IAWA Keynote Speakers Announced for 27th Annual Conference

The International Aviation Womens Association (IAWA), a worldwide professional organization dedicated to the advancement of women leaders within the aviation and aerospace industries, announces the distinguished lineup of keynote speakers for its 27th anniversary conference.

The keynotes speakers are:

Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi, UAE Minister of International Cooperation and Development

H.E. Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi joined the Federal Government in 2004 as Minister of Economy, becoming the first woman to assume a cabinet position in the U.A.E. She was later appointed in 2008 as Minister of Foreign Trade, and then in 2013 as Minister of International Cooperation and Development, with the responsibility of boosting the UAE's role as a major donor and key player in global human development. Besides her ministerial responsibilities, H.E. Sheikha Lubna is also a Board Director at the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, a member of the Governing Board of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy - National University of Singapore, a member of the Board of Trustees for Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management, Phoenix Arizona, a Board Director at the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai School of Government and Co-Founder and Board Member of the Friends of Cancer Patients. During her two previous posts, the country enjoyed its most economically prosperous period and highest volumes of foreign trade.

Laila Ali bin Hareb Al Muhairi, Assistant Director General - Strategy & International Affairs, General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA)

Laila Hareb, Assistant Director General, is a game changer in the local and regional aviation strategies. She joined the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in September 2009 to lead its Strategic Planning and Corporate Excellence Department. In little over two years since she began her work at the GCAA, it has been awarded the prestigious Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence Program (SKGEP) award in recognition of its best practices in the areas of Strategic Planning and Performance Management systems. In addition to this, it was also recognized as the government entity for the most improved performance. Laila Hareb is a corporate strategist with vast experience in developing and implementing strategic direction for major organizations in public sector. The first Arab lady to hold a vital strategic position in the MENA region. Her areas of expertise is expanded in variety of management sectors such as Strategic Planning, organizational development, corporate performance functions, quality & excellence and stake holder relationship management.

Barbara Leaf, U.S. Ambassador to the U.A.E

Barbara A. Leaf was confirmed as the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates on November 17, 2014. Prior to that, she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Arabian Peninsula in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs from 2013-2014, and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iraq from 2011- 2013. Ambassador-Designate Leaf directed the U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team in the strategic province of Basrah, Iraq from 2010-2011, leaving an assignment as Political Minister Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, Italy, to oversee the PRT's transition to a U.S. Consulate General. Prior to Rome, Ambassador-Designate Leaf served as the first Director of the Department of State's Office of Iranian Affairs.

The keynote addresses will serve as highlights of the IAWA's 27th Annual Conference, which will be held from November 10-12, 2015 at Fairmont the Palm Hotel in Dubai, UAE. The conference is expected to attract more than 150 women in the aviation and aerospace professions worldwide, and will feature speaker panels and presentations from respected industry leaders, as well as expansive opportunities for personal and professional networking.

Full information on the conference is available at IAWA's website, www.iawa.org.


Submitted: 06/22/15
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