Al Hashmi joins the 2026–2027 global cohort of the prestigious flagship programme, established in 1994
The International Women Leadership Fellows Program (IWF) has announced the selection of Salma Ali Al Hashmi, alumnae of Royal Academy of Management and Vice President of Marketing at Al Mouj Muscat, for its 2026–2027 cohort. She becomes the first woman leader from Oman and the GCC to secure a place on the programme since its establishment in 1994.
The programme follows a rigorous selection process, with an acceptance rate of no more than 10% of applicants. Each year, it welcomes up to 50 women leaders from around the world, including entrepreneurs, senior government officials and leaders of civil society organisations.
The programme’s alumnae have held prominent senior leadership positions across sectors and international institutions. They include Leena Nair, Global CEO of CHANEL; Vanessa Wyche, Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center; and Vianna Maino, Ecuador’s former Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology.
Al Hashmi began her participation alongside the new cohort at the programme’s orientation in Mexico City in October 2026, sharing Omani and Gulf perspectives and experience within a distinguished global leadership network.
Alongside her executive role at Al Mouj Muscat, Al Hashmi sits on a number of boards and leadership platforms, including Mazoon Dairy, UNICEF Oman’s Business Leadership Council and the Oman-Italy Association. She is an alumna of the Royal Academy of Management.
Commenting on the occasion, Fathiya bint Abdullah Al Rashdi, Assistant President for Programs at the Royal Academy of Management, said: “The value of leadership programs is measured, above all, by the caliber of their participants, the strength of the institutional framework and global networks that support them, and the continued flow of knowledge and exchange of expertise long after the programs conclude. The International Women’s Forum (IWF) Leadership Fellows Program has upheld this distinguished standard for more than three decades. As a graduate of the Royal Academy of Management, Salma bint Ali Al Hashmi’s selection as the first Omani and Gulf woman leader in this global program is a source of great pride for us all. This achievement reflects the quality of national talent and embodies the Academy’s mission to develop leaders capable of making a tangible impact and competing on the world’s most prestigious platforms. It also enables Omani leaders to contribute actively to these global networks and to bring back new knowledge and insights that support sustainable development and institutional transformation in the Sultanate of Oman.”
Salma Ali Al Hashmi said: “To be the first Omani and Gulf leader selected for the program is a privilege, but I also see it as an opportunity to bring our perspective into a much wider leadership conversation. I am particularly looking forward to learning from the Fellows and alumnae who have come through the program, building relationships across different sectors and geographies, and bringing some of that learning and exchange back to Oman. Through my Legacy Project, I want to open that network to other Omani women by creating a mentorship pathway that connects them with IWF Leadership Fellow Program alumnae around the world.
The year-long program combines bespoke executive education, mentoring, peer learning and international engagement. Selected Participants complete customized leadership programs at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France, and the University of Cambridge, are paired with an IWF mentor, and undertake a Legacy Project that turns their learning into practical impact within their organizations and communities. The cohort graduates at the IWF World Leadership Conference in Miami in November 2027 and then joins the program’s global alumnae community.
