New Member Spotlights
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.
August 2025
Pia Wertheimer
Akosua Fosua Kwabeng-Mensah
Akosua Fosua Kwabeng-Mensah has worked with the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority for the past 22 years. She spent five years as an Aeronautical Information Officer and the subsequent 17 years as an Air Traffic Controller. Her passion is to work professionally as part of a team to keep the skies safe.
Julia Forain
Julia Forain is a Legal Director with over 13 years of experience in aviation law, having worked for major international airlines, as well as insurance and reinsurance companies in Brazil and Latin America.
She specializes in Civil Liability and Consumer Law, handling both contentious and non-contentious claims and providing legal assistance to airlines and their insurers on a variety of aviation matters. She holds an MBA in Legal Management of Insurance and Reinsurance and has completed several specialized courses in aviation law. Julia is fluent in English and Spanish.
Victoria Geraldine Alcaraz Ortega
Victoria Alcaraz is an Air Traffic Controller and LL.M. graduate in Air and Space Law from McGill University. She draws on her experience guiding aircraft with only her voice to bridge the gap between operational reality and the legal frameworks of aviation, always grounded in clarity, integrity, and the unseen strength of leadership.
Chinyere Moneme
Chinyere Moneme is a lawyer currently enrolled in the African Aviation and Aerospace University in Abuja, Nigeria. She is passionate about aviation and interested in networking with other women in the industry.
Bruna Barrella
Bruna Barrella has extensive experience in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex commercial contracts on a global scale within the trade, energy, and aerospace sectors. Her primary focus is on contracts governed by New York law, and she is responsible for managing and mitigating legal risks across all company negotiations, including sales, services, government, and intellectual property. Her goal is to ensure that each negotiation aligns with the company's strategy and complies with all applicable laws and regulations.
In addition to her legal work, she is an official Instructor, providing training throughout the organization. She teaches new interns and lawyers, as well as contract administrators from various teams, including commercial, procurement, and services. Her training courses cover not only contracts themselves, such as indemnity and limitation of liability clauses, but also best practices for conducting negotiations.
Olivia Grother
Olivia Grother is a Staff Coordinator at Pratt & Whitney in Toulouse, France, and will soon celebrate her third anniversary with the company. She is enthusiastic about building connections and is actively participating in the IAWA community to expand her knowledge and network.
Janki Kaushal
Janki Kaushal, originally from Delhi, India, moved to the Netherlands to earn a Master’s in Aerospace Engineering from Delft University of Technology. Since 2024, she has worked as an Integration Specialist in the flight simulation industry, where she brings systems together to create high-performance training solutions. Janki is driven to grow into a leadership role within the aerospace sector and is passionate about encouraging young women to pursue careers in aviation. Outside of work, she maintains a sporty lifestyle, which helps her cultivate discipline and resilience.
Josiane Nogueira
Josiane Nogueira is a Legal Analyst with a strategic focus on Legal Operations. She has experience in optimizing legal processes, integrating technology, and driving operational efficiency within legal departments.
Her skills include managing legal invoice workflows, tracking performance indicators (KPIs), legal workflow automation, compliance, and implementing Legal Tech solutions. She has a proven ability to support cross-functional teams, streamline administrative and financial operations, and contribute to digital transformation initiatives in corporate legal environments.
Aurélie André
Aurélie has more than 20 years of expertise in the Aviation and Space insurance, starting at the Paris office of a large international broker firm where she was involved in drafting the insurance policy wordings of large clients (manufacturers, airlines, airports, lessors, space launch agencies, satellites operatorsâ¦) and advised these clients on liability and insurance provisions of their commercial contracts on a day-to-day basis.
Then, she joined a major aircraft manufacturer to develop and structure the contractual policy of the group in line with its insurance programs. She was also in charge to manage insurance risk management matters of US and Canadian entities and was the dedicated support of the Services business unit of the civil aircraft division of the group in respect of insurance matters. She was part of the negotiation team of services contracts with airlines’ clients and has deep knowledge of allocation of liabilities within aviation stakeholders.
She joined LRA in 2023 as Chief legal, compliance and institutional officer. She represents LRA in the Aviation Technical Committee of the International Underwriting Association of London (IUA) and is part of the Cyber & Emerging Risks Study Group of the International Union of Aerospace Insurers (IUAI).
Aurélie is a representative of France Assureurs at the Aviation Insurance Clauses Group (AICG) in London.