IBDE

IBDE team is headed by an executive director who has extensive experience in the worlds of business and diplomacy.

The CEO is responsible for overall strategy development, fundraising and relationship with key stakeholders. He is also in charge of IBDE’s delivery of programmes and services, team management, administration and financial issues. An Advisory Board made up of Ambassadors representing all continents, distinguished ex-diplomats, businesspersons and academics from the field of International Business and Diplomacy supports the CEO.

Rudi Guraziu | Chief Executive

Rudi Guraziu, founder and CEO, is based in London. He is also Editor of 'Exchange: The Magazine for International Business and Diplomacy'. Mr Guraziu has worked for a decade in the Balkans. Whilst in Kosovo he was one of the principals in the running of a large pharmaceutical business until the 1999 war. The realities of conducting business in a conflict zone necessitated negotiation skills in order to ensure his own survival whilst maintaining focus on business as usual. Mr Guraziu for many years has been actively engaged with business leaders and diplomats as a consultant on Foreign Affairs. His expertise covers international affairs with a particular focus on EU foreign policy, business and commercial diplomacy. His research interests are in exploring the impact of international events and turning crises into opportunities. Before Establishing IBDE, with a commitment to strengthening democracy in less strong states, he worked pro bono to initiate the establishment of the Centre for Business and Parliamentary Dialogue (CBPD) to encourage mutual understanding and exchange of information between parliaments and businesses for the public benefit. For much of that time he worked with different parliaments particularly in the relationship between legislative bodies and economic operators. Mr Guraziu holds an MA in International Relations (with distinction) from Middlesex University, UK. He has often published on Foreign Affairs issues and presented papers at conferences on the subject.

Anila Thompson | Business Development Director

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Alfred Kovaci

Alfred holds a BSc from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE) and a BA from the University College London (UCL). Whilst at university Alfred was very active, serving as President and Chairman in several student societies and associations where he organised many high profile events - including public lectures and conferences with Presidents, Prime Ministers, Foreign Ministers and other leaders from the world of business, diplomacy and academia. Alfred also worked in the UK Parliament as an assistant to a labour MP for about 6 months, before getting involved with the electoral strategy group at the HQ of the UK Conservative Party.

Professor Jacques N. Couvas | 'Exchange' Associate Editor

Jacques has been an Associate Editor with IBDE since 2010. He is a Visiting Professor of Management at Ozyegin University, Istanbul and Senior Lecturer of Strategic Management at Bilkent University, Ankara. He has also been a visiting academic at Koç and Sabanci universities, Istanbul. He began his career as a journalist, before serving for 30 years as a CEO, executive officer and board director with Information and Communications Technologies multinational corporations in Europe, the U.S. and Asia. His teaching and research interests are in strategy, leadership, international negotiations, and EU constitutional law. He is a member of the European Corporate Governance Institute.

Epidamn Zeqo  | Deputy Editor