Experienced enough to understand complexity. Independent enough to stay close to the work.
Introduction
With more than 25 years of professional experience across market research, strategic planning, and business development, I help organizations make confident decisions — grounded in evidence, not guesswork. My career has spanned leadership roles at some of the region’s most established research, media, and marketing organizations, working across the GCC and wider MENA region before founding Lumina Plus to bring that same rigor directly to clients, without the layers of a traditional agency.
Professional Background
My path to independent consulting was built over two decades in senior leadership roles across research, strategy, and client management.
As Managing Director, MENA at Mindsight Research (GroupM’s research division), I led the development of MLive — the first mobile research panel and application in the MENA region — which accelerated data access by 700% and grew the business by 20% over four years.
As Group Director, Research and Business Planning at Mindshare Advertising MENA, I led market research and competitor analysis that identified opportunities contributing to a 30% increase in annual revenue over four years, oversaw strategic planning that grew annual revenue by $1 million, and managed a diverse international team of 40 across the region.
I later served as Managing Director at Sapience Consultancy, where I developed and executed growth strategies that secured $1.1 million in new business within two years, exceeding annual revenue targets by an average of 15%. I also launched digital growth products focused on lead generation and conversion, increasing client acquisition by 35%, and built a client-feedback culture that achieved an 80% retention rate.
Most recently, as Chief Client Officer for a multi-brand retail group spanning fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle brands, I led client relationship management and business development strategy, directed group-wide marketing and go-to-market planning, and built and scaled the group’s marketing, data analysis, and research function.
In aggregate, my work across these organizations has delivered more than $5M in revenue growth.
I’m currently pursuing PMP certification to formalize the program- and project-management discipline built across these roles.
Lumina Plus draws directly on this foundation — the same analytical rigor and strategic discipline built across two decades of corporate leadership, now delivered without the overhead of the organizations that built it.
Why the Independent Model Is Different
Traditional agencies come with layers of account managers, high overhead, and the risk of junior staff handling your most critical decisions. Having led research and strategy functions inside those very organizations, I understand exactly what that structure is built to do — and exactly where it adds friction rather than value for a client who needs a clear, confident answer.
Lumina Plus is built on a different model: direct access to the person who actually does the analysis and makes the recommendation. No handoffs, no diluted institutional knowledge passed down a chain — just the same caliber of strategic thinking, delivered directly.
Regional Expertise
My work has spanned research, strategy, and business development across the GCC and wider MENA region — from Bahrain to the UAE and beyond — working with multinational agencies and regional market leaders alike. This isn’t theoretical regional knowledge; it’s built from two decades of on-the-ground work with the market dynamics, consumer behavior, and business realities specific to this region.
Approach to Client Work
I bring the same discipline that delivered measurable results throughout my career — data-driven decision-making, rigorous market analysis, and a relentless focus on client retention and satisfaction — to every engagement at Lumina Plus, scaled to fit an independent practice rather than a large organization.
Beyond client work, I’ve contributed to the region’s research community as a member of the Technical Committee for the UAE People Meter initiative, and I regularly publish on market research, consumer insights, and digital media strategy — you can read some of that thinking on the Insights page.
Have a Business Question That Needs a Clear Answer?
Let’s discuss your objectives, the market, and the evidence you need to make a confident decision.