Iman Al Qasim, who graduated from Aurora50’s Pathway20 accelerator in
2021, has become a non-executive, independent director of Emirati logistics firm Aramex and
of TAQA, the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company.
She is Executive Vice President of Human Capital at Emirates Global
Aluminium (EGA), which she joined in 2020.
Ms Al Qasim is chair of Aramex’s human resources committee, and a member
of TAQA’s nomination and remuneration and audit and risk committees.
TAQA is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and Aramex on
Dubai Financial Market (DFM.
‘Trailblazers’
Pathway20 is a 12-month
accelerator to support women in their early board careers. It aims to increase the pipeline
of highly competent women directors, to create gender balance in the boardroom.
Ms Al Qasim says there is a “big difference” in the role you play on a
board versus the “operational role that you play as an executive in a company”.
“Being part of a group of women that is driving the change, and
trailblazers for the UAE and for women on boards, is amazing,” she adds.
UAE at ‘forefront’ in supporting women
“I think the UAE stands in the forefront of countries worldwide in terms
of supporting women. Programmes like this [Pathway20] strengthen our position, help us do
what’s right and help us drive the mandate of women on boards.”
These are Ms Al Qasim’s first listed board roles.
She became a board director, chair of the HR committee and member of the
audit and risk committee at United Printing and Publishing (UPP) last year, and board
director and chair of the remuneration committee at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
(ADNEC) in 2021.
She has been a board member of both EGA Reinsurance and EGA America since
2021.
Al Qasim: 20 years of experience
Ms Al Qasim has over 20 years of experience in industries including
finance, energy, automotive and retail, in both government and multinational organisations.
She joined EGA from Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), where she was
Group Human Resources Director.
She previously held leadership roles at Mubadala Investment Company,
Dolphin Energy and General Motors Middle East.
TAQA’s three independent women board directors
Ms Al Qasim holds a master’s in business administration from University
of Bath in the UK and a bachelor of science from the American University of Sharjah.
The TAQA board has two other women board directors on its board of 11,
both also non-executive and independent and also elected this year:
Mouza Al Romaithi, the Director of Information and Cybersecurity at Abu Dhabi
Developmental Holding Company (ADQ)
Samia Toufic, Group CEO and Managing Director of Multiply Group, an investment holding
company in mobility, energy, media, beauty and wellness that is listed on the Abu Dhabi
Securities Exchange.
Aramex has one other woman board director on its board of nine, Elaine
Kerr, who is CEO of UK logistics company DPD.
Some 24 private local and international companies have now signed the UAE Gender Balance Council pledge to ensure women take 30% of C-suite positions by 2025, including DP World.
