John has a strong background and reputation in the European e-cigarette industry, having held senior executive positions in some of the US and Europe’s biggest companies. As Managing Director of Dyflin Group Consulting, he advises many leading industry analysts, financial institutions and media organisations looking at the vaping and CBD sectors. John is also Director-General and one of the founders of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), the UK’s largest vaping Industry association and has advised the UK governments All Party Parliamentary Group on Vaping as well as giving evidence before the UK Science & Technology Committee investigation into the Vaping industry and the Australian Parliaments review on vaping.

John regularly appears on national television, radio as well as national and international print media. John is a popular guest speaker at many of the world’s leading conventions.

He is Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of the vaping.com group, which also holds the largest vaping community in the world, e-cigarette-forum.com, together with being the Policy Director for the Independent European Vape Alliance.

Dustin Dahlmann from Hamburg, Germany is the president of the Independent European Vape Alliance (IEVA), the German vaping industry association BfTG (Bündnis für Tabakfreien Genuss e.V.) and owner of the successful e-cigarette wholesale InnoCigs. He fights for an autonomous regulation of vaping products as a means to harm reduction independent from tobacco industries throughout Europe.

RegulationStrategy was founded by Patricia Kovacevic, a global legal and compliance FDA-regulated industry expert. With twenty years of experience, Patricia’s track record comprises past leading senior legal and regulatory positions at, among other, Philip Morris International, Lorillard and vaping company Nicopure Labs. While at Lorillard, she led the team that obtained the first ever premarket authorization for a tobacco product issued by the FDA under the Tobacco Control Act (in 2013) and was instrumental in the acquisition of blu™ and Skycig by Lorillard. At Nicopure Labs she spearheaded the litigation against the FDA challenging the so-called “deeming rule”. Prior to joining Lorillard she was a partner at Patton Boggs. Her expertise includes successful premarket tobacco applications, global nicotine, ENDS and tobacco regulation, TPD, cannabis regulation, compliance, M&A and all regulatory aspects of marketing/media communications, corporate affairs, criminal investigations, FCPA, trade sanctions, privacy, product development and launch.

Patricia served on the board of directors of the Vapor Technology Association, on the advisory board of the Global Tobacco & Nicotine Forum and is a member of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT). She authored several articles on nicotine regulation, and is often invited as a keynote speaker and presenter before global conferences and government agencies. In the past she was a United Nations staff member, and she served on the U.N.’s Public-Private Partnership Commission focusing on transportation infrastructure. Patricia is an attorney admitted to practice in New York and before the Supreme Court of the United States. She holds a Juris Doctor (doctor of law) degree from Columbia Law School in New York, an M.A. in Philology and has completed the Harvard Business School “Corporate Leader” executive education program. Patricia speaks Italian, French, Romanian, Serbian, Croatian, Spanish, and German.

Fred Roeder (Managing Director of the Consumer Choice Center) is a consumer advocate at heart. He has been working in health policy for over ten years. He is a Health Economist from Germany and has worked in healthcare reform in North America, Europe, and the Caucasus. One of his passions is to analyze how disruptive industries and technologies allow consumers more choice at a lower cost. He also loves researching how innovation makes our lives better.

Fred is very interested in consumer choice and regulatory trends in the following industries: Consumer Goods, Healthcare, Sharing Economy, and Airlines.

Among many op-eds and media appearances, he has been published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Wirtschaftswoche, Die Welt, the BBC, BILD, Arabian Business, The National, ABC Portland News, Montreal Gazette, Daily Mail, Handelsblatt, Huffington Post Germany, CityAM. L’Agefi, and The Guardian.

Ao Weinuo is the Secretary-General of the Electronic Cigarette Industry Committee of the China Electronic Chamber of Commerce; he is also one of the main founders of ECCC. ECCC is the only influential and represent the E-Cigarette industry association in China. ECCC has established since January 2017, Ao Weinuo as the key person to draft the “E-Cigarette Standards” into T/CECC 1-2017 and the T/CECC 2-2017 of the "Specification of E-cigarette Liquid " in which ECCC has formally released this implementation on the 20th December 2017. In the past 4 years, Ao Weinuo has often conducted active dialogue and communication with government departments such as State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Commerce, the China Customs. He has accepted interviews with major media such as CCTV and People’s Daily. In addition, Mr. Ao is the most important planner for the International E-cigarette Industry Summit Forum which held in Shen Zhen every year, giving much time and efforts on promoting the E-cigarette industry in which prospering standard development and maintaining interests among the industry. Ao Weinuo has a senior background in electronics industry for 15 years, once served as Shen Zhen Baoan SEG Electronic Company General Manager, with a wealth of experience in electronic market management and sales of electronic components, mobile phones, digital products, e-cigarettes. As a representative of the electronic cigarette industry, Mr. Ao often provides professional consulting for financial companies and investment institutions. The annual release of electronic cigarette market data has become the authoritative information adopted by the official and media.

John has a strong background and reputation in the European e-cigarette industry, having held senior executive positions in some of the US and Europe’s biggest companies. As Managing Director of Dyflin Group Consulting, he advises many leading industry analysts, financial institutions and media organisations looking at the vaping and CBD sectors. John is also Director-General and one of the founders of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), the UK’s largest vaping Industry association and has advised the UK governments All Party Parliamentary Group on Vaping as well as giving evidence before the UK Science & Technology Committee investigation into the Vaping industry and the Australian Parliaments review on vaping.

John regularly appears on national television, radio as well as national and international print media. John is a popular guest speaker at many of the world’s leading conventions.

Ignacio Gonzalez Suarez, Spanish by origin, holds a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Oviedo (Spain).

At Philip Morris International, he is responsible for engaging and sharing the science behind PMI’s smoke-free products to increase awareness and understanding of tobacco harm reduction for the Middle East and Africa countries.

He has more than 15 years of experience in preclinical models of disease. Throughout his career he has published over 40 scientific publications and book chapters, and participated in numerous national and international scientific congresses.

Professor Imad Lahoud is the Chief Technology Officer at Medad Technology, heading their R&D and manufacturing. Under his leadership, a team of scientists and engineers are spearheading disruptive innovations in HealthTech, BioTech and Power Management.

Professor Lahoud has dedicated 20 years to the aerospace industry and has co-headed the R&D and Innovations Department for industry giants such as Airbus.

He holds a PhD in Computer Science and a Professorship in Mathematics and has taught in the French Elite system of “Preparation aux Granges Ecoles” and at the University of Denis Diderot.

Colin is a medical practitioner who works in Sydney, Australia exclusively in tobacco treatment, with a special interest in harm reduction. He is also the author of a recently published book, Stop Smoking Start Vaping - The Healthy Truth about Vaping.

He is a member of the expert advisory group that develops the Australian national smoking cessation guidelines. He is the Founding Chairman of the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association, a health promotion charity established to raise awareness of tobacco harm reduction.

Colin was previously a Conjoint Associate Professor in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of New South Wales.

He is currently an investigator on a government-funded clinical trial on vaping at the National Drug and Alcohol Centre.

For more information, www.colinmendelsohn.com.au

Fred Roeder (Managing Director of the Consumer Choice Center) is a consumer advocate at heart. He has been working in health policy for over ten years. He is a Health Economist from Germany and has worked in healthcare reform in North America, Europe, and the Caucasus. One of his passions is to analyze how disruptive industries and technologies allow consumers more choice at a lower cost. He also loves researching how innovation makes our lives better.

Fred is very interested in consumer choice and regulatory trends in the following industries: Consumer Goods, Healthcare, Sharing Economy, and Airlines.

Among many op-eds and media appearances, he has been published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Wirtschaftswoche, Die Welt, the BBC, BILD, Arabian Business, The National, ABC Portland News, Montreal Gazette, Daily Mail, Handelsblatt, Huffington Post Germany, CityAM. L’Agefi, and The Guardian.

Dr Hugo is a trained medical physician and is registered with the Malaysia Medical Council. He practiced general community medicine in both major government and private hospitals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia before moving into multinational pharmaceutical companies including GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, and AstraZeneca.

In these positions, he led and managed large teams of medical advisors and regulatory affairs associates for 14 years, in local as well as regional roles as a medical affairs expert. He also worked with leading researchers in late phase clinical trials and partnered with start-ups to bring innovative medicine from early development to commercialisation.

Hugo joined BAT in February 2022 as the Head of Scientific Engagement for the Asia Pacific and Middle East region, encompassing more than 13 countries. In this role, Hugo is responsible for collaborating with regional and local public health advocates to advance understanding and research in Tobacco Harm Reduction.

John has a strong background and reputation in the European e-cigarette industry, having held senior executive positions in some of the US and Europe’s biggest companies. As Managing Director of Dyflin Group Consulting, he advises many leading industry analysts, financial institutions and media organisations looking at the vaping and CBD sectors. John is also Director-General and one of the founders of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), the UK’s largest vaping Industry association and has advised the UK governments All Party Parliamentary Group on Vaping as well as giving evidence before the UK Science & Technology Committee investigation into the Vaping industry and the Australian Parliaments review on vaping.

John regularly appears on national television, radio as well as national and international print media. John is a popular guest speaker at many of the world’s leading conventions.

Omar Abdellatif is the General Manager of Lower Gulf countries at Philip Morris International affiliate based in Dubai, UAE and overseeing the markets of UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar. In his capacity, held since 2021, Omar plays a vital role in driving the transformation of the Philip Morris business in the region towards a smoke-free future and strengthening the commercial activities of PMI’s innovative scientifically substantiated smoke-free products where commercialised.

Since joining PMI in 2009, Omar has held leadership positions within Markets & Consumer Research in both Switzerland and the UAE as well as Marketing and strategy in Iraq. He has previous experience in large FMCG companies where consumer insight was his main area of focus.

Rebecca Haining is part of the BAT group, a global, multi-category consumers goods business. She has over twenty years of public affairs experience, working internationally for major brands in the FMCG and aviation sectors.

As a key member of the BAT’s Middle East, South Asia and North Africa Area team, Rebecca manages government relations, corporate affairs and ESG integration. In her current role, she is working on engagement campaigns to inform the regulatory environment, establishing a media framework to amplify the company’s activities and ambition, and executing BAT’s sustainability agenda in the region. Drawing on seven years’ experience in the Middle East, Rebecca leads a team across the GCC, Levant, North Africa and South Asia to develop BAT’s cross-functional advocacy strategies on issues such as anti-illicit trade, tobacco harm reduction, excise policy and regulatory frameworks.

Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Economics (Finance), a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance, and a Master of Business Administration.

Before Becoming the Co-Founder and President of ANDS, Fadi has reached many milestones in his career, most notably as the GM and Chairman of Philip Morris in Jordan and PAA, global sales strategy at PMI HQ in Switzerland, and the head of commercial deployment in KSA. He also earned well-deserved coveted positions in JUUL labs as the Head of Middle East, Africa & Turkey and the Head of EU Travel Retail.

John has a strong background and reputation in the European e-cigarette industry, having held senior executive positions in some of the US and Europe’s biggest companies. As Managing Director of Dyflin Group Consulting, he advises many leading industry analysts, financial institutions and media organisations looking at the vaping and CBD sectors. John is also Director-General and one of the founders of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), the UK’s largest vaping Industry association and has advised the UK governments All Party Parliamentary Group on Vaping as well as giving evidence before the UK Science & Technology Committee investigation into the Vaping industry and the Australian Parliaments review on vaping.

John regularly appears on national television, radio as well as national and international print media. John is a popular guest speaker at many of the world’s leading conventions.

Atif Amin began with MyVapery in 2020 as Marketing Manager, with 10 year’s experience working in the United Arab Emirates. Previously he had been the Marketing Director at the agency where he managed strategic partnerships with Standard Chartered, Etisalat, General Motors, Mubadala to name but a few, with a big focus on social media, productions and corporate events.

Omar is the owner of several vape businesses and brands – originally established in the USA. In the late 2016, he began to actively explore ways to make vaping more accessible to smokers and to provide a product that was easy to understand and use as a safer alternative to combustible tobacco.

In late 2019, XTRA was developed and launched in the USA and rapidly became one of the top 10 disposable brands in the market with the launch of the original 1500 puffs. Quickly, more flavors have been introduced and various forms of devices were also launched, including the award winning 800 Puffs MINI – which won best disposable vape device in last years Vaporound Awards 2021 held in Dubai.

With confidence in the rapidly expanding sector and the brand, XTRA ventured into the Middle East market in late 2020 with the UAE being the launch pad for XTRA range regionally

Between 2020 and 2022, several new devices have been launched to cater to specific segments of the market. These include:

• Original 1500 Puffs
• Rechargeable/Refillable 1500 puffs
• Mini 800 Puffs
• Twist 1500 puffs with airflow control
• MAX 2500 puffs
• Voltage 1500 puffs with voltage control
• And recently the Flow 5500 puffs rechargeable

In 2021/2022, Key milestones included:

• Officially registering the Xtra brand in the UAE
• Obtaining ESMA certification for the Mini and Rechargeable – other variants are currently in the works
• Launching the Xtra Salts range for its Rechargeable/refillable device
• Expanding registrations into adjacent markets including: Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, etc
• Finalizing TPD requirements for EU market entry and FDA Submissions

Today, XTRA disposables are recognized as one of the top 5 brands in the MENA market and available in over 20 markets regionally, 50+ markets globally - with millions of devices sold. Xtra Disposable devices can also be found in Licensed Vape Shops, Duty Free, Tobacconists and convenience stores/gas stations

In addition to XTRA, Omar is also owner of several independent vape shops in Arizona, Owner of Vape Mastering Distribution (UAE), G&Fire Distribution (USA) and the Kief Vapor Disposable Brand. He is a firm advocate of harm reduction and holds a high emphasis on quality ingredients, product R&D and overall QC.

Omar is currently based in UAE, Dubai

Coco has been engaged in the marketing field for more than 10 years, 5 of them in the vape industry, loyal but not rigid, served markets in many regions, such as Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe, and traveled to more than ten countries.

Formally because of her rich experience and enthusiastic work, the ELFBAR brand has become the most popular brand under the team's efforts.

Old people in this industry, but still young, continue to bring more vitality to the vape industry.

A chemical engineer and a functional regulatory expert , with over 8 years of experience in Government affairs and Business Development. Currently managing products’ regulatory affairs and technical compliance at ANDS.

Mohammad is an expert in Regulatory and fiscal affairs in the Tobacco and ENDS category, started as a diplomat and was Head of Consular Section in Jordanian embassies in both Cairo and Abu Dhabi before finally landing the role as the Head of External Affairs (JOR & PAA) at Philip Morris International in Jordan, followed by leading the Government affairs Function in JUUL Labs, and today the Group Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications at ANDS.

Rebecca Haining is part of the BAT group, a global, multi-category consumers goods business. She has over twenty years of public affairs experience, working internationally for major brands in the FMCG and aviation sectors.

As a key member of the BAT’s Middle East, South Asia and North Africa Area team, Rebecca manages government relations, corporate affairs and ESG integration. In her current role, she is working on engagement campaigns to inform the regulatory environment, establishing a media framework to amplify the company’s activities and ambition, and executing BAT’s sustainability agenda in the region. Drawing on seven years’ experience in the Middle East, Rebecca leads a team across the GCC, Levant, North Africa and South Asia to develop BAT’s cross-functional advocacy strategies on issues such as anti-illicit trade, tobacco harm reduction, excise policy and regulatory frameworks.

Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Economics (Finance), a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance, and a Master of Business Administration.

Robert Naouss is an experienced multilingual communications & advocacy strategist with 17+ years of progressive experience in public and corporate communications, government affairs, media planning, and advocacy strategies, in addition to engagement campaign planning and execution, across the MENA region.

John has a strong background and reputation in the European e-cigarette industry, having held senior executive positions in some of the US and Europe’s biggest companies. As Managing Director of Dyflin Group Consulting, he advises many leading industry analysts, financial institutions and media organisations looking at the vaping and CBD sectors. John is also Director-General and one of the founders of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), the UK’s largest vaping Industry association and has advised the UK governments All Party Parliamentary Group on Vaping as well as giving evidence before the UK Science & Technology Committee investigation into the Vaping industry and the Australian Parliaments review on vaping.

John regularly appears on national television, radio as well as national and international print media. John is a popular guest speaker at many of the world’s leading conventions.

Lee has been involved in the vape industry since 2013, working in manufacturing, franchised retail and regulatory compliance. Lee sits on the board of the UKVIA and developed the CORE compliance methodology that many brands use as their base level compliance plan. He started Arcus Compliance in 2017 and now represents many of the largest brands in the industry.

Omar is the owner of several vape businesses and brands – originally established in the USA. In the late 2016, he began to actively explore ways to make vaping more accessible to smokers and to provide a product that was easy to understand and use as a safer alternative to combustible tobacco.

In late 2019, XTRA was developed and launched in the USA and rapidly became one of the top 10 disposable brands in the market with the launch of the original 1500 puffs. Quickly, more flavors have been introduced and various forms of devices were also launched, including the award winning 800 Puffs MINI – which won best disposable vape device in last years Vaporound Awards 2021 held in Dubai.

With confidence in the rapidly expanding sector and the brand, XTRA ventured into the Middle East market in late 2020 with the UAE being the launch pad for XTRA range regionally

Between 2020 and 2022, several new devices have been launched to cater to specific segments of the market. These include:

• Original 1500 Puffs
• Rechargeable/Refillable 1500 puffs
• Mini 800 Puffs
• Twist 1500 puffs with airflow control
• MAX 2500 puffs
• Voltage 1500 puffs with voltage control
• And recently the Flow 5500 puffs rechargeable

In 2021/2022, Key milestones included:

• Officially registering the Xtra brand in the UAE
• Obtaining ESMA certification for the Mini and Rechargeable – other variants are currently in the works
• Launching the Xtra Salts range for its Rechargeable/refillable device
• Expanding registrations into adjacent markets including: Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, etc
• Finalizing TPD requirements for EU market entry and FDA Submissions

Today, XTRA disposables are recognized as one of the top 5 brands in the MENA market and available in over 20 markets regionally, 50+ markets globally - with millions of devices sold. Xtra Disposable devices can also be found in Licensed Vape Shops, Duty Free, Tobacconists and convenience stores/gas stations

In addition to XTRA, Omar is also owner of several independent vape shops in Arizona, Owner of Vape Mastering Distribution (UAE), G&Fire Distribution (USA) and the Kief Vapor Disposable Brand. He is a firm advocate of harm reduction and holds a high emphasis on quality ingredients, product R&D and overall QC.

Omar is currently based in UAE, Dubai

Henna is a qualified chemical product specialist at SGS Gulf Limited with a professional work experience of 8 years working in the field of Regulatory Affairs of various chemical portfolios.

She is competent in handling conformity assessment in line with UAE federal Authority (MOIAT) regulation for various chemical products like Tobacco, Electronic cigarettes, Petroleum, Paints, Cosmetics, etc. and she is also a technical expert on product standards, product classification, certification & import eligibility.

She is a lead Auditor for ISO 9001 and internal auditor for ISO 17065, ISO 17020.

Entrepreneur , Pharmacist with MBA degree.

A business developer investing in pharmaceuticals, coffee and vape with a vision to develop the Middle East vape market and improve the quality of consumable vape products imported to these territories, by regulating the markets.

John has a strong background and reputation in the European e-cigarette industry, having held senior executive positions in some of the US and Europe’s biggest companies. As Managing Director of Dyflin Group Consulting, he advises many leading industry analysts, financial institutions and media organisations looking at the vaping and CBD sectors. John is also Director-General and one of the founders of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), the UK’s largest vaping Industry association and has advised the UK governments All Party Parliamentary Group on Vaping as well as giving evidence before the UK Science & Technology Committee investigation into the Vaping industry and the Australian Parliaments review on vaping.

John regularly appears on national television, radio as well as national and international print media. John is a popular guest speaker at many of the world’s leading conventions.

Mohammad is an expert in Regulatory and fiscal affairs in the Tobacco and ENDS category, started as a diplomat and was Head of Consular Section in Jordanian embassies in both Cairo and Abu Dhabi before finally landing the role as the Head of External Affairs (JOR & PAA) at Philip Morris International in Jordan, followed by leading the Government affairs Function in JUUL Labs, and today the Group Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications at ANDS.