About Us

Dr. Mahir Nayfeh brings over 30 years of experience in technology and engineering, specializing in advanced AI and digital solutions. Previously, he was a Partner at QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey, advising clients on AI implementation, and a Senior Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton. He holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland and several patents.

Chiara Marcati has extensive experience in accelerating business through deploying generative AI, advanced analytics strategy and modeling, change management, and capacity building. Previously, Chiara was a Partner at McKinsey & Company for 20 years, where she led the specialized AI arm, QuantumBlack, in the EEMA region. Chiara holds an M.Sc. in telecommunication engineering, summa cum laude, from the University of Pisa in Italy and an MBA from HEC Paris in France.

Mehdi Ghissassi leads the development of GenAI products. Previously, he spent 13 years at Google, where he built and led early-stage incubation teams across cloud, emerging markets, and research. He also served as Director and Head of Product for both DeepMind and Google Brain. Mehdi holds a Master of Science from École Polytechnique and École des Ponts in France, a Master’s in International Affairs from Sciences Po Paris, and an MBA from Columbia University in the U.S.

Qais Al-Lafi is a seasoned Engineering Leader with over 17 years of experience at Microsoft and Amazon, specializing in building and scaling high-impact systems. He has played a pivotal role in the development of innovative technologies across Cloud, IoT, AI, and Robotics, including Amazon’s Retail platform, Alexa, Astro, and Microsoft’s GPT-powered Copilot. With a passion for turning research into scalable solutions, Qais drives technology strategies that enhance operational efficiency and deliver business growth.

Brian Leke has 20+ years of experience architecting and building engineering solutions at scale at multiple clients across Europe, Africa and Australia. Prior to AI71 he was a Distinguished Engineer at McKinsey & Company and also Head of Technology at ThoughtWorks prior to that. He has also played engineering leadership roles at multiple banks in South Africa. He holds a PhD in Engineering with Computational Intelligence / AI as speciality

Klemensas Mecejus is experienced in AI-driven investment optimization, digital transformation, and large-scale analytics. As a former McKinsey Partner and leader of QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey, he has led AI transformations across sectors including TMT, consumer, real estate, and public institutions. He holds a postgraduate degree in AI for Business from Oxford, a master’s in Financial Economics from ISM, and a bachelor’s in Mathematics and Business from the University of Edinburgh.

Kate Kamarchuk leads Customer Engagement at AI71, leveraging her extensive experience in managing complex technology programs. Prior to this role, she successfully implemented comprehensive secure communications projects for the UAE government and on an international scale. She holds a International Management Degree from Belarusian State University and is an alumna of MIT SLOAN Strategy and Innovation program.

Isam Omran brings over 25 years of experience advising UAE-based clients on digital transformation, consulting, software, and services. Previously, he served as VP of Digital Platforms & Solutions at du Tech, leading product development and advisory services. He was also EVP of Digital Business X at Core42, driving digital venture building through PPPs, joint ventures, and NewCos.

Joel Wilson brings over 10 years of experience in delivering AI programs and solutions across diverse industries, including public finance, tax & customs, retail banking, and heavy industrials. Previously, Joel was Principal Data Scientist at QuantumBlack, McKinsey, where he led the development and delivery of AI transformation programs. Prior to that, he worked with EXL Analytics to develop ML models for the insurance sector on auto claims & risk.

Diana Zinchenko has over 13 years of experience across AI, product development, strategy, private equity, and investment banking. At Google and DeepMind, she led AI initiatives in health, climate, and digital identity, and helped integrate Fitbit into Google. She also translated AI research into real-world applications at DeepMind. Earlier, she worked in sustainable infrastructure at Denham Capital and M&A at Deutsche Bank. Diana holds an MBA from Harvard (Fulbright Scholar) and a Math & Economics degree from Cambridge.

Yacine Zerkdi leads Strategy, Operations & Partnerships at AI71, driving tech initiatives and partnerships. Born and raised in Morocco, he proudly embraces his Berber heritage. Previously, he led Android's Priority Partnerships at Google MENA, building alliances with major telecom players and advancing AI projects. He also worked in TMT consulting at Monitor Deloitte across France and Francophone Africa. Yacine holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was President of the Africa Business Club, as well as dual MSc degrees from ESSEC/Telecom ParisTech and an MSc. Eng. from Institut Mines-Telecom.

Chama Moumile leads Brand and Communications at AI71, bringing 13 years of experience in corporate communications, public policy, and brand strategy. She specializes in executive positioning, media relations, and regulatory affairs. Previously, she led European communications at Trainline and Lime. Chama holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law and Political Science, a Master’s in Marketing and Communication, and is a graduate of multiple AI, Leadership, and Communications programs from INSEAD and Imperial College.

Lucinda Johansson leads product marketing, bringing over 8 years of experience in the field of artificial intelligence. She began her career in Silicon Valley, building an Al startup that won the NVIDIA Artificial Intelligence Retail Prize. She has since founded two additional Al startups in search and healthcare. Prior to that, she worked on Al strategies for TMT clients at Accenture, focusing primarily on software clients. She holds a Bachelor's in Business Administration with a major in Entrepreneurship & Innovation.

Moulay Alaoui leads marketing and go-to-market strategies, with 15 years of experience across digital innovation, IT transformation, and management consulting. He has deep expertise in product, marketing and sales. At Meta, he led go-to-market strategies for a range of products, including AI and video solutions. He holds a Master of Science in Operations Research from Columbia University in the US and a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Ecole des Mines in France.

Anushe Sheikh leads product development for enterprise GenAI solutions utilizing open-source LLMs. Previously, she was a PM on Google’s Responsible AI team, leading the development of tools to improve the safety and fairness of GenAI products and Gemini models. Additionally, she worked on the YouTube Living Room team, launching several features across Search & Discovery. She is an alumna of Google’s Associate Product Management (APM) program, and holds an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Wellesley College.

Asha Xu drives technical programs at AI71, leveraging her experience in digital strategy and product development. At McKinsey, she helped shape high-profile projects, including the digital transformations and product builds across real estate and banking. Prior to that, Asha coded and deployed automation solutions for Fortune 500 clients, levering her engineering background. Asha holds an MBA from London Business School.