Walaa Marketing Journey

Feb 2023 - Present

Regional Marketing Lead

Key Value-added Results:

▪ Market Expansion: Orchestrated the Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy for MENA, successfully establishing
distribution channels in KSA, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt and Lebanon.
▪ B2B Growth Engine: Built a digital lead generation pipeline delivering 3,000+ qualified leads in 5 months,
directly fueling regional sales expansion.
▪ Digital Transformation: Developed the regional digital ecosystem, including a multi-country E-commerce
platform (UAE, Oman, USA) and a fully integrated CRM-ERP stack.
▪ Brand Authority: Built the regional social media presence from scratch, achieving consistent month-over-month growth in engagement and brand sentiment.

Jun 2022 - Jun 2023

Marketing Director

Key Value-added Results:

▪ Designed an English logo that entered an award for ingeniously integrating the elegance of the Arabic language, skillfully employing Arabic accents on English letters to capitalise on the beauty of the Arabic language

Key Highlights:

▪ Successfully completed the Gini branding project, including the rigorous naming process, resulting in the establishment of a strong and memorable brand identity.

▪ Spearheaded the establishment of the marketing department in Iraq, assembling a talented team to drive marketing initiatives and support business growth.

▪ Led the website and App UI/UX team, ensuring the creation of a seamless and user-friendly digital experience for customers.

▪ Developed and executed a results-oriented Marcom (Marketing Communications) strategy aligned with business objectives, accompanied by a comprehensive execution plan.

▪ Identified and collaborated with PR, Media, Creative, SEO, and Social Media agencies for Gini, ensuring productive partnerships and achieving desired marketing outcomes.

▪ Oversaw website content development, ensuring alignment with the brand's messaging and resonance with the target audience.

▪ Streamlined the merchant onboarding process through the creation of a detailed workflow, assigning appropriate marketing tools to each step to enhance efficiency.

Jun 2022 - Jun 2023

Marketing Director

Key Value-added Results:

▪ Commercial Success: Launched the "Travellers Card" and partnered with global networks, driving cross-border transaction volume to $130M+.
▪ Global Partnerships: Secured and executed high-profile campaigns with Lionel Messi (Sports Card) and
Tencent/PUBG (Gamers Card).
▪ Hyper-Growth: Achieved 150k+ app downloads and 10,000+ card issuancesin just 6 weeks post-launch.
▪ Operational Strategy: Developed detailed merchant onboarding workflows to streamline partner acquisition.

Oct 2020 - May 2022

Marketing Works (Consultancy)

Key Value-added Results:

▪ OneByUs (Singapore) & SocioPay (UAE): Developed GTM strategies and recruited/trained local marketing
teams.
▪ ALPEX Global (UAE): Architected the full MarTech stack (CRM, CDP, Automation) and executed the annual
corporate event calendar.
▪ Tenkai (Spain): Localised digital campaigns to ensure successful entry into the MENA market.

Jan 2020 - Sep 2020

Sr. Media Director

In my most recent role as a Senior Media Director for Tonic International, a full-service creative agency founded in Dubai in 2004, I was rehired to manage digital and offline media and to build the performance marketing department.

▪ Orchestrated the digital and offline team and established GMP and TikTok partnerships.

▪ Generated 500+ SQL during the COVID lockdown period for a premium real estate account.

► Achieved Google Premium Partner upgrade for Tonic.

Note: reason for leaving is downsizing due to covid

Feb 2019 - Jan 2020

Hear of Marketing Communication

As Head of Communication for Maverick Digital, I launched and managed a new digital marketing and communication agency from scratch. I hired, trained, and oversaw the team in the UAE and Egypt.

▪ Masterminded the company name, brand identity, and company culture and led all aspects of the newly formed agency.

▪ Secured major accounts to fuel the business pipeline of the new entity.

► Obtained investor buy-in to grow and expand business operations across the Gulf region.

Oct 2009 - Feb 2019

Media Planning & Buying Director

During my initial 10-year tenure at Tonic International, I quickly advanced through several promotions, from Media Executive to Director. I advised agency management as well as clients on advertising messages transmitted using various types of media, including radio, television, the Internet, and billboards.

▪ Maximised the impact of global player advertising campaigns and collaborated with major media suppliers abroad.

▪ Planned and managed a year-long TV campaign with restricted budgets.

▪ Handled all company media and financial negotiations.

Oct 2007 - Dec 2008

Marketing Executive

Key Value-added Results:

▪ Designed and produced impactful B2B brochures, VIP gift items for investors, and targeted brochures to enhance word-of-mouth advertising and increase brand recognition.

▪ Independently completed the development of the intranet within a remarkable 6-month period, revitalising the platform after a dormant period of 2 years, fostering improved internal communication and knowledge sharing throughout the organisation.

Key Highlights:

▪ Implemented effective and timely marketing communications with internal and external stakeholders, driving business opportunities and facilitating profitable growth.

▪ Developed a range of marketing materials and established branding guidelines, collaborating with stakeholders and external service providers to ensure consistent and impactful brand messaging.

▪ Conducted comprehensive evaluations of the company's marketing strategies and analysed competitors' marketing efforts to identify areas for improvement and gain a competitive edge.