Speakers

Edward Hamod is the CEO and Founder of Switch Foods, a FoodTech start-up revolutionising the culinary landscape with its innovative plant-based meat alternatives.

With a wealth of experience and a successful track record in leading esteemed food manufacturing and production organizations across the Middle East, Edward identified a pressing need in the region for healthy, nutritious, sustainable, and locally sourced food options. This realisation fuelled his passion for contributing to national food security, promoting source diversity, and creating alternative-meat varieties that cater specifically to Middle Eastern palates. Edward's commitment to sustainability and his unwavering belief in the potential of nutritional plant-based diets are not only driving forces behind Switch Foods, but also reflect his strong conviction that FoodTech plays a pivotal role in the region's aspirations for enhanced food security.

Edward's impressive professional journey showcases his adeptness and self-motivation as a leader in various business sectors. He possesses a deep understanding of financial, organisational, and operational strategies, positioning him as a forward-thinking, adaptable, and enterprising catalyst for change. Edward has consistently demonstrated an innate ability to navigate complex structures and foster the growth of new enterprises.

Prior to founding Switch Foods, Edward was the Chief Operations Officer of Emirates Food Industries, an Abu Dhabibased conglomerate that holds trading, manufacturing, processing, dairy, logistics, and distribution activities across the UAE. In addition, he played a key role as a member of the Executive Committee for the Abu Dhabi Food Security Centre and offered his expertise to several advisory committees for the Minister of Food Security and the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority.

Earlier in his career, Edward founded and managed Terra Biroya Agro DMCC, a commodity trading and consulting firm, and held significant leadership roles, including leading National Feed and Flour Production & Marketing LLC (NFFPM), a prominent animal feed producer and distributor in the UAE. Notably, Edward guided NFFPM through a comprehensive restructuring process in response to market conditions and the discontinuation of government subsidies in 2017.

Edward received his Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems from The Ohio State University. He kickstarted his career in telecommunications as a consultant with CGI group, followed by a stint at Wipro Technologies in Paris, where he led consulting projects in the USA and Europe's oil, electricity, and gas industries. Edward later pursued an MBA from the Boston University Graduate School of Management. In his native country of Syria, Edward made significant contributions by establishing Al Manal Food Industries, a prominent food processing and commodities trading company. This enterprise owned and managed several operations, including a grains terminal, a lentils and chickpeas processing plant, a bulgur factory, a wheat flour mill, and a comprehensive facility for sorting, packaging, and distributing a wide range of food products.