Our annual Marketing Game Changers feature aims to recognise and celebrate those client-side marketing leaders whose actions and insights have made the greatest impact on their brands, their industries and the region’s marketing community over the past 12 months.
One of them for this year is Mike Rich, who is the Group Chief Marketing Officer at Aramex.
With more than 20 years of experience, including four in his current position, Rich oversees a team of 7 people at Aramex.
Mike Rich
Group Chief Marketing Officer, Aramex
Years in current position: 4 years
Years in the industry: 20 years
Size of team: 7
Size of department: 550 (Marketing + CX)
What would you place at the top of your brand and marketing priority list in 2025?
My marketing priorities will centre on two main goals. First, driving revenue by exploring new, innovative streams. Expanding beyond traditional approaches is key to finding fresh avenues for growth. Second, leveraging AI even more deeply within the marketing team, not just to cut costs, but to boost productivity and amplify output. From enhancing content creation to automating customer insights, tracking live customer sentiments, voice bots, dynamic personalised emails, video in email, gen bots, route optimisations, tracking… the list is endless.
What is the one thing you would change about the industry if you had a magic wand?
I’d transform the outdated perception of marketing as just a ‘cost centre’. It’s time for the industry to fully recognise that modern marketing is a powerful revenue driver. Over the past decade, marketing has evolved into a strategic commercial powerhouse focused on growth, customer engagement and delivering measurable ROI. Marketing today is far from a cost line item; it’s a core engine that fuels business success. Let’s make that shift happen. No magic required.
Are we using the latest technologies optimally to enhance the brand’s overall customer experience?
At Aramex, we’re all in on leveraging the latest tech to elevate our customer experience. In 2024, we doubled down on AI across marketing and customer experience, and the investment is only growing for 2025. We’re rolling out some truly game-changing projects, from live package tracking and autonomous bot deliveries to personalised messages from our CEO for every new Aramex account holder. And that’s just the beginning. We’re committed to making Aramex the best in the business by putting cutting-edge tech at the heart of everything we do, creating seamless, personalised experiences for our customers worldwide.
Is there a say-do gap and a green skills gap within sustainability that needs to be addressed?
100 per cent. Absolutely, there’s both a ‘say-do’ gap and a green skills gap in sustainability, and they need serious attention. Many companies are big on promises but fall short when it comes to action. We all need to embrace a ‘now’ mindset of less talk, more action. At Aramex, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword, it’s core to our mission. We published a sustainability report, and every decision since has been made with sustainability in mind. Aramex’s mission statement is: To connect people and businesses reliably and responsibly. To truly achieve this, we need the right expertise in-house, which is why we have a chief sustainability officer on our leadership team. This ensures we’re not just making promises, but actively delivering on them. We need to hold each other accountable and not be scared to challenge when needed.
What is the top challenge facing brand safety and reputation management?
Connectivity, while incredible, brings its own serious challenges. We’re constantly navigating a world where every action is closely scrutinised. From how we conduct ourselves to how we present our brand, mindfulness is essential. For a global, publicly listed company like ours, this responsibility is even greater. We carefully consider how each campaign will resonate across diverse audiences and cultures. Unfortunately, we’ve all seen brands stumble with campaigns that unintentionally offend, and in today’s connected world, those missteps can leave a lasting impact. The stakes are high, and every message matters, so we’re committed to keeping our brand reputation strong and respectful.
What were the top demands and expectations of consumers in 2024?
In 2024, consumers wanted everything “right now”. Instant gratification was king. They expected lightning-fast delivery, rapid-fire customer service, and seamless experiences all around. But that wasn’t the whole story. More and more people started choosing brands based on their carbon footprint, showing a real shift toward eco-conscious buying. This, of course, creates a new challenge. Instant gratification often comes with higher carbon emissions, as in the case of rush deliveries versus consolidated ones. This trend isn’t going anywhere, so businesses need to keep up. Meeting today’s demands for both speed and sustainability isn’t just nice to have, it’s the new loyalty driver.
How can marketers be a better voice of customers in the boardrooms or on the ExCo?
With endless data at our fingertips, marketing is more than ever a catalyst for understanding and visualising the customer experience. It’s essential that marketing and CX are fully intertwined to make sure customer insights don’t just sit in reports but are shared regularly with the board and, most importantly, acted upon. Turning these insights into compelling stories makes them easier for leaders to grasp and more powerful in shaping strategy. Equally important is keeping the board in the loop on any changes made and their measurable impact on revenue, growth and brand loyalty. After all, customer insights drive business success, so let’s make sure they have a seat at the table.
RAPID FIRE
Next destination on your bucketlist?
Japan, got to love them blossoms.
Go-to cheat meal?
Dark chocolate. Shhhhhhh, don’t tell
my wife.
Advice to the newest member on your team?
Always be curious.
Most thought-provoking quote you’ve heard in 2024?
“Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.” – Jeff Bezos.
Your favourite place in the Middle East?
Jordan. Amazing people, and don’t get me started on the knafeh.
A personal goal you want to achieve?
Retire early.
The first thing you do when you get to work?
High five everyone.
The person who has influenced you most in 2024?
Steven Bartlett. His ability to get the most influential people in the world to open up and share their stories is truly inspirational.
Agency Reference
Kathleen Burbridge, Senior Account Director, Gambit Communications
Mike is a passionate client, and it shines through the work we get to do for him at Aramex. His human-centric and candid approach as a marketer is what makes his work not only great but inspiring. He doesn’t see marketing and communications as just a function in the business, but as truly central to how people see and engage with a brand to build trust. Mike is willing to take risks and go beyond what people expect from a logistics company.
