EY and its corresponding Youth Council, developed with the support of the UAE Youth Council, has kicked off its second annual Corporate Finance Woman of the Year (CFWY) competition in the United Arab Emirates. The initiative encourages Emirati women to pursue careers in the private sector, particularly within transaction services and corporate finance.
The competition is open to university students and offers them the opportunity to consider different ways of thinking while empowering them to achieve success in their professional-related endeavors in the future.
Speaking at the launch of the competition, Fatma Al Jassim, a 2017 UAE Pioneer Award Winner and Dubai Youth Council member, said: “The EY Corporate Finance Woman of the Year competition is an innovative and unique program for young Emirati females interested in business to explore the field firsthand. As an Emirati woman I encourage my peers to look for opportunities that challenge them to get outside of their comfort zone and to be resilient when faced with opposition. As youth representatives of the UAE, the skills we gain from participating in such activities will only help us better adapt and utilize our strengths across different settings.”
Female UAE nationals completing their undergraduate degree or a minor in accounting, finance, economics, or political science who are interested in participating must be graduating in or before January 2020. Students who are enrolled in a postgraduate program or master’s degree should have graduated in or before January 2020 with six months or less of work experience. Those interested in applying can review the eligibility requirements and send an email to: campus@ae.ey.com
Rana Sanyoura, Partner, Transaction Advisory Services (TAS), UAE CFWY Sponsor, EY, said: “The CFWY competition was developed by EY to support the next generation of female Emirati business leaders, especially those interested in pursuing a career in corporate finance. The talent that participated during the competition last year was truly inspiring, and we are excited to provide a new group of young Emiratis with this platform to expand their knowledge, network and opportunities in the workplace.”
After submitting an individual case study and group activity, the group of finalists will compete at the national level in the UAE in January. The winning applicant will then go on to compete at the global CFWY competition in London in February.
The CFWY competition has also been launched for the first time in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where one female Saudi business student will be announced as the country winner. She, along with the UAE winner, will compete against the 14 other winners from countries such as: Australia, Germany, Japan, Norway, Russia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
