Campaign’s PR to Watch 2023 – Vanessa Olsson, Account Executive, Gambit Communications

Campaign’s PR to Watch 2023 – Vanessa Olsson, Account Executive, Gambit Communications

Age: 23

Nominated by Jamal Almawed, Founder & Managing Director:
“Vanessa’s personal journey is so impressive to me. She made a huge life change coming out of the comfort zone of her family house in her quiet home country and dropping straight into the frantic work lifestyle of Dubai and adapting successfully with a quiet grace. Beneath the calm and composed exterior there is a rugged resilience to her that gives her persistence and persuasiveness, two core components of a successful comms professional. She is our hospitality expert who, in a short period of time, has made herself a crucial tentpole in our success. I trust her implicitly.”

Career highlights

Coming from a hospitality background both academically and professionally, I never imagined myself working in public relations. I had moved from Sweden to Dubai to take on a new adventure when a job opening at Gambit caught my eye, and I applied even though I didn’t know much about PR.

Fast forward 18 months and I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest luxury hospitality brands in the region, handle press events on ground in different countries, develop my PR and communications skillset and build meaningful relationships with the media in my sector. There is nothing more satisfying than understanding a client’s vision and turning that into interesting stories that they can tell their audience.

Guiding principles

Believe in yourself, your process and don’t compare yourself to everybody else. In the end, you’re the one setting your goals and no one can stop you. In the process, allow yourself to be curious, resilient to failure and open to new approaches that will help you achieve your dreams.

Side hustle

When I’m not in the office, I love working out and exploring new things that bring me happiness, like horse riding, traveling, rollerblading, hiking and being outdoors. Being outdoors and having animals around me is relaxing and allows me to reflect.

Go back to main article: Campaign’s PR Faces to Watch 2023