Menzies Aviation strengthens female leadership in MEAA region

Menzies Aviation has strengthened its leadership with the appointment of two senior members of its Middle East, Africa and Asia (MEAA) team. 

Lina El Mallah has been promoted to senior vice president (SVP) organisation change and systems, while Al-Anood Al-Suwaidi joins the company as SVP of cargo for the MEAA region. 

Most recently, Lina El Mallah served as VP lounges and VIP services for Menzies Aviation. Based in Kuwait, Ms El Mallah has more than 10 years’ experience in the telecoms and aviation industries. In her new role, she will be responsible for overseeing strategic transformations and working closely with senior leadership to ensure seamless integration within the region. 

Al-Anood Al-Suwaidi joins from Etihad Airways where she recently served as network safety and compliance manager for the cargo division. She has a wealth of experience and expertise in the sector, having spent almost 10 years working in Etihad’s cargo compliance audit programme and headed cargo operations in North and East Europe.  

Their appointment supports the company’s commitment to increase gender diversity and the proportion of women in its middle leadership to at least 40% by 2033, and in senior leadership to a minimum of 25% by 2025, in line with Iata’s 25by2025 campaign. 

Charles Wyley, EVP, Middle East, Africa and Asia, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Lina and Al-Anood to the Menzies MEAA team, as we focus on our market growth strategy and build on our presence in the MEAA region. Over the past 12 months, we’ve seen a steady growth in both passenger and cargo volumes, and look forward to working together to deliver safe, secure and high-quality services for our expanding customer base.” 

Ms Al-Suwaidi will join Menzies Aviation on 1 January, while Ms El Mallah began her new role yesterday.