Saadia Zahidi: Meet Harvard Kennedy alumni named IATA’s first female Director General

Saadia Zahidi is a global economist and policy expert who has spent more than two decades shaping international conversations on the future of work, economic growth and workforce transformation.

On Thursday, she added another milestone to her career after being named the first woman to lead the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in the organization’s more than 80-year history.

Zahidi will assume office as IATA’s Director General on November 1, 2026, succeeding Willie Walsh, who steered the global airline industry’s recovery through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her appointment also makes her the ninth Director General of the airline industry’s largest trade association, which represents about 350 airlines accounting for more than 80% of global air traffic.

Zahidi’s career experience

Before joining IATA, Zahidi served as Managing Director and Member of the Managing Board of the World Economic Forum (WEF), where she led the Forum’s Centre for the New Economy and Society.

• In that role, she oversaw the organization’s work on jobs, skills, education, gender parity and economic growth, while also directing its engagement with universities, think tanks, academics and the Global Future Councils network.
• A veteran of the World Economic Forum, Zahidi joined the organization in 2004 as an economist and steadily rose through the ranks over more than 22 years, serving as Associate Director, Director, Senior Director and Executive Committee member before becoming Managing Director in 2018.
• She is widely recognised as the architect behind several of the Forum’s flagship research publications, including the Future of Jobs Report, Global Gender Gap Report, Future of Growth Report and the Chief Economists Outlook.

These reports have become essential reference points for governments, multinational companies and policymakers seeking to understand the impact of artificial intelligence, demographic change and geopolitical shifts on global labour markets.

Zahidi’s influence and achievements

Throughout her career, Zahidi has championed workforce development and skills transformation, arguing that investment in education and reskilling is essential for countries seeking to remain competitive in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and automation.

• Her influence extends beyond the World Economic Forum. Zahidi has served on the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment, the European Space Agency’s High-Level Advisory Group, and the Global Leadership Council of Generation Unlimited, reflecting her expertise in economic policy, gender equality and global development.
• She is also the author of Fifty Million Rising: The New Generation of Working Women Transforming the Muslim World, which explores the growing economic role of women across Muslim-majority countries. In recognition of her contributions to global leadership, she was named among the BBC’s 100 Women.

Zahidi holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Smith College, an MPhil in International Economics from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School.