Designation: CEO, VML MENA and WPP MENA RHQ CEO
Years in the role: 2 years
Years in the industry: 23 years
Years in the middle east region: 26 years
Other roles / board memberships: IAA UAE Chapter President; WPP Executive
Power Essay: Ctrl + Alt + Del – the new reset
For more than three decades, the combination of three simple keys – Ctrl + Alt + Del – has been part of our digital vocabulary. At first, it was nothing more than a practical command: a way to restart a frozen computer, force quit an unresponsive programme, or free the system from an overwhelming task. For anyone who has spent hours in front of a screen, the action became second nature – an immediate response to frustration, a tiny ritual of recovery.
But as technology grew to occupy more of our lives, Ctrl + Alt + Del also became something larger: a mindset. The idea that with the right sequence of actions, we could break free from stagnation and begin again. How many times in our personal and professional lives have we wished for such a reset? A fresh start after a mistake, a release from a dead end, or the clarity to face a new direction. Over time, the metaphor stuck. Ctrl + Alt + Del became shorthand not only for managing our computers but for managing ourselves.
Today, however, we are collectively facing what may be the ultimate reset. The emergence of artificial intelligence is not just another technological shift; it is the equivalent of the largest, most complex challenge our industry has ever attempted to process. It is, at once, the bug, the shortcut and the system overload that forces us to press the keys of change. Unlike previous resets, though, this one is in continuous evolution. There is no instant reboot or seamless return to the same familiar desktop. AI requires us to rethink our models, our roles and even our creativity while we remain true to the ‘big idea’.
“AI forces us to clear away assumptions about how things have always been done.”
For agencies, businesses and individuals alike, this means reimagining what engagement looks like. The old frameworks – how we worked with clients; how we organised teams; how we measured value – are being rewritten. AI might not be fully replacing the human element, but it is demanding that we elevate it. Efficiency alone will no longer define success; adaptability, imagination and the right choice of tools will. Just as Ctrl + Alt + Del cleared away what was frozen or corrupted, AI forces us to clear away assumptions about how things have always been done.
And yet, unlike the comforting speed of a computer restart, this reset is a process. It will unfold gradually, sometimes uneasily, requiring patience and openness. We cannot simply press the keys and expect everything to function as before. Instead, we are stepping into a new operating system for work and for life, one that we are still writing as we go.
The lesson of Ctrl + Alt + Del has always been that every system – no matter how complex – has a way to start over. AI is our generation’s next reset command, it’s our responsibility to equip them with sharper tools to help them broaden their horizons, and create a deeper sense of responsibility and the added value they always brought to the business and clients. The future is not waiting to be debugged; it is waiting to be reimagined.
Highlight of the last year
Winning MENA Network of the Year at Dubai Lynx, bringing home Lions from Cannes, and our wins at the Athar Awards in KSA were all standout moments. I’m proud of our team’s dedication, the continued added value to our clients’ business, and the growing recognition for our creative excellence.
Rapid fire
What the industry needs to talk more about:
Longevity of the industry and how.
What the industry needs to talk less about:
Politics.
If you could change one thing in the blink of an eye, you would …
Increase ad spend by 500 per cent.
What’s one thing about you that would surprise your team?
I stopped eating chocolate.
What mobile application can you not live without?
It was news apps until ChatGPT came along.
What word / phrase do people remember you for using the most?
“Very very.”
What’s one local / regional tradition that you love the most?
Qahwa and dates.
If you could choose any two people, currently alive, in the world to share a meal with you, who would it be?
The Pope and Robert De Niro.
What’s your top word of advice for Gen Z and Gen Alpha?
Listen. Don’t assume you know it all.
What’s your go-to comfort food?
Eggs.
What’s your favourite ad from the past 12 months?
Many.
