Dr. Kathy Sienko, O.B.E., is an internationally respected nurse leader whose career spans more than three decades and three continents. Beginning her professional journey as a high‑school teacher of English Literature and Spanish, she later found her true calling in nursing, a path that has taken her across nine organizations in both the for‑profit and not‑for‑profit sectors.

Today, Dr. Sienko serves as the System Chief Nursing Officer at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSH&RC) in Saudi Arabia, ranked the Number 1 hospital in Saudi Arabia. Under her leadership, KFSH&RC hospitals have achieved many firsts and awards including Magnet designation three times in Jeddah and Riyadh, and the Jeddah site has twice earned PTAP accreditation with distinction for its nurse residency program, and achieving NCPD status.

Her career reflects remarkable versatility: from staff nurse to clinical nurse specialist, consultant Nurse, director, adjunct faculty member, and non‑executive NHS board member. She has also held senior leadership roles in global corporations, including British Telecom and Cerner Corporation (now Oracle), where she was Director for consulting Operations and Director for the European branch of Cerner’s corporate university, KnowledgeWorks. She is also a certified, experienced and in-demand coach, mentor and leadership facilitator.

Honored with the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E) for her contributions to UK healthcare, Dr. Sienko continues to shape global nursing through thought leadership, global committee service to the American Nurse Credentialing Center and the Royal College of Nursing, and her role as Editor‑in‑Chief of the Journal of Nursing Science and Professional Practice. A lifelong learner and avid traveler, she brings curiosity, compassion, joy, faith, gratitude and courage to every stage of her journey.

Kamberlyn A. Runzo, MSW, LISW-S, who is professionally known as Kami Runzo, is a Social Services Clinical Manager at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center with more than 25 years of experience in pediatric healthcare, medical social work, and clinical leadership. She currently provides leadership and operational oversight for a team of 30 critical care social workers supporting patients and families within the Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Palliative Care, and StarShine Hospice Home Care programs. 
 
Ms. Runzo’s professional expertise includes pediatric oncology and hematology, palliative care, crisis intervention, psychosocial assessment, care coordination, and family-centered care. She has extensive experience leading interdisciplinary teams, supporting workforce development, and advancing quality initiatives that enhance patient and family outcomes. Her work also focuses on community resource development and partnerships, child welfare, social determinants of health, and the integration of psychosocial care into complex healthcare environments. 
 
Before assuming her current leadership role, Ms. Runzo served as Lead Social Worker at Cincinnati Children’s Liberty Campus, where she played a key role in developing social work services for newly established inpatient and outpatient programs. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Cincinnati and is a Licensed Independent Social Worker with Supervision Designation (LISW-S). She is an active member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Association of Pediatric Oncology Social Workers (APOSW). 

President of the Board of Trustees at the Hashemite University, VP of the of the board of the National Health Care Accreditation Council, member of the higher Council of the National Centre for Curriculum Development, Advisor for HRH Princess Muna EL Hussein for Health and Social Development, member of the Jordanian nursing Council, and Professor at the college of Nursing/ Jordan University of Science and Technology.

Former Senator and Minister of 3 ministries: Higher Education and Scientific Research, Social Development and Government Performance. Fromer President of the Hashemite University, DG of King Abdullah University Hospital, President of the BOT/ Yarmouk University, and VP and Secretary General of the National Council for Family Affairs. Former VP at JUST, Dean of the College of Nursing/ JUST, founder/WHO collaboration center of excellence at JUST, and Chairperson of the Executive Council of the Arab Women Organization at the Arab League.

AlMaaitah completed B.Sc./nursing from University of Jordan, MPH and Doctoral Degrees in Public Health from Tulane University/USA, post-doctoral fellowship in Health Administration/Louisiana State University, and completed Senior Executive Education Programs in leadership and power at Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

AlMaaitah is a recipient of the Order of the State Centennial 2021, the Order of the Star of Jordan/First Order in 2003 and the Bahraini Decoration of the Second Order in 2006. She is an Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Nursing at the RCSI University/Dublin and Recipient of AbdulHameed Shoman Medical Sciences Award for Young Arab Scientists.

Tammy Casper DNP, MEd, RN, NE-BC
Magnet Program Director, Center for Professional Excellence
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Tammy, Magnet Program Director at Cincinnati Children’s, leads strategic initiatives aligning goals with Magnet standards. With 33+ years in nursing, she drives excellence in neonatal/pediatric care, fosters collaboration, and champions innovation, evidence-based practice, and professional development.

Professor Tom O’Connor is a distinguished nursing academic, researcher, and educational leader with over two decades of experience in higher education and clinical practice. He is currently Professor of Nursing and Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, and serves as President of the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP), reflecting his global leadership in the field. He has played a pivotal role in transforming nursing education in Ireland, contributing to its evolution from an apprenticeship-based model to a fully established academic discipline. An internationally recognised expert in wound care and pressure ulcer research, Professor O’Connor has developed a highly impactful research profile, with over 140 peer-reviewed publications, an H-index of 39, and research funding exceeding €7.5 million. His work has earned international recognition, including listing among Stanford’s Top 2% of Scientists and ranking within the top 0.15% worldwide in pressure ulcer research. A committed educational innovator, he has led the design and delivery of postgraduate programmes supporting over 7,700 graduates. His leadership and influence extend globally through research collaborations, consultancy, and academic partnerships, advancing excellence in nursing education and evidence-based practice worldwide.

Abdulqadir J. Nashwan is a nurse researcher, educator, and healthcare leader with extensive experience in nursing and midwifery research, evidence-based practice, education, and research capacity building. He has held senior nursing research and leadership roles in Qatar and has contributed extensively to clinical and health sciences research through numerous peer-reviewed publications, international collaborations, editorial activities, and research mentorship. His research interests include evidence-based healthcare, artificial intelligence in nursing and healthcare, patient safety, workforce development, oncology, chronic disease, and research methodology. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Health Sciences at Qatar University and remains actively engaged in advancing nursing research, professional development, and the translation of evidence into clinical practice across the region and internationally.

Dr. Mohammed Al Houqani is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, and Secretary General of the National Institute for Health Specialties. He is a consultant in respiratory and sleep medicine, with academic and clinical expertise in obstructive sleep apnea, tobacco-related respiratory health, and postgraduate medical education.

He has played a leading national role in advancing specialty training in the UAE through accreditation, Emirati Board certification, competency-based medical education, assessment governance, and digital e-portfolio implementation. His scholarly work includes publications in sleep medicine, respiratory medicine, tobacco control, and medical education.

Dr. Hatem Al Ameri, MD, FRCPC, FCCP, MSc, is a distinguished healthcare leader, pulmonologist, and health workforce strategist with more than 25 years of experience spanning clinical medicine, medical education, healthcare regulation, and workforce policy. He currently serves as Advisor of Healthcare Licensing and Medical Education at the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, while also contributing to academia and clinical practice as an Adjunct Clinical Professor and Visiting Consultant Pulmonologist. Dr. Al Ameri played a pivotal role in transforming healthcare professional licensing, workforce planning, and postgraduate medical education in the UAE, including establishment of Abu Dhabi Residency Matching Program, Medical Education Funding Scheme, and leading initiatives that achieved international accreditation standards. Trained at McGill University, Canada, he is widely recognized for advancing healthcare workforce development and regulatory innovation. His contributions have earned multiple award, including the DOH Leadership Award, the prestigious ACGME-I Physician Leader Award and Gold Stevie Awards for leadership excellence.

A pioneer in nursing in the UAE. In 2021, She received the H. H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, the Abu-Dhabi Award for being instrumental in developing nursing in the UAE.

Established the first Department of Nursing at Ministry of Health and Founder member of the Emirates Nursing Association (ENA) and a member of its Board since 2003.

She was the Advisor for nursing affairs for the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention and former Secretary of the UAE Nursing and Midwifery Council till April 2021.

She was a member of the International Council of Nurses’ Board of Directors for two terms, 2017-2021 and 2021- 2025. Member of the Commission of the pathway to Excellence-ANCC and Member of the Commission on Magnet-ANCC, 2012- 2023.

She has led and provided consultation and advice working with WHO, ICN and UAE Women’s Union and being a member of several national, regional and international professional organizations. She has been leading and investing in building a culture of nursing excellence.

Dr. Yousef M. Aljawarneh, PhD, MSN, RN, FHEA

Dr. Yousef Aljawarneh is a distinguished nurse academic, clinician, and researcher with over two decades of experience spanning critical care nursing, higher education leadership, and accreditation. He currently serves as Assistant Professor and Chair of the Nursing Program at the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), UAE, where he leads national and international accreditation initiatives (CAA, ACEN) and curriculum reform toward competency-based education. Dr. Aljawarneh earned his PhD in Nursing, focused on Adult and Acute Care, from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, USA, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA, UK) and a Certified CAA Academic Accreditation Reviewer. A prolific researcher, he has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications on nursing workforce, student wellbeing, and clinical education. He remains dedicated to mentoring nurses and advancing evidence-based healthcare education.

Lisa is a highly motivated values-driven leader in healthcare, with over two decades of expertise in the healthcare arena. Her career encompasses diverse roles in private and public healthcare sectors, alongside higher education, reflecting a seasoned professional with a holistic grasp of healthcare dynamics.

With a passionate dedication to delivering high quality education and patient care, Lisa has collaborated extensively with various organizations, including governmental agencies and policymakers, aiming to transform the healthcare landscape and elevate the role of all health care professionals. Lisa’s strengths lie in navigating complexities, fostering innovation and evidence-based research by collaborating with industry and subject matter experts to collectively drive solution-driven outcomes. Passionate about nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals, she is committed to cultivating a world-class healthcare workforce and effecting positive change in the healthcare domain.

Sami Abdul Majid, MsBA, CCM, RN is a Licensed RN and certified case manager with experience as corporate case manager, nursing academic lecturer, and critical care RN with 25 years of experience across Canada and the UAE.

A team leader and award-winning conference presenter, he holds a Bachelor of Nursing Science and a Master’s degree in Business Analytics.

Sami is a recognized expert in case management and healthcare solutions, specializing in addressing hospital utilization challenges, care coordination, and performance improvement.

Vinicio Alberelli is Corporate Chief Patient Experience Officer at SEHA – Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, part of PureHealth Group, where he leads patient experience across the UAE’s largest healthcare network: 13+ hospitals, 2,600+ beds, 46 primary care clinics and some 14,000 employees serving 114,000 inpatients and more than 5 million outpatients a year.

He authored the Group Experience Strategy 2027, built on five pillars — Hospitality & Service Excellence, Workforce Capability, Digital & Access, Physical Environment & Design, and Data & Insights — and approved into a corporate investment programme. Under his leadership the group experience score rose from 45 to 65 in twelve months, independently benchmarked, with a 70+ trajectory set for FY2027. He built SEHA’s service measurement infrastructure from zero — KPI methodology, cleanliness, environment and food quality audit standards, and a governance framework now used at every facility — led the hospitality workstream of the Corniche Hospital turnaround at Group CEO level, and drove Planetree Person-Centered Care certification at Tawam and Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City.

He was recruited into healthcare from twenty years in luxury hospitality, including Chief Executive Officer of Oman’s national hospitality company and group Food & Beverage leadership at Jumeirah. An Italian national, he is based in Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Chantel van Wyk is an Assistant Professor in the Master of Genetic Counseling Program at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University. She is a registered genetic counselor with a PhD in Health Professions Education and more than 15 years of clinical, academic, and research experience. Before joining UAEU, she served as a cancer genetic counselor at the Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Center in Oman. Her professional interests include hereditary cancer, genomic education, genetic counseling workforce development, and culturally responsive cancer genetics services, particularly within the Middle East and African contexts.