The Women of Tomorrow Award Judges

The goal of this award is to help women in making this transition and to provide one with the opportunity to turn their dream into a reality, passion into a real business, or to help a young budding business.

We opened the competition on March 16th and within less than one month, we saw nearly 500 applicants enter with some fantastic and inspirational ideas.

It was difficult for us to work our way through, but after a long albeit exciting sit-down as a team we managed to pick twelve. After that followed two weeks of intense public voting... With almost 6 thousand votes cast! With the help of you all, our six finalists have been chosen to face the judges!

At the judges panel, our final six will present their business at a "Dragon's Den" style set-up... And our judges will ultimately decide which one of our final six will walk away with the huge AED 100,000 prize!

So who are the judges?

We've hunted only the best business-minds to help pick our Women of Tomorrow Award winner for 2016, and here's your chance to get to meet them...

Fida Chaaban | Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Middle East

Fida Chaaban is the Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Middle East magazine. In this role, she is exposed to some of the greatest minds of business spanning a variety of sectors and disciplines. She also contributes to various other print and web mediums; and continues to cultivate a varied portfolio of writing that includes opinion-based editorial, essay-style first person pieces drawing on personal experiences, and interview-based profiles.

Having launched several publications from the ground up, Fida is considered a highly effective communicator with a tendency to apply hands-on leadership tactics. A big believer in the MENA region’s respective entrepreneurial ecosystems, Fida endeavors to use both print and web mediums to positively encourage development in commercial spaces and across industries.

A regular participant in events centered around professional development, Fida champions frank discourse and an interactive talk-back format whenever possible, and finds it to be both a helpful and engaging method of growth for participants and audience-members alike. Based in Dubai, UAE, she is a social media enthusiast and sees it as the medium of today’s effective enterprises. Share your opinions with her on Twitter @Fida.

Julie Leblan | CEO and founder of MYLIST

Julie Leblan is the CEO and founder of MYLIST, the first online multi-store gift registry in the MENA region. Previously a finance solicitor in Paris, she set up MYLIST after struggling to find a way for friends and family in Europe to send her gifts and identifying an opportunity in the market. MYLIST has now partnered with over 75 retailers, more than 500 brands and is operating in the UAE, Qatar, Egypt and very soon in KSA, Kuwait and Bahrain. MYLIST also expanded into the B2B market with corporate gifts, rewards and incentives. Julie is the founder of rthe Women Business Club of the French Business Council in Dubai, a member of Dubai Business Women Council and EO network accelerator.

Julie Leblan received the 2016 French Creative Entrepreneur of the Year award.

David Moleshead | Co-Founder and Chairman at Envestors MENA Limited

David Moleshead is the Co-Founder and Chairman at Envestors MENA Limited. He is a fellow of the Institute of Bankers in Scotland, and is a member of the International Bankers Guild.

Over 42 years in investment/international banking in UK, Europe, Asia and the Middle East managing teams which have been market leaders and won numerous industry awards and over 50 years involvement in financial services activities where his experience has spanned retail, investment and Islamic banking activities.

After serving in senior positions with Midland Bank Group in the UK and Banque Paribas in Europe, Singapore and India, David moved to Dubai in 2000 when he was asked to take over as Managing Director  Investment Banking , Middle East for HSBC and effectively acted as deputy CEO of the investment bank in the region. During this time he pioneered the debt capital markets activity in the GCC establishing HSBC as the leading debt house as voted by Euromoney from 2002 until 2005. During that time, he led teams which arranged finance exceeding several billions of dollars for acquisitions, asset/liability management , corporate re-structurings and project finance. He retired from this role at the end of 2005 and remained in the Middle East as a senior adviser to HSBC until 2007.

On retirement he undertook various non-executive roles with companies in the UAE and he is still involved as a non-executive director in three companies in various sectors as well as being a GlobalScot for which he undertakes a business ambassadorial role for the Scottish Government.

In 2008, he launched a business angels network company called Envestors MENA Limited as co-founder – the aim of the enterprise is to match entrepreneurs with private/family office investors who will invest directly into regional and UK SMEs seeking expansion or start-up capital in the Middle East and North African region. Since its formation, Envestors MENA has provided advice to several hundred entrepreneurs in the region and raised over $150m for various opportunities. Amongst companies that Envestors has assisted are Elevision, Duplays, InternsMe and MyList.

What’s the prize?

The winner of the 2016 Women of Tomorrow Award will receive:

• AED 50,000 from Emirates NBD to enable the business idea to start or to further enhance an existing small business.
• AED 50,000 worth of advertising on ExpatWoman.com for a one year period…What new business wouldn’t benefit from being on the number 1 site for women in the region?

This valuable combination of cash plus advertising is to kick start your business needs.

The three finalists will also receive an Exclusive package from Imar Spa including an overnight stay, massages and various beauty treatments.

Timeline

• Public voting begins on April 24th 2016
• Public voting ends on May 7th 2016
• Final six attend panel review on May 18th 2016
• Winner will be announced on May 24th 2016