IAA Egypt Launch "Meet The Experts" program


IAA Egypt Chapter launched a new program in March 2020, targeting young professionals. The program "Meet The Experts", MTE, is a series of monthly 90-minute sessions of 20-30 attendees, to share knowledge and experience and the outcome would be a common understanding of key issues that concern the Marcom industry. These sessions would as well help create a Marcom community, that through networking can communicate and benefit from one another. MTE are morning sessions, that the YPs attend and then continue with their work without keeping them away from office for a whole day.

Experts from the fields of Marketing and Advertising have been carefully selected and have gladly accepted to be part of our program, to share their knowledge, rich experience and insights with the YPs.

The first session, Creating and Building Strong Brands by Randa Abdou, the founder of MARKETING MIX consultancy, was scheduled on March 17th and although it was the beginning of the Covid-19 escalation, we were able to secure 23 attendees. The event was carried out in cooperation with the Cairo Marriott Hotel, who took quick measures to secure the event venue, and moved us to “Salon Vert” one of the biggest Salons in the Hotel to make sure attendees seating arrangement is well spaced apart, keeping about 1.5 meters between seats.

About the speaker

Randa Abdou, is the founder of MARKETING MIX consultancy, Creative Lab Advertising, ICE Branding, Change4Good, Creative Lab Communication DMCC, Dubai. Lately she co-founded 60forty Advertising Agency.

Last month February 2020 Randa was recognized as one of the "Top 50 Most Influential Women" in Egypt. Five years earlier in 2015, she was granted the Distinguished Alumni Award by the American University in Cairo for her career achievements. Earlier in 2007, Randa was recognized by the Ministry of Investment, among 10 Egyptian businesswomen, for her positive contribution to the Egyptian economy. Randa was also featured in several publications, among which was the book by Wharton University "Arab Women Rising - 35 Arab Women Entrepreneurs Making a Difference" in 2013.

Randa is a Mentor with Endeavor Egypt, board member of 138 Pyramids, founding member of AUC Alumni Council 2018 and appeared as main judge on the CBC show for entrepreneurship "Hona El Shabab". In her efforts to give back to the business community, Randa shares her career learnings pro bono through "Madroos"; an initiative that she created and launched in 2014.

Before her entrepreneurial endeavors, Randa was the Marketing Manager of PepsiCo Foods Egypt (Frito Lay) with ' Very High Potential Rating ' granted only to 5% of PepsiCo employees worldwide.  Previous to PepsiCo, Randa was the Market Research Planning Manager of Procter and Gamble Egypt and had started her career as an account executive at Americana Advertising.