Away from the usual, my bio is:
“Recovering Banker” turned advocate for women who want more than a seat at the table — they want to reshape the table entirely. I spent two decades climbing the ranks to Managing Director in a FTSE 100 bank, leading thousands of people across continents. But it wasn’t until I burned out, became a mother, and felt lost outside the corporate world that I realised leadership is more than strategy and targets — it’s connection, courage, and community. I founded GAIA to give women what I never had — a safe space to grow stronger, lead boldly, and rise together.

If I were to nominate anyone on this list it would be, and why:
Anyone who lifts others while climbing themselves. The ones who use their power to create space for others, not just fill it for themselves.

Some of the reasons I should not be on this list are:
I don’t have all the answers. I don’t always get it right. I’m still learning, growing, and figuring it out like everyone else. And I believe true leadership is about being honest about that.

My lowest point of my career was / the highest point of my career was:
My lowest was sitting in a hospital bed with pneumonia and postnatal depression, two weeks after giving birth, only to be told my role was changing — with no real support for what I’d just survived.

My highest was walking away from that same organisation, starting over, and building something that now supports women around the world to do leadership differently.

What I learned from either:
That your title and your pay cheque are meaningless if you lose yourself along the way. That real strength is knowing when to let go of something that looks successful on paper but doesn’t feel right in your heart.

If there’s one thing on my bucket list I want to do, it would be:
Bring GAIA to 100,000 women globally — creating a ripple effect of stronger leadership, better workplaces, and more equitable societies.

Because the world is changing—and leadership needs to change with it. In the GCC, we’re seeing rapid transformation, incredible ambition, and governments backing women’s advancement like never before. But that momentum can’t just be symbolic. Many women still feel isolated in senior roles or are navigating cultures that weren’t designed with them in mind. GAIA offers a real solution: consistent peer support, world-class executive learning, and space for women to be vulnerable and bold at the same time. We help women lead with confidence, advance their careers, and build the relationships that make opportunity stick—not just appear.

Former Secretary of State the late Madelein Albright said “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women”. Is this where you come from mentally and strategically?

I come from a place of deep belief in women backing women—but I also believe we need to build the structures to make that possible. It’s not about guilt-tripping anyone into sisterhood. It’s about intentionally creating spaces where we can show up for one another. That’s why GAIA exists—not as a fluffy support group, but as a results-driven network where women help each other rise through action, not just words.

Equally, even if all the women senior leaders consistently backed all women, it wouldn’t make enough of a difference. This is because in the UAE, less than 9% of CEOs are women[1], less than 11% of board members are women[2] and only 17.7 % of senior and middle management roles are held by women[3]. 

As a non-Arab, do you feel this puts you at a backpedal when it comes to reaching women in the region who come from a totally different cultures and mindsets?

The reason GAIA is so powerful in this part of the world is because the UAE is uniquely diverse—culturally, professionally, and in terms of lived experience. That diversity is our strength. As a result, we’ve been able to build a network that is genuinely mixed: women from over a dozen industries, representing different nationalities, faiths, leadership styles, and life stages.

This means GAIA isn’t just an echo chamber—it’s a dynamic, evolving space where perspectives are challenged, leadership is redefined, and women grow not just because of what they learn, but who they’re learning with. That level of cross-cultural connection and mutual support is rare, and it’s what sets GAIA apart in the region. It’s not just a network—it’s a mirror of what the future of leadership in the Middle East should look like.

To your question, being a non-Arab hasn’t held me back—but it has made me listen harder. I’ve lived and worked in the Middle East for 5 years and previously in Latin America and Europe. I know better than to assume one experience defines all women. GAIA isn’t about pushing Western values. It’s the oppostie; it’s about co-creating leadership environments that make sense locally. That means respecting cultural nuances, meeting women where they are, and tailoring support so it’s not just relevant—it’s resonant.

The Arab world is at a crossroad on many angles – women both want to go “out and get it” and yet still feel constrained by the weight of traditions. How can one find a good mid-place for this and where does GAIA come?

This tension is real—and valid. What GAIA offers is a space to explore that duality with honesty. You don’t have to choose between ambition and tradition; you can redefine what leadership looks like on your terms. In our peer groups, we see women doing this every day—navigating family, culture, and career in ways that feel both ambitious and respectful. GAIA doesn’t prescribe a single path. We provide the tools, the circle, and the coaching to help you find yours.

As women, and considering GAIA has a selling line that goes “built by a leader, for leaders” how do you define leadership and does it matter what gender the leader is?

To me, leadership is about impact, not job titles. It’s how you influence the world around you—for the better. And no, leadership isn’t gendered. But the barriers to leadership often are. That’s why GAIA exists: to help women navigate, overcome, and rise—because we still have catching up to do. I built GAIA as someone who’s led hundreds, managed billion-dollar budgets, and still felt unsupported and unseen. I know what it’s like to succeed in systems not built for you. Now I want to change those systems from the inside out.

[1] Bain & Co

[2] Heriot-Wat University

[3] UN Women’s data for the UAE reports