Mahmood Nanji has had an illustrious career spanning over 30 years specializing in marketing and sales in both multinationals and leading national companies. His career also spreads across the boundaries into General Management positions. He is known as an agent for change as he has brought about out of the box changes and growth in companies when needed most.

Having done his bachelor’s from the University of Karachi in 1971, he got his BBA from the Central State University, Oklahoma. On his return to Pakistan to attend to his ailing father he finished his MBA from the University of Karachi from where he started his marketing and advertising career with one of the most pronounced advertising company of that era namely R. Lintas, after which he was picked up by Lever Brothers Pakistan where he launched Blue Band Margarine.

From Lever Brothers he moved on to EBM and then left for US and worked for WalMart. He once again came back to Pakistan and rejoined EBM as Vice President Sales and Marketing. He also had a privilege to work as a Marketing Director for Millac Foods, Tapal Tea, Clover Foods and Meindhart, Singapore. He went on to join U.G. Foods (Ulker) as Chief Operating Officer. He also worked as an advisor to Mehran Sugar and helped the successfully launch Sugarie and with Unifoods for setting up their consumer division for its brand Good Goodies.

He is currently now engaged with a manufacturing, servicing and distribution concern helping them to formalize their operations and training their management on business processes and ethics.

A former Rotarian and an avid sportsman, Mr. Nanji has been an anchor on two television shows by the name of “Brand Power” and “Stories of Success”. He has conducted a four-hour session on Television on Seven Habits of a Highly Successful person and also hosted a Radio show called “Brand Bolta Hai”. Nanji has also taught at the IBA and currently is teaching sales and marketing courses at SZabist and in his free time he loves writing.

Khurram Koraishy is a Cambridge-educated multi-award winning marketing and sales professional with rich and diverse experience across industries and geographies. He started his career selling agricultural pesticides in rural Sindh and was last working as the chief commercial officer for a leading Pakistani apparel brand supervising marketing, retail ops, sales and E-commerce. In between, he has worked with leading global MNCs like Unilever and PepsiCo and leading National firms Tapal Tea and Alkaram Textiles. In between, he has also led the marketing for the largest luxury retailer (Jewellery and watches) of the Middle East. He also spent two years in the startup space between 2016-18. His passions include running, golf, poetry, and Man U.

Highly driven and performance-focused professional with 23 years of diversified experience acquired at both multinational and local conglomerates in the Middle East & Pakistan market in directing core management activities to drive business growth. Entrepreneurial leadership style flair for revenue generation through innovative strategy development, contract negotiations and efficient people management. He led consistent double-digit business growth in the last 3 years, mainly focused on business development and digital transformation which resulted in achieving the milestone of #1 media agency in Pakistan. A close eye on future trends, led the core business team to create new revenue streams mainly focused on digital media & international market to pivot sustainable future growth.

A digital marketing specialist with core competency in media planning/buying/strategy and managing Biddable &Programmatic platforms. Has worked on multiple clients ranging from FMCG, Banking and Apparel categories. Has played an instrumental role in strategizing and developing digital media concepts and pitches including recent GroupM win of CocaCola company in 2021, British American Tobbaco in 2022, Telenor in 2023 and many more! Has also Led Mindshare’s Unilever Digital team that won South-Asia Digital Agency of the Year twice. Grew Unilever’s E-commerce portfolio from 2% to 20%. Enhanced Unilever’s presence on Programmatic buying from 4% to 25%. Developed a state-of-the-art tool called Digital Health Scorecard for Unilever that won him the Digital Planner of the Year 2018. Launched first Pepsi Online Food Festival campaign – Food-commerce as a GroupM Initiative – 2019.

Named Creative of the Year twice by Campaign magazine, Ali Rez is the most awarded creative leader in the Middle East, and currently leads creative output for the IMPACT BBDO Group across the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan region. Rez’s work has been instrumental in Impact BBDO Dubai being named the No.2 Creative Agency In The World on the WARC report, while winning 10 different Agency of the Year accolades in 2022 for bringing tremendous business success and creative excellence to the Group, and positive impact to social causes. Rez has won more than 700 international accolades in his career spanning four continents over 20 years, which include Cannes Lions Grand Prix, Clios, D&AD, Effies, and a United Nations Peace Medal – awards which have led him to be ranked No.1 ECD in MENA and APAC on several creative rankings. He is the first jury president at Cannes Lions to represent the Middle East and Pakistan.

Amena Khan, CEO of DreamTeam Films is an established tier-1, award winning, commercial Film Director and a leading brand name in Pakistan’s media. She's been actively working in various fields of media professionally since 1992, in varying roles, including director, actor, editor, anchor, voice-actor, producer, colorist. She has deftly handled varying film genres, formats and treatment styles over the years with a unique flair, continues to build image and create communications for leading corporate brands and has launched successful careers of well-known music stars, both within Pakistan & internationally. She has extensive shooting experience with large and small crew strengths in Pakistan, Thailand, Dubai, London, Paris, Melbourne, Istanbul, Singapore, KL. She constantly takes on challenges, loves to experiment and keeps setting new industry standards.

Faiza classifies herself as a creative hit woman zeroing in with precise insight-based yet unconventional ideas. A formidable name in the telco sector, she thrives on challenges, tight deadlines, and vast portfolios.

Working as a Group Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy, she is getting the best experience of life with a global learning curve. A mother of two beautiful daughters, she lives in a dichotomy between a mom life and a Chief Creative at Ogilvy. Zehra believes that she is nothing without the brilliant team at Ogilvy who shine in the world and she gets to be their team proudly. She also believes in Pakistan's potential to outshine other countries and make a mark in the world of creativity.

Unaizah Ali is a seasoned communications professional, with over 20 years of experience in managing clients across diverse industries including food and beverage, FMCG, pharmaceutical, tobacco, social sector, among others, delving into research, digital and conventional media. Currently she is employed at Nutshell Communications as Chief Commercial Officer. Nutshell Communications is a sister concern of Nutshell Group which has emerged as an independent company providing seamless and result-driven communication and strategic alliances to businesses in Pakistan and across borders. Her responsibilities include looking after and flourishing all the clients business and head the Karachi Office.

Zaid is responsible for leading the marketing function at Candyland. His role includes strategy planning, top and bottom-line management, and spearheading NPD projects and brand campaigns. Over the course of his career, Zaid has launched numerous brand campaigns across multiple industries. His forte is Blue Ocean strategy, having led several projects for topline growth. Zaid has a decade of diversified marketing experience, having worked on the brand and agency side across multiple industries. Prior to Candyland, he has held marketing positions at Bayer, English Biscuit Manufacturers and Lowe & Rauf. Zaid holds an MBA degree from IBA, Karachi. Outside of work, Zaid enjoys following Formula 1, reading fiction and a daily dose of iced latte.

Rifah Qadri is a passionate marketer, a motivational leader, and a travel buff. She has been a marketer for 16 years, successfully marketing for various industries and organizations, ranging from retail, B2B, B2C to tech. She believes in learning and challenging herself every day. Rifah would rather fail and learn than succeed without learning. In her opinion, economies that create opportunities for women in their workforce, grow, and countries that encourage women’s financial inclusion flourish.

Javeria is the Marketing Lead at Mondelēz Pakistan, a company that believes in Snacking Made Right. She is leading multiple categories driving both business and communication KPIs, strengthening Equity, and delivering sound business results, in challenging marketing dynamics. She has been working on delicious, pioneering snacking and beverage brands like Cadbury Dairy Milk and Tang for over 10 years, and loves bringing joy and goodness in consumers’ lives! In the past, Javeria led Strategy that turned around a decelerating performance into double-digit growth momentum, driven by step-changing communication for the flagship brand Cadbury Dairy Milk. She is passionate about people and aggressive about driving growth and challenging the status quo.

A result-oriented marketer with experience in diverse categories; Bank to Fin Tech, cosmetics to lingerie, FMCGs to tech brands, B2B to B2C, fertilizer to paints, education to real estate & many more supported by Executive MBA from LUMS which paved my ways to encounter more challenges and turning them into solutions. All efforts were made to attract more customers, create brand awareness & build brands which stay top of customer’s mind. Marketing campaigns were designed & released to raise customer loyalty using different marketing and communication strategies to achieve results.

Azam Jalal Khan has 20+ years of experience in the Digital Media and Technology industry spanning from North America to Asia. A computer scientist by qualification, he has worked across multiple web/mobile platforms and IP-based technologies. After leading product development and large-scale digital transformation projects in North America, Azam co-founded and leads Pakistan's largest digital media and technology company, Digitz Digitas. Azam is a gym rat, tech junkie and lives for his daughter.

Uzma is a seasoned Media and Digital leader with over 17 years of experience working across an array of different industries, categories, and brands. Starting her career from Mediacom on Proctor & Gamble, she worked her way up to an Associate Director handling a portfolio of various local and international clients. She then moved up as General Manager at OMG Pakistan where she helped develop the overall goals and teams for the business. Post this, she joined Unilever as the Head of Media & Digital Hub where she lead the media and digital function for 7 years delivering brilliant media campaigns and innovations across brands. In her latest role, as the Head of Ecommerce for Unilever Pakistan, she manages partnerships across e-tailers and customers and is responsible for managing the P&L, ensuring profitability of the overall channel via key verticals like Commercials, Stocks, Campaign planning, Creatives and Financials.

Farooq Soomro documents human truth whether it is in his role as a researcher or a photographer/writer. He is currently working as GM Marketing Value-added with FrieslandCampina Pakistan. He collects vinyl records.

A natural curiosity about why people do what they do led me to become a Marketer. An MBA from IBA and an MSc in Marketing led to working in Marketing and Sales at Reckitt, GSK Consumer, Engro Foods, and National Foods. Ali has had the privilege of working on some of the most exciting brands and categories but perhaps the greatest privilege has been working with some amazing people from whom he has tried to learn along the way.

After two decades in the field of Advertising, Sadia instinctively knows what will work. Sadia started as an Art Director at JWT Karachi and then worked up to Sr. Executive Creative Director. She has worked at all the major advertising agencies in Pakistan from JWT, Lowe, Adcom to currently at Ogilvy Pakistan. Sadia has two decades of experience working on all kinds of brands like Mondelez, HBL, Shan, KFC, EBM, Sunsilk, Dove, Telenor, Sprite, and Nestle amongst many others. Sadia feels effective communication has these essential ingredients: emotion, clear characters, conflict and entertainment. As Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy, she always had a passion for storytelling so she won the Fulbright and got her MFA in Film and TV Production from Loyola Marymount University, adding screenwriting and direction to her repertoire.

Danish Ejaz is CEO of Madvertising, a digital agency and publication that offers the intersection of branding, strategy, technology and culture. He has worked for companies of all sizes from startups to billion-dollar brands across several countries. He's an advertising veteran who segued into digital media after stints in multiple local and international advertising agencies and has worked on global brands like Unilever, British American Tobacco, Philip Morris to name a few. He has also represented Pakistan at international events related to tech and creative narrative building and he believes in working with brands that seek to enrich lives.

A seasoned media and communications professional with 9+ years of experience. Having worked at the top 3 media agencies in Pakistan including Mindshare – GroupM, Spark Foundry – Z2C Limited, and OMD – Omnicom Media Group he had the privilege to derive media strategies for global juggernauts including Unilever, Reckitt, PepsiCo, GSK, Mondelez International, Shell, Uber and Akzo Nobel alongside local powerhouses including Daraz, HBL, and UBL. After gaining thorough experience on the agency side, in his current role, he is spearheading media duties for Reckitt Pakistan as Media Manager.

Khurram is a passionate marketing professional with 14 plus years of sound experience across MNCs and local conglomerates in handling marketing functions, consumer marketing strategies, in-depth 360-degree marketing plans, product development & consumer insights. From strategic thinking to innovation, he has driven exponential growth in businesses ranging from personal care, food, and nutrition. He has the strong business acumen to optimize business performance, deliver top-line bottom-line growth, and create profitable brands. He started his career with Abbott in the Consumer Healthcare segment looking after brands like Mospel and has since worked in various positions in the marketing functions of Abbott Nutrition (METAP region) and NutriCo Morinaga. Currently, he is the Head of Marketing & Strategy at NutriCo Morinaga, a subsidiary of Morinaga Milk Co. Japan, operates in the business of manufacturing and marketing of the international nutrition brand MORINAGA. Beyond work, Khurram is a food lover and has a zeal for traveling. He is passionate about improving the nutrition needs of underprivileged children. By education, Khurram attained a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in 2008.

A media veteran with over 15yrs of experience across brand and communication planning, trading, and investment, launching business units, managing P&L, and personal interest in mentorship and skill development. Currently working as the Chief Investment Officer at Groupm Pakistan with the additional responsibility of heading the ESP Properties. Managing total investment across traditional and digital space for Groupm Pakistan, the largest media company in Pakistan, and responsible for delivering over 50% of the overall company’s revenue.

Arfa Syed is a business leader who takes pride in transformation. Her expertise in transformation-centric consultancy is rooted in her love for consumer insight. She is the author of multiple thought leadership pieces & research papers that focus on methodological innovations and the incorporation of digital research in everyday decision-making. She is a strong advocate of consumer centricity in communication and has conducted numerous workshops and training that help creatives & marketers craft powerful big ideas. In recognition of her thought leadership work, she has been invited as a speaker and panelist in several global conferences including Esomar Global qualitative, Esomar Fusion conferences & Global Qualitative Conferences held by Kantar.

Bilal is an adman by day and a poet by night. Trying to tell the stories to the world through his humor and some deeply rooted local insights. He has had the pleasure of working with diverse sets of brands like Coke, Sprite, Honda, Tarang, HBL, Ariel & Sooper, to name a few. He has been awarded by Effie and Multiple advertising awards. Bilal is zealous towards his work, and each day looks forward to learning new things. He is currently trying to decipher how we can create effective communications through Ai.

Fariyha joined Upfield in 2018 after 25+ years with Unilever, where she worked across various categories in Homecare, Personal Care, and Food. Besides Pakistan, she has worked in Regional roles, media, and market research. She was CEO of UPFL Board and Director of the Unilever Board from 2009 to 2015. Fariyha's expertise lies in business turnaround, developing consumer and customer strategies, innovation, and advertising development. At Upfield, the initial years were about setting up new teams, distribution, and systems for running independent businesses. Both countries are now on the path to profitable growth, braving the challenging operating environment.

An advertising professional with a keen interest in conceptualizing meaningful and quality content. She has helmed multiple successful campaigns and pitches, both, conventional and digital, that have been at the receiving end of awards and acclaim. Her aim is to bring a fresh perspective to things by looking at them from a different lens and making them more relevant, relatable, and memorable.

Born of two ethnicities, she combines the best of both worlds: the stability of strategy and the zeal of creative writing and painting. Farzana is an award-winning advertiser with over 14 years of experience working with local and regional brands in a variety of verticals, and she has helped them establish their digital footprint. She is one of the Publicis network's few Pakistani resources who has received training for both Leo Burnett's Humankind and Zenith Media's Eureka. Aside from that, she is fluent in three languages: English, Urdu, and Bengali (spoken).

Mostafa started his career on the agency side back in 2008 then moved to the client side shortly after. He held strategic positions in Mars, Vodafone and now Coca-Cola. Mostafa’s impact accelerated when he was named Coca-Cola’s Head of Consumer & Shopper Content for Eurasia & the Middle East were he led the creative transformation putting Coca-Cola at the forefront of the region’s leading brands

Rubina is a marketing and branding expert with over a decade of industry experience in research and marketing. Having worked with prominent clients such as Unilever, Pakistan State Oil, Jazz, and Nestle during her tenure at Nielsen, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table. Currently, she holds a position as the head of Digital, Media, and Insights at FrieslandCampina. In her free time, she enjoys cooking delicious food and pursuing her passion for photography, fueling her energy and creativity.

Aejaz Basrai is a seasoned executive with over 26 years of professional experience in the FMCG industry including the last 18 years in senior marketing, General Management & CEO roles. He has worked with some of the leading global multinational companies such as P&G, Henkel and Colgate Palmolive across various geographies such as Pakistan, Middle East, North Africa and United States. Recently relocating to Pakistan after twenty years, he has joined National Foods as the COO of their International Business and Director of National Foods Strategy & Marketing. Additionally, Aejaz holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Olin School of Business, Washington University.

A prominent sought-after entrepreneur, consultant trainer, and marketing researcher, Maryam Wazirzada is dedicated towards helping organizations unleash their untapped potential of their teams since the past 25 years. Her current strategic focus for iris is consumer insights and customer experience excellence. Besides being a marketing consultant, Maryam has been passionate about corporate training for the past 21 years. She is also one of the Managing Partners for FranklinCovey Pakistan, a franchise for the largest brand in the world of human and organizational development. Maryam is a senior consultant for FranklinCovey Pakistan where her expertise allows her to make a difference in the training and HR world.

Shoaib is a true Young at Heart professional who is a marketeer during the day (and also throughout the night sometimes) with a passion for Photography, Food, and Entertainment. He believes living in the NOW will ensure a good and positive future. Believes in experiences and doesn’t shy away from imparting the knowledge gained to his colleagues and teams. After spending a significant tenure in the Telco industry, he likes to portray himself as a true telco ambassador. As a person who constantly challenges

With a major in Philosophy, Farah started her career as a banker. But when she moved to Chicago in the 90s, the dot com boom was in full swing. She switched industries and hasn’t looked back since. Passion and innovation are the driving factors in all Farah do - to look at brands and see potential where none existed, or to make them the best that they can be. Be it rebranding exercises, traditional marketing campaigns, app creation, social media strategy, or simply trend-spotting - these are the drivers of a perfect daily diet. Currently, Farah is working for iib Group, headquartered in Bahrain, as their Group Head, Brand & Marcom.

Salman with his 22 years of experience started with MindShare in 2000 has worked at Engro Foods i.e. FCEPL now, Nokia, and currently works for the fastest growing Aspetic Packaging brand LAMIPAK as country manager in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. Salman is also the founder director of Brandkey Communications. His latest venture is SEHATU a health tech company that provides a complete solution for sleep related issues. He believes in creating new ideas and he is a problem-solver by nature.

Hasan understands emerging markets and has a background in developing the digital ecosystem including product and growth. He is currently heading the growth and products at Jazz Digital. Prior to this, Hasan was leading the digital marketing team at HBL, tasked to inculcate a culture of data-driven decision-making and enhancing the digital profile of the bank. At Telenor, he has been instrumental in establishing a gaming business for the Emerging Asia Cluster. Hasan has also been in consulting working for Ernst & Young and International Data Corporation in the Middle East. He has done his MSc in International Business from CERAM Business School in France, an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from LUMS, and a number of executive courses from LBS, INSEAD, LSE, and IMD. Hasan is a water sports enthusiast and has been part of various swimming, waterpolo, and sailing teams as an amateur.

Having more than 10 years of diverse experience working on both sides of the table. With agencies such as Adcom Leo Burnett and Lowe & Rauf and on the brand side with Candyland and now Friesland Campina Engro Pakistan Limited. Consider myself extremely lucky to have worked on more than 50 campaigns with household brands such as Olper’s, Tapal Danedar, Surf Excel, Knorr, Lifebuoy, Walls, and Chili Mili!

With a degree in Media Sciences, Tahniah kicked off her career as a design visualizer where she mastered the ‘manipulations’ and then soon moved to the Creative side where it all changed for her: “Apna ad likhna hai”. Since then, Tahniah has amassed an experience of over a decade working on some of the biggest local and global names like Jazz, Nestle, P&G, Pepsi, and Tapal among others. Originally from Karachi, Tahniah has been fortunate to have been a part of the country’s top network agencies, building a tight grip on cultural patterns. She believes in insight before an idea and always reins them in to create something meaningful. Tahniah firmly believes in the influence of storytelling to relate and resonate with the consumer, and with most of her experience in conventional, she has recently moved to the digital side where she aims to combine the power of the two to create purpose-driven storytelling that goes beyond platforms and boardrooms.

Naved is an Award winning Adman who has contributed and helped Ogilvy Pakistan become the most awarded and Effective Agency in Pakistan ranking in the top 10 in APAC and in the Top 10 globally. With Naved at the helm, Ogilvy Pakistan has partnered with some of the biggest local and international clients. It has won the most prestigious advertising awards in the world including Clio, Spikes Asia, D&AD, Campaign Asia Creative Agency of the year Agency Network of the Year by Effie Pakistan. (4 years running), and Cannes which include Pakistan's first Grand Prix.

It’s been almost three decades now of effective communications, sensible marketing, and an advertising career carved out of great brands, super hit campaigns, star-studded shoots, and thriving business. He thinks it’s safe to say that he has loved every bit of the journey! He has never been late for work EVER, the excitement and passion for work have driven him out of my comfort zone and taken me to some unbelievable places. His travel expeditions have led me to become a prudent shopper with an eye for exquisite collectibles and gadgets that never fail to delight you! He drinks black coffee every single day, bakes fabulous desserts occasionally, and NEVER misses out on Cricket & Lawn Tennis! He is an Apple fanatic with no regrets and the go-to man for his friends who want to know everything about cars.

Atiya is the Managing Director & Executive Creative Director of BBDO Pakistan, the most award-winning agency in the country. She has over 20 years of experience in the advertising industry working on an array of local and international brands. She is the first Pakistani woman to be selected for Cannes Lions See it Be it, D&AD’s & Google’s Rare program and the Pitch magazines’ 100 Superwomen list in 2019. She has served as Juror for Kyoorius Awards, ADC-One Show, the invisible creatives, Young Spike Asia, Lisbon Awards & Dubai Lynx Awards. She also wrote a film which is available on Netflix.

With over 21 years of work experience in marketing and advertising in various organizations, Syed Usman is currently in charge of developing and implementing optimal marketing and communication strategies for Jubilee Life. Prior to joining Jubilee Life, Mr. Qaiser had notably worked as Senior Manager Marketing at Bank Alfalah Limited for more than 9 years and as Manager Advertising at Standard Chartered Bank after gaining considerable marketing and brand experience at advertising agencies including Lowe and Rauf (formally R- Lintas), Manhattan Pakistan and Evernew Concepts. He started his career at Commercial Union which is now Jubilee Life Insurance in the Corporate Services Unit in 2000.

Sarah has spent almost 2 decades being a passionate marketer. She has a breadth of marketing, brand, and product management experience across multiple industries. Sarah started her marketing journey with Procter & Gamble Pakistan immediately after graduating from IBA, Karachi. Post that, Sarah joined Jazz (previously Mobilink). In 2005, Sarah was awarded the British Council Chevening Scholarship and proceeded to complete her MBA from the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. On her return to Pakistan, she joined Standard Chartered Bank. Having worked across industries, Sarah returned to FMCG with Unilever Pakistan to lead the Lipton brand. Continuing with her passion for marketing when she moved to Australia, Sarah began to teach Marketing subjects as a Sessional Lecturer at the University of Melbourne. Here, she shared her love for marketing with a diverse group of under-grad and post-grad students. Sarah also designed and delivered a professional training for Unilever Indonesia as part of the University of Melbourne academic team. Back home in Pakistan, Sarah re-joined Unilever Pakistan to lead the Skin Cleansing business. Having worked on world-renowned brands such as Vicks, Always, Lipton, Knorr, Lifebuoy, and Lux as well as across industries.

A progressive man with a decorated career, rearing the advertising landscape into the digital era; Junaid is the personification of the “new age”. He has experienced and enabled, first-hand, the transformation of conventional to digital media in the span of his 21-year-old career. He has a strong instinct for business. He loves to transform and empower organizations with talent, tools, and technology, successfully launching countless ventures; IO Digital being the latest, digital agency he co-founded. Openness to adapt new things and enthusiasm to learn makes Junaid what he is today.

By career as a marketing professional, his real passion lies in observing people, understanding their issues, and finding solutions for them. An empath at the core, people are always the centerpiece of everything that he does. Shariq’s professional journey has certainly fueled his passion by enabling him to find solutions to consumer issues in many different industries spanning FMCG, the financial sector, telecom, and most recently food tech.

Mughees comes with a rich blend of Global, Regional & Local marketing experience stretching over 15 years with EBM, Reckitt, Kraft Heinz, Friesland and Unilever. His work experiences saw him overlook both developing and developed markets across Australasia, South East Asia and Pakistan. During his career he has worked on several campaigns but most notably won a Cannes Lions Bronze award for his work on Heinz Beans campaign called “Geoff” who’s YouTube asset alone has amassed over 119M organic YouTube views. He is currently working with EBM as a DGM marketing.

Saad is a dinosaur rapidly evolving to prevent his extinction. He has gone from being an old-school media strategist to leading specialist digital teams. Saad’s foundation in traditional media buying and planning, and his long association with some of the biggest agency and advertiser names in the country give him a unique perspective on brand building and storytelling. He believes that the demise of traditional marketing is exaggerated. He equally detests the over-simplification or over-complication of marketing challenges. He knows that digital is not the future, it is the past. He worries every day about not being a TikTok star. Once a week he worries about being replaced by AI.

Story Teller – High-Fiver – Community Builder – Lifelong Learner - Lame Humor Lover – Mamas Baby Girl

Istvan set up the independent ad agency White Rabbit Budapest with his partners in 2006. His creative work won him awards like D&AD, Cannes Lions, One Show, ANDY Awards, Clio, LIA, ADC, The Immortal Awards, Eurobest, Webby Awards, ADC Europe, ADC Germany, Shark Awards, New York Festivals, Cresta, Epica, AME Awards, Communication Arts, One Screen, AdAge, AdStars, Golden Drum, White Square, KIAF, Chip Shop and more than 10 Effies - including the first ever Hungarian Effie Grand Prix, a German Effie Grand Prix and a gold at the Euro Effie. He was a member of the jury at the D&AD, One Show, ANDY Awards, Clio, LIA, New York Festivals, Webby Awards, Young Ones, Cresta Awards, Caples Awards, Cannes Young Lions, AdStars, Creativepool, Mobius Awards, Lovie Awards, Golden Award of Montreux, Lisbon International Advertising Festival, Lisbon Health, Effie Awards Pakistan, WINA Festival, White Square, Newstars and jury president of Cannes Young Lions Georgia. Istvan is a member of D&AD, The One Club, Art Directors Club Global, Art Directors Club of Europe, and The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. He is a D&AD New Blood Academy Mentor, LIA Coach, and MadStars Global Academy Instructor. He is also an examiner at the VISART Academy Of Arts. When he is not making ads, he likes to take care of his exotic houseplants or count clouds. He happily opens a bottle of wine to accompany any of these activities.

Asad Shaykh has practiced brand and marketing strategy globally for over two decades, across both client and agency sides. His mission is to help brands cut through by making them culturally relevant for commercial success. Professionally, Asad has worked in Europe, Asia, and North America, on brand challenges ranging from crafting a bespoke gaming strategy for Pringles, to launching Coca-Cola’s most successful market entrant in the UK. His portfolio spans Swarovski, Shell, HSBC, and Volvo. Personally, Asad believes in the Power of Difference. It’s part of his identity and method, giving him license to talk about how it fuels creativity, welcomes change, and impacts results. Currently, he is the Head of Strategy at Grey London, leading a team of utterly brilliant strategy minds.

Marketer by passion and a food connoisseur outside work, Humayun Farooq is the current Regional Marketing Director for the Health portfolio at RB AME. Post his Masters degree from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Farooq has an extensive marketing experience spanning over 19 years. He has been the mastermind behind several breakthrough campaigns both locally and internationally in the beauty, healthcare, personal care, and food industries. As a marketer, he believes in driving brands by finding their emotional connect in addition to their functional benefit. He is a strong propagator of leading brands with a purpose to ensure social impact over and above commercial gains. Beyond work, Farooq is a food lover and is always up for experimenting with food and sharing his experiences through his blog. He has a zeal for traveling and adventures in addition to him being a fitness freak in his daily routine. Work, eat, travel (staying fit!)– and repeat!

Maliha Subhani is a consumer business leader currently working as the Sales Director Asia for Lamb Weston, based in Singapore. She has extensive experience in Food & Beverages and an initial grounding in industries. Maliha started her career in Pakistan with ICI Pakistan and PepsiCo and has done multiple commercial roles across Asia including Marketing and General Management. She is passionate about driving innovation and experiences and building brands and teams.

Saher is a freelance Creative Director working with multiple advertising agencies. Her ability to tap into the true Pakistani culture is what sets her apart in creating insightful advertising that sells.

Currently working as an independent Creative & Strategy Consultant based out of UAE, Assam Khalid is widely considered one of the most successful ad pros in the region. With over 350 international industry accolades, he's been ranked #1 Strategic Planning Director in Pakistan & MENA and the top 3 in the world by the Big Won Report in 2015 and is ranked in the top 25 Creative Directors globally by the One Club's ADC Ranking 2020. With a Masters degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Assam is famed for making brands famous.

Waqas has worked in marketing for almost 17 years across MENA, Caucasus & Central Asia Republics, and of course Pakistan. I have worked for companies like Coca-Cola Company, Engro foods Friesland Campina, and Reckitt. Over the years, he has been associated with globally and locally recognized brands like Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Olper’s, Tarang, Dettol, and Engro corp. He believes marketing should drive sustained business growth by building brands people love and can relate to.

Sunil Gupta is a man of many parts. He commenced his advertising career in 1978, after completing his MBA. Till 2002 he was with JWT India in senior positions and worked with the largest MNCs and Indian Business Groups. Since 2002, he represents two global advisory firms in South Asia: Results International Group LLP and Aprais Worldwide Ltd, both headquartered in London. He is also a Consultant and Trainer in Brand Communication and has visited Pakistan often on such assignments. He has been a guest lecturer in prestigious business schools in India, including IIM-Lucknow. His first book on his experiences in the Indian advertising industry (Living on the ‘Adge’ in JhandeWalan Thompson) was published in 2009. He also contributed to an anthology by eminent authors and personalities on the COVID-19 pandemic titled The Phoenix Rises – Lockdown Chronicles in 2020. His third book, Final Innings, a psychological drama set in the world of cricket was published in November 2020. An accomplished theatre actor, he has performed in over 50 plays in India, Moscow, St Petersburg, as well as in Lahore in the Rafi Peer International Theatre Festival. He has acted in the movies Talvar, Mom, Vijaynagar and recently Sam Bahadur. He has recently performed in The Family Man, Breathe-Into the Shadows, Made in Heaven-2 (Prime Video). He is an established cricket commentator on AIR, a panellist for the BBC podcast Stumped, and has done TV commentary for the Star Sports Pro-Kabaddi League. Sunil lives in Gurgaon, India, with his wife Sunita, their two daughters and three temperamental canines.

Sidra is a marketing & branding enthusiast with more than 8 years of industry experience in Telecom and Beauty. She is an accountant turned marketer who stumbled upon her love for creating insightful campaigns as a student and has not looked back since. She is currently heading the brands department at Jazz, and wakes up every day thinking of new ways to touch 75 million lives!

Ayesha is an experienced Market Research Analyst currently heading CMI at Unilever Pakistan. Over the course of her career, she has worked extensively within the FMCG Industry in Pakistan with the likes of Procter & Gamble, Engro Foods, and Unilever in multiple capacities across HR, Marketing, and Business Development. Within her role as a Market Analyst, she has built and executed thought leadership and campaign programs for both brand building and demand generation as well as content strategy and architecture.

Ejaz Wasay, Head of the Department of Media Studies & Sr. Fellow Marketing at the Institute of Business Management (IoBM), Karachi, since 2011, has over 37 years of industry experience in the fields of Marketing, Corporate Communications and Advertising. He has worked with several leading local companies and MNCs including Awami Autos, Orient McCann-Erickson, Unilever (formerly Lever Bothers), UBL, Glaxo, Philips and Gillette. In his ten-year stint with Gillette, from 1984 to 1994, he worked in Pakistan, Brazil and the Middle-East. He was last based in Dubai – UAE as Marketing Manager Middle East. He has been Council Member of the Marketing Association of Pakistan (MAP) for many years, and was its President in 2005. He was a regular contributor to publications such as Aurora and Marketing Review. He has been on the Awards Committee of APNS, and Jury Member Pakistan Advertisers’ Society (PAS) Awards since its very inception, as wells Jury Member EFFIE Awards.

Tabassum’s almost three-decade career spans various industries, viz communications, services, and finance. Currently consulting on Marketing and brand development. Prior to which was CEO for Orient McCann on her return from Dubai. Tabassum moved to Dubai in 2008 to join Barclays Bank as Head of Marketing. Later established Barclay’s number one position in Customer Service in the Gulf region while Heading Customer Service, and then was given the role of Head of Retail Operations. Before moving to Dubai, Tabassum spent seventeen years in advertising in Pakistan while working with Industry leaders JWT and Blazon Grey. Her final role at JWT was as Chief Operating Officer.

He has 20 years of experience in marketing, strategy, research, brand management, and business development. He has a passion for building brands that improve the lives of humans. Most recently, he had been working as a Regional Head of Card Sales (South) at Pakistan State Oil and prior to that as Head of Brand & Market Research at the same company. His passion as a marketing professional lies in understanding consumer behavior and utilizing data-driven insights to develop and execute strategic marketing campaigns that effectively communicate a brand's message and drive business growth. Along with a portfolio of Cards business, he is also heading the distributor management function for the Lubricant business in the South region.

Murtaza has been the Chief Creative Curator and Film Director for 24 years and now stands as a promoter of films and media arts in Pakistan. Having worked for Networks like BBDO, LOWE, SAATCHI, TBWA, etc. has made him explore some unique spectacles in the past, from out of the ordinary to some very realistic ones. He finds peace in the hustle and bustle of traveling, experiencing, orchestrating, capturing, and storytelling. His passion for transforming the country's creative landscape still drives him to do more and more.

Born and raised in an advertising family; the inner calling was quite obvious 🙂 Right after graduation Dawer joined advertising and experienced all facets of the creative business from art, strategy, writing, ideation etc. he has worked on some of the most loved brands of the country for some of their most memorable campaigns; chances are a jingle you love, or dialogue you remember came from his mind. For more than a decade he has been churning insights in to stories, selling ideas and turning dreams in to reality for brands has never stopped being his first love.

Ammad’s experience dwells in developing and executing successful marketing strategies, with a deep understanding of the latest trends and technologies in the communications space. He has a proven track record of driving growth and improving ROI for his previous employers, such as Adcom Zenith, Ogilvy and Starcom. His expertise includes brand strategy, IMC and media strategy, creative content, traditional and digital media marketing. Throughout his career, he has worked with leading international and local clients such as Coca-Cola, Samsung, Reckitt, Loreal, Easypaisa, Honda, Sabroso, Telenor Microfinance Bank etc

Having worked in the advertising sector for more than 15 years, she had the privilege of managing portfolios of clients including P&G (Always, Herbal Essences and H&S), Unilever, McDonald's, HSBC, PSO, Emirates, Colgate Palmolive, HBL, Tullo, EBM and Mondalez International to name a few. Her career began with the top firms of the country, Interflow, Manhattan Leo Burnett, Y&R Spectrum and this roller-coaster journey of learning has brought me to Ogilvy Pakistan, where she currently manages clients as a Creative Director. Her work ethics are a reflection of her personal growth in life. Having traveled across the world and being an avid painter has immensely helped her see the world through the eyes of detail, patience and color, all of which she attributes in her work to create communications that speak to people in a way that she likes. With more professional accolades such as being on the jury panel for Adforum’s PHNX and Dragons of Asia 2021, global platforms for creatives gave her the confidence to overlook things from a global perspective, finding better ways to bridge the gap between people and products as coherently as possible.

As an experienced insights professional, he has an extensive experience in helping businesses utilize data and market insights to craft effective strategies. He excels in partnering with stakeholders on analytics and helping implement analytics initiatives. He is skilled in effectively communicating data and analytics strategy to the wider organization, and in bringing customers to the heart of all decision making. His ability to translate business needs into insight plans and implement them enables data-driven decision making. He is a strong leader and mentor for high impact teams.

Shahyan has over 18 years of media experience across Pakistan and Asia Pacific (APAC). His work bagged notable awards for the agency and clients with international wins such as Dragons of Asia & Effies. He has led an impressive portfolio of assignments looking after Telco, CPG, and Entertainment verticals and leading clients such as P&G, Telenor & Easypaisa, GSK, 21st Century Fox, and Expedia in APAC and Pakistan. He also has a rich background in Experiential Marketing, comprising of PR/Influencer Marketing and content.

Anwar Kabir is a seasoned Marketing Communication Professional and Business Leader with 20 years of experience working in senior leadership positions in companies like Mullen Lowe and McCann, before he started a leading Digital and PR company Brand Spectrum in 2017. His areas of interest include Brand Communication Strategies, Digital and Influencer Marketing, Strategic Public Relations, Experiential Marketing, and Content Creation. Moreover, Anwar teaches Influencer and Digital Marketing courses at LUMS MBA students as an Adjunct Faculty. Anwar is currently providing leadership as the President of LUMS SDSB Alumni Association and Secretary General and Board Member of American Business Forum.

Qawi Naseer, an IBA alumnus of 2008, started his career with Nestle, looking after commercial sales and trade marketing before moving on to leading brand portfolios at Unilever. He led an accelerated career at Unilever for 8 years both in Pakistan & Singapore. His journey in L’Oréal Pakistan began in 2020 when he joined as General Manager - Professional Products Division where he was able to bring strong transformation and acceleration for the business and launch the e-commerce business for the division in COVID. In June 2022, he took on the role of General Manager – Consumer Products Division and Country Manager for L’Oréal Pakistan.

With a career spanning 19 years in Pakistan, Fahad brings a wealth of experience to his role, having previously worked in MarCom positions at FMCG companies such as FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan Limited. Fahad is a self-driven and passionate professional with expertise in Digital Transformation, Integrated Marketing Communication, Digital Marketing, and Offline/Online Media Management. He is skilled in building and managing internal and external relationships, managing brand campaigns, and coaching individuals to success. He is also able to lead cross-functional teams, communicate effectively, and make critical decisions during challenges. Fahad is an alumnus of IBA, Karachi.

A creative by day, a creative by night, and nothing else in sight. An admirer of art & artisans and a ‘carb’ivore who loves to run, dance, and have dinner twice. Standing at the forefront of the fastest-moving industry trend: Technology, Data, and all things Digital, Hamza has spent the past 14 years evangelizing an industry-wide shift in advertising to an integrated marketing model where an idea remains central to storytelling irrespective of the medium that brings it to life. He believes the best way to see the future is to create it, so he aims to continue narrating compelling stories.

Having established himself as a media and communications catalyst for the last 13+ years, Usman is currently spearheading one of the largest media agency brand at Brainchild - Starcom Pakistan within our agency landscape. With the likes of PepsiCo, Mondelez International, Samsung, HBL, and KFC in his roster of global clientele Usman is known to handhold clients when navigating through business challenges, launching new brands, and deploying a lot of ‘market firsts’ Fondly known as a true kingmaker, he has also mentored hundreds of students as a management sciences faculty in on of the top business schools in Karachi to take up marketing in their professional career and his network clout is unparalleled that also covers international markets.

Jaliawala has been working for advertising for over a decade now. He started as a copywriter with Manhattan Pakistan (Leo Burnett back in 2007). He served as Creative Director for Blitz till 2014. He has also been a part of the creative teams at Spectrum, Manhattan International and Fourays. He started his own company, the-AJENCY in 2014. Primarily, a conventional advertising agency, where he serves clients for both conventional and digital mediums. He also leads commercial productions at theSHOWREEL. Some of his current clients include J., Imtiaz, GulAhmed, Zellbury NDMA, Amreli Steels, Young’s and the Unique Group of Companies.

Rubab has been heading data and analytics for Brainchild Communications for 10 years now and has been pivotal in doing many market-first projects for clients. Being a computer science major makes her a great hybrid profile; someone who can understand marketing and link it to the technical language. She is highly observant, curious, and empathetic -the three important traits that make her great at consumer insights. She enjoys connecting dots, problem-solving, proposing solutions, and critical analyses. She is a proponent of data-driven marketing and wants others to think beyond their locus of control when communicating with their target audience. She believes: “Anything is possible especially when someone tells me it is not. Challenge me because I learn something valuable even if I fail.”

Marketer with a passion for building brands, Benish has been associated with the fields of brand management & media communication for the past 15 years. She’s currently spearheading Publicis Media and Spark as CEO while also serving as COO for Brainchild Communications (with brands like Starcom, and Mediavest). Prior to Brainchild aff. Publicis Groupe, worked with P&G and Lotte foods for more than a decade. Mom of 2 active boys, a teenager, and a toddler; she’s a creative problem solver and see’s an opportunity in every challenge. She loves creating impactful campaigns driving meaningful consumer connections!

With almost two decades of hands-on industry experience and countless wins to his name, Gohar has helped numerous billion-dollar brands, deliver the right messages to the right people at the right time. His experience covers media buying, data & analytics, production, creative, and corporate leadership. Gohar has seen it all, but he is just getting started. Passionate and patient, an angler at heart and by hobby. Interested in sustainable agritech and permaculture, wants to bring nature back to the way we do business, currently at a GM position, spearheading the industry and multiple teams into the future of Pakistani advertising.

A self-driven, result-orientated leader with a track record of delivering exemplary Digital services to a varied range of advertisers across FMCGs, Retail, Telecommunications, Financial Services, Food & Beverages and Aviation industries. Uzair has nurtured partnerships throughout South Asian, East Asian, Middle Eastern markets. He has been responsible for leading one of Pakistan’s largest digital groups (Symmetry Group), liaising with global media networks and content platforms for their outreach and rollout across these regions, building long term partnerships with industry stakeholders and delivering a wide range of digital-led solutions to a diverse set of clients and partners.

Ayesha leads insight mining, integrated strategic solutions, and creative strategy. She has worked across diverse categories - Dairy, Telco, Confectionary, Automotive, Banking and Finance, Beverages, Home and personal care, etc. She is passionate about understanding cultural change and how it impacts behavior. Beyond advertising, she is interested in working with kids. She likes to work on ideas that help nurture compassion in children.

Rashna Abdi spent a lifetime in advertising to migrate to content, focusing on branded entertainment, integration, and corporate though is still bitten by the ad bug. She is also committed to mentoring young creatives and going back to her roots as a writer while discovering new paths as a life coach. She firmly believes that there is more to advertising than a conventional ad and there is more to Gen Z than a song and dance number.

Noaman has over 24 years of experience with companies like P&G, JWT, and Kantar. In his career, he has worked on brands like Pantene, Pampers, Ariel, Olpers, and Nido. Noaman’s passion and luck from the start of his career have been linked to “copies and commercials”. He started his career with Procter and Gamble in 1998 and soon was responsible for their “Copy testing system” for MENA. In 2003, he moved to the Middle East and worked with food giants (Al-Ghurair Foods & Sunbulah) in their marketing departments. He also had the honor of leading the Planning department of JWT in Pakistan from 2010 to 2014. It was after this role that he joined Kantar. At Kantar alone, he has been associated with adding more than 400 copies to its database. In his entire career, he and his team have worked on more than 600 communications only in Pakistan. In his 7 years with Kantar, he can be credited for the successful launch of Millward Brown in Pakistan. Then, he effectively brought together all brands in Pakistan under the roof of Kantar. In 2021, he transformed the Kantar team in Pakistan into Oula (a company in collaboration with Kantar). Noaman is also a visiting professor at “Karachi School of Business and Leadership” (KSBL) and at Dr. Ziauddin University.

With over two decades of industry experience, a wealth of knowledge in advertising and film production, and a record of award-winning campaigns, the jury for advertising awards is in for a treat. From local to international brands, he has worked with them all, creating compelling and effective campaigns that stand out in the crowded advertising world. It's time to raise the bar and recognize excellence in advertising, and he seems ready to be a part of that journey.

Muhammad Khurram Kidwai is a visionary entrepreneur and tech innovator at the forefront of the hospitality industry. As the founder of Lokal, a cutting-edge startup on a mission to democratize local travel, Khurram is dedicated to making local travel more accessible and affordable for all. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for investing in the technology startups of tomorrow, Khurram is also a respected advisor and board member of multiple technology startups and corporates. His unwavering commitment to shaping the future of local travel through technology makes him a leader to watch in the industry. With over a decade of experience in leadership roles at Procter & Gamble, Khurram has a proven track record of success in driving growth and innovation across multiple regions, including Central Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, culminating in his role as Chief Commercial Officer and Senior Director for P&G Pakistan. Born in Karachi and a graduate of the Institute of Business Administration, Khurram has also served as Chairman of Gillette Pakistan.

Raza has more than a decade's worth of experience in fueling brand growth through integrated media solutions. He started off his career at Adcom Zenith and then worked at the largest FMCGs in the country including Unilever, Coca-Cola, and P&G. This allows him to bring the best of both worlds (Agency and Client) in creating an effective media strategy which has led to brand growth and increased penetration. Having worked on some of the biggest brands in the country has allowed him to develop a range of expertise in media mix modeling, and brand growth fueled through media and digital transformation.

Farooq K. Qazi has been putting his heart and soul into advertising and marketing for the last fifteen years in some of the top network agencies in Pakistan. he has the honor of working on one of the world's greatest brands offered by PepsiCola International and The Coca-Cola Company. These opportunities helped him to learn the best advertising practices to groom him as a marketer. In 2019, he was given the responsibility of leading BBDO Pakistan as General Manager along with Atiya Zaidi, a veteran advertising soul. This has been one of the best experiences so far and he had thoroughly been enjoying this ever-evolving challenge of leadership. he has great project-management skills, have been managing teams that have proven to be great resources in agencies across Pakistan. He is known for extensive experience in communications and productions with a keen eye for detail.

A passionate advertising professional creating brands that become household names.

Zeban has 20 years of cross-functional experience across different categories and has worked for some of the leading ad agencies including Ogilvy, Synergy Dentsu, Interflow & JWT amongst others. Zeban brings with him vast experience and learnings working with global brands such as Nestlé, Reckitt, Hyundai, Haier, Unilever, 3M & Canon as well as local brands such as Silkbank, Ufone, Tapal, Shan Foods, World Call, Haleeb, BoP & Beaconhouse to name a few.

Kashif Hafeez - CEO of Pulse Consultant, a marketing & social research company, primarily believes in the fusion of Innovation, Novelty & Insights He has been engaged with various multinational & national clients & media houses for the last couple of decades. He specializes in strategy development & insights generation by intelligent use of research techniques. He has, to his credit, a number of benchmark media research. He is well equipped with all the latest research techniques & their efficient use. Kashif’s unique point of difference is the anthropological appreciation of society & consumers. He has conducted in-depth research on Ad Recall, Youth, Women, Opinion Polls, & #PSL advertisement recall studies. He is a teacher, columnist, blogger, and author of various books on social issues.

Coined and executed the idea of the Lahore business, Bilal has been rocking his throne in Lahore for more than a decade. Started his career in 2005 with Red Communication Arts to manage the dairy business and then joined Adcom in 2008 to lead the Telenor prepaid business, he successfully repositioned the brand and executed campaigns during the intense communication landscape of the Telco war. Later in 2011, he established a team and expanded Adcom’s business in Lahore and grew the organization from 1 person to a team of more than 50 people in 2022, he kept growing by utilizing his powerful capabilities of strategic offerings, intellectual thinking, relationship management, and team motivational exercises. Today, with more than 17 years of experience and expertise in leadership roles, he is leading Adcom Leo Burnett to gain a top position in Lahore’s marketing landscape.

Meet the seasoned digital marketing professional with over 13 years of experience, who loves to elevate brands in the digital space and turn them into powerhouses. Ms. Firdous has been leading the digital wing at Manhattan Communications (Affiliated with Havas Media), with a keen interest in digital strategy and a knack for crafting digital coms. Masters at navigating the ever-changing digital landscape and creating strategies that drive results, she specializes in IMC, e-commerce, performance marketing, web & app projects, and AI. While hustling 9 to 5 for a living, she loves to coach and train people about digital marketing.

An accomplished brand management and marketing communications leader with a career expanding over 20 years. With the ability to think strategically and develop ideas independently, Shahzaib has spearheaded teams across a spectrum of local and international brands. An award-winning marketer, Shahzaib has been proficient in transforming brand vision and insights into motivating actions that deliver sustainable revenue growth and customer loyalty.

A Modern Political History graduate, Mahrukh Shaikh is a multi-award-winning advertising creative with over 15 years of experience in affiliation with legacy agencies like Adcom Leo Burnett and Ogilvy Pakistan. In 2017, Mahrukh decided to venture out on her own into the creative wilderness of ideas and content creation, as the co-founder and idea whisperer for WUNDERNERF. Curious about the ever-evolving digital playing field, Mahrukh joined Symmetry Group in 2020 as their Head of Content where she crafts and develops content that is created to transform business possibilities for the Group’s clientele.

As an entrepreneur with a career spanning advertising, production, and filmmaking, Hamza Lari is a Founder of Helipad Production house. He is the co-founder of Contentory, a company that tells stories rooted in culture for brands including infinix, Oppo, Vivo, Samsung, TCL, and many more. Also a partner in a film studio Shamsi studio. Prior to Contentory and Helipad launch, he worked for the creative department at Oglivy, Adcom, and Interflow. His curiosity for all things innovative has led him to work with clients such as Vivo, Oppo, and Pepsi through his creative venture called Helipad; a production house based in Pakistan and Outside Pakistan. Currently, Hamza is a brand ambassador for Vivo and created an original film for their international film competition.

Kiran Sardar Kohati – Head Customer Experience – Branch Banking, HBL - is a seasoned professional with almost 23 years of diverse experience in marketing, research, advertising, media, brand & commercial proficiency. She possesses strong commercial acumen and analytical skills and her key strengths include branding and communication planning, research, relationship management, negotiations, and reorganizing & turnaround management.

Farooq is a passionate well rounded overall business management and marketing professional with more than 25 years of diversified international and local experience. Strategic thinker with a proven track record of Strategic planning and implementing business initiatives to drive results in a cost-effective manner. Farooq possesses strong leadership and interpersonal skills which have been key to his success while working with leading brands like Merck, Danone Group, Hershey Canada, Rogers Telecom, Omstead Foods Canada, Tapal, and Service Sales Corporation. Farooq is presently working as Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer with Bays International Private Limited and helping the organization in transforming and taking it to the next level through his innovative leadership skills. He loves to travel and enjoys reading autobiographies. He strongly believes in contributing back to society through teaching and his passion for philanthropic work. He is Visiting Faculty member at IOBM and SZABIST. He is a Trustee and General Secretary of GEAR Trust which helps people in generating employment at the bottom of the pyramids of society.

A passionate and seasoned researcher with over 2 decades of experience for delving into understanding consumers and what makes them tick. A deep-rooted hunger for expanding my knowledge base, my craze for photography and drawing keeps me sane and going.

Jibran T. Siddiqui is a creative who has been in the industry for more than 13 years. Being a wordsmith, his power lies in creative wordplay. He is the mind behind award-winning campaigns like Cac1000’s “Abhi to mein jawan hoon” and DVAGO’s brand launch “Goli na do”. Before joining Blitz, he has been associated with agencies like Adcom Leo Burnett, Spectrum VMLY&R, Manhattan International, and Orientm McCann.

Munib Rizavi is a passionate marketeer who has worked in companies like Colgate Palmolive, Mondelez, and Red Bull and is currently managing the Nutrition Division at Unilever. He has worked across a multitude of categories which includes detergents, snacking, beverages, and foods. He is known for his noncookies cutter approach to marketing and for challenging the status quo. The Red Bull PSL Skydive activation, Red Bull PSL Trophy delivery, Red Bull Sound Clash, and Bakeri Nan Khatai Packaging are just a few of the highlights. In addition to working on brands, Munib is an avid reader and has many interests which include swimming, traveling, and teaching.

Saadi is a graduate of Pakistan's top business schools; LUMS and IBA, where he obtained his Bachelor in Honors with a major in Economics and his MBA in Marketing respectively. With 15 years of Marketing, Trade Marketing, and Sales experience with Global Blue Chip companies Philip Morris International and Nestle and Pakistan's largest homegrown n FMCG company EBM, Saadi specializes in IMC and Commercial project management. He is an award-winning marketer with expertise in talent development, stakeholder management, long-term brand, and portfolio strategy, disruptive brand launches, and data-led insight generation.

Mehek Zafar Sangi is a digital culturist and an innovator in activating multiple brands in the digital ecosystem. She is driven by passion and curiosity, and grounded by knowledge. She has been associated with the digital, new media content marketing, and social ecosystem for over a decade in Pakistan. She has previously worked for top digital and media agencies such as Symmetry Digital, Groupm, and Maxus on key accounts. She has been known for her Business Development skills and has been involved in no-line thinking. She is a leader and a mentor to many in the field.

Ehmer Kirmani, founder, chief creative, filmmaker, and storyteller at heart, loves empowering brands to lead in their marketplace with powerful and distinctive brand imagery by crafting brand culture through captivating storytelling and 360º amplification to create inspiring brand journeys. Besides film direction, being a chief creative and strategic cultural branding narrator, he works on deriving the brand manifesto, brand culture, ideation & concepts with the global team of the upcoming A Brand-First MarCom Network "BCN." He delivered successful 360º advertising campaigns and branded entertainment content for leading international & regional Multi-Billion Value Winning Brands. He has previously worked on major advertising campaigns with global advertising & marketing leaders. He has served leading brands like Nestle, LU, IFFCO, Jazz, Toyota, Emirate, Phillips & Morris, Al Futtaim, New Holland Tractor, GTR Tyre, Dulux, TCS, Tapal, Habib, National, Hilal, Mayfair, Tiffany, Capri, Golden Pearl, TCS, Meezan Bank, Bank Alfalah, Novartis, Roche, etc.

Having over 15 years of consumer marketing experience, Faisal is currently General Manager Marketing at Friesland Campina Engro Pakistan. He is a seasoned consumer marketer with a passion for building brands with a purpose. With experience in top global FMCG organizations including Unilever and Reckitt, Faisal has worked in various global and regional marketing roles across the Middle East, South Africa & Pakistan, in a broad spectrum of categories including Home Care, Personal Care, Beverages, and Dairy. Over the years, Faisal has managed truly iconic brands including Dettol, Finish, Air Wick, Mortein, Harpic, Lipton, Brooke Bond Supreme, and now Olper’s. Faisal is a passionate squash player and enjoys his morning runs.

Brand building is his passion and he has been fortunate to be able to lead multiple billion-dollar brands at Procter & Gamble for a decade now.

With a career spanning over 15 years, Aman brings extensive experience in strategic planning, brand building, and product development in leading financial service organizations in the country. As a marketer, she believes in leading brands with the purpose of creating a sustainable impact and firmly advocates the art of storytelling to connect with the audience in a way that leaves a lasting impact.

A curator of Business Ideas and a business development professional by experience, he is in love with the digital world and the various social and societal innovations that are helping us focus more and more on creation and ideation. Emaad is an experienced Executive Director with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry. Skilled in Strategic planning and understanding, negotiation, Media Buying, Marketing Strategy, Digital Marketing, and Integrated Marketing. He thrives on recognition and has consistently been part of teams that have been winning awards since 2015, starting from Dubai Lynx for Ariel (P&G) and continuing to date for our various clients in Pakistan.

Yousra Taj is a seasoned marketer, passionate about upscaling organizations’ growth trajectory, building purpose-driven brands, developing teams and talents, and solving complex business challenges leading to sustainable growth and progress. She has 12+ years of wide-ranging local and international markets experience in the FMCG sector, leading and navigating through competitive landscapes and categories, including Oil & Fats, Snacks, Dairy, Recipes & Spices. She continues to challenge the status quo, leading innovations across product portfolios, systems & processes, media, and communications. Yousra has won 6 Effie awards in Pakistan and one Asia-Pacific Effie for her note-worthy contributions to advertising & communications.

Starting her career in advertising some 16 years ago, Saira never looked back ever since owing to the action and thrill the field offers. It is the will to break the norms and the passion to steer this industry forward while setting new standards that keep her energized and motivated every day. With communication strategies as her core area of interest, she played a key role from this side of the table in launching and re-launching several brands in the telco, banking & finance, FMCG, snacks, juices, food & dairy, fashion & apparel, and pharma categories as well as numerous campaigns for the public and development sector, introducing several industry firsts and bagging some awards on the way.

Ehtisham is responsible for driving the growth of a diverse confectionery and chocolates business comprising more than 50 brands spread across 12 product categories. He has a versatile commercial background with a forte in marketing strategy and commercial excellence at various multinational and local corporations including Johnson and Johnson, Abbott Consumer, Tapal, and Engro Foods. During the course of his career, he has also led the marketing functions for different markets in the MENA region. His credentials also include experience in retail excellence and revenue growth management. He is passionate about giving back to the community through his teaching efforts at different business schools. He is a keen golfer and an avid reader.

Sharjeel has been associated with the world of graphic design and advertising since 2004. After graduating from the department of Visual Studies at the University of Karachi with a degree in design, he has worked with Adcom, Spectrum Y&R, IAL Saatchi & Saatchi, and JWT. Some of my achievements, besides teaching graphic design to university students, are as follows: world-renowned 'witty resignation of a graphic designer'; Djuice 'Khamoishi Ka Boycott' campaign; redesign of the Jazz logo; launch of I M KHI; TB eradication campaign; and the 'meaning behind Pakistan's National Anthem' campaign for Bisconni Kids.

He is an insight-driven marketer with experience working across different global, regional, and national cultures. As a Brand Strategy Coach, he enjoys working with purpose-driven organizations to humanize their brands and create ethical marketing leadership that acts as an engine for social change.

Adnan has 25+ years of delivering award-winning communication solutions for top tier local and multi-national brands at his former agency, Adcom Leo Burnett / Zenith. He has been Adjunct Faculty and Thesis Juror at Karachi University and IVS and, more recently, at SZABIST. He’s been on the Steering Committee of the Effie Awards Pakistan since 2019, and a juror at the Effie Awards as well as at Spikes Asia. Adnan is an NLP and mBIT certified life-coach, and alongside his design/branding/creative consultancy, he is focussed on helping people tap into their latent potential through coaching, mentoring and ideation/creative workshops.

A consumer insights expert with a passion to understand the consumer. Ability to manage stakeholders’ expectations across and deliver on business needs.

Zain does not like to be called a narcissist so he talks in 3rd person. He is left-handed and right-brainer by birth, which makes him creative, passionate, and free-spirited. For him, striking a balance between logic and nonsense is strictly optional. He is an ardent follower and admirer of movies, that’s where he gets most of his inspiration from. With his growing interest in reading, be it books or the slight sarcastic role of an eye, searching for insights has become a fascination.

Ahmad is one of the most talented creative leaders today. Being an alumnus of the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, his outstanding track record includes major positions in top-tier agencies. He has served as Creative Director at Ogilvy & Mather Pakistan, Manhattan International Limited, and MullenLowe Group. Being a people person at heart, the soul of a creative and entrepreneurial mindset, Ahmad has been helping young talent find their perfect jobs with a recruitment business as well for over a decade. He has recently joined Entravision Jack of Digital as the Creative Lead, bringing with him a range of creative disciplines such as creative strategy, and production, among all things creative.

Raheel Pasha is a brand enthusiast, who thrives on disruption and turnarounds. He has rich & diverse experience across CPG firms such as P&G, Reckitt and Unilever, and now leading multinational agencies. Raheel is also an advisor to startups ranging from Drones manufacturing to Snacks production.

A brand fanatic who is consumer focused, culturally diverse, always ready to disrupt and loves to co-create! Shadman khan is a seasoned Brand Samurai with over 7 years of Brand Communication & Management experience. Moreover, shadman is a stern believer of the fact that communication should be insightful, attention grabbing and should lead to effective brand performance by delivering on measurable objectives. He have always strived for marketing disruption and have effectively instilled this in the marketing force at Telenor Pakistan which has helped them achieve some successful industry and Pakistan firsts but also a lot of proud failures Shadman believes in work-life balance and religiously follows his passion of electronic music by being an active promoter and DJ.

An avid student of brand, marketing, and advertising, Raheel possesses a 15+years of experience in Marketing, working with a diverse range of categories, including, fertilizers, confectionery, home, personal care and food to name a few. His most recent stint has been with Arçelik – Dawlance, Pakistan’s leading consumer durables brand where he has grown through the ranks to the position of Head – Marketing (Marketing and Communications). He is currently leading a robust team of individuals, managing brand, product and corporate communications, E Commerce and Trade, creating impactful strategies that not just contribute towards the bottom line but also ensure the brands health. He firmly believes in creating legacies of brands through communication that can sustain ever-changing market dynamics.

Urooj Ahmed leads a team of 30+ across multiple functions at Daraz. An MBA holder from IoBM, she started her career over a decade ago in digital marketing; and her diverse omni-channel experience in building brands has established her as a seasoned brand strategist. Under her role at Daraz, she acts as the custodian of the brand to ensure the brand grows, stays true to its essence, and maintains consistency across all offline and online channels. Before joining Daraz, Urooj has worked at leading agencies of the country and overseen portfolio clients such as Unilever, Nestle, Jazz, Coca-Cola, FrieslandCampina and P&G.

Ali A. Rizvi is an Energetic leader of high integrity, known for ability to envision and realize successful outcomes in complex situations. Diverse industry and functional expertise, with commitment to strong management, strategy development, brand depth and market growth. Innovative thinker with broad-based expertise in operations, brand development and media. Proven ability to quickly analyze key business drivers and develop strategies to grow the bottom line.

The three qualities that have served Saima Qamar well throughout her life are her curiosity, ability to read fast, and then assimilate and process the same. These she thinks are the three key factors that made her work and enjoy this work in market research. Other than that, she is a wife, mother and now even a Nano…. Who loves to knit for the baby. Now that Saima is in her golden years she feels that we run after wrong things in our youth.

Fuad is a marketer at heart and has worked on a diverse range of categories - from Personal Care to Biscuits and Confectionery, from Edible Oil to Dairy, from Ice Cream to Cosmetics. He knows that Marketing makes the world go round! It’s the art of unseen persuasion.

Rafey Zuberi is a career marketing & general management professional with vast experience working on some of the leading brands of the world like Pepsi, Oreo, Benson & Hedges, Chevrolet, LU, and Olper’s Milk. To his credit, he has had some of the top launches in Pakistan in the last two decades, which include the launch of Olper’s Milk and Oreo Cookies. He is widely respected as a marketing leader and has been a mentor to many of the new marketing and brand champions in the industry.

Waqas Farooqui has been working for over twenty years in marketing, advertising, business management and sales. He has worked on client-side as well as the agency-side. Waqas has executed 150+ ATL/BTL/Digital integrated, multi-channel campaigns. He has exposure to 12+ industries including Cellular Services, Advertising, Oral Care, Fabric Care, Hard Surface Care, Personal Care, Hair Care, Banking, Baby Feeding Accessories, Baby Toiletries, Baby Hygiene, Digital, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Food & Beverages (F&B). His core skills include mentoring; leadership; team building; strategic planning; business management; marketing; communications; branding; selling; advertising; project management; budgeting; negotiation; digital marketing. Outside of work, he is a hobbyist photographer since age 12.

Wajahat is a passionate marketing leader and strategic thinker with over 18 years of diverse experience of managing national and multinational brands in Pakistan and beyond. He started his marketing career from Philip Morris Pakistan. He went for a secondment in Philip Morris global headquarter based in Lausanne, Switzerland, where he served a global role in the Brand Building Support division. He has also worked with the leading brands in Pakistan including Tapal Tea and National Foods.

Ammar is working as CMO for Daraz (Alibaba Group). Ammar has successfully built OLX as a founding team member as head of marketing from 2013 to 2019. From traditional to tech, Ammar is one of the few marketers whose expertise ranges from brand building to performance marketing. He is a thought leader on new media and marketing research to quantify impact of marketing on business. He is a data enthusiast driving to quantify the non-quantifiable in marketing. He wants to redefine the creative and marketing benchmarks to new age norms constantly challenging the existing status quo of marketing.

Raza Syed has been a part of the Pakistan’s media industry for the last 16 years and has been working with GroupM Pakistan ever since, recently promoted to the Managing Director of Mediacom he has a vast experience of working with some of Pakistan’s biggest brands such as Unilever, PepsiCo, Colgate Palmolive, Coca Cola, Ismail Industries, Shan foods etc. Under his leadership Mediacom has become the fastest growing media agency in the country with a growth of over 100% in billings in the last 1 year alone. With the mission of becoming the single largest media agency in the country, client servicing, capability building and creating new business opportunities is at the heart of the agency’s way of working.

A storyteller by nature with a career expanding 19+ years, Yawar had the privilege to be associated with the leading agencies in the country, reshaping and reimagining some great global and local brands. He has won several local and international awards and had the pleasure to judge the Lisbon Ad Fest. With a degree in communication design and an illustrious portfolio that comprises of brands like Mobilink, Ufone, Coke, Engro Foods, Lux, Nurpur, LU biscuits, Shell, Khaadi, P&G and many more, Yawar had the opportunity to give these brands a unique visual point of view that not only resulted in business growth but also in the emotional growth of the brands. This transformation of brands let him experience amazing human narratives that played a key role in his work.

Sadia Dada is a communications design and business transformation professional with 18 years of experience in a diverse range of sectors including Media, Energy, FMCG, F&B and Telecom. She is passionate about driving inclusion, innovation and sustainability in the workplace. Sadia is an avid adventure seeker and loves a good challenge.

A turnaround specialist and a brand builder for 2 decades. Have experience of working with top MNCs and local companies in Pakistan with the exposure of leading top global and local brands.

A marketing fundamentalist with almost two decades of experience with an array of multinational and local brands; privileged to lead one of the best teams in the business of advertising in Pakistan. As a firm believer in knowledge sharing, he mentors future leaders through various programs, is on the board of advisors for School of Leadership, trains young marketers as a subject area expert at British Council’s DICE, and also works with top business schools as an adjunct faculty for Marketing, Advertising, and Media Sciences programs. A Blitz man for the last 14 years, Umair has previously been associated with Hip Media, Leo Burnett and DDB in Pakistan.

Agha is a highly-accomplished storyteller and creative strategist with over 18 years of experience, having worked with some of the world's most renowned brands both on the client and agency side, as well as in consultancy roles. He is now a tech entrepreneur, leveraging his expertise to build an AI-based ecosystem for startups and scale-ups to accelerate their growth, funding, and business milestones. In addition to his business pursuits, Agha is deeply passionate about social impact initiatives and diversity & inclusion causes, and dedicates a significant portion of his time to advising, coaching and volunteering for these efforts pro bono.

Sheikh Adil Hussain is a bona fide marketing enthusiast and has spent over 20 years in the FMCG world with companies like P&G, Henkel, Shan Foods and Tapal based in Karachi, Dubai and Dusseldorf. He has led teams in local, regional and international roles being exposed to multiple international markets in GCC, MENA and the rest of the world, while managing brands such as Pampers, Vicks, Persil, Pril, DAC, Vernel, Shoop, Shan and Tapal. Upon his return to Pakistan, he co-founded a content creation agency by the name of “Wundernerf” and a facebook page by the name of “Marketing Phir Say” challenging existing notions on various marketing concepts. Adil has also briefly taught brand management at his alma mater, The IBA, and lends his time generously for Career counseling and mentoring initiatives. Currently he is the marketing director at Unilever for their Hair Care business. As a lifelong learner he has gained a 4-month diploma in Football business fundamentals from the Johan Cruyff Institute and done the Mini MBA in Marketing from the eminent professor Mark Ritson. He has also served as an Independent Director on a couple of boards and has devoted significant time to leading a not for profit organization, Saaf Sehatmand Service Pvt. Ltd. Which promotes women economic empowerment in Pakistan’s rural areas. For the past few years, he has also been part of the Pakistan Advertisers Society's executive council helping shape initiatives that will uplift the overall standards of our industry, and of late has started curating and hosting workshops on various topics related to marketing, Effie’s and 'finding your why'.

Babar is a 27 year industry veteran, involved with all the P’s of marketing, both here in Pakistan and in the USA. Graduate from the University of Texas at Austin.

In 12 years of brand building, Affan Cheema got the chance to compete (and luckily win) in fiercely contested categories. He has been able to turn around brands and put them on a growth trajectory. The secret to success? Creating engaging brand experiences. Some failed, and some didn’t. Those that didn’t, win awards – two YouTube Leaderboard Awards in two consecutive years and runner-up in Meta Awards in the following year. On a personal front, Affan is an avid golfer – not unusual to find him on the course at 5:00 AM. He also likes traveling. He has been to 26 countries and three of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Marketer with a passion for going Sherlock on consumers to find that insight that ticks and converting it into a business proposition that flies off the shelves (or apps). Has an experience in FMCG and tech marketing through her roles at Amazon UK, Uber and Coca-cola.

A dynamic leader who has been credited for setting up and establishing successful media setups across GroupM Pakistan, Converge Technologies and Universal McCann- Orient in Pakistan. She setup Digital for GroupM in 2014, which has grown to be the most successful digital company across Pakistan, delivering award winning campaigns, world-class talent, and successful business results. Recently she has also been given the lead for GroupM Nexus, which includes Xaxis and INCA in Pakistan, which are GroupM’s regional products. Amna's expertise is spread across Strategic planning, Leadership, Innovation and Setting up successful business operations.

From creative design, to copy, to SEO, to strategy, Sarah Dawood currently heads the Corporate Brand department at TPL Insurance. Over 15 years of experience, including multinational brands in the MENA region and Pakistan, Sarah has worked with leading companies across sectors, ranging from Tobacco, FMCG, Finance & Banking, Aviation, Energy, General Insurance and more. She also developed and taught CEP workshops for Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture. Sarah currently lives in Karachi, where she and her husband perpetually look forward to visits from their beautiful, talented children.

Raheel Yousuf is an award-winning thoroughbred brands, communication, and digital expert! Currently, serving at Bank Alfalah Limited as the Head of Marketing & Brand Management. A diversified experience spread across different cultures and matrix organizations. Leveraging skills in brand building, commercial engagement, consumer insights, account management, and strategy building; he converts marketing ideations into revenue streams. At the heart of all of this is a servant leader with genuine respect for everyone around and a proven ability to navigate formal and informal organization networks to deliver the best value for the business.

Ms. Raeda Latif has varied work experience ranging from strategic marketing & business development to developing the digital side of businesses for enhanced outreach, focusing predominantly in the financial markets. She is actively engaged in Advocacy for Sustainable development and ESG standard compliances in the corporate sector of Pakistan. She is a proponent for financial education and driving the PSX program for financial literacy. She stands apart as an outlier via exceptional delivery of projects based on her wide-ranging grasp of all things Marketing – nuanced or direct. Ms. Raeda Latif, General Manager, Marketing & Business Development at Pakistan Stock Exchange, since 2018, brings with her rich & diverse experience having held senior positions in various corporates including Faysal Bank, UBL Fund Managers, IGI Financial Services, Union Bank – Standard Chartered and Cyber Internet Services. Raeda Latif holds a Masters’ degree in Linguistics along with an MBA with double majors in Marketing and IT. She is a Certified Director from PICG and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (MCIM), UK. She is also serving as a member on the Board of Governors of Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture Pakistan.

Imtiaz runs OrangeFox, a tech company focused on solving problems for digital businesses and product companies in the space of data collection, distribution, analysis and communications. Imtiaz has helped launch multiple digital businesses and held leadership roles across companies like Kaymu (now Daraz) and Effective Measure (now Narratiive), in addition to leading the spending more than 7 years in the investment management sector in Pakistan. Imtiaz has a passion for understanding challenges to businesses and societies and loves to play a role in solving problems.

Asad is an experienced Food & Beverage marketer with experiences at EBM, Unilever, Tapal and Reckitt spanning over 14 years across Marketing and Sales roles. Currently he is working at EBM as DGM Marketing; during his time here, he has partaken some very prominent campaigns on Sooper, has redefined the cake category through notable innovations like Peek Freans Smile and Gluco Teddy and currently looks after the Biscuits Category. As part of the senior leadership team, his role involves strategic decision making, crafting business development and innovations for growth with concrete and creative brand experiences for consumers.

With over twelve years of experience, beginning in an advertising agency, Shoaib combines his powers of agency and corporate experience, bringing a uniquely different approach to all his projects. He has managed brands at leading FMCG companies such as Unilever and Shan Foods. He strives to make a difference with every campaign, speaking to the hearts and minds of his audience, he has been known to create insightful and meaningful communications and has successfully built brand equity for the brands he works for.