Programme Overview

“ADNOC has an unwavering commitment in supporting females to grow, develop and excel in their careers, which is why we are proud to be an anchor partner of the Pathway20 initiative. We believe that gender diversity in leadership positions contributes to innovative thinking that drives competitive advantage.  As we seek to contribute towards our nation’s prosperity, this program will help the UAE build a pipeline of female talent in leadership positions.”

Fatema Al Nuaimi
CEO, ADNOC LNG & CHAIR, ADNOC GENDER BALANCE COMMITTEE

“Achieving gender balance has always played an integral role within UAE society and remains a key priority for the future of our country. At Mubadala, we recognise that women’s equality and empowerment is not only vital for society but is also valuable for our business and the community. Through our ongoing initiatives to advance women in the workplace across the diversified sectors we operate in, we are proud to have strong female leaders throughout our organisation. As a partner of the Pathway20 initiative, we are keen to continue working together to ensure talented women assume leadership roles across the region.”

Homaid Al Shimmari
DEPUTY GROUP CEO, CHIEF CORPORATE & HUMAN CAPITAL OFFICER, MUBADALA INVESTMENT COMPANY

“From the early days of the UAE’s establishment, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan set the foundations of female empowerment and equality in the country. Today, FAB is committed to continue that path by promoting diversity across the board, showcasing women’s expertise and accomplishments and building a brighter future for women in the region. Female empowerment is a longstanding pillar of our nation’s vision for economic diversification and development, and together we will pave the way for a new era of female accomplishments in the next 50 years. As a partner of the ‘Pathway20 initiative, it is our duty to nurture and support female talent in their journey to leadership and, as a result, grow stronger together.”

André Sayegh
GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, FAB

“Abu Dhabi Ports strongly supports the vision of HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Mother of the Nation, as well as the UAE’s National Strategy in nurturing and creating opportunities for ambitious and talented females to attain positions of power within the UAE’s corporate boardrooms.

We are deeply committed to continue championing women as beacons for empowerment. Abu Dhabi Ports takes great pride in participating in “Pathway20”, an initiative that offers an ideal platform to showcase the strong female representation of women in board management across the UAE.”

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamsi
GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ABU DHABI PORTS

“ADX is committed to advancing women in high-ranking leadership roles and continues to engage with listed companies about raising awareness on the value of gender equality in corporate roles. Through our partnership with Aurora50, we intend to actively participate and support the Pathway20 board level training programs, workshops and events. We are fully convinced of the positive impact that more gender-diverse leadership will have on corporate performance and economic growth”.

Saeed Hamad Obaid Al Dhaheri
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ADX

“The UAE has actively championed gender balance as a national priority, and its efforts in that field have successfully created the ideal environment that allows women to thrive. We are seeing more women take up roles in leadership positions, a shift that realises our leadership’s vision in promoting gender diversity and inclusion in both the private and public sectors.

With our nation’s vision to encourage greater participation of women in the UAE’s development, Pathway20 is an exceptional initiative that will further capitalise on women’s talents and boost their representations in boards. Through this initiative, I’m positive that we will see the creation of a collaborative environment that encourages diversity, supports women to reach their goals and further positions the country as a knowledge-based economy.”

HE Khalfan Juma Belhoul
CEO, DUBAI FUTURE FOUNDATION

“As part of its drive to promote women’s empowerment in the regional capital markets, Nasdaq Dubai is proud to be a Founding Knowledge Partner of the Pathway20 initiative. Emirati and other women have already played an important role in the exchange’s success and we look forward to encouraging greater numbers to take senior positions in this sector. Companies of all kinds can benefit from their abilities and creativity as the financial markets find new ways to grow and innovate on behalf of issuers, investors and wider society.”

Hamed Ali
CEO, NASDAQ DUBAI

“The DFM has been accelerating its sustainability and governance efforts to strengthen board diversity and inclusion in capital markets in collaboration with various institutions in the UAE and beyond. Accordingly, we are pleased to join forces with Aurora50’s Pathway20 initiative to qualify proficient women for board directorship. The DFM has launched numerous initiatives such as the eBoard Platform, connecting listed companies with Emirati talent which has significantly helped to boost female board representation to one third of DFM-listed companies.”

Hassan Al Serkal
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CEO, DFM

“DIFC has championed gender diversity and inclusivity since establishing operations 16 years ago. During this time, we have built a reputation for accelerating women into senior positions. DIFC’s three independent bodies continue to have strong female reputation in their management teams. To stay ahead, there is more we can do with the industry and other partners. Over 60% of DIFC Authority staff and 33% of people working in the region’s largest financial centre ecosystem are female, meaning the pipeline for board positions is tremendous.”

Arif Amiri
CEO, DIFC

“The world needs more great leadership. Diversity at the Board level is a business imperative today, but it’s simply not happening fast enough. New voices and perspectives on the top level are essential to unlock the transformational capabilities that businesses and governments need. Egon Zehnder is therefore proud to support Pathway20 in supporting this change in the UAE – a country with incredibly ambitious visions that will require all of its leadership talent, male and female, to be enabled and empowered.”

Jill Ader
CHAIRWOMAN, EGON ZEHNDER

“Hawkamah has been supporting the cause of gender diversity on boards for many years using different tools. This includes awareness of the importance of having more women on boards, research, training women to become effective board members, working with the regulators to create quota for women on boards, and supporting various UAE and regional initiatives. Hence, we are proud to be a knowledge partner of the Pathway20 initiative. We strongly believe in the goal and we look forward to helping achieve it.”

Dr Ashraf Gamal El Din
CEO, HAWKAMAH

“ADGM is committed to support the UAE’s vision in encouraging the increased representation of women in leadership positions. The 20by2020 initiative serves as a significant contributor in progressing gender equality in the workplace. ADGM is delighted to join forces with Pathway20 as equality forms the cornerstone of a sustainable, robust and progressive business model.”

Richard Teng
CEO, FINANCIAL SERVICES REGULATORY AUTHORITY (FRSA), ADGM

“Fidelio has been a pioneer in promoting gender balance and diversity in leadership roles within major organisations internationally. We have been a trailblazer, ensuring talented women succeed to the top table and at the top table. Pathway20 is an exceptional initiative which Fidelio is proud to support.”

Gillian Karran-Cumberlege
HEAD OF CHAIR ADVISORY, FIDELIO PARTNERS

“Board diversity is a key pillar to effective decision-making and high-performance governance. The INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre (ICGC) has been actively engaged, for the last 10 years, in making a distinctive contribution to the dissemination of knowledge and sharing of good practices in corporate governance across nations. Through its educational portfolio and advocacy, the centre is engaging all stakeholders’ communities to lead businesses today responsibly for inclusiveness and impact on the economic but also the global societal and environmental landscape.

We are proud to be a catalyst for change through the Pathway20 initiative in UAE in collaboration with ADNOC, to turn awareness to action and to empower women for leadership in the boardroom.”

Sonia Tatar
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INSEAD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE CENTRE

“Diversity is inherent to LinkedIn’s vision, as we strive to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce. It also features prominently in our values and culture as an organisation that holds diversity, inclusion and belonging as our number one talent priority. We believe that diverse teams not only bring the benefit of rich perspectives to the workplace, but also help companies win and thrive. Today, we are proud to be partnering with Pathway20 to bring this vision to life in the UAE and help drive gender balance at a board level in the country. As part of the program, our team will demonstrate how professional success can be nurtured and consolidated on our platform”.

Ali Matar
HEAD, MENA & EMEA EMERGING MARKETS, LINKEDIN

“The Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT) has supported the development of women in the Middle East for over a decade, and we are proud that ACT educated women have progressed to hold board seats of locally listed companies. We fully support the Pathway20 initiative and believe that gender diversity at board level is essential to ensure the competitiveness of the UAE.”

Matthew Hurn FCT
ACT MIDDLE EAST CHAIR, & CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS & INFRASTRUCTURE, MUBADALA

“Diversity is now recognised by leaders and business stakeholders as important to longer-term success. The efforts of the Pathway20 initiative and active championing from the UAE are welcome in helping boost the number of women at the top table and strength the pipeline of talented women for the future.”

Denise Wilson OBE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, HAMPTON-ALEXANDER REVIEW

“As one of the small group of women who set up the 30% Club in 2010, I have always had a strong commitment to the advancement of women in the boardroom. Diversity of thought contributes strongly to the management of risk, and all businesses everywhere will benefit from more women in positions of leadership. I applaud the Pathway20 initiative and urge everyone in the region to support it, as more women are encouraged to step forward and play their part in the continued economic development of the UAE.”

Prof. Heather McGregor CBE
EXECUTIVE DEAN, EDINBURGH BUSINESS SCHOOL, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY