Afif Kalou

Head of the Marketing communications and Digital transformation divisions for the Middle East region.
▪ In charge of a team of 12 direct reports at Nissan Middle East and 35 dotted line reports at Nissan United
▪ Set up and run a region first advanced model of agencies (Nissan United) that integrates creative, media, and social teams under one roof to ensure integrated Marketing planning
▪ Overall budget responsibilities for the marketing division
▪ Overall Responsibility for:
Functional:
-End to end business analysis and Communication strategy, Creative development, and deployment for B2C and B2B across the Nissan retail and commercial lineup
-Yearly Media (traditional/digital) planning, buying, optimization, and integration for campaigns and Always On media
-Always on real time Social Media strategy planning, implementation, and optimization
-Annual Retail marketing, on ground performance analysis, seasonal promotions development, on ground user experience, and on ground activations including Motor Shows
-Regional Brand architecture strategy development and deployment.
-Sponsorships assessment, planning and activation
-Annual Motorsports strategy planning and implementation
-Digital transformation project mapping, development, and implementation for the End to End to drive a seamless digital customer journey
-Monitor and align Dealers marketing plans to be in sync with NMEF and overall brand guidlines
Business:
-Closely monitor and contribute to overall volume and market share delivery
-Improve overall business profitability via efficient marketing interventions that enhance grade mix and channel mix via efficient
-Step up conversion rates across the customer journey to enhance retail sales while increasing showrooms footfall
-Ensure healthy pipeline levels across models across dealers in every market to ensure accurate sales landing vs. forecast
-Develop programs that drive incremental sales and improved brands ambassadorship

▪ Lead a team to develop a holistically differentiated Employer Branding Design and Value Proposition ▪ Develop and Execute annual comprehensive initiative master plan for the region ▪ Lead deep dive analysis with prime prospects across the region to generate insights and learnings on trial barriers to develop plans accordingly and to ensure strong delivery on brand health measures. ▪ Ensure superior integration of branding/messaging/content strategy across channels ▪ Work closely with internal and external senior stakeholders to ensure ongoing alignment and support on overall plans and directions. ▪ Deliver, in collaboration with the recruitment team, all the set KPIs for the organization including annual demand targets ▪ Explore and deliver scale opportunities across the MENA region to drive financial value, consistent quality of marketing plans, and stronger amplification plans echo and magnitude ▪ Overlook annual marketing budget for the MENA region and ensure efficient spending by the team per country to deliver the set KPIs. ▪ Develop and deliver a first of its kind ROI Model that guides teams in recruitment marketing investment choices. ▪ Work collaboratively with multiple teams to ensure a strong candidate journey/experience and measure progress continuously. ▪ Drive ongoing competitive benchmarking analysis and develop plans to stand out vs. competition. ▪ Establish and enhance relationships with external stakeholders including Targeted Universities, local Academia, student organizations, professional associations, Technical Institutes, etc.. ▪ Ensure all communications are in line with Shell brand and Recruitment guidelines

.-Lead the Design of effective local integrated and holistic communication plans
-Interpret consumer insights and design local communication plans based on consumer segmentation and effective targeting
-Enable scale by interpreting and amplifying initiative toolkits
-Design and deliver Always On Trial programs
-Drive trial and grow overall key brand health measures
-Ensure efficiency, effectiveness, and sufficiency within budget
-Lead delivery of Excellence in Execution
-Develop mastery, and grow team and marketing organization
capability

Awards:
Product of the year gulf 2013: H&S
Product of the Year Gulf 2013: Wella Foam

-Drive effective use of communication choices via strong consumer targeting and improve brand health measures.
-Drive innovation to improve recall and stopping power vs. competition
-Develop annual communication strategies for total brands portfolio in Arabian Peninsula
-Drive best in class operation discipline, stewardship, and cost optimization
-Manage and motivate a team handling Digital and Media operations.
-Develop mastery, and grow team and marketing organization capability
-Overall responsibility for developing and monitoring Media and Digital Communication strategies and activations.
-Lead a team on total media planning for more than 20 brands in GCC
-Lead a team on regional digital strategies and activations for multiple brands
-Lead regional communication strategies for all brands
-Lead media investment and reinvestment opportunities
-Lead regular media optimization and sufficiency exercises and drive overall brand health measures
-Overlook team's responsibilities in initiative communication planning choices and execution based on Prime prospect understanding, ROI facts and learnings
-Ongoing team coaching and career progression ownership.

-Lead award winning digital initiatives for Gillette, Braun, Crest, Oral-B, Olay, Pantene, Herbal Essence, Pampers, Head&Shoulders, etc…
-Lead the design of holistic marketing communication plans for Gillette and Braun major initiatives
-Lead and maintain the development of external agencies’ scope of work
-Enable scale by interpreting and amplifying initiative communication plans
-Ensure efficiency, effectiveness, and sufficiency within budget across initiatives
-Lead delivery of excellence in execution
-Develop mastery and improve marketing organization capability
-Lead a team driving all digital related marketing activations including Content, Search, I-media, Mobile, Social, and E-commerce for several brands
-Lead corporate deals on Digital marketing with external publishers/properties
-Lead regular budget tracking reviews with multiple teams and key stakeholders.
-Improve brand websites’ content and user engagement
-Lead the E-Commerce channel. Develop front/back end fundamentals starting from setting up the logistics platform to the user interface.
-Set the building blocks for digital spending across all brands in GCC.
-Maintain strong Search presence for brands through agencies
-Develop Mobile plans across brands
-Improve organization’s Digital capability by organizing regular trainings
-Lead a team in organizing internal annual corporate events

-Lead strategic sourcing activities for organic chemicals in MEA
-Lead capacity investment related projects and drive optimal recommendations
-Drive ongoing saving projects across the supply chain
-Lead material price forecasts
-Coach and motivate a team.
-Develop sourcing strategies for chemicals/commodities on a MEA level as part of a global team.
-Lead and coach a team of sourcing buyers in MEA with an overall spending responsibility of more than 140 million dollars
-Major experience in surfactants, Linear Alkyl Benzene/sulphonic acid, vegetable oils, soap noodles, sodium chloride, and Sulphur.
-Supplier relationship management
-Contract negotiations
-Financial management reporting for chemicals periodically (Best Profit Estimates, savings forecasts, sensitivity analysis, etc…)
-Develop regional sourcing strategies for different raw materials
-Develop regional sourcing strategies for upcoming product launches and new plant setups.
-Identify/lead cross functional saving projects including other purchasing categories, logistics, etc…
-Identify/lead supply chain improvement projects to increase cash on hand reduce costs and lead time.
-Develop BCP (Business continuity plans) to mitigate unforeseen material supply crisis.
-Work with material planning teams reduce target inventory levels across MEA plants.
-Lead in house capital investment projects including technical debottlenecking, and line extensions
-Lead third party capital investment projects including new plant investments, mergers/acquisitions.
-Implement different sourcing tools like tenders, auctions, inquiries, or negotiations processes based on business models
-Develop/maintain sound relationships with top executives in the suppliers market.
-Control audit documentation requirements for the regional purchasing organization.

• Marketing a range of corporate Insurance products
• Developing and maintaining a portfolio of local and multinational companies on the client list
• Planning/achieving annual sales targets.
• Preparing market and industry analysis
• Leading cross selling across a portfolio of clients Overseeing customer service across a portfolio of clients
.

1- Auditing
2- Contractor relations
3- Subcontractors relations