Image credit: Gulf Business
Under the shimmering lights of The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, the 13th annual Gulf Business Awards 2025 celebrated the visionaries and trailblazers reshaping the Middle East’s business landscape. Among the honorees, one name stood out, Mila Smart Semeshkina, the founder and president of the Women’s Empowerment Council (WEC), who was crowned the Gulf Business Woman Leader of the Year.
But for Semeshkina, this recognition transcends personal achievement. “This award means quite a lot for me because this is not my award,” she proclaimed in her acceptance speech. “This is an award for all the ladies in the world, all the women leaders.” Her words reverberated through the gala, resonating with an audience eager to witness the dawn of a new era where women’s leadership is celebrated, empowered, and amplified.
“Ladies, I wish you good luck. Please do everything possible and impossible to be successful. Your career is here in your hands. So please, be at the stage. Have a voice, speak, be role models for other ladies. It’s extremely important,” Semeshkina urged. “Ladies, we are power.”
Her call to action is not just aspirational rhetoric; it encapsulates a bold movement to rewrite the rules of leadership and success for women, particularly in a region where traditional norms have often constrained female participation in business and public life.
The Gulf Business Awards: A showcase of excellence and change
Now in its 13th year, the Gulf Business Awards is a flagship event spotlighting innovation, resilience, and leadership across sectors in the Middle East. The ceremony attracts over 350 of the region’s top executives, entrepreneurs, and policymakers, serving as both a celebration of achievements and a barometer of the region’s dynamic business transformation.
Held at the luxurious Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, the gala featured a red-carpet reception followed by a fine dining experience infused with inspiring discussions, the perfect backdrop for honoring the individuals and companies shaping the Gulf’s future.
Semeshkina’s recognition at this esteemed event is emblematic of the changing tides, where women leaders are increasingly visible and influential across industries ranging from finance and technology to real estate and education.
Building a global movement: The WE Convention
At the heart of Semeshkina’s impact lies the WE Convention, the world’s largest and most influential forum dedicated to women’s leadership and entrepreneurship. Founded under the umbrella of the Women’s Empowerment Council, this event has become a beacon for women aspiring to break barriers and redefine success.
“WE Convention is not just a conference, it’s a movement,” Semeshkina says. “With over 300 million media mentions globally, we amplify the voices of women leaders and entrepreneurs, inspiring change and action.”
The 2025 convention centers on the theme “ALL IN: Career, Money, and Life,” spotlighting the holistic challenges women face while striving for career success, financial independence, and a fulfilling life beyond work.
“This year, we dive deep into what it really takes to succeed as a woman without compromising any part of your life,” Semeshkina explains. “We bring billionaires, industry pioneers, and changemakers on stage to share their journeys and insights, to empower women to go ALL IN on their ambitions.”
This vision reflects Semeshkina’s broader mission to not only celebrate success but to equip women with practical tools, networks, and mindsets for long-term achievement.
From exclusion to inclusion: A personal mission
Semeshkina’s journey began with a stark experience of exclusion. Early in her career, she was told to leave a seat at the table, literally, because “this is where the men sit.” This moment crystallized her resolve.
“I decided then and there that at my table, there would always be space for everyone. No woman should ever be told she doesn’t belong,” she says.
This personal experience galvanised her mission to create platforms where women’s voices are not just heard but celebrated and elevated. The Women’s Empowerment Council, established in 2021, emerged to address the glaring underrepresentation of women leaders and entrepreneurs in media and public discourse.
“Strong, successful women role models matter enormously,” Semeshkina asserts. “The more stories we share, the more young girls believe they can do the same.”
She points out the persistent disparity: only about 13% of the world’s wealthiest people are women, and the vast majority gained wealth through inheritance or divorce rather than entrepreneurship or leadership.
“Self-made women remain a rarity compared to men,” she explains. “Large-scale stories of women’s success are critically lacking.”
By spotlighting women’s achievements and creating a community of support, Semeshkina is actively reshaping perceptions and realities.
Empowerment through education and community
The Women’s Empowerment Council’s impact extends far beyond the annual convention. With over 30,000 active members, the council offers free business courses, seminars, and resources designed to break down barriers and foster women’s success at every career stage.
“Education and access are key to democratising success,” Semeshkina stresses. “We want women to have the tools they need to thrive.”
Her leadership emphasizes collective power, underscored by a strong team of over 30 women working alongside her to execute ambitious initiatives.
“I am not alone. I have more than 30 women by my side doing very big things, this is the proper place, next to me,” she says.
Together, they are building a vibrant ecosystem where women’s leadership flourishes.
The million dollar career mindset: Discipline, effort, and focus
Semeshkina’s philosophy on career success challenges the myth of instant achievement. Her book, Your Million Dollar Career, provides a strategic roadmap emphasising the discipline, massive effort, and focus required to build lasting success.
“Many professionals don’t fully understand what it means to be a true professional,” she says. “It’s not about titles or years served but about consistently delivering results, regardless of circumstances.”
She identifies three essential pillars:
- Discipline: The ability to act regardless of motivation or mood.
- Massive effort: The recognition that success demands years of hard, focused work.
- Focus: A long-term vision and the persistence to stay on course through decades.
“Great careers are built over decades, not weeks or months,” she warns. “This requires resilience, postponing comfort, and sustained commitment.”
Her book guides readers through mindset shifts and actionable steps to cultivate these qualities, challenging prevailing narratives around quick wins and burnout culture.
Why Dubai and MENA are hotbeds for women-led innovation
Semeshkina’s decision to base much of her work in Dubai reflects the city’s growing prominence as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Dubai, UAE, and the MENA region are among the fastest-growing parts of the world,” she notes. “The government has created a highly supportive environment, processes that take months elsewhere happen in days here.”
She highlights the city’s digitised services, swift residency procedures, and favourable economic policies that make it an ideal base for businesses.
“This attracts companies and high-caliber professionals, raising the ecosystem’s quality and accelerating industry growth,” she explains.
Critically, Semeshkina sees Dubai as a beacon of inclusivity and opportunity for women.
“Entrepreneurship among women is strong, studies show 84 per cent of women in the UAE consider starting their own business,” she shares. “Women from diverse cultures and religions feel safe and supported here.”
This environment has produced women-led enterprises valued in hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars, a testament to the city’s transformational power.
Semeshkina’s vision extends well beyond Dubai’s borders. She foresees a ripple effect as other MENA countries cultivate favorable conditions for entrepreneurs and professionals.
“The whole region is experiencing a boom,” she says. “As more people relocate here, opportunities for innovation, investment, and women-led enterprises will grow exponentially.”
Her ambition is for the Women’s Empowerment Council to be a global community of over one million women leaders within five years, transforming lives and amplifying women’s voices on the world stage.
Semeshkina closes her message with a rallying cry to women everywhere:
“Don’t be afraid, not of success, not of hard work. If you love what you do, it’s actually easier.”
This spirit of fearless ambition defines her leadership and the movement she champions, a movement rewriting the rules of leadership, power, and career success, making them inclusive and accessible to all women.
Leading the new era of women’s power
Mila Smart Semeshkina’s journey, from a woman pushed aside to a global leader creating an empowering platform for millions, epitomises the new era of female leadership rising across the Middle East and the world.
Her vision, embodied through the Women’s Empowerment Council and the WE Convention, is transforming not just individual careers but entire communities, industries, and societies.
“At my table, there is always space,” she affirms. “Ladies, we are power. Step up. Be bold. The future is yours.”
As the Gulf Business Awards celebrated her success, it also heralded a future where women don’t just participate in business, they lead, innovate, and rewrite the very rules of power.
