Nasdaq-listed customer engagement platform Braze has appointed Sharif Kotb as Area Vice President for the GCC region.
The appointment aims to build on the company’s planned expansion of its footprint into the region, including plans to open an office in Dubai.
Kotb, who previously held a leadership role at Amazon Web Services (AWS), will work alongside Shahid Nizami, Vice President – APAC and GCC, to expand the business in the region, which today includes customers such as Anghami, Majid Al Futtaim, McDonald’s GCC, and Noon.
Commenting on Kotb’s appointment, Nizami said, “The Middle East is a rapidly growing market for Braze, and we are committed to strengthening our business in the region, supported by a strong team that Sharif Kotb will lead. As an accomplished technology professional with more than two decades of experience in developing and implementing enterprise and cloud solutions across different customer segments around the globe, he is the perfect candidate to introduce the Braze platform to more brands in the region.”
“I am excited to join the journey Braze is on in the Middle East, working with some of the region’s most exciting brands to help them scale their customer engagement strategies,” said Kotb. “Consumers across the Middle East now have more brand choice than ever before, and our focus is to empower marketers to meet these demands by helping them in creating personalized marketing strategies and gaining actionable insights that enhance customer engagement,” Nizami added.
Earlier this month, Braze held its annual ‘Grow with Braze’ event in Dubai, featuring marketing leaders from Careem, Instashop, eyewa, Five Holdings, Snowflake, Contentsquare, Property Finder, Floward, Pizza Hut, and Ogilvy MENA sharing their thoughts on how they’re creating impactful customer engagement strategies and building lasting loyalty.
During the event, Nizami said: “Brands and marketers today are overwhelmed by the tools and technologies available to increase agility, efficiency and productivity. With the advent of Generative AI, marketers are now empowered with even more insights. This has opened the door to a rise in efficiency and innovation.”
“The question is: How can marketers proactively respond and harness these trends and technologies to their advantage? This is where Braze can help. Our platform empowers marketers to creatively engage with customers in real-time across multiple channels,” Nizami added.
