Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s General Commission for Audio-Visual Media has appointed academic Esra Assiri as its CEO, making her the first Saudi woman to hold the post, local media said on Tuesday.
The decision was taken by the commission’s board, headed by Majed Al Qasabi, acting Minister of Media, during its recent meeting.
The move is in line with a slew of procedures taken to develop Saudi media organisations. Prior to her appointment, Assiri served as the head of the commission’s executive committee.
During her tenure, she was able to do outstanding professional work, and reorganised the commission’s various sectors and activities, as well as contributed to preparing future plans and directions, in addition to her management of the minister’s executive office.
Assiri holds a Bachelor’s degree in information systems management and a Master’s degree in business administration. She also has Executive Leadership Fellowship from McCain Institute.
Throughout her 18 years of experience, Assiri held several positions in various entities, including the Saudi Broadcasting Authority and the Industrial Development Fund.
She also worked at the Wonder Women Tech (WWT) organisation and the McCain Institute in the United States, and established a number of companies, the most important of which is iTree Digital Solutions, one of the companies sponsored by Endeavor International in the Kingdom.
Assiri also represented the Kingdom in a number of committees, including the G20 Entrepreneur Alliance for four sessions, and she is a founding member of the Saudi Professional Network.
