Jim Mellon is an investor with a twenty-year background in fund management. He is the founder of several companies and remains the principal shareholder of Charlemagne Capital, the leading emerging market asset manager. He lives in the Isle of Man and in Spain. He has a Masters Degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University and is an Honorary Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford. He is a recognized expert in development economics.

Al Chalabi is an entrepreneur who has been based in Asia for eight years and has extensive experience of developing economies. He has a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a Masters in Business Administration. He consults widely for multinational corporations on strategy, particularly in relation to technology. Originally from Iraq, Al grew up in the UK after his family moved there when he was a young child. Al has also lived in Canada, France and the United States and currently lives in Hong Kong.