Director of Sales and Marketing
Desert Gate Tourism
مجموع سنوات الخبرة :23 years, 3 أشهر
Desert Gate Tourism UAE, Oman & Qatar (a leading Destination Management Company with regional presence and affiliations)
• Led the business development, sales, account management, customer service, marketing, product development and project management. Developed strategy, built the business case and worked with all relevant entities and stakeholders.
• Since the inception phase of Desert Gate International in 2014, I developed a global sales strategy, built the commercial sales unit, by identifying the relevant source markets, including structuring, recruiting and developing the sales departments of 22 team members.
• Established and directed the marketing and outreach activities including the digital media platforms and public relations and local and international trade events in United Kingdom, Germany, France, Oman, Russia and Australia…
• Projected annual budget forecasts and provided periodic reports on profit, loss and growth, contributed to 60% percent growth of the whole turnover.
• Developed the technological dynamic online arm of Desert Gate to facilitate the international distribution and push brands and sales with the lowest time to market.
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Jun 2013 - Present
Meeting Point Emirates, UAE (a leading B2B provider of incoming travel services for professionals worldwide and leading global destination management company with full office infrastructures in many popular tourism destinations.
• Developed new business and account-managed existing business across Europe, Australia, Africa and the United States of America… Handled the third party operations to the destination with 33% growth on the annual revenues.
• Worked closely with the Product Team to create highly customized and exclusive contracts as well as contributed to negotiation and design of products as per a variety of themes and contexts.
• Devised new sales strategy; expanded sales coverage to a larger geographical area - globally.
• Played a strategic role in the expansion of Meeting Point International and leveraged cross selling across.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / MARKETING MANAGER (Founding Partner) Dec 2009 - Jun 2013
Beyond Reform & Development (BRD/ I) Group SAL, Lebanon:
A pioneering consulting firm and social enterprise specializing in, policy, research public administration reform and capacity development for international organizations, UN Agencies, government institutions and civil society groups in the Middle East, Gulf and North Africa.
As a Founding Partner and Executive Director I designed and implemented:
• Inception of BRD/I mission and vision, operations and human resources which included: internal work force development, budget forecasts and establishing representation in: Libya, Yemen and Kuwait.
• The establishment of the social entrepreneurship sector at BRDI which included founding the first incubator with arcenciel (Nabad), creating university curricula on social entrepreneurship (Saint Joseph University), establishing networks to support social enterprise development and training youth of social business planning, for clients including: USAID, International Labor Organization (ILO), UNDP, GIZ and Haigazian University (USAID USP program).
• National capacity building programs targeting women and youth in Lebanon, Libya, Iraq on topics of: Active Citizenship, Elections, Dialogue, Civic Engagement for clients including: UNFPA, Italian Development Cooperation, UNESCO, Office of Transitional Initiatives.
• Provision of technical assistance on strategy development, recruitment, fundraising, work force development, for clients including: Hariri Foundation, Forum for Democratic Libya, AMIDEAST, Relief International and the Lebanese Minsitry of Social Affairs and the Lebanese Ministry of Youth and Sport.
Meeting Point Lebanon (part of Meeting Point International, )
• Mainly promoted and sold Lebanon as a Tourism Destination, Helped to position the company as one of the Top DMCS in Lebanon and the region.
• Promoted Lebanon in Europe through intensive Media and PR Campaigns.
• Helped organize several touristic and artistic events that attracted a large European audience and media experts to Lebanon.
• Worked with Journalists, TV producers, Documentary developers and helped produce more than 20 audio-visual and media publications in major European media outlets.
• Led on the operations and management of flagship projects and events with thousands of participants and more than 60 team members.
• Developed several marketing plans / concepts and delivered training on topics such as motivation, business planning, entrepreneurship and setting objectives while coordinating consultancy projects.
• Used a creative management approach to assist several SMEs in Lebanon to structure their sales and marketing department and deliver an optimized growth (Aptec Lebanon, Limozine SAL)
• Contributed to the Project” COOP Management Capacity Building” a USAID initiative by the WRF Jezzine project that helped at strengthening the organizational and financial visibility of the COOP through building the capacity of members and staff to become more equipped in management skills and to maintain their future feasibility and income outside of the fund.
SENIOR TV RODUCER 2001 - 2005
Leo Burnett - Dubai, UAE and Beirut, Lebanon
• Managed production projects for portfolio of clients such as General Motors, Procter & Gamble, Philip Morris, Saudi Telecommunications…
• Creatively managed the production and recruited international talents and directors.
• Oversaw daily filming and costs, solved problems and managed the post production process through collaborating a timely and solution solving approach within all crew members involved.
• Helped in Brand raising awareness that lead to a substantial increase of market share through the creation of diversified advertising material.
LINE P RODUCER 2000 - 2002
The Orchard (Division of Leo Burnett) - Dubai, UAE
• Managed all operations with regular client liaison
• Ensured finances were compliant including contract bidding and procurement
