Professor Norman Stone

Bilkent University (Turkey)

Norman Stone was educated at Glasgow Academy and Cambridge University. After research in Vienna and Budapest, he returned to Cambridge as lecturer in German and Russian history, then professor of modern history at Oxford. Since 1995 he has been director of the Russian-Turkish Centre at Bilkent University, Ankara. His book The Eastern Front 1914–17 won the Wolfson History Prize. In 1999 he made his fictional debut as the model for "Fluke" Kelso, the academic hero of Robert Harris's thriller Archangel. He divides his time between Oxford and Turkey.

Dr Omer Karahan

Managing Director, Acibadem Health, (Turkey)

Having graduated from Tarsus American High School and Dicle University Medical School, Dr. Karahan worked as a hospital executive at International Hospital and American Hospital, Istanbul. He studied Healthcare Management at the Methodist Hospital System in Houston, before returning to Turkey as Area Consultant to the Methodist Hospital and the first Turkish Medical Director of the American Hospital. He won a scholarship to take a further US degree in Healthcare and Financing in 1997 and has worked in Lebanon and Dubai as General Manager of NextCare.

Professor Sir Michael Rawlins

National Institute of Health & Clinical Excellence, NICE (UK)

Sir Michael Rawlins has been chairman of the National Institute of Health & Clinical Excellence (NICE) since its establishment in 1999 with a brief which included the evaluation of new drugs and medical procedures in the NHS. He is an Honorary Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Emeritus Professor at Newcastle University. He has practiced as a consultant physician and clinical pharmacologist. He has served as chairman of the Committee on Safety of Medicines; and chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

Francoise Conchon

INSEMMA (France)

After working in Australia for NRMA Insurance, and in Europe in the consumer goods sector, Francoise Conchon joined INSEMMA, one of the leading market research agencies operating in healthcare in France. Her consulting experience involves the development of marketing strategies for innovative drugs and devices. She is also a member of the Pfizer Healthcare Chair at ESCP Business School, where she is contributing to a program on the future direction of patient communication.

Macdonald Chaora

Chief Executive Officer, CIMAS Medical Aid Society (Zimbabwe)

Mac Chaora graduated with a BA in Economics from the University of Sheffield in 1979, and obtained a post graduate diploma in Health Economics from York University. After working for six years in Harare City Health Department, he went back to University and in 1987 graduated with a Masters in Public Health from the University of Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, USA.

John O Dowd FRCS (UK)

Director, Real Health Institute (UK)

John is an opinion leader in the delivery of complex musculoskeletal healthcare. A spinal surgeon by background, he founded and leads the Real Health Institute, delivering evidence based solutions in the UK and Holland, working with both the NHS and the private sector. He was a founder of AOSpine the largest membership organisation in spine care globally, has been secretary of the Society for Back Pain Research and is on the board of the UK healthcare think tank 2020health.

Karen Ignagni

President & CEO America's Health Insurance Plans AHIP (USA)

Karen Ignagni is the effective voice of US health insurers, representing members that provide healthcare to more than 200 million Americans. She regularly testifies before Congress on key federal legislation, and has won many accolades for her leadership. Washingtonian has named her one of the three "top guns" of trade associations, while Fortune described one of the political programmes spearheaded by her as "worthy of a Presidential election bid". Prior to joining the then AAHP in 1993, Karen directed the AFL-CIO's Department of Employee Benefits.