When they’re not busy being some of the Middle East’s most successful women, Diana Gerrard and Lilia Kirillova’s true mission is empowering others. With a dynamic career spanning from PR to sustainable initiatives, their resumes are as long as they are iconic. They’re the renowned masterminds behind DLK Groups (which, if you didn’t already know, is behind the inaugural Miss Middle East Beauty Pageant happening this summer), and leading beauty pageant organizers.
Before she stepped into the glamorous world of beauty and fashion, Diana Gerrard was actually training to be a software engineer. That, combined with her childhood’s sporting disciplines, set the stage for her growth as a successful entrepreneur, where she would later go on to become one of the most influential women in the region. With her sister Lilia, she founded DLK Group in 2020, and they built it to become one of the region’s most formidable fashion and event production companies.
Beauty pageant queens in their own right
The Middle East has been cementing its influence on the global pageantry world for some time, and that, in part, is thanks to Diana and Lilia. As founders of Mrs. Earth UAE and Mrs. Universe UAE, they’ve drawn upon their own successes to guide women across the region into international competitions. Their vision was simple yet powerful: to create experiences that are not just about aesthetics but also about empowerment, sustainability, and making a positive impact on society. With DLK, they’re now making another monumental move for beauty pageants in the region, bringing the prestigious Miss Middle East competition to the UAE for the first time.
A pageant like Miss Middle East, it appears, is the perfect fit for women like Diana and Lilia, who’ve been heavily involved with environmental philanthropy throughout their career. Diana recently founded the Women of the Earth Foundation during the UAE’s “Year of Sustainability,” aiming to promote environmental awareness and community action. Her foundation works to empower women to drive sustainable development and collective responsibility through various CSR activities.
This year, the Women of the Earth Foundation has organized numerous events to involve women of the region in environmental conservation efforts. In collaboration with Dubai Municipality, the foundation conducted beach clean-up events, raising significant awareness about marine pollution. Further partnerships with Abu Dhabi Municipality led to mangrove tree planting initiatives, contributing to the UAE’s efforts to enhance its natural landscapes and promote biodiversity. We stan eco-conscious queens.
Above all, Diana and Lilia attribute their successes as CEOs and businesswomen to their passion for encouraging other women. On and off the beauty pageant stage, they’ve found their purpose in advocating for the power and authenticity of being a woman in the Middle East.
As the beauty pageant market expands within the UAE and the Middle East itself, we can indeed count on Diana and Lilia to put the beauty, values and impact of MENA women on a global stage.