CONNECT, INSPIRE, AND LEAD
Issue 2, June 2025 Table of Contents: Leadership in Flight: Inside IAWA’s Organizational Structure
Lift Off to Leadership Survey
Membership Committee Updates Career Growth
IAWA News & Views
2025 Annual Giving Campaign
Upcoming Events
Event Recaps
Scholarship
Mentoring
Member Highlights
Our Supporters
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Theresia H. Schatz, A.A.E. Senior Consultant, ADK Consulting & Executive Search IAWA Member IAWA FlightPaths Editor |
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Welcome to our 2nd official edition of FlightPaths and the beginning of a busy summer season in the northern hemisphere!
In addition to providing you, our IAWA members, a myriad of information and connect you with the many resources available at IAWA, in this issue we are featuring information about our wonderful and hard-working Board of Directors. We are planning to feature each and every Board Member in subsequent issues, so stay-tuned.
Congratulations to our scholarship winners as we help foster the next generation of leaders in our aerospace and aviation industry. Make sure you check out our upcoming webinar: Career Growth Q2 Webinar: Cultivating Executive Presence: Empowering Women to Lead as well as many other resources from the Career Growth Committee: Book reviews, podcasts and of course the job board if you are seeking a new adventure! We also feature information on ways members can stay engaged at IAWA and be more involved, whether its to join a committee, become a mentor or a mentee, attend many IAWA Connects held around the globe or to join us at an IAWA conference each year.
Stay tuned for the 37th Annual Conference to be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil at the end of October. Make sure you book your hotel – see the link for more information in the Upcoming Events section below. Remember to stay connected, inspired and go forth to lead!
– Sia |
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Leadership in Flight: Inside IAWA’s Organizational Structure
In an industry historically dominated by men, the International Aerospace Womens Association (IAWA) stands out as a global beacon for the advancement and inclusion of women across all sectors of the aviation and aerospace industries. With members spanning continents and roles – from executives and engineers to attorneys and government officials, IAWA’s impact is powered by a robust and intentionally structured leadership framework.
At the heart of this structure is a dynamic Board of Directors – comprised of an executive committee and regional and functional leaders who together with our association management agency ensure the organization fulfills its mission to connect, inspire, and lead women in aerospace worldwide.
This post explores the organizational structure of IAWA’s Board of Directors and how its regional presence and functional committees work in harmony to drive the organization’s global impact. In future posts, we’ll also pull back the curtain on how the board is chosen and operates, how budgets, by-laws and standards are approved, and unpack the role of the Advisory Board. |
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We invite you contribute to the second edition of Lift Off to Leadership, a joint initiative between Oliver Wyman and the International Aerospace Womens Association (IAWA), focused on exploring the leadership experiences of women in the global aviation and aerospace industry. We need input, so please SHARE! |
This 2025 edition will be groundbreaking, as it marks the first global study of its kind on female leadership in the aerospace industry. We sincerely thank you for your participation and support in shaping the future of leadership in aerospace. |
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Membership update:
Our membership numbers are strong and up year over year. We have increased our scholars, apprentices and government members along with a large number of new members in Europe. But we still have work to do, and we are concerned with a drop in numbers in the Americas. With the re-allocation of resources away from DEI efforts in the US, we may be feeling some of the impact. In this environment, the role of IAWA is even more crucial and I would encourage all of us to use our networks to support and help each other, recruit and retain our members. We are stronger together! Noting the swing, the membership committee has a team focusing on the role of advocates and how do we best engage them and leverage their skills to help IAWA women. We welcome any input or thoughts you may have.
We are also continuing our process deep dives for the new member and renewal process to make both easier on the management team and the members, including the role of social media. Committee Positions Open:
All our Board members would welcome volunteers for their various committees, but we have some specific urgent positions open and are seeking volunteers to fill them: - Finance Committee: A person with an accounting or finance background to help us prepare for the upcoming audit. Board member is Karen Ellis (Chief Sustainability Officer - FedEX)
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Scholarship Committee: We have a vacancy in the UK for the Cranfield liaison. The member MUST be located in the UK. This member interfaces with the Cranfield team and would create connects that highlight the value of IAWA at the Cranfield campus. Board Member is Shelley Svoren (CEO Infinite Branches)
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Asia Country Leads: As we build up our Asia Region we are looking for IAWA member volunteers to lead a country and be a part of the Asia Committee. Board Member will be the New VP Asia (TBA).
If you would like to apply for one of the above positions or be on any of our committees please apply here. |
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Your career growth is our priority. IAWA provides exclusive resources to empower your professional journey.
Unlock Member-Only Career Resources: -
Exclusive Content: Access quarterly webinars, book reviews, podcasts (like "Connect, Inspire, and Lead"), and past FlightPaths editions in our members-only Career Growth section.
- Skill Development: Invest and reinvest in your career with content designed by IAWA members for IAWA members.
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"Connect, Inspire, and Lead" Podcast: Hear from women across generations and our Advocates on how they excel. Listen now
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IAWA Career Hub: Hiring? Share your company's open positions on our member-exclusive Career Hub and LinkedIn group. Learn more
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LinkedIn: How To Maximize This Platform To Boost Your Career
If you don’t already have a LinkedIn profile - do it! LinkedIn is the premier professional social media website for career professionals. Did you know it is highly utilized by recruiters who source for ideal, high quality candidates.
Recruiters use LinkedIn licenses that allow us to do comprehensive searches and find potential talent and direct them to many exciting career opportunities and engagements! LinkedIn also allows you to grow and connect with your network across many industries. You can join groups, search for articles, and take advantage of terrific LinkedIn educational tools. It also allows you to maintain your resume in real-time allowing others to engage with you and you with others more easily with the most updated information.
Remember to upload a professional photo with an optional Background photo, post uplifting comments and articles and treat your LinkedIn profile as your living document as you would keep your resume updated - just so much easier!
Accessing Member Resources:
Members: If you need access to the members' portal, contact info@iawa.org. |
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Industry Update
by Ivon Aheart
First up, congratulations to our Africa Regional Chairs Ida Eggeblad and Ingrid Umutoni and Board Member – Sophie Ghezai on the successful launch of the Middle East Forum on May 5th. This high-impact event took place in Saudi Arabia and brought together industry leaders from across the region to tackle pressing challenges, growth, and opportunities for female advancement in the aviation industry. Stay tuned for key insights and takeaways following the forum.
Meanwhile, preparations for the European Forum are well underway and they are making excellent headway. From agenda planning to speaker confirmations, the team, under the direction of Annemarie Schuite, is hard at work to deliver another world-class gathering of aviation professionals. This year’s forum, taking place in Toulouse, France, will highlight innovation, safety, and cross-border collaboration in Europe’s dynamic aviation landscape. More to come as plans continue to develop.
In other exciting news, The Airbus Experience Center recently hosted Cockpit and Cocktails: An Aero Club of Washington Runway Program Event; it was a tremendous success. Ivon Aheart, was in attendance alongside a robust showing of local aviation talent. The evening featured vibrant networking, insightful conversations, and a welcoming atmosphere that brought together both seasoned leaders and emerging voices in aviation. |
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2025 Annual Giving Campaign
The 2025 Annual Giving Campaign is now live. If you or your company are interested in becoming an ally with IAWA, read more about this year's campaign and how you can have an impact. |
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IAWA 37th Annual Conference - Save the Date!
IAWA's 37th Annual Conference will take place on October 28-30, 2025, at the JW Marriott in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Book your hotel room now! |
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Career Growth Q2 Webinar: Cultivating Executive Presence: Empowering Women to Lead June 17, 2025
In the dynamic world of aerospace, women are continually breaking new ground, yet the path to leadership often requires navigating unique challenges. One of the most powerful tools for career advancement is executive presence—the ability to command attention, inspire confidence, and assert influence in any setting. This panel will focus on how women in aerospace can cultivate their executive presence, enhance their career growth, and amplify their voices at the leadership table. This event is for IAWA Members Only. |
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IAWA Connect at the Airbus Chalet of the International Paris Air Show June 18, 2025 | Airbus Chalet, Parc des Expositions de Paris Le Bourget Join IAWA Connect at the Airbus Chalet during the International Paris Air Show! Agenda:
1) Introduction Keynote, Carmen-Maja Rex, Chief Human Resources Officer, Airbus
2) Panel: "Empowering women in aerospace: how to advance gender diversity and women rights in the Industry"
- Milena Bowman, Executive Manager at EUROCONTROL's Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre
- Robert Chad, Area Manager France, Belgium, Netherlands & Southern Europe - International Air Transport Association (IATA)
- Marie-Christine Maheas, Head of Forvis Mazars Center for Diversity & Inclusion, Coordinator of the French Observatory for Diversity |
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IAWA London Connect
June 19, 2025 | London, United Kingdom Please join IAWA on Thursday 19th June for a Marsh hosted Connect Event. The event will include a panel discussion on “Exploring emerging risks and innovation within Cyber and Aviation” followed by networking and breakfast. |
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IAWA European Leadership Forum 2025
September 25, 2025 | Toulouse, France
The IAWA European Leadership Forum 2025 will bring together top female leaders, executives, and professionals from across the aviation and aerospace industries to discuss key challenges, opportunities, and innovations shaping the future of the sector.
Hosted by Airbus at the Airbus Leadership University in Toulouse—the heart of Europe’s aerospace industry—this two-day forum will provide a unique opportunity to engage with industry leaders in a city that is home to major players such as Airbus, ATR, and numerous aerospace research centers. |
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IAWA Speaker's Bureau
Interested in speaking at the IAWA Annual Conference or a future IAWA event?
Share your knowledge and expertise with others by joining the IAWA Speaker's Bureau. For more information, email info@iawa.org. |
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IAWA India Forum
March 20, 2025 We recently concluded the first-ever IAWA India Forum in partnership with GE Aerospace, BTG Advaya and Embraer hosted at the John F Welch Technology Centre.
We engaged discussions on the future of aerospace innovation, the crucial need for a skilled aviation workforce, and India's ambitious journey to becoming a global aviation hub.
It’s inspiring to see industry leaders collaborate to shape the next generation of aviation professionals and drive technological advancements. The energy and passion in the room were palpable! Here's to the future of flight. |
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SMU Law Symposium
March 10, 2025
IAWA Members and supporters gathered for a networking opportunity at the SMU Law Symposium in Dallas, TX to learn more about what IAWA has to offer. |
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IAWA Middle East Forum
May 5, 2025 IAWA held its first-ever Middle East Forum in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, hosted by Saudi Airlines and IATA - marking a significant milestone for the region. The panel discussions offered powerful insights into the Middle East’s growing role in global aviation and emphasized the importance of nurturing the next generation of female leaders.
This landmark event brought together trailblazing women leaders who are driving real change and shaping the future of the aviation industry in the region. |
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IAWA Coffee Connect at AFRAA Aviation Stakeholders Convention
May 11, 2025 IAWA hosted a lively Coffee Connect on May 11, 2025, during the AFRAA Aviation Stakeholders Convention in Kigali. The event brought together women in aviation and aerospace from across Africa and beyond, providing a great opportunity for networking. The enthusiasm to engage and connect was unmistakable. |
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New IAWA Event Suggestion Form Have an idea for an IAWA event but not sure where to start? IAWA has created a new form to submit your idea for an event. Once submitted a contact from IAWA event planning will contact you to discuss.
Click here to submit your idea today!
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Scholarships
The 2025 Scholarship Selection season commenced with the awarding our first scholarship to a recipient at our longest tenured university partnership – SMU Dedman School of Law: Grace Nobles. In her essay, she not only highlighted her leadership experiences and how IAWA’s mission is incorporated into it, she shared that aviation has been a part of her family as her parents met while working on the Hawaiian Airlines bankruptcy. Additionally, Amanda Hoyt from the Prescott Campus of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University was selected as our scholarship recipient for our university partner. Sheila Remes, Michelle Crippin, and Shelley A Svoren attended an event last October where past recipients - Emma Rasmussen and Eileen Kim - encouraged Amanda to attend the VIP networking event. She is actively involved in the local chapter of the Ninety-Nines where she serves as its Treasurer and is a co-organizer of its annual gala that is attended by over 500 people. We hope that you look forward to the notification from IAWA on social media about Grace and Amanda and welcome them into the IAWA community.
The Scholarship Committee is currently reviewing applications from Swinburne University. We expect to receive applications through the summer from Vaughn College, TU Delft, McGill University, and Cranfield University. We look forward to highlighting the scholarship recipients with you. We recently welcomed Victoria Mayes to the committee as the liaison to Cranfield University. She joins Christine DeGagne (Chair – ENAC), Michelle Crippin (ERAU), Nicole Kappos (McGill University), Kaitlyn Graham (SMU), Valentina Vecchio (TU Delft), Brittany Davies (Vaughn), Cristina Lewis (UTP), Ida Eggeblad (contributing member), and Shelley A Svoren (Swinburne University.)
Many of our past scholarship recipients continue to excel in their careers: -
Emma Rasmussen (Embry Riddle Aeronautical University – 2021 recipient) completed her MSc from ERAU and joined NetJets as a Safety Specialist.
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Isabella Vilhena (McGill University – 2018 recipient) was recognized as "Executive Spirit 2024" by LATAM Airlines, representing the Legal Department in a group of 8 executives from Brazil. This recognition holds even greater relevance considering that that this recognition encompasses a population of over 300 executives and 38,000 employees across various countries.
- Serafina Vitale (Embry Riddle Aeronautical University – 2023 recipient) participated on a panel with the American Bar Association (ABA) Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) Aviation & Aerospace Law Conference on the topic of NextGen Aviation Professionals.
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Alina Santander Vinokurova (Vaughn College – 2021 recipient)’s Tedx talk can now be found on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLzjttknaEQ&authuser=0).
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Gaia Roncalli (TU Delft - 2022 recipient) and her fellow co-founders of Ecosmic, was featured in Forbes (Italy).
- Beatrice Dragomir (McGill University – 2022 recipient ) recently joined Pratt & Whitney Canada as a Contracts Manager
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Mentoring Program
Mentoring Program:
Michelle Crippin accepted the appointment as the Mentoring Committee Chair and brings a wealth of experience to her new role. Michelle, along with one of our most successful mentoring pairs (Connie Avery and Kaitlyn Graham), Melissa Phelix (five goals set and achieved), and Jim Simpson (an Advocate who mentored three mentees, two of whom took steps forward in their careers) participated in the Q1 IAWA Career Growth Committee webinar to speak about their experiences with the IAWA Mentoring Program and offer their insights into how they approached the program and lessons learned. If you have not watched it, we highly recommend that you view the hour-long webinar (MEMBER ONLY ACCESS).
IAWA’s Mentoring program matches Members and Advocates (as Mentors) with Scholars and Apprentices (as Mentees). Four years into the program, our participants – both Mentors and Mentees – continue to excel and advance in their careers. Mentoring is a commitment by both participants, and obtaining a mentor is one of the first steps in the development of one’s career. IAWA’s Mentoring Program is complimentary to and should not replace networking, a corporate mentor, the cultivation of sponsorship, or the investment in oneself through development programs that include education and executive coaching. Since inception of the formalized program four years ago, a total of 116 participants from all 30 countries have participated in the program:
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The 2025 mentoring program is not included in this table, which started last month with 7 mentoring pairs. This includes 4 returning mentors and 1 returning mentee. All participants have new relationships. To learn more about IAWA’s Mentoring Program, please view our page on the IAWA website. To learn more about the program, please review our FAQs for the program here.
Resources on what makes a successful mentor and successful mentee from Shelley A. Svoren’s Embraer keynote speech can be found here.
Our program was recently submitted for an EASA award recognizing our commitment to diversity in gender. We intend to apply for another grant from the ISTAT Foundation during late May 2025. |
The accomplishments of IAWA members are an integral part of who we are. It‘s important our members and future members know who has helped make our organization what it is today. If you would like to be featured in a Member Highlight on our social media channels, please click here to fill out the form.
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Congratulations to IAWA President-Elect Marita Lintener as she begins her journey as Editor for Global Airspace Radar at FoxATM! |
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New Member Highlights Since March, IAWA has welcomed 49 amazing women as new members of IAWA. Additionally, IAWA also welcomed 5 Scholar members and 3 Apprentice members and to its membership.
Please join us in welcoming our new IAWA Members by visiting the New Member webpage. Learn more about each of our new members! |
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Follow us on social media, including our new Instagram account, @iawa_inspire to keep up on the latest news for our events, annual conference, members, and all things IAWA!
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