EY Academy has announced a new strategic alliance with Hult Ashridge Executive Education to launch Strategic Leadership for Women Executives, a highly customized executive leadership program designed specifically for senior women leaders in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), combining global executive education expertise with research-led regional insight.
Developed specifically for women in leadership roles across sectors including finance, professional services, government, and industry, the programme aims to strengthen executive presence, strategic influence, and leadership confidence while building a stronger pipeline of women leaders aligned with the GCC’s workforce transformation agenda. It supports the region’s growing focus on increasing women’s representation in senior leadership to strengthen organisational performance and long-term economic growth.
Unlike traditional leadership programs, this curriculum has been purpose-built around the experiences, ambitions and leadership realities of women executives in the Gulf. Informed by dedicated research conducted by Hult Ashridge Executive Education with women leaders across the GCC, the program reflects the region’s cultural, economic and organizational dynamics, creating a leadership experience that is both globally informed and deeply localized.
The programme will launch in the UK in November 2026, with a five-day immersive leadership experience at the Hult Ashridge Executive Education flagship campus in the United Kingdom. Participants will also complete pre-program leadership diagnostics, one-to-one executive coaching, and action learning projects designed to translate insight into measurable business impact.
The launch comes at a time when organizations across the GCC are placing increased emphasis on leadership development, workforce transformation and creating sustainable pathways for women to advance into senior executive roles.
Fazeela Gopalani, Partner at EY and Leader of EY Academy in the MENA region, said: “The GCC is creating one of the most dynamic leadership ecosystems globally. What makes this program distinctive is that it has not been adapted for the region, it has been designed with the region in mind. By combining deep research into the experiences of GCC women leaders with world-class executive education, we are creating a leadership experience that is both globally informed and locally relevant.”
Gopalani added: “As organizations across the Gulf continue to invest in talent transformation, developing women leaders is a business imperative. This program is designed to equip women executives with the mindset, networks and leadership capabilities needed to create long-term organizational impact.”
Adam Portlock, President of Hult Ashridge Executive Education, said: “Our research with women leaders across the Gulf highlighted that leadership development in this region requires more than global frameworks. It requires programs grounded in local realities, cultural context and organizational transformation. Building on 25 years of work we have been doing in the GCC, this new collaboration with EY Academy has enabled us to build a learning experience specifically shaped around those insights.”
Designed for mid- to senior-level women executives, the program combines leadership diagnostics, executive coaching, immersive learning and action-based business projects within a curriculum tailored specifically to the strategic challenges and opportunities facing women leaders across the GCC.
