Vision to Value โ Voice of Women in UAE Retail & FMCG
โ๐ SEE Community Events
โPanel Discussion: Vision to Value โ Voice of Women in UAE Retail & FMCG
โ๐
26 September 2026
๐ 11:00 AM โ 1:00 PM
โฐ Call time: 10:30 AM
โThis Saturday, SEE Community and Zentral bring together an exceptional group of women leaders from UAE Retail & FMCG to discuss leadership, influence, transformation and the role women are playing in shaping the future of the industry.
โ๐ค Moderator: Rehana Raj
Head of Commercial โ GCC | Non-Food | Choithrams, U.A.E.
โRehana is a seasoned retail leader with 18+ years of experience across Commercial Management, Omnichannel Retail Operations, Business Transformation, Project Management, and Learning & Development, spanning India and the GCC.
โ๐ฅ Panellists:
โ๐ฅ Erika Blazeviciute Doyle โ Founder & CEO of Drink Dry and a leading voice in the zero-alcohol movement in the Middle East. Drink Dry is the GCCโs first premium non-alcoholic drinks marketplace and distributor. Erika is also an advocate for balanced, health-conscious living and is actively involved in philanthropic initiatives.
โ๐ Priya Chopra โ Strategy, E-Commerce & Corporate Development Director at Union Cooperative Society, Dubai. A seasoned leader in enterprise transformation, corporate governance and performance management, Priya built Union Coopโs e-commerce business from zero into a profitable omnichannel platform and has led major strategic and customer-focused transformation initiatives.
โ๐ Burnali Roy โ Senior FMCG commercial leader and business transformation professional with experience across Unilever, Reckitt, Henkel, NFPC, Kerry Group and Fine Hygiene. Her expertise spans Modern Trade, E-Commerce, Route-to-Market, Revenue Growth Management, category leadership, customer development and P&L ownership.
โ๐ก Sophia Benarafa โ Moroccan-born, Dubai-based entrepreneur, market research expert and business mentor. Founder of Connect Dots and The Academy by Sophia, Sophia has nearly two decades of experience across Nestlรฉ and Henkel in MENA, Asia and Africa, specialising in consumer insights, brand management and market research.
โ๐ Ishneet Kaur โ Senior marketing and business leader, executive coach, speaker and entrepreneur with nearly two decades of experience across the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia and global markets. Her career includes leadership roles with Lenovo, Johnson & Johnson, Flipkart and an Abu Dhabi government-backed sustainable fashion-tech venture. She is also an ICF-credentialed executive coach, TEDx speaker, mentor and co-author of She is Remarkable.
โ๐ฆ๐ช Zahwa Dawood Sadou โ Manager โ Fresh Food at Union Coop, representing the growing generation of Emirati women leaders shaping the future of UAE retail. Zahwa has 25 years of professional experience, including 16 years in Fresh Food at Union Coop, where she leads category development, supplier partnerships, local farm support, international sourcing and operational execution.
โ๐ฌ Some of the questions we will explore:
โWhat unique value do women bring to Retail & FMCG โ and how can that value translate into greater influence and leadership?
โThe UAE Advantage: how has the UAE created an environment where ambition and opportunity are increasingly shaped by capability, performance and contribution?
โHow can we break the stereotype that women are better suited to certain โsupportโ functions than commercial or operational leadership roles?
โ๐ค Technology, AI and the Future Female Retail Leader: could AI become a great equaliser by creating more flexibility, removing barriers and enabling more women to thrive in leadership positions?
โ๐ Inspired by Nice Girls Donโt Get the Corner Office: is being โniceโ still a career disadvantage, or can you be both nice and ambitious โ and still get the corner office?
โHow has being a woman leader helped each panellist create value within her specific area of expertise?
โIs work-life balance truly achievable for women in leadership, or should we instead talk about integration, flexibility and the freedom to make different choices at different stages of life?
โHow do we develop the next generation of female leaders? Are women only being valued for what they contribute today โ or are they also being included in shaping where Retail & FMCG goes tomorrow?
โโก And our rapid-fire closing question:
โOne word or one action โ what does the UAE Retail & FMCG industry need more of to create the next generation of women leaders?
โWe look forward to an open and practical discussion with some of the most experienced voices in the UAE Retail & FMCG community.
โSee you this Saturday! ๐