Meet Our Inspiring Steering Group

Leading Ladies was established in 2016 when Mehmooda Duke presented a programme called Leading Ladies on Radio Ramadan. The programme continued in 2018 and all of the women in the group were interviewed by Mehmooda on the radio or contributed in some way.  They each shared their unique and interesting journeys about how they achieved their goals and how they overcame obstacles.  The aim of the programme was to provide inspiration to women and girls worldwide; all of the interviewees did that exceptionally well on the radio but they were all already inspiring women and girls in different ways individually; following the success of the programme all of the women have collaborated in their mission to continue inspiring others and decided that by working together we can create a nationwide/worldwide community of confident women who are not afraid to follow their dreams and achieve whatever they put their minds to.

Barbara Armstrong

Business, Author and Speaker

Barbara Armstrong is a business consultant, author and speaker who utilises an inspirational leadership style to engage, enthuse and support entrepreneurial leaders to achieve their business goals …

Femi Latif

Business/Beauty

Femi Latif is an experienced Aesthetician with a demonstrated history of working in the health wellness and beauty industry for over 30 years. Skilled in customer service, skincare, cosmetics, sale…

Naila Iqbal

Law/Crown Prosecution Service

Naila Iqbal has been a member of the Leading Ladies Steering Committee since July 2018. Naila was born and bred in Leicester and has always been involved within the local community supporting local…

Saimah Zaharah

Buisiness of Sport (Cricket)

Saimah Zaharah is the Director of Sahara Recruitment Ltd a company she has built herself, she has over 7 years’ recruitment experience within the Medical and Engineering industries. Having lived in…

Samia Haq

Politics

Samia Haq is a local politician and was elected to the position of Mayor in 2017, becoming the first Muslim female in Leicestershire. In this role she worked extensively with local businesses, comm…

Vijay Sharma

Media/Coaching

She is the Former Head of Multi Awarding Winning BBC Asian Network, a National Digital Radio Station. Pioneered the development of a National Digital Radio Station from its local BBC Radio Leiceste…

Diana Esho

Business/Web Design/SEO

Managing Director at Easy Internet Services since 2002, a digital marketing agency based in Leicester, with a worldwide client base. Her mantra is ‘proven not promised’, and as a result Easy Intern…

Jasmeine Ayub

Landscape Architechure

Jasmein studied for a PhD at Imperial College London and University College Oxford, gaining her doctorate in 1992. She secured a Junior Lectureship at the then Leicester Polytechnic (now De Montfor…

Mehmooda Duke

Business/Law

Mehmooda Duke is the CEO of Moosa – Duke Solicitors which she set up in 2003. Mehmooda has over 26 years’ experience in dealing with medical negligence claims; the first 10 years were spent defendi…

Samia Latif

Medicine

Samia trained in Public Health in the UK and is currently working as a Consultant in Communicable Disease Control (CCDC) at Public Health England (PHE) in the East Midlands. She is also the co-chai…

Shazia Patel

Pharmacy

Shazia over 21 years’ experience working in the NHS as a clinical pharmacist in a variety of pharmacy sectors not traditionally associated with pharmacy as a career in many peoples mind. She gradua…

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