Andrew Neil

Andrew Neil is a publisher, editor, writer, broadcaster, public speaker and business consultant on media matters working out of London, New York, Dubai and France. He is currently Publisher (chief executive and editor-in-chief) of The Press Holdings Group, owners of The Spectator, The Business and Apollo, the arts magazine and is also chairman of ITP, a major magazine publisher in the Gulf (based in Dubai); and chairman of World Media Rights, which owns and exploits TV rights and formats across the globe.

Neil also has a strong track record in broadcast media: he currently anchors four editions of the Daily Politics on BBC2 every week, the award-winning This Week on BBC1 every Thursday and Straight Talk with Andrew Neil on BBC News 24. He is also a member of the International Advisory Board of Al Jazeera.

Neil is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA). He has honorary degrees from Napier University (Edinburgh) and the University of Paisley.

Akani Thapthimthong

Akani received his MBA from London Business School and is a trained and qualified Chartered Accountant, and is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Akani joined Goldman Sachs London in 1980 and was the original team to pioneer private client services in the UK. He later became Executive Director of Goldman Sachs Asia in 1991, and was focusing on expanding private client services in the region and working closely with Investment Banking Division in Thailand.

He is currently Consultant to Goldman Sachs in Thailand.

Richard Hoon

Richard Hoon is the Chief Executive Officer of I Search Worldwide Group of Companies. I Search Worldwide is an international executive search organization with offices and affiliates in 15 countries around the world. He was formerly the managing director, Asia for an international executive search franchise.

Richard was also the former general manager of AEA International, the parent company of International SOS, the largest medical emergency assistance company in the world. Prior to that, he was the regional director, Asia in tourism for the Australian States of Victoria and Tasmania.

He started his career as a product engineer with the American subsidiaries of Dynatech Inc and Pall Corporation. Subsequently, he joined American Express International Inc where he held various marketing and sales management positions in the travelers’ cheques, card and travel divisions. His varied work experience has led him across a broad range of industries such as the oil and gas, electronics, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, tourism, food & beverage, hotel, aviation, financial services, insurance and healthcare services.

Richard has a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree and additionally holds an MBA degree in finance and marketing. He was awarded the Most Outstanding MBA of the Year at the Florida State University in 1989.

Jacqueline Krichbaum

Jacqueline Krichbaum is a Senior International Civil Servant working for the European Commission in Brussels. After graduating from Heidelberg University and then receiving an Interpreter’s Diploma from Holborn College, she joined the commission in 1970, where she has been ever since. Jackie works in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish and handles all ministerial and heads of government meetings.

Edward R. Koller, Jr.

Edward joined Howard-Sloan Associates in 1973 after several years in radio sales, and within four years was made a managing partner. He subsequently built the publishing practice, acquired it in 1989, and renamed it as The Howard∙Sloan∙ Koller Group. In 1991, he acquired a leading advertising agency recruiting firm, Jerry Fields Associates, combining the firms to capitalize on the synergies between the advertising and publishing sectors.

Koller provides consulting and recruitment services for many media and entertainment companies at all stages of development, such as start-up, pre-IPO, and merger or acquisition management. Over the years, he and the firm have played critical roles in staffing both traditional and nontraditional media enterprises, such as Dennis Publishing, Hearst, iVillage, Penton Media, Yahoo, Crain Communications, Playboy Enterprises, McGraw-Hill, among many others.

A frequent speaker at industry events on topics related to recruiting and retaining key employees, Koller authored a book, “The Hiring Challenge,” published by Folio Magazine in 1992.

Koller is past president of the Business Professional Advertising Association (B/PAA) and an active member of The Advertising Club of New York and the Direct Marketing Association. He is also an active philanthropist, having served as president of the New York Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation in the early ‘90s and is currently a trustee of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.

Gianni D’Angelo

After years with RCS Group (Rizzoli – Corriere della Sera) as CEO, Gianni is now retired and has founded a small publishing company called Koinè, based in Milan. The company handles publishing for the following high end luxury products:

• Cartier (Magazine Cartier Art)
• Jaeger LeCoultre (Corporate Book and Yearly Book)
• IWC-Mercedes Benz (Laureus Foundation)

Gianni is also Consultant to major publishers such as “Il Sole 24 ore” and “Hubert Burda Media”. He also serves as Member of the board in:

• Spain (“El Mundo” RCS)
  
• France (“Edition Nuit et Jour” Burda)
  
• South Korea (“Design House” Burda)
  
• Thailand (“Magazine Company” Burda)
  
• Turkey (Burda/Dogan J.V).

Gianni’s references in the US are with the following publishers:

• George Green (Hearst Publishing)
• Christie Hefner (Playboy Publishing)