Sophie Le Ray is an entrepreneur, an author and an experienced business facilitator. In 2002, she co-founded Naseba, a business facilitation company specialising in emerging markets. She was appointed CEO in 2009 and is responsible for overseeing the operations of the company across its offices in the Middle East, India, Pakistan, China, the US and Europe.
Sophie has over twenty years of experience in producing and organising business platforms and has been based in the Middle East for over a decade. She began a career in public relations before finding her niche in B2B conference production.
She is the founder and spokesperson of the Global WIL Economic Forum, a platform that promotes women’s economic empowerment and celebrates diversity and inclusion worldwide. She is also the co-author of ‘Game Changers: How Women in the Arab World Are Changing the Rules and Shaping the Future’, published by Motivate Publishing in May 2016 and winner of ‘The Best International Non-Fiction’ award at Sharjah International Book Fair, 2017.
Written by: JUAN CARLOS PASTOR @ IE Business School Women’s position in management and leadership has been prominently discussed in the business literature for over three decades. Yet there is increased frustration that the empowerment of women is not advancing quickly enough. Women continue to lag behind men at every…
Valentino Barrioseta sat with Sophie Le Ray during the 20th WIL Economic Forum to discuss women empowerment and the future of women in the economy. Valentino was also a guest speaker on our “Arts to promote social inclusion” panel discussion. You can visit Resonance Collective to hear the podcast here
Chantel Rijtma and Leandrie Pentz are the Dubai-based team behind PDSi Kids, a self-development programme supporting children in defining and achieving their ambitious goals. Later this month, they will travel to Ethiopia to support Naseba’s stretch programme, working with Rainbows4Children. What is your professional background and how did PDSi…
Who is Sophie le Ray? I am an entrepreneur, a mother to two girls and two dogs, a wife and business partner to my cofounder and a mentor to teenagers and young adults. I am the CEO of Naseba and in 2009, I founded what is now known as the…
Sophie Le Ray, Naseba CEO and WIL Economic Forum Founder takes a look back at the WIL Economic Forum, its community and the region’s D&I achievements over the last 10 years – and all that remains to be done. This article was originally published on LinkedIn by Sophie on October,…
Ida is a psychologist and business owner with almost 20 years of progressive HR experience in various industries and geographies; focused on delivering efficient, solution oriented talent management support to dynamic and fast moving businesses. Tackling the everyday issues with an ability to anticipate long-term challenges, she is driven to develop talent management solutions that enable her clients to grow businesses sustainably, deliver results consistently and build global teams successfully.
Ida is well known for her passion to support the growth of emerging talent towards leadership roles of the future. She enjoys teaching self-awareness and is engaged in projects with Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich) with a goal to develop platforms for graduates to have a smooth transition to workforce. Ida’s team in Grit International has recently launched innovative digital job-matching platform that aims to improve talent supply for the future and reduce omnipresent retention issues in ICT roles, particularly females.
At the beginning of 2019, Ida will publish a book called “Generation Grit”. Her objective is to timely provoke thinking about the generation born after 2010 which will live and work longer than any other before. In those career marathons, the productive future of work will require everyone to be a leader and skilled to collaborate with colleagues, partners and artificial workforce in order to navigate a shared future. How to prepare the new generation to become increasingly accountable and independent remains to be a challenge that Ida is dedicated to help solving.
Established in 2002, under the umbrella of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Dubai Business Women Council is the UAE’s leading platform for the personal and professional development of women in the Emirate of Dubai.
In 2017, DBWC is celebrating 15 years of pioneering a fresh approach to enhancing positive change towards a more gender balanced society.
Providing strategic education, training and networking opportunities to aid the holistic development and aspirations of UAE-based women is at the heart of the DBWC’s mission to inspire women to be productive members of the society and economy.
DBWC’s tailored workshops and training sessions are hosted exclusively for its members and provide information about the latest knowledge, skills and best practices for women entrepreneurs and leaders. For more information about the DBWC and how to join its community of visionary and influential trailblazing women, visit www.dbwc.ae Log on to the Council’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/dbwc.uae/ – or the DBWC Twitter page https://twitter.com/DBWC_UAE
IE Business School has propelled its way to the top ranks of global business institutions by skilfully integrating its influence and involvement in the business world with the ability to transmit this knowledge with academic rigor and excellence.
Founded just shy of 45 years ago by entrepreneurs, IE has maintained the dynamic spirit and flexibility of its entrepreneurial roots, drawing upon its extensive connections with the business world to infuse each classroom exercise with hands-on business experience. It takes pride in the ability to quickly stay on top of current trends and innovations of global organizations.
Despite its unprecedented growth, IE maintains its role as a focal point for entrepreneurs and business leaders, the place where academia and implementation collide— a nexus of thought and action.
