2025 Speakers

Our speakers are chosen for their industry knowledge and insight. If you would like to be considered as a speaker for FHS Africa 2025 please contact mala.patel@thebench.com

Rahul Chaudhary

Managing Director
CG Corp Global

Graham Wood

Chief Operating Officer
Sun International

Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa

Chief Executive Officer
The Tourism Business Council of South Africa

Olivier Granet

Managing Partner & Co-CEO
Kasada Capital Management

Guy Hutchinson

President Middle East & Africa
Hilton

Haitham Mattar

Managing Director, India, Middle East and Africa
IHG Hotels & Resorts

Hamza Farooqui

Chief Executive Officer
Millat Investment

Folaseto Akin-Olugbade

Investment Manager
Actis

Scott Carlyle Antel

Founder
Scott's Fz

Roy Bannister

Head of Strategic Partnerships: Africa
the bench

Caty Batten

Net Positive Innovation Lead
World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance

Kojo Bentum-Williams

Senior Expert, Communications in Africa
UN Tourism

Anne Biging

CEO
Healing Hotels of the World GmbH

Charbel Boutros

VP Development
IHG

Ewan Cameron

Director, Africa
Westmont Hospitality Group

Olivier Chavy

Chief Executive Officer
The Lux Collective Ltd

Julie Cheetham

COO
Travalyst

Karim Cheltout

Senior Vice President - Lodging Development, Middle East & Africa
Marriott International

Matthew Child

Founder & CEO
ReWild Capital

David Damiba

Managing Partner & Co-CEO
Kasada Capital Management

Lara Dendy Young

CEO & Co Founder
Conservio

Sam Diab

Managing Director Development, North & East Africa
Hilton

Dr Morné du Plessis

Chief Executive Officer
WWF South Africa

Tim Ducommun

Development Manager Luxury Brands,MEAT
Accor

Enver Duminy

Chief Executive Officer
Cape Town Tourism

Mark Dunford

Chief Executive Officer Africa
Knight Frank

Lara Dupre

Co Founder & CEO
Le Palais d’Akwa

Oussama El Kadiri

Partner - Head of Hospitality, Tourism & Leisure Advisory Services
Knight Frank MENA

Tom Fels

Founder & CEO
Animarem

Nicholas Ferguson

Executive Director
Cape Winelands Airport Ltd

James Fernie

Founder
Uthando (Love) South Africa

Brooke Friswold

Conservation Biologist
Bring The Elephant Home

Paul Gardiner

Chief Executive Officer
Terra Nova Create

Erwan Garnier

Senior Director Development: Africa
Radisson Hotel Group

Neil George

Partner, Executive Director
Aleph Hospitality

Artur Gerber

Chief Executive Officer
TUI BLUE Hotels & Resorts

Tadiwos Getachew Belete

CEO & Owner
Boston Partners PLC-Kuriftu Resorts

Wayne Godwin

CEO, JLL Africa
JLL

David Green

Chief Executive Officer
V&A Waterfront

Bani Haddad

Founder and Managing Director
Aleph Hospitality

William Heinecke

Founder & Chairman
Minor International Public Co. Ltd. (Corp)

Jon Howell

CEO & Owner
AviaDev

Jon Howell

CEO and Founder
AviaDev Africa

Ufi Ibrahim

Chief Executive Officer
EEA

Riyan Itani

Director & Founder
Global Branded Residences

Nyawira Kariuki

Director of Coprorate Services
Janus Continental Group

Jugal Khushalani

Senior Director Development - Sub-Saharan Africa
Marriott International

Francois Lategan

Director: Strategic Consulting
JLL Africa

Swan Lee

Head of Sustainability
Alexforbes

Markus Lehnert

SVP, International Hotel Development
Marriott International, Inc.

Esteban Lozada

Managing Director Development, North & West Africa
Hilton

Glenn Mandziuk

Chief Executive Officer
World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance

Shamil Manek

Director
The Merwest Company

Khalil Manji

Partner
Compagnie Hoteliere Et Immobiliere Du Congo

Laurinda Marsh

LEED® Green Associate & Key Account Manager - Global Projects Africa
Hansgrohe

Nicole Maske

Director
Manta Ventures

Hala Matar Choufany

President- Middle East, Africa and South Asia
HVS

Euan McGlashan

Global Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Valor Hospitality Partners

ANDREW McLACHLAN

Founder & Managing Director
DEVELOP HOTELS INC

Linda Mothibe

Principal: Property Finance Africa
Nedbank CIB

Samantha Muna

Director Business Development
Trianum Hospitality

Allan Nenguke

Executive Manager: Development
V&A Waterfront Holding (Pty) Ltd

Thami Nkadimeng

The Message Architect
The Message Architect

Hasnain Noorani

Founder & Managing Director
PrideInn Hotels, Resorts and Camps

Pelumi Nubi

Co-Founder
Oremi Travels

Glynn O'Leary

Chief Executive
Transfrontier Parks Destinations (TFPD)

Wesam Okasha

MD & Head of Global Development
TUI Hotels & Resorts

Magdaline Osei Baffour

Investment Director
Westmont Hospitality

Joe Pietersen

Founder
Nkombe Rhino

Mmatšatši Ramawela

Managing Director
Africa Tourism Connect

Mark Read

Chairman
Everard Read Gallery

Jean-Baptiste Recher

Chief Development Officer Luxury Brands Middle East, Africa and Turkiye
Accor

Matthew Renshaw

Senior Director PDS SSA
JLL

Tony Romer-Lee

Managing Partner - AMEA
Valor Hospitality Partners

Gillian Saunders

Director
Gillian Saunders Consulting Pty Ltd

Alex Stancu

Head, South & East Africa
IATA

Wrenelle Stander

Chief Executive Officer
Wesgro

Johan Steyn

Founder
AI for Business

Thys Steynberg

Executive Property Finance Africa
Nedbank Limited

Christy Tawii

Research and Insights Manager: Travel and Tourism (Middle East and Africa)
Euromonitor

Kevin Teeroovengadum

Board Director/Advisor
KTAfrica

Haddis Tilahun

Founder & Chairman
United Africa Group

Daniel Trappler

Senior Director Development: Southern & Eastern Africa
Radisson Hotel Group

Bruno Trenchard

Head of Feasibility MEAT
Accor

Wytze Van Den Berg

Vice President EMEA
BWH Hotels

Jameel Verjee

Founder & CEO
CityBlue Hotels (A member of The Diar Group)

Mita Vohra

Board Director
Sarova Hotels & Resorts

Marcel von Aulock

Chief Executive Officer
Southern Sun

Frank Wagner

Director International Sales - Hospitality Group
ACT

Trevor Ward

Managing Director
W Hospitality Group

Herman Warren

Managing Partner
Hela Network

Matthew Weihs

Commercial Director
the Bench

Amos Weseka

Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Great Lakes Safaris and Uganda Lodges Ltd

Philip Wooller

Senior Director
STR

Jonathan Worsley

Chairman & CEO
The Bench

Luckson Zambuko

Founder
African Youth In Tourism and Hospitality Association