Written by Daisy Omissi
Sumati Sharma is one of those rare people who really makes a difference not just through her words but also through her actions.
As a co-founder of the Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter she has made it her mission to drive gender equality in our industry, helping the Charter to successfully grow to more than 230 signatories in just three years. Her dynamic and authentic leadership in this arena – speaking at industry events, sharing best practice, encouraging collaboration, influencing key stakeholders – have helped shape the industry narrative on D&I as we build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter have nominated Sumati for IATA’s Diversity and Inclusion Inspirational Role Model award.
As a successful woman from a diverse ethnic background, Sumati is a visible role model and mentor for so many other women (and men) looking for the inspiration to grow and succeed as they navigate their own journeys through the aviation industry. Sumati uses her vision, insight and experience to identify and develop creative D&I strategies. During her time working at Virgin Atlantic she was instrumental in helping create their Be Yourself D&I campaign, which has had a lasting impact on the way the airline shows up in this space. She has since gone on to become an Aviation Partner at Oliver Wyman where she takes every opportunity to talk about D&I and helps other businesses in our industry create and implement their own strategies.
Sumati Sharma’s personal courage and conviction inspire us every day and make her, in our eyes, the best candidate for this award. Good luck, Sumati!