Meet the Research Team

	Edward James Head of MEED Insight
Edward James has been with MEED for eight years. Until September 2008 he was MEED’s Gulf Bureau Chief. He wrote features and news for MEED magazine on nearly all of the countries of the region. His specific areas of expertise are hydrocarbons, power and water, and the petrochemical market. He has also worked as a consultant in the Gulf for UK risk consultancy firm Control Risks. He is a regular guest commentator on Middle East issues for news channels such as the BBC, CNN and ABC News and is a regular speaker at events in the region. He has an honours degree in Arabic and Middle East Politics.
Visit blog’s by Edward James on MEED.com Email: Edward James Telephone: 00971 (0) 4 367 1231

Omar H. Annous Consultant MEED

Omar joined MEED Insight in June 2012 as a Consultant, bringing with him four years of consulting experience from Deloitte Strategy Consulting. Omar has worked on a variety of projects covering a vast array of industries and project types including Waste Treatment, Private Equity, Islamic Finance, Hospitality & Real Estate, Facility Maintenance, and Government Services. Omar’s current area of focus and expertise is in industrial projects and manufacturing with his experience most pronounced in the Aluminum Industry. Omar is proficient in the areas of strategy development, business planning, feasibility studies, financial modeling, and business and operating model formulation. Omar holds a Bachelors of Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance from the American University of Beirut.

Jennifer Malapitan-Aguinaldo Senior Analyst MEED

Jennifer Aguinaldo joined MEED Insight in early 2010, bringing with her over ten years of experience as a journalist and research analyst covering the information and communications technology (ICT) sector in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. She has written bespoke and off-the-shelf reports for the education, ICT and oil and gas sectors since she joined MEED. She holds degrees in education and business administration.

Ashwita Suvarna Analyst MEED

With more than 5 years of experience in the research industry, Ashwita has experience in both conducting research and writing in-depth reports on sectors such as alternative energy, insurance and media. Before joining MEED, Ashwita worked for Global Data, a large syndicator of research reports. Ashwita has also worked for a Knowledge Process Outsourcing firm and managed a team of researchers. Ashwita has a master’s degree in commerce and a degree in Management Studies.

	Melanie Noronha Junior Analyst MEED
Melanie Noronha joined the MEED Insight team in May 2012 as a Junior Analyst. Prior to this, she completed internships in Mumbai, San Francisco and Dubai, focusing on financial and economic research. She also has experience writing reports on the renewable energy sector. She has a master’s degree in economics and an undergraduate degree in business.