At Womenovation, we uphold the highest global standards of governance, transparency, and accountability, ensuring that every decision is rooted in integrity, professionalism, and a deep commitment to our mission.
Leadership
Board of Trustees
Our Board of Trustees stands as a cornerstone of our organizational strength. United by a shared passion for advancing gender equality and sustainable development, our Board brings together diverse calibers across fields including finance, human resources, economics, statistics, public policy, mass communication, jewelry design, and the performing arts. This extraordinary diversity cultivates fresh perspectives, fosters innovation, and inspires creative solutions that drive Womenovation’s vision forward. Diversity is not just a value we uphold — it is a strategic asset that amplifies our impact.
Lobna Helal is the Chairman of Telecom Egypt. She made history as the first woman appointed as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt. Over her career, she has held prominent positions at the National Investment Bank, Nasser Social Bank, and the Social Housing Fund. Recognized for her leadership and impact, Helal received the AFI Advocacy Champion Gender Award and was named Gender Ambassador. In 2016, she was listed among the Top 50 Most Influential Women in the Egyptian Economy and ranked second in Forbes Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women in the Middle East and North Africa in both 2016 and 2017. She holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the American University in Cairo.
Magued Osman is a professor of statistics at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University. Renowned both regionally and internationally as an expert in statistics and social research. He is the Founder and CEO of Baseera, Egypt's first independent public opinion polling institution. In 2011, he was appointed Minister of Communication and Information Technology, the first to hold this role following the 2011 upheavals. Osman held prominent positions, including Director of the Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) — the think tank of the Egyptian Cabinet of Ministers — and Director of the Cairo Demographic Center. Moreover, Osman made significant contributions to social, demographic, and population research as a professor at the Social Research Center at the American University in Cairo.
Hanan Girgis is the executive Vice President of the Egyptian Center for Research (Baseera). Apart from her managerial role, Girgis is one of the Baseera’s founders and is the mind orchestrating the Center’s success over more than a decade. She is internationally recognized as an expert in the field of public opinion and quantitative research. Her educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree, a Master and a Ph.D in Statistics from the faculty of Economics and Political science at Cairo University. Her ability to integrate her academic and practical experience in social and demographic research are evident in her valuable contributions in the National Strategy for Population and Development (2015-2020), the National Strategy for Women Empowerment (2030) and the National Strategy for Childhood and Motherhood (2015-2020).
Salma El Fawal is a development professional with over 18 years of experience in human rights and social development in Egypt. She has led initiatives in project design, resource mobilization, strategic planning, and comprehensive programme management across multi-sector portfolios.
She currently serves at UNICEF, where she oversees the Child Protection portfolio at both policy and programme levels, contributing to national policy dialogue while ensuring effective implementation and results delivery.
Previously, as Development Cooperation Programme Manager at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Cairo, Salma managed a broad portfolio encompassing women’s empowerment, gender equality, gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights, child protection, migration, access to justice, entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion. In this capacity, she supervised complex partnerships, guided strategic funding allocations, and supported reform-oriented initiatives aligned with international development frameworks.
Salma has authored and published several analytical studies examining international development best practices and their applicability within the Egyptian context.
She holds a Master’s degree in Globalisation and Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.
Dr. Samiha Fawzy is A Professor of Economics at Cairo University and appointed as Deputy Director of the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies (ECES), a leading public policy think tank. Dr. Fawzy has significant contributions to field of economic research making her a recognized expert in Egypt and the MENA region. In 2011, she was appointed Minister of Trade and Industry following the 2011 Revolution,. Prior to that, Dr. Fawzy was First Assistant to the Minister of Trade and Industry, and a board member of the National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (NTRA), the Egyptian Bank for Exports Development ,the National Council for Women, and the General Authority for Investment. She has published extensively on various topics, including trade, industrial economics, investment theories, multinational corporations and corporate governance. Her contributions to the Womenovation Foundation in its very initial planning and conceptualization were quite significant. Furthermore, her passion and commitment to empower Egyptian women and promote local innovative projects make her the ideal resource expert to women’s economic empowerment. Dr. Fawzy earned her Ph.D in Economics from Cairo University in 1984.
Shereen Reda is a leading Egyptian actress with popularity across the Arab region. She started her career in the advertising industry as a model with her first modelling experience at the age of 11. Her passion for fashion started at a very young age which made her study fashion in Los Angeles, In 1989, Following her return to Egypt, she starred “Fawazeer El Fonoon” a 30-episode riddle-based annual TV program aired during the month of Ramadan and known for highest viewership in the Arab region. The mid-nineties she started her first experience in the Film industry where she starred two films ”Nazwa” and “Hassan El Lol” with the late actor Ahmed Zaki. Refusing stereotypical roles of the innocent blond girl that she was offered, delayed her return till 2008 playing the role of a police officer in the movie “Ashraf Haramy”. Focusing on TV once more, she performed several roles in a variety of sitcoms and drama series until her return to the silver screen “Al Feel Azraq” in 2014. In 2015 she starred in the film ”Khareg Al-khedma” where she won the Best Actress Award at the 42nd Egyptian Cinema Film Association Festival. Followed by several distinguished performances, for her performance in “Al-Deif” she won the Excellence Award from the Egyptian Association of Film. Writers and Critics. Away from entertainment spotlights, Reda is known to be a strong advocate for animal rights and strong sense of social responsibility where she was selected as Ambassador for the Egyptian Autistic Society in 2019.
Azza Fahmy is a pioneering Egyptian jewelry designer whose work has played a defining role in shaping contemporary design rooted in cultural heritage. With a career spanning several decades, she has established herself as a leading creative force and a global ambassador of Egyptian craftsmanship.
Born in Sohag, Upper Egypt, Fahmy earned a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design from Cairo University before training as one of the first female apprentices in Cairo’s historic Khan El Khalili district. She later founded her own workshop, laying the foundation for a brand that would gain international recognition.
Her designs draw deeply on Egyptian history, art, and literature, reinterpreting Pharaonic, Islamic, and folkloric motifs through a modern lens. Signature collections such as Houses of the Nile and her iconic calligraphy pieces—featuring Arabic poetry and proverbs—have become synonymous with her brand and have influenced regional design trends.
Fahmy has collaborated with international fashion designers including Julien Macdonald, Justin Thornton, and Thea Bregazzi, and has partnered with institutions such as the British Museum to develop bespoke collections. In 2013, she founded The Design Studio by Azza Fahmy in collaboration with Alchimia Contemporary Jewellery School in Florence—the first specialized jewelry vocational school of its kind in Egypt and the Middle East—dedicated to nurturing emerging talent and advancing professional jewelry education.
Through her work, Fahmy continues to champion Egyptian heritage, craftsmanship, and creative entrepreneurship on the global stage.
Mervat Abou Oaf is a professor of practice and former chair of the Journalism and Mass Communication Department at the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the American University in Cairo (AUC). She has been on the teaching highest students’ evaluation scale ever since she started her academic career at AUC in 1995. Abou Oaf earned a PhD from the University Autonoma, Spain, in the legislative, regulatory concentration on Egypt’s film industry. She is considered among the most prominent educators and trainers of mass communication in the Arab region. She is a trainer at the National Training Academy (NTA) in Egypt, a Directory Board Consultant to the Chamber of Cinema Industry (CCI) in Egypt and a member of the Foreign Press Association (FPA).. For over 15 years, Abou Oaf has been involved with Egypt’s National Council for Women (NCW), currently in the international cooperation portfolio. She is also a member of the Women and Memory Forum (WMF), an Egyptian non-profit established by female researchers and activists preoccupied with feminist studies. She has been a board member at "Awladna Foundation” and Peace Ambassador for Art and Culture by the Egyptian Center for World Peace and Human Rights.
Medhat Al-Madany is a leading authority in Human Resource Management in Egypt and the wider Middle East, with a distinguished career spanning several decades. In 1995, he founded Promark, Egypt’s first human resources consulting firm, pioneering structured HR advisory services in the local market. He served as Chief Executive Officer for nearly twenty years, steering the firm’s growth and institutional development before assuming the role of Chairman and transitioning executive management to his successor.
In recognition of his professional standing and sector leadership, Al-Madany was appointed Chairman of the Egyptian Human Resource Management Association, where he contributed to advancing professional standards and HR governance practices nationwide.
Throughout his career, he has held senior managerial roles in both Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. His portfolio of achievements includes leading large-scale organizational restructuring initiatives for major public institutions, including the National Bank of Egypt, the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank of Egypt, and the Egyptian Customs Authority, among others. His work has focused on institutional reform, performance optimization, and human capital transformation.
Al-Madany currently serves as a Board Member of the National Management Institute, Baraka Group, Egypt Post, and B.TECH, contributing strategic oversight across financial services, logistics, retail, and public sector institutions.
Ghada Barsoum is a tenured Associate Professor chairing the Department of Public Policy and Administration at the American University in Cairo (AUC). Barsoum has more than sixty publications including articles in reputable top peer-reviewed journals; technical reports, book chapters, encyclopedia entries, policy papers and a book on women's employment. Her publications and academic courses focus on issues pertaining to social policies in the Middle East, employment policies, green jobs, gender, and higher education policies. Barsoum has consulted for a number of organizations including the ILO, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF, GIZ and the World Bank. Prior to joining AUC, Barsoum was appointed as Research Associate at the Population Council, West Asia and North Africa Office, where she spearheaded efforts for a national survey on youth in Egypt. Barsoum earned a PhD in Sociology from the University of Toronto and a Master degree from AUC.
Executive Team
Our Executive Team brings together a diverse group of professionals with expertise in sustainable development, management, and communication. This core team is further strengthened by a network of specialized external experts and the “Baseera Center,” which serves as our dedicated research arm, providing critical support in data collection, monitoring, and evaluation, and in-depth understanding of the local context.
Under the leadership of Walid Osman, the Executive Team is committed to translating vision into action, delivering impactful programs that empower women and advance a society rooted in the principles of social justice. With the unwavering support of our Board of Trustees, Womenovation stands not only as a catalyst for transformative change, but as a model for inclusive, forward-looking development — paving new pathways toward a more sustainable and equitable future.
Walid Osman is the CEO of the Womenovation Foundation. Since launching the organization in 2022, he has brought together a dynamic group of professionals sharing a goal of transforming the lives of millions of Egyptian women. In less than a year, he positioned Womenovation as a sought-after partner for government institutions, universities, private sector leaders, and international development agencies.
WALID OSMAN
CEO
Osman’s career spans over 15 years at the intersection of communication and development. He has worked with governments, global donors, UN agencies, international media and advertising giants, and academic institutions. What sets him apart is his ability to connect worlds—strategic communication and sustainable development. His professional journey includes roles with the Government of Egypt, the International Labour Organization (ILO), Deutsche Welle, Telecom Egypt, Publicis Groupe, the Embassy of the Netherlands, and USAID.
In 2009, Osman was selected by GIZ and the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) to represent Egypt at the Managing Global Governance Academy. His interest in academia made him teach undergraduate courses and lead workshops in various relevant domains including public diplomacy, intercultural communication, marketing, and political mass media.
Fluent in Arabic, English, and German, Walid brings global perspective, creative energy, and a strong belief in social change. His passion for art and design inspired the creation of Womenovation—a space where innovation meets impact. He holds a Master’s in International Media Studies from Deutsche Welle Akademie (Bonn, Germany) and a Bachelor’s in Marketing Communication from the American University in Cairo.