Background

I am originally from Syria, was born in California, grew up in Kuwait, worked in Dubai, and am currently pursuing my MBA at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. I like to think of myself as a citizen of the world! I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, graduating with a B.B.A. in Marketing, and Management and Human Resources. In terms of work experience, I have been a marketing insights professional for 10 years. I started my career in Kuwait at Ipsos, a multinational marketing research agency where I was a marketing research analyst. In this role, I gained exposure to a variety of different industries and clients. After Ipsos, I moved to a boutique private equity firm that specialized in investing in industrial projects in the Gulf region. There, I served as an investment research analyst, collecting intelligence and data on the industries the company was considering for investment. My time in private equity was an excellent introduction to the world of finance, and gave me a view on how to manage a portfolio of companies. Most recently, I was the Head of Consumer and Market Insights for Samsung Electronics in Dubai. During my time at Samsung, I led my team’s efforts in bringing the voice of the consumer to the fore, which helped our product divisions better market and sell our products. After conducting a variety of primary and secondary research, we helped the company on its journey to becoming a household name in the region.

Career Path

My time at Samsung piqued my interest in technology. It was there that I became fascinated by technology and consumer electronics – not so much the technical aspects, but how technology affects how we go about our lives on individual or institutional levels. Therefore, for the next chapter in my professional journey, I would like to work in a product management or product marketing role at a technology company. These roles involve translating specs and features into emotional and functional benefits for consumers. My experience at Samsung has given me a taste of that, and I hope to become more involved in those types of roles after my MBA. Pursuing my MBA at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School will help me combine my experience as a consumer insights professional, the “outside view” of consumers, with the key skills of framing and solving business problems to help me “lead from the inside.”

Interests and Hobbies

I love anything to do with soccer: playing, watching, and talking about it. I am a big fan of the English Premier League, and have been supporting Arsenal for a long time. I also love to read: anything from novels to dystopian science fiction, or historical biographies to current affairs. Of course, if it hasn’t become obvious already, I love consumer gadgets and gizmos!