Campaign’s Faces to Watch, Brand Edition 2021 –Leila El Samad, regional digital manager – Active Cosmetics Division (ACD), L’Oréal Middle East
Age: 27
Nominated by Tamara Ghantous, UM Media Manager; key POC for ACD Division for L’Oréal Middle East
Leila is a true collaborator and strategic partner for ACD. She communicates her business challenges effectively and gives the agency full flexibility and the reigns to meet these objectives. She trusts and values the agency as a media expert and in a short time frame has positioned herself as a strong leader with a clear directive and vision for her workstreams. She is organized in her thinking which reflects in her ways of working with the agency making her a strong business partner.
Bio
I’m a communications professional with 9 years of experience working on both sides of the MarComms world- company and agency. Having worked in companies across Dubai & Mumbai, I have handled content for global clients like Colgate Palmolive, P&G, GE, Jaguar-Landrover, etc. At DP World, I have taken on a wider role to handle/manage the global content and brand as part of the Group Communications team.
I have been shortlisted among the top 10 from India for Young Spikes Asia 2017 and have won various awards and accolades for my work across client portfolios.
Guiding principles
Write like you would be writing to your best friend:
Craft communications while keeping your best friend in mind, would you talk to them the way that you just wrote/showcased your brand offering? If not, change your copy/design.
How has Covid-19 changed your job?
How do you interact with people from 6 continents all in the same week? The pandemic enabled me to do so!
6 months into my job, the pandemic was announced. I hadn’t even met the whole of HQ, let alone the regions but the situation made us all come together as the importance of the communications function grew by the second. With my expanding role and the business, even though there were late hours due to time differences and tighter deadlines, I’ve never made as many corporate relationships as the ones during this time.
Side hustle
In my free hours, I read a book from the tall pile of ‘to-reads’ that are currently sitting on my media unit serving as a piece of art or stream something from my watchlist.
As a side hustle, I’ve also been a contributor writer to top children’s magazines in India and wish to continue my interest in children writing here as well.
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