Well I love to surf. I have been lucky to live in California and Australia, so I have experienced some of the best beaches and oceans in the world. There is nothing quite like hitting the beaches and catching some waves. Originating from Polynesia the native Hawaiians added a dimension of spiritual and artistic practices to surfing.
It can help heal the mind, body and soul. Surfing is a force for good. Also there is growing awareness amongst surfers on climate change and sustainability and a belief that with right mindset, strategy and action we can protect our oceans and heal the mind, body and soul of the planet. There are also a number of lessons from surfing that can be applied to leadership, business and marketing. One of the core lessons is that we cannot control the waves, but rather we adapt ourselves to go with the flow of the waves.
This is a key leadership principle of how I navigate into the future. I don’t resist the change but rather ride the crest of the change. We are witnessing right now major changes in the world – climate change, growth of big data and AI, blockchain, cypto, the metaverse, increased inclusivity, web 3.0 to name a few. Those that will be successful are the ones that adapt and surf the waves of these changes.
Well, I am a solutions-focused CEO & CMO with over 20 years of success in multinationals and start-ups. As a maverick I bring dynamic thought and cultural change to organizations. I have worked across several industries including consumer packaged goods, tech, fintech, esports, financial services, agritech, retail, telecoms, gaming, entertainment, and tourism. My areas of expertise include leadership, marketing, inclusive team building, digital transformation, innovation, sustainability strategy, Big Data and AI, Blockchain and the Metaverse.
Holding a leadership position as the CEO & CMO of Your Marketing Chief (YMC), I was brought on to apply FMCG (CPG) best marketing practices across a number of businesses and industries. I engineered the FUZN™ marketing system and applied this across a number of industries and businesses transforming organizations to be marketing, digital, and innovation driven.
Well I am a lifelong learner. I earned a Masters in Business from Brunel University Business School UK, and a Bachelors (Honors) in Economics, Marketing & Management from the University of Manchester, UK. In addition I am a chartered marketer, certified marketer and certified digital marketer.
Furthermore I have had the honor of attending executive programs with top business schools including Stanford GSB, Harvard Business School, USC Marshall, UCLA and UC Berkeley Haas. I am an active member of key leadership and marketing bodies including CIM, AMA, DMI and GCC BDI.
Well in addition to being inspired by surfing I have also been inspired by some of the places I have lived and they have impacted goals that I have set for myself. California, the UAE and KSA have inspired me the most. At over +$3 trillion, California’s economy is the largest in the USA. In fact it is the world's 5th largest economy by itself, larger than most other countries. The Cali innovative spirit has invented new industries, companies and innovation centers such as Silicon Valley. For me it is so exciting to bring those ideas to the GCC. Its like the waves of cali carry the ideas all the way to the gulf region. Its truly rad.
Well its not just the GCC. California itself is undergoing significant changes and I see new start-up ideas emerging every day to help solves problems and challenges in the state and around the world. In terms of the GCC region, especially when it concerns Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates the rate of change is truly amazing.
We call that maverick waves in surfing, super sized waves that are big and bold. I see the region and maverick and it needs more maverick business and marketing leaders that can think out of the box and ride the waves of change in the right direction.
HRH MBR has put Dubai on the world map with iconic projects such as Burj Khalifa, Burj Arab, the Palm and Expo 2020 showcasing Dubai as world class. In addition HRH MBZ has ensured that the UAE and Abu Dhabi shines as a beacon of stability for the region and world. To add to that we are also witnessing HRH MBS vision to transform KSA with futuristic project such as NEOM. This is a real maverick wave.
Your Marketing Chief (YMC) aims to bring the highest level of marketing and leadership to a regions that are maverick. That is the core strength of the company. I embed into organizations as CMO so that they emerge successful and grow aggressively.
I hold to 5 values as a CEO & CMO,
Growth is Key - Businesses can only continue to be successful if they grow. Growth enables investment and fuels innovation. That is success.
Culture is King - Businesses must learn from and embrace different marketing cultures to grow. Marketing cultures from top tier multinationals blended together offer inspirational ways to achieve growth.
Real Leadership - In order to grow in business we must be true and real to ourselves and others. Only by being real can a business achieve sustainable growth.
Innovative Ways - Innovation is key to driving business growth. Reviving and renewing old ways of doing things plus creating new ways is important. The use of technology is also key to drive continual growth in a Blue Ocean way.
Achieve Balance - Achieving a healthy balance in all aspects of business is important for optimal growth.
Future waves are getting bigger and more frequent. Hence there is need for CMO’s to broaden their roles and take the lead and ride bigger waves. These include: being the voice of the consumer & customer, designing the company purpose, creating a framework for humanistic leadership and mindfulness, utilizing marketing to drive business growth, leading in digital transformation including being the custodian of Big Data, AI, UX, UI, the metaverse, creating sustainability strategy, driving innovation, producing inclusivity programs, partnering with CEO’s & boards and influencing shareholders.
Each of these elements requires integrated marketing to stakeholders – consumers, customers, employees, shareholders, industries, partners and change agents. This marketing alphatization balances profit and people and delivers planet amelioration. Hence CMO’s are by default becoming CEO’s whilst maintaining the CMO remit as marketing is everything in the new age of blockchain, crypto, web 3.0 & marketing 4.0.