Title: Chief Executive Officer, Merkle MENA and dentsu CXM
Years in the role: 2.5 years
Years in the industry: More than 20 years
Years in the Middle East region: More than 10 years
Power Essay: Digital empathy – where technology ends and humanity begins
When was the last time a brand truly made you feel cared for?
It’s a harder question than it sounds. Because while our experiences are becoming faster, smarter and more personalised than ever, they often feel … emptier. As chatbots, self-service platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) agents handle more customer interactions, customer experience (CX) leaders face a defining challenge: When does automation enhance the experience and when does it erode connection? It comes down to knowing what matters most to customers in each moment and designing around it.
Take self-service, for example. Customers love speed and convenience when resetting a password or tracking an order. But the same customer might expect empathy, reassurance and real-time guidance when resolving a healthcare claim or switching financial providers. Context shapes expectations. CX leaders need to understand when technology empowers customers – and when it risks alienating them.
This is where the concept of digital empathy comes in. This is about far more than trying to make AI sound “human”. It’s about intentionally building automated interactions that acknowledge frustration, uncertainty and emotion – and about knowing when to bring a person into the conversation. Sometimes, a well-timed “I understand this can be stressful” from an AI agent is enough. Other times, the most empathetic response is escalation to a real human who can listen and reassure.
“CX leaders need to understand when technology empowers customers – and when it risks alienating them.”
In MENA, this tension is amplified by cultural nuance. Service here has always been deeply personal and intuitive, built on hospitality and trust. Automating without empathy risks breaking the very relationships that brands are trying to strengthen. Our research shows that across industries, consumers still prefer speaking to people when making complex or high-stakes decisions. Yet, they also expect seamless, personalised support at scale. The opportunity is to design journeys where technology and human care coexist harmoniously, each playing to its strengths.
This requires leaders to rethink what “good” looks like. It’s no longer enough to optimise for efficiency alone. Every interaction – whether powered by AI or a person – shapes how customers feel about your brand. The most forward-thinking organisations are embedding empathy into their systems by connecting data, measuring sentiment and creating clear pathways for human intervention when needed.
The future of customer experience isn’t about replacing people. It’s about amplifying care at scale. The brands that succeed will be the ones that harness technology without losing sight of the human being at the other end of the screen. Because in the moments that matter the most, customers don’t just want answers. They want to feel understood.
Highlight of the last year
Leading Merkle MENA through a period of significant growth, expansion and impact to cement our position as the leading integrated experience consultancy in the region. We bring together experience design, commerce, AI, data and analytics, SEO, emerging technologies and platforms, enabled through transformation excellence under one vision, driving growth and enabling brands to create more relevant, data-driven experiences across the region.
Rapid fire
What the industry needs to talk more about:
Change readiness.
What the industry needs to talk less about:
That tech alone solves problems.
If you could change one thing in the blink of an eye, you would…
Reducing the fear of failure in the corporate setting, dare to dream, take ownership, and make it happen.
What’s one thing about you that would surprise your team?
The Ducati in my garage.
What mobile application can you not live without?
Nike Run Club.
What word / phrase do people remember you for using the most?
“Spend a small amount of time on small problems, and a large amount of time on big problems.”
What’s one local / regional tradition that you love the most?
Hospitality, openness, family values, and most importantly Kunafa.
If you could choose any two people, currently alive, in the world to share a meal with you, who would it be?
Joe Rogan and Christopher Waltz.
What’s your top word of advice for Gen Z and Gen Alpha?
Never make an early career decision based on money alone.
What’s your go-to comfort food?
My mum’s Austrian schnitzel and apfelstrudel.
What’s your favourite ad from the past 12 months?
Subway x ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ (powered by dentsu).
