Sustainability at Samsonite is embedded at every stage of product development from material sourcing and design to end‑of‑life handling. In 2020 under the leadership and vision of our Global CEO Kyle Gendreau, Samsonite corporation launched a comprehensive sustainability strategy called Our Responsible Journey, built on our 115-year heritage of innovation. We see it as the compass guiding our decision-making on our journey to 2030 and the path to our long-term ambition. In 2022, we refined the way we frame our strategy, focusing on three pillars – Product, Planet, and People – supported by a foundation of strong governance

We structure innovation around three key pillars: sustainable materials – durability & circularity – carbon footprint reduction. Here are some of our milestones in 2024: Approximately 40% of net sales came from products that incorporate some recycled materials, up from about 34% in 2023. We ranked #40 of 500 Companies (and #2 in Retail, Wholesale & Consumer Goods industry) by Time Magazine as World’s Best Companies in Sustainable Growth 2025.

At Samsonite, sustainability isn’t an afterthought, it’s woven into the very DNA of your product.

The post-pandemic travel is a strange beast, after standing still for a long time, expectations and experiences have changed widely, what can you tell us about this?

It has been a fascinating shift. After an extended pause earlier, people have returned to travel with fresh perspectives and priorities. ‘Experiences are taking precedence over material expenses leading to higher travel’especially now in 2025 as the industry has had time to reset. Staycations and short term travel has increased

One of the most striking changes is pent-up demand finally translating into sustained momentum. In many regions, international travel volumes are getting close to or even exceeding 2019 levels, driven by a mix of leisure trips, blended work-and-travel lifestyles, and people simply eager to make up for lost time. But while bookings are up, travelers have become far more selective about where they go and how they get there.

Sustainability has really cemented itself as a priority in 2025. A growing number of travelers especially Millennials and Gen Z want their trips to align with their values. They’re paying attention to the carbon impact of flights, the sustainability credentials of accommodations and even the environmental footprint of the luggage they carry. At Samsonite, this has been a major focus.

At the same time, personalization and digitalization have accelerated. Travelers expect tailored experiences, from booking apps that learn their preferences to luggage which is an extension of their personality and support a more connected lifestyle. Samsonite has leaned into this by offering more customization options and smart features that make traveling simpler and more personal.

Of course, there are still challenges inflation, labor shortages in hospitality and transport, and geopolitical tensions are all factors that can impact consumer confidence. But overall, 2025 feels like a year of redefinition for travel: people are traveling more, but with much clearer expectations. They want their trips to be meaningful, flexible,and sustainable. So in many ways, post-pandemic travel isn’t about returning to the old playbook, it’s about reimagining what travel can be. And for Samsonite, it means continuing to innovate in ways that help people move responsibly and confidently whether they’re heading across town or across the world.

Gen Z is known to buy products from companies that align with their values, how is the travel industry meeting them and being compatible with their expectations?

I think it gets to the heart of how much the travel industry has evolved over the past few years. Gen  Z has set a very clear benchmark for brands: if you want their loyalty, you have to walk the talk when it comes to values.

First and foremost, sustainability is front and center.  In addition, personalization and digital engagement. This is a generation that has grown up online and they expect intuitive digital experiences. From seamless mobile booking to AI-powered recommendations, the industry is using technology to build more tailored journeys. We see the same demand in how people shop for luggage. They want personalization from color and accessories to smart features and a frictionless digital experience when they research and buy.

Then there’s the matter of authenticity. Gen Z has little patience for cookie cutter experiences. They’re looking for trips that feel meaningful, immersive cultural exchanges, local food, opportunities to give back to communities they visit. This appetite for genuine engagement even influences what they pack: lightweight, versatile luggage that adapts to more spontaneous, experience-driven travel styles. Of course, social media is a huge part of this equation. For Gen Z, inspiration often starts on platforms like TikTok or Instagram. The smartest travel brands aren’t just using social media as a marketing channel they’re creating communities and amplifying real customer stories. At Samsonite, we’ve leaned into this as well. You’ll see more of our campaigns highlighting real travelers and the ways they use our products to explore sustainably and authentically.

Overall, I think the big takeaway is that Gen Z has pushed travel brands to become more transparent, more sustainable, and more human. That’s a good thing for everyone. In meeting their expectations, the industry is laying the groundwork for a more responsible and inspiring future of travel.

Samsonite is a heritage brand, how does it balance history and modernity without alienating its core customers?

That’s an excellent question and one I hear often especially here in the Middle East, where our customers appreciate both legacy and innovation. At Samsonite, we see our heritage as a tremendous strength. For the last 115 years , we’ve been trusted by travelers around the world because of our relentless focus on quality, durability, and design. That commitment hasn’t changed. What has evolved is the way we express it.

We’re very conscious that many of our loyal customers have been with Samsonite for decades. They trust us to deliver consistent performance. So, while we innovate, we never compromise on the fundamentals like strength, practicality, and long-term value. You’ll see that in our after sales support, our commitment to repairability and the fact that so many of our collections are designed to last for years, if not decades.

Balancing that history and modernity is really about honoring our legacy while reimagining how we serve the next generation. A great example is our PROXIS™ collection. It’s built with our exclusive Roxkin™ material—strong, lightweight, and impact-resistant embodying the durability our brand is known for but with a design language that feels fresh and progressive.

In the Middle East specifically, our customers are sophisticated and diverse. They want products that reflect their personal style, respect tradition and deliver modern convenience. Whether it’s our premium business collections, our family-friendly travel ranges or our sustainability focused innovations, we strive to give them options that feel both classic and forward looking.

Ultimately, I believe the secret to balancing history and modernity is to stay true to our core purpose helping people travel with confidence while constantly listening, adapting, and leading.

Since 1910, when Jesse Shwayder, started the company, we have survived 2 World Wars, 2 Pandemics (The Spanish Flu & Covid), 2 Financial Crisis (The Great Depression & The Financial Crisis of 2008) and continued to serve our customers. Not many brands, especially in the consumer durable industry can reflect such resilience and legacy to overcome challenges.

This is how Samsonite has remained relevant for over a century and it’s how we intend to keep evolving.

Technically, self.space runs on a closed loop we engineered from scratch. You step into the studio, see yourself in a full-length mirror, and trigger the shutter with a thumb-sized remote, with no photographer and no outside gaze. The moment a frame is captured, it is written to an encrypted drive and sealed with a one-time password that even our team cannot bypass. From there our own AI model, built in-house rather than bolted on from an off-the-shelf API, replaces the traditional retoucher. Because it is trained exclusively on self-portraits, it knows how to tread lightly: it evens out light, contrast, and colour, while keeping minor skin distractions, such as freckles and pores, and every quirk that makes a face unique. In a few seconds, the finished image appears in your private gallery, accessible only with the code the system sends to you. The entire journey, from click to polished portrait, stays inside a secure box you control, and the end result looks like you on your best-lit day, nothing more, nothing less.

Yes, women still do not feel comfortable, but there is a rise in modest fashion regardless of religion as of late. How do you see these issues playing on the social level?

The common thread is personal agency. Everywhere, people want to decide how they are seen and who gets to see them. Modest fashion expresses that choice through clothing, while self- directed photography expresses it through space and technology. At self.space, the door closes, the outside gaze disappears, and guests, whether covered, casual, or corporate, set their boundaries. We are not challenging any norms; we are offering a neutral canvas, allowing each person to define their own comfort and self-expression on their own terms.

It is a little interesting that the founders of self.space, Mitia Muravev (Founder & CEO) and Peter Bondarenko (Founder & CPO), are both males… Is there an irony or discrepancy in this?

Not really. Feeling uneasy in front of a camera is a universal human experience, rather than a gendered one. By approaching the problem through empathy, asking how anyone can feel in control and at ease, we created a space that resonates widely. Today, around 70 percent of our guests are women, and we hope more men will discover that a privacy-first studio makes portraits feel effortless rather than awkward. Good product thinking listens to people’s feelings, not their pronouns.

“We don’t sell photos, we sell a moment of radical self-ownership” is one of your quotes. How do your clients feel about self.space, considering most women reject their images because tension never leaves their faces?

First, we never call them clients; they are guests. The experience starts online with an intuitive booking flow, continues in a calm lounge, and then into a private studio where no one rushes or judges them. Because the guest controls the shutter, they have time to breathe, try poses, laugh and retry. By the time the AI delivers the gallery, usually before they leave the building, most guests are smiling at their screens rather than critiquing themselves. Many tell us it’s the first time they’ve truly liked a photo of themselves.

Taboo is everywhere, in social norms and heritage. Do we need to fight or adjust to it, specifically given that you come from different nationalities than the GCC women you are targeting?

We live and work in the Gulf, and we built self.space with guidance from local friends, partners, and early guests. The region is wonderfully diverse: Emirati, Saudi, Lebanese, Indian, Filipino, European, and American communities all have different comfort zones. Rather than dictate norms, we offer a private room, respectful technology, and total control over sharing. That approach resonates far beyond the GCC; it is simply good manners in a digital age.

The studio seems like a boutique-hotel spa. Why is that so?

Great portraits happen when people feel relaxed, not exposed. We borrowed hospitality cues such as warm lighting, soft textures, and discreet service bells to drop anxiety the moment you step in. The tech may be futuristic, but the vibe is human: plush seating, playlists chosen for calm confidence, and staff trained more like concierges than camera operators. Think of it as self-care that happens to produce magazine-grade images.

You know what’s wild? We’re living in 2025, sending people into space for fun, and yet half the population still whispers about periods like they’re some kind of state secret.

In the GCC, this issue is exacerbated by social stigma attached to many aspects of women’s health, from periods to perimenopause. These stigmas prevent women from seeing doctors for potentially serious health issues, right up until the point where symptoms become impossible to ignore.

The result? Pretty terrible health outcomes. For example, 80% of breast cancers in MENA are diagnosed at Stage 4 (27% five-year survival rate) versus in the UK, where 80% are diagnosed at Stages 1 and 2 (99% five-year survival rate).

Trying to change culture doesn’t work, and even if it did, we wouldn’t want to do it. The cultural richness of the GCC is arguably one of its greatest assets. Instead, at NABTA, we try to address taboos by creating safe spaces where conversations can happen naturally, and by meeting women where they are, both literally and figuratively.

Hybrid platforms like NABTA’s allow for privacy that traditional healthcare settings can’t always provide. When a woman can access information about PCOS or menopause from her own home and consult a doctor, without explaining to anyone why she needs the appointment, you make it possible for her to be seen without judgement. Add cultural intelligence to the mix, et voila! You’re away.

A mission-led startup in the Middle East can be a hit or a miss, can you tell us more how you braved this specific topic and how you went about doing it on the ground?

I’m not sure I really had a choice in the matter. If you’re mission-led as an individual, wired for or against a particular thing (in my case, injustice), you’re going to naturally be drawn to building companies that are also mission-led. And there’s going to be one mission that drives you more than others.

I founded four companies in three years before NABTA, all of them mission-led – a doctor-finding, appointment-booking platform in Pakistan; a plastic recycling company in Sierra Leone. But although the impact of these companies was a key driver for me, they weren’t “the” company I wanted to build, “the” problem I wanted to solve.

I remember in 2014, shortly after I started my first company, I pitched it to an investor back in the UK. He stopped me halfway through the pitch and said, “Sophie, don’t take this the wrong way… I’m sure you’re going to be very successful at whatever you do in life, but this is not it.”

I was taken aback. “What do you mean?” I asked.

“You don’t want it enough,” he said.

“What do you mean I don’t want it enough?” I asked, confused.

He looked at me gently, kindly, and said, “When you find what you’re meant to be doing – when you want “it” enough – you’ll know.”

For years, this niggled at me. What did “want it enough” mean? I knew I wanted a family, and to spend time with my kids. Did that mean I would never want any company “enough”? Was I never going to be dedicated enough, focused enough, “enough” as Sophie, to make it a success?

And then, about six months into founding NABTA, the investor’s words came back to me, one day as I was driving home from the mall in the middle of the night.

Wanting to solve a problem “enough” isn’t about excluding all other sources of joy from your life. It isn’t about choosing not to start a family or choosing to spend time away from your kids. You can build a family and a business in parallel, and you can do it your way, and lots of people do.

Wanting it “enough” means, in those quiet moments where you could be doing anything or thinking about anything, it’s the problem you’re trying to solve that comes to mind. In the shower, in the car, when you’re doing the grocery run – your company and your customers, and the impact you’re chasing, are the things you think about.

That’s how I knew NABTA was the company for me. That’s how I knew I wanted it “enough”. And the fact that we’re building it here in the Middle East, where women have historically been among the most underserved in terms of their healthcare – that’s always been fuel, not a deterrent.

Why does investing in women’s health make business and financial sense, specifically in the case of Nabta Health?

For us, the business case for investing in women’s health has always been obvious – women’s health is a US$1.3 trillion market globally, largely untapped, with fewer than 1% of companies looking at the 645 million underserved women in the Middle East and Africa.

But here’s where it gets really interesting from a business perspective. Despite most companies providing access to healthcare in some form to their female employees, women are not getting the care they need. It takes four times longer on average to diagnose women with the same chronic conditions as men, even though they’re twice as likely to claim on insurance.

Companies are paying 90-200% of an employee’s annual salary when they lose senior female talent. For executives, that can exceed 213% when you factor in recruitment, training, and lost productivity. Meanwhile, our hybrid healthcare model delivers a 30.1% reduction in hospital admissions and 23% cost savings on medical expenses.

So, imagine you’re a CEO looking at your bottom line. You can either keep paying hundreds of thousands in replacement costs every time a talented woman leaves due to health disruptions, OR you can invest in preventive, comprehensive women’s healthcare that keeps your talent pipeline intact while actually reducing your overall healthcare spend.

From NABTA’s perspective, proper, woman-centric care creates incredible customer lifetime value. When companies see measurable ROI, reduced attrition, increased productivity, better ESG metrics, they don’t just renew their contracts, they expand them.

For companies like NABTA, who work with payors directly to reduce the cost of healthcare and improve its effectiveness, the business case is not just “better healthcare”, it’s “better business”.

Decentralized diagnosis is a way to liberate women from the social problems arising from taboo to social no-no; how is it that the democratization of care can benefit everyone?

Our ultimate objective at NABTA is health sovereignty for women. What does that mean? It means empowering women to become the primary architects of their own care, and the ultimate sources of knowledge about their own bodies. It means giving every woman – regardless of where she’s from, or what she looks like, or how much money she earns – the knowledge, tools and access to get the care she needs, when she needs it.

This is where technology becomes genuinely revolutionary. When you have the ability to shift knowledge and tools away from healthcare providers and put them in the hands of women – when you decentralise and democratise access to care – you enable women and remove gatekeepers.

Think about it: a 22-year-old dealing with irregular periods doesn’t have to explain to her family why she needs a gynecologist appointment. A 35-year-old exploring fertility options can access information and initial consultations without office gossip. A 48-year-old experiencing perimenopause symptoms can get proper diagnosis without being dismissed as “just stressed.”

NABTA’s 24/7 digital platform means a woman in Abu Dhabi or Jeddah or Cairo has the ability to access the same quality of care as someone in Dubai. Evening clinic hours accommodate everyone’s schedule, not just the traditional 9-to-5. Multilingual support (we offer 5 languages) means language isn’t a barrier to healthcare.

And then there’s the beautiful ripple effect: when women have better health outcomes, entire families benefit. Women are key household decision-makers, responsible for 80% of caregiving and 80% of consumption decision-making globally. When you empower women, you uplift society. Children have healthier mothers. Partners have fewer caregiving obligations. Companies have more productive employees. Healthcare systems have better preventive care ratios.

A rising tide lifts all boats. When you democratise care for the historically underserved 50% of the population, you improve health outcomes for everyone.

Nabta Health sits on the intersection of AI, ethics and equity, how can this triangle be balanced and these supposedly disparate sectors aligned?

Our approach to women’s health puts equity at the center of care. The very nature of decentralised, personalised healthcare means building care to cater for the health and wellbeing of each individual, regardless of their age, stage, income status or country of origin.

When we develop our AI tools, our training data deliberately includes diverse populations: different ages, ethnicities, and health profiles. Because if our AI learns that “normal” looks like a 25-year-old white woman, we’re reinforcing systemic biases not eliminating them.

In terms of the balance between artificial and human inputs, we’ve designed our platform to exist around an “augmented intelligence” – combining patient, clinician and artificial intelligence to deliver the best health outcomes for women. In our world, AI augments human care, it doesn’t replace it. Our care teams use AI-powered insights to provide better recommendations, but the relationship between patient and provider remains fundamentally human. Women aren’t interacting with chatbots about their reproductive health, they’re getting AI-enhanced care from real healthcare professionals who live in the same places and understand the same cultural nuances as they do.

In terms of access, this is where the equity piece gets really exciting. AI allows us to scale personalised care in ways that were impossible before. Instead of one-size-fits-all treatment protocols provided in a one-to-one relationship by a specialist, our augmented intelligence means we can provide individualised care plans that take inputs from multiple specialties and account for each individual’s reality, including genetic factors, lifestyle realities, cultural considerations, and personal preferences.

And then we ask questions, and we validate continuously. We know we’re succeeding if we can demonstrate that we’re eliminating health inequities and improving the health sovereignty of women in quantifiable ways. Are women from different socioeconomic backgrounds getting equal access to preventive care options such as annual health checks? Do they do them? When they do them, do they understand and act on the results?

At NABTA, the AI-ethics-equity triangle stays balanced because each point reinforces the others. Ethical AI builds trust, which improves equity. Equitable access provides diverse data, which improves AI. And better AI enables more ethical, equitable care delivery. For us, achieving an equilibrium is not about balancing competing priorities, it’s about creating synergy between them.

Government support across the region is instrumental in accelerating the shift to electric mobility – paving the way for both infrastructure and innovation. We are also supporting limousine and rental partners in their fleet diversification objectives to incorporate more BEV variants. At Audi, we are fully aligned with this vision. By the end of 2025, we will have introduced more than 20 models in the region, half of which are fully electric – each one designed to deliver the performance, design, and progressive technology that defines our brand. This includes exciting additions like the Audi Q6 e-tron SUV and Sportback and the recently launched A6 e-tron and updated e-tron GT, showcasing our commitment to the future of premium electric mobility with variants to cater for different owner needs & requirements.

We also recognise that with the move to electric comes a growing need for supporting infrastructure. That is why we have worked closely with our partners, such as Siemens, Desert Technologies in KSA, KAHRAMAA, and the Audi EVO charging network in Oman, to ensure a seamless customer experience – from purchase to charging.  Together, we have installed over 150 chargers across the region, including 18 high-power chargers, with the majority located in the UAE and Oman. Notable installations include 21 chargers at the Museum of the Future in Dubai, and chargers in destinations like The Pearl and Doha Oasis in Qatar, Al Mzaar Hotel in Lebanon, and Al Hazm Mall in Doha. Looking ahead, we plan to install additional chargers in Saudi Arabia and Qatar by the end of 2025.

With everything going digital, why are showrooms still important as a touchpoint for consumers and agents alike?

Even in an increasingly digital world, the retail experience in our showroom remains the best place for drivers to truly understand what it feels like to own an Audi. It is where the promise of Vorsprung durch Technik comes to life – where customers can see, feel, and experience our cars up close. With our many new launches in 2025, this is especially important when new technologies and interfaces are introduced. Now is the time to see the future of Audi first hand.

Our recently launched Progressive Showroom Concept reimagines the traditional retail experience, blending modern design, intuitive layout, and personal engagement. It offers immersive journeys guided by our experts who can tailor the experience to each person who enters the showroom. From product walkthroughs to personalised consultations, every element is designed to build confidence and elevate the premium experience Audi is known for.

This was also clearly demonstrated during our recent customer engagement events across the region, Audi Open Haus. While the initiative was centred around bringing tailored packages for customers to find their perfect Audi, the focus remained firmly on experience and interaction with everything associated with Audi. Guests explored the expanding model range, engaged with Audi experts, and connected with the brand in a way that was thoughtful, personal, and true to our premium values. Whether it is a launching a new car or a promotional campaign, every moment in the showroom is crafted to reflect what it means to be part of the Audi world.

Audi is going from strength to strength when it comes to launches. What are your new strategies when it comes to new models or retail?

We are in the midst of Audi’s largest product offensive to date, backed by a well-balanced portfolio designed to meet the needs of a wide range of customers. Each of our cars, while unmistakably Audi, is crafted to resonate with different types of drivers, from performance seekers to tech enthusiasts, to those drawn to refined design.

This diversity allows us to connect with a wider audience while remaining anchored in the values that define our brand both in the way we launch products and how we support them at the retail level. Every new model launch is seen as an opportunity to show innovation and bring customers closer to the brand. This means more curated test drive experiences, integrated campaigns that connect online and offline, and retail formats designed around flexibility. Whether it is combustion or electric drive, we are committed to offering the right mix with the right support, allowing customer to choose based on their lifestyle with no compromise.

Younger consumers seem geared to buy from companies that resonate with their values – how is Audi responding to such evolving tastes, especially in the GCC?

The next generation of consumers are reshaping the landscape, and rightly so. They are looking for brands that speak to their sense of identity, purpose, and progress. At Audi, it is more than just the car itself, the entire creation process is at the forefront – from our evolving electrified technologies to our production practices and materials, we are moving toward a more sustainable future. We are also embracing digitalisation within our vehicles, with expansive displays, intuitive interfaces, connected services and smart technology that enhance the in-car experience. Our new A5 Sedan along with regional favourites such as the new Q5 have been designed with these expectations in mind; combining progressive design, digital sophistication, and everyday versatility. But beyond the car, it is also about how we communicate, collaborate and show up in culture. We are engaging with increasingly diversified communities through partnership, storytelling, and experiences that reflect their values while staying true to our DNA.

Audi, with its legendary motto Vorsprung durch Technik (Progress through Technology), had long stood apart from the competition. Can you tell us more about where things are going media-wise in the region?

Vorsprung durch Technik goes beyond a motto and is a mindset that informs every Audi we bring to market and everyone who lives and breathes Audi every day. Whether it is the design language, the driving dynamics, or the technology inside the cabin, each car embodies progress in a way that is tangible, not theoretical. That is the power of real progress – you can see it, hear it, and feel it. Our Audi experts across the region are ready to ensure every part of our tradition and progress is translated into a leading experience.

That is what continues to set us apart.

From a media perspective, our role is to bring this philosophy to life, through storytelling that highlights the real innovation behind the badge. It is less about the hard sell and more about revealing what is already there. As audiences get savvier, they want authenticity over advertising, and Audi delivers. So, whether it is a product film, a showroom visit, or a headline on launch day, we always let the car do most of the talking. We just make sure people are listening.

Experiential marketing isn’t about telling people what a brand stands for it’s about letting them feel it. It turns audiences from passive consumers into active participants. That’s where real brand love begins.

Take Nescafé: A cup handed out in-store wasn’t just a sample it was a pause in someone’s day, a moment of warmth. Or Honor’s mobile demos at mall roadshows consumers didn’t just see features; they experienced the product in motion. Those moments stay with people longer than any billboard ever could.

With brands in the GCC striving to differentiate themselves, how can experiential marketing help them break through the market clutter and leave a lasting impression?

In a region crowded with digital noise and promotional clutter, experiential marketing breaks through with something rare: presence. People remember how a brand made them feel: what they touched, tasted, laughed at, or posted about.

When we launched Whizmo, we didn’t explain how currency exchange worked, we let people try it, live and real-time, using interactive tech that brought the product to life. Or when we created Bioderma’s roadshow at universities, students received tailored skin consultations, building trust, relevance, and affinity. That’s when the brand stopped being a logo and became a relationship.

As AI continues to influence nearly every aspect of marketing, how can it be leveraged to create more targeted and effective experiential campaigns?

AI doesn’t replace creativity, it amplifies it.

From smarter targeting to real-time personalization, AI helps us make faster, think sharper and connect deeper. We have used facial recognition to read crowd sentiment, adjusted digital content mid-event, and built adaptive product journeys based on who is engaging with the screen.

What once took days now takes minutes. What used to feel generic now feels personal, at scale. And maybe that’s the real win: not just better efficiency, but deeper human connections.

Experiential marketing is known to foster a deeper connection with audiences. Can you explain how it resonates on both an emotional and behavioral level?

Emotionally, it creates memories that stick, people remember what they feel. Behaviorally, it drives action through hands-on trial and personalized experiences, gamified moments. These don’t just engage, they convert.  When consumers participate in something like customizing their own skincare regime during a live consultation or trying out a product in a playful, gamified setup they are far more likely to talk about it, trust it, and ultimately, buy into the brand. It’s not just marketing, it’s relationship-building in real time.

FLC Marketing has had a strong presence in the region for several years. Could you share a few examples to showcase how the agency has supported brands in driving measurable growth through your strategies and campaigns?

At FLC, every campaign starts with one question: what does success look like?

For some brands, it’s shifting perception. For others, driving awareness, for some it’s footfall, trial, or sales. We have helped iconic brands like Lacoste drive record-breaking engagement through interactive beach activations and mall roadshows.

For Hisense during FIFA, we turned brand association into brand love by recreating the energy of the stadium boosting offline and digital brand imagery by over 40%.

Even new-age brands like Seres (EV by Green Motors) trusted us to lead a full-funnel journey: we led with awareness, created need, and turned interest into conversion by understanding what truly moved their audience.

What ties it all together? Insight-led strategy, cross-channel storytelling, and a deep respect for ROI. Experiential is our stage, but business growth is our goal.

In the world of health communications, we treat it as an integrated system, not a string of one-off tactics. When a client faces a challenge, whether it is launching a therapy, shifting public attitude or shaping policy, our job is to bring brand storytellers, scientific writers, digital planners, data analysts and patient-engagement specialists into the same room, right from the start. Together we map every audience touchpoint across countries and regions, craft a single narrative and deliver it through the channels that matter most locally. Seeing the whole ecosystem this way lets us move faster, avoid duplication and build programmes that not only raise awareness but unlock access and improve outcomes. That’s what I call the ‘full-spectrum’ piece.

Your work spans EMEA and now International Markets – that is Europe, the Middle East, Africa and APAC, which are regions incredibly distinct in terms of culture, heritage and social norms. Can you tell us how do you balance this, and what works in certain regions and not others?

Balancing communications across the EMEA region requires a deeply localised approach. As communicators, we lead with flexibility and cultural intelligence, recognising that what works in one market may not resonate in another. Our strategies are always tailored to the local context, and we adapt every element, from tone to channel, based on what truly connects with each audience.

In Europe, where health literacy is generally high, a straightforward and technical tone often works well. But in parts of the Middle East, the same message may need to be reframed to reflect cultural values, such as family wellbeing or religious alignment. In many African markets, we simplify medical messaging and lean into storytelling or visual formats, especially where oral communication traditions or literacy considerations shape engagement.  Across APAC, the spectrum is just as broad: data-driven markets like Singapore or Japan respond to evidence-led, digital-first content, while in countries such as Indonesia or Vietnam, trust is built through community health workers, mobile storytelling and peer networks.

Equally important is choosing the right channels. In some markets, digital and print are effective; in others, radio or community gatherings are more powerful. We’re deliberate in reaching people where they are, whether through a webinar in Brussels, a trusted doctor’s Instagram in Riyadh, or a market-day activation in rural Kenya.

Crucially, trust looks different across regions. In Europe, people may look to institutions and scientific voices. In the Gulf, it is that but also a community elder, and in parts of Africa, it is a local NGO and local health workers and community leaders. We work closely with these trusted voices to ensure credibility and connection.

Cultural sensitivity underpins everything, from gender dynamics and modesty in imagery to symbolism and local proverbs. Our campaigns always embed in-market experts to ensure they reflect and respect local norms. In Saudi Arabia, for instance, we approach each of its 13 provinces, and indeed even cities, as culturally distinct, recognising that a campaign for Jeddah may need a different dialect, tone, or activation model than one for Abha or Al Qassim.  Likewise in APAC, we treat Seoul, Sydney and Shanghai as entirely different cultural universes, adapting everything from language nuance to platform choice so each market feels the work was built for them, not simply translated for them.

Ultimately, our guiding principle is to listen first. We often pilot locally, gather feedback, and scale only after refining for context. That mindset, of learning and adapting, is at the core of our success across the entire region.

You have a proven track record of leading businesses through start-up, turnaround, and high-growth phases, how does this apply to the health sector?

Health never stands still and is central for us all. Every day new scientific data is published, policies shift, and markets open, so in my view, agility is everything and should not be considered as optional.  Across regions, we’ve built teams from the ground up; re-tooled established teams in markets when client priorities changed; and now, as President ofInternational Markets, I’m focused on pulling those lessons together and integrating across new markets that bring their own set of diverse challenges.

An example is how we build programmes for our clients.  When a biotech moves from clinical to commercial, we embed with leadership, mapping every audience – investors, regulators, payers, patients – and aligning the story so each milestone accelerates the next. When a pharmaceutical company gears up for a complex reimbursement cycle, we run scenario workshops, adapt the evidence package and ready local advocates in advance. We work side-by-side through each business cycle, turning communications into a growth engine and, more importantly, a catalyst for better health. Integrated communications give us the levers, but genuine partnership keeps us on track.

Health obviously also includes sports, and in areas of the GCC this centers more around viewership as opposed to participation due to social stigma, specifically for the female gender. How does one work around this?

The gap between viewership and participation is real, but it can close when storytelling and support come together. We’ve seen encouraging momentum: Nike’s “What If You Can?” film in Saudi Arabia put local girls at the centre of the narrative and paired the message with school-based activations and accessible kit, normalising everyday movement over elite performance.

The UAE is pushing even further. Programmes like the Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy create year-round events and training for women and girls, providing the infrastructure and role models that sustain participation.  Emirate-level efforts such as the Dubai Fitness Challenge invite everyone to commit to 30 minutes of daily exercise, turning fitness into a shared social moment and boosting female sign-ups year on year.

Yet when we look at the data, it still shows room to grow.  Only about three percent of Saudi women meet the 150-minute weekly activity benchmark, but when governments, brands and community groups share what works, progress can accelerate across borders. Regional sports councils already exchange coaching resources; expanding that to marketing insights, modest-fashion friendly kit design and grassroots funding would help best practice travel faster from across markets.

Our role as integrated specialists is to weave those stories and partnerships together so that participation feels both possible and desirable, because healthier communities are a win-win for everyone in the long run, preventing long-term health conditions.

All of this is done via Dubai, which did you chose such a base and how does it help you do your work efficiently?

Dubai is a natural hub for international markets. A morning call with Singapore and a full business day in the Middle East, followed by a late call with the UK or US, can fit into the same day. Our talent pool mirrors our client footprint, and that diversity lets us build cross-market teams in real time, blending insights from different regions into a single integrated plan. We stay connected through a mix of in-person sessions and virtual collaboration, so ideas flow both ways and decisions land quickly. Practically, it means we keep the whole picture in view while delivering work that feels locally grounded. I believe this is a balance that modern healthcare demands.

The city’s ecosystem amplifies that advantage. Free-zone hubs like Dubai Science Park, home to more than 350 life-science companies and 3,600 professionals, and Dubai Healthcare City provide instant access to research, med-tech and clinical partners.  Flagship gatherings such as World Health Expo draw over 60,000 healthcare professionals each year, giving us a front-row seat to emerging trends and a main-cast role for coalition-building.

With robust digital infrastructure and easy air links, we can pilot campaigns locally, test them with diverse audiences and scale successful models across borders in weeks, not months. That agility, coupled with Dubai’s spirit of innovation is what keeps us ahead of the curve and close to the communities we serve.

At Holsten, we’re on a journey to elevate the brand and reinforce its premium positioning within the malt beverage category — particularly in a market like Saudi Arabia, where consumers are increasingly seeking brands that combine quality with lifestyle appeal. Georgina Rodríguez was a natural choice to help bring this to life. She embodies confidence, elegance, and individuality — qualities that align with Holsten’s evolving image. What makes her even more powerful in this role is her strong cultural resonance in the region. She’s not just globally famous — she’s admired locally for her poise, relatability, and connection to the Middle East. By pairing her with a light-hearted, hyper-local storyline, we were able to tap into her celebrity appeal in a way that feels both premium and authentically rooted in the Saudi context.

Beyond visibility, how does Holsten ensure that international ambassadors authentically represent local stories and values?

We grounded the entire campaign in a local storyline — from the neighbourhood setting in Riyadh, to the familiar characters and the playful rumour-driven narrative. Georgina isn’t portrayed as a distant celebrity — she’s seen through the eyes of the community, which gives the campaign emotional accessibility. We also shot the campaign entirely in Saudi Arabia and partnered with a local cast and crew to make sure the storytelling felt organic, not imported. It’s a campaign built in the region, for the region — Georgina was the spark, but the heart of the story is local.

How do you strike a balance between global appeal and regional relevance in your marketing strategy?

It starts with understanding what really matters to our audience. We’re seeing a cultural shift in Saudi Arabia — there’s a growing appetite for premium, expressive, and lifestyle-oriented brands. But we also know that relatability and cultural nuance are key. Our strategy with Holsten is to elevate the brand without losing its down-to-earth appeal. That means blending international cues like celebrity partnerships with hyper-local storytelling, visual language, and humour. It’s not about choosing between global and local — it’s about integrating both in a way that feels seamless and fresh

Can you share any insights on how local audiences have responded to the campaign, particularly with the inclusion of a global figure like Georgina?

The response has been fantastic. In just the first week, we surpassed 30 million views across social media, with very positive sentiment. What’s particularly exciting is how organically the campaign has gained traction — people are quoting the storyline, engaging with the character of Rajeev, and are celebrating Georgina’s surprise cameo. There’s a sense of joy and cultural pride in seeing a campaign of this calibre rooted in local reality. It’s also sparked buzz across Saudi media and lifestyle outlets, and we’re seeing people embrace the tagline “Treat Yourself with a Holsten” as part of their everyday moments.

What impact have you seen from audiences, specifically males, in the region particularly positioning Holsten as a female-centric drink?

That’s a great question — and part of what makes this campaign powerful. While Georgina helps us connect with female audiences, we’ve been very intentional in making Holsten a drink for everyone. The humour, the setting, and the storytelling are gender-neutral, and male engagement on our campaign assets has been very strong. Rajeev’s character has even started trending on social media, showing how male viewers are leaning into the narrative. We’re not positioning Holsten as a female-exclusive brand — rather, we’re opening up the category to feel more inclusive, emotional, and lifestyle-driven, without alienating our core consumers.

This year, New Balance has continued to embody its rich heritage while seamlessly blending innovation and exceptional craftsmanship. We take pride in fostering a spirit of enjoyment and fun while inspiring our community to come together through shared experiences that celebrate movement and style.

A great example is how we brought our iconic NB Grey Days to life in May, quite literally “painting the town grey” through a striking Koncrete x Ounass takeover and hosting our first Grey 5k social run with Foot Locker at JBR.

The Summer heat hasn’t slowed us down this year either, with activities such as indoor runs at malls in Abu Dhabi and Doha. Meanwhile in India we marked our busiest month to date, organising incredible in-store events and even a fashion show at a New Delhi mall.

Looking ahead, we have an exciting line-up of initiatives across the region, all involving our greatly loyal community. We can’t wait to reveal more in the coming months.

You have been the recipient of the prestigious “Sustainable Leadership Award” by the Asian Confederation of Businesses. Can you tell us more about this and what it means as a leader?

Despite it not being part of a traditional “marketing role”, I’m very passionate about sustainability and have taken ownership over a lot of initiatives and training sessions to drive awareness in the design industry mostly focused on topics like biomimicry as well as the conscious decision to design products with LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) and durability in mind.

I was very surprised to be recognised, however it is an accolade that I received and hold with extreme pride. To me it serves as a reminder that I, as well as everyone else, can always follow our passions and set our own paths.

Sports in the GCC region is a bit of mix-and-match. There is a lot of interest but more on the level of spectatorship rather than participation. How does one tackle this viewing the logistic constraints which include weather, social issues and what not?

You would be surprised with the changes this region has seen in recent years when it comes to interest in sports. Sport participation in the region is actually at an all-time high and it’s just amazing to see more people considering sports and movement as part of their daily lifestyle and not necessarily considering it as a chore or just a weight loss tool.

One of the biggest reasons that we have observed is that there has been a great mental shift as to how the public perceive sports and movement; it is no just a tool to lose weight, it has become an integral part of people’s daily lifestyle. As well as this, community-driven activities have seen a meteoric rise in the past few years, with sports such as padel becoming so popular, we have noticed that sports is becoming more about creating a social circle for people to connect and provide mutual motivation.

It’s been especially amazing to watch the increase of local women participation in sports. Both the governments and the community across the region have done a fantastic job in promoting women in sports. Women’s participation at events such as the Riyadh Marathon and Dubai Women’s Run, along with the increase of women’s running clubs in Doha, are great examples of how women are beginning to feel more connected to sports and movement.

SHRM emphasizes human-centered collaboration through its AI + HI approach to AI in the workplace, where tech augments human output as opposed to replacing it. AI transforms how we collaborate among teams, and this necessitates that organizations focus on:

Digital literacy and comfort with AI tools across teams through training, keeping up to date with developments in the technology, knowledge sharing, and experimentation.

Ensuring human oversight by balancing human judgment with AI-driven insights in decision-making

Fostering a culture of continuous feedback and openness to experimentation while ensuring adherence to data security policies and ethical AI use

Mastering collaboration in the age of AI means integrating it not just to automate tasks, but to elevate how teams co-create, problem-solve, and learn in real time. In many ways, interacting with AI is just like interacting with colleagues, customers, and stakeholders; you need strong collaboration skills such as open-mindedness, effective communication, active listening, and being open to perspectives other than your own.

Work places seem to oscillate between friendship and animosity. Remote working has only made things more complicated. You suggest a trust-first leadership in hybrid, high-speed workplaces. Can you explain this more?

Hybrid work models require leaders to assume positive intent, avoid micromanagement, and foster autonomy. Perhaps we saw this in action mostly during COVID. Our hands as organizations and leaders were tied, and we had to operate fully remotely, with a few exceptions. The key to success for many organizations was in how they fostered a trusting work culture, where they engaged with their teams virtually and introduced check-ins and activities without being overbearing or micromanaging.

A trust-first leadership approach requires leaders to build psychological safety within their teams and encourage transparency and active listening in communication. Emphasizing that the leadership holds the team accountable, while adopting an organizational learning approach and demonstrating their trust in the team to do the right thing and use failure as a learning opportunity. Basically, a fail-forward mindset. Lastly, leaders must prioritize outcome-based performance over presenteeism.

As organizations scale technology, the need for emotionally intelligent leadership becomes paramount. “Empathy” is still seen as a weakness rather than a strength however. How can bosses and employees navigate this?

Humans are complex and emotionally diverse. Empathy is considered a “soft skill”, perhaps it is better worded in this context as a “power skill”. Being emotionally intelligent is a non-negotiable trait of a successful leader who is able to harness the true potential of their team. People have different way of looking at things and their perceptions, fears, and concerns differ.  In practice, this is how EI enables leaders to manage conflict, build diverse teams, and foster inclusion that drives organizational performance. Therefore, reframing empathy as a business enabler helps leaders adopt a leadership practice that creates better team dynamics, leads to stronger retention, and improved engagement.

Dubai alone has hundreds of ethnicities. You seem to advocate for “borderless talent” which makes “local impact” – how can this melting pot work in your perspective?

SHRM advocates for an inclusion-first approach leading to true diversity. We firmly believe that hiring for capability and fit, not geography, is the right approach to acquiring the right talent. Dubai, being a cosmopolitan city, is a great place to illustrate borderless talent. Ideally, HR should design global work models that are flexible, inclusive, and aligned with local business needs. While it seems like having a group of homogenous people working together, the reality is that this approach will stifle innovation and creativity. Borderless talent brings fresh thinking, and the key is to localize impact is through the successful integration of global and local talent, as opposed to assimilation, and fostering a work culture that advocates cultural intelligence and inclusive practices.

Careers used to be linear, now they are anything but that. How can we navigate the up/skilling and re/skilling game all while still learning and – in one way or another – advancing through, not the ladder, but the maze?

Traditional career ladders are replaced by career lattices or career portfolios, and we have to come to terms with the fact that workers’ habits and workplaces have significantly evolved over time. It is no longer about building a long-lasting career in the same organization but rather looking at the opportunities available and seizing the best ones that align with people’s career aspirations, no matter where they happen to be. Consequently, our challenge as organizations is to keep our talent engaged and interested by emphasizing upskilling and reskilling, lifelong learning, and internal mobility. Careers today are full of pivots, pauses, and parallel moves. Success lies in embracing a learning mindset and building adaptive skills for wherever the journey leads. While organizations might hesitate to invest in people with the looming possibility of losing talent, not doing so creates a much more adverse impact, where talent stagnates, loses interest, and starts looking elsewhere in any case.

Because the world has changed, but most agencies haven’t.
Everyone’s talking about AI, but very few are actually using it to change the way creativity happens. Over the past year, working both inside and alongside agencies, we kept running into the same wall: layers of process, endless timelines, and bloated teams that kill momentum. The ideas might be good but the machine behind them is outdated.

KanGo was born out of frustration, but also imagination.
We didn’t just want to be faster. We wanted to be freer. To give strategic and creative thinkers real humans—the kind of springboard AI could offer if used right. So we stripped the model back to what matters: insight, craft, velocity. We built an engine powered by AI, but we designed it to serve people who know how to tell a story, crack a brand, move an audience.

Since launching, we’ve had clients and even agencies ask: How are you doing this? That’s how we know we’re onto something. Because KanGo isn’t just another agency talking innovation. We’re one actually delivering it with tools that speed up the process, and people who make the process worth speeding up.

We don’t pitch decks. We solve. With urgency. With imagination. With skin in the game.

Both, Walid Kanaan and Oussama Gholmieh have led storied careers in multinationals. Why suddenly branch out? Wasn’t the idea of KanGo compatible with any of your previous employers?

Both of us spent years building award-winning work across continents and categories. But every system has its ceiling and we kept hitting it. KanGo wasn’t just a business move; it was a creative necessity. A refusal to accept that the future of ideas should be slowed down by yesterday’s structures.

Could KanGo have existed inside a multinational? Maybe. But not in its purest form. Not with this level of agility. And certainly not with Harmoni (editor’s note: Harmoni is not a typo, the name incorporates AI within the name).

Now that AI is everywhere, did it contribute to your naming or branding or website since the whole enterprise is AI-focused and led?

Absolutely. But not in the way most people think.

KanGo wasn’t just named it was imagined, questioned, tested, and sharpened. We treated our own brand like a creative brief. Harmoni, our AI Chief Information Officer, was there from day one. We didn’t ask her to generate a name. We asked her to challenge our instincts. To stretch the options, surface blind spots, and help us land on something that captured our spirit: KanGo part founder DNA, part creative intent, all momentum.

We built this agency the way we build for clients: a fusion of gut and code, of raw creativity and refined logic. Harmoni played a real role in shaping our name, our tone, even how she visually represents herself on the site. But behind every line, every decision, was a human hand.

She’s is embedded in the structure, she is part of the team. And soon, she’ll be joined by a whole ecosystem of creative AI agents, each built to push thinking forward in their own way.

This was never about AI doing the job for us. It was and still is about creating a better environment for ideas to thrive. About making space for clarity, originality, and speed.
We used AI to help bring KanGo to life. But it was human creativity that gave it meaning.

Tell us more about Harmoni — who or what is she, and why would a client trust her and not someone else, more “physical” to say the least?

Harmoni is our AI Chief Information Officer but think of her less as a tool, and more as a thought partner. She doesn’t replace the creative team. She sharpens them. She doesn’t write the story. She makes sure we’re telling the right one.

We’re not asking clients to trust a machine. We’re asking them to trust the results.
Because behind every idea we show, every strategy we present, there’s still a human heartbeat, copywriters, strategists, designers, thinkers who know how to provoke, inspire, persuade. What Harmoni does is remove the noise. She speeds up the grunt work, challenges lazy thinking, and gets us to insight faster. That means more time spent making the work great, not just getting to it.

Should a client trust her? Only as much as they trust better outcomes.
Harmoni isn’t here to take the wheel. She’s here to clear the road so our team can drive smarter. That’s where the trust lies: in the people behind the screen, using AI not as a shortcut, but as a creative accelerant.

And when the work lands, when the insight is spot-on, the storytelling sings, the results speak for themselves, clients don’t ask who made it. They ask how we got there so fast.

Where is the human element in KanGo? How far does it meddle in the solutions, the creativity, the end outcome and all else? In a world where AI is running amok, is this the way to go?

At KanGo, the human element isn’t just part of the process, it is the process.

AI is our engine, yes. But we’re still the ones behind the wheel, choosing the roads, making the turns, deciding when to accelerate and when to stop and think. Every insight, every headline, every bold strategic move is shaped by people who’ve spent their lives mastering the craft of persuasion, storytelling, and brand alchemy.

Harmoni helps, but she doesn’t create. She challenges. She questions the easy answers, flags the clichés, and clears the path so our team can go deeper. So instead of wasting days chasing average, we get to spend our time chasing exceptional. The creative leap still belongs to us, but now we take off from higher ground.

This isn’t a world where machines run amok. Not here. This is a world where machines are finally in service of imagination. Where AI lifts the weight so human creativity can run faster, freer, and with more impact. KanGo isn’t AI vs. humanity. It’s AI amplifying humanity. That’s not a future we’re predicting. It’s a present we’re building, every day, with every brief, with every idea that dares to go further.