Matheus Falasco is a Sustainability Consultant at SEED Consultoria em Sustentabilidade. He is also a lawyer and founder of Youth Action Hub Brazil. Currently, he serves as the coordinator of youth action hub Curitiba, as well as a consultant at SEED consultancy, with a focus on ESG and CSR.
In addition, Matheus is the Ambassador of the Brazil Conference at Harvard & MIT, junior advisor to the Paranaense Council for Corporate Citizenship (CPCE), member of the Young Scholars Initiative of the Institute for New Economic Thinking and UNCTAD Youth Network.
Merewalesi Falemaka has been Permanent Representative of the Pacific Islands Forum to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) since 2013 and accredited as Permanent Observer of the Pacific Islands Forum to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva since 2018.
Prior to her appointment, she served as Director of Trade and Investment at the Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat in Port Vila, Vanuatu from 2009 to 2013. She was a Trade Consultant for Pacific States on the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations with the European Union at the Pacific Islands Forum secretariat in Fiji from 2007 to 2009, and Commonwealth Trade Consultant for Pacific States on the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Fiji from 2006 to 2007.
Ms. Falemaka served as Trade Policy Adviser on World Trade Organization issues at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Fiji from 2000 to 2006. She worked at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade of Fiji in various capacities from 1986 to 1999, including as Chief Economist.
Ms. Falemaka holds a Master of Economic Studies from the University of Queensland, Australia (1996) and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Geography from the University of the South Pacific in Fiji (1982).
Currently, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Pacific Islands Forum to the WTO since September 2013 and accredited as Ambassador and Permanent Observer of the Pacific Islands Forum to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva since May 2018. Formerly Chief Economist in the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Fiji Government, Trade Policy Adviser (WTO) at Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), Commonwealth Trade Consultant at PIFS on EPA negotiations, Director of Trade and Industry at the Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat. Holds a Master of Economics Studies from the University of Queensland, Australia (1996) and a BA in Economics & Geography, from the University of the South Pacific, Fiji (1982).
Karen Fang is Managing Director, Global Head of Sustainable Finance at Bank of America. She works across Bank of America’s eight lines of business to drive the implementation of its firm-wide sustainable finance strategy and goal of mobilizing and deploying $1.5 trillion in sustainable finance capital by 2030.
Karen is a member of the Bank of America’s Management Committee, Responsible Growth (ESG) Committee, as well as the firm-wide Asian Leadership Council. Formerly, she was the head of Global Fixed Income, Currencies & Commodities (FICC) Cross Asset Trading, and the head of Americas FICC Sales & Solutions prior to that.
Karen is a leader in global net zero and sustainable finance task forces, including the G7 Just Energy Transition Partnership, UN Global Investors for Sustainable Development, Sustainable Markets Initiative, World Economic Forum Net Zero Transition Steering Committee, and the U.S. Steering Council of 1t.org, a public-private partnership to advance reforestation and carbon finance initiatives. Karen served as a National Board member of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), one of the largest Community Development Financial Institutions in the U.S.
Prior to joining Bank of America, Karen was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs where she was the head of the Pension, Endowment and Foundation Cross Asset Solutions Group. Previously, she held senior positions in derivatives structuring, including at Merrill Lynch in Tokyo and Deutsche Bank in London.
Karen was named one of Fortune’s “40 under 40”and a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Karen is featured as one of Crain’s New York Business’s 2023 Notable Leaders in Sustainability and listed on 2022 Notable Women on Wall Street, and a recipient of the 2021 American Banker Most Powerful Women Standout Award, the 2021 Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award, and Business Insider’s 100 People Transforming Business Award in 2020. Previously, she was chosen by Investment Dealers’ Digest as one of the “40 under 40” bankers and is also a recipient of the Women’s Bond Club of New York’s Rising Star Award.
Karen holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Tokyo.
Patricia Farah is the Coordinator of the Federal Council of Fiscal Responsibility of Argentina. Before that, she worked in the Ministry of Economy, in the National Senate, in Nación AFJP among other outstanding positions, and in private consulting, international organizations and international financial institutions.
She has worked in both the public and private sectors, with a solid development in the budgetary, fiscal and financial areas. She has extensive experience in consolidation and leadership of work teams, with experience in coordination of various topics and specialized in the evaluation of governmental fiscal management. She has several publications as co-author and research coordinator.
Patricia has a degree in Economics from the University of Buenos Aires, a Master's degree in Intégration Economique with a double degree from the Universities of Salvador and Sorbonne Paris, a Master's degree in Capital Markets from the University of Buenos Aires and the Argentinian Institute of Capital Markets, and is an Ontological Coach from the Di Tella University, among other postgraduate studies.
Fulvia Farinelli works as Senior Economist in the Resident Coordinator Office of the United Nations in Argentina. She previously worked at UNCTAD in the Division on Investment and Enterprise. She holds a PhD on Economics of Innovation and Technical Change.
Yas Farjad is an aquaculture specialist working at the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture within the French Ministry responsible for fisheries and aquaculture. In her current role, she is in charge of European and international affairs, as well as the economic development of the aquaculture sector.
Prior to joining the public sector, she founded and managed a company dedicated to aquaculture production and consulting services for seafood products. In this role, she worked with institutions and partners across several countries to support market analysis and identify commercial opportunities for sustainable aquaculture products.
In parallel with her professional activities, she has also contributed to scientific publications related to marine ecosystems and biodiversity, with a particular interest in microalgal communities. She holds a double master’s degree, one in marine biology and the other in fisheries and aquaculture sciences, obtained from the engineering school Agrocampus Ouest in France.
H.E. Dr. Sherif M. Farouk serves as Minister of Supply and Internal Trade for the Arab Republic of Egypt.
An eminent Egyptian economist and reform leader with decades of executive experience in banking, financial inclusion, and institutional modernization, Dr. Sherif Farouk has led transformational reforms in Egypt’s food security policy, digital subsidy systems, and internal trade development.
His leadership is rooted in data-driven governance, inclusive policy design, and a strong commitment to social protection aligned with Egypt Vision 2030.
Dr. Farouk holds a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from Ain Shams University (2013), an MBA in Banking from the Arab Academy for Banking and Financial Sciences (2009), and a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from Ain Shams University (1987).
His key executive roles include serving as Minister of Supply and Internal Trade (2022 – Present), Chairman of Egypt Post Authority (2020 – 2022), and CEO & Managing Director of Nasser Social Bank (2017 – 2020). He has also held senior executive positions in the Egyptian Gulf Bank, National Bank for Development, Egyptian American Bank, and Egyptian Commercial Bank.
Donald Edward Farrell is an Australian politician and former trade unionist. He has been Minister for Trade and Tourism and Special Minister of State and Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate since 2022.
He was originally elected to the Senate in 2008, and served as Minister for Science and Research, Minister for Sport, Minister Assisting on Tourism, and Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water during for a six-year term.
In 2016, he was again nominated for the Senate, serving as the Shadow Special Minister of State, Shadow Minister for Sport and Tourism, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.
Mr. Farrell studying law at the University of Adelaide.