After our first 10 fabulous females for 2022, here are our next set of women who remain to be SEEN - from education, aesthetics, food, media, floristry, business, leadership, hospitality, NGO support, HR and community powerhouses, we are honoured to showcase the achievements of these true influencers. Breaking barriers and contributing to a new society we can all take inspiration from.
1. Rebecca Treston
Advanced skincare and Aesthetics Specialist
For over 25 years, Rebecca Treston has been Dubai’s go-to skincare and laser expert. Her philosophy of utilising energy to naturally transform the structure of the skin has created a loyal client following of both men and women including supermodels, Royalty, global CEOs, top beauty and fashion editors, media personalities, and women seeking non-invasive treatments with dramatic results. At the absolute forefront of innovative skincare technologies, Rebecca’s knowledge and expertise keep her ahead of the curve and her loyal client base coming back month after month.
2. Jean Yeow Winter
Business and Food Consultant, Private Chef and CEO, Touch Agency
Growing up in Singapore and now based in Dubai, Jean is the formidable founder of the UAE’s only F&B agency that represents the top chefs in the region and the world. Alongside running her own bespoke events management company, Jean’s talents as a private chef lead her to work across the globe with discerning, high profile clients via ‘Jean’s Private Kitchen’ Prior to Dubai, Jean started as Geneva’s first underground dining concept from her home to catering to clients from UN/WHO/WTO/VIP’s in the Geneva region, to growing her business to France, Hamburg, and Singapore. Jean also pivoted into angel investment during the COVID-19 pandemic helping many local businesses to grow. More recently she has joined forces with Dubai -based Paralympian Jessica Smith to launch the Touch agency - the only UAE’s first disability inclusion consultancy and talent management agency.
Jean says: “I have always created my own path when there was no path and I have never been afraid to venture into the unknown. The key to it all is to do it with a smile and involve good people along the way”
3. Emma Banks
Hilton's vice president of F&B strategy and development for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
UAE Golden Visa holder, for her services to hospitality and the food and beverage industry in the UAE, Emma has enjoyed a fabulous career trajectory across her time in Dubai since arriving in 2013 and has been working with Hilton since 2019, prior to which she was at the Jumeirah Restaurant Group (JPG) managing director. Emma was recently featured as one of HSBC’s ‘75 Faces of the UAE’ campaign and ranked #1 in Caterer Middle East’s 2020 Women in F&B Power List.
A huge advocate for the responsibility of F&B and hospitality in sustainable practices and the empowerment of women in the industry, Emma says; “my team and I are working on what we can do as a team (over and above the diversity and inclusion strategy that Hilton has in place) to support females in F&B. We are debating this topic and putting in place concrete actions for 2022, and yes there will be hard work, but as a recognised female voice in the region for equality and inclusion, it is an opportunity to pay back.”
4. Rohini Gill
Senior Management Consultant at GGC Consulting.
Based in Dubai for 15 years - Rohini describes herself as “compassionate, empathetic and (I am told) on a mission to put the ‘human’ back into HR one day at a time, and change the way HR is perceived, and passionate about making a difference to people lives and this world we live in, in any way I can”
Rohini certainly does that - known across the Emirates for her unflinching commitment to helping the ordinary and extra-ordinary residents navigate the thankless work of job seeking and HR issues, she is loved and renowned for going out of her way to help people with job seeking and more - from simply being kind, funny and supportive through to her professional consulting capabilities - Rohini is one of the most grassroots influential women on our list - for impact and community.
5. Hazel Jackson
CEO - Biz Group
In Dubai since 1993 - Hazel has built a regionally recognised and successful multi-million dollar business – Biz Group, starting the company with just $700.
The group now employs 62 professionals and provides services in the fields of design and delivery of corporate training, deploying learning technology solutions, team building, meeting facilitation, and even launched the region's first Virtual Reality Leadership Lab.
The combination of her business interests and dynamic delivery skills has resulted in Hazel being in demand for conference facilitation and senior team engagement. Hazel always brings unique energy and curiosity to every professional and personal touchpoint.
6. Nicole Haynes
Principal/CEO at GEMS Westminster School Ras Al Khaimah.
Nicole arrived in the UAE in 2018 to take up a role as Vice Principal at her current school in RAK, before becoming Principal/CEO in 2020. Nicole arrived in the UAE from the UK after her previous role as Principal of City of London Academy Highgate Hill, located in the London Borough of Islington. Nicole is committed to providing a first-class education for all students, which will enable them to progress onto sustainable opportunities in their future careers. Nicole is passionate about making a difference and she strongly believes that high-quality education will open doors, eradicate inequalities, promotes social mobility and break through glass ceilings.
Nicole has been an educator for 21 years and a senior leader for 16 years, she is a qualified teacher of Business and ICT and has taught across all key stages. She sees it as her duty to provide quality education for all, through decisive leadership, nurturing talent, and providing academic excellence with real progression routes for young people. Her strengths lie in crafting successful futures for young people by raising achievement and developing aspirations.
7. Laura Manning
Founder and Managing Director at BRW Society.
Laura is the founder of BRW Society. BRW Society’s 'never done before' tea blends are BRWing up a conversation in the UAE, and Laura along with the BRW Society team is changing the perception of tea in the region with colourful, innovative and adventurous tea mixology.
The business has experienced exponential growth through securing successful retail listings at Spinneys, Waitrose, Kibsons, Grandiose, Geant and Carrefour, plus big online household names such as Namshi, Noon and Amazon. Securing these accounts has meant the business is experiencing exponential growth year on year, with hopes to expand into KSA and Kuwait.
BRW Society announced the successful completion of a funding round in July 2021. The money raised is helping BRW Society expand operations and onboard additional talent to fulfil their aggressive growth plans for the upcoming year. Additionally, the company also plans to add more innovative flavours to cater to the changing demands of tea connoisseurs. Last but not the least, the funding will help BRW Society build its online community, putting them on the map in the region via a solid digital innovation strategy.
Laura moved to Dubai in 2018 and straight away felt that great quality tea was hard to come by, there was little choice in the premium quality, whole leaf tea category. The BRW Society mission is - to help society by creating more chances for people to connect with themselves and others.
Before devoting her world full-time to BRW Society, Laura worked as a Senior Commercial Manager in London, UK. She graduated from Swansea University with a BSc Degree in Business Studies and as part of her degree, she studied in Canada. Throughout her career, Laura has demonstrated she is passionate about customer service and making sure the customer continuously has above and beyond brand experiences and this philosophy she carries over to BRW Society, to give her customers the best experience with tea.
8. Zoya Sakr
Media Entrepreneur and Founder , The Flower Society
Half Lebanese, half Russian Zoya Sakr resided in Byblos, Lebanon until re-locating to Dubai in 2006. Cartier, with which she has a long-standing relationship, as their first client, selected The Flower Society for the Cartier Women’s Pavilion in collaboration with Expo 2020 Dubai. With a diverse academic and professional background, ranging from studying business at Harvard, as well as psychology and politics earlier in her academic life, to becoming a media maven and producer, Sakr brings a 360-degrees view to her endeavours. As Co-Founder and Group Editor in Chief of OLN Network, since 2010, Zoya manages an e-publishing network of 6 websites, specialising in premium Arabic content and pioneering bringing cinema video quality to the digital world, including www.nawa3em.com and www.gheir.com.
9. Theresa Tsui & Carla Bygrave
Co-Founders, Skills3
Based in Dubai, UAE, Skills 3 is a social enterprise started by two women founders, Therese Tsui and Carla Bygrave. Both armed with a passion for sewing and entrepreneurship, their goal was pretty simple – to share their skills with disadvantaged women and create a sustainable solution for them towards rebuilding their livelihood.
The Skills3 goal is to up-skill, improve and enhance the lives of marginalized people and their communities through sewing. Carla and Theresa design and conduct craft-based training and sewing workshops for women in displaced and disadvantaged communities in the Middle East & North Africa to help empower them with viable and sustainable solutions for their own livelihood. This means that they learn the skills to go on and create products for sale that can sustain themselves and their families going forward. Originally from London, Theresa Tsui has over 20 years of experience in PR, creativity and entrepreneurship with qualifications in fashion and design. In the UAE she has founded several businesses and initiatives with a community and/or sewing based focus including SolidariTEA and Remade DXB and Wild Things DXB (also alongside Carla). Carla Bygrave is from the Philippines and started her career in restaurant management. Arriving in Dubai in 2007, via the UK, Carla launched ‘Bright and Beautiful’ quickly becoming known for her creative sewing and craft skills in producing beautiful homewares and children's items. She partnered with Theresa for the first time in 2015.
10. Kelly Lundberg
Personal Brand and Style Expert, Business Mentor
Kelly Lundberg is one of the most diverse business entrepreneurs to have emerged out of the fashion styling world to date. Gaining notoriety as a celebrity stylist, she has since become an award-winning business owner, business mentor and international speaker. Lundberg garners an ever-growing loyal following across several social media platforms, from which she shares her business knowledge, personal branding and style advice with practical tools for self-empowerment. By combining the best in catwalk and commerce, Kelly launched: The S.Academy - mentoring business owners on how to launch & grow their very own profitable business and personal brand. She also has a number of best-selling books under her belt, plus regularly hosts and presents keynote speeches and motivational sessions across the world on a host of entrepreneurship and style led topics, such as her powerful TEDx Talk entitled ‘The Currency of Life’. Kelly launched Brand YOU Creators, a specialised agency dedicated to C-Suite executives and entrepreneurs looking to amplify their personal brands and influence ahead of the competition, with expertise from Kelly and the Brand YOU Creators team.
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