Azita Shariati becomes new ambassador for Operation Smile
Image description: Azita Shariati portrait image. Photo by: Nirvana Gharni
Business leader Azita Shariati, former CEO of Sodexo and AniCura, current advisory board member of Heartspace, and holder of titles such as "The most powerful woman in business" and "Sweden's best boss", has accepted the role of ambassador for Operation Smile Sweden.
"Becoming an ambassador for Operation Smile is an honourable opportunity to be a voice for people who need it most and a chance to be part of something bigger than myself. I share Operation Smile's values and believe in a world where every individual has the right to safe and necessary surgery," says Azita Shariati.
Beyond the titles "Sweden's best boss" and "The most powerful woman in business" (Veckans Affärer 2015), Azita has been named "European Role Model of the Year", as well as "Director of the Year" (2016) - the same year she was named “Super Communicator of The Year” by Resumé magazine.
Azita Shariati is passionate about social issues and development, convinced that gender equality and diversity contribute to increased growth and better results. During her tenure as CEO at Sodexo from 2014-2019, she increased female representation within management from 14% to 50%. In 2019, Azita became CEO at AniCura which operates animal hospitals.
"Azita's commitment will be valuable in spreading awareness that only one-third of the world population receives necessary surgeries due to shortage in surgeons. This leads individuals with burn injuries or trauma damages along with many children born with cleft lip-jaw-palate to suffer unnecessarily. We train surgeons and strengthen healthcare systems where the needs are greatest. When our ambassadors help us spread information, it ultimately provides us with resources to do even more good," says Malin Söderström, acting Secretary General of Operation Smile Sweden.
Azita, known for her inclusive leadership style and significant improvements in gender equality within her companies, currently focuses on leadership development, change management, executive consulting and serves on several boards. The chef and host Tina Nordström along with journalist Malou von Sivers are also ambassadors for Operation Smile Sweden.
Read more about Azitas journey to becoming one of the most powerful business women in Sweden in this article in Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish).
Text: based on press-release from Operation Smile. Edited by Sohrab Fadai.