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.

Damilola Fajuyigbe is Head of Scientific Engagement for the Middle East & Africa at Philip Morris International where she leads the company's regional efforts towards a smoke-free future.

Nigerian born and UK-raised, Damilola holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from King's College London and a B.Sc in Medical Biochemistry from the University of Leicester. She has published scientific articles in various high-impact journals.

Prior to her current role, Damilola served as the Head of Scientific and Medical Affairs for Africa at L'Oréal. There, she led scientific projects while constantly liaising between local and international teams in the beauty industry. One of her most impactful campaigns focused on reducing harm caused by skin bleaching practices.

Now, Damilola has taken her passion for harm reduction to Philip Morris International, where she strategizes the scientific engagement of the markets she oversees. She particularly hopes to drive change towards a smoke-free future in places where information may not always be accessible.

Throughout her academic career and many conversations with doctors, Damilola knows that fixing a health problem is a lot harder than preventing one.

Driven by her passion for improving public health outcomes, she has devoted her efforts to bridging the gap between scientific research and the general public.

Mark Oates is the Director of We Vape and the Snus Users Association. Which are both consumer groups standing up for the right for individuals to use safer nicotine products. He advocates for evidence-based harm reduction in a range of areas from tobacco to drug policy, a subject he has written on for the Institute of Economic Affairs & the Adam Smith Institute where he is a Fellow. He also provided consumer evidence in the 2018 ECJ case to overturn the ban of snus across the European Union and worked on the successful 2018 campaign to legalise medical cannabis in the UK. Mark worked for 6 years as a political Researcher in the House of Commons.

Steven Przybyla has been the Company’s Chief legal Officer since September 2023. Steven brings to Ispire 10 years of experience in the regulated cannabis industry, and nearly half a decade of experience in nicotine/tobacco product regulation. Steven was previously General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of 22nd Century Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:XXII) and helped to secure the only Modified Risk Tobacco Product approval for a combustible cigarette ever authorized by FDA. He has previously helped build, scale and take-public regulated consumer product companies such as Jushi, Inc. (CSE: JUSH) where he was among the initial employees and helped oversee Jushi’s growth to 1,500 employees while serving as President of Jushi’s medical division. Steven has also held roles as General Counsel of the Dent Neurologic Institute and the Seneca Development Corporation where he oversaw a variety of both cannabis and corporate legal initiatives. He currently serves as member of the Board of Directors of IKE Tech LLC, a technology joint venture focused on vapor product point-of-use age-gating and authentication. Steven started his career as a corporate and regulatory attorney at Phillips Lytle LLP and received his undergraduate degree in Economics from Washington & Lee University and his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School.

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.

Riccardo Polosa is full professor of Internal Medicine at the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine of the University of Catania, and an Italian Respiratory Physician, Clinical Immunologist, Allergist and Rheumatologist.

He is actively involved in smoking prevention and cessation. Indeed, he established the first Sicilian center for smoking cessation at the University of Catania in 2002.

In 2003, he founded the Italian Antismoking Association (LIAF), which he directed for 5 years.

In 2018, Polosa established, together with 38 academics, the Center of Excellence for the acceleration of HArm Reduction (CoEHAR) at the University of Catania, a unique multi-disciplinary research centre with the mission to reduce health impacts and deaths from smoking, locally and globally.

In the area of in tobacco control and prevention, he has been the most prolific author in the field of electronic cigarettes – according to a paper published in BMC Public Health. He is the lead author of ECLAT- first randomized controlled trial in the world about effectiveness and tolerability of e-cigarettes.

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 Bryan has been involved in the vape industry since 2013, heading up the European operation for the (at the time) market leader in e-liquid manufacturing, before consulting for some of the biggest retailers, manufacturers and compliance firms in the industry. Lee is currently the founder and CEO of Arcus Compliance Ltd and author of the Amazon No.1 best seller "How safe is your vape?"

As an entrepreneur in the tobacco industry, Alan and his partner Echo founded 2firsts.com, the world's leading new tobacco website.

As a tobacco industry expert, Alan has led multiple research projects and has long-term research in the fields of regulatory policy, industrial economics, technology, ESG, etc.

Alan has been invited to conduct policy and industry development training for regulators and entrepreneurs in many countries.

Before entering the tobacco industry, Alan had 10 years of work experience in a well-known Internet media in China.

Sydney Hiller, Ph.D., specializes in navigating evolving regulatory and scientific challenges in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and consumer products industries across dynamic, global environments. Sydney has a proven track record of success integrating scientific rigor with regulatory strategy to support innovative product development, regulatory submission and market entry, and ongoing compliance in challenging sectors including tobacco harm reduction and cannabis. Her ability to distill intricate scientific concepts into actionable plans has consistently driven success in these high-stakes, regulated environments. Sydney received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Southern California and her B.A. from New York University. During her studies, she worked under Raphael Mechoulam, commonly known as the father of cannabis research. In addition to her active participation in numerous professional societies, Sydney is passionate about advancing women in STEM fields. She has served as a mentor for both Women in Science & Engineering (WiSE) and Women in Chemistry (WiC) and is a member of Organization of Women in Nicotine and Tobacco (OWNiT).

Ciprian is both a serial entrepreneur with over 12 years’ experience in the vaping industry, Chairman of Romanian Vaping Industry Association (AIV) and a founder/ board executive of the only Pan-European vaping organisation, the Independent European Vape Alliance(IEVA). Enthusiastic proponent of nicotine-based alternatives as a way to combat smoking, he is committed to making harm-reduction a reality. As a board executive, Ciprian has been highly involved in IEVA’s governance, communication strategies and led recruitment and membership management during the last 6 years, against the background of an ever more complex EU regulatory landscape. This has given him an unparalleled level of interaction with main sector players from all over the world, and a deep understanding of what makes the industry tick.

Eve Wang serves as the Executive Director of Smoore International Holdings Limited and also holds the position of Vice President at Shenzhen Smoore Technology Co., a leading atomization manufacturer with its own consumer facing brand, Vaporesso and ODM division to serve industry customers for both vape and heated tobacco products. In Smoore, Ms Eve Wang is responsible for coordinating strategy implementation and coordinating management of international affairs, including access to key global markets, international cooperation, etc. Prior to Smoore, she worked for Huabao, the largest tobacco flavor maker in Asia. Before joining the tobacco industry, Wang also spent years in consumer electronics and other sectors for all aspects of marketing worldwide.

Ph.D. in Advertising from Communication University of China, currently working at Yunnan University of Finance and Economics and serving as the director of the Center for International Communication of Chinese Brands in South and Southeast Asia.

With 16 years of experience in research and consulting on tobacco brands, he is a well-known expert on tobacco brands in China.

He has provided strategic consulting and training services for cigarette brands under China Tobacco FuJian Industrial Co.,Ltd and China Tobacco YunNan Industrial Co.,Ltd for 10 years, and provided brand positioning and communication strategy planning for the heated non-burning brand "MC" under China Tobacco YunNan Industrial Co.,Ltd.

Shady Aslan is one of the pioneering influencers in the vaping industry, with over 10 years of experience. Shady has collaborated with global companies and has been honored with the Best Influencers 2023 & 2024 award in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Oliver Van-Hay is a globally recognized marketing strategist specializing in the vape industry. As the founder of Rabbit Communications—an agency with offices in Los Angeles, London, and Cape Town—he has helped leading vape brands cut through market clutter, build unshakable consumer loyalty, and establish brand equity on par with icons like Nike and Carlsberg. With a deep understanding of regulatory shifts, consumer engagement, and retail advocacy, Oliver is a sought-after consultant who empowers vape brands to not only survive but thrive in an evolving landscape.

Derek Yach (MBCHB MPH) has played a central role in tobacco control for decades. First in his home country of South Africa in getting early legislation adopted by the Mandela government. Second by steering development of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and thirdly, by launching and leading the Foundation for a Smoke Free World to accelerate access to better cessation and effective harm reduction products. He has published over 200 peer review articles on global health issues and served on Boards of the NIH, Wellcome Trust, Clinton Global Initiative and World Economic Forum.

Dr. Xin-an Liu is an Associate Investigator at the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). She has more than 10 years of experience in studying the neuro-metabolic physiological effects of nicotine and other vapor substances. Before setting up her own laboratory, she studied nicotine addiction in the laboratory of Paul J. Kenny at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. She has received more than 20 national and local research grants to support her research and has published more than 40 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals such as Current Biology, Translational Psychiatry, PNAS, Cell Rep and Nature Medicine. In addition, since establishing her own laboratory, she has received several awards and honors, such as "Distinguished Young Investigator Award" (2019) from SIAT, CAS and "Peacock Talent" from the Shenzhen Municipal Government. She is a member of the Autonomic Nerve Committee of the Chinese Physiological Society, Vice President of the Children's Branch of the Shenzhen Brain Science Society, a member of the Chinese Medicine Nebulisation Committee of the China Association for the Promotion of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CAPTCM), and has been invited as a reviewer for international academic journals. She founded WuKang Life Sciences Ltd. in 2023, based on the platform of SIAT, CAS, to provide solutions for safety and functional assessment of novel nebulised substances for PMTA standards.

Dr McGovern qualified in Medicine in 1995 from Trinity College Dublin and has worked as a GP specialising in addiction medicine since 1998. He provides care for opioid dependent patients in several HSE clinics throughout South Dublin and inner city. He is Clinical Lead for the HSE Addiction Services in Louth Meath & The Midlands. Dr McGovern holds a Master’s degree in Clinical and Public Health Aspects of Addiction from The National Addiction Centre, King’s College London and is a Diplomate of the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM). He has a Diploma in Clinical Leadership from the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland. He has a keen interest in tobacco harm reduction and is a strong advocate for all interventions that can help smokers quit.

Sairahis a chartered health psychologist and award-winning stop-smoking clinician with 20 years of experience within the smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction sector.

She is currently the managing director of Salim-Sartoni Associates(SSA).

A passionate and effective category leader and expert,Sairah provides successful scientific/clinical engagement/project management/regulatory and external affairs support for the vaping industry in addition to providing category training to healthcare professionals onthe evidence base to decrease misinformation and increase confidence in vaping as a stop smoking tool.

More recently she has supported the onboarding of clients onto the Swap to Stop platform and is excited to be part of a national programme that focuses on giving the most vulnerable smokers in our society a potential exit from tobacco. She is an accomplished advocate and public speaker on tobacco harm reduction with the inspirational goal of leaving no smoker behind.

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.

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.

Alexandra is a MEA specialist on Tobacco at Euromonitor International. Based in Dubai, she has more than six year of international experience in research and more than two years of working in the industry. ​

Alexandra is responsible for Euromonitor’s engagements with the leading players in the industry across MEA. She has a deep understanding of Tobacco dynamic and the most recent trends, including New Generation Products and their role in particular markets.

Alexandra advises clients across a range of Tobacco categories on the impact of local and global trends and has a special interest in consumer behavior, demographic environment, channel distribution, HoReCa, sustainability and inflation in emerging markets.

Dr. Mohammed is a pharmacist and entrepreneur leading vaping innovation in the Middle East and North Africa. As Founder & CEO of Haze Vape, he has built a dominant distribution network across Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and North Africa.

With his pharmaceutical expertise, he advocates vaping as a safer, cost-effective alternative to smoking, focusing on harm reduction, product safety, and market development.

At the World Vape Show Dubai, Dr. Mohammed will share insights on vaping’s role in harm reduction and sustainable industry growth.

Dr. Ian Jones received his B.S. Psychology from Southeastern University followed by a M.S. Psychology at Oklahoma State University in 2021 and graduated with his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology (Specializing in Cognitive & Social Psychology, with a quantitative concentration) from Oklahoma State University. Dr. Jones has worked on several nationally funded projects across multiple psychological disciplines, including developmental, social, and personality psychology. Dr. Jones specializes in theoretical psychology / quantitative psychology, and person-centered data analysis techniques. Jones has acquired broad human-focused disciplines including social, personality, developmental, and cognitive psychology, emphasizing a deeper understanding of cause-and-effect in experimental research.

Dmitry Ulupov is Regional Head of Scientific Engagement at Philip Morris International (PMI), where he leads the company's efforts towards a smoke free future. ​

Dmitry holds a degree in North American Studies with distinction from the School of International Relations at Saint-Petersburg State University. He then moved through the ranks at Baltika Breweries where he became Manager, Government Relations & Corporate Social Responsibility. At Baltika, harm reduction strategies were a significant part of his work. ​

Prior to being Scientific Engagement Head for Eastern Europe at PMI, Dmitry served as the Product Regulation Manager and then Scientific Affairs Manager at Philip Morris International Affiliates in Russia. ​

In his current role at PMI, Dmitry is responsible for providing the latest expertise, content, and best practices of engaging medical and scientific communities to accelerate the move towards smoke-free products. Additionally, he ensures that the scientific engagement activities in his region are compliant and efficient.​

Dmitry believes scientific facts should drive decision making. That's why he is committed to making sure markets are provided with the latest scientific information on tobacco harm reduction, nicotine, and smoke-free-products.​

Sairahis a chartered health psychologist and award-winning stop-smoking clinician with 20 years of experience within the smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction sector.

She is currently the managing director of Salim-Sartoni Associates(SSA).

A passionate and effective category leader and expert,Sairah provides successful scientific/clinical engagement/project management/regulatory and external affairs support for the vaping industry in addition to providing category training to healthcare professionals onthe evidence base to decrease misinformation and increase confidence in vaping as a stop smoking tool.

More recently she has supported the onboarding of clients onto the Swap to Stop platform and is excited to be part of a national programme that focuses on giving the most vulnerable smokers in our society a potential exit from tobacco. She is an accomplished advocate and public speaker on tobacco harm reduction with the inspirational goal of leaving no smoker behind.

Rex Zhang is the senior stratey director at Smoore, a global leading

atomizer maker. Zhang has a finance background and started his

multidisciplinary journey as an analyst at McKinsey and Company. His

unique analytics and entrepreneurial mindset had him moving from

analytic roles to trading. Zhang’s development and successes in complex

interconnected industries caught the eyes of Tencent and later

ByteDance, which recruited him to develop globalization strategies for

them. Zhang is now heading the global strategy at Smoore and the

marketing function at its vaping division, FEELM, where he is

spearheading Smoore’s mission: “Atomization makes life better.”

Dr. Douglas Ming Deng is a professor and the head of NGPs Industry Studies at Yunnan University. Dr. Deng started to conduct tobacco-related research in 2004, and in recent years, he and his team have engaged in the study of NGPs. As a research professor with global vision, Dr. Deng has presided over numerous research initiatives, focusing on topics such as the regulation of e-vapor products in Asia, the economic and societal pay-off of introducing Heated Tobacco Products, and the significance of leaf tobacco in the NGPs era. Dr. Deng's recent research pursuits encompass the evolutionary study of the transition from combustible cigarettes to NGPs, as well as the innovation of NGPs through consumer-centric R&D. Dr. Deng actively participates as a key-note speaker at prominent tobacco industry forums, including the GTNF.

Saim Yasin is the Director of Smoke-Free Products at Philip Morris Management Services (Middle East) Ltd, an affiliate of Phillip Morris International (“PMI”).

Saim is responsible for the commercialization and marketing of PMI's innovative and scientifically substantiated smoke-free products (IQOS, VEEV, ZYN) and accelerating the transformation of the business towards a smoke-free future in the Middle East.

Saim has held several commercial roles in PMI starting in 2009 in Pakistan, then Hong Kong, Germany and Japan. In 2017, Saim was responsible for the planning and deployment of Philip Morris International’s tobacco heating device (IQOS), including the successful launch of the different versions of its technology (IQOS 3) and (IQOS 3 MULTI) in Japan.

In his previous role as Director Consumer Experience Acquisition Japan, Saim played a pivotal role in driving Phillip Morris Japan’s acquisition engine. Among most recent notable deliveries was the launch of IQOS ILUMA in Japan, the first market globally to launch the latest and most innovative addition to the company’s growing portfolio of smoke-free products for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke or use nicotine products.

Saim holds an MBA from the Institute of Business Administration, Pakistan.

John Patterson has been involved in the vaping category for the last 12 years working with some of the leading brands in the sector including NJOY, JUUL and Aspire. A passionate champion of Tobacco Harm Reduction, John was recently appointed President of Ike Tech, a biometric identity verification company. Ike Tech is focused on solving the biggest industry challenge, youth vaping utilizing at point of use continuous age verification.

Vivien Wenzel is not just an expert in the flavour industry, but also lives her passion with heart and soul for vape flavors.

After qualifying as a chemical technician in Berlin, her professional career led her to Institut Kirchhoff Berlin GmbH, a company of the Mérieux NutriScience Corporation.

Her area of responsibility there was first in food analysis and later also in smoke and enviromental analysis. Further she has also worked for 5N Plus Inc. a pharmaceutical company and later at Hela Gewürzwerk Hermann Laue GmbH, one of the largest and oldest spice houses in Europe.

Since 2017, Vivien has been at Hertz & Selck GmbH & Co. in Hamburg, one of the longest-established aroma houses in Germany.

Among other things, she is responsible for the Vape division, global sales and development.

Lindsey Stroud is a Senior Fellow at the Taxpayers Protection Alliance’s Consumer Center, which provides data and analysis to inform and assist policymakers when addressing consumer products. Stroud’s focus is on providing up-to-date information on adult access to goods including tobacco and vapor products, as well as regulatory policies that affect adult access to other consumer products. In her role, Stroud is lead author of an annual 50 state analyses examining smoking and vaping rates in all U.S. states. Stroud also manages the Consumer Center team and has testified before local, state, federal and international policymakers, led coalition efforts, authored state analyses and hosts a monthly webinar featuring international guests. Before joining TPA, Stroud was a state government relations manager at The Heartland Institute. Prior to Heartland, Stroud worked as a staffer for state lawmakers in Minnesota and Virginia. In addition to her role at TPA, Stroud is the creator and manager of Tobacco Harm Reduction 101 (thr101.org) and a Visiting Fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum. Stroud received her Bachelors of Arts in Government from the College of William and Mary.

Dr Andrea Patton PhD is a Behavioural Epidemiologist and Head of Prevalence Research at the Centre for Substance Use Research (CSUR) in the UK. CSUR is an award-winning, global behavioural research agency conducting regulatory science research on next generation tobacco products for inclusion in regulatory submissions.

Andrea completed her PhD at the Division of Population Health and Genomics at the University of Dundee’s School of Medicine developing statistical methodology to evaluate public health interventions. Andrea has applied this knowledge through her work with leading regulatory agencies in the UK and has advised the Scottish Government and the Scottish National Health Service on public health policy. Before joining CSUR, Andrea led a behavioural research programme in the Molecular, Genetics and Population Health Sciences department at the University of Edinburgh. Since joining CSUR in 2020, Andrea has established a behavioural research programme to provide regulatory science research for clients seeking FDA authorization for new tobacco products in the United States.

Lillian Ortega is the Owner and Chief Regulatory Compliance Strategist at WOW Solutions LLC, a consulting firm dedicated to guiding businesses through the complexities of FDA regulatory processes. With over a decade of distinguished service at the Food and Drug Administration, Lillian has extensive experience leading strategic and complex compliance and regulatory projects. Her expertise spans a broad range of sectors, including tobacco products, biologics, and FDA-regulated clinical research. Before founding WOW Solutions, Lillian served as the Director of Enforcement and Manufacturing at the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. In this pivotal role, she led manufacturer compliance and enforcement programs, directed inspection activities, oversaw compliance actions, coordinated tobacco recall operations, and managed import activities. Lillian’s academic background in Microbiology and Public Health Policy complements her professional experience, enabling her to deliver invaluable insights to her clients. Her unique blend of regulatory oversight and business acumen empowers organizations to successfully navigate the global regulatory landscape.

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.

Ciprian is both a serial entrepreneur with over 12 years’ experience in the vaping industry, Chairman of Romanian Vaping Industry Association (AIV) and a founder/ board executive of the only Pan-European vaping organisation, the Independent European Vape Alliance(IEVA). Enthusiastic proponent of nicotine-based alternatives as a way to combat smoking, he is committed to making harm-reduction a reality. As a board executive, Ciprian has been highly involved in IEVA’s governance, communication strategies and led recruitment and membership management during the last 6 years, against the background of an ever more complex EU regulatory landscape. This has given him an unparalleled level of interaction with main sector players from all over the world, and a deep understanding of what makes the industry tick.

Ao, Weinuo, the founder and general secretary of the Electronic Cigarette Professional Committee of China Electronics Chamber of Commerce, devoting himself to China's vaping industry for 8 years, serving as the bridge between the authority and enterprises, and encouraging the whole industry both at home and abroad towards compliance, minor protection and technological innovation.

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.

Samrat is a media professional based in Mumbai, India, with a career spanning two decades in mainstream news publications. He is involved in tobacco risk reduction efforts since 2014, leading THR advocacy in India as the founder-director of Association of Vapers India (AVI), Asia's oldest registered THR charity, as well as internationally as the president of International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations (INNCO), an umbrella body of over 30 national groups from four continents.

Samrat’s focus is on adoption of tobacco cessation and harm reduction measures in poor and developing nations where 80% of tobacco users live. His work is multi-faceted, ranging from litigation support, engaging with policymakers, the industry and the medical community, along with media management and consumer outreach. He is also an author at harm reduction journal, The Filter.

Asanda Gcoyi is the Chief Executive Officer of the Vapour Products Association of South Africa (VPASA), where she leads efforts to promote harm reduction strategies in nicotine consumption. Under her leadership, VPASA advocates for evidence-based regulations that balance public health priorities with consumer choice.

With over 18 years of experience across diverse industries, Gcoyi is a dynamic business leader with a strong policy advocacy, strategic leadership, and stakeholder engagement background. She holds an MBA from Peking University in Beijing and a postgraduate degree from Rhodes University. In addition to her role at VPASA, she serves on several boards, including the Advertising Regulatory Board of South Africa.

Fred Roeder is a consumer advocate at heart. He has been working in the field of grassroots activism for over ten years. He is a Health Economist from Germany and has worked in healthcare reform in North America and Europe. 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, Airlines.

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

Eden Newton is the CEO of Smucci Vapes and Smucci Recycling, where he combines business innovation with environmental responsibility. With a clear focus on addressing the growing challenge of vape waste, he has led the development of practical and impactful recycling solutions.

Through his leadership, Smucci Vapes has grown into a respected name in the vaping industry, while Smucci Recycling has introduced initiatives like Smucci Bins and the Smucci Drop app to make recycling accessible and rewarding for users. His efforts have helped reduce CO2 and SO2 emissions, contributing to a cleaner environment and setting a positive example for the industry.

He is deeply committed to creating sustainable systems that benefit both consumers and the planet. His transparent approach ensures that every item recycled through Smucci Recycling is tracked and processed into reusable raw materials, fostering trust and accountability.

Eden’s pragmatic vision and hands-on leadership have positioned Smucci as a pioneer in sustainable practices, inspiring change in how businesses address environmental challenges.

David is Group Director of Communications at Plxsur. He has over 17 years’ experience in corporate and financial communications.

David started his career at FTI Consulting, he then joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and later worked at No.10 Downing Street and NATO during the Arab Spring. He also spent two years with the United Nations in Kenya and Somalia where he was head of international media, responsible for taking war reporters out to the front line.

David was previously an Associate Partner at Bell Pottinger, working across both listed and private companies on financial, corporate and crisis communications. He covered clients in the FMCG, natural resources, real estate, leisure, financial services and tech sectors.

He has advised on a number of IPOs and M&A transactions and spent two years in New York advising hedge funds, crypto, venture capital and private equity funds.

Pete Lomas is the Founder of Capseca Limited – a Product Development Consultancy specialising in Next Generation Products (NGP) within the nicotine industry. He assists his clients with concept generation, prototyping, evaluation, Intellectual Property, Regulatory compliance, and manufacturing of NGP products.

Pete has a background in Electro-Mechanical Engineering, having worked in Product Development for nearly 30 years. He has specialised in NGP Product Development for the last seven years, initially spending four years at Imperial Brands leading the engineering team working on NGP device development (including Blu and Pulze devices). Pete spent a further two years as Managing Consultant at Broughton Life Sciences, before setting up Capseca Limited.

Pete is passionate about Product Development and finding novel and innovative solutions to engineering problems. He believes in questioning and challenging everything, constantly striving for improvement. As a result, he is named as inventor on over 80 published patent applications, the majority of which are in the NGP field.

Pablo Cano Trilla leads the legal analysis team at Tamarind Intelligence (publisher of ECigIntelligence and TobaccoIntelligence), overseeing regulatory coverage across more than 100 countries, U.S. states, and other subnational jurisdictions.

He holds a Master of Laws (LLM) with Distinction from the University of Aberdeen and degrees in law and political science. Pablo began his career as an assistant at the European Parliament and has since built an international legal career, working as a lawyer and legal analyst in Mexico, the UK, and Spain, specializing in highly regulated industries. He is a qualified attorney.

For over a decade, Pablo has provided independent, in-depth legal and political analysis on the tobacco and nicotine industries to clients including international corporations, governments, tobacco control NGOs, and academic institutions. A seasoned speaker, he has delivered numerous presentations and conferences on key industry issues to diverse global audiences.

Marina Murphy has more than 20 years’ experience across scientific research, communications, and engagement in the tobacco harm reduction and nicotine field. Previous experience includes senior scientific positions at Juul Labs and at BAT.

Murphy has a Ph.D. in chemistry from the National University of Ireland, Galway. She has been published across a range of scientific journals, including Drugs & Alcohol Today and Key Engineering Materials, as well as in the top-tier media outlets, including the BBC, NewScientist and The Irish Times.

Murphy takes pride in having forged a unique career path that allows her to use a genuine passion for science to help make a real difference in people’s lives.

Aron is a leading expert in Next Generation Nicotine Products (NGP) with a focus on vape, heated tobacco, and novel nicotine products. As the founder of NGP Trends, Aron provides businesses with critical technical insights on the latest developments in these fast-evolving categories. His expertise helps companies drive consumer-centric product and portfolio development through monthly reports, consulting, and workshops.
Aron’s approach to this dynamic, technology-driven industry is to unlock consumer value from technology benefits. Supported by a dedicated team of NGP experts in product design, development, consumer research, intellectual property, and litigation, NGP Trends collaborates with its manufacturing partner to support businesses in developing innovative NGP products.

Mr. Waqas Khan is a senior executive with over 20 years of prolific

experience leading global roll outs for Fortune 500 companies including

BAT, Juul Labs, Etisalat, Telenor and Ooredoo. He has led teams to

launch and grow brands across 3 continents across varied sectors

including consumer packaged goods, telecommunications, mobile device,

broadband, med-tech and fintech sectors. Mr. Khan has also cofounded 3

startups, the most of recent of which, LIX Innovations Inc, was acquired

by ITG brands USA in a multimillion-dollar deal in 2023. He now serves

as the Global CEO of NEVCORE Innovations Inc, the brand owners of the

newly launched USA FDA accepted, revolutionary nicotine pouch, CLEW.

Rachael Trimpert Schmidt (retired CAPT, USPHS) brings over a decade of experience in regulatory and compliance solutions within the tobacco and nicotine industry. With a distinguished tenure at the FDA, serving as the Assistant Director of Laboratory Compliance & Coordination of the CTP, she spearheaded crucial initiatives to enforce the FSPTCA of 2009.

During her tenure at FDA, CAPT Schmidt played a pivotal role in establishing and coordinating FDA tobacco regulatory laboratories, ensuring rigorous adherence to regulatory standards. Her leadership was instrumental in developing and executing comprehensive tobacco product testing programs, encompassing pre-market application reviews, post-market compliance assessments, adverse event evaluations, and the development of tobacco product standards. Schmidt's expertise extends to fostering collaboration with national and international stakeholders to harmonize tobacco enforcement and policy efforts.

Pablo Cano Trilla leads the legal analysis team at Tamarind Intelligence (publisher of ECigIntelligence and TobaccoIntelligence), overseeing regulatory coverage across more than 100 countries, U.S. states, and other subnational jurisdictions.

He holds a Master of Laws (LLM) with Distinction from the University of Aberdeen and degrees in law and political science. Pablo began his career as an assistant at the European Parliament and has since built an international legal career, working as a lawyer and legal analyst in Mexico, the UK, and Spain, specializing in highly regulated industries. He is a qualified attorney.

For over a decade, Pablo has provided independent, in-depth legal and political analysis on the tobacco and nicotine industries to clients including international corporations, governments, tobacco control NGOs, and academic institutions. A seasoned speaker, he has delivered numerous presentations and conferences on key industry issues to diverse global audiences.

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.