What Working in These Markets Actually Looks Like
Each slide below represents a real engagement — senior roles, advisory projects, and client work across GCC and global markets. Names of client organisations are kept confidential where requested.
Experience: Head of Sales – Middle East
A global financial data and technology firm needed strong regional leadership to drive record growth across a priority emerging market region and develop a high-performing sales organisation.
Achievements
Led BD and strategy across the region with a team of 15+, achieving record growth including 55% and 300% uplifts across two key markets.
Developed and won a Central Bank tendering system, establishing a significant new institutional revenue stream.
Built a top 5% performing team through structured sales coaching, resulting in international relocations for high performers into global hub offices.
Experience: Tier 1 GCC Bank – Global Markets Director
A major regional bank needed to position a new e-trading solution among key corporates and reduce costs across its Treasury and Global Markets division.
Achievements
Identified and positioned the bank's new e-trade solution among key corporate clients and dealers, resulting in a 22% uplift in adoption.
Negotiated vendor contracts on behalf of the Treasury department, delivering significant cost reductions across the division.
Implemented robust risk and AML procedures alongside commercial growth, becoming the key internal resource for strategic sales conversations.
Experience: GCC Financial Centre – Director of Business Development
A leading financial centre required a new global business development strategy to drive inward investment, grow its international footprint, and increase licence registrations.
Achievements
Built a new go-to-market strategy and pipeline from the ground up, including team hiring and a structured global outreach programme.
Established 30+ key relationships with government agencies, embassies, business councils and strategic partners across priority markets.
Delivered a 300% increase in licence registrations and significantly expanded the global footprint of strategic partners.
Experience: Commercial and Sales Head of Middle East & Africa
A PE-backed Fintech firm needed to build its MEA presence from the ground up — establishing strategy, pipeline, and community across a diverse multi-sector region.
Achievements
Grew MEA regional revenue by 761% through a new go-to-market strategy targeting government bodies, SWFs, universities and key corporates.
Built and actively managed a multi-sector, multi-country pipeline on Salesforce — spanning financial services, government and institutional clients across the region.
Developed community and partner relationships across MEA, training sales associates in relationship management and strategic sales techniques to support continued regional scale.
Advisory: EdTech Platform (Client A)
A digital education platform required a full strategic pivot to unlock new revenue streams, attract institutional clients, and raise growth capital.
Achievements
Completed a full business assessment and roadmap to realign the platform toward scalable new revenue streams.
Built a new growth and partnerships strategy — a pipeline of 30+ firms — resulting in a HQ relocation and a major international bank secured as a strategic client.
Successfully raised $1M+ in funding, with the platform subsequently pitched to a leading international VC firm.
Advisory: Fintech-SaaS Platform (Client B)
A GCC-headquartered Fintech-SaaS firm needed a new go-to-market strategy to unlock the Africa corridor and drive measurable investment flow growth.
Achievements
Secured strategic partnerships with regulators, banking institutions and stock exchanges, increasing investment flow by 20% with significant economic impact.
Developed a new strategy and go-to-market plan targeting 40+ key ecosystem partners across the region.
Achieved record trade flow through the platform and onboarded a record number of brokers in Africa, including a pipeline of 40+ firms in traditionally underserved markets.
Advisory: Cybersecurity Firm (Client C)
A cybersecurity firm required its first-ever business development plan for the UK and GCC markets — from zero pipeline to funded growth.
Achievements
Built a targeted sales plan and client pipeline, onboarding a major automotive financial services brand alongside multiple SMEs.
Led government and corporate engagement around cyber outsourcing and on-demand programmes, establishing a subscription revenue model.
Organised multiple fundraising pitches, securing $200K in institutional investment to scale a cybersecurity toolbox for emerging markets.
Advisory: Student Employability Platform (Client D)
A student employability platform needed to prove its MVP and generate revenue before moving to a fundraising stage across GCC and Africa markets.
Achievements
Reviewed the business and assessed the impact of a subscription-based model across education settings, including corporate sponsorships.
Developed a recurring subscription model for higher and further education, enabling enterprise-scale growth with certification.
Secured onboarding across multiple leading school groups across the region — revenue proven, unlocking the platform's fundraising stage.
Advisory: Global Financial & Ethical Organisation (Client E)
A financial inclusion organisation dedicated to ethical finance needed new partnership revenue streams and expanded global credibility.
Achievements
Built new project revenue with Central Banks and microfinance agencies — delivering a Central Banks roadshow across three major emerging markets.
Generated over $150K in revenue via an international ethical finance conference, securing sponsorships and strategic mutual partnerships.
Engaged UK regulators including the FCA, solidifying the organisation's footprint as it pursued the next phase of its growth strategy.
Advisory: Management Consultancy (Client F)
A management consultancy needed new BD opportunities and a scalable team venture, leveraging UK and GCC networks to generate pipeline and build internal capacity.
Achievements
Delivered new business pipeline generation by leveraging established UK and GCC networks to drive growth.
Transformed the team venture model into a billable, revenue-generating operation with a strategic growth plan including scholarships.
Led BD training and economic cluster modules, delivering capacity building and actionable go-to-market strategies for free zones and FDI sectors.
Advisory: LegalTech Platform (Client G)
A platform-led legal disruptor needed a MENA market entry strategy, GCC office presence, and a validated pipeline of regional clients.
Achievements
Established a GCC office presence following a thorough review of jurisdictions, registration requirements and compliance factors.
Developed a MENA growth strategy and onboarded 12+ clients, validating regional legal excellence and product-market fit.
Negotiated revenue-sharing agreements with legal players, enabling successful market entry across UAE, Egypt and KSA.