Aamir Allibhoy
Chief Marketing Officer
Match
Harsha Thawani
Associate Marketing Director – Digital Marketing Lead
KPMG (Lower Gulf)
Hazem El Zayat
Chief Experience Officer MENA
Memac Ogilvy
Ravi Raman
Publisher
Fast Company Middle East
Suad Merchant
Global Chief Marketing Officer
GEMS Education
Vibha Thusu
Global Marketing & Communications Program Leader
Schneider Electric
Gregoire is a senior innovation and customer experience leader with more than 20 years of experience transforming major organisations across Retail, Luxury, Government, Real Estate, Hospitality, and Mobility. Most recently, Group VP of Customer Experience & Innovation at Majid Al Futtaim, his career also includes senior roles at Chalhoub Group, Emaar, Air Liquide, Rexel, and Orange.
An entrepreneur and investor, he co-founded the European mobility startup Otoqi and is the founder of WOA (Work Of Arts), a boutique consultancy and concept studio. He also supports early-stage ventures and owns hospitality businesses in Asia.
Gregoire teaches Luxury Marketing at the American University of Sharjah and lectures at INSEAD, ESSEC, and Bocconi. He is a member of The Future Club’s Community Council in Dubai and holds a Master’s in Communications & Marketing from La Sorbonne (CELSA), along with executive certifications from Oxford, Berkeley, MIT, and Harvard. He is CCXP-certified.
A creative at heart with a background as an international music artist and photographer, he is a strong advocate of multidisciplinary thinking and brings a distinctive perspective to innovation and experience design.
Vibha Thusu is a seasoned marketing and communications leader with over 21 years of experience at the intersection of technology, brand strategy, and business growth. She has worked across diverse industries including IT & Services, FMCG, Energy Management, Electrical, & Industrial Automation. She currently serves as the Global Marketing & Communications Program Leader (Industrial Automation E-commerce) at Schneider Electric, where she drives strategic communications, demand generation, and cohesive internal engagement across IA Distribution & eCommerce Lines of Business. A Schneider Electric veteran of 16 years, she previously led global marketing, communications, and e-commerce for an independent brand under the SE umbrella, accelerating market expansion and brand equity across more than 65 countries.
Suad Merchant is the Global Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at GEMS Education, where she leads global marketing, brand strategy, and communications. In this role, she reinforces GEMS Education’s reputation as a trusted, family-run institution delivering world-class education with heart and vision. Her mandate goes beyond communications, she is a key driver of business growth and impact, ensuring GEMS continues to lead in a sector critical to regional and global development.
Previously, Suad was the Global Head of Brand & Growth Marketing, Partnerships, and Corporate Communications at Mashreq, the UAE’s oldest bank with a presence in 15 countries. She defined and executed the bank’s global brand and marketing strategy, corporate communications, strategic partnerships, and ESG marketing. Suad also played a pivotal role in shaping Mashreq’s strategic vision, acting as brand custodian, and steering its customer-centric digital transformation. Under her leadership, Mashreq was recognised as the fastest-growing brand in the Middle East by Brand Finance in 2024.
Ravi Raman, a TEDx speaker and no stranger to a stage, is a media professional with more than two decades of content strategy, brand marketing and team leadership experience.
He launched the regional editions of world-renowned brands such as Wired and Bloomberg Businessweek, and his reach has extended to other leading publications from the New York Times to India Today.
Hazem graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from The American University in Cairo in 2002. Since then, he has developed a passion for and built a career in connecting the business world with technology.
He has led projects across all areas of the digital mix including web platforms, mobile solutions, social media, content, performance marketing, search engine optimisation and marketing, paid digital advertising and programmatic, data and analytics, CRM, and ecommerce… making him not only an advocate but also a hands-on practitioner of omni channel marketing. He has been a consultant to many brands, defining and implementing their digital transformation strategies, and implementing complex MarTech solutions to influence data-driven customer engagement comms throughout their lifecycle.
Harsha is a seasoned marketing professional with over 18 years of experience in global digital and traditional media marketing.
She has left a lasting impact on consulting, professional services, travel, and consumer products sectors. Notably, she established PwC’s digital marketing practice in the Middle East and led digital marketing for UAE’s cybersecurity firm DarkMatter (now Digital14).
Currently, at KPMG Lower Gulf, Harsha is driving the transformation of the firm’s digital marketing and enhancing customer experiences, showcasing her enduring commitment to innovation and excellence in the field.i and is the founder of WOA (Work Of Arts), a boutique consultancy and concept studio. He also supports early-stage ventures and owns hospitality businesses in Asia.
Aamir Allibhoy is currently the Chief Marketing Officer at Match, a personal care manufacturing brand. He has served as the General Manager at SRMG | Labs in the past. Aamir’s career spans more than two decades across marketing, creativity, and brand transformation. Prior to joining SRMG, he spent 21 years with Impact BBDO, where he served as General Manager for Saudi Arabia and worked with leading global brands including PepsiCo, Emirates, P&G, YUM, and others. He also played a key role in establishing the award-winning BBDO Pakistan office.