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Meet the Speakers

Faheem Ahmad

Head of Growth

Heading Omnichannel Growth at Chalhoub Group. I have been in the industry for 15 years. I enjoy building and scaling brands via marketing acquisition and...

Heading Omnichannel Growth at Chalhoub Group. I have been in the industry for 15 years. I enjoy building and scaling brands via marketing acquisition and retention strategies.
Abdulla Alawadi

Chief Marketing Officer

A prolific maverick. Selected among the top 100 executives in the GCC by Arabian Business in 2007...

A prolific maverick. Selected among the top 100 executives in the GCC by Arabian Business in 2007, chosen as Man of the Year for Kuwait by International WHO's WHO in 2008, recognized as one of Kuwait's business leaders by the Leaders Publishing Corporation in 2009, and top 10 MENA tech leaders in 2025 Abdulla progressed to become an executive leader with an entrepreneurial spirit equipped with management skills and intellectual capacity making him highly responsive and effective under enormously demanding and challenging business conditions.
Ankesh Agarwal

Director CX

Agarwal is the director of group customer experience at Majid Al Futtaim, a Dubai-based conglomerate that operates shopping malls ...

Agarwal is the director of group customer experience at Majid Al Futtaim, a Dubai-based conglomerate that operates shopping malls and hotels in the Middle East and North Africa.
His experience includes establishing voice of the customer programs and omnichannel strategies, and at Majid Al Futtaim he has developed a Center of Excellence for customer experience that sets best practice guidelines and training resources.
He has been recognized as a top customer experience voice on LinkedIn and among the Top 250 Global Insights professionals by insights and analytics members organization ESOMAR. Under his stewardship, Majid Al Futtaim won Forrester’s first Customer-Obsessed Enterprise Award for EMEA.
Alex Dirdin

Director, International

Serial (4X) corporate venture builder with 13+ years of experience in enabling global eCommerce trade.

Serial (4X) corporate venture builder with 13+ years of experience in enabling global eCommerce trade. My main specialization is creation and delivery of long-term corporate value by launching new products and businesses, establishing new partnerships, and entering new markets.

A high level of international experience, deep knowledge of global eCommerce industry, exposure to the latest tech, analytical mindset, and out of the box thinking distinguish me and allow me to effectively ideate and come up with new solutions.

Mohamed Gamal

Founder & Fractional Performance Marketing Consultant

I’m the Founder of Reach 4 Growth and a Performance Marketing Consultant with...

I’m the Founder of Reach 4 Growth and a Performance Marketing Consultant with over 14 years of experience driving e-commerce growth across Africa and the Middle East. Over the years, I’ve partnered with dozens of established brands — from startups to global giants — helping them cut waste, scale efficiently, and turn marketing into a true profit engine.

I specialize in POAS-driven strategies, AI-powered systems, and building sustainable growth frameworks. My mission is simple: to help businesses spend smarter, not just more.

Beyond consulting, I host the Reach for Growth podcast, where I share insights and conversations with industry leaders to empower the next generation of marketers.

I bring a mix of strategic expertise and authentic storytelling to every stage I step on.
I specialize in POAS-driven strategies, AI-powered systems, and building sustainable growth frameworks. My mission is simple: to help businesses spend smarter, not just more.

Beyond consulting, I host the Reach for Growth podcast, where I share insights and conversations with industry leaders to empower the next generation of marketers.

I bring a mix of strategic expertise and authentic storytelling to every stage I step on.

Zeeshan Haider

Head of Marketing, Communications & CX

Zeeshan Haider is a seasoned Marketing and Communications expert with over 15 years of experience in the insurance and digital industries...

Zeeshan Haider is a seasoned Marketing and Communications expert with over 15 years of experience in the insurance and digital industries. Currently serving as the Head of Marketing at Al Wathba Insurance, Zeeshan is known for his innovative strategies that blend traditional marketing with digital transformation to drive growth. He has a deep understanding of consumer behavior, branding, and digital engagement, which he utilizes to revolutionize broker-insurer relationships and enhance customer experiences. Zeeshan’s expertise spans across a range of disciplines, including social media management, corporate communications, and public relations. He also plays an active role in fostering cultural diversity within organizations and has been a judge at prestigious awards like Dragons of Asia and the Customer Centricity World Series. A dynamic speaker, Zeeshan is passionate about sharing insights on personal branding, digital marketing trends, and industry-specific innovations.