Professional journey and defining milestones:

With over a decade in the media industry, my journey has been shaped by curiosity, resilience, and a deep belief in the power of partnerships. I began my career in Auckland, New Zealand, at PHD and DraftFCB, working as a media buyer across portfolios including Unilever, LEGO, and government accounts. Starting on the activation side gave me a strong grounding in how strategy translates into execution and how accountability drives performance. Those early years instilled in me a deep respect for detail, discipline, and delivering against both brand and commercial objectives.

In 2014, I moved to Dubai, a pivotal decision that shaped my career trajectory. I joined WPP, working on the Jaguar Land Rover MENA business. Working on a premium automotive brand reinforced the importance of precision, consistency, and balancing global ambition with local nuance, while strengthening my commercial acumen and ability to manage cross-market stakeholders.

A defining milestone followed in strategic roles at UM MENAT, where I led media across Beauty and Consumer Health Care portfolios spanning Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey, working on brands such as Kenvue and L’Oréal MENA. Managing complex regional mandates required more than technical capability; it demanded cultural intelligence, empathy, and the ability to align high-performing teams across diverse markets. These experiences sharpened my ability to navigate scale and transformation while staying focused on measurable outcomes.

Role at Snap Inc MENA
In 2021, I moved to Snap, transitioning from agency into the platform ecosystem. That shift required me to rethink my role from planning media investments to enabling how agencies harness community-led platforms like Snap that prioritize authentic connections between close friends and family, self expression, creativity, and measurable impact. Understanding how immersive formats such as Augmented Reality and full-funnel solutions drive both brand affinity and business growth has been central to this evolution.

Today, as Senior Agency Development Lead at Snap, I focus on strengthening strategic agency partnerships, driving enablement at scale, and collaborating cross-functionally to deliver value. Supporting agencies as they evolve and unlock innovation-led growth continues to be one of the most rewarding chapters of my journey.

The values that drive my leadership
At the core of my leadership philosophy are three values: ownership, integrity, and generosity. Ownership means being accountable not only for results, but for the environment you create. Integrity is about doing the right thing even when it’s inconvenient. Generosity is the multiplier, sharing knowledge openly, advocating for others, and building ecosystems rather than individual success stories.

How I interpret “Give to Gain” in my career and personal philosophy
This belief ties closely to how I interpret “Give to Gain.” The moments that accelerated my growth were rarely transactional. They came from mentoring team members, sharing insights across partners, and being part of communities such as Snap Women ERG in MENA and CWIT (Connecting Women in Tech). When you give knowledge, time, or support, you build trust. And trust compounds, strengthening teams, deepening partnerships, and driving greater impact. For me, “Give to Gain” is about long-term value creation built on contribution and relationships.

Advice I would give to the next generation of women in our industry
Own your ambition. Build competence relentlessly and confidence intentionally. Master your craft: the numbers, the strategy, the technology because expertise gives you authority. But don’t shrink yourself waiting for validation. Speak up. Challenge respectfully. Take the seat at the table and if there isn’t one, create it.

Choose courage over comfort. The roles that stretch you are the ones that shape you. Some of my most defining growth came from stepping into responsibilities that felt just beyond my readiness: managing regional complexity, shifting industries, redefining scope. Growth rarely feels safe, but it is where resilience and leadership are forged.

Be intentional about community. Talent opens doors; relationships keep them open. Seek mentors who expand your thinking and sponsors who advocate for you and become that person for others. When women champion one another, momentum builds, standards rise, and progress becomes collective.

If there’s one lesson my journey has reinforced, it’s this: success is never built alone. The most meaningful careers aren’t defined by titles or milestones, but by the impact we create for others and the ecosystems we help shape along the way.