Najla Al Midfa was the first ever Emirati female to join the board of an Arab bank, having landed the plum role at United Arab Bank in 2012. But Al Midfa, born in Sharjah, has a pretty impressive CV beyond the bank. She has an MBA from Stanford University, and is also on the board of both the Sharjah Business Women Council and the Young Arab Leaders.
She has also had stints working for PWC, Shell, Google and McKinsey & Company, as well as the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise and Development. She runs an online careers advice office known as “Khayarat”, telling The National newspaper last year: “I will guide the students and make sure they know what they want to do, that their resumes are up-to-par, that they are prepared for interviews, but also that they are going after careers and jobs that actually suit them. It’s about exploring their passions.
“I was very fortunate that in each role I’ve had, I had a mentor who guided me towards the next step,” Al Midfa explains. “In many ways, I feel like I’ve come full circle and now I’m giving something back.”
Follow us on
