On every ITIC agenda, our speakers bring their unique insights and extensive expertise directly to the challenges facing our industry. This year is no different! Check out the experts who will be sharing their insights at ITIC Global | Connected
Soraia joined GMMI in 1996 and has worked in many capacities from Account Management, Product Development, to Business Development and Marketing. In October 2014 Soraia was promoted to Vice President of Marketing & Client Accounts. Soraia is responsible for managing the GMMI brand of cost containment solutions and superior customer service across all marketing channels. Her commitment to quality and proven ability to improve work-flows and implement complex processes earned her the appointment of Quality Manager / ISO Management Representative for GMMI’s ISO 9001 : 2008 QMS in December 2012.
Soraia's hands-on experience is backed by a solid business education: a Bachelor of Arts in International Business from Loras College, and an MBA from Nova Southeastern University. As a member of GMMI's Senior Management Team, Soraia brings with her vast experience in the international cost containment industry and managed care industry, and is part of a growing success of our company. She is fluent in English, Portuguese and Spanish.
Natalya Butakova is Business Development Manager of AP Companies Global Solutions, the international leading health care management, cost containment and emergency medical assistance company.
AP Companies has the largest direct medical provider network in185 countries. AP’s specialist Cost Containment team consistently achieves significant savings and carefully controls expenditures of AP’s Clients. .
Natalya has been with AP Companies since 2005, having previously worked in private hospitals as a specialist working with international insurance and maritime companies.
Simon set up Charles Taylor's award winning Special Investigations Unit in 2008. Since then, he and his team have developed the unit into an end-to-end global claims validation service; working for over 20 high-profile clients and conducting fraud and factual investigations all over the world for travel, PHI, EL, PL, life and other insurance product lines.
During this time, Simon also took on the role of conference director for the Insurance Fraud Investigators Group (IFIG), for just over 2 years. In addition, he has been heavily involved in various different steering groups in the travel insurance industry, including being part of the IFB's travel insurance fraud strategic threat assessment working group.
Simon and his team have contributed to BBC 1's 'Claimed and Shamed' fraud programme for over 4 years; taking part in 8 different series to successfully educate the public about travel insurance fraud.
Dr Charlie Easmon MBBS MRCP MSc Public Health DTM&H DoccMed DFPH
Dr Easmon trained at St George's. London. He did his elective in Ghana (his country of birth) and has since worked with, among others, Merlin, Raleigh International and Save the Children in Rwanda, and ECHO in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
With the Foreign Office he has visited Egypt, Israel, Tunisia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines. In 2009 he re-visited Rwanda and has since done medicals or given talks in the Congo, Botswana and Mozambique.
His expertise in to travel medicine and public health was through medical evacuations, working abroad and stints at the Hospital for Tropical Disease's travel clinic. He enjoyed several years on the board of the British Travel Health Association and is one of the few UK medical practitioners to have obtained the International Certificate in Travel Health from the International Society of Travel Health. in 2008 Charlie became a member of the new Faculty of Travel Medicine - MFTM RCPS (Glasg).
Charlie’s interest in mental health in the workplace came late through his occupational health work in which he saw the consequences of poor work environments, late referral, lack of mental health support resources or poor management.
He has built his own private medical business through various (at times stressful) ups and downs over the last 10 years and counts 12% of the FT100 amongst his clients. The current business is called Your Excellent Health Service www.yourexcellenthealth.co.uk and is based at 1 Harley Street.
In 2006 Charlie was featured in Time Out: Ghanaian Londoners:
Revolutionizing business travel, Louise Fowler introduced the British Airways Executive Club and the first beds on a plane. Since then, Louise has consulted for M&S, Allianz, O2 and recently concluded a 20 month assignment as Chief Marketing and Digital Officer at the Post Office leading a major marketing integration program to improve the customer journey. As a keynote speaker, Louise helps audiences define and deliver breakthrough customer strategies by stressing the centricity of customers and how to connect with them in the digital age.
Cesar Gamio
Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist, and Executive Life Coach
Cesar Gamio
Cesar Gamio
Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist, and Executive Life Coach
César is an adjunct professor at IE Business School, a Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist, and an Executive Life Coach accredited by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). He also serves as Senior Advisor to the London-based Global Centre for Conscious Leadership.
Also, under the training and personal guidance of Dr. Deepak Chopra, the global leading authority on mind-body medicine, César became a Senior Educator for the Chopra Center for Wellbeing.
César’s corporate clientele extends across many industries. He has worked with Accenture, SAP, L’Oreal, Microsoft, Louis Vuitton, Nestlé, The Body Shop, Monster Energy Drinks, Walgreens & Boots Alliance, Walmart, Aer Lingus, Toyota, SONOS, BlackRock, Bank of America and Xerox.
Dr Vanya Gant is Divisional Clinical Director for Infection and the United Kingdom’s Hospital for Tropical Diseases at University College Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London. He oversees a very busy Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine In- and Out-patient service, and acts as a tertiary National and International Referral Centre for Tropical Diseases, supported by the UK’s National Reference Parasitology and Malaria Laboratories. When not working he rides fast bikes and cars, flies paragliders and is a dance music DJ.
Dr. Gillingham is the Chief Medical Officer of Fairmount International, a consulting firm specializing in developing customized programs for travelers seeking medical care abroad. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, with post graduate training at the University of Southern California. He is a co-founder and former Chief Medical Officer of GeoBlue, a leading international health insurance company. During his twenty-two-year tenure at GeoBlue, he was responsible for the development of their medical policies and case management programs for global travelers. He also was instrumental in forging a partnership with Anthem Blue Cross.
Dr. Gillingham spent thirty years as an emergency room physician in Los Angeles as the emergency medicine chief of the Westlake Medical Center and Glendale Memorial Hospital. He was also an attending physician at the UCLA Medical Center, and a physician advisor for Anthem Blue Cross of California.
Dr. Glushak is the International Medical Director of AXA Assistance, an international medical and travel assistance company with offices in over 30 countries, including the UK. He is currently Professor of Medicine in Emergency Medicine at the University of Chicago. Dr Glushak, who is experienced in aeromedical and ground transportation, has been coordinating the medical care of patients abroad for both emergency and elective conditions. He is responsible for overseeing AXA Assistance’s international network of hospitals and medical providers, including credentialing and quality of care. He also oversees AXA Assistance’s International 2nd Medical Opinion programs. He is a Clinical Professor of Medicine in the division of Emergency Medicine at the University of Chicago. He is also Past President of the Illinois College of Emergency Physicians (ICEP). He is well travelled and spends considerable time surveying medical facilities worldwide as well as building International medical programs such as academic second opinion services and international teleconsultation. He is also a member of the National Transitions of Care Coalition and promoting the use of professional medical call centers to address the complex medical needs of patients world-wide.
Dr. Haro is Founder, President and CEO of Logimedex, a leading company in the medical assistance field, in Mexico and Latin America.
Throughout his career, Dr. Belilty Haro has important achievements, including: Graduated from the Xochicalco University School of Medicine (2011); Later, he was part of the emergency rooms in many hospitals of Mexico City, and in 2014, he got a master's degree in Strategic Management of health organizations, specializing in hospital administration. He was also the medical director, of the medical center in La Paz, BCS from 2015 to 2020.
Thanks to the Dr. Haro vision and values, today, Logimedex has achieved a big growth, both in the number of clients and geographical areas where it provides its services.
Logimedex and Dr. Salvador Belilty are internationally recognized for their hard work and outstanding results, but above all, for their core values that provide confidence and security to their clients.
Gaby Hosea, is registered nurse with more than 20 years of patient care and global travel experience. As Founder and CEO of Rescue Nurse International, a worldwide commercial medical transport company, Gaby developed granular knowledge of international aeromedical and ground transport logistics, safety, case coordination and patient transport standards of care. In 2014, On Call International, a worldwide medical and travel risk Assistance Company, acquired Rescue Nurse International and Gaby took on her current role as Director of Clinical transport. She is now responsible for the development and oversight of the international network of aeromedical providers, standards of patient/crew care and safety, quality, medical/logistical coordination for repatriations, and rendezvous. Gaby also evaluates hospitals, assistance companies, and aeromedical service providers globally through detailed site visits to identify quality resources. Empowering her team to respond and do the “impossible” creates valuable partnerships with our customers and providers, resulting in the successful completion of 1000’s of patient transports throughout the years.
Robin has over 40 years of experience in providing specialized travel health solutions for adventurers, international students, snowbirds, special risk and worldwide travellers. He is renowned for his hands-on approach and experience in product design, marketing, underwriting, administration, claims/emergency medical assistance, licensing, and re-insurance. An industry leader, Robin is frequently consulted by the media, global travel companies, and insurance industries as an authority on travel insurance, international security, and global health issues. He has helped advance the insurance and travel industry with resources for organizations and consumers alike.
Robin is also actively involved in the film and media industry, working as an executive producer and writer for media production companies sisu production and DreamMore Films. His experience in this space includes the creation of independent films, documentaries and corporate videos.
I was educated in the UK and Canada which is where I developed a love of skiing and the outdoors.
Joining the insurance industry in 1985 I have held a number senior management positions with large insurers developing considerable expertise in technical claims management, cost containment, counter fraud solutions, debt recovery and catastrophe management.
Currently Global Head of Cost Containment at AXA Partners with focus on travel insurance and responsibilities for large loss management and cost containment.
Jim Krampen is a co-founder and member of the Board of Directors of Seven Corners. With 30 years of international insurance and program management expertise, he offers extensive knowledge and experience in benefit design, underwriting, and distribution of travel and expatriate programs. As a well-respected authority on these topics, Mr. Krampen is often invited to speak on them.
Mr. Krampen holds a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. He is a former two-term board member and membership chairperson for the United States Travel Insurance Association (UStiA). He also holds board positions with several insurance and benefit management companies in the United States.
Mr. Krampen has been happily married to his wife, Linda, for 19 years, and they have seven children. In his spare time, he enjoys repairing and racing cars and motorcycles.
Dr. Ladak has been part of the Global Excel team since 2006. She received her medical degree from the University of British Columbia in
1983, and then completed a family practice residency in New York from 1983 to 1986.
Prior to joining Global Excel, Dr. Ladak was the medical director of two U.S. hospitals (in Vermont and New Hampshire). During her time there, she was responsible for overseeing the quality of care for patients (both hospitalized patients and those admitted to the ER). She was also involved in the billing process, where she was responsible for working with the hospital’s charge master. Before this, she was an emergency room doctor for 15 years and a family doctor for 10 years. All of this experience has combined to give Dr. Ladak an intimate knowledge of the U.S. health care system, both from the perspective of a practicing medical doctor and from the perspective of the hospital (specifically with regards to billing processes).
As medical director at Global Excel, Dr. Ladak oversees medical case management with the members of the case management department. She daily reviews all inpatient U.S. files and all high-dollar or high-risk cases worldwide. She also works with the coverage team to discuss individual cases and assess whether or not there might be issues with the policy. In addition to this, she works with corporate clients on GEM Clinical cases, helping assistance companies obtain the information they need to make decisions. As a result of her knowledge and experience, Dr. Ladak is a valuable asset to Global Excel. She now speaks at conferences and writes articles on behalf of Global Excel.
Dr Terry Martin is a semi retired Consultant and Associate Clinical Professor in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine. Dr Martin started his career as a Royal Air Force doctor, qualified as a helicopter pilot and has been involved in the organisation, practice, research and teaching of civilian and military aeromedical transport since 1983.
Terry has enjoyed a very full career, often working two professions simultaneously. His RAF experiences included senior medevac positions, command of an aeromedical staging facility during the first Gulf War, research in aerospace medicine and short-term replacement commander of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Medical Branch. His civilian patient transport and retrieval practice has included senior positions in air ambulance organisations (both HEMS and fixed wing), medical assistance services and for third world charities. In his portfolio career he has also developed international industry standards with EURAMI, been responsible for external governance with AMREF flying doctors, written extensively about all things aeromedical, and taught thousands of students through CCAT Aeromedical Training Ltd, of which he is the education director.
Terry remains an examiner for the Diploma of Retrieval and Transport Medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and has similar links with other universities around the world. He also maintains a consultancy, specialising in creation and development of patient transport services and guidance through accreditation. And, when he’s not too busy, his passion is to fly and display his 1960s ex Royal Navy Westland Wasp helicopter which he loves to showcase at air shows and events.
Rory O'Gara currently holds the position of Vice President, Medical Provider Management - North America with Allianz Partners.
Rory now resides in Canada and is responsible for medical networks, network partnerships and cost containment strategies for the business extending to all Allianz members and clients travelling throughout North America requiring direct billing network solutions.
Prior to this role, Rory had a variety of network management related responsibilities in Allianz Partners over 8 years including direct network contracting and management of Third Party Partnerships around the globe.
After obtaining a Masters in Bioengineering in Brussels, Elyah worked in Medical research. Following a move to the UK, he started in assistance where he managed a team of coordinators for 4 years before focusing on International Assistance transformation projects for Europe Assistance UK. He then moved to AIG to support the creation of a new French speaking assistance platform for AIG France. During that project he developed the French network and subsequently took on the responsibility for the EMEA network. The management of the same territory continued Collinson Assistance with a heavy focus on medical solutions for corporate/expatriate clients.
Elyah has joined AXA two years ago as the Head of the medical Network for Europe. Part of his responsibilities are to ensure that the network team is also operational and that the group vast knowledge is leveraged and put at the service of our clients when needed.
Dr. Sicard carries an extensive experience as a physician having begun his medical career as French Naval Flight Surgeon trained and certified by the US Navy and a scientist (PhD in Physiology in Extreme Environment).
His passion for science and risk management inspired him to develop innovative design and medical solutions for new built Hospital Ships and Cruise ships.
He had held the positions of acting Medical Director for Ponant Cruise Company and Chief Medical Officer for Allianz Global Assistance North America.
MedSSIS® Consultant for the Cruise and Yachting industry, and working clinically (ELSAN Hospital, France; flight physician for Latitude Air Ambulance, Canada), he joined Eurami as an auditor in 2019.
With a professional background as a global triathlon competitor, Kris began his sporting life on the track and continues as a coach. He currently trains the USA Paratriathlon National Team and speaks on behalf of the USA Triathlon Coaching Education Department, often drawing on his four years spent as the Official Age Group Coach for Team USA – a role that took him, and the squad, to the ITU World Championships and also the Olympics.
Today Kris inspires a new generation of triathletes as co-founder of the Leanda Cave Foundation – an organisation dedicated to empowering women with triathlon. He continues to train everyone from professional sportspeople to those dipping a toe in the world of triathlons. In all he does, his ultimate goal remains the same: to help people enjoy sport and family time, and achieve the ultimate balance in life.
Richard Watson
Best-selling author, lecturer and futurist speaker
Richard Watson
Best-selling author, lecturer and futurist speaker
Best-selling author, lecturer and futurist speaker, Richard Watson can inspire audiences with his insightful strategies for the future. An expert at predicting future trends and looking at what customers need, Richard can help your company explore emerging growth opportunities and think through scenarios to help businesses plan effectively. Professional and knowledgeable, Richard is a consummate speaker.
Steve Williams, RN,CEN, CFRN, Team Commander, FIU-FAST Team, Director Global Air Medical Operations, REVA Air Ambulance.
Steve currently serves as Director of Global Medical Operations for REVA Air Ambulance and Team Commander for the FIU-FAST Team. Steve has over 32 years of experience as an emergency flight nurse, emergency manager and disaster responder. He started his career training as a registered nurse in the UK and then worked in Central America before moving to the US in 1989. Starting work in a New York City trauma center, Steve then moved to South Florida in 1990, working at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Emergency Department. In 1993 Steve took up the position as Director of Emergency Services at Mount Sinai Medical Center on Miami Beach. Steve also served as Chief Flight Nurse for the South Florida Lifeflight helicopter program until 1999 flying over 2,000 hours with critically ill and injured patients on an S76 and with the US Coast Guard.
Steve then spent 17 years running medical operations in the cruise industry for Carnival Cruise Lines, and most recently Royal Caribbean where he directed a team of 85 physicians and 165 nurse providing medical and emergency care on 40 ships worldwide. A graduate of the US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Critical Care Air Transport course, he also serves as Deputy Team Commander for the Trauma Critical Care Team South (TCCT) part of the US federal government, National Disaster Medical System. Steve is also a Clinical Instructor at Florida International University.
