Top Women Leaders Redefining Success This Emirati Women's Day

Success has never had just one definition. It can be found in the decisions that shape boardrooms, the ideas that transform industries, the businesses built from the ground up, and the lives changed through education, healthcare, technology, mentorship, and community.

This Emirati Women’s Day, we celebrate an exceptional group of women whose journeys span industries, countries, and experiences. From the UAE to the wider GCC and across the world, these leaders are challenging conventional definitions of success and proving that leadership can take many different forms.

Dr. Birgit Maria Kemphues brings decades of international experience to leadership, governance, and high-stakes decision-making, helping leaders identify critical risks before important decisions become irreversible. Dr. Mariam Shaikh has spent more than three decades shaping higher education, talent development, and international academic partnerships while making global education more accessible.

Davlynne Lidbetter has built and scaled influential media and luxury brands across international markets, while Mas Watad continues to challenge conventional healthcare models through preventive healthcare, technology, and community-based wellness. With a career built around mathematics, business performance, and human behaviour, Iram Kauser is helping founders and businesses strengthen execution, profitability, and sustainable growth.

Sarah O’Reilly is reimagining family technology through B-mee, building solutions designed around the real challenges parents face while supporting children’s independence, confidence, and development. Dr. Chandrima N. Chatterjee combines entrepreneurship, education, public policy, and advocacy to create opportunities for women and build purpose-driven ecosystems. Meanwhile, Aisha Jibreel Alexander brings more than two decades of aviation experience to advancing operational excellence, aviation safety, research, and the next generation of professionals.

For Sandi Saksena, success is not defined by age or conventional expectations. At 74, she continues to build, lead, speak, explore, and inspire through her belief in financial independence, resilience, health, and the freedom to define life on one’s own terms. Dr. Yasmine Helal is helping organizations navigate responsible transformation in finance by bringing together innovation, governance, leadership, and lasting impact.

Glenda Dawson has spent more than three decades supporting personal growth, healing, and inner alignment, while Merissa Boey is making emerging technologies easier for businesses to discover, understand, and adopt through SICONICA. In healthcare, Carol El Ajouz is leading transformation across the Gulf, combining commercial leadership with a commitment to awareness, earlier detection, and better patient outcomes.

Diji Shujahi has built a diverse media portfolio while creating platforms designed to support ethical media and amplify diverse voices. Zoe Kennedy brings together education, technology, creativity, and humanitarian work, with a commitment to ensuring that innovation serves people and communities. Maria Teresa Spiga is simplifying the complexities of real estate investment, business setup, and relocation for those looking to build their future in the UAE.

Dr. Desziree Richardson continues to build global platforms focused on empowerment, equality, and humanitarian impact, while Dr. Carolyn M. Rubin draws on more than three decades of healthcare and leadership experience to help individuals and organizations grow with greater purpose, alignment, and confidence.

Blake Frances Hendrie is building a stronger sense of community for families in the UAE through Frankly UAE, creating trusted spaces, experiences, and opportunities for families, young people, and women to connect and grow. Across Africa, Dr. Miskyah-Marie Toth is building businesses and leadership platforms that empower entrepreneurs and professionals to grow alongside their communities.

As artificial intelligence reshapes the future of work, Shayma Kurz is helping organizations understand that AI readiness begins not simply with technology, but with people, leadership, and culture. Anetta Thomas is bringing excellence to the world of architecture and interior fit-out, while Jazmine de Luna is making AI more accessible and practical for businesses, professionals, and communities across the UAE.

Nisha Sanghani is helping organizations navigate risk, governance, technology, and transformation while building new models for solving increasingly complex challenges. Margie Poon Edmonson has spent nearly two decades developing leaders and coaches through an approach centred on emotional intelligence, ethical clarity, cultural awareness, and conscious leadership.

Aanchal Gupta is building Agents Stack around some of Asia’s most complex infrastructure, cybersecurity, and fintech challenges while advocating for greater representation of women in critical sectors. Irum Farhat Farooq is working to make education more accessible across borders, connecting global innovation with local realities and ensuring that technology continues to strengthen the people at the heart of learning.

Nadia Mannan is reshaping travel experiences through a client-centred approach built around trust, transparency, and personalised service. Rashi Chowdhary has dedicated more than 18 years to changing the conversation around women’s health, helping thousands of women better understand their bodies while challenging restrictive and oversimplified approaches to nutrition.

Finally, Liesa Euton’s career across hospitality, business, training, mentorship, and community service reflects a long-standing commitment to developing people and creating opportunities for women and emerging leaders to grow.

Together, these women represent different industries, generations, nationalities, and leadership journeys. Yet, they share a common ability to look beyond conventional measures of achievement and create impact in ways that extend far beyond themselves.

This Emirati Women’s Day, we recognize these inspiring leaders for not only what they have achieved, but for the industries they are transforming, the people they are empowering, and the paths they continue to create for those who will follow.

Here are the Top Women Leaders Redefining Success This Emirati Women’s Day, presented in the same order as their journeys appear below.