By Jalaja Ramanunni
Merkle has named Omar Khan as their new Head of Data & Analytics of the MENA business. Merkle is dentsu’s data-driven, customer experience management company.
Khan’s appointment coincides with local and regional businesses’ ongoing digital transformation. Khan will oversee the innovation and development of analytics products in his new position. He will also promote the adoption of analytics, cloud computing, and data engineering within Merkle and dentsu’s media and creative brands.
Khan tells Campaign, “Data and analytics have become essential tools and the backbone for advertisers and marketers in today’s digital landscape. There are lots of vendors with products to add to marketing analytics that drive the entire value for a brand either on revenue or awareness or visibility. With the ability to track and measure consumer behavior, preferences, and engagement, companies can create targeted campaigns that resonate with their audience and deliver better results. Investing in data and analytics not only helps to optimise marketing efforts but also enables companies to stay ahead in this highly competitive market.”
According to Statista, data and analytics is the scarcest skill in advertising.
“Recruiting skilled professionals in data and analytics can be a challenge, especially in a region where the demand for such talent is growing rapidly. As the need for data-driven insights increases, so does the competition for top talent. To overcome this challenge, companies need to invest in training and upskilling their existing employees and also build a data culture that encourages and rewards data-driven decision-making. Collaborating with universities and offering internships along with building Data Academies can help companies identify and attract promising talent in this field,” Khan said.
Khan bring 18 years of experience in data warehousing, business intelligence, data engineering and analyticswith global and national brands, from healthcare to telecommunications. Earlier, Omar has worked in leadership positions with NTT Data, Microsoft and the NHS. In his most recent role as Data Director of ZainTech, he contributed to an evolutionary leap in doubling data capability and building a delivery excellence framework.
He is also a winner of the Data 50 Awards 2017 and Tech Leaders 2017.
Tarek Daouk, CEO of dentsu MENA said, “I am thrilled to have Omar join the Merkle MENA leadership team. His significant industry expertise, best in class experience and thinking from leading technology companies driving large-scale digital transformation is critical in today’s environment as we expand and optimise our offering. His leadership will be instrumental in ensuring our business is organised to continuously evolve to meet our customers’ expectations.”
