Layla Yousef Al Hassan

Director of Outreach and Partnerships at Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority

Speaker

Laila Yousef Al Hassan is the Director of Communications and Partnerships at the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority and a member of its Leadership Team. With over 20 years of executive experience across government communications, strategic partnerships, and organisational culture, she has led award-winning transformations that place people, families, and outcomes at the centre of public institutions. At the ECA, her work focuses on helping young children to thrive across health, child protection, family support, and early education.

Laila is a key architect of ECA's organisational culture, authoring Abu Dhabi government's first Culture Playbook and institutionalising human-centred practices later adopted across other entities. She also led the development of the UAE's Parent-friendly Label, a national workplace recognition programme supporting working parents. Prior to ECA, she held senior executive roles at the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, where she led corporate communications, crisis response, brand strategy, and internal engagement, while spearheading award-winning conservation and behaviour change campaigns.

Layla holds a Bachelor's in Communications from American University, Washington DC; a Master's in Tourism, Environment and Development from King's College, London; and an Executive MBA from the University of Calgary, Canada. She is a mother of two and finds inspiration in nature and behind her acoustic guitar.