EY Strategy and Transactions lauds Zayed University student
Shama Abdulla Al Hosani, a student at Zayed University, has been named the third placed winner of EY’s Corporate Finance Woman of the Year 2021 competition.
Organised for the fourth year in a row, the competition aims at inspiring the next generation of exceptional female talent to pursue a career in EY’s Strategy and Transactions business. This division helps clients with their most strategic matters, including corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions, financial advisory and strategy development (the latter is provided by EY-Parthenon, EY’s strategy consulting outfit).
More than 3,400 women from across the world applied to participate in the competition, with ‘only’ 300 invited to compete in national competitions held in some 20 countries. In the Middle East, the EY Corporate Finance Woman of the Year competition was held in three countries: Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The winners of the local editions – Faten Baqer (Bahrain Polytechnic), Raghad Albelaly (Dublin City University) and Shama Abdulla Al Hosani (Zayed University) – were invited to represent their country in the global final, which recently took place in virtual fashion due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The regional trio were in good company, pitching their case alongside winners from among others China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, the US and the UK. “This year, each finalist demonstrated very impressive skills,” said Andrea Guerzoni, the Global Vice Chair of EY’s Strategy and Transactions division.
It was however the representative from EY in Australia, Kate Gatfield-Jeffries, that took home the top prize. However, UAE’s Shama Abdulla Al Hosani was named the third-place winner, behind runner-up Clarisse Gan from Singapore.
As part of the prize, Al Hosani will receive an EY prize pack and embark on a 12-month mentorship program with experienced female leaders from EY in the Middle East.
For Al Hosani, the recognition by the global professional services giant builds on a streak of prizes she’s bagged during her studies, including winning first place (2021) and second place (2019) at the 'SMarT Gym Competition' at Zayed University.
Established in 1998, Zayed University (named in honour of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s first president), is one of three government-sponsored higher education institutions in the country, and the first domestic federal university to be internationally accredited.