Category: The 10 Most Admired Women CMOs in the Middle East 2023_Profilr

Meet Drosoula Hadjisavva, a seasoned marketing and branding professional with more than a decade of experience in strategic marketing. Drosoula currently serves as the Group Director of Marketing at a multi-regulated global online trading provider, allowing traders to trade over 4,000+ CFD instruments across FX, indices, commodities, equities, and more.

Drosoula is highly proficient in establishing and executing tailor-made marketing and branding strategies for businesses of every size. She is also well-versed in strategic marketing, digital and branding, and the art of effective public relations and communication. Her influence reverberates across the global fintech landscape, where she has masterfully elevated brand equity for numerous businesses. Drosoula considers herself a results-driven professional who offers creative solutions in a dynamic and ever-changing marketing environment, especially in fintech, forex paytech, and neobank firms.

Drosoula’s journey into the world of technology and digitalization began at a very young age, fueled by a fervent enthusiasm that would later shape her future. Armed with a BSc degree in computer science, Drosoula obtained an MBA focusing on Marketing. This laid the foundation for a remarkable career that kickstarted her professional journey in the telecommunications sector, where she honed her skills and gained valuable insights into the intricate realm of global communication networks.

However, Drosoula’s true calling awaited in the financial industry, and she started her career in FX with a multi-regulated broker, leading in more than 180 countries, with 64 offices globally, and an integrated marketing strategy across the GCC, Southeast Asia, LATAM, Europe, and South Africa. Drosoula also had the privilege of overseeing huge budget projects and marketing processes, from strategy development to campaign concept, tactical implementation, and budgeting and targeting.

Eventually, after five years, Drosoula decided to move to her next opportunity and joined a Swiss fintech group. This helped her grow, gain more experience, and evolve professionally. She also had the chance to collaborate and learn from significant professionals from the high-tech and financial sectors and maintain this entrepreneurial mentality that helped shape her career path.

“During my career so far, I have had the opportunity to blend the world of fintech with the world of sports through sponsorships, ambassadors, and events, which made the whole journey a once-in-a-lifetime experience. No matter what, education is a never-ending journey, and I always strive to learn more and stay ahead of the marketing trends, especially in fintech,”– she explains.

Joining the Evolving Industry

What inspired Drosoula to join the fintech industry was the access to the international marketing world. Analyzing data, demographics, target audiences, and markets, understanding the needs, and constantly trying to find innovative solutions to meet consumer needs or create a need with a creative idea truly fascinated her.

“In today’s fast-paced world, the fintech industry is rapidly evolving, providing innovative financial services to consumers and businesses. Volatile environments demand resilience – from individuals, teams, and entire companies. I believe business resilience is supported by diverse revenue streams and structures, whereby you’re not relying on one stream or customer. Fintech evolution in international space demands that organizations initiate culture change – and adopt an entirely different mindset that abandons old and hierarchical ways of working,”- states Drosoula.

Tackling Challenges

Drosoula feels the highly regulated nature of the financial industry poses a substantial challenge for marketers. In an industry where compliance is paramount, marketers must tread cautiously to promote their products while adhering to stringent regulatory frameworks. It’s a delicate balancing act where innovation meets rigorous oversight.

Drosoula believes that in such a situation, business leaders need to adopt an agile approach, be ready to adopt and build resilient teams to support the organization’s vision. She also believes that the ability to pivot swiftly, adapt to changing regulations, and seize opportunities within the constraints of compliance is essential. An agile mindset allows leaders to stay ahead of the curve, responding proactively to shifting market dynamics and regulatory landscapes.

When Diversity and Inclusion are Priority

Diversity in culture reflects an organization’s aim to have global reach and offer a localized and personalized approach to its customers and partners. In such a fast-pace environment with several external factors impacting the business and high volatility, stability and ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute to and influence every part and level of a workplace, enhances creativity , productivity, the reputation and eventually the business results at every organization.

Mission and Vision

Recognizing the shifting tides of the financial industry, as a global multi-asset broker evolving and charting a course into the world of fintech is becoming a mission. It’s a strategic move that signifies the company’s commitment to innovation and determination to be more than just an FX brokerage. In this rapidly evolving landscape, investing in high-tech infrastructure and cultivating award-winning proprietary platforms and tools has become an intrinsic component to boost our value proposition. This has also been key in developing and maintaining a strong brand positioning. The company is always looking to enhance its traders’ experience, and by continuing to invest in innovative tools and products.

“Our mission is to empower traders and investors with opportunities across a wide range of financial markets on our award-winning trading platform by providing full support and guidance through their trading journey, with the vision to become the number one mobile platform, the platform of choice, enabling traders and investors to trade on the go,”– explains Drosoula.

Future Roadmap

Drosoula having built a strong network, not only in MENA but also globally, and with an entrepreneur spirit continues to inspire with a personal site project introducing her own finblog FintechView presenting high-esteem personas and sharing experiences from the world of fintech, paytech, proptech etc. Building communities in the business space is something fostering transparency and trust. Trust is the new currency and in any business it’s shaping it’s future.

E‘nvisioned to empower Tel Aviv University’s researchers to commercialize and license their technologies and bring their innovations worldwide, Ramot has been setting new realms in how innovation is converted into products under the fine supervision of Tal Israeli Gassar, CMO of Ramot at Tel Aviv University Ltd.

Tal Israeli is a seasoned marketing and branding executive with over 15 years of strategic management experience. She is highly proficient in establishing and implementing bespoke marketing and branding strategies for businesses of every size. She is a results-driven professional who offers creative solutions in a dynamic and ever-changing marketing environment.

After completing her studies in visual communication and practical engineering, Tal Israeli kicked off her career as a graphic designer in 2002. She had a deep relationship with branding and concept development. She appreciated tasks that challenged her to be creative, comprehend the essence of the product, and translate it into a clear and visual statement. The aspiring businesswoman pursued further studies (BA and MBA) in Economics, Business Management, and Marketing due to her inherent ability to perceive the larger picture and comprehend processes in depth. As a result, she has held marketing management positions at various kinds of companies.

“I’ve had the privilege of overseeing entire marketing processes, from concept to audience targeting, strategy development, and tactical implementation.” “I find these areas fascinating and enjoy being involved in them,” the magnificent woman explained.

Driven by her constant belief and focus on competitive advantage, the leading lady has always felt that opportunities are all around and that we should take complete charge of them. Tal Israeli, in the key position of CMO at Ramot, is striving hard to advance the technologies of Tel Aviv University’s outstanding researchers in a timely and accurate manner, allowing them to realize the full potential and value of their solutions in fields such as medicine, pharmaceuticals, robotics, transportation, agri-tech, food-tech, and many others. From a personal point of view, Tal also wants to focus on continuous learning and exploration, as they are essential prerequisites for personal and professional excellence.

Tal’s Inspiring Journey with Ramot

It was by chance that the inspiring lady ended up in her current position as the CMO of Ramot, the technology transfer company of Tel Aviv University. She was previously unfamiliar with the field of technology transfer. However, Tal Israeli was keen to get involved in the high-tech industry, considering Israel’s position as a world leader in high-tech exports. Ramot acts as a connection between professors’ research in university labs and possible industrial partners. Their long-term goal is to turn this research into goods. They also create start-up companies based on technologies, and we currently have about 100

companies in our portfolio. In this role, she gets exposed to cutting-edge research in a variety of sectors and cooperates with major companies throughout the world. It’s an exciting and varied role that requires a deep understanding of marketing and curiosity in many different areas.

The Key Motivation Behind the Initiation

Israel is an esteemed nation in the worldwide high-tech sector, commonly referred to as the “Startup Nation.” According to a recent Israel Innovation Authority report, high-tech accounted for 18.1% of Israel’s GDP, making it the largest industry in the country. Beyond being a driving force in the local economy, startups and innovations improve our lives by filling unmet requirements. Tal Israeli Gassar was most likely encouraged by the enterprising and innovative attitude of the local community, which pushed her to work in this industry.

Breakthrough and Revolutionary Changes by Tal

Marketing for technology transfer has been largely one-dimensional. When required, industry addressed well-known researchers directly. Patent registration, contract preparation, and negotiation were all carried out by technology transfer firms. However, tech transfer firms have become increasingly active in recent years, which is where Tal focuses her efforts. Her marketing strategy is vigorous as well as highly targeted. She develops different platforms and channels to reach specific audiences, carries out active marketing efforts, and focuses on the macro-level to reach the right audience with the correct message. She routinely organizes virtual researcher-industry events, manages campaigns, publishes information on key platforms, and is always aware of the ever-changing marketing scene.

“I believe in embracing changes. In my domain, this is often referred to as an “early adopter.” I always strive to incorporate technological tools into my marketing activities. Recently, I started implementing AI tools into these operations, and I’m already seeing positive results”, Tal further revealed.

Overcoming the Obstacles Along the Way

Apart from the inherent challenges of marketing fields that are constantly changing, the biggest challenge in technology transfer is the diversity of fields and particular audiences to target. Each technology is unique, necessitating extensive research and the identification of separate markets for it. In contrast, marketing a business centered on a particular technology allows its marketing manager to gain knowledge over time. Tech-Transfer interacts with many different domains, which is both a challenge and an advantage because it keeps me involved and learning.

Diversity and Inclusion in the Work Culture

The Ramot team is committed to diversity. 71% of the workforce is female, and the majority of the leadership is female, led by a female CEO, Keren Primor Cohen. Tal and other key executives believe that “diversity is an integral part of the company’s success in today’s world.” Tal is a well-known

marketing leader and also serves as a marketing advisor for a nonprofit that assists women in starting their own enterprises and becoming economically independent. This is a subject important to her heart, and she continues to devote time and effort to it.

The Future of Ramot at Tel Aviv University Ltd.: Road Ahead

While moving on its flourishing path, Ramot will continue to focus on raising global and local awareness, recognizing opportunities, and broadening its global reach. Strategic connections with global leaders in the tech industry will be a priority, as will keeping current on the latest developments. Their mission is to transform creative research into meaningful solutions for society and the world.

Words of Wisdom

If I had to choose one, it would be this: Understand your audience! Learn about the people you want to reach and the significant value you can provide them. Everything will become easier if you understand “win-win.” Increase your “reach out” as much as possible; effective marketing methods begin with a broad pyramid foundation.

Such is the spirit of the woman CMO who inspires us in 2023. Misbah SP is a remarkable business leader, wearing numerous hats at the marketing helm of Uno Re. She is a problem-solver at her core and is driven by the infinite possibilities of achievement and exploration.

An Insight into Misbah’s Professional Journey: Misbah was very interested in science right after high school, and she particularly wanted to study genetic mental diseases and their therapies. She then decided to major in biotechnology. But soon she realized she was better suited for something perhaps a little more fast-moving, with a more rigorous effort to result in flow, than the tedious pace and nature of the study.

Around that time, Web3 and crypto went from being a by-passing hobby to a full-fledged profession. The field was still in its infancy in 2019—and even more so in the MENA area. Because there weren’t many opportunities, Misbbah took advantage of the resources that were available to gain new skills. After some trial and error in Web3-based operations management, employee management, content creation, and more, the magnificent woman had found her niche: Web3 marketing.

The market itself is uncharted, to put it simply; there isn’t much precedent on what might work and what might not, and the conventional tried-and-true guidelines are ineffective when you’re marketing a market that was only created five or six years ago! But that was precisely what had attracted her to it in the first place. The absence of established rules mixed with the industry’s lightning-fast growth made for an intoxicating combination, and her innate drive to bring order and plan to things worked remarkably well inside this framework.

Being a pedant by nature, Misbah wanted to contribute to the space in a way that added value and structure, and the absence of trust and security in the area was a major problem (one that persists to this day, in fact). So when Misbbah was given the chance to work with Uno Re, a Web3 security and insurance protocol, she seized the opportunity without delay.

“My drive to excel myself and my protocol came from pure need; the industry cannot grow without confidence within it, and confidence does not come to industries that are monetarily dangerous. And so, Uno Re (and myself!) have since been on the path to improving DeFi security and crypto fund safety ever since”, quoted Misbah.

Uno Re – At a Glance

Uno Re is the protocol that the DeFi space and its users and builders need right now. It is devoted to offering holistic security through a variety of specially designed tools and services.

DeFi and Web3 are vulnerable to attack since they are new industries and have less established security protocols and rules in place. They are also likely an easier target due to their inherent uncompromisable decentralization.

If Web3 is ever to be globally adopted, this is the biggest and first hurdle that Misbah and her team need to get over. After all, would you put your money on the chain if there was no guarantee of its safety?

Uno Re is achieving this; the protocol was designed to address the problems of trust and security in on-chain markets, enabling the industry to develop and innovate in ways never before possible. Their goal is to facilitate Web3’s widespread market and industrial acceptance so that it becomes as commonplace as the stock market or the iPhone. Misbah is thrilled to be helping with this effort since she thinks that widespread adoption cannot be achieved without security.

Just over two years have passed since the protocol went live, and during that period, numerous security and insurance solutions have been introduced, turning the tide against attackers and malpractices.

“We’ve offered over $4 million in total coverage, underwritten over 99 protocols, and our most recent product, UNO WatchDog (a comprehensive security audit and insurance tool), has produced over $100K in income since its beta introduction in Q2023)“, the leading lady apprised.

Revolutionary Transformations by Misbah

“My objective is to make security and insurance fascinating—a part of the industry that’s perhaps not as happening as gaming, trading, or NFTs—but one that is unquestionably essential to their success,”, asserted the magnificent woman.

Misbah has always put the community first in her work at Uno Re, both in terms of service and involvement. This is one of her key values. She strives to change her point of view from huge to small by adopting that of a DeFi customer and community member.

So overall, the change she is bringing to the brand is reinforcing the perception that the end-user is a builder too, just in a slightly mote-roundabout way, and builders and marketers that realise that, she believes, will succeed in their endeavours more than most.

Overcoming the Hiccups on the Way

The industry comes with its cons, as does any industry; the primary one that Misbah has dealt with in her experience has always been complacency.

She is aware that this may come as a surprise because the DeFi and Web3 spaces were designed to return power to those who engage in them, but she has discovered that users of the spaces frequently become complacent in the knowledge that so-and-so founder claimed that their funds, their NFTs, or their stables were secure until it is regrettably too late.

Uno Re’s mission is to change this perception, to introduce and reinforce an even greater degree of self-sustenance and responsibility within the space, and to take control not just of their funds but also of their safety.

Diversity and Inclusion at Uno Re

According to Misbah, “The Web3 space is naturally diverse in terms of cast, colour, gender, and creed, but this does not absolve us of the duty to further this diversity inside our projects.”

Uno Re is built, managed, and operated by individuals from all walks of life, all over the world, and belonging to all genders. Being a woman of colour in a position of power, she is constantly aware of the fact that it’s up to them to maintain this inclusion and to reinforce it at all levels of the organisation.

Keeping Up with Recent Development and Evolution

Uno Re is a basic service, but it’s important to remember that fundamental services must be tailored to fit each new innovation they aim to support. In an industry that evolves nearly daily, so much Uno Re. Their highest level of customization in response to these evolutions and the constant stream of new products and services in Web3 is what sets them apart.

“I’d even go so far as to say that one prominent trait we have—you come to us with a product, a technique, or simply an idea—is responsible for a significant portion of our success. I assure you that we can safeguard it if it involves a smart contract of any kind“, revealed the visionary leader.

The Expansion Binge and Road Ahead

When questioned about the plans for the future, Misbah responded, “I myself am very excited about Uno’s future, thanks to two primary aspects. The first is our most recent security audit and insurance tool, UNO WatchDog, and the enormous potential that it has. We’ve gotten a peek of this potential realised since our test launch roughly 2-3 months ago, and it signals strongly that if we go public with the product, the sky’s the limit!”

“Secondly, Uno Re is currently working to become the first Web3-regulated crypto-native; this opens up a world of opportunities for us as a company, not the least of which is facilitating the injection of Web2 capital into Web3 and being able to service a much larger customer base globally,” she continued.

Words of Wisdom by the Inspiring Lady

Find what comes naturally to you, what feels like something you could accomplish with little work, and then devote all of that wasted effort to mastering it. With a clear route to success comes the opportunity to pursue your passions outside of work as well!