GGI Middle-East African Regional Conference in Dubai, UAE and GGI Practice Group Global Chairs Meeting in Zurich, Switzerland
GGI Practice Group Global Chairs MeetingZurich, Switzerland03 - 05 February 2023
GGI Middle East & Africa Regional MeetingDubai, UAE10 - 12 February 2023
Zurich, Switzerland | 03 – 05 February 2023
This year's GGI Practice Group (PG) Global Chairs Meeting took place in Zurich during 03 - 05 February. It was such a pleasure to be able to welcome the Global Chairs of our PGs back to our city once again in person, since the last time we were able to do so was in February 2020 – before the world changed for all of us.
Beginning with a welcome dinner at Restaurant Bärengasse, located in the heart of Zurich’s city centre, everyone had the opportunity to meet each other in an informal and relaxed atmosphere – and some of our PG Chairs were excited to see the famous Swiss musical duo Dieter Meier and Boris Blank from Yello enjoying dinner right next to our table.
It was right back to business as usual on Saturday morning, where the main meeting session started with an update and overview by each Global Chair present, discussing the plans and overall strategy for their specific PG. Michael Reiss von Filski, Global CEO of GGI, also provided a review of the PG missions, objectives, structures, and development. He addressed core aspects of the PGs and the challenges faced by PG Chairs. The meeting continued with an interactive exchange of ideas and best practices.
In the afternoon, the group took a walking tour of Zurich's Old Town, which ended with an apero at Restaurant Oepfelchammer, one of the oldest restaurants in the city. Byron Moldo, Global Chair of the Debt Collection, Restructuring & Insolvency (DCRI) PG, contemplated the restaurant's “Beam Challenge”, which was not so easy… Everyone else seemed content to rest their weary legs.
Wrapping up this year’s meeting, the group enjoyed an exquisite dinner at the Storchen Hotel.
We look forward to welcoming the GGI Practice Group Global Chairs back to Zurich again next year!
Dubai, UAE | 10 – 12 February 2023
It has been quite a while since we last had a conference in the Middle East & African (MEA) region … in fact, it was way back in 2019, alongside the GGI World Conference in Marrakesh. With the in-person events taking off once again in 2022, we realised it was about time to gather our members in the region together once again, choosing the vibriant, multi-cultural and ultramodern city of Dubai, situated on the Arabian Gulf coast of the UAE.
Held at the Pullman Downtown Dubai during 10 – 12 February 2023, we are pleased to say that the GGI MEA Regional Conference was a hugely successful event. Of course, we are very grateful for the assistance of sponsoring host firm, Al Zarooni Tureva, Auditors, Accountants, Advisors, led by Mohammed Aweidah.
Starting on Thursday evening with a welcome cocktail reception and fantastic mediterranean-style dinner, participants – including new members and candidates – were excited to meet with one another, whether for the first time or renewing old friendships.
On Friday, it was our great pleasure to have H. E. Massimo Baggi, Ambassador of Switzerland to the UAE and Bahrain, officially open the Conference. Both Michael Reiss von Filski, GGI Global CEO, and Peter Kaeser, GGI Regional CEO MEA, also extended their warm welcomes and introduced new members and candidates before handing over to our two wonderful keynote speakers, Mohamed Isa and Keith Warburton.
As an award-winning Bahraini speaker and a best-selling author on Amazon, Mohamed Isa gave an interesting speech on leadership development “The Everest Way”, talking about how to motivate employees to achieve better business results. His stories were great examples of how to learn from life experiences.
Our other keynote speaker, Keith Warburton, also provided plenty of food for thought during his speech and workshop session. An internationally-recognised expert on the impact of cross-border cultural differences and global communication issues, the topic he covered was “Working in a Global Environment – the Cultural Perspective”. The ability to work effectively across the barriers of culture, language, time zones and geography is a key skill for professional advisors who work in a global environment.
In the afternoon session, there were a few additional really interesting presentations prepared by participating member firms: “Ohada Law in a nutshell” by Mathieu Maes (DALDEWOLF, Brussels, Belgium); “Dual Citizenship” by Darlene Hart (USTAXFS, Zurich, Switzerland); and "9% and 0% Corporate Tax in the UAE" by Aditya Shinde (BLS Behl, Lad & Al Sayegh, Dubai, UAE).
The group then had the opportunity to make a quick whistlestop tour of Dubai – including Zabeel Palace, home of Sheikh Rashid, UAE's former Prime Minister, and Jumeirah Beach – before continuing on to Souk Al Madinat Jumeirah, where they had a chance to continue their conversations with each other over a drink in a relaxed environment.
Finally, the evening ended beautifully on the terrace of Address Downtown Dubai, overlooking the Burj Khalifah (known for being a global icon and the world's tallest building). Peter Kaeser made a closing speech to extend his gratitude to members and candidates for the continuous support to our alliance and also a special thanks to the GGI team who were involved in putting the event together.
On Sunday morning, there was a small group who took the opportunity to see more of old Dubai, visiting the heritage district located on the banks of Dubai Creek. This neighbourhood is home to some of the city’s finest cultural gems. They also had a stop by the Coffee Museum to learn all about the drink's rich history while savouring special local blends.
