Mehdi Snene

Dr. Mehdi Snene is a science and tech specialist, mingling in the intersections of data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), governance, and ethics. He’s journeyed through a diverse career, from pure research to spearheading an international organization, gaining unique insights into the challenges and opportunities of today’s businesses.With a profound understanding of AI’s transformative potential, he has been at the forefront of technological innovation across various sectors, particularly in global health.
His leadership roles have been marked by the establishment and growth of multidisciplinary research and development teams, securing significant funding, and fostering collaborations with global entities like the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the International Development Research Centre. As the Chief AI Officer at I-DAIR, Mehdi has been instrumental in defining the strategic direction of AI initiatives and ensuring their alignment with global healthcare goals. He’s also orchestrating the implementation of a Responsible AI for toolkit with IDRC (Canada) for the development of an AI for health governance framework, and an AI-driven evidence mapping project with the WHO.

Previously, as the Interim CEO of I-DAIR, he championed the organization’s mission, overseeing strategic direction, stakeholder engagement, and fundraising efforts. This role was preceded by tenure as Senior Advisor for Data and AI at the African Development Bank, where he played a pivotal role in shaping Africa’s data strategy in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Beyond his professional roles, he has been an active member and leader in various expert working groups, including the G20 Healthcare Expert Working Group and the World Health Organization’s Expert Group for AI for evidence mapping of TCM.

He holds Dual PhD between the University of Geneva and the EPFL and a Master’s Degree from Grenoble INP – Ense3.