New Member Spotlights

NOVEMBER 2025

Peggy Croes

Megha Bhatia

Karina Darvoy-Bacquet

Valija Fomin

Valija Fomin is responsible for the handling of claims and litigation involving alleged injuries and other offenses to passengers and loss/damage of baggage for AIG's insured airlines; airports; and light aviation claims.

Diane Saint

As a highly motivated and detail-oriented aviation operations professional with over 6 years of military experience, Diane Saint currently serves as the Flight Clearance Chief at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton. She specializes in coordinating complex airfield operations, flight routing, and base logistics in high-tempo environments.

Diane holds a BA in Business Administration and is pursuing her Masters in Airport and Air Mobility Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to further expand her leadership and technical skillset in civil aviation operations. Her long-term goal is to transition into a civilian airfield management role or work with the FAA in a high-level air operations capacity, where she can leverage her military training, leadership, and academic background to optimize aviation infrastructure and safety.

Peggy Devestel

In an aviation career spanning over 32 years, Peggy Devestel has a wealth of operational experience, and proven strategic delivery. After successfully qualifying as an air traffic controller with Belgocontrol (today known as skeyes), she went from a tower ATC to en-route ATC, Chief ATCO and ATC Expert, before moving into management in 2010 to take on a series of challenges with increasing responsibility. Peggy was first appointed ATS regions manager coordinating operational services; then, as Customer Affairs Manager, was tasked with optimising service provision to airports, airlines and airspace users.

In 2015, she joined Belgocontrol as Director General Operations. From 2018 until joining EUROCONTROL as Director MUAC, Peggy was Chief Operating Officer at skeyes managing their operational, technical and meteorological services for their en-route centre, Brussels tower and ATC at five regional Belgian airports.

Kirstin MacDougall

Simone Riley

Hadassa Bahia

Hadassa Bahia graduated with a Law degree in 2015. She has completed specializations in Tax, Management, and Aeronautical Law, and holds a Master's degree in International Law. With over ten years of professional experience, she has worked in the aviation sector since 2017. She currently works at an aircraft hangar.

Nelli Safina

Nelli Safina is a Full Technical Support Engineer of avionic systems for the Boeing fleet and specializes in the implementation of IT projects for aviation. She is also the founder of various social and technical projects.

Her career in aviation began in 2008. Her experience includes six years as a developer, where she completed over 10 microwave radio engineering developments, and 11 years in technical support, serving four airlines, two MROs, an owner, and VIP clients. She has also been involved in the startup space as a student, where she raised $50,000 and launched several MVPs.

Her academic interests focus on predictive maintenance of onboard equipment.

October 2025

Caro Campos

Ebru Hagen

Kobina Kouakou

Kobina Kouakou is an aeronautical engineering student at the École Nationale de l’Aviation Civile (ENAC) in France, specializing in flight operations and safety. She gained professional experience through internships at Air Côte d’Ivoire, where she developed a strong interest in aviation sustainability and operational efficiency. Originally from Côte d’Ivoire, she aspires to inspire and empower young women across Africa to pursue careers in aviation and grow into future leaders of the industry.

Livia Vilas Boas Calil

Lívia has been with Embraer for over 18 years, 16 of which were dedicated to the Flight Operations Engineering and 2 years to the Aircraft Enhancement Business (AEB). Throughout his career, she was responsible for the development of the operational manuals, authoring approved and non-approved manuals. She has participated in multiple activities related to the Flight Operations Engineering, such as establishing operational limitations, normal and emergency procedures, system description, and coordinating airplane remarketing activities in the Flight Ops Engineering team. During last 5 years, she was assigned as supervisor of the Flight Operations Publications team. Additionally, Lívia holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering at Universidade Federal de Itajubá (UNIFEI), an MBA in Project Management at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) and she was an engineer representative designated by ANAC (PCP) to approve AFM revision proposals for 6 years.

Nisa Freiwald

Ramesh Vaidyanathan

Ramesh K. Vaidyanathan is the Managing Partner of BTG Advaya. He is a general corporate lawyer with varied experience in M&A, joint ventures, projects and infrastructure, aviation and franchising. During his initial private practice stint, Ramesh specialised on all aspects of corporate law. He helped set up several international companies in India, which involved advice on aspects such as company formation, joint venture documentation, regulatory approvals, lease of premises and employee agreements.

When India's busiest airports in Delhi and Mumbai were privatised in 2006 in an unprecedented PPP initiative of the Government of India, Ramesh moved in-house as the General Counsel of the Mumbai International Airport development and modernisation project. Given the complexities involved in developing India’s busiest yet completely land constrained airport in the heart of Mumbai, the project was rated by many experts as one of the most challenging infrastructure projects in the world. In addition to this airport role, Ramesh was also the GVK Group Counsel, advising on power, retail, oil & gas, hotel, mining, port, road and other infrastructure projects. He moved back to private practice in 2010 to set up a full service law firm, Advaya Legal. Advaya Legal merged with BTG Legal in 2023 to form BTG Advaya.

Miriam Hutton

Miriam Hutton began her career in manufacturing engineering with a Midwest-based printer manufacturer, later transitioning into a procurement manufacturing engineering role. This experience sparked her enduring interest in supply chain management, which shaped her career path.

In 2016, she entered the aviation industry as a buyer with GE Aerospace, deepening her procurement expertise within a highly regulated and dynamic environment. Since 2022, she has served as Senior Procurement Manager at Atlas Air, where she leads initiatives across supplier management, strategic sourcing, and contract negotiations.

Anchal Nanda

Anchal Nanda is a lawyer specializing in aviation law, with experience in advising on aircraft repossessions, cross-border transactions, regulatory compliance, and contract negotiations. Currently working with a leading law firm in Gurgaon, she handles complex legal matters for international lessors, banks, and aviation stakeholders. She is passionate about advancing women’s representation in aviation and looks forward to contributing to IAWA’s global community.

Patricia Serrano Pérez

Patricia Serrano Pérez is an aerospace engineer with a strong passion for aeronautical design and systems integration. She is also keenly interested in leadership and management, particularly within international and diverse environments. Outside of her professional interests, she loves traveling, and her personal goal is to visit 50 countries before she turns 40.

Olívia Maria Alves Coelho

Olivia Maria Alves Coelho is a control engineer who began her career in aerospace working with fuel system engineering at Embraer, the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world.

Since 2023, she has embarked on her leadership journey and is currently the Propulsion Systems Engineering Manager for Embraer Defense & Security. Throughout her career, she has been a strong advocate for women in aerospace, having co-founded a mentorship program for women at Embraer and currently leading an initiative focused on leveraging Embraer's engineering women talent.

Siobhain Hastings

Priscila Marques

Priscila Marques is a results-driven Business Analyst and Project Leader with over 20 years of experience in the airline and aviation industry. She specializes in IT project management, process optimization, and digital transformation.

She has a proven record of success in leading global technology implementations, developing strategic business solutions, and driving cross-functional collaboration to enhance operational performance. Fluent in English and Portuguese, her international experience across Switzerland and Brazil brings a blend of analytical thinking, leadership, and a passion for continuous improvement in complex, global environments.

September 2025

Larissa Maraccini

Gahan Christenson

Accomplished regulatory attorney with nearly 20 years of experience counseling clients on the legal risks of proposed agency actions and collaborating to mitigate risks and achieve agency objectives. Successful at communicating with technical experts and producing deliverables that convey highly technical information for regulated entities, the public and the Hill. Effective at creating an environment that fosters innovation and the successful implementation of strategic plans.

Alletta Brenner

Alletta is a partner at Perkins Coie LLP who litigates and advises on product liability matters, with an emphasis on representing companies in the technology and aviation sectors.

Elena Galigny de Bonneval

Eléna Galigny de Bonneval is the 2023 Scholarship recipient from Cranfield University. Since receiving the scholarship, she has completed her studies in aerospace engineering. As of January, she is working as a thermomechanical design engineer in solid propellant engines near Bordeaux, France. She is very happy to give her time to the association that has given her so much.

Cordula Pflaum

Cordula Pflaum is an Airbus A350 and A380 Training Captain with over 30 years of experience as an airline pilot. Beyond her flight duties, she conducts trainings, workshops, and keynotes on psychological safety, exploring topics such as safety culture and the impact of effective error management in the workplace.

In her role as a leader, she addresses the challenges of working with constantly changing teams in the aviation industry. In collaboration with multiple hospitals in the DACH region and the international AO Foundation, she and her team at Human Factors Academy and C-Lab GmbH transform these skills into human factors competency trainings for the medical sector and other business units.

With over two decades of experience in peer support (Critical Incident Stress Management by the Mayday Foundation), she offers proactive solutions for companies seeking to strengthen their workforce's mental health and integrate psychological safety into their workplaces.

Her book, Guten Tag, hier spricht Ihre Kapitänin (Hello, This is Your Captain Speaking), was released in March 2024. It explores many of these topics, including her life as a pilot and the battle against prejudice.

Barbara ZyguÅa

Barbara ZyguÅa is an aviation professional with a combined background in both law and engineering. She currently works as a Regulatory Affairs & Certification Expert at Amazon Prime Air in Brussels, where she helps to shape the regulatory framework for drone delivery operations.

Her aviation journey began unexpectedly during her university years when she worked as a flight attendant, an experience that ignited her passion for the industry. Her professional career in aviation started at a UTM company in Poland, where she supported regulatory affairs. She then joined EASA's drone section, where she contributed to EU drone rulemaking and harmonization efforts across member states. Subsequently, she spent four years at Volocopter GmbH, shaping eVTOL regulatory strategies across global markets.

Throughout her career, she has maintained a strong focus on advancing regulatory frameworks for novel aviation technologies, from innovative air mobility to drone delivery, by combining her technical understanding with her regulatory expertise.

Shannon Marks

Shannon Marks is a dedicated aviation executive with over 30 years of experience in regional and mainline operations. She has led transformative initiatives across multiple stations, including performance turnarounds and operational transitions. Currently serving as an Officer of Envoy Air, Shannon is passionate about driving excellence in customer operations and empowering teams across the network.

Marcela Cristina Borella Alves

Marcela Cristina Borella Alves is a Senior Legal Manager at Embraer S.A., an aircraft manufacturer, working currently within the Defense and Security Business Unit, where she leads the Trade Compliance area. She has extensive experience at companies such as Akzo Nobel, Tintas Coral, and Fundação Getúlio Vargas. Marcela holds a Law degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP), where she also earned a Master’s degree in International Economic Relations Law. Her core areas of expertise include international contracts, negotiation, and export control.

Marcela Cristina Borella Alves

Maria Eduarda Dias is a lawyer in Brazil with 10 years of experience, over six of which have been dedicated to the aviation sector. During this time, she has worked with international labor matters, various forms of litigation (including product liability and labor), FCPA legislation, contracts, and M&A transactions, among other areas.

Jane Sigda

Jane Sigda is a Litigation Attorney who provides clients with legal counsel on issues of product liability and product liability risk management, as well as commercial and regulatory matters.

Jaimie Gonzales

Jaimie Gonzales is an 18-year-old who loves aviation history and fighter jets. As a kid, she dreamed about being a pilot and soaring the skies. Her ideas changed and evolved to a new goal when she discovered a woman on TikTok who shared her passion for preserving and fixing planes. A different world opened for her, and she now wants to share her story for the future as she keeps soaring through her studies.

Bruna Da Silva Pedroso

Bruna Da Silva Pedroso is an in-counsel lawyer at Embraer with more than 10 years of experience in the aviation market.

Cassia Marques Monte Sant´Anna

Cassia Marques Monte Sant'Anna is a Compliance & Program Management Specialist with over 25 years of experience in the aerospace industry. She currently leads Trade Compliance initiatives at Embraer S.A., specializing in export control regulations (U.S., Brazil, Europe), risk management, internal investigations, and cross-functional team leadership.

With a background in Mechanical Engineering and multiple postgraduate degrees, Cassia combines technical expertise with strategic insight. She is certified as a Six Sigma Black Belt and has led international training and audit preparation across North America and Europe.

Fluent in English and experienced in global operations, Cassia is known for her ethical leadership, negotiation skills, and commitment to continuous improvement.

Thalita Alfano Sulas Grandis

Thalita Alfano Sulas Grandis has served as Embraer’s General Counsel since December 2024. She joined Embraer in 2019, initially working within the Corporate Legal team, where she handled litigation, labor and employment, environmental matters, real estate, contracts, and product liability.

Prior to Embraer, Thalita worked at Avon Cosmetics Brazil from 2015 as a senior attorney, overseeing litigation, civil matters, and labor and employment issues.

From 2006 to 2015, she was an associate at TozziniFreire Advogados in São Paulo, gaining extensive experience in litigation and labor and employment law.

Thalita holds a law degree from the University of São Bernardo do Campo (2008) and an MBA in Business Law from Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV Law). She specializes in litigation and labor and employment law.