Senior Director, Public Relations & Media, Confidential Government
Riyadh-based Alex Malouf is a marketing communications expert who has spent the last two decades in
the Middle East. A journalist by training and with a cultural mix that is both European and Arabic, Alex’s
expertise spans communications and media, public relations, and marketing. He has led communications
for multinationals in the digital, electric mobility, energy, sustainability, technology, and FMCG space,
while also advising ministers and entities in the Gulf's government sector. When he’s not putting pen to
paper, Alex is advocating for the region’s public relations business as the best way to tell its story and
build national brands.
HUSSEIN M DAJANI
Group Chief Marketing Officer, Petromin Corporation
Hussein, with 24+ years of experience, has demonstrated leadership, strategic thinking, and personal
brand building. He has worked with WPP and Publicis, managing top regional clients and earning
accolades, including WPP’s Young High Potential Leaders Award and recognition as a top marketing
professional by Gulf Marketing Review and Huffington Post. A digital marketing and CX expert, Hussein
led CX transformations at Nissan Motor Co. across AMIEO, winning the AMIEO Chairperson Nissan Way
Award in 2021. Currently, as Group CMO of Petromin Corporation, he spearheads marketing for eight
business verticals across KSA and India, driving growth and innovation.
Jagruti Mistry
Senior Director & Head of Corporate Communications, Visa
Jagruti Mistry currently leads Corporate Communications for the North Africa, Levant and Pakistan (NALP)
region for Visa. She is based in Dubai from where she works on strategic communication and brand
building campaigns with external and internal stakeholders for the 15 countries that make up this region.
A seasoned global communications practitioner with more than two decades of experience of
working with international blue-chip brands, Jagruti has held several global and regional roles in Visa
and has led award winning campaigns and worked on a variety of projects touching innovation,
fintech, product, sponsorship, cross border and more.
Originally from Singapore, Jagruti started her professional communications career with public
relations agencies where she drove successful external and internal communications programs over
multiple geographies for several global MNC brands covering electronic payments, technology and
travel and tourism, multimedia content production and digital and social marketing communications.
Jai Tolani
Senior Director - Corporate Communications, DAMAC Group
With 20+ years of consultancy and in-house experience, Jai specialises in corporate communications,
marketing strategy, reputation management programmes, creative ideation & campaigns, crisis
communications, strategic content development, and media strategy across the Middle East and Africa.
Currently, he is with the DAMAC Group in Dubai as a Senior Advisor and Executive Director for
Communications.
Jai Tolani
Senior Director - Corporate Communications, DAMAC Group
With 20+ years of consultancy and in-house experience, Jai specialises in corporate communications,
marketing strategy, reputation management programmes, creative ideation & campaigns, crisis
communications, strategic content development, and media strategy across the Middle East and Africa.
Currently, he is with the DAMAC Group in Dubai as a Senior Advisor and Executive Director for
Communications.
JON BARBER
Vice President Marketing Communications, TECOM Group Dubai
Jon Barber is the Vice President of Marketing Communications at TECOM Group, Dubai. With over 25
years of expertise, he is a seasoned professional in marketing and corporate communications, having
worked across the Middle East and Western Europe.
JONATHAN HIRASAWA ASHTON
Head of Marketing and Communication, KROHNE Middle East and Africa
Jonathan Hirasawa Ashton is a dynamic marketing communications leader with over 20 years of
experience in the industry. Holding an MA Hons in Classics, a PGDip in Marketing, and an LLM in
Technology Law, Jonathan combines a rich academic background with a strategic approach to marketing
and communications. As the Head of Marketing and Communications at KROHNE Middle East and Africa
for the past three years, Jonathan has driven impactful campaigns and brand strategies across industries.
A strong advocate for sustainability, Jonathan actively engages in thought leadership, particularly in the
areas of innovation, diversity, and sustainable development.
JONATHAN HIRASAWA ASHTON
Head of Marketing and Communication, KROHNE Middle East and Africa
Jonathan Hirasawa Ashton is a dynamic marketing communications leader with over 20 years of
experience in the industry. Holding an MA Hons in Classics, a PGDip in Marketing, and an LLM in
Technology Law, Jonathan combines a rich academic background with a strategic approach to marketing
and communications. As the Head of Marketing and Communications at KROHNE Middle East and Africa
for the past three years, Jonathan has driven impactful campaigns and brand strategies across industries.
A strong advocate for sustainability, Jonathan actively engages in thought leadership, particularly in the
areas of innovation, diversity, and sustainable development.
LAVANYA MANDAL
General Manager – Head of PR and Internal Communications, Aster DM Healthcare
Lavanya Mandal is a communications professional with over 15 years of experience in leading global
reputation management programs for MNCs across the Middle East, India and global markets.
Specializing in strategic corporate communications, Lavanya possesses in-depth experience in developing
comprehensive internal and external communication programs for companies spanning FMCG,
healthcare, finance, corporate, entertainment, and non-profit industries. Her portfolio boasts of multiple
award-winning campaigns, recognized for excellence in PR and marketing communications.
Currently serving as General Manager - Head of PR and Internal Communications at Aster DM
Healthcare, Lavanya leads the global reputation program across multiple markets, driving external and
internal communications, leadership outreach, and strategic business marketing communications.
MIKI HIRASAWA ASHTON
Regional Head Brand, Comms & Dev. MEA and Are, 3M
Miki Hirasawa Ashton is a seasoned global marketing and communications executive with over 25 years
of experience. She is currently driving global sustainability engagement as part of the Public Affairs
division at 3M, and Sustainability Committee Chair at the American Chambers of Commerce. Recognized
for her strategic leadership, Miki was featured in the PR Week Power Book and has received multiple
industry association accolades for her work in technology, industry marketing, and operations. Her
expertise in aligning corporate narratives with societal and environmental impact makes her a prominent
figure in sustainable business practices.
NANCY SUDHEER
Senior Manager - PR International, e&
As a communication professional for more than 20 years, Nancy Sudheer has been engaged in crafting
strategic and compelling stories that advanced the business interests of leading global companies and
conveyed the dynamic developments in the world of tech. She has played a key role in helping navigate
and optimally communicate the company’s position across multitude of issues that now challenge
businesses – such as changing market dynamics and customer demands supporting organisational
transformation and change.
SUKANYA CHAKRABORTY
Advisor – Communications, VFS Global
Sukanya Chakraborty is a communication and marketing leader with close to 26 years of experience in
global IT services, outsourcing, property consulting, interactive media, and community start-up
companies. Currently, Sukanya is an advisor in communications at VFS Global, the world’s largest
outsourcing partner for governments worldwide for visa, consular, and passport services. Prior to this
she was Chief Communications Officer at VFS Global managing external and internal communications
and reputation management.
Previously having worked with organisations like Knight Frank, Capgemini, and Tata Consultancy Services,
Sukanya has been instrumental in driving communication and marketing agendas for B2B and B2C
audiences leveraging expertise in 360-degree integrated campaigns, media relations, crisis
communications, digital and social media, lead generation and sales enablement, employee
communications and CSR.
TIM FALLON
Executive Director - Strategic Communications, Qiddiya Investment Company
Tim is a senior global communications professional with international corporate affairs, geo-political and
stakeholder outreach experience at the highest level. He has held a number of high profile international
in-house and agency leadership roles, specialising in complex communication and corporate reputation
campaigns across Europe, the Middle East and beyond. He is currently responsible for all
communications engagement programmes for one of the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia's most exciting and
innovative giga projects.
Bhavna Thapar
Head - Corporate Communications, Dubai World Trade Centre
Bhavna leads external and internal communications at the Dubai World Trade Centre. She is also driving
the Corporate Thought Leadership for DWTC as a part of her wider role within Marketing
Communications. Bhavna is a champion for integrated communications and has an experience of 20
years building consumer brands for companies like Unilever, PepsiCo, Dubai Tourism, KFC, Mars, Red Bull,
Ministry of Culture, UAE and more across India and the Middle East. Her work for brands like Dove,
Mirinda and KFC have won both awards and accolades. Bhavna is passionate about technology and the
role PR must play as it evolves and has brought her thinking to sectors like Healthcare, F&B, Retail,
Government and FMCG. Bhavna began her career journey with Edelman where she rose from being an
executive to leading the consumer and healthcare businesses for Edelman India and then as the MD of
Brand with Edelman Middle East, followed by her current leadership role with DWTC. She holds an MBA
in Marketing Communications and lives in Dubai with her husband, three boys and 50 plants.
