Though historically dominated by men, the energy industry has produced several success stories and role models for the next generation of Arab women leaders. Among these role models is Hanan Mohsen, a well-known female leader in the energy industry from Dubai. With 20 years of experience, Hanan has worked in communications, business development, and sales & marketing.
(By Naeem Ul Hassan)
Hanan has a solid educational background, which has helped her climb the leadership ladder in the energy sector. Her qualifications include a project management certification from George Washington University, a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Ajman University of Science and Technology, and several additional courses and training experiences. In order to participate in a program with executives from the mining, oil, and gas industries, she was granted a scholarship by Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government in 2019.
Hanan is an active member of Access for Women in Energy, a nonprofit group whose mission is to promote the roles of women in leadership positions within the energy sector. AccessWIE is one of the first organizations in the world dedicated to helping women advance in the energy sector. With an inclusive membership policy, the organization creates a community of practice that embraces everyone with a past or future in energy, regardless of gender and regardless of status—expert, senior executive, middle management, or recent graduate.
Hanan has a solid educational background, which has helped her climb the leadership ladder in the energy sector. Her qualifications include a project management certification from George Washington University, a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Ajman University of Science and Technology, and several additional courses and training experiences. In order to participate in a program with executives from the mining, oil, and gas industries, she was granted a scholarship by Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government in 2019.
Hanan is an active member of Access for Women in Energy, a nonprofit group whose mission is to promote the roles of women in leadership positions within the energy sector. AccessWIE is one of the first organizations in the world dedicated to helping women advance in the energy sector. With an inclusive membership policy, the organization creates a community of practice that embraces everyone with a past or future in energy, regardless of gender and regardless of status—expert, senior executive, middle management, or recent graduate.
Previously, Hanan worked for ABB as the energy industries division’s regional manager of marketing and communications for India, the Middle East, and Africa. In this role, she oversaw project management for significant international events such as ADIPEC, Gastech, the World Utilities Congress, and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW).
In addition to serving as the primary campaign organizer for ABB in projects like ICV (UAE), IKTVA (Saudi), Qatar (Tawteen), and Oman (ICV), she was the main speaker for the Diversity and Inclusion panel at Gastech 2021.
Success comes to those who embrace challenges. Hanan is a prime illustration of this. She overcame many obstacles but never wavered in her resolve to become the lady she is today.
Hanan’s accomplishments set her apart from others in her industry. She was the first female employee in her company. Her pioneering role as the first woman in the company is not only a testament to her own accomplishments but also a big step toward gender equality in corporate leadership.
The future generation of female leaders in the energy sector may draw inspiration from her remarkable career path, as the legendary Serena Williams once stated, “every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another.”