London-listed PRTech firm Pathos Communications has built a proprietary AI platform, PathosMind, for internal use by its employees and partners. The system is designed to identify stories that meaningfully engage audiences. Drawing on daily monitoring of more than 50,000 news publishers worldwide and analysis of conversations across a global network of hundreds of thousands of Pathos contacts, the agentic platform assesses which individuals and ideas carry genuine news value. The following ten leaders are among those currently shaping the public agenda.
Mohamed Ghanem Salem
Mohamed Ghanem Salem is a senior digital wealth leader and fintech practitioner based in Dubai, recognized for advancing human-centered, outcome-driven transformation across the Middle East's wealth management sector. He currently serves as Senior Manager, Digital Wealth at HSBC Bank Middle East, where he leads strategic initiatives within International Wealth & Premier Banking focused on modernizing advisory experiences, performance frameworks, and digital capabilities.
With a background spanning frontline wealth advisory, digital product leadership, behavioral finance research, and multi-market transformation, Mohamed brings a distinctive leadership perspective that combines disciplined execution with deep customer insight. He is known for an approach that integrates human-centered design, ethical responsibility, and measurable outcomes, ensuring transformation delivers tangible value for both clients and advisors. His work includes CRM programs, RM-enablement tools, performance-intelligence dashboards, digital learning platforms, and the digitization of wealth KPIs and advisory processes.
Mohamed's perspective is shaped by direct advisory experience across premier and private banking in the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, and Bahrain, giving him a nuanced understanding of regional client behaviors. His work is informed by behavioral science and decision psychology, applied as practical lenses for designing intuitive, responsible, and commercially effective advisory experiences.
He holds an MSc in Digital Banking & FinTech from The London Institute of Banking & Finance and serves as its UAE Alumni Ambassador. Beyond delivery, Mohamed contributes to industry dialogue on the future of wealth management, with a focus on how technology, data, and human judgment can work together to strengthen trust, performance, and long-term client outcomes.
Sylvan Schwab
Sylvan Schwab, founder and executive director of the East Maui Animal Refuge, also known as the Boo Boo Zoo, has devoted more than four decades to rescuing and caring for animals in need. His work began in 1977 as a personal effort to support his then-wife, Suzie Schwab, whose therapy with injured animals inspired a small, home-based rescue. Recognizing the lasting impact of compassion-driven care, Sylvan established the nonprofit sanctuary in 1983, creating a no-kill refuge dedicated to lifelong protection for animals ranging from orphaned fawns and injured farm animals to endangered Hawaiian species.
Today, the Refuge cares for more than 2,000 animals and operates on a principle that has remained unchanged since its founding: it has never charged for accepting any animal. This commitment ensures that no individual hesitates to seek help for an animal of any species that is injured, abandoned, or in distress.
Under Sylvan's leadership, the Refuge has grown into a trusted sanctuary defined by care, protection, and respect for life. Euthanasia is considered only in cases of irreversible suffering, reflecting a deeply held commitment to humane stewardship. Sylvan also fosters a dedicated volunteer community that sustains the Refuge through hands-on care, advocacy, and shared responsibility.
Guided by perseverance and an enduring sense of responsibility, Sylvan has transformed a personal mission into a sanctuary where every animal's life is valued and protected.
Rajnish Kohli
Rajnish Kohli is the founder and CEO of RSVR Tech, a technology partner designed for mid-market organizations seeking enterprise-grade delivery without the complexity of large vendors or the uncertainty of unproven teams. With more than four decades of experience in global IT leadership, Rajnish has led some of the world's most complex and mission-critical technology programs across multiple industries.
His career includes senior leadership roles at organizations such as Fidelity, HCL Technologies, Perot Systems/Dell, and iSoft, where he oversaw large-scale systems spanning financial services, healthcare, insurance, and public sector infrastructure. His work has included national health in the UK and taxation platforms across Asia, providing him with deep insight into how technology performs under real-world conditions shaped by scale, regulation, and organizational change.
At RSVR Tech, Rajnish applies this enterprise discipline to organizations with turnover under £500 million, companies that recognize technology as a growth driver but often lack the internal capacity to execute with confidence. RSVR Tech works closely with leadership teams to validate ideas through high-confidence MVPs, develop custom software aligned to existing operations, and extend legacy platforms with bespoke functionality.
A defining element of Rajnish's approach is his pragmatic application of AI. Rather than positioning AI as a standalone transformation, RSVR Tech integrates it into everyday workflows through blended teams that deliver measurable outcomes while strengthening internal capabilities. This delivery-led philosophy underpins RSVR Tech's milestone-driven, transparent engagement model focused on results, clarity, and long-term value.
Tamia Bartlett
Tamia Bartlett, known professionally as The Crimson Reaper, is a multifaceted composer, songwriter, producer, and sampler shaping a distinctive lane within modern hip-hop and rap. As the creative force behind the musical project The Crimson Reaper, Tamia develops immersive soundscapes that blend trap-driven rhythms with cinematic textures and haunting melodic elements, resulting in music that feels both visceral and atmospheric.
Her work reflects a meticulous approach to sound design, often layering hard-hitting trap drums with atmospheric synths and carefully selected samples to create depth, tension, and emotional resonance. Tamia's catalog includes standout tracks such as "Reaper's Reign" and full-length projects including "Hurt" and "The Reaper Is Here," each demonstrating her ability to fuse raw energy with narrative-driven production. These projects highlight her interest in storytelling through sound, where mood, pacing, and texture play as central a role as lyrics and rhythm.
By taking on multiple roles throughout the creative process, from composition and songwriting to production and sampling, Tamia maintains full artistic control, allowing her to cultivate a cohesive and recognizable sonic identity. Her genre-spanning approach draws from hip-hop and rap while incorporating cinematic and experimental influences that push beyond conventional boundaries.
With a signature style rooted in trap rhythms, haunting melodies, and cinematic production, Tamia continues to evolve as a bold and innovative voice, contributing to the expanding soundscape of contemporary hip-hop.
Mindi Murphy
Mindi Murphy is the founder of The Underground Grocer, a grassroots, community-focused enterprise dedicated to transforming how people shop for fresh, local food and artisanal goods in and around Higganum, Connecticut. Through her vision, The Underground Grocer serves as both a resource and a marketplace that simplifies access to farms, dairies, nurseries, and local producers, strengthening the regional food economy while inspiring healthier, more sustainable living.
Raised in Higganum and deeply connected to her community, Mindi returned home in 2007 after years of exploration and built a life rooted in family, farming, and food. Her lifelong involvement in the food world, from helping in her parents' bakery to running her own small catering business that emphasized locally sourced ingredients, shaped her belief in the power of community-supported food systems.
Under Mindi's leadership, The Underground Grocer not only champions local producers through a curated online directory and seasonal farm store but also fosters community engagement, helps identify gaps in local food access, and encourages residents to "eat well, live well, shop local."
Mindi's passion for gardening, heirloom produce, and cultivating community connections drives her mission to create a sustainable, resilient food ecosystem that can serve as a model for other regions.
Andre Leonard
Andre Leonard is an American conductor, composer, concert pianist, and a member of the Washington Piano Society. His work bridges orchestral tradition, cultural identity, and contemporary bass‑driven innovation. He is internationally recognized as the first conductor to formally introduce orchestral drum and bass to American concert halls, establishing a hybrid musical language that connects European bass culture with classical symphonic architecture. His composition Una Perpetuum and related projects have earned recognition from outlets such as UKF London, which identified him as a leading American figure in this emerging symphonic movement.
Andre led the first symphonic performance to place Washington, D.C.'s go‑go music and London's drum and bass together on a concert stage, collaborating with Hue Band, NVRSOFT (AudioPorn Records, London), and Heru the Trap Violinist. A Steinway Artist and Gold Medal laureate of the Hawaii Aloha and Boston International Piano Competitions, Andre held a Kennedy Center conducting residency (2024), for which he was featured in The Washington Post.
Andre works with the Alliance for New Music‑Theatre and maintains a national partnership with Unbarred Voices, supporting prison reform. Over the past season, he conducted Handel's Messiah in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and was featured at the Women's National Democratic Club Annual Gala. His advocacy work includes DC Justice Lab, in collaboration with Unbarred Voices and the Alliance for New Music‑Theatre.
Upcoming engagements include a conducting residency in Vienna and Salzburg, sponsored by MidAmerica Productions, and leading Paul McCartney's Ecce Cor Meum in support of global cancer initiatives.
Dr. Abrar Zafar
Dr. Abrar Zafar is the Chief Technology Officer at Numla, an award-winning Irish HR technology company recognized for delivering scalable, enterprise-grade digital solutions with exceptional value. Holding a doctorate from the Paris School of Business and an MBA from University College Dublin's Smurfit School, Abrar brings a rare blend of academic depth and hands-on leadership to the evolving world of enterprise technology.
With more than two decades of experience in enterprise software, automation, and digital transformation, he plays a central role in shaping Numla's technology vision. His work focuses on helping medium to large-sized organizations modernize their operations through intelligent, highly customizable HR, ERP, and CRM platforms. Under his technical direction, Numla has become known for offering comprehensive, all-in-one systems that include integrations, implementation, support, and infrastructure management at a highly competitive cost.
Abrar has led AI-driven transformation initiatives that have significantly improved operational efficiency, reducing manual workloads and enhancing productivity across client organizations. He has also designed compliance frameworks and training programs aligned with evolving European regulations such as NIS2 and DORA, enabling businesses to adopt best practices with confidence.
Through a strong emphasis on usability, automation, and measurable ROI, Abrar continues to help organizations scale smarter while positioning Numla at the forefront of modern HR technology innovation.
Trevor Hurst
Trevor Hurst is the founder of VOX-OVER, a multilingual audio-production company specializing in high-quality voice solutions for global brands. Raised between the United States and Switzerland, Trevor grew up immersed in multiple languages, including Swiss-German, English, and French, an early exposure that shaped his lifelong interest in communication, dialects, and the cultural meaning embedded in language.
A graduate of Brown University, Trevor entered the audio world through New York City's jingle houses, later running sound for the Big Apple Circus and composing orchestral scores for film and radio plays for Audible. Over a 30-year career in audio, including more than 15 years focused on voice work, he has developed deep expertise across documentaries, live-action dubbing, e-learning, explainers, podcasts, and narrative media, all while balancing a large family life.
Under his leadership, VOX-OVER has grown into an owner-led voice-over company delivering localized content in more than 30 languages. The company has produced work for global organizations, including Disney, BMW, Lufthansa, Amnesty International, LG, Swisscom, Rolls-Royce, and KnowBe4. Trevor has built a trusted international network of voice talent and production collaborators, enabling reliable delivery at scale without sacrificing creative quality.
Today, Trevor operates at the intersection of voice artistry and AI-driven text-to-speech technology. Through VOX-OVER's Hybrid-Voice Model, he helps enterprises manage corporate voice identity with flexibility, security, and production-grade precision, combining human performance with advanced automation to meet the evolving demands of global content creation.
Paco Youssef
Paco Youssef is the founder of Ascending and a seasoned business coach with more than 25 years of global experience in executive leadership, governance, and strategic decision-making. Drawing on a deep foundation in project management, risk mitigation, and process optimization, he guides organizations and leaders through periods of complex transformation with clarity and discipline.
A Senior Project Management Consultant by background, Paco has spent much of his career in the oil and gas sector, where he led multi-billion-dollar CAPEX and OPEX initiatives across North America, the Middle East, and East Asia. His portfolio includes oversight of more than $14 billion in complex projects, a 99 percent on-budget delivery record, and a 60 percent reduction in safety incidents. He has also designed and implemented project management frameworks and standards for global operators, including ExxonMobil, TC Energy, and Shell Canada.
Paco holds formal training in Mechanical Engineering and professional certifications, including PMP, Six Sigma Green Belt, and Scrum Master. Grounded in strong family values, he believes sustained success is built through mindset, dedication, and disciplined execution. Today, he works closely with entrepreneurs and business owners seeking to elevate performance, scale responsibly, and build resilient, thriving organizations.
Karen Millican
(Image credit: Karen Millican)
Karen Millican is a visionary entrepreneur and executive who brings innovation and impact to every endeavor. As Chief Commercial Officer of JoyDew, she leads the for-profit arm of the hybrid social enterprise, dedicated to uncovering the unique talents of neurodiverse adults on the autism spectrum and creating pathways to meaningful employment. In this role, Karen shapes strategy, builds partnerships, and ensures that the enterprise grows sustainably while amplifying the abilities of its members, transforming potential into performance.
Karen's career is defined by founding and scaling businesses that combine innovation with impact. She co-founded Litera Corporation, a global legal and clinical trials software company, and played a key role in Skila, a life sciences software startup. She has founded and manages multiple ventures, including Kenefick Investments and D&R Technologies, and has held leadership roles at Salem Health Solutions, Johnson & Johnson, and Dendrite.
Before entering the business world, Karen was a television news reporter and anchor, an experience that sharpened her communication skills and curiosity. She holds a BA in Communications from the University of Washington and pursued post-graduate studies at Wharton and Harvard. Across every venture, Karen's philosophy is to empower individuals, foster collaboration, and build organizations that create both economic and social value.
