Islam Etman, Regional Marketing Director

Islam Etman

Regional Marketing Director

Souq.com

Location
United Arab Emirates
Education
Diploma, Certified Marketing Manager - CMM
Experience
23 years, 1 month

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Work Experience

Total years of experience :23 years, 1 month

Regional Marketing Director at Souq.com
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • My current job since January 2017
Head of Marketing at Souq.com
  • Kuwait - Al Kuwait
  • February 2015 to December 2016

Responsibilities
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- Spearheading, orienting, and train a Marketing team of 14 members -and growing- across Offline Advertising, Digital Marketing, PPC, Co-Marketing, Ad Sales, Mobile Marketing, Online Merchandising, Social Media and Community Management, UX, UI & Creative Designs, and SEO/ASO efforts.
- Build up key operational strategies and Maintain relationships with Google, Facebook, and Twitter main Programmatic advertising partners and App networks.
- Lead Souq.com marketing and business development efforts, working closely with the Leadership, Agencies, Key business partners.
- Own the marketing budget Providing short- and long-term market forecasts and projections by directing market research and analysis.
- Develop marketing plans and programs and directing promotional support.
- Drive marketing effectiveness by identifying short-term and long-range issues, addressed them providing recommended options and courses of action; implementing directives.
- Keep research database by identifying and assembling marketing information.
- Develop and Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.

Key Achievements:
-------------------------
- Received Souq.com Award for Living the Value of Growth two year in a row, 2013 & 2014.
- Ranked Souq.com app #1 Free App on iTunes app store & Play Store & on the top 10 across the year.
- Out Ranked well-established competitors placing Souq.com website on top 5 most visited websites in Kuwait.
- Reach an average of 1.4 Million weekly Social Media reach, increasing the total Kuwait Social Media followers to Half million+.
- Successfully execute the Second #WhiteFriday online and offline media campaign -Arab version of Black Friday- achieving 9.4X daily visits, 19X transactions led to double the Conversion rate with 22X daily revenue, and 2.3X revenue per visit.
- Receive a Souq Star Award for being “A Man of Action” presented by the General Manager.
- Plan and build a strategic partnership with major market players, i.e. Zain, CBK, KFH and Oreedoo.
- Introduce direct messaging sales and Telesales as additional sales channels led to great improvement in free transactions metrics.

Regional Head of Marketing at Souq.com
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • February 2016 to December 2016

▶ Lead all acquisition performance channels including mobile apps marketing, paid search, display channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Affiliates. Programmatic, and SEO/ASO
▶ Responsible for generating traffic to the website and the mobile apps and converting prospects onto their first purchase.
▶ Accountable for reaching targets of buyers for each country, and support the countries in reaching their own targets.
▶ Collaborate with product and analytics team to develop marketing automation tools, set up and run programmatic buying platform to scale marketing operations and improve performance.
▶ Build up key operational strategies and Maintain relationships with
suppliers, partners and networks.
▶ Manage and grow the team to develop channels expertise, and draw on external suppliers to create required training and best practices sharing. 

Country Marketing Manager at Souq.com
  • Kuwait - Al Kuwait
  • October 2012 to January 2015

Responsibilities
---------------------
- Spearheading, orienting, and train a Marketing team of 14 members -and growing- across Offline Advertising, Digital Marketing, PPC, Co-Marketing, Ad Sales, Mobile Marketing, Online Merchandising, Social Media and Community Management, UX, UI & Creative Designs, and SEO/ASO efforts.
- Build up key operational strategies and Maintain relationships with Google, Facebook, and Twitter main Programmatic advertising partners and App networks.
- Lead Souq.com marketing and business development efforts, working closely with the Leadership, Agencies, Key business partners.
- Own the marketing budget Providing short- and long-term market forecasts and projections by directing market research and analysis.
- Develop marketing plans and programs and directing promotional support.
- Drive marketing effectiveness by identifying short-term and long-range issues, addressed them providing recommended options and courses of action; implementing directives.
- Keep research database by identifying and assembling marketing information.
- Develop and Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.

Key Achievements:
--------------------------
- Build and Coach Kuwait marketing team and reach a noticeable level of performance across all marketing operations.
- Remarkable Improvement of 2X visits and Conversion in Email marketing performance by the end of 2013.
- Develop and enhance Lead generation programs led to great improvement in conversion rates and cost per lead.
- 2014 Growth Achieved, 17% ROI improvement with growth of 63% more leads, getting more 59.6% qualified unique users led to 111% more Revenue, 152% more transactions.
- Launch Souq.com App in Kuwait and reach a 35% share of visits and Revenue and maintain a CPI lower the market benchmarks.
- Successfully launch the Famous online and offline media campaign of #WhiteFriday -Arab version of Black Friday- from concept to execution, later became the largest ever online shopping weekend in MENA leads to Receive a special Award and Certificate of Appreciation WF14 presented by Souq.com Group CEO and The leadership.
- On White Friday 2014, achieving 5X daily visits, 20X daily revenue, 7X transactions and 5X revenue per visit.

Marketing Manager at Supplying Store Company (Sony)
  • Kuwait - Al Farawaniyah
  • January 2011 to September 2012

Responsibilities
---------------------
- Planning, developing and organizing advertising policies and campaigns to support sales objectives.
- Advising executives on advertising strategies and campaigns to reach target markets, creating consumer awareness and effectively promoting the attributes of the services
- Coordinating production of advertising campaigns involving specialized activities, such as artwork, copywriting, media scripting and film production and media placement, within time and budget constraints
- Analyzing data regarding consumer patterns and preferences
- Interpreting and predicting current and future consumer trends
- Researching potential demand and market characteristics for new services and collecting and analyzing data and other statistical information
- Supporting business growth and development through the preparation and execution of marketing objectives, policies, and programs
- Commissioning and undertaking market research to identify market opportunities for new and existing goods and services.
- Advising on all elements of marketing such as product mix, pricing, advertising and sales promotion, selling, and distribution channels.

Achievements:
--------------------
- Develop the wefix pricing structure.
- Launch wefix brand and position it in the existing market.
- Kickstarts wefix website and its online identity.
- Design custom services (product), it's process & UVP’s.
- Structure the sales department structure and set the target schemes.
- Develop and Execute wefix loyalty program.
- Propose and gain approval on Business deals with wefix key client (Electrozan).
- Sign a contract as only the authorized Service center for Zain Smartphones.
- Business Partnership deals with Carrefour, AAA, Geant, Costa café and Ezgrt online store.
- Participate to NBK reward program.
- Propose business and gain the interest of other accounts e.g. Apple Dubai(ABM), Black &
- Dekker, Zanussi, Tefal, eureka, Hyundai and carrier.
Establish and Start up a telesales department.

Art Director - Client Relation Manager at Pencil Advertising Company
  • Kuwait - Al Farawaniyah
  • April 2008 to December 2010

Responsibilities:
---------------------
- Maintain established contact with clients.
- Developing and organizing advertising policies and campaigns
- Discuss & help building marketing plans and communication
- Confers with clients for presentation regarding concept & design background information, objectives, presentation approaches, styles, techniques, and related factors.
- Conducts researches to select the right concept and communication.
- Conceptualize the communication and taking it up to the execution stage.
- Assigns and directs staff members to develop design concepts into art layouts and prepare layouts for printing.
- Reviews and presents final materials to client or department head for approval.
- Coordinating production of advertising campaigns involving specialized activities, such as artwork, copywriting, media scripting and film production and media placement, within time and budget constraints.

Achievements:
-------------------
- Establish a strong client’s relationship with the main clients (Sony - Electrozan)
- Handling Sony account as their account Manager for 2 years.
- Launching all Sony new products during this period (e.g. VAIO, CYBERSHOT, BRAVIA).
- Execute successfully all Sony campaigns from briefing and concept stage to the production.
- Meet expectations and gain appreciation handling several projects for most of company clients i.e. Nafais, Sony, Electrozan, Mowasat and wefix.
- Received company Appreciation letter for 2 years in a row - 2008 and 2009.
- Build wefix (new established company) corporate identity and concept and became its Marketing manager later.

Art Department Manager at Fahad Al-Marzouk Publishing Est.
  • Kuwait - Al Farawaniyah
  • June 2006 to March 2008

Responsibilities:
- Maintain clients relationship
- Taking briefing from clients.
- Manage jobs distribution and issuing project orders within the studio
- Formulates basic layout design concept after brainstorming with the team.
- Guide and supervise designers regarding design approaches and techniques.
- Reviews and presents final layouts to client for approval.
- Prepress preparation using the latest printing techniques.
- Coordinate with the production manager for any production clarification.

Senior Graphic Designer at Oscar Press
  • Kuwait - Al Farawaniyah
  • October 2005 to May 2006

Responsibilities:
- Taking briefing from clients.
- Conceptualize the idea and taking it up to the design and execution stage.
- Coordinate with the production manager for prepress clarification.

Senior Graphic Designer at Point solutions
  • Kuwait - Al Kuwait
  • October 2003 to September 2005

Responsibilities:
- Taking briefing from clients.
- Conceptualize the idea, present designs and gain approvals.
- Coordinate with production and suppliers to insure final product quality.

Studio Manager at Farah Graphics
  • Egypt - Alexandria
  • February 2001 to September 2003

Responsibilities:
- Taking briefing from clients or account managers.
- Distribute jobs and follow up with clients.
- Prepare designs, present it designs and gain approvals.
- Prepare final printing materials, films and plates in the studio.
- Coordinate with the Press for deadlines and final production.

Advertising Manager at OnTrack Group
  • Egypt - Alexandria
  • August 2001 to September 2002

Responsibilities:
- Taking briefing from clients.
- Distribute jobs and follow up with clients.
- Prepare designs, present it designs and gain approvals.
- Event planning and executing.

Education

Diploma, Certified Marketing Manager - CMM
  • at Professional Manager Institute
  • May 2012
High school or equivalent, Display, Search and Mobile
  • at Google Adwords
  • May 2011
High school or equivalent, Analytics
  • at Google Analytics
  • April 2011
High school or equivalent, Project Managment Professional
  • at Project Managment institute-PMI
  • April 2010
Bachelor's degree, Accounting
  • at Faculty of Commerce
  • May 2001
High school or equivalent, Divemaster
  • at PADI
  • November 2000
Diploma, Graphic Design
  • at Compusite
  • January 2000

Specialties & Skills

Social Media Marketing
Analytics
Google Adwords
Digital Marketing
Internet Researchs
Media & Production
Design Programs
Display
Google Analytics
Mobile Marketing
Remarketing
Social Media Marketing
Adobe Analytics - Omniture

Languages

English
Expert
Arabic
Expert
French
Beginner

Memberships

Project Management Institute
  • PMP
  • July 2010

Training and Certifications

CMM (Certificate)
Date Attended:
January 2012
Valid Until:
March 2012
PMP (Certificate)
Date Attended:
May 2010
Valid Until:
June 2010

Hobbies

  • Diving
    PADI Dive Master