أحمد أبوالعلا

- Overseeing, evaluating, and developing Group marketing strategy & plans
- Researching demand for our real estate projects (Residential, Commercial & Admin)
- Working with sales to develop pricing strategies to maximize profits and market share
- Developing budgets and finance, including expenditures, ROI and profit-loss projections
- Building brand awareness, positioning, supporting sales and lead generation efforts
- Managing Group real estate major events and developing digital marketing strategy

Joined to lead the development and refinement of integrated marketing strategies of the group and manage / expand Agents, wholesalers, and retailers network and boost our digital and print content development and communications. in addition to, managing teams of 14 employees / managers and $14M marketing budget.

Hired to lead the development and refinement of integrated marketing strategies for QC programs and services and oversees the organization’s digital and print content development and communications. Managing teams of 20 employees / managers that include digital and print designers, content strategists, writers, editors, data strategists, digital communication and UX designers, social community builders and marketers, and research and insights analysts. Working as a key driver of QC’s high-priority effort to significantly enhance its digital engagement tools and offerings including QC Magazine, QC web solutions, brand and programs print promotions, digital communications, video, and webcasts and managing $1.1M marketing budget.

♣ Managing QC marketing and corporate communications teams/departments focusing on the development of strategic marketing, content, and communications plans for the QC.
♣ Contributing to the development of QC’s long-term strategic vision. 
♣ Translating the long-term vision into actionable and measurable marketing and communication plans to be implemented and supported by QC marketing communications teams (i.e., strategy and marketing plans detailing one, two and five year schedules and metrics). 
♣ Managing the selection of QC teams/departments and leading them toward the achievement of engagement and revenue targets. 
♣ Managing QC Magazine including its editorial positioning across all platforms (print and digital). Overseeing content and managing magazine business operations. 
♣ Overseeing and guiding development of a robust marketing communications plan that articulates QC’s global positioning and mission, targeting both internal and external audiences. 
♣ Guiding marketing, digital, and communications teams’ collaboration with other QC department directors to ensure consistency of the company’s marketing and communications message across various departments and platforms and to the broader audience. 
♣ Overseeing and guiding the development of a robust web marketing and social media strategy. 
♣ Leveraging a mix of classic marketing tools and emerging digital technology platforms to the benefit of the company, the stakeholders and its customers. 
♣ Overseeing all marketing content initiatives, both internal and external, across multiple platforms and formats to drive engagement, sales, retention, leads, and positive employees’ / partners behaviours. 
♣ Guiding teams to leverage data and research to increase relevance and drive engagement. 
♣ Act as a resource to the rest of QC and work to increase broader cohesion across department-specific communication teams. 

Joined to develop and manage marketing and corporate communications strategies to create value for the holdings in GCC (21 companies, 7 industries); devise annual marketing plan and budget in conjunction with sales and after sales departments meeting the group business objectives. Manage $4.5M marketing budget and lead a team of 5 managers / employees.

♣ Analyzed the financial aspects of product development, such as budgets, expenditures, research and development appropriations, return-on-investment, profit-loss projections and implemented marketing plans alterations as needed.
♣ Oversaw marketing communications including branding, public relations, corporate communications, advertising, digital / social marketing, trade shows, marketing campaigns, seminars and events, website design and content either directly or on outsourcing basis.
♣ Built trust, valued others, drove execution, fostered innovation, focused on delivery to customers, collaborated with others, solved problems creatively and demonstrated high integrity.
♣ Developed and implemented a group -wide go-to-market plan, working with all departments to execute.
♣ Analyzed market requirements for current and future products by conducting market research supported by on-going visits to customers and non-customers.
♣ Developed and tracked metrics and success criteria for all marketing programs and activities. Monitored, reviewed and reported on all marketing activity and results.
♣ Acted as spokesperson for the group with press and analysts and at industry events.
♣ Assisted in formulating policies and enforced corporate policies.
♣ Adhered to all group policies, procedures and business ethics codes and ensures that they are communicated and implemented within the team of 5 employees.
♣ Understood and complied with groups’ vision, mission, values as well as the quality, safety and environmental systems.
♣ Managed the Corporate Communications Department of the holding including the development of Corporate Communications strategies, Risk and Crisis management plans, framework and notification messages online / offline both internally and externally.
♣ Identified potential types of Risks, developed precautionary actions within effective action plans to overcome risks and effectively communicate them to to Public, Stakeholders, customers and employees.
♣ Managed the 2016 Economic Crises and viewed it as an opportunity internally before communicating our efficiency strategies to increase productivity and market share to public through developing an internal communications / motivational program ‘SAWTAK’ or ‘Your Voice’ to motive employees’ engagement to share their innovative ideas to increase productivity and efficiency. Increasing the efficiency of the company assets - where 'people' comes on the top of it - using the optimal allocation of resources. Working smarter and more efficient, taking risks but definitely being cautious.

Hired to design and implement marketing strategies to reach key customer segments; negotiated strategic alliances and partnerships that delivered major promotions across region. Managed $500K marketing budget and led team of seven marketing managers.
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- Generated explosive growth; instrumental to substantial increase in company revenue, with profit targets smashed. Achieved 172% and 293% over budget in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Increased company awareness in its STA by 75% in 2014 compared to previous three years. Created positive publicity in ad value of $131.3K.

- Strategic Marketing: Devised plans and spearheaded hugely effective, widespread campaigns across regions. Developed relationships with third parties and clients, who sponsored marketing promotions. Recruited large numbers of interns and temporary staff; provided hands-on training and workshops that ensured high employee performance standards.

- Product Development CRM: Led innovative, well-researched product development initiatives that boosted sales by 26% in 2014. Adapted key product line packaging for a bakery business to meet changing market needs; gained six new major wholesalers in the MENA area.

- Marketing Communications: Provided strategic leadership to marketing and communications in close collaboration with the MD. Chaired operating subcommittee and committee; devised internal and external communication strategies and acted as spokesperson at AGM.

- Budget Management: Overcame challenges of limited budget through creative use of wide variety of tools and strategies. Initiated cost effective above the line (ATL) and below the line (BTL) advertising to targeted segments, and intensified efforts to penetrate secondary trade areas (STA) in order to exploit higher sales potential at lower cost, using direct mails and mailshots.

- Market Penetration: Improved visibility and depth of customer knowledge and insight; installed promotion software with comprehensive functionality and reliable reporting that enabled accurate configuration of target customer profile.

Employed to lead the marketing departments of Muscat City Centre (regional mall) and Qurum City Centre (community mall) and worked with Mall of the Emirates and Bahrain City Centre at MAF. Devised long-term and annual marketing plans with $52M budgets, managing a team of 55.
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- Brand Awareness: Instrumental to period of sustained commercial success and outstanding brand performance; boosted sales by 21% and generated new footfall record of 2.3M visitors, up from 1.7M visitors, with an increase in primary and secondary trade areas of 62%. Key player as the business won several prestigious awards including:
* Best Shopping Mall in Oman and 17th among Oman’s greatest brands book according to Oman Observer in January 2010. Best Retailers Award for four consecutive years since 2008 from Oman Business Today Magazine.
* Maxi Silver Award from International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) in April 2009 in Miami, USA for the Grand Opening / Expansion and Renovation Campaign of Muscat City Centre.(32 countries and 358 shopping malls across the globe were competing).
* ICSC Asia Shopping Center Award in Singapore, October 2009 for Muscat City Centre in Marketing Excellence / Advertising Category for the campaign ‘’LifeStyled by Muscat City Centre’’ (First Timer Award for Majid Al Futtaim Group, 109 shopping malls and 10 countries in Asia were competing).

- Market Identification: Implemented comprehensive set of marketing strategies; developed new brand positioning for Muscat City Centre as the dominant fashion centre in Oman, with high impact marketing with ‘arms and legs’ to distinctly brand the mall as a world-class destination. Developed brand guidelines, enhanced market analysis and led CRM development.

- Partnerships: Built Qurum City Centre brand image and developed strong community relations program for target audience. Generated publicity, and communicated key milestones in both leasing and construction. Achieved total of eight press releases covering all Oman media vehicles, dailies, weeklies and monthlies; received over $247K of free publicity.

- Team Building: Overcame challenges of geographical displacement, low tourist shopping numbers, excessive brand duplication, poor circulation and instability of key partners to foster outstanding team and brand performance, with particular success in the transformation of customer service quality and productive, harmonious tenant relationships.

- Client Relationships: Radically improved positive key stakeholder relationships; launched a retailer's forum, monthly newsletters, a retailer advisory committee, regular retailer AGMs, ad hoc advisory meetings and met individually with each retailer twice a month. Introduced three motivational programs to foster friendly sense of competition.

- Overhauled customer service; implemented program of initiatives, including better mall directories, behavioural adjustment ‘may I help you’ campaigns, new information desks, innovative gift card programs, the complaints system ‘handled 24/7’ and branded shuttle buses, which boosted tourist shopper percentages from 2% to 24%.

- PR Strategy: Added $65.8K of ad value publicity through comprehensive PR plans; organised press releases, product shoots and conferences aimed at all media, including daily news, magazines, business and trade publications, radio, online portals and broadcasts.

- Contract Negotiation: Achieved gift voucher sales of $3.5M per year; sold new transferable vouchers to corporates, government, hotels and individually by customer service staff in the malls. Initiated incentives that immediately generated a 68% increase in sales. Devised a new loyalty program that achieved 20% increase in food court sales, substantially increased fashion avenue footfall and secured a new qualified customer database of 300, 000 in less than a year.

- Brought in to overhaul annual marketing and sales plans for main academy services at a leading IT training company. Managed $150K budgets and ran a team of five staff, including sales managers and a marketing and communications manager.
- Exceeded all sales targets and achieved marketing goals set in annual plan. Fostered productive and cohesive relationships with key stakeholders, and mentored and coached team to substantially improved performance.

- Hired to lead marketing programs for key clients, including Intercontinental Jordan, Hilton Abu Dhabi, Nile Hilton Cairo, Conrad Cairo and Crowne Plaza Hotel Kuwait. Developed marketing plans that expanded and promoted brand vision, generated revenue and increased agent network profitability.

- Generated radically increased sales performance, setting large number of sales records, including the Hilton Diamond Program Cairo (157% over sales), Conrad Class Cairo (399% over profit budget), Crowne Plaza Privilege Program, Kuwait (294% over profit) and Intercontinental Privilege Program Jordan (240% over profit budget).

- Achieved first rank on the MENA region offices for Hilton Premium Program Cairo in 2006 and set new record at Hilton Premium Program Abu Dhabi for year 2006 (254% over profit budget and 154% over sales target).

- Radically improved service quality standards through implementation of country calibrated marketing plans, using ad campaigns, consumer promotions and local marketing events. Retained and increased loyalty bases and revenues through targeted programs, benefits, incentives and promotions for hotel facilities.

- Implemented sweeping change; brought in new benefits programs, enhanced online marketing, generated PR and negotiated advertising. Built partnerships with key stakeholders, including banks and corporates, to exploit staff loyalty programs.