Saadia Zahidi has been appointed as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General.
As a managing director at the World Economic Forum (WEF), Zahidi will be IATA’s ninth director general and the first woman to hold the position.
In her acceptance message, Saadia Zahidi said: “I look forward to working closely with our member airlines, governments, and the ecosystem of partners to build on IATA’s remarkable foundation, ensuring aviation continues to connect the world while embracing innovation, strengthening resilience, and advancing sustainable growth.”
Accomplishments of Saadia Zahidi
In 2018, she was the youngest person to be appointed managing director and board member at WEF.
Zahidi was born in Lahore, did her BA in Economics from Smith College, an MPhil in International Economics from The Graduate Institute, and another master’s from Harvard University. She holds both Pakistani and Swiss nationality.
She founded and currently heads its Centre for the New Economy and Society. Previously, she has led the WEF’s Global Communications Group, Global Programming Group, and WEF’s engagement with academics, civil society, and international organisations. Zahidi founded and co-authors WEF’s Future of Jobs Reports, the Future of Growth Reports, the Global Gender Gap Reports, and Chief Economist Outlooks.
Her book, Fifty Million Rising, tracking the rise of working women in the Muslim world, won the FT/McKinsey Bracken Bower Prize and was longlisted for book of the year.
