Katherine VERRIER-FRÉCHETTE

Awz Ventures Inc is a leading Canadian VC specialised in AI-powered security solutions.

Awz Horizons Ltd is the subsidiary of Awz Ventures Inc. currently being incorporated in ADGM (Abu Dhabi, UAE). Katherine is the MD of Awz Horizons, responsible for Awz Ventures throughout the MENA region.

Previously, Katherine served McKinsey & Company’s clients in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

She is also a former senior Canadian diplomat who concluded her ~ 2 decades in the Foreign Service as Head of Mission (Ambassador-equivalent).

Consistently recognized as an exceptional leader and communicator, Katherine has engaged with and advised leaders ranging from CEOs to community figures and from ministers to heads of governments.

She also has a track record of establishing partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders to build bridges across divides and sustain progress, growth and innovation.

During her career, Katherine has shaped Canada’s vision and strategy in foreign contexts. She strategically advanced the government’s objectives and interests in the most challenging environments and contexts — Afghanistan, Africa, Europe, the Middle East — and through negotiations at the UN. She also represented Canada at the highest levels of government, while juggling competing interests in true diplomatic fashion.