8 OCTOBER2026W MAN LEADERGLOBAL W MAN LEADERGLOBAL NEWS BITESMorocco's King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country's first female prime minister, making her the second woman in the Arab world to hold the position.The Royal Palace confirmed the appointment on Tuesday, tasking Fathima, 50, who is also the urban planning minister and mayor of Marrakesh, with forming a new government. She described the appointment as a historic moment in a televised address."For the first time in our country's history, a woman is taking on the responsibility of leading the government," she said. "This is a source of pride not only for me but for all Moroccan women."Fatima's Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), which is loyal to the monarchy, won the largest share of the 395 seats in the lower house of parliament, the House of Representatives, in Morocco's elections, which were announced four days ago. The Director-General of UNESCO, Khaled El-Enany has appointed Professor Denise Pires de Carvalho of Brazil as Assistant Director-General for Sciences. This is an important addition of scientific and institutional leadership to the organizational senior leadership for UNESCO.Prof. Denise will join the Senior Management Team of UNESCO, cooperating with the Organization's Director-General and contributing to the enhanced leadership and influence of the organization within the global science community. Her mandate will include international research cooperation, promotion of open science, knowledge exchange, and cooperation among scientific communities.Denise has an academic background in physiology, higher education management, science policy, and research administration, and hence has gathered a lot of experience in managing scientific research initiatives as well as building up scientific partnerships at the international level. She will help UNESCO in its science-related strategies through her experience in institutional cooperation and scientific initiatives, which link research and innovation to education and sustainable development. APCO has named Kyra Obolensky as Europe Health Lead, increasing the company's leadership capabilities within the healthcare and life science advisory realm. Working out of Brussels, Kyra will head the APCO Europe healthcare advisory practice, as well as helping the firm develop its Global Health practice further.Kyra has more than two decades of experience in government affairs, policy strategy, communications, and crisis communications, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector. With her deep sector expertise, she will help APCO advice healthcare organizations on how to react to changing regulatory environments, policy priorities, stakeholder dynamics and reputational issues in Europe. MOROCCO NAMES FATIMA EZZAHRA AS FIRST WOMAN PRIME MINISTERDENISE PIRES DE CARVALHO JOINS UNESCO AS SCIENCES ADGKYRA OBOLENSKY TAKES CHARGE AS APCO'S EUROPE HEALTH LEAD IN BRUSSELSLEADERSHIP APPOINTMENTS"Women, whether subtly or vociferously, have always been a tre-mendous power in the destiny of the world." -- Eleanor Roosevelt
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