Archives: Session Speakers

Måns has led Grey’s strategy community across AMEA since 2017 (previously in Singapore, now based in Dubai). Måns’ elevated Grey to a regional strategic leader by winning the Global & APAC Grand Effies as well as the Grand Prix’ at the WARC Prize for Asian Strategy & Effective Innovation. He’s the founder of Grey Adventures, a leading accelerator for the creative industry and sustainability practice Sustainably Grey.

Before Grey, he held strategic leadership roles at Crispin Porter+Bogusky, Razorfish, Fallon & Lowe. He also started pioneering Swedish digital creative agency Tesch & Tesch (rebranded Lowe Tesch post Lowe-acquisition) & brand innovation consultancy Tesch London.

Ahsan heads the Marketing and Digital Products division at Telenor Pakistan. In this role he is responsible for customer analytics, value propositions, products, journeys, communication, and go-to-market for the traditional telecom products as well as adjacent digital products and services.

He has over 16 years of experience across 2 continents in the consumer-facing telecom business in the marketing function.

A strategic media, digital and data thinker at Unilever Pakistan, Javed specializes in developing and executing data-driven brand strategies to deliver high returns. He’s spearheaded Unilever’s digital transformation across Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, resulting in a threefold increase in the company’s digital investments and savings of more than EU 2.6 million. Javed also served as Vice President of the Malaysian Advertisers Association.

With an extensive professional background spanning over 16 years, Rifah has demonstrated her marketing leadership across diverse industries like technology, retail and food packaging. She has worked on some of the nation’s most renowned brands, including easypaisa, foodpanda and Metro Cash and Carry. Presently, Rifah leads the Marketing and Corporate Communications department at easypaisa, Pakistan’s foremost fintech institution.

Throughout her career, she has orchestrated numerous successful campaigns and shattered gender-based barriers by consistently securing prominent positions within her various organisations. Her skill set spans the spectrum of brand management, creative strategy, and the creation of many consumer-centric initiatives. Beyond the realms of boardrooms and marketing campaigns, Rifah’s passion for travel provides her with a unique perspective on the world, infusing her work with a distinct creative flair. Her expeditions are the secret sauce to all the creativity that she brings into her work!

Aaminah leads the marketing and communication teams at EBM, managing a portfolio of 18 brands. Her primary role is growing new and existing brands for EBM and developing strategies to deliver the company’s growth agenda for the future.

With over 15 years of expertise in the marketing in food, beverage, and personal care sectors, Aaminah has also worked as Marketing Director for L’Oreal Paris and Maybelline NY and Regional Marketing Manager at The Coca-Cola Export Corporation.

She has done her Master’s in Business Administration in 2001 from Lahore University of Management Sciences.

Waqas has worked in marketing for almost 17 years across MENA, Caucasus & Central Asia Republics, and of course Pakistan. He has worked for local and international market leaders including the Coca-Cola Company, Engro Foods Friesland Campina and Reckitt before joining foodpanda. Over the years, he has been associated with globally and locally recognized brands like Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Olper’s, Tarang, Dettol, and Engro corp. He believes marketing should drive sustained business growth by building brands people love and can relate to.

Nida Haider started her advertising career at Young & Rubicam in New York City in 1999. Since then, her career has spanned multiple continents and amassed multiple International awards including Clios, Effies and several Cannes Lions. During her time at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco Nida was part of the team responsible for Frito Lay’s “Crash The Super Bowl” which hailed as one of the most buzzworthy campaigns in the history of advertising. CTSB is also responsible for many advertising firsts including the first ever consumer generated ad to a National Stage.

A strategist by heart, Nida has a proven track record of driving growth and transformation for brands of all sizes.

A strategic, transformative, and customer-obsessed executive with nearly two decades of experience shaping the luxury, retail, destinations, and leisure sectors in the MENA region. Her expertise lies in building brands and propelling them onto the global stage.

Maria founded Gedeon Mohr & Partners with a vision to service clients around the world helping them design, transform and grow sustainably. Previously Maria served as the former Chief Customer and Marketing Officer of the Chalhoub Group the largest fashion and beauty retailer in the MENA and the JV partner of LVMH, the world’s largest luxury group conglomerate. In her capacity, Maria managed an award-winning team of 150+, driving the transformation, overseeing brand building, marketing, customer experience, customer engagement, loyalty insights and advanced analytics, commercial partnerships, and content for the group.

Maria’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2002 with the establishment of Select, an events and entertainment startup catering to the Middle East. In 2006, she relocated to the UAE to work on the World Future Energy Summit, a collaborative initiative between Turret Media, Masdar, and the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre. She also spearheaded marketing and sponsorship for the Turret Media consumer portfolio, playing a key role in the acquisition and growth of Taste of Dubai and the Abu Dhabi Art Fair, and the Abu Dhabi Motorsports Festival among others.

In 2009, Maria took up the role of Director of Marketing and Communication at the Abu Dhabi Entertainment Company (a Mubadala subsidiary) heading up the function for Zayed Sports City. Her responsibilities included transforming and growing the brand, driving a turnaround in the company’s performance, and transforming the marketing, sponsorships, events and customer experience organization.

Maria then moved to Majid Al Futtaim in 2016, the leading shopping malls, retail, and entertainment conglomerate in the MENA region, as Director of Marketing. As part of the senior executive team, she managed a cadre of 70+ award-winning marketers for the Entertainment division. Her tenure was marked by the transformation of the marketing and customer organization to instill an innovative, creative, customer-obsessed, and data-driven culture.

Presently, Maria serves as an external advisor to Bain & Company and holds positions on several regional boards, including the Marketing Society’s Middle East Chapter, the International Women Board of Directors, and Almentor.net, the largest e-learning platform in the Arab world. Maria earned her bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Visual Communication from the Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts (alba) in Beirut.

She is a proud working mother of two and a huge proponent of diversity & inclusion initiatives. A former national ski champion and enthusiastic tennis player, she possesses a deep appreciation for art, hospitality, and food. In her spare time, she travels, exercises, and delights in cooking for friends. Maria also lends her support to startups emerging from the MENA region and mentors marketing leaders of tomorrow.

Musharaf’s career in consumer business spanned over 36 years. She started her career with Unilever Pakistan in 1983. Her 23 years with the organization included roles from brand management to country operations. Musharaf’s various assignments included posting in Unilever’s London Headquarters where she worked for the Asia Pacific and Africa Middle East regions from 1991-94. Her key experience in Pakistan included the Ice Cream acquisition and merger, assuming the role of Board Director for Unilever’s Home & Personal Care Business, and subsequently becoming the National Sales Director. In July 2001, she was appointed Chairman & CEO and served in this capacity till September 2006.

Musharaf joined the L’Oreal Group in 2008 with the responsibility to establish and launch the L’Oreal business in Pakistan. The company was established in 2009, comprising entrepreneurial talent, manufacturing, supply chain, and multi-channel distribution to reach Pakistani consumers. Musharaf’s span asCEO and Founder of L’Oreal Pakistan was completed in June 2019.

She then worked with Khaadi (Pakistan’s premier fashion retail brand) on brand transformation project from October 2019 to December 2021. Some of her external roles included Board positions in Education Institutions, Banking, Non- Government Organisations, and in the Health sector. She has been a member of several Government policy groups.

In 2005, Musharaf received the Presidential Performance Award – Sitara-I-Imtiaz. This award was given in recognition of her outstanding business achievements and contribution to the economy. In 2011, the President of France, awarded Musharaf the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Merite (Knight of National Order of Merit). In addition, she was listed among the 50 Most Powerful Women in the World by Forbes Magazine in 2004.

Khurram has been responsible for leading digital transformation for global industry powerhouses including Gillette, Procter and Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer. He was also a subject matter expert on Digital Marketing for the University of Cambridge Judge Business School, a mentor to emerging market startups as part of the United Nations Development Program and a founding member of the UAE government’s corporate innovation accelerator Area 2071.

He currently serves as a senior digital strategy and innovation advisor to a G20 government regulator providing expertise and future thinking on policy, regulation and innovation in developing a digital economy He is also the Co Founder of a global non non for profit think tank called the Web 3 Institute and author of “The New Digital World Order”.