New Metrics LLC

Lead Customer Experience & Marketing Strategy projects across MENA.
Established and lead Market Research, Innovation Management, and Foresight practice.
Had the privilege to work with 50+ leading private and public clients across the MENA on transformative projects.
Mentored, coached, and trained more than 300+ managers and leaders from enterprises and government institutes.

Principal - Customer Experience, Research & Innovation

Zenith

Market Lead on Oman - managing the largest digital media spend in the Sultanate, covering Performance (SEM/SEO,Social), Digital Marketing, Social Content, and Media. 

Proud to have serviced Omantel, Bank Muscat, and our clients in Oman.

Business Director

Peppers & Rogers Group

Managed multiple projects in the Middle East as a subject matter expert on loyalty/CRM/retention, digital media, and digital content.
Areas of Expertise: Loyalty/CRM, Digital Transformation, Digital Marketing
Sectors of Expertise: Telecom, Media & Technology, Financial Services

Senior Manager

Boubyan Bank (Member of NBK Group)

Responsibilities included the following projects/units:
•	Innovation & Technology
•	Web Presence (website, microsites, landing pages)
•	Online Marketing
•	Social Media (management, engagement, monitoring, analysis)
•	Intranet Platform (development, update, design, training)

Manager - Digital Media

AWI Company

Spearheaded the digital transformation of the largest diversified media company in Kuwait, establishing its digital offering.

Launched various nationwide campaigns for multiple industries (Telcos, retail, elections campaigns, governmental bids) utilizing diverse media (out of home, newspapers, magazines, direct marketing, online, and social).

Successfully managed sales and operations of the leading classifieds and direct marketing company in Kuwait, and led its expansion into new partnerships and geographies.

Executive Manager (eCommerce/Digital Media)

KREE8it

Co-founded KREE8it after noting a gap in quality digital services offerings in the market. Proud to name L’Oreal, SanDisk, P&G, Nikon, AM Kharafi, Al-Hamra Tower, and The Scientific Center – Kuwait among the clients.

Co-Founder

Panasonic

In addition to heading the Panasonic ICT unit, I was responsible for management of other brands like SanDisk, RadioShack, among others.

Category Manager - Digital/ICT (Panasonic, SanDisk, RadioShack)

Alaa Halawi

Duke Corporate Education

As part of the faculty at Duke CE I help design and deliver leadership programs focusing on strategy, innovation and product management.

Educator

Commercial Excellence Partners

As Co-Managing Partner in Commercial Excellence Partners, my mission is to help organisations and governments to better orient their strategy, product and service offerings, and customer experience to make their customers love what they do and how they do it.  To achieve this mission, I must work with the best and brightest minds in the various pillars under the Commercial Excellence banner and that is why we created the CEP brand.  

We form an elite tribe of formidable heavy hitters that have unparalleled experience in three areas: Executive experience with a proven track record, Academic rigor through teaching engagements with Top business schools, and extensive advisory experience.

If you feel your organisation needs a new breath of life, needs to build new perspectives, needs to build new capabilities to not only survive but thrive, then we are here to help you.

Managing Partner

EGN Singapore (Executives'​ Global Network)

EGN Singapore is a 700 member strong executive peer network.  Members are qualified by members to join one of 23 peer groups based on their expertise, experience and seniority.  We are growing and will soon open EGN Indonesia in Q4 2021.

Former Co-Owner

Nanyang Business School

Have designed and teach a 4 module programme introducing MBA/PMBA/EMBA students to the world of consulting and how to be a consultant.

Adjunct Faculty

I mentor MBA consulting teams on a hands-on consulting project for a client.  My role is to provide guidance on how to approach clients to agree on the project scope and deliverables, develop a consulting strategy, mentor them throughout the project to a final presentation to the client, and give a final grade for this capstone course.

Consulting Mentor

As a Senior Career Fellow I coach around MBA students on their career paths.  We co-create a strategic direction, develop a compelling and authentic professional story as well as a UVP for their desired role/industry, and an action plan to build their network and establish warm leads for post-MBA job opportunities. 

I also coach EMBA professionals, already existing leaders in their organisations, on when and how to apply coaching in their leadership.

Senior Career Fellow

Innovation Connected

Have struck out on my own and run a boutique strategy and innovation consulting firm, www.innovationconnected.com

I help clients develop customer-centric business models and ways of working in order to drive commercial excellence.

Managing Director

Human Inc

I help corporate clients deep dive into three challenges; how to become more customer centric, how to develop an innovation strategy, and how to inculcate a design thinking and agile innovation culture through training and consulting projects.

Managing Director, Singapore

The Economist

My main objective is to deepen understanding of new markets and customer segments (both B2C and B2B), identify market opportunities for the group, innovate new business models and establish partnerships, and increase market penetration of the group's various businesses in Asia Pacific.  As a member of the Asia Management Committee I keep the group abreast of trends and disruptions in our industry and to build consensus on strategy for various markets.  

Key results: 
- Marketing: Increased revenue in a major market by 27% based on a comprehensive marketing campaign to build brand awareness and drive leads to our sales team.
- Partnerships: Established several media partnership and distribution agreements across Asia
- Innovation: Proactive engagement in Start-up eco-system in Singapore where I seek out content partnerships with new disruptors of the media and publishing industry.

Director of Strategy and Insights

BASF

Internal business consultant focusing on strategic marketing and helping transform BASF into a customer centric organization.

Key results:
+8M Euro in forecasted revenue from value pricing consulting projects
+10M Euro in forecased revenue from product launch consulting projects

Marketing Excellence consultant

Siemens Healthcare

SSMR researches and manufactures world-class MRI machines for both domestic and international healthcare providers.  Our workforce is highly skilled with over 56% holding a post graduate degree.

- Direct report to the CFO
- Support Organizational Development through Learning and Development management, Talent Management, and Succession Planning, and Employee Engagement
- Professional development coaching for Top Talents 
- Leadership coaching/mentoring for managers 
- Conduct leadership and soft-skills training workshops
- Establish performance benchmarks then design and deliver training programs to bridge performance gaps (Process training, regulations, soft-skills, etc..)

Senior Training Specialist

Excelliance Corporate Training

Excelliance is a corporate training consultancy that specializes in tailor-made training programs relating to business skills, culture, and communication.

	Project Management: 
- Design, develop and deliver tailor-made training programs for leading MNCs in China
- Manage budget and resources
	People management:  
-	Manage a team of 10 people (both local and foreign staff)
-	Recruit, coach, and train the trainers
	Operational Development: 
-	Designed, developed and implemented an operational platform for training services to streamline operations and improve quality
-	Built a database on MS Access to operate the various systems that comprise the operations platform
	Sales
-	Signed several large service contracts with IBM, TCL, Lenovo, Phillips, Flextronics, and Hasbro
	Strategic Planning
-	Established strategic partnerships with overseas partners

Training Manager

For commercial clients, I help them become more customer centric and impactful by optimizing their strategy and innovation.  The goal is to ensure organizations are effectively creating the value their customers demand.

For governments, I am an advisor or set up advisory boards to assist leaders achieve highly ambitious and challenging projects.  

I do this through:
Advisory - direct advisory with senior leaders on strategy, marketing and innovation challenges.
or
Education - teach in Executive Education programs with several top tier business schools.

Example of Advisory engagements:
- Developing strategy for a new Financial Centre
- Translating Strategy into Action for a commercial client
- Exploring new Business Models
- Developing Innovation Management systems
- Guidance on Innovation Leadership and Culture 
- Setting up and filling a Product portfolio funnel
- Design Thinking projects
- Service Design and Customer Experience
- Bespoke innovation workshops

In short, I excel at digesting complexity and establishing a 'method out of the madness', building consensus within a leadership team on how to move forward together, and rolling up his sleeves to apply his extensive knowledge.

AJ Boelens

I love teaching strategy and innovation, especially when working with seasoned professionals. This past week I had the pleasure of upskilling future leaders at #Sipchem on how to really drive innovation on both an organizational and department level.

Here is what we learned and applied:

1️⃣ 𝗠𝗰𝗞𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘆’𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗼𝗻𝘀 – A strategic growth framework that classifies innovation by time and uncertainty.

2️⃣ 𝗔𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘅 – A strategic framework for identifying growth options (market/product combinations).

3️⃣ 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁–𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘅 – A prioritization framework to evaluate ideas or actions based on their value and feasibility. 

4️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲-𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗲 – A methodology for managing innovation projects through defined stages and decision gates.

5️⃣ 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 – A process method emphasizing iterative development, flexibility, and customer feedback.

6️⃣ 𝗗𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗼’𝘀 𝗦𝗶𝘅 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗮𝘁𝘀 – A thinking tool for exploring multiple perspectives systematically.

7️⃣ 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘃𝘀. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 – A cognitive tool or model describing two complementary modes of creative thinking.

The goal of the program was not to help them get better at doing their job ( frankly they wouldn't be in the program if they weren't already good at what they do), rather the focus of this program was to equip them with the skills, mindset and tools to step up and find growth opportunities for the company.  #nextlevelleadership

Thank you to Abdelghani Es-Sajjade, Hossam Serag, and Lana Abu Tayeh for bringing me back again. 

And I would like to tag some of my amazing participants who rocked this program.  Mashael Al-Baqami, CBCI, Othman M. Al-Ghamdi, Aseel AlFuhaid, Leena almalki, muslim albogami, Hamed Alshareef,  CSCP, Yousef Al-Saif-PMP®-CMRP, Feras Al-Abdali, Fouad Tarabolsi, Bader Al Sager

Independent Strategy & Innovation Advisory for Boards and C-suite clients | specialized in PPPs and visionary projects across Asia and M.E.

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Alaa Halawi

AJ Boelens

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The Battle

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}AJ Boelens's LinkedIn Performance

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