Najla Al Midfa is Chief Executive Officer of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), a government-supported entity launched in 2016, with a mandate to build the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Sharjah, and support entrepreneurs as they build and grow innovative startups that will contribute positively to the region’s economy.

Prior to Sheraa, she held a senior position at Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, focused on SME financing, and was a consultant at McKinsey and Company’s New York office, primarily serving clients across the financial institutions sector. Her previous professional experience also includes roles within PricewaterhouseCoopers and Shell.

Najla is a board member of United Arab Bank, Emirates Development Bank, and Emirates Schools Establishment. She is also a Co-Chair of the 4th Industrial Revolution Working Group in the UK-UAE Business Council, Vice-Chairperson of Young Arab Leaders, and a board member of Endeavor UAE.

Najla is a fellow of the Aspen Institute’s Middle East Leadership Initiative, as well as an Eisenhower Global Fellow. Najla holds an MBA from Stanford University.”