ITIC Global Agenda

Jeremy Bowen is a Welsh journalist and television presenter. He was the BBC’s Middle East correspondent, based in Jerusalem, between 1995 and 2000 and the BBC Middle East editor from 2005 to 2022, before being appointed the International Editor of BBC News in August 2022.

While Middle East Editor he led the coverage of the 2011 ‘Arab Spring’ and the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon, for which BBC News was awarded an International Emmy. He also won a first prize at the Bayeux War Correspondent Awards for a Panorama film on the Gaza War of 2009.

Jeremy has also presented numerous documentaries on BBC television and radio. In 2008, he presented a documentary for BBC Two about the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel. In 1999 he presented a special programme on BBC One examining the aftermath of the Turkish earthquake. Jeremy also presented the BBC One special following the Asian tsunami.

A seasoned war correspondent, Jeremy has reported from more than 70 countries and has covered conflicts in the Gulf, El Salvador, Lebanon, the West Bank, Gaza, Afghanistan, Croatia, Bosnia, Chechnya, Somalia and Rwanda, Iraq, Algeria and Kosovo.

Daniela is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in the fields of aviation assistance and ground ambulances. Over the years, she has risen through the ranks, starting as an assistance worker and advancing to her current role as Director of Aviation at Airlec, thanks to her unwavering dedication, passion, and exceptional skill set.

Tom Hienckes is the Business Development Manager at European Air Ambulance, where he focuses on customer relations, service expansion and improvement, as well as supporting the day-to-day operations of EAA’s fleet of two Challenger 605s and three Learjet 45XRs. A lifelong aviation enthusiast, Tom studied Aviation Management in Germany, laying the foundation for his career in the industry. He began his professional journey with a global business jet operator, gaining broad experience in both commercial and operational aspects of aviation through various roles in Luxembourg and the United Kingdom.

His passion for aviation, combined with an operational and customer-focused mindset, supports European Air Ambulance’s patient-centred mission to enhance global air ambulance services, with a strong emphasis on operational excellence and quality of care. Tom is fluent in Luxembourgish, German, French, and English, enabling him to build strong relationships across the international air ambulance and travel insurance industry.

Tyson leads LifeFlight’s Jet Air Ambulance division, managing a specialist fleet from Australia and Singapore. His career spans frontline missions through to senior leadership in the aeromedical sector, giving him a unique understanding of both operational detail and strategic direction. Today, he focuses on building lasting partnerships, expanding service reach, and positioning LifeFlight as a dependable, low-risk option for international patient transport.

Dick Atkins is a Philadelphia based veteran international attorney, and a legal pioneer in the Assistance and Travel insurance industries since the 1980s. Back then, he started his global legal hotline for International SOS, and then expanded. His legal hotline services have helped thousands of travelers in foreign counties, and the burgeoning study-abroad population of students, expats, their families and others working abroad.

In 1998, Dick became co-founder of International Recoveries, LLC. and while the hotline continued, this entity also offers further legal services to the travel insurance industry.

Besides having been the Chair of the International Bar Association’s Criminal Law Section, Dick has authored many publications and industry articles as well as having appeared on TV as an international law expert frequently.

He served as a Board member of the US Travel Insurance Association (USTIA), has been a long time member of THIA, and he has attended each ITIC Global conference since 1998.

Alex Thompson is an accomplished international lawyer with over 25 years of experience specializing in legal issues affecting international travelers. Since 2018, he has served as President and CEO of Legaroo Inc., a pioneering company dedicated to providing innovative legal assistance plans for students and corporate travelers across more than 120 countries. Under his leadership, Legaroo has emerged as a trusted resource, delivering tailored solutions to address urgent and unforeseen legal challenges faced by individuals abroad. With a deep expertise in navigating complex global legal landscapes, Alex continues to drive Legaroo’s mission to ensure safety, security, and peace of mind for its clients worldwide.

After graduation, he returned to Germany to begin his training in anesthesiology. In 2023, he joined Marm Assistance, where he is primarily responsible for medical escort missions, medical follow-ups, and cost containment. Since joining the organization, he has participated in over 100 intercontinental medical escort operations. A lifelong aviation enthusiast, Dr. Perri has always dreamed of becoming a pilot. Embracing both of his passions – medicine and flying – he actively attends courses in aerospace medicine and is on track to obtain his Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) certification in 2025. He is a native speaker of both Turkish and German and is fluent in English. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys flying, discovering new destinations, and cooking delicious meals.

Patrick has more than 20 years’ experience in the travel insurance market. Working for Optimum Life Reinsurance, which is the largest travel reinsurer in Canada, he is involved in the travel insurance market and helps organise a major travel insurance conference every 18 months. He is also a speaker within the industry on various topics, including risks and behaviours topics related to travel insurance.
Patrick is currently the Vice President of the Travel Health Insurance Association (THIA) and has been a member of its board for the last five years, and served as a volunteer with the association for the past 10 years.
Additionally, he is involved with other associations related to travel insurance in Canada, primarily as part of working groups focused on industry and government collaboration. He is also an active member of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA) and has been part of the committee in charge of their annual conference for the last six years.

With a career spanning over 25 years in financial services, insurance and assistance, Alastair Crossley now leads the Global Travel Solutions team at AXA Partners. He is responsible for the end-to-end value proposition, innovation, commercial framework, customer solution delivery & implementation for the AXA Travel Insurance offering globally. Having started his career in asset finance, Alastair soon moved into a commercial role in the UK for an automotive data services business, before joining the RAC (Royal Automobile Club) as Head of Motoring Services. In 2020, Alastair joined AXA Partners to head their Global Roadside Assistance programme, before switching industries to lead the Travel Solutions team. An accomplished public speaker, Alastair regularly covers travel and travel insurance topics from Security to Sustainability and Insuretech to Risk.

José L. Castellanos leads the Global Network at Falck Global Assistance, where he oversees provider relationships worldwide and manages a diverse team across six countries. With more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry and its ecosystem, José brings a wealth of expertise in managing complex projects, driving international expansion, and optimising supplier relationships. Having pursued studies in four different countries, José offers a truly global perspective and deep cross-cultural understanding. Fluent in Danish, English, and Spanish, he is recognised for his exceptional communication skills, which enable him to excel in stakeholder management and project execution.

Guillaume Debaene is the founder of GD TravelMed Assistance, a consultancy specialized in international medical assistance and travel health cost containment. With nearly 15 years of experience in the industry, he currently acts as lead consultant for Mega Assistance Services, supporting their strategic operations and international partnerships. Fluent in English, French, and Spanish, Guillaume brings a global perspective to the evolving landscape of travel and medical assistance.

Mr Sandeep Sharma is the CEO & Founder of Vmarsh Healthcare, a specialised consulting firm focused on Business Strategy, Quality/Performance Improvement & Transaction Advisory Services.

He is also a Member of the Board and Chairman of the Strategy Committee for the European Fertility Society; an Advisory Board Member for the Standards Committee for Global Healthcare Accreditation; and a Jury Member for the European Medical Tourism (EMT) Awards.

Sandeep comes with Techno-commercial experience across Healthcare, Biopharmaceuticals & Life-sciences industry focused on Corporate Strategy & Governance; Medical Tourism Strategy & Planning; Patient Experience Optimization; New Market Entry & Business Initiation/Expansion.

With 25 years’ experience of working in UK policing, Jed Stone has performed roles as the Head of ICT and CIO within mainstream policing and managed the delivery programme for the design and development of the UK Counter Terrorism intelligence system used prior to, and throughout, the 2012 Olympics. Jed has led the delivery of national CT intelligence development standards; national intelligence indexing standards; and national CT data review, retention, and disposal standards. He was also instrumental in the design of the working methods and supporting technology used within a multi-agency intelligence Siege/Hostage and CBRNE intelligence cell.

Since leaving the Police and as a director of Issured, Jed has managed the UK’s National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Digital Intelligence and Investigation (DII) programme and now capitalises on Issured’s collective experience in security and defence to develop innovative new products and services to support Law Enforcement, Justice and Victim Support Services.

Bruce is a recognized leader, author, and speaker in future forecasting, risk management, technology, and intelligence. He founded iJET International in 1999 (rebranded WorldAware in 2018, sold in 2020 and now Crisis24) to bring government-quality strategic and operational intelligence to the commercial market that was consumable and actionable. Through a series of acquisitions, WorldAware became the gold standard supporting Fortune 500 and Global 2000 companies in protecting their people and assets.

As a risk consultant, Bruce has worked with hundreds of organizations from the Global 2000 to NGOs and Academic institutions helping them develop, implement and improve their operational risk management programs.

Bruce started his Artificial Intelligence (AI) journey in the late-80s while working with NASA, DoD and the Intelligence Community. iJET was built on the work he developed for the government in globally collecting open-source information (OSINT), processing that information, creating and contextually disseminating near real-time operational intelligence products.

Bex has had a long career in travel management, managing programmes for clients at both HRS and at her role as the MD of a busy UK agency.  Her passion for travel risk management (TRM) began in 2019 during the development of ISO31030:2021 Travel Risk Management Guidance for Organisations. As an ISO Convenor with the British Standards Institute (BSI), she advocates for this standard and helps advance TRM practices.

Her clients include large domestic and international organisations, travel management companies (TMCs), and various travel service providers seeking to enhance their TRM understanding and align with ISO31030.

Bex regularly conducts webinars, presents at industry events, and hosts her podcast series, ‘Talk’n TRM’ and ‘Talk’n TRM – The Traveller Files,’ where she discusses TRM with experts and travellers. She is also a co-founder of the Travel Risk Academy, where members can gain knowledge and gain professional qualifications in Travel Risk Management.

Aurélien Gueye has worked in the healthcare industry for over a decade. He is currently CEO of Medigo, a TPA and medical assistance company based in Berlin, Germany. Medigo specialises in servicing IPMI and travel insurance products and provides claims management and cost containment solutions to insurers looking for network access in Germany and across Europe, as well as in over 150+ countries through a network of partners. Medigo has developed its own proprietary AI-enabled claims platform MediClaim and prides itself on its flexibility, agility and customer-centricity.

With 23+ years’ experience in the sector, Elsa has a solid academic training as a Graduate in Crime Science at the University CEU San Pablo. In addition to this training, she has an Executive MBA from EAE Business School. Her career has been focused on the field of assistance, with a special emphasis on Travel Assistance. She has worked for renowned companies such as Europ Assistance and International SOS. She currently works at Iris Global as Healthcare Network Manager, consolidating her experience at the leading company in the sector.

Andrew Ryland is a seasoned professional in the global health and travel insurance industry, currently serving as Head of Central Provider Management and Governance within the global Medical Provider Management team at Allianz Partners. With over 30 years of experience, starting in procurement, and over 17 years in healthcare services and provider management, he has held leadership roles across various companies including Bupa, AIA, and Allianz. Originally from London, his career has taken him to diverse locations such as Delhi, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Dublin. Andrew now leads a global team responsible for TPA and outsourcing management, medical provider management governance, project management, and key client network solutions. He brings deep expertise in network development tailored to customer requirements, negotiation and contracting, provider performance management, governance, project delivery, and driving cost containment and savings.

Dr. Miguel Cortés Gutiérrez is a senior flight physician with over 15 years of experience and more than 500 completed air medical missions. He is an emergency room physician specialized in critical care transport and the comprehensive management of critically ill patients. A graduate of the University of Guadalajara, he has trained in some of the most prestigious emergency departments and intensive care units in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Dr. Cortés holds advanced certifications in ATLS, ACLS, FCCS, and ABLS, and completed key rotations at Shriners Hospitals for Children – specializing in pediatric burn care. He is certified by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Medical and Surgical Emergencies. His clinical expertise includes advanced resuscitation, aeromedical evacuation, flight physiology, and interfacility transport of high-acuity patients.

In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Cortés serves as an instructor in flight physiology for pilots and cabin crew.

Dr. Michael Braida is a Canadian physician currently based in London. He has been working as an EMS helicopter physician for the German ADAC since 1991 and has also performed extensive air ambulance repatriation work with the German Red Cross.

Dr. Braida has been with the International SOS Group since 2009. He began his journey as a Regional Medical Director and currently serves as the Head of Medical Services for TRICARE. Prior to relocating to the London office, he was based in Phoenix, Arizona, where he supported commercial aviation and maritime clients as part of MedAire, an International SOS company. Over the years, Dr. Braida has held several Medical Director roles within the organisation, including assignments in Aberdeen (Scotland), Sydney (Australia), and Frankfurt (Germany).

He also serves as Chief Auditor at EURAMI, actively contributing to the evaluation and accreditation of medical air transport providers.

Sean entered the field of flight medicine in 2016 as a Flight Nurse and Medical Coordinator with REVA, and since 2021 has served as Director of Medical Operations. With over 13 years of experience in emergency and trauma care across the U.S., he brings deep clinical insight and operational leadership to his role. Sean continues to fly actively as a Flight Nurse, balancing administrative oversight with hands-on patient care. His expertise has made him a sought-after speaker at major industry events including ITIC Global, ENA, CCTMC, and NTI. He is also a published contributor to AirMed & Rescue and Air Medical Journal, where he shares perspectives on aeromedical transport and critical care. Sean’s commitment to advancing flight medicine is reflected in both his frontline experience and his thought leadership within the air medical community.

As the Commercial Growth Lead for Global Health Benefits (GHB) Europe, Victoria is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing the strategy to profitably grow new business portfolios within new markets/industry verticals, collaborating with new and existing brokers and partners.

Victoria has more than 25 years of experience at Cigna Healthcare and within the global healthcare market. She’s previously held various roles within Cigna Healthcare European Client Management, and Partnerships and Business Development functions.

Victoria holds a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Psychology from the University of Strathclyde and a Master’s degree in International Marketing from the University of the West of Scotland.

She is based in Scotland and outside of work, has a passion for football, which she shares with her two teenage sons, and is a keen runner. She has completed two marathons, most recently participating in the Loch Ness 24-hour team relay race.

Sebastien Bedu is the General Manager of the Middle East team, based at the International SOS office in Dubai. He joined International SOS as the Branch Manager of MedAire, the Aviation & Maritime division of International SOS, in 2015.

In 2021, Sebastien was promoted as General Manager, GCC, where he led the Commercial and Operations teams for the region. In 2023, Sebastien’s scope was extended to the whole Middle East with a specific focus on International SOS’ Health & Security Travel Risk Management solutions.

Prior to joining International SOS, Sebastien worked for several large corporations where he was the Director of Sales for the Middle East.

Elena Rethorn, holding a Masters in HealthCare, is a distinguished speaker in several Universities in Europe and MENA Region, teaching Leadership and Emotional Intelligence for healthcare professionals and non medical students.
With over 20 years of experience in Medical assistance, she has gone through a long journey starting her career from being a paramedic, travel agent, hospital coordinator and finally, medical provider across the Globe. Elena has inspired people across MENA Region, Asia and Europe, combining theoretical knowledge with practical applications to facilitate professional and personal success in Healthcare organisations. Additionally, she serves as the Mrs. Earth Environmental Ambassador UAE 2023, advocating for environmental awareness and sustainable practices.

As the Director of the Development Partnerships Office (DPO), Daniel leads resource mobilization, management of development partnerships and project management in WMO. He brings over 25 years of experience delivering international support and technical assistance for disaster risk management and climate change adaptation.

Prior to joining WMO in 2023, he served as a task team leader with the World Bank and Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). During this time, he managed large-scale investments, facilitated partnerships and served as a leading figure in the World Bank for guiding approaches to support the modernization of hydrometeorological and climate services.

Before that, Daniel provided technical guidance and assistance on disaster risk management with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the ProVention Consortium.

Menno van IJssel is currently project manager in the research department of the European Travel Commission (ETC), a non-profit organisation representing the national tourism organisations of Europe. In that capacity, Menno works on various research projects identifying key trends and opportunities for European tourism. He contributes to ETC’s key research publications and webinars, ranging from the monitoring of tourism flows, to tracking tourist sentiment and behaviour, to analysing sustainability indicators. His passion lies in understanding how people travel, where they go, and for what reasons.

Prior to his work at ETC, Menno obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in the field of tourism in his home country, the Netherlands.

As Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, James Page has global responsibility for Travel Guard’s operations and assistance services. Before the acquisition of Travel Guard by Zurich Cover-More, James had been in the same role at AIG. When James joined AIG in 2000, he played an integral role in the development and growth of AIG’s assistance business and call center operations worldwide. Previously, James worked in the finance and corporate planning group at Dell Computer. He began his career at AMR Corporate in Dallas, Texas, where he held several positions at American Airlines.

I’m an Insurance expert with 10+ years in digital innovation, having worked at Qatar Insurance Group, Assona-MGA, Helvetia, and JDC Group AG. At DR-WALTER Insurance, a family business with 60+ years of history, I led a digital transformation that automated claims and contracts, cut costs by 27%, boosted claims output 2.6x, and drove 30% growth. I’ve also launched new insurance products, built strategic partnerships, and founded two digital insurance units – blending InsurTech disruption with traditional insurance expertise.