Following the success of the inaugural cohort of The Leadership Accelerator by Think Equal, The Marketing Society UAE has announced the opening of applications for the second edition. The highly regarded six-month programme, in partnership with Weber Shandwick MENAT, is designed to help accelerate the careers of high potential female leaders in the marcomms industry by preparing them for upcoming C-Suite roles.
Think Equal, an industry initiative by The Marketing Society in alignment with its values, aims to help increase gender equality at upper management levels in the GCC’s marcomms industry. Weber Shandwick has been a key partner of Think Equal for three years and played a key part in contributing to the development of The Leadership Accelerator.
“Our mission remains to break down barriers and create more opportunities for women to step into senior leadership roles across marketing and communications. The incredible talent we saw in the first cohort showed just how important The Leadership Accelerator by Think Equal is in helping build a more equitable future for our profession. We’re proud to launch the second edition alongside our partners and contributors, and look forward to supporting the next generation of women leaders,” said Amina Taher, Chair of The Marketing Society UAE.
Built around three pillars – Community, Capability, and Clarity – the programme encourages women to develop the confidence, skills and networks needed to lead with even greater impact. Selected professionals will gain exclusive access to top-tier GCC CEOs and CMOs, building both the personal capability and the professional circles required to champion gender equity at the highest levels of the industry.
Evidence shows initiatives such as The Leadership Accelerator by Think Equal are still much needed: only 27% of GCC marcomms professionals reported equal or near-equal male-female representation in their marcomms management teams, as per data of the 2025 Think Equal Survey by The Marketing Society and Weber Shandwick.
The inaugural edition of The Think Equal Leadership Accelerator exceeded expectations by receiving over 90 applications. The 15 women who were selected for the first cohort have recommended the programme for its positive and practical impact:
“Key highlights for me have been a deep understanding of the power of network, executive visibility, growth mindset and intuitiveness about what makes female leaders different.” – Anismita Ghosh, Marketing Manager – Abu Dhabi Biobank, M42
“I feel energised, motivated, and ready to tackle new challenges.” – Lindsay Johnston, Senior General Manager, Corporate Marketing, Abdul Latif Jameel International
“One of the best contributions to my personal and professional growth. I walked away with valuable skills, a fresh perspective, and a stronger belief in my ability to lead.” – Roxana Nicolescu, VP Brand Marketing, Social Media & PR at Wego.com“The programme gave me permission to pause, reflect and invest in myself.” – Setarah Abbas CMO Lead – G42, Microsoft“A genuine camaraderie and topics that helped set a roadmap to the C-suite, made this bespoke program all the more valuable.” – Alka Winter
“The Leadership Accelerator provided space, not only for self-reflection, but for challenging and supporting one another.” – Anna Varley Jones, Senior Director – Strategy & Intelligence at Weber Shandwick“I can honestly say that this surpassed any of my expectations!” – Jessica Schroeder, Head of Corporate Communications & Government Relations, Middle East & Egypt, BASF“The Leadership Accelerator offered something increasingly rare: space to think.” – Neda Lazic
Launched by The Marketing Society UAE in partnership with Weber Shandwick MENAT, The Leadership Accelerator by Think Equal is designed to help accelerate the careers of talented female professionals in the region’s industry. Empowering the next generation of leaders through a combination of transformative workshops, in-person events, virtual sessions and world-class mentoring, the annual programme prepares rising stars to command the room and drive systemic change.
Applications for one of 15 places in the second cohort are now open until 25 September 2026, with the programme set to run from January to June 2027. Interested female marcomms professionals based in the UAE can find more information and submit online applications on The Marketing Society website.
The post Senior Women In UAE Marcomms Invited To Apply To Second Edition Of The Leadership Accelerator By Think Equal first appeared on UAE Today Blog.
