The global agenda has never been so varied, so pressing or so complex. It demands of the international community new approaches, new resources and new commitments of commercial and political will. We cannot wait for governments to do it all.
Qismat is managed by a board of Executive Trustees responsible for the strategic direction and governance of the organisation. The Executive Trustees comprise of senior level stakeholders occupying a myriad of industries and collaborating to develop a new paradigm in development economics.
Our management team has substantial experience operating within the international, governmental and non-governmental sector, as well as a kaleidoscope of business industries ranging from finance to technology. The HQ team is the primary conduit between our charters around the world and takes great care in the management, optimization, appropriation, and preservation of critical and non-critical resources to ensure maximum beneficiary impact.
To strengthen our operational efficiencies, our management team is further complimented with an executive and advisory board.
ANTONIO ARENAS - Managing Director, Scornik Gerstein LLP
Antonio Arenas is Managing Partner at Scornik Gerstein and primary council on day to day matters for Qismat. As head of his firm, Mr. Arenas, a duly qualified Spanish Abogado and English Solicitor, specialises in complicated matters related to cross-border commercial issues as well as compliance, litigation, taxation, and a myriad of other legal realms. In this capacity, he regularly advises clients on a variety of civil and common law matters in his home country of Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as internationally throughout Europe, the Middle East, and the rest of the world. Mr. Arenas graduated in Law from Universidad Complutense in Madrid in 2001, practiced as an in-house lawyer and was subsequently admitted in 2003 as a Spanish Abogado.
TARIQ JAN – Managing Director, i3 Consultanci
Tariq Jan is an authority on delivering operational efficiencies on a multi-national scale and is a frequent key note speaker at events such as the Global Affairs & Security Confabulation, RIAM Les Rencontres de l’Identite & Access Management, CIO Mena Summit, and the Gartner Identity & Access Management Summit. Mr. Jan has led and been responsible for setting the overall direction & strategic vision for the Global JPMorgan Chase Investment Bank initiative in the evaluation and implementation of an identity and governance solution. He has an unmatched expertise in the nuances of overseeing internal and external audit & control team requirements, collaborating with business and technology stakeholders to ensure program goals and objectives are aligned, and ensuring compliance commitments and regulatory expectations. Having received his BSc (Hons) and MSc (Hons) in Mathematics and Management in 1995, Mr. Jan has undertaken a number of roles primarily delivering high value and visibility programs and driving operational efficiency and change to the Investment Bank, Telecoms and Petrochemical & Construction sectors amongst other verticals.
ALEX KAY – Opera Ventures
Alex Kay has been referred to as the quintessential one man think tank and is part of a new breed of businessmen who count innovation and philanthropy as core to his ethos. As the group’s visionary, Mr. Kay is a global citizen who has a great deal of experience in innovation by anticipating trends at their most embryonic stages and developing socially responsible paths to profitability. As part of his modus operandi, Mr. Kay created and coined the idea of a “Bionomic” approach (economic model based on biological systems) which always tries to mimic nature and the human body, the most efficient systems ever created, in managing the critical functions of energy, waste, creation, and sustainment. Amongst many other innovations, Mr. Kay also developed the world’s first “Micro Donations Platform”, which empowers anyone to raise funds for a cause and has integrated over 150,000 charities and NPOs worldwide. Having operated in a multitude of countries within various industry sectors, Mr. Kay has an avant-garde approach which allows him to manoeuvre and negotiate through turbulent economies, volatile political climates, and miscellaneous market intricacies to create communally rewarding value propositions.
ILYAN KOVATCHEV – Founder & Creative Director, Ilyan.com
Considered an icon amongst international designers, Ilyan Kovatchev has an innate ability to transform thought into reality like no other. He is a creative and communications mastermind and has a wide range of comfort to develop concepts, brand experiences, graphic user interfaces, marketing strategies and any other aspect of an individual’s emotional connection with a brand. Mr. Kovatchev’s approach to media is multi-disciplinary and he has the experience to direct all aspect of media creation, production, and promotion globally. His creations are what other creative directors aspire to, they have been nominated for countless media and design awards, and he is also a two time winner of the prestigious 'Web Designer of the Year' award.
MATTHEW LEDVINA – Partner, Pilotage Private Office
There are few people who understand the intricacies of cross Atlantic wealth management better than Matthew Ledvina. As a Partner at Pilotage Private Office, Mr. Ledvina advises on cross-border tax issues, but is often referred to as a trusted “Steward of Capital” by his clients, for his innate ability to navigate turbulent situations for maximum wealth preservation. Prior to establishing Pilotage, Mr. Ledvina worked as a US tax attorney at the international law firm of Baker McKenzie. Drawing on his multidisciplinary background, Matthew offers a bigger picture, business-oriented approach for his clients. This approach is defined by his experiences as a truly global citizen, being born and raised in the US, attending Vanderbilt University and New York University Law School, holding French and Swiss nationality and residing in Zurich. Having trained in law, Mr. Ledvina's role evolved over time as an advisor with a distinctly commercial outlook. Throughout his 20+ year career in global firms, he has advised cross-border families on matters such as philanthropy, trusts, funds, insurance, and taxation.
PETER MATTHEWS - Director, Brydg
Peter Matthews has been involved in the property and financial markets for over 35 years gaining a wealth of experience on a business to client basis as well as extensively developing business to business relationships. At his peak, Peter personally brokered £460 million in central London real estate loans. He was the Founder and Director of Gap Mortgages, a company operating a mortgage broker and property consultancy dealing with residential, buy-to-let and commercial mortgages as well as the sale of life assurance contracts. Prior to this, Peter was the Director of Mortgagematch Homeloans, a mortgage packager dealing in the sub-prime market, handling administration and underwriting for a number of lenders. He was Sales Director at MCIFA, a bespoke HNW brokerage where he increased turnover 4 fold in the 5 years he was there.
ALEX NIKOLOV – Managing Director, Comms Solutions
Alex Nikolov is a key influencer of governance and policy within the European Technology and Telecommunication sector. He has sat on several steering committees, such as the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (UNITU) and Ofcom, to lobby for internet protocol global number ranges, number portability, and net neutrality. As a result, he is a pioneer in the deployment of Universal Personal Telecommunication (UPT) which is the first globally recognised non-geographic calling code which operates on internet domain protocols. As an authority in his field, Mr. Nikolov provides great insight as it relates to the virtualisation and convergence of the Telecommunication, Information & Technology sector and is a frequent advisor to the European & UK Parliaments in this regard.
