Burak, a Vice President at Monitor, leads Monitor’s private equity and capital services in the MENA Region and co-leads Monitor Group’s activities in Turkey. A founding member of Monitor’s Istanbul office in 1996, Burak has worked with clients in the financial services, construction and cement industries. In addition to his work for Monitor, Burak has provided consulting and private equity advisory services focused on the finance, real state and technology sectors in Turkey, as well as founding Gorbon Yachts, a boat builder in the United States, and leading business development in Oman and Saudi Arabia for his family’s ceramic company.
Burak received an Honors Business Administration Degree from Bogazici University, Turkey, and a MBA from Georgetown University. He can be reached via e-mail at Burak_Gorbon AT Monitor DOT com.
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Chris, a Global Partner at Monitor based in the Dubai office, focuses on major economic development and competitiveness programs, including sustainable business development. He has extensive experience working in the MENA region, leading led projects in Djibouti, Kuwait, Libya and the UAE, in addition to his experience in Southeast Asia and Europe.
Chris has conducted projects at the national, regional and city level that aim to achieve rapid economic growth whilst optimizing social and environmental impact. In 2003, he received a Business Leadership award from Publico, a leading Portuguese newspaper. Towards the early part of his decade, Chris worked for Monitor Clipper Partners, a private equity fund, and spent time as an analyst in the energy sector in Brazil and India.
Chris grew up in Hong Kong and holds an MA in Classics from Oxford University. Chris may be contacted via email at Christopher_Malone AT Monitor DOT com.
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Kristina M. Rogers, a Global Partner of Monitor, focuses on consumer marketing, new concept and new product development work, corporate strategy, and strategic positioning in the packaged goods (FMCG), energy, media and telecommunications, and banking industries. Kristina has led work in the Gulf collaborating with a senior management team to help define the future media landscape in the Gulf and to determine what investments to make. Prior to joining Monitor’s MENA team, Kristina spent six years in London as part of the European management team of Monitor’s marketing and growth strategy group, Market2Customer (M2C). Kristina has had a long and varied career at Monitor Group including postings in Monitor’s Toronto, New York, Johannesburg, and Istanbul offices. While in Turkey, Kristina had joint-responsibility for Monitor’s overall market strategy, client development, and human asset development. In addition to her work at Monitor, Kristina oversees the Halaqanetwork.com, an online organization designed to encourage collaboration among Arab women worldwide.
Kristina received an Honors Bachelor of Economics Degree with High Distinction from Queen’s University in Canada, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. Kristina may be contacted via e-mail at Kristina_Rogers AT Monitor DOT com.
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Emad Tinawi, a Vice President, brings to Monitor a wealth of experience consulting to government and non-governmental clients on issues of international development, government modernization and legal reform, international trade policy, and private sector development. Prior to joining Monitor, Emad was a Senior Associate at Booz•Allen•Hamilton where he led the international trade and public sector modernization practice and managed projects relating to government and institutional modernization, international trade, trade facilitation and customs modernization in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, including projects in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Lebanon and Qatar.
Emad, a frequent lecturer on international trade and economic development, holds a B.A. in Philosophy and M.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University, and a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School. Emad may be contacted via e-mail at Emad_Tinawi AT Monitor DOT com.
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Since joining Monitor in 1997, Ydir, a Global Partner, has worked for global clients in a broad range of industries on a diverse set of issues. In the private sector, Ydir has focused on clients in asset intensive industries, such as transportation, chemicals, telecoms and utilities, advising on corporate strategy, acquisition support, new business development and diversification, and market entry strategy. In the public sector, Ydir has primarily been involved with government organizations focused on economic development and security related issues. In the Middle East, Ydir is involved in a number of national economic development programs for government organizations, focusing on such topics as entrepreneurship, education and regulatory reform. For private sector clients, Ydir is most often involved in designing and supporting their growth agendas and their capacity / capability building initiatives.
Ydir has a master’s degree in Physics, an engineering degree in Industrial Engineering and a post graduate degree in International Relations. Ydir is a Dutch national. Ydir may be contacted via e-mail at Ydir_Vissers AT Monitor DOT com.
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James is a Vice President in Monitor’s Dubai office. His main focus in the MENA region has been on governmental effectiveness and economic development with a particular focus on the challenges of human capital development and encouraging entrepreneurship in the region. He has extensive experience of working in the MENA region, in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Lebanon. James is spearheading Monitor’s pro-bono work with AllWorld Network, helping to create the Arabian 500 – a list of the 500 fastest growing private companies in the Arab world.
Prior to his move to Dubai, James worked in Monitor’s London office for many years, advising clients in the public and private sectors on a range of issues, from corporate strategy to marketing and operational excellence, across a number of geographies, including Europe, North America, Asia and East and Southern Africa.
James holds a BA in Modern History from Oxford University. He can be reached via e-mail at
James_CartyAT Monitor DOT com.
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