Member Interview with Alex Malouf

We are delighted to bring you a Member Interview with Alex Malouf, Founder, Narrative Shapers

What’s your golden rule?

Always be curious, and always ask why?

Who has been your biggest influence?

My family. They inspire me, they tell me the unvarnished truth, they make me laugh and cry, and they are my support through thick and thin. I would not be who I am without them, and it helps that my wife has spent much of her life working in marketing and communications.

What is your most hated business expression?

"We need to be strategic," before jumping into planning, tactics and execution. I find that word being used when people don't really have anything else to say.

What’s the smartest business idea you’ve ever had?

To set up my own firm. It takes guts to go it alone, and I salute anyone and everyone who has taken that risk.

What leader do you admire most and why?

I do admire RJ Scaringe, who founded Rivian. He has built up one of the most exciting electric vehicle brands through his creativity and imagination, and he's taking on industry giants in the process. I love how he wanted to create electric vehicles after learning about the environmental impact of combustion engines, and how he's created a brand that is all about adventure. I cannot wait to see the brand and the cars go global.

What is on your mind the most right now as a marketing leader?

How to navigate uncertainty for my clients and help them see opportunity, even during a crisis. I'm in a region, the Middle East, that is full of hope and aspiration, and yet we often have to deal with difficult situations. I'm here to support the marketers I work with, and some of the pressure off their shoulders.

Why is being part of The Marketing Society important for your career?

I was one of the founding members of The Marketing Society back in the UAE, during my P&G days. And I am excited about its growth for the wider region.

Why does marketing matter to you?

Marketing is about connection and exploration, its about our emotions, and it makes ideas come alive in the minds of our audiences. At its best, marketing is pure creativity and it can transform any brand for the better.

Tell us something that’s not on your CV

I love to scuba dive, and my ambition is to become an instructor one day. You are literally in another world when you go down under, and it's also the one place one doesn't have cellular coverage, which means you are absorbed by the moment.