Title: Group CEO, TBWA\RAAD
Years in the role: 10 years
Years in the industry: 30 years
Years in the middle east region: 30 years
Other roles / board memberships: Chairman of the
Syracuse University MENA Alumni Board. Chapter Chair, Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) Emirates Chapter. Executive Committee Board of Directors of the International Advertising Association UAE Chapter.
Power Essay: From the backyard to the global stage: 25 lessons from 25 years of disruption®
25 years ago, four dreamers sat around a backyard table in Dubai with nothing but ambition, restlessness, and an idea called Disruption®. From that small beginning, TBWA\RAAD grew into one of the most influential creative agencies in the region, home to more than 1,000 people across MENA, and today is named the Best Place to Work in the World.
Our journey has mirrored the transformation of the Middle East itself: bold, fast, ambitious and unapologetically disruptive. We’ve made mistakes, taken risks and kept moving forward. Along the way, we’ve gathered lessons that continue to guide us. Lessons that are as relevant to future leaders and CMOs as they are to us.
Here are 25 lessons from 25 years of Disruption®:
1. Start scrappy. Four dreamers in a Dubai backyard can build a global creative powerhouse.
2. Dream as big as your city. Dubai taught us that audacity is a strategy.
3. Build on the region’s pride. Creativity here doesn’t just sell; it redefines how the world sees us.
4. Bet on the “impossible” brief. Highway Gallery was once a crazy thought. Today, it’s a case study.
5. Make failure your tuition. Every misstep funds your next breakthrough.
6. Reset ruthlessly. When the game shifts, start fresh without fear.
7. Stay restless. Arrival is an illusion. Keep disrupting or get disrupted.
8. Curiosity compounds. The leaders who ask the most questions see the farthest ahead.
9. Let go to grow. Progress means hard choices: about processes, structures, even people.
10 Anchor in values, not trends. Culture changes, but integrity endures.
11. Creativity is MENA’s new export. From Louvre Abu Dhabi to KFC’s gaming culture, ideas from here travel everywhere.
12. Be a cultural translator. The strongest campaigns are rooted in local nuance but understood globally.
13. People are the product. Creativity doesn’t live in decks or tech; it lives in talent. Protect it.
14. Build an industry you’d want your kids to join. Wellbeing, purpose, and creativity must make this a career worth inheriting.
15. Earn the seat at the table. From service providers to strategic partners, we belong in boardrooms.
16. Use tech as a tool, not a crutch. AI amplifies judgment; it doesn’t replace creativity.
17. Speed beats size. Agility outperforms bureaucracy every time.
18. Reject mediocrity. Comfort zones kill originality; stay underdog hungry.
19. Creativity in crisis. When the world shut down in 2020, we didn’t. We reinvented and came back stronger.
20. Be where culture lives. Whether in gaming, music, or street food, meet people where they play.
21. Shift from KPIs to impact. Awards matter less than moving markets, shifting perception, and shaping futures.
22. Mentor forward. True success is measured in how many voices you elevate, not just campaigns you win.
23. Local craft is global currency. Detail, design, and authenticity travel better than imitation.
24. Protect the industry you love. It’s on us to keep it exciting, relevant, and forward-looking, so the next generation wants in.
25. Dare the brave thing. Playing safe is the riskiest strategy of all.
These lessons aren’t just about TBWA\RAAD, they’re about the industry we all share. Advertising has the power to shape culture, accelerate progress, and redefine how the world sees a region. But only if we protect it, invest in it, and keep it exciting for those who come after us.
The last 25 years prove what’s possible when you believe in Disruption®. The next 25 demand it. So, the question is: what will your Disruption® be?
Highlight of the last year
Reda’s visionary leadership earned him global recognition, including being named to Campaign UK’s prestigious 40 Over 40 list and the Arabian Business Dubai 100.
Rapid fire
What the industry needs to talk more about:
Long-term value over short-term hype.
What the industry needs to talk less about:
“AI will replace us”. It won’t replace imagination.
If you could change one thing in the blink of an eye, you would …
Cut the endless meetings.
What’s one thing about you that would surprise your team?
I’m a better padel player than all of them.
What mobile application can you not live without?
WhatsApp.
What word / phrase do people remember you for using the most?
“The power of the big idea.”
What’s one local / regional tradition that you love the most?
Ramadan gatherings that bring everyone together.
If you could choose any two people, currently alive, in the world to share a meal with you, who would it be?
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, twice.
What’s your top word of advice for Gen Z and Gen Alpha?
Learn to unplug, creativity lives offline.
What’s your go-to comfort food?
Grilled cheese sandwich.
