Maria Flouda

Maria Flouda is the founder of Sustainability Switch Consultancy, a UAE-based venture helping organizations align sustainability strategies with the fast-evolving, AI-driven business landscape and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She also serves as Board Co-Chair and UAE Network Leader of Lean In Equity & Sustainability, championing access to opportunities for women and allies in the green transition. A postgraduate Civil Engineer, Maria has over 24 years of experience in corporate strategy, ESG frameworks, and project delivery across public and private sectors. She collaborates with major industry players including International Holding Company (IHC), Ghitha Group, Masdar, and DIFC, advancing sustainability initiatives, ESG compliance, and stakeholder engagement. Recognized for expertise in climate change and sustainability—covering green transition, hydrogen, AI, supply chain decarbonization, and green finance—Maria has advised the EU-GCC Green Transition Strategic Project and contributed to high-level forums such as COP29 in Baku and COP16 in Riyadh. With credentials from Cambridge University (CISL) and degrees in Civil Engineering, Maria is known for embedding ESG objectives into corporate frameworks and supporting clients in achieving net-zero goals. A sought-after speaker and mentor, she addresses sustainability, ESG, DEI, and women’s empowerment in energy, including through her role with Masdar’s WiSER initiative, inspiring the next generation of leaders.

Session Overview

Wednesday, 4 November

12:00

Workforce & Skills Conference Room B 12:00 - 13:00

The youth verdict: redefining the value proposition for the next generation

The competition for top-tier technical talent has moved beyond compensation and job security. The next generation defines an employer of choice by purpose, technological sophistication and real-world impact, and they have more options, more information and less patience for legacy recruitment than any cohort before them. Traditional industrial cultures are being challenged by expectations for high-impact roles that balance innovation with psychosocial safety, and by the cognitive load and burnout risks inherent in high-stakes, large-scale energy systems. What this generation expects from the sector, and what the sector is currently offering, are not well aligned. Closing that gap is not a communications challenge, it is a structural one. The energy sector's ability to attract the digital-native talent it needs will depend on whether it changes the reality, not just the messaging, and how effectively leaders rethink their employer value proposition to reflect this shift.

Attendee Insights:
Understand how to modernise the industryâ€™s employer value proposition to compete for digital-native talent and explore how perception, purpose and culture influence attraction and retention.

12:00

Workforce & Skills Conference Room B 12:00 - 13:00

The youth verdict: redefining the value proposition for the next generation

Attendee Insights:
Understand how to modernise the industry’s employer value proposition to compete for digital-native talent and explore how perception, purpose and culture influence attraction and retention.