Inspiring leaders gather for exclusive London gala dinner
Under the High Patronage of His Highness the late Sheikh Sultan Bin Abdullah Bin Sultan Al Qasimi; Chris Dutton, Founder and CEO The CEO Magazine; Sir Anthony Ritossa, Chairman Ritossa Family Office; and Mohamed Al Banna, CEO and MD LEAD Ventures, the Office of His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Abdullah Bin Sultan Al Qasimi hosted a year-end private gala dinner honouring the great leaders of today as well as celebrating a great year of friendship.
Some of the world’s most inspiring thought leaders including Mohamed Al Ali, Mohamed Amersi, Henry Barclay, Ascanio Fendi, Riyad Daud, Ihab Yassine, Kevin Edgeley, Charles der Kinderen, Matthew Moore, David Hawkins, Antonio Santarelli, Elina Nizar, Lord Michael Anders Cavendish, Cigdern Simavi and Nouf Alhaqbani attended the private black-tie event at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, which connected The CEO Magazine globally through the power of networks.
"Under the umbrella of the Office of His Highness the late Sheikh Bin Abdullah Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, LEAD Ventures is pioneering the local market hand-in-hand with our Diversified Partners," Mohamed Al Banna told The CEO Magazine. "We envision building an ecosystem of key players who will, alongside us, effectively penetrate the UAE and reach desired aspirations in little time.
"We live in a modern world where your network is your net worth and contacts bring contacts. Bridging the connection between the right people is a crucial part of the puzzle. We assure go-to-market strategies that open doors to astute opportunities and skyrocket closure rates."
While the esteemed guests networked at the prestigious gala dinner in London, many had recently attended the Ritossa Global Family Office Investment Summit weeks earlier.
Sir Anthony Ritossa, Chairman of the Ritossa Family Office, recently hosted the annual event and explained how those with the most resources have the most responsibility to improve the world.
"For this reason, my team carefully curates our own private Family Office events attracting similar-minded prestigious families from all over the world," Sir Anthony Ritossa says. "Since then we have grown to become the most significant and influential family-wealth gathering in the world with more than 400 Elite Family Offices, and a total delegation of more than 600 Prominent Conglomerate Business Owners, Sheikhs, Royal Families, Private Investment Companies, International Business Moguls, Sovereign Wealth Funds and Industry Professionals, representing over $4.5 trillion in investor wealth."
As global leaders, LEAD Ventures, Ritossa Family Office and The CEO Magazine are keen enthusiasts in the betterment of our future and that of attracting similar-minded partners around the world.
The private gala dinner reflected this vision, inviting 105 exceptional thought leaders to enjoy the evening, which honoured Bitpanda – the home of digital assets and a firm believer in the innovative power of cryptocurrencies, digitised assets and blockchain technology.
"We live in a modern world where your network is your net worth and contacts bring contacts. Bridging the connection between the right people is a crucial part of the puzzle," – Mohamed Al Banna
Sir Anthony Ritossa, Chris Dutton and Mohamed Al Banna awarded Bitpanda founder Eric Demuth with their first-ever Thought Leadership Award.
"I’m incredibly honoured to have received such an important award," Eric Demuth says. "When we started this journey only six years ago, the goal of Bitpanda was, and still is, to reinvent and democratise the rules of investing by applying three key learnings from digital assets to the traditional world of investing: transferability, availability and divisibility.
"This award is for the Bitpanda team and our mission for a fairer, more transparent and easily accessible world of personal finance."
The evening also shone a light of appreciation upon Sir Dr Percy Barnevik, founder of Hand in Hand International, and his exceptional philanthropic work.
"Over the past 19 years, I have devoted my time and money to philanthropy, in particular, the build-up of the NGO, Hand in Hand," he explains. "Specialising in women’s economic empowerment, Hand in Hand has trained almost three million members to start 2.7 million micro-businesses, working their way out of poverty for good.
"The midterm goal is to create 10 million jobs, which will improve the lives of 50 million family members, mainly children."
The NGO company was chosen to be the auction beneficiaries of a stunning Montluc diamond pendant specially designed by renowned Italian jewellery designer Rudy Prampolini for the gala evening.
Inspired by Picasso, the one-of-a-kind necklace boasts a gorgeous 1.5 carat diamond centre stone surrounded by a 1.5 carat snow setting of 180 melee diamonds, which are set on 18 karat white gold petals and suspended on a diamond-studded 18 karat white gold chain.
"The 1.5 carat diamond centre stone has been certified colourless (D) with near-perfect clarity and triple-excellent cut, symmetry and polish by GIA, the most trusted grading laboratory in the industry," Stefan Widegren, Chairman of the board at Montluc, says. "Of the 11,200 1.5 carat round white diamonds currently listed on Rapnet, the world’s biggest diamond trading platform, only 0.4% meet this specification."
Only one lucky person walked away from the insightful evening with the spectacular Montluc jewel, but all the guests received a delightful Lernberger Stafsing gift bag overflowing with organic beauty and grooming essentials.
With philanthropy being the inspiring theme of the evening, Chris Dutton announced the newly launched The CEO Magazine Foundation – a unique venture in conjunction with Richard Branson and his charity Virgin Unite at Necker Island.
"Moments like launching the Foundation, and being here this evening, make me really happy and proud," he explains. "Helping others, positive impact, meaningful change, profit with purpose and charitable causes all become vastly more important than money.
"I think all of us here tonight share the same ideology that positive impact and profit with purpose, is the right way to do business."
Images by Cyril Bailleul
Film by Olivier Ronot
Text by Vanessa Eriksson