Rafael Lemaitre is a PhD fellow on the GPAC2 Dual Career Training Programme at UNU-MERIT / Maastricht University. His research interest is the study of the processes of innovation within governments, h special emphasis on the dynamics of the Gulf Cooperation Countries. He currently works as a partner in a strategy management consulting firm based in the U.A.E, ShiftIN Partners. His consulting credentials span strategic planning, performance management and strategy execution, having led a number of key consulting engagements, notably the development of performance management frameworks for different government such as Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Barcelona. Rafael is a multicultural consultant, he has worked on strategy execution projects throughout Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East; he has lived and worked in Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.