Lea Sublett is an international leader in alumni engagement, with a 25-year career in higher education. In March 2023, she was appointed as inaugural Associate Director of Alumni Relations at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.

Prior to her current position, Lea served as the Manager of Alumni Affairs at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia for seven years. During her tenure, she developed a best-practice office of Alumni Affairs and successfully implemented a global alumni engagement strategy and University-wide programs and events. Lea's career also includes roles as the Director of Alumni Relations at The Australian National University and Director of Alumni and Community Relations at The University of Queensland. 

Lea has actively served the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) as a volunteer for over 10 years. She serves on the CASE Alumni Relations Commission and was named a CASE Laureate in 2019.

Tony Sheridan is currently the Senior Digital Campaigns Manager at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), one of the top-ranked research universities in the world, working in the Global Branding and Communications Division. Since arriving in early 2021, Sheridan has taken KAUST’s campaigns to a new level, revolutionizing their content streams and generating industry-leading digital impact. Tony has led truly global campaigns with KAUST’s highest-profile external brand partners such as the Global Sustainable Development Congress, McLaren Formula 1 Racing team, Times Higher Education, AAAS/Science, and National Geographic, among others. His work has consistently been recognized with international award wins.

Prior to KAUST, Tony was Social Media and Digital Content Manager for the University of Limerick in his native Ireland, an institution he worked for over a decade in various marketing and communications, and student engagement roles. A former Director of Marketing and Communications for Limerick Mental Health Association, he also has worked extensively as a consultant across the non-profit, community, and charity sectors helping organizations set ambitious goals, develop effective strategies, and deliver results.

Tony holds a Bachelor of Technology and Education, and received a Master’s in Marketing Management from the University of Limerick in 2021, being awarded the university’s prestigious ‘Outstanding Graduate Award’ for that year.

Dalia Abubakr is the Senior Director of Digital Communications at the American University in Cairo (AUC). She has more than 25 years of experience in web communications, with a focus on web writing, information architecture, analytics, optimization and digital accessibility. Her experience also includes strategic planning for content marketing. She is an inclusion advocate and a member in the advisory board of Helm Egypt organization for empowering people with disability. She is certified in digital accessibility by the World Wide Web Consortium – W3C and in web analytics for higher education by the Higher Education Experts organization.
Dalia earned her bachelor's degree in English language with high honors. She is also a holder of graduate diploma in Arabic Studies with a specialization in Islamic Studies from The American University in Cairo. She won the Stellar Speaker award at the Conference for Advancement and Support of Education- MEAC- 2018.

Salma Dannawi Oueida is associate vice president for development, alumni relations, and university events at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and an AUB alumna with both an Executive MBA and a bachelor of electrical and communication engineering.

She began her career at AUB in 2003 as associate director of development. Since then, she has been steadily promoted and taken on additional responsibilities. She was appointed senior director of development in 2015; associate vice president for development and alumni relations in 2016; and, most recently, associate vice president for development, alumni relations, and university events in 2022. She has extensive experience in organizational management, fundraising, business development, alumni relations, and event planning and a proven track record at establishing and building relationships with high-net-worth individuals, corporations and foundations, alumni, and volunteer groups.

During her career, Ms. Oueida has set records in fundraising and alumni engagement and launched new fundraising and alumni engagement programs and initiatives for AUB’s seven faculties and the AUB Medical Center (AUBMC). She manages the university’s relationship with its alumni community outside North America and works closely with some of AUB’s most successful volunteer groups to develop valuable and mutually rewarding partnerships. Oueida played an instrumental role in both AUB’s Campaign for Excellence (2002-07) and in AUB’s current $650 million fundraising campaign: BOLDLY AUB: The Campaign to Lead, Innovate, and Serve.

Oueida has consulted about establishing offices of development and alumni relations with many educational institutions in the Gulf and MENA region including Ahfad University in Sudan and Mohammed Al-Mana College for Medical Sciences in Saudi Arabia.

She is a two-time member of the Planning Committee for the CASE Advancement Committee in Middle East that took place in Dubai in February 2020 and the upcoming conference in Abu Dhabi in February 2024. Oueida is on the board of several NGOs including “Nusaned” and is a member of “the Lebanese League for Women in Business”. She is also a member of the 2023 Takreem Selection Board and a member of the Lebanese Order of Engineers and Architects.

In 2010, Ms. Oueida received the President’s Service Excellence Award, a prestigious distinction which is given to a select number of AUB staff members each year “who have shown continuous outstanding performance over a long period of time and have gone beyond the call of duty in helping students, patients, and fellow employees.”

Kathryn Taylor has worked at Heriot-Watt University (HWU) for almost 13 years and started her career with the University in 2011, as Student Experience Officer, setting up the first Careers Advisory & Alumni Service at Dubai Campus. As well as providing careers advice to students Kathryn gained a wide breadth of knowledge and experience of external engagement in Dubai that included establishing links industry, HWU Alumni, and hosting large scale career fairs for students to connect with companies for internships, graduate jobs, and professional networking.

In 2019, Kathryn was able to specialise her work to her current role as Alumni Engagement Officer where she works with Alumni to help them stay connected to the University as well as working closely with Academic Schools, Professional Service departments, Marketing and Recruitment teams, and Business Development in the University to support a variety of projects that require Alumni engagement, expertise, and insight. Kathryn is also part of the wider Development and Alumni Team based in Edinburgh providing global events and points of interest for Alumni to stay connected globally.

As Chair of the Registry Services Employee Engagement Committee and with  previous experience in workforce development Kathryn is a keen advocate for lifelong learning and supporting others with their personal and professional growth. Kathryn brings that passion, learning and development knowledge, and events experience to volunteer her support to this year’s Middle East Case.

Kathryn is a qualified and experienced adult trainer and assessor, holds an MSc Careers Education, Information and Guidance, in Higher Education (CEIGHE) from Warwick University (UK) and is currently completing an MBA with the University of Birmingham (UK). 

With over 20 years of experience in institutional advancement and nonprofit management, Manal Issa has consistently contributed to educational and philanthropic initiatives in the Middle East. As Vice President for Advancement at The American University of Kurdistan (AUK), Manal played a pivotal role in establishing its advancement office, ensuring a robust foundation for the institution's future growth, and was deeply involved in the strategic planning and execution of AUK's endowment initiatives during her tenure as president.  Holding a Master's in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University and an MBA from Birzeit University, Manal's expertise encompasses donor relations, digital transformation, and organizational development. Beyond her academic contributions, she has mentored emerging leaders in the nonprofit sector, served on various boards, and championed arts and culture initiatives. Her impactful work across Syria, Iraq, and Palestine underscores her unwavering dedication to fostering positive change.