Shamsiyya (Shams) Mustafayeva
Title & Company: Senior Organizational Transformation Advisor, Sustainable Transitions Consulting
Expertise: Leadership Development, Organizational Assessment, Strategic Partnerships, Corporate Sustainability
Shamsiyya (Shams) Mustafayeva holds an MA in International Relations and an Executive MPA from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, bringing over 20 years of expertise in organizational transformation, leadership development, and strategic partnerships across emerging markets. As Co-Founder of Sustainable Transitions Consulting, she partners with international organizations, state-owned enterprises, and multinational corporations to design and implement comprehensive organizational assessments and leadership programs that drive sustainable growth and institutional effectiveness.
In her role as Senior National Gender Consultant to the World Bank, Shams supported the Azerbaijan Rapid Technical Assistance Facility, transforming workplace practices at major state-owned enterprises. As an Adjunct Faculty Member at ADA University’s Executive Education Program since 2013, she delivers executive training on strategic leadership, emotional intelligence, growth mindset, communication, teamwork, and organizational strategy to senior and middle management across various sectors.
Her previous role as Development Coordination Officer for Partnerships and Development Finance at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office positioned her at the nexus of multi-stakeholder partnerships, where she facilitated strategic coordination between UN agencies, government, civil society, and private sector. She expanded UN Global Compact initiatives, coordinated donor mechanisms, and designed joint UN programs while serving as Gender, Inclusion, and PSEA Focal Point for the UN Country Team.
Shams is ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems Lead Auditor certified, trained in ISO 30415:2021 Human Resources Management – Diversity and Inclusion standards, and holds professional coaching certification from Adler International Learning Inc. She serves as Adjunct Faculty at ADA University’s Executive Education Program and is fluent in Azerbaijani, English, Russian, and Turkish. Shams has worked on ILLAC’s project with ACWA Power, ‘Building a Safe & Respectful Workplace’ in Uzbekistan and Dubai.
