David Lyford-Smith is an accountant and tech expert with particular interests in the digitalisation of tax systems, blockchain and cryptocurrencies, spreadsheet skills and best practice, and the place of technology in ICAEW’s professional qualifications. In his role in the IT Faculty, David liaises with various business and practice stakeholders as well as academic and political interests to create events and publications on a variety of thought leadership activities surrounding accountants in practice. David began his career at BDO, beginning in audit before joining the coordination team of BDO’s Global Outsourcing division, based in Reading. David worked on supporting multinational companies with their compliance activities across international boundaries, and also spent time working on iXBRL tagging. David also ran BDO’s internal Excel training courses, travelling the country to speak on spreadsheet best practice and skills. In his final year at BDO, David transferred to a Senior Excel Practitioner role, spending 100% of his time on spreadsheet support, training, and standardisation. A former ICAEW Excel Community volunteer, David then joined ICAEW full-time. In addition to his thought leadership activities, David also oversees the activities of the Excel Community and is a regular blogger for that community. He presents training and risk management sessions on spreadsheeting both for the ICAEW Academy and for the regional offices.

Alan Lynch is a Studio Writer and Co-Founder of Beyond Publishing

Nigel Lynch was born in England to mixed Caribbean parentage. These Caribbean roots are the inspiration for many of his creations. Nigel was an avid storyteller from an early age, with an interest in comics and all things pop culture of the time. 

With this love and a wealth of knowledge, Nigel dreamed of one day creating his own comic books. He is open to all genres but has a penchant for science fiction. Despite his day job and his other duties, Nigel always finds time to dedicate to writing and creating his next project.

Nigel is one of the founding members of Beyond publishing Caribbean. Some of his more popular titles are Hardears published by Abrams imprint Magascope which he Co-created with Matthew Clarke, along with the Addy award winning ‘Life & death in paradise’ series and the Angel award winning Crossroads series.

Ganna has 15+ years in commodities, energy markets, and financial services, including over a decade in Switzerland. Her expertise spans trading mechanisms, energy economics, and analytics. As a key member of Switzerland's risk assessment team, she works with banks and commodity traders, focusing on internal controls, valuation testing of derivatives, including deals and models evaluations. She also assesses middle office processes, market data validation, and risk management protocols for top commodity traders.

In the energy transition arena, Ganna played a pivotal role in establishing biofuels trading processes for a major oil and gas trading company, emphasizing traceability and third-party evaluations. Additionally, she contributed to the creation of discussion platforms on sustainability and innovation in the commodity trading industry.

Ganna has an MBA from Geneva University, specializing in Commodity Trading, an MBA from OXIIF, UK, an ACCA qualification, and the STSA Risk Certificate in Commodity Trading

With over 20 years of experience in managing digital business transformation, Mr. Tarik MAAOUNI successively held senior management positions in information systems for private and public companies in France and Morocco, in financial, banking, transport, maritime and logistics sectors.

Graduate of an engineering school specializing in applied mathematics and computer science (ENSIMAG) and a Master in Finance from IAE de Paris, Mr. Tarik MAAOUNI started his career in France in 1991 where he successively held positions of architect, engineering, and information system consultant before taking the management of banking and financial information system.

Mr. Tarik MAAOUNI joined National Port Agency of Morocco (ANP) in 2012, as Chief Information Officer to manage the Moroccan Ports digital transformation and coordinate the National Single Window for Foreign Trade of Morocco (PORTNET).

This large-scale project from a government's political will and implemented through a public-private partnership has mobilized the active players and companies in the port community and Foreign Trade of Morocco around the objectives of competitiveness, transparency and sustainable economic development.

Hauke Maas leads the advisory work on multilateral debt policy in GIZ's Global Policy Group. In this capacity, he advises the German government's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development on the global debt architecture and debt management capacity development. His portfolio also includes advising on the finances of International Financial Institutions.

Previously, Hauke was based in Nicaragua, where he was a researcher at a think tank and lecturer at Universidad Americana. He has been a consultant for the World Bank and ILO.

He graduated from LSE and SOAS, University of London.

Ambassador Mabhongo has served in several senior diplomatic positions both in South Africa and abroad.

Ambassador Xolisa Mabhongo serves as Non-Executive Director to the NECSA Board, representing the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).

In April 2024, Ambassador Mabhongo was appointed as South Africa’s BRICS Sherpa. He also serves as the country’s G20 Sous-Sherpa.

He became Deputy Director-General (DDG) of Branch: Global Governance and Continental Agenda at South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation in August 2023. In this capacity, Ambassador Mabhongo serves as the Personal Representative (Sherpa) of the South African President on issues related to the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

Ambassador Mabhongo holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Columbia University in New York, a Post Graduate Certificate in Diplomatic Studies from Oxford University in the United Kingdom and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Rhodes University in South Africa.

Thezi Mabuza serves as Deputy Commissioner of the National Consumer Commission in South Africa, having previously acted as Commissioner for five years. With a passion for consumer rights, she has devoted her career to shielding consumers from unfair business practices, pioneering product recalls processes and promoting education, awareness, and empowerment.

Mabuza's expertise lies in fostering collaboration among regulators to benefit consumers within South Africa and beyond. Her extensive experience in public sector management and governance has equipped her with the skills and novelty to drive meaningful change within the consumer protection landscape.

Her academic background includes a Master's degree in Public Policy and Administration from Jackson State University, as well as a Bachelor of Education in School Management from the University of South Africa. Additional credentials include programme certificates in Project Management from University of Pretoria, Executive Leadership Development from Wits Business School, and a Post Professional Certificate in Physical Education.

Ms. Agnes Macaulay was appointed Deputy Accountant General of the Republic of The Gambia in 2015, in charge of cash management and government bank accounts, and also responsible for the production of government consolidated financial statements. In 2009 she was appointed Deputy Director in charge of Government Treasury, managing government payroll, its budget, as well as being responsible for analyzing the government's of the Gambia’s revenue performance. She is a member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT, United Kingdom), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA, United Kingdom), the Liquidity Forecasting Committee, the PFM Audit Committee and is also a member of the Epicor Core Team. She holds other certifications, including in advanced financial accounting, public finance & expenditure control, central bank accounting and auditing, as well as a certificate in the implementation of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).  

H.E. Ms. Maira Mariela Macdonal Alvarez was appointed Permanent Representative of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to the United Nations Office at Geneva in March 2021.

Prior to her appointment to Geneva, Ms. Macdonal Alvarez had been serving as an advisor in the office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Plurinational State of Bolivia since 2020, after serving as Chief of Cabinet of the Minister in 2019. In 2018 and 2019, she served as First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Bolivia to the United Nations in New York, after being a Second Secretary there from 2016 to 2018, and a civil assistant there from 2014 to 2016.

Ms. Macdonal Alvarez worked in the office of the Vice President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia from 2012 to 2014, where she was first in charge of press and communication, then of public relations.

Ms. Macdonal Alvarez has a diploma in human rights from the University of Zaragoza, Spain (2020); and a degree in social communication from the University of San Andrés, the Plurinational State of Bolivia (2007-2013).

BA Economics, MSc Economics (National University of Colombia). Phd (c) in Management (EAFIT University, Colombia, in partnership with HEC Montreal, Canada). Associate Professor at the University of Medellin since 2002, in Accounting Program and Master of Accounting. Director (until 2012) of the Board of Economic Sciences of the National Commission for Quality Assurance in Higher Education -CONACES, Ministry of Education, Colombia Frequently publishes articles in major colombian accounting journals. He has developed short internships at UNAM in Mexico; ECLAC, Chile; the University of Massachusetts and Harvard University.