Campaign’s Digital Faces to Watch 2025 – Nihal Pillai, Performance Lead, Assembly

Campaign’s Digital Faces to Watch 2025 – Nihal Pillai, Performance Lead, Assembly

Age: 29

Nominated by Beth Williams, Business Director – Paid Media:
Nihal joined Assembly MENA as an intern back in 2021, and it’s safe to say he’s progressed quickly into his role as Performance Lead. Nihal continues to receive exceptional feedback from his clients, often spotting areas for improvement outside his remit of performance media. Clients often comment that they see Nihal as a partner within their business rather than an agency FTE. He also works very closely with media partners and has multiple case studies published with Think with Google, TikTok and Meta.

Career highlights

Four years ago, I made the bold leap from consulting to performance marketing, and I’ve never looked back. Having a Master’s in Marketing & Business Analytics provided me with a strong foundation of performance marketing. This unique blend of consulting experience and data-driven strategy has enabled me to craft tailored solutions that drive real success.

In just 3.4 years, I’ve climbed the corporate ladder 5 times, led and collaborated with 35+ brands across the region and globally, developed seven case studies, and won the MENA Search Awards TWICE. The journey is just getting started!

Guiding principles

The best way to learn is by listening to and observing industry greats, never repeating the same mistake twice, staying hungry and always striving for more, delivering the highest quality without compromise, and having the passion to be the BEST.

Side hustle

FIFA E-Sport competitive player with career highlight of top 100 global ranking in FIFA 16, Top 1% Elite Player in the world (FIFA 21, 22 & 23) and multiple tournament wins.

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