Etihad Airways appoints first female CHRO

The place of women in the workplace post-pandemic has been widespread concern. Post-pandemic figures show that women around the world are returning to the workforce at a much slower rate than men and the figure is amplified for women from ethnic minorities.

With this concerning reality in mind, it is refreshing to see women break new ground in the workplace. Dr Nadia Bastaki has now done this at Etihad Airlines.

Dr Nadia Bastaki has been appointed as chief human resources, organizational development and asset management officer, becoming the first-ever female chief at the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Prior to this role, Bastaki has worked as a key member of the human resources leadership team at the airline; she served as VP of medical services since 2014.

This role required her to lead the aeromedical center and take care of the wellbeing of employees alongside driving and delivering diversity, equity and inclusion (D,E&I) initiatives and social responsibility programs.

As part of the new role, Dr Bastaki will also carry on providing clinical leadership for the Etihad Airways Medical Centre.

In a press statement, Tony Douglas, group chief executive officer, spoke about Bastaki’s appointment: “Dr Bastaki has played a pivotal role in developing our world-class healthcare system at Etihad Airways and looking after our employees over the past 15 years, and we are delighted to welcome her to her new role.

“Dr Bastaki’s astute leadership throughout the COVID-19 crisis was a defining factor in how successfully we navigated the pandemic.

“She brings a deep understanding of the industry to the role along with a wealth of executive leadership experience in human resources and medical services, at a time when employee health and wellbeing were never as important.”

Dr Bastaki also commented on her appointment: “I am delighted to take on this new role and look forward to continuing to build a highly-engaging employee experience and inclusive work culture at Etihad Airways.

“Our people are our most valuable asset and will be the key to our success as we continue to recover from the global health crisis.”

The UAE’s Etihad Airlines is currently undertaking a number of progressive initiatives, including raising $1.2 billion in the first sustainability-linked loan tied to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) targets in global aviation.

On top of that, the company is also partnering with Microsoft to develop its sustainability strategy.

It seems that Etihad has exciting times ahead.