Director of Communications
Silatech
Total years of experience :29 years, 10 Months
Guided development of the Silatech brand as the organization expanded to include over active 100 partnerships, multiple sub-brands, and diverse programming tracks in 15 Arab countries.
* Led organizational rebranding away from a youth-directed orientation to reflect the organization's B2B partnership model. Created and implemented adaptable brand architecture guidelines governing relationships between Silatech, partners, and product brands.
* Conceived a media strategy leveraging partner outreach to achieve regional and international coverage; maintained a constant media presence averaging 3 press releases monthly.
* Championed an innovative "mindset change" partnership to launch El Mashrou3, the Arab world's first entrepreneurship-themed reality TV show, linking millions of viewers with physical and online entrepreneurship resources. Spearheaded motivational social media campaigns to encourage youth savings, entrepreneurship, vocational training, career planning, etc.
* Created effective brand and marketing strategies for public-facing product brands including Ta3mal (youth employability network), Narwi (Islamic crowdfunding) and youth enterprise loan products in coordination with business units and partners.
* Identified and managed potential communication risks including political perceptions, culturally/linguistically diverse audiences, partner coordination.
* Provided creative direction and content for print collaterals, videos, animations, and websites.
* Proactively spearheaded a targeted social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) strategy to promote public awareness of Silatech, influence youth attitudes/mindset, and directly market Silatech-related products to youth. Co-created a comprehensive social media guide to build partner capacity. Developed Silatech employee social media guidelines.
Planned and implemented a comprehensive public affairs strategy which positioned DSG at the forefront of policy discourse in the UAE, and as a leading public policy institution in the Arab world. Led a team of five responsible for Web, design, media relations and translation. Managed a budget of USD 1.8 million.
• Drove an active calendar (averaging 5/month) of public events designed to foster awareness of various policy issues.
• Established and/or managed partnerships with leading public, private and nonprofit sector organizations including Harvard University, Dubai Executive Council, Abraaj Capital and others positioning DSG as a preferred knowledge partner.
• Composed speeches, presentations, op-eds, briefings for senior DSG management, government stakeholders and HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Developed content for conferences, symposia and forums.
Led a publications team including translator, designer and webmaster. Managed budget cuts of 30 percent over three years, while improving quality and output. Created and developed the DSG publications program, managing all stages of academic and promotional publications. Led the development of two DSG Web sites (www.dsg.ae and www.execed.dsg.ae) at very low cost, personally specifying design, tagging, content generation and other features.
• Created a suite of DSG research publications and managed all stages of editing and production. Prolific production—25 policy briefs, 42 working papers, 8 reports, 14 newsletters, 15 proceedings, 3 books. Most produced in both English and Arabic.
• Multiplied outreach impact by introducing social media, podcasts, Webcasts, and e-newsletters.
• Wrote most text for quarterly newsletters, corporate and program brochures, internal newsletters, display advertisements, radio and video scripts. Edited press releases.
• Developed marketing campaigns for DSG's executive education and academic programs.
• Served as primary editor for "Global Challenge, Regional Responses: Forging a Common Approach to Maritime Piracy."
• Negotiated copyright agreements distinguishing intellectual property of authors, publishers and translators.
Led a team of five serving as an in-house advertising agency as ZU tripled in size and achieved international recognition. Guided development of the ZU brand and sub-brands. Successfully bridged Western academic rigor with a UAE focus on very high profile events.
• Achieved global awareness for ZU by co-founding the "Women as Global Leaders" international student leadership conference, bringing over 1000 delegates from 87 countries to Dubai in 2005. Led all aspects of the marketing campaign, brand development, Website and collaterals, sponsorship promotions. Managed media outreach. Directly handled contract negotiations with celebrity speakers.
• Established ZU's first cross-institutional brand guidelines, covering visual identity, writing style, Web standards. Oversaw integrated brand development for multiple sub-brands and semi-autonomous institutions connected with ZU.
• Responsible for all external print, Web, video and multimedia materials for the University, individual colleges, outreach programs and institutes.
• Developed “digital diploma” and online verification system for graduates.
• Demonstrated superior writing and rigorous editorial standards; entrusted with editing the ZU catalog for 6 years running, along with all external promotional publications.
• Led a cross-departmental team responsible for producing complex and spectacular events involving multiple vendors and production companies with difficult deadlines.
• Initiated and implemented a full departmental restructuring within 3 months of arrival, resulting in major increase of media coverage and improved publications performance.
Rebranded the organization, and broadened and deepened outreach to senior government, business leaders through content-driven outreach.
• Led a rebranding process and established a new corporate identity. Wrote content for, directly designed and produced new Web site, newsletter, special reports, promotional materials. Edited academic publications, composed text for informational publications.
• Established CCAS’s first comprehensive contacts database; initiated delivery of electronic content to government, business, media.
Served in the International Press Office, responsible for foreign media coverage of King Hussein, King Abdullah II of Jordan.
• Arranged interviews, coordinated press conferences, drafted written correspondence and press releases for King Hussein. Edited daily news summary.
• Designed architecture, created all content for the official Web site of HM King Hussein, still online at www.kinghussein.gov.jo.
• Researched and wrote open source intelligence reports, presenting them directly to King Hussein, King Abdullah of Jordan.
Graduated “With Distinction.” 3.9 GPA. Concentration in Politics.
3.6 GPA, Major in Anthropology.