About

Hosted by Centurian Media Ltd, ISJ’s Leaders In Security Conference brings together leading figures from the Middle East security industry to deliver a high class business forum that focuses on business strategy, latest trends, regulations and innovations from the region.

The ISJ Leaders in Security conference provides delegates with a blend of regional and global perspective business analysis, information sharing, informed opinion, guidance and education whilst facilitating open debate and top-level networking with fellow industry colleagues and peers.

John Cowling (Conference Chair)

District Security Manager, Middle East & CIS - Global Security Law, Security and Public Policy, Caterpillar Inc.

John has been based in the Middle East region since 2005 with a career spanning over 30 years. He considers himself fortunate to be regularly deployed across the Middle East region and into Africa, Asia and Europe delivering practical security risk consulting solutions at strategic, tactical and operational levels for culturally diverse organisations typically across critical infrastructure, government and transportation sectors but with a wide experience also extending to construction, mega projects and management consulting.

He has qualifications in security and risk management, project management, investigations, aviation and maritime security which are included in his journey for continuous professional development. He regularly writes articles and hosts video interviews for International Security Journal.

Yacine Benamane CPP

Security Manager, Unilever North Africa & Middle East

Yacine Benamane CPP is a trained and qualified crisis and business risk senior manager with a breadth of corporate security experience in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector. Yacine has extensive experience in providing the businesses he has supported with robust and effective business continuity planning, crisis management and resilience strategies and programs.

He is currently a Regional Security Manager based in Dubai leading Unilever Supply Chain Risk Management and resilience in the Middle East and North Africa.

Yacine is a member of the Security Institute, the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) and ASIS as a Vice-Chairman of the Dubai Chapter.

Dana Haubold

Middle East Members Group, The Security Institute

Dana is a Security, Risk and Business Continuity management professional based in the UAE with 16 years of work experience in business and security for the energy sector, design & engineering, and event & sport industries in the Middle East.

Dana’s professional focus areas are the development of an integrated Security Risk Management practice for Physical, Information and Cyber Security, Security Strategy, Governance, Compliance, Business Continuity, and Incident and Crisis Management.

She holds a number of security certifications in various domains, including the CSMP®, CISSP, CRISC, CBCI, and the Chartered Security Professional (CSyP) status.

Dana also sits on the Middle East Members Group of The Security Institute, which is the regional representation of the UK’s largest membership body of security professionals.

Adil Abdel-Hadi

Managing Director, Shield Security Services Limited

Adil established Shield Security Services Ltd in the UK in 1986 and in 2006 established International Electronic Security in Dubai. Both companies provide bespoke security services to include consultancy, design and audit services focusing on technological solutions for a wide range of local and international clients.

Adil holds a Master’s Degree in Security Management from Leicester University, a Fellowship of the Security Institute (UK) and is a Chartered Security Professional, (CSyP) the highest professional recognition of an individual’s knowledge, skills and abilities in the global security industry.

Adil Abdel-Hadi proudly received the 2021 International Achiever of the Year Award, recognising a Security Institute member who has made a significant contribution to security outside of the UK.

Howard Leedham MBE

Managing Director of ESID DMCC

Howard is the Managing Director of ESID DMCC, a Special Situations and Global Consultancy company based in Dubai. He is a former UK Special Forces Officer and Royal Navy Commando Pilot who subsequently diversified at C-level into the Financial, Aviation and Security sectors. He has lived and worked in the Middle East for much of the past 15-years and is a licensed “Security Expert” with the Security Industry Regulatory Authority. He is a member of the Security Professionals Association, and was most recently the Industry Ambassador to Intersec 2022.

Matt Horrox

Director, Continuity Strategy

Matt has 20-years’ experience as a functional head managing security, operational resilience and business continuity teams inhouse and as a consultant in the field. He built his career with leading consultancy firms, including Atkins, Control Risks and KPMG, before going ‘inhouse’ taking leadership positions with leading European banks. He is now founding director of Continuity Strategy and a Fellow of the Institute for Strategy, Resilience and Security, UCL.

Matt has attained professional qualifications in business continuity, information security and physical security, as well as in management consultancy, project and programme management. He has worked extensively across the Middle East and in particular in the UAE and Gulf for much of his career, living in-region for a number of years.

Jennifer Ciolfi

Sr. Regional Security Manager, EMEA Global Security Operations, Snap Inc.

Jennifer has spent the last 25 years growing her career in the physical security arena. She has worked across a wide variety of industries, from Government of Canada to Academia to the Tech Industry. She has an MSc in International Security and Risk Management and PG Dip. From St. Andrews in Terrorism and Political Violence. She currently works as the Sr. Regional Security Manager for EMEA for a Global Tech Company.

James Thorpe

Editor, International Security Journal

James Thorpe is a keen writer and researcher who graduated from the University of Lincoln in 2020 with a First Class (BA Hons) Degree in English. Gaining significant experience as Editor of Security Journal UK (SJUK), James was internally promoted to Editor of International Security Journal (ISJ) in 2022.

In his current role, James engages with various businesses, consultants and directors working in a range of disciplines across the global security industry. As well as working on the monthly editions of ISJ, James plays a key role in the organisation of the company’s ISJ Leaders in Security Conference which made its successful debut in Dubai in May 2022.

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ISJ Leaders in Security Conference

Our Team

Meet our Advisory Panel