Top row, from left, clockwise, Rana Hamarneh, Dina Daoud, Razan Al-Qaisi, Touleen Barto, Natalie Saba and Wajeeha Husseini.International Women’s Day is a moment to celebrate achievements, but it is also a chance to reflect on how leadership itself is evolving and the role women are playing in shaping that change.
In the marketing and communications industry, I have the privilege of working alongside many remarkable women leaders. Within our own teams and across many of our clients, women hold key leadership roles, including a growing number of CMOs guiding some of the region’s most important brands. Their presence at the table is not just symbolic. It is transformative.
I remember being interviewed in 2016 after receiving a Women in Business award. One of the questions I was asked was how challenging my journey had been. My answer surprised some people. Instead of focusing on the challenges, I said that communication agencies are often led by women for a reason: we are natural communicators.
Communication is not just about delivering messages. It is about listening, understanding people, reading nuance, and connecting ideas. These qualities sit at the heart of great marketing and brand leadership. Looking back, I realise that this perspective still holds true today.
Many of the women leaders I work with, especially the CMOs shaping some of the region’s most influential brands, embody this same instinct to connect, nurture, and build.
This perspective is not mine alone. Many of the female CMOs we have the privilege of partnering with across banking, aviation, telecommunications, and FMCG share a similar view.
Rather than seeing gender as a challenge, they often see it as a strength, bringing empathy, clarity of communication, and a natural instinct for storytelling into the way they lead and build brands.
In their own words, here is how they see it:
Touleen Barto, Chief Marketing Officer, Capital Bank Group: “I’ve spent most of my career in rooms that were largely male, and yet I never saw that as something that held me back. If anything, it reminded me that bringing a different perspective is valuable. Women often lead with empathy, clarity and strong communication, and those qualities build trust quickly. My advice to any woman coming into this industry is simple: do not try to be like anyone else. Your perspective is your power.”
Wajeeha Al-Husseini, Chief Marketing Officer, Alyoum: “I would say to any woman entering this industry: do not question whether you belong here. You absolutely do. Leadership today is about empathy, clarity and courage, and those are qualities women bring in abundance. Believe in yourself, keep pushing forward, and support other women along the way.”
Razan Al-Qaisi, Marketing Communication Director, Royal Jordanian Airlines: “Marketing is ultimately about understanding people, and women often have a strong instinct for reading emotion, culture and nuance. That perspective has always been an advantage, not a challenge. My advice would be to stay curious about people and the world around you. The best ideas always start there.”
Dina Al Daoud, Marketing and Corporate Communications Director, Umniah by Beyon: “Rana is absolutely right, women are natural storytellers. In marketing, storytelling is everything. In my experience, women often lead with a balance of intuition and discipline, which makes a real difference when building strong brands. At its core, our work is about empathy, understanding people and translating that into something meaningful. My advice to anyone starting out is simple: trust your instincts. They are usually pointing you in the right direction.”
Natalie Saba, Marketing Manager – Levant, Fine Hygienic Holding: “At the heart of marketing is storytelling. It is about connecting ideas to real human experiences and emotions. Women often bring that instinct naturally, transforming insights into narratives that resonate deeply. That is why so many women excel at shaping brands and stories that truly stay with people. My advice to women entering this industry is to trust your instincts, believe in your voice, and never wait for permission to lead.”
Over the years, I have also developed a simple personal theory about women in leadership. It is not scientific, and there are no charts or consulting frameworks behind it, but I see it again and again: women often lead through creation.
Women nurture people, ideas, and communities. They build teams, develop talent, and cultivate environments where ideas can grow. In marketing especially, this instinct becomes a powerful leadership advantage. Brands are not built through control alone. They are built through understanding, empathy, and the ability to nurture relationships with audiences.
Perhaps this is why so many women leaders focus on building rather than dominating, growing brands, shaping narratives, and bringing people along on the journey. In a world that increasingly values collaboration, creativity, and human connection, leadership that focuses on creation is not only effective. It is essential.
International Women’s Day reminds us how far we have come. But it also reminds us that progress continues when talent is recognised, voices are heard, and leadership is defined not by who holds power, but by who creates opportunity for others.
By Rana Hamarneh, Group Chief Executive Officer and Partner, Adpro& Group, Adpro& OMD
