Our 2026 Speakers

Marketing insights & strategy professional with 18+ years of diverse experience within the CPG domain, across Asia, Middle East, and African markets. Fortunate to have worked on some of the global iconic brands like Oreo, Cadbury, Tang, and Philadelphia. An avid storyteller with proven ability to provide a behavioral view for a very black and white data. As the regional strategy & insights lead, passionate about building a team of curious & agile thought leaders.

With over 20 years of experience, Amanda is a seasoned design leader with a proven track record of building high-performing teams and delivering impactful results for leading global brands. Currently Head of Design for Retail Banking at Mashreq, a leading bank in the Middle East, Amanda leads designers, researchers, and copywriters across the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Pakistan and India. Under her leadership, Mashreq has the top-rated banking apps in the UAE.

Strategic and results-oriented professional with 10+ years of experience in consumer insights, CRM, predictive analytics, and market research. Proven expertise in driving omnichannel, data-driven strategies that optimize customer engagement, brand performance, and revenue growth. Adept at leading cross-functional teams, managing complex, multi-market projects, and delivering actionable insights that shape digital transformation and brand strategy. Deep industry experience across luxury, beauty, and retail, with a strong track record of influencing senior stakeholders and fostering a consumer-centric, insight-led decision-making culture.

Ankesh has over 20 years of experience across India and the Middle East, and has led transformation through insight-driven strategy, real-time VoC platforms, and a passion for humanising experiences. His work has empowered organisations to grow, uplift team morale, and build meaningful customer relationships.
He was recognized in the Top 250 Global Insights Professional by Esomar, Top 100 Global CX Thought Leader, and ranked in top 10 CXMStars™️ in 2025.

Ashish currently serves as Global Director of Strategy and Consumer Insights at RBI for FireHouseSubs, Popeyes and TimHortons. He is a passionate & visionary insights entrepreneur with broad international experience and projects done in Europe and Asia, across multiple FMCG industries and client /agency/consultancy side. Credited with over one-and-a-half decade of rich, substantive and dynamic experience in the Analytics and Consumers Insights. During these years, he found innovative solutions to esoteric problems, thus creating a formidable impact in the industry. Widely travelled and learnt the ropes of consumer insights by working across geographies such as India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Switzerland where he was physically stationed.

Mohamed Soliman is a distinguished marketing leader with over 22 years of multi-market experience across flagship global and regional brands. He's driven growth for industry giants like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, while shaping transformative strategies for Savola Foods and its powerhouse, Al-Kabeer Group. As Head of Marketing for Al-Kabeer in GCC, Mohamed recently spearheaded a comprehensive brand reimagining across six core frozen food categories (Meat, Chicken, Vegetables, Fruits, Dough, Seafood). This initiative significantly boosted Al-Kabeer's image, awareness, endorsement, and competitive positioning. His MRMW MENA presentation will explore the vital move towards extending brand collaborations beyond Limited Time Offers, focusing on building enduring regional partnerships

Jackie leads the Insight function for Nestle across the MENA region. Her passion is in bringing human centred design into commercial decision making, and she has been on this mission for the last 20 years driving Insight and Strategy for various organizations including Mondelez, Pernod Ricard, John Lewis Plc, Ferrero and Kantar Consulting across MENA, London and Singapore.

Burcu Dolunay is an Insights & Analytics director in Global Business Services team within Strategy & Transformation function at Pepsico. She has 15 years of experience in crafting brands and portfolio strategies that resonate in the VUCA world as part of diverse teams and categories. For the last 2 years, as part of global teams, she focuses in driving strategic insights and analytics initiatives across global markets. Passionate about weaving meaningful stories from data, Burcu is committed to harnessing the power of insights to navigate the complexities of today's dynamic landscape.

Ayushman is an Insights & Data Analytics Strategy professional with over 13 years of experience in market & business performance analysis, shopper and consumer insights and data analytics. He possesses an in-depth knowledge of the Middle East region by virtue of working in Dubai for more than 10 years now. Currently he is working as a Regional Head of Market and Shopper Insights / Analytics MENA Region for ARLA Foods. Ayushman has also set up the Market & Shopper Insights / Analytics department in ARLA MENA and created a modern, trusted insights framework outlining the “Accurate Objective Truth” and excelled in faster conversion from Data to Insights to Action. He has also put in new ways of working through new business planning processes to ensure organization makes data driven day to day decision

Priyanka Bhargav has over 20 years of experience in Brand Strategy, Brand Marketing, UXR and Insights, Corporate Communications, & CX across an array of industries that includes E-commerce, Grocery, Telecom, FMCG and Retail. She is a passionate evangelist of Customer Centricity and has played an instrumental role in GTM strategy for new business and Product innovations. She is an extremely well rewarded and globally recognised business leader. She holds a Limca Book of World Record for CSR driven Marketing Campaign. She is recipient of the Young Business Leader Award by BTVI (Business Television India), Femina World Women Leadership Award, By ET Now and leadership awards by Forbes and World Marketing Congress.

Ganesh Sharma is a seasoned marketing and consumer insights leader with 16+ years of experience across the Middle East and India. As the Consumer Insights, Analytics, and Media Lead at Dabur International, he has driven strategic brand growth across diverse FMCG categories. Ganesh brings deep expertise in market research, Consumer understanding,  data analytics, actionable insights that drive brand development, and media strategy. He’s led multi-million dollar campaigns, steered award-winning launches, and delivered actionable insights that fuel commercial success. A Google-certified digital marketer and a firm believer in insight-led innovation, Ganesh combines analytical acumen with storytelling to inspire impact. He holds a master’s in Marketing from JBIMS, Mumbai.

Rowan Salama is an influential user researcher and ethnographer shaping the future of tech in emerging markets, particularly across MENA. She has led transformative research initiatives for the KSA and UAE governments and is now leading research for Careem Rides across nine markets. Rowan’s work goes beyond traditional research, leveraging cultural insights and behavioral science to craft user-centered products that deeply resonate. Blending expertise in behavioral and cognitive psychology, sociolinguistics, and discourse analysis, Rowan bridges cultural insights with cutting-edge methodologies to inform strategic decisions for governments, startups, and leading companies in the MENA region. An engaging public speaker, Rowan has delivered impactful keynotes at local and regional conferences, led innovative workshops featuring social experiments, and presented groundbreaking research on methodologies that redefine user research.

Kausar Jahan is Lead UX, UI and Product Design in Roads & Transport Authority in Dubai. He specializes in creating UX strategies, customer research and designing best in class digital customer experiences throughout multiple smart channels like web, desktop, mobile apps, and kiosks. Kausar has a real passion for user experience and always tries to practice it in everything she designs. She has a keen sense of what users are looking for, and she can back it up with experience in both usability and visual design. Her educational background is in Computer Science, in which she holds both a Bachelor's (BCS) and a Master's (MCS) degree. Along with the degrees, she has completed multiple UX certifications and digital marketing certifications, as she believes that the learning engine should never stop.

Rania Wahdan is Head of Research and Insights at Expo City Dubai, the legacy site of Expo 2020 and a pioneering model for sustainable, future-ready cities. She leads brand tracking, audience understanding, and destination research to drive data-informed decisions and amplify the visitor voice across the organization. With nearly two decades of experience in marketing research, Rania is passionate about turning insights into action and shaping purpose-led destinations that truly resonate and deliver a lasting impact.

A consumer insights & analytics professional, with 18+ years of experience in transforming consumer data into meaningful & actionable insights. Having worked on different sides of the business (research agencies, media agencies & consumer insights), have a strong understanding of how insights lead to actions across different domains of the business.
In her current role manages Consumer & Market Insights for Bakery, Biscuit & Beverages for Mondelēz  MENAP region, with the key role of delivering Insight Led Category growth strategies across all domains.

Tiara is a Consumer and Market Insight manager at Nestlé MENA, where she focuses on Foods and Confectionery category. Over the past 10 years, she’s had the chance to work across many different categories—from Personal Care and Beauty to Automotive and Home Care. What she enjoys most is the challenge of keeping consumers at the heart of every decision, and helping turn their voices into strategies that shape brands and businesses. She has had the pleasure of working at Unilever Middle East and Indonesia, The Kraft Heinz Company and Kantar (Millward Brown).

Andrew Seinfeld is Chief Growth Officer at BoltChatAI, where he leads global growth and strategy. With a strong background in the insights industry, he works closely with teams to drive innovation and turn consumer understanding into real business results.

A dynamic Consumer Insights expert with a proven track record across the MENA region, I specialize in transforming complex data into clear strategic direction. With leadership roles at AlSafi Danone, Almarai, Halwani, Mondelēz, and Nestlé, I’ve driven innovation, market expansion, and brand growth through deep consumer understanding. I excel at building insights functions from the ground up, leading multi-method research, and partnering cross-functionally to embed a consumer-first mindset. Passionate about shaping business decisions through data, I bring over 15 years of experience in FMCG to every challenge—delivering impact, foresight, and competitive advantage in fast-paced, evolving markets.

Sonal Dawda is Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications at Dubai National Insurance (DNI). As a prominent figure in the corporate world, she has been recognized as a ‘Middle East Woman Leader’, actively mentoring women across various domains and collaborating with women-focused entrepreneurial organizations. Sonal has also earned 'Best Marketing Leader' & ‘Top CMO in Middle East’ Titles & has received ‘Award for Excellence’ & ‘Best Performer Award’.

She remains steadfast in her conviction that collaboration is the key to business success; therefore, she is committed to building long-term relationships with Internal & External Stakeholders to realize strategic business goals.

Faran Niaz is the Director of Customer Experience at HALA, based in Riyadh and Dubai. Recognized among the Top 100 Global CX Thought Leaders and recipient of the Lifetime Excellence in Customer Experience Award, he brings over 25 years of CX, employee engagement, and change management expertise, having led major initiatives at Citibank, Mashreq, and ADIB. He co-authored the Amazon bestsellers Customer Experience 4 and 5, and is known for transforming a UAE bank’s CX ranking from 23rd to 1st, maintaining it for 7 consecutive years. As CEO & Founder of CX Future, Faran helps organizations build customer-centric cultures that drive loyalty and ROI. He’s also a global keynote speaker, a top-rated CX judge, and an award-winning photographer with international exhibitions.

Marwen is a growth and marketing leader with 17+ years of experience across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. He currently leads SAMEA Growth at Spotify, driving strategy, monetization, and paid user acquisition across 66 markets. Previously, he held senior roles at Ooredoo Group, leading digital strategy and award-winning brand campaigns. Marwen has built regional teams, launched global initiatives, and delivered measurable impact in diverse, fast-changing markets. He is also a mentor and an active member of professional networks. Outside work, he’s a proud husband and dad who finds joy in music, video-games, and pop culture.

Richa Gupta Behera is a design leader who blends research, strategy, and empathy to reimagine customer experience. At myZoi, a Standard Chartered venture in Dubai, she drives financial literacy and inclusion for blue collar migrant workers, shaping products that change lives. With over a decade of global experience in fintech, banking, and public services, Richa believes businesses flourish through empathy and therefore, she brings voices from labor camps to boardrooms influencing business decisions through the power of customer insight.

Salma is a seasoned senior manager with a wealth of experience in MNC and regional company environments. She has gained her expertise building brands through the line, landing best in class brand activations and spearheading strategic customer excellence. Throughout her experience, she has worked on over 10 brands, totalling over $500 million in sales, in a geographic scope of over 11 markets. Salma’s experience covers strategic planning, customer excellence, e-commerce first mover leadership, key customer negotiations, trade & shopper marketing, digital marketing, media planning (upper & lower funnel), brand equity & development, and brand building. In addition, she has managed talent across different levels of seniority and scope of responsibilities. As Head of eCommerce, New Channels and Insights – Middle East at Bayer, she heads up the expansion of the Consumer Health business in eCommerce and all new channels beyond the pharmacy across the Middle East, and also drives growth through heading the Consumer & Shopper Insights for their brands.

Rafik Boshra is a passionate leader in the world of Consumer and Sensory Insights with over 23 years of experience in marketing, research, and R&D. Currently, he heads the CSI function for Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing across the SAMEA region (South Asia, Middle East, and Africa), where he oversees critical consumer insights initiatives that drive product innovation and market understanding.

Rafik joined Givaudan after an impactful tenure at GlaxoSmithKline in Virginia, USA, where he served as the Global Consumer Science & Product Understanding Lead. His extensive background also includes nearly a decade with Johnson & Johnson, where he held various roles, starting as the Emerging Markets R&D Franchise Manager in the UAE and later advancing to Global Consumer Science Lead in the USA. In these capacities, he spearheaded global consumer and sensory research for both existing and new product development in the skin and oral care categories.

Rafik’s expertise in consumer insights and sensory research has been instrumental in shaping Givaudan’s integrated solutions strategies, ensuring that consumer preferences are at the forefront of innovation. His previous experience at Givaudan Dubai in the Fragrance & Beauty division as the Regional Marketing & Market Research Manager for CAMEA further solidified his deep understanding of market dynamics and consumer behavior.

With a strong commitment to driving excellence in consumer understanding, Rafik is dedicated to enhancing Givaudan’s market position through strategic insights and innovative research methodologies.

Insights and Strategy professional with 12+ years of diverse experience in the CPG industry, specializing in the Beauty & Wellbeing domain. Fortunate to have transformed in-depth consumer understanding into forward-looking strategies for some of the most iconic brands at Unilever. As an enthusiast of human behaviour, passionate about pioneering the next generation of insights and foresights, helping brands connect with their consumers on a deeper level, while staying relevant and competitive in a dynamic market.

A seasoned Insights and Strategy professional currently spearheading Home Care for Unilever with over 13 years of cross-cultural expertise across India and the Middle East navigating diverse domains within the FMCG and non-FMCG categories. I´m passionate about staying innately connected to the consumer pulse and market dynamics with strategic focus on foresights- showing brands ´where´and ´how´to win. I excel at transforming systems to drastically cut down the time to insight and leveraging data-driven storytelling to catalyze business growth and deliver decisive commercial outcomes.

Sergii is a seasoned marketing insights and strategy professional with over a decade of experience in both corporate and startup environments. Currently leading the Market Insights and Analytics function at Philips, he transforms data into actionable strategies that enhance brand perception and customer satisfaction for the global health technology leader. An entrepreneur at heart, Sergii is involved into the startup ecosystem by advising teams on identifying and capitalizing on market opportunities. In his upcoming presentation, he challenges the reliance on purely data-driven decisions, advocating for a decision-centric approach that embraces human intuition.

From Wall Street to the world of consumer intelligence, my journey has been shaped by data and driven by curiosity. With 15+ years in the US financial sector across hedge funds and investment banks, I honed a deep analytical mindset. In 2016, I shifted focus to India’s consumer space, founding Baby Destination, a 1.3M+ strong parenting community. That led to Convosight, where I now serve as Co-founder. We are redefining consumer research by combining AI and video intelligence to decode millions of social conversations—helping global brands uncover trends, understand consumers deeply, and make faster, insight-led decisions.

Ester Marchetti has 20 years of experience in the insights industry, spanning both client and agency sides. On the client side, she worked at Unilever and Reckitt, driving innovation by turning consumer insights into impactful strategies. Now at Bolt Insight, Ester is at the forefront of revolutionising market research through AI-driven methodologies with BoltChatAI, which is redefining how brands engage with consumers to generate real-time, high-quality insights at scale.

Umesh Chopra is a Seasoned Marketeer, boasting over 14+ years of retail experience across diverse global markets. A graduate of Indian Institute of Management, Umesh's expertise lies in deploying real-time analytics by leveraging market research, developing Martech stacks, and enhancing customer experiences. He has been a keynote speaker at numerous global conferences and actively engages with B-Schools for guest lectures and partnerships.

Vivek is a frontrunner in the digital revolution in India and has been one of India’s foremost digital evangelists. In 2020, he co-founded SaaS start-up ProfitWheel, a product company that has built a customer data-led marketing intelligence platform for the direct-to- consumer sector.

Vivek dons many hats. He began his entrepreneurial journey in 1997 when he founded Communicate 2. Since then he has led his company through an acquisition, becoming the Founder and Managing Director of iProspect Communicate 2 after his company’s acquisition by Dentsu International. Next, he was named CEO of the Dentsu Aegis Network’s Performance Group, looking after all of the group’s performance agencies.

Today, Vivek is an author, angel investor with investments in over 35 companies, and an eminent TedX speaker. He is the chair of the IAMAI Start-up committee and is focused on driving growth for the Indian startup ecosystem. Vivek is also an accomplished national level table tennis player, an avid chess player and an amateur paragliding pilot. Vivek is also the co-owner of Goa Challengers Table Tennis Team in Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), and are the champions of 2023 & 2024 and semi-finalist of 2025.

Rory Curran is Vice President at Conveo (YC S24), where he works closely with researchers and insight teams to help organizations unlock a deeper understanding of consumers through AI-powered qualitative research. With more than a decade of experience in the insights industry, including senior roles at Ipsos, Rory has spent his career at the intersection of technology and human understanding, helping global brands turn complex data into meaningful, actionable insights.

Rodrigo de Mingo is a Chief of User Experience with over 15 years of experience in Service Design, Product Development, and Digital Strategy across the Middle East, United States, and South America. He has worked with leading digital agencies and global corporations, including MRM//McCann, Sony, and Toyota.
Since moving to the UAE in 2013, Rodrigo has led UX and Service Design initiatives for major organizations such as the Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT), Higher Colleges of Technology, Naval College, Police School, IELTS, Abu Dhabi Ports, Maqta Gateway, CERT Telematics, Space Agency, Dubai Municipality, and the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), where he contributed to the development of the CX Lab.
Rodrigo’s expertise spans UX research, service design, mobility solutions, user interface optimization, AI-driven experience design, and customer journey improvement. His core competencies include strategic planning, data analysis, benchmarking, design thinking, and digital project management aimed at improving user retention and satisfaction.