OUR TEAM

Phillipa Harrison is a transformative leader in global tourism, bringing decades of expertise to her role as Chief Executive Officer of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA). She joined RAKTDA during a period of strong momentum, tasked with steering the Emirate’s bold ambition to attract over 3.5 million visitors by 2030. Her role is focused on accelerating progress and ensuring sustainable growth that delivers long-term value for the region and its people. With decades of experience across global tourism markets and a proven track record of driving strategic growth, developing world-class marketing campaigns, and forging high-impact international partnerships, she is now shaping the next chapter of Ras Al Khaimah’s innovative tourism strategy. Prior to her current role, Phillipa served as Managing Director of Tourism Australia, where she guided the organisation through a period of significant growth and transformation while expanding the destination’s appeal across key markets. Her tenure placed renewed emphasis on indigenous, regional, and experiential tourism, building cross-industry collaboration and positioning “Brand Australia” for sustainable long-term growth. By 2024, Australia welcomed 8.3 million international visitors, the strongest inbound performance in five years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and Psychology from Macquarie University and an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management at the University of New South Wales.

As Chief Commercial Officer at Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), Brent Anderson is responsible for driving the Emirate’s commercial tourism strategy, with a focus on expanding global and regional partnerships, enhancing aviation connectivity, driving high-profile events and strengthening Ras Al Khaimah’s positioning as one of the region’s leading destinations. With three decades’ experience in tourism marketing, partnership development and stakeholder engagement, Brent brings a wealth of international expertise to help RAKTDA unlock new markets and deliver sustainable visitor growth. Prior to joining the authority, Brent spent more than two decades with Tourism Australia in a variety of senior positions. As the Regional General Manager for South & South-East Asia (SSEA), he successfully led the region to become the fastest growing and second largest source of visitors for Australia. Post-pandemic, SSEA became the fastest recovering region for Australia supporting the recovery of Australia’s tourism industry. In his role at RAKTDA, Brent leads the Commercial Tourism Destination teams, overseeing Destination Tourism Development, Marketing & Communications and Community Outreach & Events. His strategic focus includes expanding Ras Al Khaimah’s presence in key international markets, while leveraging luxury tourism as a key growth driver. An Australian national and graduate of James Cook University with a Bachelor of Administration (Tourism) Honours and an Executive MBA from Aalto University, Brent has worked extensively across Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

As Vice President of Destination Tourism Development at Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), Iyad is responsible for the continued tourism growth of the Emirate. His role entails strategic partnerships with leading global partners to drive visibility and visitation to the destination. As Ras Al Khaimah becomes a destination of the future, Iyad will play an integral part in the 2030 strategy and that will see the Emirate develop in a responsible and sustainable way leading up to 3 million visitors annually by 2030. Iyad previously held the title of Executive Director, Destination Tourism Development & MICE at RAKTDA. It was a role that he held during a very challenging time with the pandemic and other global crises, but the Authority managed to record the highest visitor numbers to date in 2022 at 1.13 million. He also put Ras Al Khaimah on the global MICE map with blockbuster events, including Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC), the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Leadership Summit and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Annual Summit. Leading the authority’s tourism development strategy is a role that Iyad is well equipped and passionate about, given his over two decades of experience. As a tourism sector expert, he has worked for major global tour operators and DMCs as well as has consulted for numerous tourism boards and committees.

As Director of Tourism Licensing and Quality Assurance for Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), Mohamed Loojab has over two decades of experience in the business sector, specialising in licensing, quality assurance and classification standardisation. Mohamed is a member of the RAKTDA Licensing Committee and has been vital in developing e-portals, regulating change, introducing best practices and overseeing quality assurance. His role at the tourism authority is diverse, and he’s responsible for the voice of Ras Al Khaimah through the federal tour guide, concierge and mountain guide training programmes. He also heads up the Events Committee and the Head of Happiness and Quality of Life Committee. He has played a key role in directing the tourism authority into the future since 2011. He’s a member of the Cyber Future Leaders, the Uses of Artificial Intelligence in the Tourism Sector, part of the UAE Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain Counsel, Vital Facilities Security Project Team, Crisis and Emergency Committee in the Tourism Sector and Economic Activities Committee in the UAE. Mohamed holds Diplomas in Business Administration and Professional Executive Management from the Association for Young Mediators (AYM), United Kingdom.

As Vice President of Finance & Corporate Services for Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), Abeer Shoujaa has a key role in driving the financial performance and achieving the vision and strategic targets of the Emirate. She works closely with stakeholders, government entities and the destination's expansive collection of hotels. Abeer joined RAKTDA in January 2022. The role is pivotal in leading, enhancing and developing medium and long-term operational strategies that optimise efficiency and mitigate risk to the authority. She strategically promotes the destination and ensures that the economic revival is adequately supported. She is hands-on, navigating the complex post-pandemic roadmap with excellent business acumen and a blend of hospitality and corporate experience. Abeer's experience encompasses hotel operations and corporate services. Her career spans more than two decades in the hospitality sector. She's worked extensively with Marriott Hotels, Hilton and most recently, IHG Hotels. Abeer spent most of her career with Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI) Management Office in Dubai, leading the corporate and regional finance division for MEAI. Abeer holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Finance from Beirut Arab University.

Farah started her journey at Ras al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority in 2013 as Head of Events. Bringing more than 15 years of experience, Farah was responsible for bringing and executing a wide range of successful events that helped raise the profile of the destination. In 2017 Farah was appointed Director of Government Relations and Events at the Authority. She is responsible for joint projects with local authorities, entities and communities in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. She works closely with event management companies to ensure each event's smooth execution and success. Farah has worked on many of the biggest Authority events, including Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon – the world’s fastest half marathon, The UAE Tour, Tough Mudder and the Desert Warrior Challenge, attracting thousands of visitors to the Emirate.

Emil Petrov brings more than 15 years of strategic leadership experience across tourism, telecommunications, and consulting, to his role as Vice President of Strategy and Insights at Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA). Emil is responsible for shaping Ras Al Khaimah’s long-term tourism vision, bringing stakeholders into alignment, and building the data and insights capabilities necessary to solidify the emirate’s reputation as one of the region’s fastest-growing destinations. In his previous role as Head of Strategy and Strategic Projects at Tourism New Zealand, Emil led the creation of the "Enrich 2025" strategy, which positioned the country for sustainable tourism growth. His strategic foresight contributed to a 50% increase in tourism export earnings, strengthening New Zealand’s global reputation as a sustainable tourism leader. Emil is a passionate advocate for the power of tourism to enrich communities, economies, and cultures. His data-driven approach has consistently delivered tangible results in his previous positions. These roles also include senior customer insight and data strategy positions at New Zealand telecoms and energy providers. His strong commitment to utilizing data and analytics to fuel growth, along with his experience working with government ministries, private sector partners, and regional tourism bodies uniquely position him to lead RAKTDA’s strategic initiatives. A New Zealand citizen, Emil has previously lived in Africa, New Zealand, and the United States, where he completed his MBA at the University of California, Berkeley.

With more than 25 years of experience across the MENA region, Maha Kassim is a people and transformation leader who believes that organisational success starts with culture. As Senior Director, People & Culture at Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, she leads the people agenda and transformation initiatives focused on building a high-performing, future-ready organisation that supports the Emirate's ambitious growth vision. Maha is known as a trusted advisor to CEOs and executive teams, recognised for her ability to align people strategy with business direction in ways that create lasting change. Her expertise spans strategic HR business partnering, organisational design, talent management, culture transformation, leadership development, diversity and inclusion, and HR digitisation. She has consistently translated that expertise into high-performing teams, modern HR frameworks, and measurable improvements in engagement and retention. Prior to joining RAKTDA, she held senior leadership roles at some of the region's most prominent organisations. At Aujan Coca-Cola, she served as Head of HR and Senior Director of Talent & Transformation, leading enterprise-wide transformation across multiple markets. Earlier roles at AstraZeneca, Aramex International, and PepsiCo further shaped her thinking on talent, culture, and organisational effectiveness across diverse regional and global environments. Maha holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Cairo University, complemented by leadership, coaching, and professional development certifications earned throughout her career.