stands as a distinguished figure in the domain of international trade and customs. With a career spanning over 15 years, she has been committed to pioneering innovations within the intricate nexus of customs operations and IT systems. Rakhi's unmatched expertise in digitalization has positioned her as a prominent influencer in the sphere of Customs and International Trade. One of her most notable achievements was her instrumental role as the Chief Product and Engineering Officer at EORI, operating across various geographies. Under her leadership, Rakhi conceptualized and executed a game-changing EORI platform. This platform automated customs import and export processes in the aftermath of the UK's departure from the EU, setting a new standard for trade workflow efficiency. Her tailored approach to the intricacies of customs operations further cemented her reputation as a sector visionary.

During her term as the Technology Director for Customs, Borders, and International Trade at HMRC, Rakhi's capabilities were once again on full display. Faced with the mammoth task of readying HMRC’s customs IT infrastructure for the UK's EU exit, Rakhi successfully oversaw the transformation of more than 400 systems. Managing a team of over 1200 professionals and a budget surpassing £500 million, she showcased not only her technical adeptness but also her profound comprehension of customs and International Trade regulations, global standards, and specific data security requirements, including those of the OECD for the trade sector.

Beyond her technological accomplishments, Rakhi is an ardent proponent of building strategic partnerships within the trade community. Her alliances with global government agencies like GCC, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and the EU, in conjunction with customs authorities and international stakeholders, highlight her dedication to enabling smooth trade processes and maintaining compliance at all junctures.

In the intricate realm of international trade and customs, Rakhi seamlessly combines her profound technical knowledge with a sharp grasp of trade rules, thus emerging as a leading light in her field. At present, Rakhi holds a pivotal role as a lead committee member for ACITA, further expanding her global influence in reshaping Customs, Borders, and International Trade.

Dr. Donald J. Lewis

Donald is a Professor with a career spanning 40 years with specialisms in International Trade policy and Investment Law, Dispute Resolution, and Chinese Law.

Since the early 2000s, he has worked with several international organizations and aid agencies, including the World Trade Organization (WTO), UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific (UNESCAP), UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), USAID and Australian Aid. He advises international law firms, investment banks, and multinational corporations on Chinese trade, investment, and arbitration matters.

He has published extensively on China’s Belt and Road Initiative. His co-authored publications include: “Dynamic synergies between China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals” in the Journal of International Business Policy (Springer, 2021); “One Belt, One Road, One World: Where is US Business Connectivity?” in China’s Belt and Road Initiative – Changing the Rules of Globalization (Springer, 2018); “OBOR Roadmaps: The Legal and Policy Frameworks” in TDM OBOR Special Issue (Transnational Dispute Management, 2017) and in The Belt and Road Initiative: Law, Economics, and Politics (E.J. Brill, 2018); and as author: “OBOR in the context of China-EU FDI and China’s evolving economic diplomacy” in China-European Union Investment Relationships: Towards a New Leadership in Global Investment Governance? (Edward Elgar, 2018).

His books include China’s Participation in the WTO (2005); The China Investment Manual (1998); PRC Joint Ventures: Drafting and Negotiating Contracts (1997); and The Life and Death of a Joint Venture in China (1996). His articles have appeared in the Hong Kong Law Journal, Studies in Trade and Investment, International and Comparative Law Quarterly, and Computer and Telecommunications Law Review, among others. He has been a featured contributor of China Daily Online. He is also the co-Founder of the leading English language periodical on Chinese legal developments, China Law & Practice, and the China Law section of the Hong Kong Law Journal. He is a Member Emeritus of the State Bar of Georgia, USA. He reads, types, and speaks Mandarin Chinese.

Esra Akinci

Currently a programme evaluator at the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office Turkey for the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework with 25 years’ experience in the profession, Esra has multiple past responsibilities within the European Commission and United Nations Development programme including monitoring experience in internationally funded World Bank, EU, and UNDP projects of government, public – private sector partnerships (PPP), B.O.T.’s and SME’s.

She has strong academic background with bachelor’s degree in economics, a Postgraduate Degree in Business, International Relations, and Political Economy (Master equivalent Degree), and EU Acquis and International Relations as well as International Banking and Finance. She works to support the socioeconomic development, recovery, and economic stability of developing countries as well as governance, policy, and strategy development and well-versed in data analysis, the needs, conditions, and problems in developing countries, and contributed to organisational improvements, collaborative team efforts and attainment of key organisational/corporate missions and goals.

A former bank executive/auditor and having senior finance and executive managerial positions in both public (as a civil servant) and private sector, Esra’s working experience includes in financial management, financial planning and analysis, accounting, and controlling at both corporate and operational levels.

As a civil servant at the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources with involvement Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, she has advanced communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to work in diverse teams with local and international professionals.

John Lucy

John is the UK’s only accomplished sector award winning Freeport CEO with recommendation and support from the UK’s government Freeport Programme. He led the 2019 industry consultation on Freeport’s, took Liverpool Freeport’s bid from outline business case, through to the full business case with submission and final government approval within agreed timelines and budget with his knowledge and experience of UK and Global Freeport models and ecosystems.

He developed the vision and global network to promote knowledge of and foreign investment into the UK Freeports, and built an applauded definitive regional Freeport Programme management team and is the sole UK representative, board member and director of the Dubai based World Free Zones Organisation, which facilitates connections to every free zone globally and allowing access to world leaders and investors.

Particularly skilled in complex, multi-level public-private stakeholder management and building strong national and global business networks with regular ministerial engagement in the UK, Africa, the Americas and the Middle East. A driven leader and passionate about building diverse, multi-talented teams, setting strategic direction, coaching and building capacity, shaping an inclusive culture and achieving outstanding results.

Dr. Hanane Becha

Hanane is an independent trade facilitation, standards and innovation senior advisor and the founder of DigitalTrade, SAS, based in France. Her extensive experience with EU-funded R&D projects and collaboration with diverse entities positions Hanane as a leading figure in advancing smart shipping and digital trade facilitation.

She serves as the Vice Chair for Transport and Logistics at UN/CEFACT and is actively involved in global standards development organizations, including ISO and the International Maritime Organization (IMO). With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Becha has been pivotal in the digital transformation of global trade.

Holding a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Ottawa, she specializes in freight digitalization and smart shipping technologies. She has extensive experience advising both public and private sectors, including major institutions such as the European Commission (DTLF, eFTI, EMSWe), the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA), and the Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN).

She has led significant projects within UN/CEFACT focusing on the adoption of digital tools like electronic Bills of Lading (eBL), smart containers, and digital trade corridors. Her work leverages emerging technologies, such as IoT, blockchain, and AI, to enhance situational awareness and optimize the visibility of goods across multimodal supply chains.

In addition to her technical expertise, Hanane is committed to capacity building and training. She offers tailored programs to government agencies, businesses, and trade organizations, addressing gaps between trade and transport and equipping stakeholders with skills for real-time freight management and compliance with international standards.

Dr. Jeffrey Peng

Jeffrey is counsel of SHM Law Firm, a boutique international trade law firm in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, and of Ling & Lawyers in Hong Kong. He is a PRC qualified lawyer, Hong Kong and Global Chartered Corporate Governance Professional with a bachelor’s degree in law from Peking University, master’s degree in law from Sun Yat-Sen University and PhD degree in international trade law from The University of Hong Kong (HKU).

He has more than 10 years’ experience working in several Chinese owned trade and financial companies as in-house legal counsel. He was responsible for legal and compliance work with regard to trade and shipping, M&A, litigation, etc, in the Hong Kong branch of a Fortune 500 Chinese owned enterprise.

Jeffrey was in-house legal counsel for a listed trade company and a full-licensed securities firm, as well as a vice president in charge of legal matters for a mining trade and financial group in Hong Kong. He has wide connections with trade industries, law firms, international organizations and government authorities, and academic institutions.

Elena Baranova

Specialising in corporate law, infrastructure, clean and traditional energy and mining in the EMEA and Central Asia regions, Elena worked for leading law firms in London (Osborne Clarke) and Jersey (Ogier), on cross border dispute resolutions, finance and corporate matters.

She worked closely with the Jersey Ministry of Finance and London Stock Exchange (Russia & CIS team), focusing on business development in Eurasia and advising mining and energy companies in Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Russia and South Africa on tax efficient structures for IPOs, and debt issuance on the Channel Islands Stock Exchange (CISX).

She was the co-founder and major shareholder in IM Power Plc, a developer of power generation projects fuelled by LNG, renewable and low-carbon energy options through investments in solar, waste-to-energy and desalination plants in the EMEA and Central Asia regions. In addition, Elena worked with leading energy players in power generation and industrial infrastructure including UK (British Steel, Wood Group, Worley Parsons), Japan (Marubeni, Sumitomo), EU (Siemens Energy-turbines), India (Jindal Steel & Power).

Elena is currently in discussions with the largest owners of the petrol stations in Egypt and two major owners of petrol stations in Jordan for the installation of fast charging Siemens manufactured chargers at 60 petrol stations. In 2021 she initiated Charge & Deliver Ltd, a developer of the solar-powered EV charging infrastructure in the UK, EU and the Middle East, working as a consortium with the UK and Kuwait office of Siemens Mobility, Tritium, Reid Steel, Novolux and Yunex.