ITIC MEA Committee

Lara Helmi is the Managing Director and co-founder of CONNEX Assistance Middle East, the leading provider of full service assistance in the region. Since its inception in 1999, Lara has led the company’s expansion to operate in 14 countries across the Middle East and Africa through a vast network of providers.

Eva Kluge, MBA, is Managing Director of the European Aero-Medical Institute (EURAMI e.V.) She has over 25 years of experience in senior strategic and operational roles within the travel insurance industry with a focus on medical assistance. Likewise, Eva spearheaded business development and marketing for over a decade at two prominent air ambulance companies in Germany and Austria.

During this period, she was the recipient of multiple awards and accolades for her pioneering contributions to the air ambulance industry. She holds a bachelor’s degree in healthcare social management and an MBA in Digital Transformation. Additionally, she is proficient in five languages, including Arabic. She has spent seven years residing in various countries in the Middle East. As a trained Agile Coach and Scrum Master, Eva is a staunch proponent of swift and proactive responses to the myriad of new challenges organizations are facing these days.

Mamoun K. Mustafa is an accomplished aviation and air transport executive with over 20 years of experience leading emergency air transport evacuation operations across the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and Eastern Europe. As Senior Regional Air Transport Manager at International SOS, he has helped design and managed air ambulance programs, built a credentialed air transport operators’ network, and directed large-scale emergency evacuations in high-risk environments. His career includes spearheading the launch of the Dubai Assistance Center and managing aviation networks supporting Corporates, Government and NGO clients.

Mamoun is recognized for his expertise in the Assistance Service, Specialty Air Transport Solutions, Strategic Procurement, and Regulatory Compliance. He is a former FAA-certified commercial pilot, George Washington University Aviation Safety and Security trained, and Lufthansa IOSA Flight Safety auditing trained. His contribution earned him honors including the Dr. Singh Excellence in Medical Transport Award, the U.S. Navy Flag presentation, and the U.S. Department of Defense Service Excellence Award.

Sebastien 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. During this time, Sebastien was predominantly responsible for the growth and delivery of the Middle East & Africa’s book of business of the company. He also led the development and implementation of the first-in-the-World travel pass during the Covid-19 pandemic in partnership with an Abu Dhabi-based airline.

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.

Marc’s career started with the company as far back as 1995, on the repat travel desk for Voyageur 24, before ultimately becoming Director of Travel. He is now Chief Operating Officer for the Voyageur Group. From his first ITIC in Global as a delegate in Nassau, Bahamas, and missing just two ITIC Global events since,  he joined the moderating team in Athens 2023 and brings a new energy and style to moderating, and isn’t afraid to ask difficult questions, provoke debate, or laugh at himself.

Ian Cameron is the Founder of the Voyageur Group of which he is the CEO, and which also comprises ITIC, and he is Editor in Chief of ITIJ. He has been involved in events for over 30 years, and as Chairman of the Executive Committee, Ian has been instrumental in developing the ITIC community, bringing industry professionals together to network, share ideas and insights and build their businesses.

Mandy Langfield is Director of Publishing for Voyageur Group. In this capacity, she guides the editorial policy of the company, and ensures the content of the magazines (ITIJ and AirMed&Rescue) is relevant, insightful and valuable to their readers. Furthermore, she is a member of all the ITIC executive committees, consulting with other industry professionals on agenda topics and speaker briefs. 

With over 23 years of experience in the healthcare and insurance sector, Amber Musson-Thorp specialises in health, wellness, population health management and insurance strategy, focusing on growth, leadership, and business development. She has a proven track record of driving sustainable growth for global insurers, providers, intermediaries and corporate entities across multiple jurisdictions, including the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Amber has held leadership roles in some of the largest multinational corporations, focusing on growth and proposition development, and has been a judge for the UK Health & Protection Awards since 2021. Her latest role was Group Commercial Director MEA and GM of Lifecare International brokers in Qatar. She recently moved into a consulting role to use her experience and network to connect and advise the healthcare sector through the fascinating landscape of innovation available to manage population health, longevity, insurance and industry business development.

Amber is based in Qatar but is supporting businesses globally in achieving their growth ambitions.

Jonathan Cooper (JC) is the managing director and founder of WIS Group Ltd; through its group companies WIS provides technology and marketing management solutions to insurers and distributors across the GCC that enables efficient distribution of travel related products. With a career spanning over 30 years in insurance, JC has worked with the world’s leading providers in the travel & retail sectors and crafted some of the most innovative and impactful customer solutions. JC has been based in Dubai for the last 9 years, has a passion for travel, and considers it his personal mission to improve traveller protection in the market, while realising the full commercial potential that this presents.