Ilona Putz founded PULONA Emerging Markets in 2008, based in the UAE. Her company is dedicated to creating and developing tailor-made business concepts and regulatory services for clients in the healthcare sector across the Middle East and North Africa. She holds an MBA Degree from George Washington University and attended a Finance programme at Harvard Business School. Ilona has worked in the Pharmaceutical Industry since 1988 for companies like MSD, SmithKline Beecham, Karl Engelhard, and HEXAL where she has held the position of Regulatory Affairs Regional Manager, responsible for regulatory affairs and later on in commercial operations for countries in the Middle East and Africa. Between 2005 and August 2008 she was Regional Head, Middle East, for Sandoz International, Germany, responsible for all commercial, business development, and regulatory activities. Ilona consults also for RegAff for the Middle East which is the only Global Specialist Regulatory Affairs company with broad geographical coverage, and for Emergo Group, which is a global consultancy company for Medical Devices. She is a Speaker for Management Forum UK on “Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs in the Middle East” since 2006, on “Global Manufacturing Site Transfer” since 2009 and on “Medical Device Regulations in the Middle East” since 2012. She spoke also for DIA (Drug Information Association) Switzerland on “Clinical Trials in the Middle East”