Speakers

Hamad Malik leads the advertising sales and commercial services for STARZPLAY (www.starzplay.com), one of MENA region’s top 3 subscription video on demand service that brings the best of entertainment and sports in one app. The platform exclusively handles the advertising sales and commercial services for Abu Dhabi Media’s portfolio. Hamad joined the business in 2018 to develop, lead and implement the organization’s marketing strategy. After successfully leading and elevating the brand’s marketing initiatives including performance marketing, strategic business planning, digital marketing and brand development, Hamad’s role was elevated to lead the advertising sales business team at STARZPLAY. His remit includes overseeing all day-to-day management of advertising and promotional campaigns, advertising sales strategy, ad sales contracts, identifying new markets, exploring partnerships to drive business growth while generating ad revenue opportunities for the business. With more than 25 years’ experience, Hamad has held senior marketing roles at a host of leading organizations in the technology, lifestyle and entertainment sector where he drove brand value through strategic marketing management. He has led the marketing team at beIN Media Group across MENA as well its key international markets, prior to which he was Chief Marketing Officer at OSN and LG Electronics Middle East and Africa. Hamad holds a Master of Applied Research from Swiss Business School, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Arkansas State University and completed the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports Program from Harvard Business School. He is an Advisory Board Member of the CMO Council.

Richard Fitzgerald, CEO and Founder of Augustus Media is a media advertising leader with over a decade of experience across Ireland, England, and the UAE. After leading the Social Media department at Mindshare MENA, he ventured into a creative technology start-up, highlighting his versatility and entrepreneurial spirit. In 2015, he founded Augustus Media, a pioneering ‘new media’ company behind platforms like Lovin’ and Smashi. Starting with Lovin Dubai, the local news and entertainment channel is now live in 35+ cities across the Middle East and North Africa. In addition, Smashi TV, telling inspiring stories for the driver, the dreamers and the doers cover 13 verticals including Smashi Sports, Smashi Business and Smashi Entertainment. Augustus Media received the 2022 Fast Company Most Innovative Companies award for AI in media. Richard continues to redefine storytelling in the UA

As Chief Business Officer at ZEE Entertainment, he oversees international operations across 36 channels in 170 countries, managing both linear and digital businesses. Based in Dubai, he is responsible for strategic direction, profit and loss, and spearheading original productions and digital innovations. Previously, he led Star Sports India’s regional expansion, launching five channels and delivering outstanding results during three IPL seasons and the ICC Cricket World Cup. He also held leadership roles at Tata Tea, a German salon brand, and Coca-Cola, where he managed sales, marketing, and distribution across various markets, including an international stint in Thailand.

Ahmed is currently the media manager for the Middle East & Africa region, as well as Australia, New Zealand, for Henkel consumer brands.

He has been in the media industry for over 12 years.

He started his career at OMD Dubai, where he was mostly working on the PepsiCo account for over 5 years. Then moved to Henkel to manage the media buying and planning topics.

Nadine Samra, Chief Business Officer for Weyyak by ZEE Entertainment. Awarded “Female broadcast executive of the year” by BroadcastPro. She has launched two OTT Arabic platforms, currently runs “Weyyak.com” and have managed “Shahid.net” earlier in her career. Previously the head of digital operations of MBC Group. Known speaker in MENA region, Leadership Influencer and Leadership executive coach and mentor. She is also the host of one of the top leadership podcasts in Arabic.

Layla Tamim is a seasoned professional who currently serves as Director of Ad Sales MENA and Digital CEEMENAT at Warner Bros. Discovery. With an impressive length of service of 10 years at the company, Layla has developed her expertise in marketing and ad sales, bringing a wealth of knowledge and strategic insight to her role.

Armed with a bachelor’s degree in business and finance, Layla combines her business and financial acumen with her passion for media and entertainment, driving innovative solutions and fostering growth opportunities within the industry.

Coming soon

Daniel Howe is Senior Sales Engineer at Fastly. Previously he was Manager Operations at LaLiga OTT and Solutions Architect at Akamai. He has also held international positions as Service Manager at Capgemini. He worked for more than four years in the US for various industries, mainly finance and telecommunications as a Consulting Engineer.

Coming soon

Coming soon

Karim Fouad has been leading marketing communications at Talabat Egypt, the leading online delivery platform in Egypt and the MENA region, for the past three years. In his role, Karim has been instrumental in shaping the platform’s brand presence and driving impactful campaigns that resonate with diverse audiences across the regionPrior to joining Talabat, Karim built a strong foundation in marketing,growth, and sales at Vodafone Egypt, where he held various roles over an 11-year tenure. His experience at Vodafone allowed him to develop a comprehensive understanding of the telecommunications industry and sharpen his skills in customer engagement and business development.Karim holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Cairo University

Mohamed is a seasoned digital marketing expert with over a decade of experience on both agency and client sides. Currently leading Arla Foods’ MENA digital acquisition, he oversees media, retail media, and technology. Mohamed is dedicated to driving brand growth and customer loyalty through data-driven, cross-channel campaigns that resonate with MENA consumers, delivering exceptional value and building meaningful connections.

Prashant Talwar is a seasoned leader with 15 years of global experience in business leadership, team building, and strategic decision-making. As Director of Retail & Grocery at Deliveroo, he oversees strategic departments that are significant to the company’s overall strategy and are currently experiencing rapid growth. 

Before joining Deliveroo, Prashant amassed extensive experience leading multi-functional teams in Retail. He played a pivotal role in driving growth and overseeing product development strategy across various companies in the UK. Preceding his involvement with high-growth retail startups, Talwar held multiple leadership positions in multinational companies, including The Kraft Heinz Company, where he served as the Global Head of Commercial. During his tenure, he significantly enhanced the growth and profitability of the Baby category. Talwar also brings a wealth of experience in consulting, having worked at Elevation Capital and Bain & Company. His expertise in growth equity investments, strategic planning, and management consulting further solidified his position as a dynamic leader in the industry.

As an integral part of Deliveroo’s Middle East Leadership team, Talwar drives significant revenue generation by cross-collaborating with different departments to ensure the UAE’s continued success. Additionally, as the P&L Owner, Prashant forecasts and crafts strategic operational plans while collaborating with external partners to enhance Deliveroo’s customer value proposition, which ultimately enhances the overall customer experience. 

Talwar holds a Bachelor’s of Economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce, and an MBA from London Business School.   

Sohail Nawaz MBE is the Head of Retail Media for the Landmark Group, a multi-million dollar retail business with over 2,200 stores across the Middle East, India and South East Asia. With a proven track record of building and leading high-performing Sales, Management, and Tech teams, Sohail brings a wealth of experience from renowned UK businesses such as British Telecom, Yell Group PLC and Comet Group PLC.

A recognised industry leader in the Middle East, Sohail has received multiple accolades in his ten year tenure in this region including the “Best Use of Martech in Media” award at the 2021 Dubai Martech Awards and the “Tealium Innovation Award for User Loyalty and Retention” for his remarkable achievement in growing Khaleej Times’ digital audience base by 100%. In 2023, he was honoured with the “Martech Thought Leadership Award” at the Martech Excellence Awards in Dubai.

As a member of the Kellogg School of Management Alumni and its Global Network, Sohail stays at the forefront of emerging technologies such as AI/ML and Web 3. He is also a sought-after keynote speaker, sharing his expertise on Retail Media, Customer Experience, CDP’s, 1st Party Data Commercialisation Strategies and Web 3 at major events across the Region.

Sohail is passionate about supporting and mentoring young people. In 2011, his national charity work with vulnerable young people which was delivered in some of the most deprived areas in the UK was recognised by the UK British Government (Home Oice) and King Charles honoured and presented him with the prestigious title of MBE for his work.

Sagarika Nayak is an outcome-focused CX Leader with a dedicated 15-year journey marked by an unyielding passion for optimising Customer Experience. With a track record of leading impactful customer delight initiatives, she excels in fostering collaboration across cross-functional teams to achieve overarching organisational success.

Scott heads partnerships and B2B distribution for the Shahid VOD service at MBC GROUP,focused on enhancing Shahid’s network of partnerships with telecom operators, connected device manufacturers, payment services, and a variety of consumer finance, retail, travel and digital service companies. Through over 25 years’ experience in the ICT sector, Scott has conducted business in over 50 countries on six continents. Following his passion for leading expansion in international growth markets, he relocated to Dubai in 2009, and has since helped open distribution and operations across the Middle East, African and Asia.Prior to Shahid, Scott has worked with Mondia Group, Docomo (Buongiorno!) and Motorola, and holds an MBA from the University of Miami Herbert Business School.

Darine El Khatib is the Vice President of Film Productions at Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment, with over 20 years of experience in broadcasting and media. A passionate advocate for women’s empowerment, she focuses on nurturing upcoming talent and meeting regional audience demands.

In her current role, Darine oversees all stages of film production, from script development to release. Previously, she was Senior Vice President of Original Productions at OSN, where she led the creation of regional content. At Warner Media, she enhanced brand presence across MENA, Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus, and played a pivotal role in launching the first dedicated 24-hour food network, ‘Fatafeat.’

Darine is also an accomplished filmmaker, having directed the mid-length film Barriers of Time and starred in Love’s Improvisations, which received accolades at international film festivals. As a UNFAO Goodwill Ambassador for Zero Hunger in the MENA region, she combines her media expertise with social impact. Darine holds a Master of Fine Arts in Film Directing from the California Institute of the Arts.

Tayab serves as the GM of Ads at Careem in the UAE, where he manages Careem’s advertising business. His role focuses on generating revenue through different ad formats within the Careem ecosystem, including in-app ads across services like rides, groceries, and food delivery. Tayab works closely with advertisers to create targeted campaigns aimed at reaching Careem’s diverse, global customer base whilst optimising user experience.

Before joining Careem, Tayab worked at Ocado Group in the UK and MAF Carrefour UAE where he was the architect of the retail media and monetisation business. Specialising in retail media and monetisation, he has worked with six retailers across the globe. Prior to this Tayab worked in venture capital and tech scale ups at Rocket Internet. Tayab earned a Master’s degree in Technology Entrepreneurship from University College London (UCL) and a Bachelor’s in Business Management from King’s College London (KCL).

Outside of work, Tayab considers London home when the weather is pleasant. His favorite Careem services are Careem Food and Groceries.

Arpit is the Director of Product for Growth and Monetisation at Careem. He leads customer experience and growth initiatives, overseeing the customer journey across activation, engagement, cross-sell, and retention. He also manages the monetisation of customer experiences, connecting Careem users with partners to drive mutual growth.

Arpit currently manages a team of six and is passionate about using ads as a growth engine to benefit both customers and partners.

With a background in Computer Science Engineering and an MBA, Arpit’s career spans roles at Grab in Singapore, Inmobi in India, and BCG in India. One of his proudest accomplishments is building an ads platform at Grab into a business unit worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Born in Delhi, with time spent in Bangalore and Singapore, Arpit is customer-focused, passionate, and analytical. He values Careem’s culture of ownership and risk-taking and enjoys working with a team that inspires him every day. His favorite services at Careem are Careem Food and DineOut.

A true marketer at heart, Roxana’s passion for marketing began in college, where she studied marketing strategies and public relations while also working as a junior market researcher for a large advertising agency in Bucharest. Over the years, Roxana has worked for several well-known brands in various industries, including aviation, media, and travel tech. Her expertise includes brand strategy development, product positioning, market research, and marketing communications. Roxana has also developed an impressive track record in building brand equity through effective brand management. Roxana currently serves as VP Brand Marketing & Social Media for Wego. Roxana began in this role in October 2017 in Wego’s Dubai office where she focused on developing Wego’s Brand Marketing department as well as played a significant role in expanding the brand footprint across the region. In 2020 the company launched its cashback rewards online platform, ShopCash, with Roxana leading its identity development and market launch. Prior to joining Wego, Roxana held senior marketing & corps comm roles with leading regional airlines and a radio network in the UAE.

Sulagna is a seasoned marketing professional with over 18 years of experience in crafting and executing effective brand strategies. With leadership roles spanning Media, Tech, and Fashion sectors, including positions at Bennett & Coleman, 6D Technologies, and Otto Group of Companies, she brings a wealth of experience.

A forward-thinking strategist, Sulagna is passionate about driving business growth and revenue expansion via online channels. Her data-driven approach emphasizes the utilization of analytics to drive informed decision-making. She excels in ecommerce strategy formulation, aligning plans with overarching business objectives, and fostering seamless cross-functional collaboration.

Sulagna’s strategic acumen is complemented by her commitment to staying abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies. She continuously adapts ecommerce strategies to meet evolving customer needs and navigate the dynamic online marketplace.

Since joining Omnicom Media Group as a Senior Director, Sulagna has effectively managed a diverse portfolio of clients, including PepsiCo, SC Johnson, Vileda, Philips, Sanofi, Abbott Nutrition, Lipton Iced Tea, and Ekaterra, among others. Her proven track record demonstrates her ability to deliver exceptional results and achieve key business objectives.

Dr. William Page is an entrepreneur and dual English and Australian qualified corporate lawyer, serving as Co-Founder, Chief Strategy Officer, and General Counsel of 1001, a leading video-on-demand platform in the Middle East. His diverse background in law, strategy, and entrepreneurship has driven innovation in the tech and media sectors. Before co-founding 1001, William worked at top international law firms, including Herbert Smith Freehills and Vinson & Elkins, where he played a key role in launching STC Ventures Fund, one of the region’s leading tech venture capital funds.

William holds a PhD from the University of Sydney, where his research focused on corporate-startup collaborations through accelerators, with important implications for venture growth. This academic insight is now central to his strategic work at 1001, where he leads cross-functional teams and oversees innovation in product, content, and market expansion. Passionate about fostering innovation, William excels in working with diverse teams and navigating local streaming platform strategies to compete with global players.

His additional qualifications include an MBA from MGSM, legal practice certifications from Nottingham Law School, and a BA in Geography from the University of Leeds.’

Cecilio Chidiac is an experienced growth strategist having worked extensively across MENA and within the Media & Entertainment industry. Cecilio is currently the Head of Strategy and Business Planning for evision/ e&Life, e&’s media entertainment arm, leading organic and inorganic growth for the multimedia and digital offering.

Cecilio previously advised multiple private and public entities and leaders on their strategic priorities paving the way for foundational national agenda’s and company-specific strategies. More recently, Cecilio was also part of evision’s efforts to launch StarzOn, a next-generation ad-supported video streaming platform for the MENA region.

Cecilio is passionate about re-inventing the future of Media and revolutionizing the way Entertainment is consumed across the region with specific focus on Video, Audio and Gaming

An entrepreneur at heart, Samer is a pioneer in Digital in MEA and has stellar reputation leading and forming digital and innovation agendas for numerous local and international agency setups in the region. A digital evangelist, designer with broad experience in different aspects of content, design, innovation, technology, digital development, web, mobile, IOT and different aspects of digital production and innovation. Particularly interested in creativity, AI, robotics and experiential design geared towards developing rich content across experiences on web, social, mobile, connected devices and IOT.

With 25+ years of professional and academic experience across business, design and innovation, Samer currently drives the new capabilities clients need to succeed in the Connected Age.

Samer’s footprint in the content, social and digital scene is a dominant one in the Middel East. He established the practice of content and digital in multiple leading communications agencies in the MEA. He championed the Social and Digital design practice space, founded and championed the creation of the Social Content Labs in numerous creative agencies, led Experience Design and Experience Strategy disciplines in communication agencies, generated groundbreaking brand experiences by being a leader when it comes to digital transformation and Innovation in the region.

In addition to working with some of the world’s largest and most innovative companies, he has the privilege to mentor agile Internet of Things (IoT) start-ups in the region. Samer is proud to be a founding member of the Lebanese Chapter of the Internet Society ISOC with a passion for both art and science, Samer is an early adopter, frequent traveler and avid developer.

Besides graduating from the school of Engineering and Architecture at AUB, Samer is proficient in experience design with extensive knowledge in web and mobile design. He started as a self-taught programmer who was a main contributor in building the world’s first dual-SIM dual Screen mobile phone, this happened in 2006.

When he’s not pushing people to invent the next creative experience, Samer spends quality time with his three (curly-haired) kids, plays with code and design, uses real tools to build carpentry, and loves to read history and tech.

Specialties: Marketing & Communication strategy, Content, Data, Experience design, Social, Web design and development, prototyping and production innovation.

Samir is a seasoned T.M.T Exec and Entrepreneur boasting 15+ years of experience with a background cutting across Telecom, Satellite, Streaming VOD, Broadcast and Inflight Entertainment & Connectivity.
Samir co-founded NINETNINE 99, an award-winning leader in international and digital content distribution across EMEA/North America and operating its own satellite television channel in MENA in partnership with Warner Bros Discovery’s BluTV. NINETNINE 99 holds exclusive rights to a portfolio of international channels (including MBC) and a vast library of video on demand content and digital services licensed to Telcos, Pay TV operators and digital platforms. Samir is also involved in various advisory roles to Tech. MENA-based Start-ups/Projects.

Devrim Melek is the Senior Vice President of Strategy at OSN, where she drives the company’s long-term vision and direction. With over 20 years of experience in the media and telecom sectors, her expertise has transformed OSN’s audience interactions and given the company a competitive edge by identifying customer needs.

Devrim has led initiatives to design innovative solutions, notably contributing to the launch of OSN’s dishless streaming product, OSNtv. Prior to OSN, she served as TV Marketing Director at Turk Telekom and Marketing Director at Digiturk, where she successfully implemented consumer segmentation and portfolio strategies.

She also spearheaded brand positioning and a comprehensive 360-degree communication campaign, achieving historically high scores in Pay TV communication and reinforcing OSN’s market leadership.

Devrim holds an Executive MBA from Istanbul Technical University, a Master’s in Fluid Dynamics from Istanbul University, and a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from the same institution. She also completed Executive Education in Neuroscience for Business at MIT Sloan in 2021, contributing to her success in the media and telecom industries.

Seasoned professional in Digital, & Marketing Analytics with decades of experience across diverse industry verticals, including Fortune 500 financial organizations, media companies, retail, and eCommerce. 

In the dynamic confluence of retail, data, and marketing, currently focusing on the Retail Media program including its inception, program management, market research, Strategy, and execution.

Zeeshan comes with solid experience of fourteen years in the technology industry. In his career, he has had the opportunity to work with a diverse set of organizations including Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Apollo Telecom, Metis International, Dubizzle group. 

Zeeshan has had the opportunity to implement some of the most cutting-edge solutions like Big Data, Analytics, Mobile Apps, & Data centers. These experiences have helped him hone his professional skills and allowed him to work with diverse teams and learn from inspiring mentors.    

At Pizza Hut, Zeeshan is responsible for developing and executing the Digital strategy that aligns with global QSR priorities for the TAG & MEP regions. 

Zeeshan holds an MBA degree from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan, where he had the chance to dive deep into Project Management and Management of Information Technology. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Windsor, Canada.

Outside of work, Zeeshan’s favorite activities include going to museums, watching architecture, history, and horse riding as it helps him unwind and recharge. He is married to Saima and has three beautiful children, Rameen, Arham and Areesha.

Anam Amin is a seasoned digital marketing professional with over 10 years of experience in building impactful product strategies through partnerships. Known for her strategic approach in programmatic advertising, Anam has collaborated with several regional and global players to deliver winning use cases. She currently works on product enablement and adoption at Publicis Media along with improving video strategies across MENA clients.  Anam contributes to industry initiatives, including IAB MENA for their DOOH proposition, and their DE&I initiative. Anam is passionate about innovation and elevating products through strategic thinking.

Darine El Sabbagh is currently serving as General Manager of E-commerce and Omni Channel at Chalhoub Group. Darine El Sabbagh is an accomplished, results-driven, innovative global marketing leader and revenue generation strategist, leveraging extensive experience to drive business success.

Darine has a proven track record of delivering success across a multitude of diverse industries and business segments, including eCommerce, technology, beauty and cosmetics, retail, insurance, banking, online trading, advertising, PR, and F&B.

Darine is experienced in leading business strategies and planning efforts that drive growth and enable scalability, serving as an influential and engaging executive advisor. As a trusted resource and subject matter expert, Darine has been invited to participate and present at leading global industry engagements, including as a speaker, panellist, and moderator. Additionally, Darine  has authored several publications on digital strategies and the tech start-up space.

Currently leading the launch of the retail media network at MAF, having spent 10 years in the retail media industry. Working for 8 years with SMG prior to my move to Dubai, experiencing the growth of the retail media industry, working with multiple retail media networks in the UK before leading the Co-op Media Network SMG team. Retail Media is one of the most exciting areas of media and advertising to be part of and I am looking forward to the fast paced growth and adoption that is now taking place in the MENA region.

Wassim Abi Salloum is a seasoned Managing Director with over 18 years of expertise in advertising, digital marketing, and brand strategy across diverse regions, including the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania. Currently leading the Nissan United business at TBWARAAD in Dubai, Wassim has a proven track record of driving innovation through strategic marketing, cross-functional collaboration, and award-winning campaigns. Under his leadership, the team recently achieved significant recognition, securing the Grand Prix for Marketing Award, Retail Award, and Agency Award for Nissan Middle East among all Nissan campaigns globally. With an MBA and a technical foundation in computer science, Wassim is passionate about fostering creativity and delivering impactful, customer-centric solutions

Choucri Khairallah serves as the Chief Business Officer of Anghami and OSN+, a position he assumed following the strategic merger of these two media giants in April 2024. In this role, he is responsible for driving revenue growth, spearheading strategic initiatives, and shaping the future of both MENA’s leading music streaming platform and its premier video-on-demand service. With over 17 years of in-depth experience across the telecom and OTT sectors, Choucri has been integral to the region’s digital transformation, building a track record of innovation and impact.

Joining Anghami in 2012, he quickly ascended to Vice President of Business Development, where he was instrumental in the company’s accelerated growth and led the charge for its landmark Nasdaq listing in 2022. Known for his strategic acumen and ability to cultivate high-impact partnerships, he has been a driving force behind numerous collaborations with leading telecom operators and tech giants, which have elevated Anghami’s market dominance and positioned it as a top digital entertainment provider

Choucri’s work reflects his deep commitment to innovation, market expansion, and user experience enhancement. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from the American University of Beirut, and his expertise continues to shape the future of entertainment across the MENA region.

Shujah is an entertainment executive with extensive experience in partnerships, content distribution/acquisition. He has been in the content industry for over 10 years; looked after Partnerships for 5 years at Huawei, prior to that he launched EE TV in the UK, and built several VOD services in Europe. Shujah was on the forefront of the AVOD take up in Europe and MENA since 2020.

Now at TCL, the world second largest TV manufacturer, Shujah looks after Content Partnerships and TCL CTV monetisation.

Kareem joined talabat’s Grocery and Retail business in 2020,at the peak of COVID-19, as talabat was expanding its grocery business to meet growing customer demand. Since 2021, he has led the Retail Media side of the business, which he helped launch and grow across all eight markets where talabat operates. Kareem brings over 10 years of experience in digital, along with a background in sales and business development. He holds an Engineering degree from Concordia University in Montreal and also completed a year of design studies in Italy.

Samer Majzoub is a seasoned strategy executive with over 25 years of experience in the Telecom, Media, and Entertainment sectors. He has a proven track record of driving double-digit revenue growth across P&L portfolios exceeding $2 billion and launching over 400 value propositions in competitive MENA markets. His expertise spans transformational strategy, business development, product innovation, marketing, and digital transformation.

As GM for the Middle East & North Africa at Viu, Samer leads the strategy, operations, content, commercial, and marketing functions for both SVOD and AVOD businesses, focusing on user acquisition, engagement, and retention. Prior to this, he founded Elevate Consultancy, advising telecom, streaming, and digital sectors on strategy and execution, helping companies like Virgin Mobile Middle East and regional OTTs enhance monetization and growth.

Previously, Samer held senior leadership roles at du, including Senior VP, where he led the expansion of the Consumer Business, driving strong revenue growth and launching 5G technology. He also played a key role in positioning du as a core digital player with innovative data monetization strategies. Earlier, Samer contributed to Orange Egypt’s rise as a leading telecom operator in the MENA region, particularly in marketing and customer growth.

Fluent in Arabic, English, and French, Samer holds a BSc in Business & Marketing from the Lebanese American University and executive certifications from INSEAD and IMD Business School.

Visionary Tech Executive with over 15 years of experience in driving innovation and leading digital transformation. Specializing in digital strategic management, product development, and technology leadership, Basel has successfully spearheaded numerous high-impact digital initiatives across various industries, including VR/AR, Media, Sports, Telecom, and FinTech.

Currently serving as the CINO of VUZ, the leading VR Streaming Platform in the MENA region, Basel is renowned for his proven ability to integrate cutting-edge technologies with business strategies, resulting in scalable and efficient solutions. His deep passion for technology and knack for solving complex challenges have made him a significant influencer in the tech community.

In addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Basel holds an MBA in Digital Strategic Management. He is committed to fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement, driving forward-thinking initiatives that shape the future of technology.

A self-starting, consultancy-focused professional with over a decade’s experience in highly competitive sectors within the FMCG, Home electronics, car rental, apparel, and global finance industries

Gaining experience across account management, planning, and buying, data strategy, media operations and MarTech consultancy; with a proven record of successfully seeing global campaigns, intelligence projects and multi-channel processes from conception to roll-out.

Expertise in building tailored CX strategy projects; driving value through data partnerships and leveraging various MarTech solutions to enhance audience & data synergy, customer journey optimization, and ultimately driving bottom-line impact.

Reem Monged is the Regional Head of Creative & Design at Tim Hortons Middle East, playing a key role in shaping the brand’s visual identity and creative strategy across six markets in the GCC. With a rich and diverse background that spans both advertising agencies and client-side roles, she brings a unique understanding of the marketing and design landscape. This expertise enables her to deliver creative solutions that resonate deeply with regional audiences while tailoring each initiative to the tastes and expectations of Middle Eastern customers. 

Reem’s strategic approach to marketing and creative planning is evident in her work on new menu engineering, product launches, digital marketing, seasonal packaging, commercials, event activations, and more. She leads a talented team of designers and creatives, guiding the department’s vision and execution from origination concepts through to comprehensive 360-degree campaign implementation, including ATL, BTL, and TTL marketing approaches.  

Her ability to leverage data-driven insights has resulted in innovative and effective campaigns that strengthen customer loyalty and enhance brand recognition. Known for her hands-on leadership, Reem is deeply involved in every stage of the creative and marketing processes, ensuring consistency and quality across all projects.

Tanya is a Senior Retail Media Lead with experience across Europe and Middle East. She joined Criteo UK in 2020, where she worked with top tier, multi-market Retailers in UK & Europe consulting with them across their retail media and monetization strategy. She relocated to the region in April this year to grow Criteo’s Retail Media Business across Middle East and Africa. Tanya has experience of building and scaling Retail Media Programs of retailers across Grocery, Quick Commerce, Consumer Electronics, Fashion and General Retail.

She started her career at Google, after which she went on to set up Omnicom’s Programmatic Arm in India and later led Performance Marketing teams at PHD EMEA.

Tanya holds an MBA from INSEAD.

David moved to Dubai in January 2017 to join Havas Middle East as Head of digital specialties. As such, he manages the development and implementation of clients’ digital media strategies by utilizing the Havas specialties and products. Technology driven, David is constantly looking for new digital technologies and partners in order to provide strategic direction and buying strategies for digital media campaigns.

Originally from France, David started his career at alapage.com -the French amazon- as digital traffic acquisition executive. He then spent 10 years in Paris developing zanox to become the European leader in digital performance marketing as a client service director. During his career, David developed performance strategies for large international ecommerce brands including ASOS, Zalando and Groupon.

As Head of Marketing at DanAds, I focus on bringing our brand to life through creative strategies and smart decision-making. Whether it’s crafting engaging social media content, managing email campaigns, or analyzing performance data, I’m passionate about finding ways to grow our presence and connect with our audience.

Working closely with the commercial team, my goal is to position DanAds as the go-to partner for self-serve and automation advertising. A big part of this is delivering fresh ideas, research, and best practices that help us and our clients stay ahead.

With over 10 years of experience in B2B marketing, I’ve had the chance to work in Paris, London, Dubai, and now Sweden. Since joining DanAds in 2021, I’ve seen firsthand the power of adtech to transform the industry and loved being part of this incredible growth.

Alberto “Banano” Pardo is an entrepreneur in Ad Tech and e-commerce with a deep passion and extensive experience in building and consolidating companies, fostering win-win relationships in Latin America, the U.S. Hispanic market, Europe, and the Middle East. He was part of the founding team of deremate.com in 1999, later founded the Colombian Chamber of E-Commerce in 2009, and in 2011, he founded Adsmovil, the company he works for today.

Rana Jerdak is an accomplished Acquisition & Planning Supervisor at Al Mashhad, where she leverage her extensive experience in content acquisition and strategic programming. With a strong background in the media industry since 2014, Rana Jerdak previously held key roles serving as a Senior Programming Executive and later as an Acquisition Executive.
She improved her skills in identifying and securing high-quality content, developing programming strategies, and fostering relationships with content providers. Her expertise in market trends and audience preferences has consistently contributed to successful programming initiatives and audience growth.
Passionate about delivering compelling content, Rana Jerdak is dedicated to enhancing the viewer experience and driving the success of Al Mashhad’s programming lineup.

Madonna Khafaja is the founder & managing director for Whitebee Media with over 13 years of experience in the production, storytelling, and media programs. She acted before as Regional Manager for the International Center for journalists, as well as documentary maker & producer with the BBC and Media consultant for the DW Arabic in the MENA region.

Whitebee is a conceptualization and content company based in Dubai providing content services for the entertainment industry from format adaptation and localization to creating original ideas and concepts from script to screen including script doctoring for drama series, movies and docu-series.

Ahmed Wagih is the General Manager of the Consumer Products Division at L’Oréal  Middle East based in Dubai. 

In his current role, Ahmed is responsible for managing the Group’s consumer brands  including L’Oréal Paris, Garnier, Maybelline New York and NYX Professional Makeup  across the GCC.  

Prior to this role, he was appointed as the General Manager of the Active Cosmetics  Division in Saudi Arabia in 2017, where he re-invigorated the relationship with the key  retailers and distributors and succeeded in positioning La Roche-Posay as one of the top 10 brands within the dermo-cosmetics market in KSA. Under his leadership, the division  achieved a high double-digit growth rate with a solid sustainable medical business model. 

Before Saudi Arabia, he took up the role of the General Manager of the Active Cosmetics  Division in Egypt in 2015, where successfully launched Vichy for the first time in the  market. He also navigated the division through the currency crisis in 2016, where the  Egyptian pound lost more than 70% of its value. In a span of 2 years, the division  achieved a high double-digit growth rate. 

Ahmed started his career in L’Oréal in 2013 as the country sales manager of the Active  Cosmetics Division in Kuwait. 

Before joining L’Oréal, his career spanned various marketing roles and business  consultancies for GlaxoSmithKline, ProLife, Associated British Foods and BazaarVoice  amongst others in Mexico, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Kenya, Uganda and the United  States.  

Ahmed is born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt where he acquired a Bachelor’s degree in  Pharmacy. He also holds a Master’s degree of Business Administration with Merit from  Manchester Business School of the University of Manchester in the UK and a  concentration in Strategy & Marketing from the McCombs School of Business of the  University of Texas at Austin in the US.

Ksenia is a digital marketing expert with more than 10 years of experience in paid social advertising and 7+ years working across key European markets. Currently leading Paid Social at Publicis Media, she focuses on introducing innovative solutions, products, and strategies to help clients optimize their campaigns and achieve their goals

Her expertise includes driving brand awareness for FMCG brands, increasing sales for e-commerce businesses, and generating leads for fintech companies. Ksenia was among the first in her market to achieve TikTok Advertising Certification, showcasing her commitment to staying at the forefront of social media innovation.

Shayan is currently the MENAP Head of Media for Reckitt with 14 years’ experience working across verticals of media; managing consumer connect strategy and media executions. He has previously worked across multiple agencies & companies working on various clients in FMCG & consumer goods category. He is super passionate on measurability and building bridges between media metrics and brand growth.

Maya Tayara is iProspect Managing Director. She leads digital marketing strategies that drive client success. She excels in integrating analytics with creative solutions to help brands navigate a dynamic landscape.

Previously, was leading Growth and Client Engagement across dentsu’s 3 service lines, Maya has 20 years of media experience handling key clients P&G, Mondelez, Kellogg’s, Microsoft, SCB, Philips and Kerzner.

Prior to her dentsu role, Maya held the position of Group Account Director at Carat where she harnessed her extensive media experience to support a diverse and performance focused client group.

With strong experience in analytics and the generation of creative solutions she helps brands navigate the fast changing media landscape with a digital and media first approach that puts consumers at the heart of driving business outcomes. Prior to joining Carat in January 2018, Maya held numerous positions at Starcom in Beirut and then Dubai, working with leading brands such as Procter and Gamble and Mondelez.

As the Ecommerce Director of Strategy and Growth at Liquid Havas Market, Linda Soares leverages ecommerce content marketing insights to drive brand success. With expertise in retailer management, digital shelf analytics and ecommerce marketing, her role is to transform innovative projects into revenue-generating solutions for leading CPG brands across EMEA.

Arindam is currently the consumer marketing lead for Lipton Arabia. He leads the biggest tea business in the Arabian region (& the world) with brands like Lipton, Brooke Bond, and Pukka. His current responsibility includes growing the tea business with Lipton Arabia by leveraging the various Ps of marketing.

Previously, he has more than a decade of experience with Unilever, leading multi-million-dollar businesses across categories including home care, personal care & food/beverages, with experience in regions including the UK, Southeast Asia, and India, with robust experience across product innovation, mix creations, and media strategy for multi-million-dollar brands.

Born in India, Arindam holds an engineering degree from Jadavpur University (India) and an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur (India).

Andrey is currently heading Samsung Electronics Retail in MENA.

This includes Brand Stores and Omni-channel integration, and Partner Retail, where Andrey is leading Retail Visibility strategy to maximize Shopping Experience across all 22 countries in the scope.

Before joining Samsung, Andrey held several roles in Procter & Gamble including Operations, Sales, Marketing and Planning, running ~1 $bln businesses in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Deb brings over 15 years of experience in scaling up businesses in the digital era  across industries like CPG, Electronics & Lifestyle. He is specialized in performance & retail media along with digital business transformation. Previously he was leading Publicis Commerce Media in India.

Sa Eva Nébié joined Dataxis Berlin office in 2016, after a business degree specialised in media and several experiences in films’ financial industries. Since then she has been vividly contributing to Dataxis’ media, video and telecom research and she is currently in charge of Dataxis’ global market intelligence products, including the data collection, creation of modules and strategic insights published.

Vikram, CEO of Eros Now and Mzaalo (both owned by Xfinite), has over 20 years of experience in technology, media, and gaming. Xfinite, an AI and blockchain-powered global entertainment ecosystem, offers over 12,000 premium titles and partners with global giants like Apple, Amazon, and Roku. Before Xfinite, Vikram held leadership roles at Discovery, Disney Star, and Viacom, driving digital, gaming, broadcast, and music ventures. Passionate about building innovative platforms, he excels in scaling businesses with creative strategies. Vikram is an ISB alumnus and mentors startups through programs like Algorand and Moonbeam Accelerators.

Burcu Dolunay is an Insights & Analytics director in Global Capability center within Strategy & Transformation function at Pepsico. She has 16 years of experience in predictive advertising and innovation research, having established systems across Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.. Passionate about weaving meaningful stories from data, Burcu is brings a wealth of experience in driving media efficiency and unified measurement in a fragmented media landscape.

David has led and developed organisations around the world working with some of the world’s best
known and loved brands in 40 countries. He now works as a strategic advisor to brands, organisations,
teams and ambitious senior executives in growth mode. As an accredited leadership coach, he inspires
transformational growth and generational change through high-performance coaching and strategic
advisory services with c suite leaders, ambitious senior leaders and teams.

David’s career began in the UK where he led and developed F&B brands across the country including
America leading a franchise team on his first brand to the UK. Whilst there he studied and researched
at the University of Central Florida. He attained his Masters degree at Coventry University where he
was subsequently invited to join their Advisory Board until he left the UK to embark on his
International career in Moscow where he worked as part of a board level turnaround team for Russia
and the CIS largest restaurant group as Brand Director and then as a consultant designer for
Mercedes Benz creating their first restaurant of its kind to enable the launch of the A Class into Russia.

He moved to the UAE to take a position on the Retail Board of Al Tayer as Vice President of
hospitality, a strategic and operational role. Al Tayer is one of the most respected retail family
businesses in the region. David reported to the CEO, and the Board. David’s last corporate role was
with the franchised Hard Rock Café business across 40 countries in EMEA and South Asia as Vice
President which involved working with a diverse mix of franchisees, family offices and investors and
reporting to the US based Board.

In 2022 he formed Oraculi, a thought leadership and strategic advisory practice which he now leads as
founder, advisor, NED, transformational growth coach and business mentor working across sectors
globally where a key area of David’s work is advising leaders and brands on their entry to market.
From a leadership perspective, how to adapt to cultural change, boardroom dynamics. He works with
c suite leaders acting as a soundboard, mentor and coach where required. Very often his role evolves
as his clients gain their career progression to the Board from coach to mentor, advisor and NED.

David still works closely in the F&B industry advising, creating, developing and coaching and has
widened his expertise from a focused hospitality and F&B position where he is widely regarded as a
subject matter expert, in particular from a franchise perspective. His advisory roles now include AI
technology, brand development and design, largescale events, entertainment services, consumer
brands and a significant non-executive role in a private equity venture.

Within his transformation work, he focuses on transformational leadership and culture development,
leveraging his global experience across multiple industries. Oraculi emphasises that culture should be
designed with intention, aligning strategically with business objectives to drive sustained growth and
performance.

David has two daughters who both live and work in Dubai; Katie, a former teacher now with a global
sales role and Hollie who is a Marketing and PR Manager. He is currently authoring his first book
BEYōND Boundaries Beyond, how to form your authentic purpose driven goals and his perspective on
the theory within.

Chris Redmond is the CEO and co-founder of RedHolt, a global leader in recruitment and consultancy specializing in the streaming and broadcast industries. With over a decade of experience, Chris has built a reputation for delivering innovative talent solutions to some of the world’s most prominent media and technology companies.

A passionate advocate for the future of digital content, Chris also leads OTTRED, a thriving global community for streaming professionals, boasting members from 65 countries and 900 companies. Through initiatives like Media Mondays in Dubai and highly engaging LinkedIn LIVE sessions, he connects thought leaders and pioneers in the media space.

As a seasoned moderator and speaker, Chris combines his deep industry knowledge with sharp insights on trends shaping the media ecosystem. At the NextTV event in Dubai, he will bring his expertise to guide a dynamic panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities in the ever-evolving streaming landscape.

Dror has been leading the WSC business in the MENA region for the past 3 years, partnering with the biggest rights holders in the region to grow their business with innovation and the WSC’s cutting-edge AI technology.
Most importantly, Dror is the proud father of Abigail, a sports addict, and a former pro volleyball player.