President's Message

June 2025


IAWA’s Enduring Commitment to Talent, Innovation, and Leadership in the Global Aerospace Industry


Dear Members and Advocates,

As the President of the International Aerospace Womens Association (IAWA), I write today to reaffirm and remind out members and sponsors our organization’s unwavering commitment to advancing qualified women into leadership roles within the global aviation and aerospace industry — a mission we have upheld for nearly four decades.

IAWA was founded 38 years ago, not as a response to any mandate or political trend, but out of a clear-eyed understanding of what the aviation and aerospace industries need to thrive: talent, innovation, and resilient leadership. Our founders—and members who have joined since its inception—recognized early that a variety of perspectives is not just good ethics. It's good for business.

Today, we continue to find ourselves operating at a time of heightened scrutiny around well-meaning initiatives, particularly in the United States. Executive Order 14173, issued by the U.S. Administration, imposes new restrictions on how advocacy is approached in federal agencies and among some contractors. While this order primarily targets public sector programs, it has understandably prompted questions across the global business and nonprofit communities about what this means for organizations like ours.

Let us be clear: IAWA has always, and will always, support excellence, advancement, and opportunity—principles foundational to industry progress. We do not engage in quota-driven approaches. We do not advocate for preferential treatment. We champion qualified women because our industry faces an undeniable talent gap, and overlooking half the potential leadership pool is a risk aerospace cannot afford.

Our commitment is rooted in business imperatives:

  • Talent Development: The aviation and aerospace sectors are facing a growing need for capable leadership to navigate technological advancement, sustainability demands, and global competitiveness. IAWA invests in mentorship, education, and professional development to help fill that gap.
  • Merit-Based Leadership: Every program we run is centered on preparing and positioning highly capable professionals—many of whom happen to be women—for leadership success based on performance, skill, and strategic insight.
  • Global Collaboration: IAWA represents a global network. Our work transcends borders and political climates. From São Paulo to Singapore, from Paris to Phoenix, we support women not as a matter of compliance but as a matter of consequence—for innovation, operational excellence, and future-readiness.
  • Bridging the Experience Gap: Studies consistently show that access to leadership experiences accelerates career growth. Through IAWA’s global conferences, mentorship programs, and cross-sector engagement and networking, we offer those experiences to women poised to lead.

We understand the need to comply with evolving legal frameworks in every country in which we operate, including the United States. At the same time, we will continue to speak with clarity about the value of comprehensive leadership—not in the language of compliance, but in the language of competitiveness.

IAWA will remain a trusted partner to the aerospace industry, to governments, and to business leaders worldwide as we work together to build a stronger, more innovative future. Our mission endures not despite regulatory change—but because the need for talent, integrity, and effective leadership is greater than ever. We will continue to support studies/surveys that provide insights and data into women leaders such as Oliver Wyman’s “Lift Off to Leadership.”

We welcome ongoing dialogue with policymakers, industry stakeholders, and our global membership to ensure that we continue to advance this vital mission with transparency, integrity, and impact.


Sincerely,
Debra Santos
President
International Aerospace Womens Association (IAWA)

Debra Santos
2024–2025 President