United Arab Emirates
Helping organizations become more integrated and future-ready. For more than two decades, this has meant leading digital, data, and AI transformation across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia: building systems, teams, and cultures that elevate performance and unlock new growth. A career shaped by one belief: when people, data, and intelligent technology move together, companies become unstoppable. The work has spanned enterprise-wide digital foundations, including BAT's multi-market Integration Core built alongside a talented, multicultural team, Fine Hygienic Holding's Ecommerce ecosystem, a MarTech startup founded and successfully exited, global AI enablement programs, and high-performing teams recognized for exceptional engagement. Today, heading Global AI Products and Experience at BAT: leading ChatBAT, an enterprise AI ecosystem serving 50,000+ employees, and AI Pioneers, a novel cohort-based program that delivers 10 AI use cases a month through Co-Creation between AI Developers and Subject matter experts from different function (Finance, Treasury, R&D, ...). Running alongside the executive work: doctoral research at Grenoble Ecole de Management, developing the ALIEN framework (Agency, Licensing, Inspection, Evaluation, and Normalization), a governance methodology for the era of agentic AI, exploring how enterprises responsibly grant, monitor, and revoke authority to autonomous AI agents as they grow more capable and more trusted. Published at aigovernanceblog.com. The passion has always been turning complexity into clarity: designing the operating models, capabilities, and cultures that help organizations innovate with confidence while staying grounded in what works day to day. Strategy, engineering, and research, all in service of helping companies move faster, smarter, and more boldly. Always glad to connect with leaders committed to building organizations where intelligence enhances every decision, empowers every team, and amplifies every outcome.
Leading enterprise AI transformation at BAT, owning the strategy, products, and experience programs that bring AI to life across a global workforce. The scope covers two interconnected pillars: enterprise AI product ownership and the human experience built around it. On the product side, this means driving the strategy, design, and lifecycle of ChatBAT, BAT's enterprise AI ecosystem, built to put intelligent capabilities in the hands of every employee, across every market. On the experience side, it means ensuring adoption is real. Through AI Pioneers and structured immersion programs, the work goes beyond deployment: building genuine AI fluency, shifting behaviors, and embedding AI into how the organization actually operates day to day. Central to this is leading BAT's GenAI Lab in Dubai, based at DIFC Innovation One, at the heart of the region's AI startup ecosystem. The lab serves as the bridge between cutting-edge AI innovation and enterprise application, identifying and integrating emerging capabilities into BAT's AI products while actively contributing to the growth of the broader ecosystem. The result is an enterprise where AI isn't a feature. It's the way work gets done.
As Area CIO for APMEA West, I lead the digital, data, and AI transformation across a diverse region of 17 markets—designing the foundations, capabilities, and culture required to operate as a unified, intelligence-driven enterprise. I architected The Digital Core, a modern integration and data backbone that connects systems, processes, and experiences across the Area. This platform has become a regional blueprint for interoperability, real-time visibility, and scalable innovation—strengthening the way our markets execute, collaborate, and grow. My remit spans consumer, customer, supply chain, operations, marketing, and corporate functions, ensuring that each discipline is empowered with the right technology, data, and intelligence to make faster, clearer decisions. I also oversee the modernization of factory systems, ERP landscapes, and infrastructure—elevating resilience, performance, and compliance across the region. A core part of my leadership focus is people: building high-performing, inclusive teams with deep digital and AI capabilities. I introduced new operating models and ways of working that balance innovation with stability—allowing the organization to disrupt, modernize, and optimize simultaneously. Through this approach, we’ve strengthened our in-house delivery engine, reduced external dependency, and accelerated execution in key strategic areas. In partnership with global, regional, and local teams, I also led the Area’s AI enablement journey—launching programs that elevate literacy, foster experimentation, and embed AI into everyday workflows. This has helped position APMEA West as a forward-leaning, transformation-oriented region within the company. My mission as CIO is simple: build an enterprise where digital, data, and AI work together to unlock meaningful performance, empower people, and shape the future of the business.
Nominated to serve on the Advisory Board of POTECH, a dynamic organization dedicated to innovation and strategic growth in the Cybersecurity industry. In this role, I provide guidance, strategic insights, and expertise to help shape the company’s direction and support its long-term success. I collaborate closely with shareholders and leadership to ensure POTECH remains at the forefront of its industry.
Member of the Leadership team and reporting to the CEO, I am responsible to lead the Digital Transformation of Fine Hygienic Holding on the B2C and B2B fronts. My role in Fine HH is to lead on the digital front and help the company reach its vision of becoming "the shining star of the Arab FMCG world". For 3 years, Fine HH went through a major transformation on the digital front, and my team was a major driver in this endeavor: - The E-Commerce contribution to the company’s EBITA grew significantly. - Fine Tissues is the number one brand on Amazon in its category, with market share exceeding 80%. - Fine Guard is the number one brand on Amazon in its category, with market share exceeding 50%. - Fine Baby is in the top 3 brands on amazon, with market share exceeding 30%. - TheFineShop.com, Fine HH’s own Direct To consumer online store, was launched in 2020 and offered consumers around the world access to Fine HH’s entire product portfolio, with easy online payment and worldwide shipping. - E-Commerce growth tripled in 2020. These results are the fruits of a big revamp of Fine HH’s infrastructure and internal processes, along with a big shift in mindset on how to conduct sales and marketing in a digital world. The most prominent success is by far my direct contribution to the launch of "Fine Guard", the virus killing reusable mask, during the COVID19 pandemic. I lead a small team of talented individuals, managed to create a brand from scratch, and launched it on Amazon within 8 days.
Leading the Digital Transformation of Fine Solutions, the Middle East and North Africa Away-From-Home (AFH) Tissue and Hygiene division of Fine Hygienic Holding. My role consists of deep strategic thinking and use of incredible technologies, in the aim of deploying a digital ecosystem that will assist Fine Solutions in boosting it’s audience relationship, optimizing it’s business and maintaining a leadership position in it’s industry.
In 2010, I Co-Founded a tech startup, BLOOMERANGS, specialized in marketing software solutions. BLOOMERANGS kicked of as a very ambitious, energetic and forward thinking company. We pioneered the marketing technologies industry in the Middle East, by creating a branded marketing platform, BLOOOOM, which aim is to assist marketers in turning their customers into fans. Key achievements within 7 years: - We created more than 11 powerful marketing tools (Content Management, Communication Management, Commerce Management, Loyalty Management, Coupons Management, Surveys Management, Digital Signage, Proximity Marketing Management, Audience Management, Audience Segmentation, Reporting and Analytics), all under a single unified cloud-based platform, integrated with multiple channels like Websites, Mobile Apps, Social Media, etc. - We expanded our business and operation from Beirut to the Middle East and Africa region (Head office in Beirut, Business Development office in Dubai) - We developed a customer base including big local and regional names like Nike, Converse, Red Bull, Infiniti, Nissan, AWRostamani, Villagio Qatar, Abu Dhabi Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi Mall, FitRepublik, Empire Cinemas, Cinema City, Maliks Bookshop, Saradar Bank, Bank of Beirut and Arab Countries (BBAC), and more. - We participated in regional events and exhibitions, and nailed various award, namely “The most innovative Audience Relationship Management platform in the UAE - 2014” - We deployed ENRICH (enrichclub.com, for AWRostamani Group), the biggest automotive loyalty coalition network in the UAE, fully running on BLOOOOM, and integrated with one of the biggest Oracle ERP deployment in the country. In 2017, BLOOMERANGS was acquired, along with BLOOOOM. As part of this acquisition, I handed over the CEOship of BLOOMERANGS for the acquirer, and exited the company through a very smooth transition phase.
Business Development, Market research and segmentation, Partner channel management, sales strategies, new product conception, development and roll out