Meet our speakers

Here you can meet the speakers at this year’s AMBA & BGA Accreditation Forum. Read a speaker’s biography by clicking on the arrow underneath their photo.

Michele O’Dwyer

MBA Director, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick

Prof. Michele O’Dwyer is Director of the Executive MBA at the Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick. As a winner of multiple teaching awards Michele works with undergraduate, postgraduate and executive students at the University of Limerick, as well as leading Universities in UK, USA and across Europe, encouraging them to explore their innovation potential. Before joining the faculty at the University of Limerick, Michele ran a marketing and market research consultancy investigating marketing issues in a diverse range of industries in Ireland and across Europe. Her continuing close links with industry support her award winning research which focuses on innovation, performance, alliances, SME marketing, and new product development. She holds a PhD from the University of Ulster UK and is an accomplished keynote speaker.

Victor Hedenberg

Business Development Manager,
AMBA & BGA

Victor joined AMBA & BGA in 2016 and has since focused on the AMBA Development Network (ADN), a platform for institutions seeking AMBA accreditation support. In addition, he has overseen the development of the current BGA service and accreditation offering, along with the AMBA & BGA accreditation team.  

He is responsible for growing the BGA network, improving its membership and accreditation services and managing BGA-related projects. 

  Victor is a Swedish national educated at Hillsdale College in the US. He holds a degree in economics and business administration. 

Mark Stoddard

Director of Accreditation and Director of BGA Services, AMBA & BGA

Mark Stoddard is Director of Accreditation and Director of BGA Services at AMBA & BGA.

Mark is responsible for the creation, design, and development of the full suite of BGA services and accreditation processes, while leading the review of accreditation criteria at AMBA. In addition, he is Director of Accreditation at AMBA for Africa, North America, and South Asia, as well as parts of western Europe.

Mark holds an MA in Russian Politics and a BA in American Studies, having studied at the University of Essex (UK) and the University of California, Berkeley (US).

Andrew Main Wilson

CEO
AMBA & BGA

Andrew is Chief Executive of AMBA & BGA. AMBA accredits 291 Business Schools in 75 countries and provides membership to 60,000 MBA students and graduates in 150 countries.

BGA, launched in January 2019, is the organisation’s most significant launch in more than 50 years and 198 Business Schools have joined BGA in just over three years.

BGA champions practical, entrepreneurial, and socially responsible management education, offering Membership, Validation and Accreditation to Business Schools that can demonstrate impact and commitment to BGA’s vision. Like AMBA, students and graduates of BGA Schools are eligible for free BGA Membership.

Andrew was Chairman of United Nations PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education) for three years, from 2016 to 2018. He commenced his career with Thomson Holidays (now TUI), then the world’s largest travel tour operator.

He became Marketing and Commercial Director of Thomas Cook and then Sales and Marketing Director of Citibank Diners Club. He subsequently joined the Institute of Directors (IoD) as Chief Operating Officer.

He has interviewed more than 100 of the world’s most influential leaders in the fields of business, politics, sport, and entertainment, including Bill Gates, Baroness Thatcher, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jack Welch, Sir Richard Branson, and Sir David Attenborough. Andrew has also visited 178 of the world’s 200 countries, on a global journey to become the first person to visit all 200 countries and tell the story, in images and words, of the most inspiring travel experiences on Earth.

He was educated at Dulwich College and the University of Birmingham in the UK and Harvard Business School in the US.

Joe Pilkington

Joseph Pilkington

Senior Accreditation Manager
AMBA & BGA

Joseph joined AMBA in 2014 and his work at the association involves supporting its re-accreditation activity, assisting accreditation panels during assessment visits and guiding business schools through documentation and processes. In addition, he is responsible for maintaining accurate data on AMBA-accredited schools.

Joseph holds a BA (Hons) from the University of East Anglia; he spent time studying at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and also has an MSc from the University of Edinburgh. He speaks English and French.

Sherif Kamal

Sherif H Kamel

Dean and Professor of Management, School of Business, the American University in Cairo

Sherif Kamel, Professor of Management, Dean of the School of Business at the American University in Cairo (AUC)

Sherif Kamel is a Professor of Management and Dean of the School of Business at the American University in Cairo (AUC). He is also a board member at AMBA & BGA.

Previously, he served as Senior Advisor for Strategic Planning to the President and Vice President for Information Management at AUC. Before joining AUC, he was Director of the Regional Information Technology Institute.

Sherif is an Eisenhower Fellow. He holds a PhD in information systems from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), as well as an MBA, a bachelor’s in business administration, and a master’s in Islamic art and architecture from AUC.

Leila Triki

Dean, Mediterranean School of Business (MSB)

Leila is Dean of the Mediterranean School of Business (MSB) – Tunisia, a leading Business School in the MEA region where she is responsible for establishing medium to long term goals, and strategic planning for an internationally accredited fast-growing business school.

Leila has over fifteen years of experience in higher education development. Analytical thinker with strong international network Leila is passionate about achieving social and economic development through building capabilities.

Before joining MSB Leila was a sponsored researcher at the London School of Economics and Political Science where she taught economics and widened her research expertise. Prior to that appointment, she worked as a Consultant for the World Bank Group, Washington D.C. within the Financial Sector Group.

Leila serves today in the International Advisory Board of Nova School of Business and Economics in Lisbon, Portugal as well as in the Tunisia-UK Higher Education Commission. Since 2012 she participates in International Accreditation panels for business schools in the region. Leila holds a MSc and a Ph. D in Economic Theory from Sorbonne University, France, as well as an EMBA from MSB.

Markéta Dianová

Executive Director, Faculty of Business Administration, Prague University of Economics and Business

Markéta Dianová is the Executive Director of the Institute of Management responsible for Executive Education at the Faculty of Business Administration (FBA), Prague University of Economics and Business.

She oversees the FBA MBA programme, the first and only in the Czech Republic with AMBA accreditation.

Markéta has worked as a member of the AMBA & BGA accreditation panel. In addition, she has acted as Head of the Department of Foreign Missions in the state agency CzechT ourism, and subsequently for several terms, as advisor to the members of the Czech Government.

She gained experience in the capacity of adviser toa Member European Parliament, focusing on the agenda of the Committee on Culture and Education, and the Committee for Transport and Tourism.

Her research centres on the cultural economy, nation and destination branding. Markéta lectures and publishes in Czech and English, and is equally fluent in French, and Russian.

Mikko Laukkanen

Academic Director, Aalto University Executive Education

Mikko Laukkanen specialises in customer experience management, service design and service business, strategic marketing, business model innovation, and innovation management.

He has extensive expertise in consulting and research projects within large international firms. He is a well-liked lecturer, and sought-after public speaker. He has pioneered in several experimental teaching methods throughout his executive and university teachings.

At Aalto University Executive Education, he works as an Academic Director, and is responsible for the academic quality of Aalto Executive Education’s extensive portfolio of programmes.

He has previously been a Visiting Scholar at the Institute for Business Innovation at the University of California, Berkeley.

Mikko Laukkanen has a Doctor of Science in economics and business administration from Aalto University School of Business. In addition, he holds a Master of Science in economics with a major in marketing from the Helsinki School of Economics.

Yolanda van der Westhuizen

Accreditation Manager, University of Stellenbosch Business School

Yolanda van der Westhuizen has more than 11 years of experience in accreditation management and support at University of Stellenbosch Business School, a leading African Business School and holder of the triple crown of accreditations.

From 2010, she has provided support and guidance in a number of successful accreditation projects, which included both initial accreditation (AACSB) and re-accreditations (AMBA and EQUIS). A new venture will be to manage the School’s accreditation with the Association of African Business Schools (AABS).

Yolanda has held her current post of Accreditation Manager since 2020. In this role, she is responsible for guiding school-level accreditations, supporting programme-level accreditations, and managing an internal quality review.

Yolanda holds a BA Honours in linguistics and a postgraduate diploma in translation from Stellenbosch University, South Africa. She obtained the postgraduate diploma in leadership development at the University of Stellenbosch Business School in 2020.

Bethan Jones-Davies

Service Quality Manager, The University of Liverpool Management School

Bethan Jones-Davies has worked in the area of quality and accreditation management for almost 20 years.

Working in the UK, she has held posts at both Lancaster University Management School and The University of Liverpool Management School; and has led numerous successful accreditation projects (initial accreditations and re-accreditations: AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS).

Bethan has held her current post of Service Quality Manager at The University of Liverpool Management School for 14 years. In the role, she is responsible for managing School-level accreditations; supporting programme-level accreditations; managing programme rankings; and managing internal quality reviews.

Bethan was awarded her PhD in Management Science (Lancaster University) in 2013.

Sara Isabel Marín-Zapata

Corinne Peiffert, Director of Studies, Global BBA, ESSEC Business School.

Sara Isabel Marín-Zapata

Head of International Accreditations, Universidad EAFIT

Sara Isabel Marín-Zapata works at EAFIT University, where she leads the International Accreditation Office for the School of Management and Economics and Finance. In her role, she has implemented the assurance of learning system for the Undergraduate, Masters’s, and Doctorate programs.

Her contributions that led EAFIT to obtain the BGA accreditation, have been invaluable. The AACSB has recognised Sara for her commitment to improving the quality of business education around the world, and she coordinates the AACSB’s Latin America and Caribbean Network of AACSB member universities.

Sara is also an adjunct professor at the International Business Department, where she has the chance to applying all her knowledge and inspire the future generations of business professionals.

In 2016, Sara was recognised as Medellín’s best junior researcher by the Mayor of Medellín. Her research focuses on soft skills and a top journal recently published the results of her work.

She holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in international business from EAFIT University, where she graduated with honours as the top student in her cohort.

Luis Torras

Professor Luis Torras

Senior Associate Professor, EADA Business School, and IAAB member, AMBA & BGA

Luis Torras graduated in English Philology and Business Administration from Universitat de Barcelona. He holds a Master in General Management from EADA as well as a Master in Management Development from Haas Business School (University of California, Berkeley). Before joining EADA he worked in the retail industry (SEARS) in U.S.A. and Spain, and in the automotive industry (RENAULT) in France.

Luis is an external consultant and a member of the International Accreditation Advisory Board for AMBA (Association of MBA’s) and has been a board member in several Spanish Companies. He is specialised in CSR and Generational Change in Family Businesses and has written various business cases and collaborated as a writer and conference speaker on many occasions. He was the Director of the Business Policy Department until July 2013 and Academic Dean for eight years at EADA.

Jeffrey Petty

EMBA Academic Director and Professor of Entrepreneurship, HEC Lausanne, University of Lausanne

Jeffrey Petty is a Professor of Entrepreneurship, the Academic Director of the HEC EMBA programme, and the Academic Director the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.

His primary research interests include new venture financing, with a focus on crowdfunding and venture capital decision making and has taught courses on entrepreneurial finance, entrepreneurship, corporate strategy, and technology and innovation management.

He has been involved with EMBA programmes since 2007 and was a member of the Executive MBA Council’s Board of Trustees during 2016-2019, serving as the Board chair in 2018.

Sankar Sivarajah

Dean, School of Management, University of Bradford

Sankar Sivarajah joined the School of Management at the University of Bradford in December 2017 and is a Professor of Technology Management and Circular Economy and the Head of School of Management. 

His passion for research and teaching is interdisciplinary in nature, focusing on the use of emerging digital technology for the betterment of society, be it in a business or government context. He has published over 50 scientific articles in leading peer-reviewed journals and conferences. His research has featured in reputable media/trade publications such as The World Economic Forum, BBC Yorkshire, Computer Weekly, The Conversation, Public Sector Focus and London School of Economics academic blog.

To date, he has a successful track record as Principal and Co-investigator in over £3 million worth of R&I and consultancy projects funded by national, international funding bodies and commercial organisations.

He was awarded a PhD in 2014 in management information systems from Brunel University London, which focused on the development of a technology evaluation and impact assessment framework for local government authorities. He holds a first-class BSc (Hons) in business and management specialising in computer sciences from Brunel University London and MSc with distinction in management specialising in entrepreneurship from The Bayes Business School (previously known as Cass), City University London.

He was also recognised and awarded by The City Business School an honorary membership to the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) society, an international honour society recognizing business excellence. He is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a member of the British Academy of Management (BAM) and Association for Information Systems (AIS).

Julien Manteau

Associate Dean for Communication, Marketing and Development
NEOMA Business School

Julien Manteau is Associate Dean for Communication, Marketing and Development at NEOMA Business School.

Before that, he was Executive Director at HEC Paris in charge of communication, marketing and student recruitment for 10 years.

Prior to that, Julien worked for another 10 years in international communication agencies.

Julien is a French national educated at HEC Paris. He holds a master’s degree in economics and business.

David Woods-Hale

Director of Marketing and Communications, AMBA & BGA

David is Director of Marketing and Communications at AMBA & BGA and is responsible for the management of its magazines Ambition and Business Impact, as well as devising and executing AMBA & BGA’s global communications strategy, and overseeing its research and insight centres.

Prior to joining AMBA in 2016, David held a variety of roles in journalism, publishing, and marketing, with his most recent role prior to joining AMBA & BGA being Creative Director of the marketing agency Humm Media, representing clients including The Dorchester Collection of hotels.

He was Editorial Director for the US and UK at the international books, journals, and magazine publisher LID Publishing (now LID Business Media), during which time, the company launched more than 20 top 20 best-selling business books, including Not Knowing which was named management book of the year by The British Library and The Chartered Management Institute. In 2013, David was invited to launch and edit an international business journal for Duke University (US).

David has written for publications including PRWeek, Money Marketing, HR Magazine, The Guardian, Corporate Adviser, Management Today, The Economist, The BookSeller and The Independent as well working on TV productions including Don’t Blame Facebook.

In 2012, he was a finalist for Business Journalist of the Year (DLA Piper Media Awards), and won Career Development Journalist of the Year and HR Journalist of the Year (Willis Towers Watson Media Awards).

He has an MA in History and Divinity from The University of Aberdeen and a further Post-Graduate Diploma in Publishing and Journalism from The Robert Gordon University.

Return to the Accreditation Forum Hub

Meet our speakers

Michele O’Dwyer

Michele O’Dwyer

Victor Hedenberg

Victor Hedenberg

Mark Stoddard

Mark Stoddard

Andrew Main Wilson

Andrew Main Wilson

Joe Pilkington

Joseph Pilkington

Sherif Kamal

Leila Triki

Leila Triki

Markéta Dianová

Markéta Dianová

Mikko Laukkanen

Mikko Laukkanen

Yolanda van der Westhuizen

Yolanda van der Westhuizen

Bethan Jones-Davies

Bethan Jones-Davies

Sara Isabel Marín-Zapata

Sara Isabel Marín-Zapata

Luis Torras

Professor Luis Torras

Jeffrey Petty

Jeffrey Petty

Sankar Sivarajah

Sankar Sivarajah

Julien Manteau

Julien Manteau

David Woods-Hale

David Woods-Hale

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