Islam M. Al Stohi
Riyadh
Summary
Marketing Director with 20+ years of cross-industry and agency experience driving brand growth, customer acquisition, and product-market fit across B2C and B2B environments. Proven record in IPO readiness, full-funnel marketing, customer lifecycle campaigns, and building data-driven, scalable marketing ecosystems. Lead marketing for "Raha" brand (leading home services brand) owning brand positioning, product support, growth marketing, research-based planning, and customer-centric strategies. Known for aligning marketing with company-wide OKRs by collaborating with cross-functional teams in product, sales, operations, and CX. Strong experience in launching and managing brands, GTM strategy, optimizing campaign ROI, developing customer insights, and overseeing CRM and loyalty programs. Adept at using market research, MarTech tools, and KPI frameworks to drive actionable outcomes in high-growth and transformation contexts.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director of Marketing Operations
SMASCO
08.2025 - Current
- Company Overview: Industry: Manpower Solutions | Home Services | HR Tech | CX (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
- Driving continued growth with +20% customer acquisition and +12% retention improvements
- Lead marketing execution across B2B and B2C brands (SMASCO, Raha, Rowad), driving performance marketing, campaigns, and digital growth.
- Oversee alignment across Product, Customer Experience, and Commercial teams to ensure cohesive go-to-market (GTM) strategies.
- Manage marketing dashboards, performance tracking, and campaign optimization based on data-driven insights.
- Head marketing research and brand health programs, supporting product development and pricing strategies.
Acting Marketing Director
SMASCO
07.2024 - 08.2025
- Company Overview: Industry: Manpower Solutions | Home Services | HR Tech | CX (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
- Directed the full marketing function during a leadership transition, managing strategic and operational delivery across all brands.
- Drove the annual strategic planning cycle, budget forecasting, and team restructuring.
- Played a central role in cross-functional product launch committees, increasing retention by 12% via new service rollouts.
- Developed competitive positioning, communication strategy, and go-to-market plans for multiple new service tiers.
- Delivered impactful brand and acquisition campaigns contributing to a 15% increase in contract AOV and a 25% increase in new customer acquisition.
- Industry: Manpower Solutions | Home Services | HR Tech | CX (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Marketing Manager
SMASCO
07.2022 - 07.2024
- Company Overview: Industry: Manpower Solutions | Home Services | HR Tech | CX (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
- Executed B2B marketing strategy for including lead generation and campaigns resulting 20% improvement in qualified leads.
- Supported IPO marketing readiness through brand alignment, stakeholder engagement, and disclosure communications.
- Industry: Manpower Solutions | Home Services | HR Tech | CX (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Head of Marketing
QEHC Group
01.2021 - 06.2022
- Company Overview: Education, L&D, CX, IT (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
- Directed all marketing operations across QEHC business units resulting in significant growth for L&D business unit by more than 20%.
- Developed strategic marketing plans driving visibility and lead generation.
- Collaborated with leadership to align marketing with business growth objectives.
- Education, L&D, CX, IT (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Business Development Manager (QEC Division)
QEHC Group
11.2019 - 12.2020
- Company Overview: Education, L&D, CX, IT (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
- Led enterprise sales and partnerships for CX solutions resulting 4 mega clients acquisition.
- Oversaw the G20 summit account and secured high-value government contracts.
- Education, L&D, CX, IT (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Marketing Manager
Gulf Hospitality
02.2019 - 11.2019
- Company Overview: Industry: Restaurants & Food Services (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
- Ran brand transformation, including identity revamp and packaging.
- Planned and launched promotional campaigns that grew footfall by 8%.
- Built and controlled customer database for CRM and direct campaigns.
- Industry: Restaurants & Food Services (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Marketing Manager
HB Brands
01.2018 - 02.2019
- Company Overview: Industry: Restaurants, Cafes, Casual Dining (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
- Managed 4 flagship brands and ran digital strategy across 9 total brands.
- Collaborated with CMO on integrated campaigns, achieving 10%+ sales growth YoY.
- Industry: Restaurants, Cafes, Casual Dining (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Marketing Manager
Hayat Capital Group
08.2015 - 01.2018
- Company Overview: Industry: Healthcare, CX, Real Estate, Construction, Advertising
- Designed and executed group-wide marketing strategies, driving 100%+ sales growth for select products through targeted campaigns.
- Industry: Healthcare, CX, Real Estate, Construction, Advertising
Executive Manager
Life Advertising (Hayat Capital Group)
11.2013 - 08.2015
- Ran the business with more than 25% profit margin
- Oversaw creative output, participated in ideation and campaign planning.
- Managed media planning and buying, ensuring maximum campaign reach and efficiency.
Marketing Manager
Hayat Capital Group
11.2010 - 11.2013
- Directed all marketing planning and execution, establishing brand presence and driving 20% business growth.
Marketing
Early Career – Egypt
07.2003 - 10.2010
- Held progressive roles in marketing and sales across multiple real estate companies, contributing to business development, client acquisition, and market presence enhancement.
Education
Master of Business Administration (MBA) -
IBAS International Business Academy of Switzerland & Vern University
Zagreb, Croatia01.2026
Bachelor of Education - Mathematics
Alexandria University
Alexandria, Egypt01.2003
Skills
- Analytics & Research: Market Research, CLV Analysis, A/B Testing, Dashboards, KPI Tracking
- Marketing Strategy: Go-to-Market Planning, Brand Positioning, Customer Segmentation, Full-Funnel Campaigns
- Leadership & Operations: Cross-Functional Alignment, Team Leadership, Budget Planning, Agency Management
- Digital Marketing: Performance Marketing, SEO/SEM, Social Media Ads, App Install Campaigns, Email Marketing
- Product Marketing: Feature Launches, Product-Market Fit, Pricing Strategy, Voice of Customer (VOC)
- Tools & Platforms: Google Analytics, Excel, MS Dynamics, Vtiger, Zoho, CleverTap, UXCam, Adjust
- Brand Management: Brand Research & Development, Brand Growth
Accomplishments
- Raha Brand Strategy: Led strategic initiatives across brand positioning, campaigns, and service development, improving market fit and relevance.
- Acquisition & Revenue: Increased new customer acquisition +25% and AOV +15% via pricing, CRM, and integrated campaigns.
- Retention: Drove +12% retention through cross-functional product launch committees and repeat-usage initiatives.
- B2B Growth: Boosted qualified B2B leads +40% with sector-specific programs and content strategy.
- Research Programs: Led segmentation, brand health tracking, and competitor benchmarking to guide strategy and pricing.
- IPO Alignment: Supported SMASCO IPO readiness through investor-aligned brand and disclosure communications.
- Retail/QSR: Delivered 100%+ YoY sales growth at HB Brands through integrated campaigns; +8% footfall at Gulf Hospitality.
- Multi-Sector Experience: Drove growth across healthcare, CX, and real-estate sectors through service launches and repositioning.
Certification
- Google Ads Search Certification - Google, 2022
- HubSpot Digital Advertising Certification - 2023
- HubSpot Social Media Certification - 2023
- Strategic Marketing Training - Multiple Providers
- Digital Marketing & Event Management Courses - Various Institutions
Languages
Arabic: Native
English: Professional working proficiency
Industries of Expertise
- Staffing & Manpower Solutions (B2B & B2C)
- Home Services & On-Demand Platforms
- Food & Beverage (Restaurants, QSRs)
- Education, Training & eLearning
- Automotive Services & Dealership
- Marketing, Advertising & Media Agencies
- Healthcare, Medical Services & Clinics
- Customer Experience CX & Contact Centers
- Real Estate & Construction
Publications
- Committee Judge - Saudi Marketing Conference 2015, Marketing Campaign Evaluation
- Speaker - Seamless Middle East 2022, Topic: Brand Management
References
Available upon request
Hobbies
- Table Tennis
- Reading & Writing
Timeline
Director of Marketing Operations
SMASCO
08.2025 - Current
Acting Marketing Director
SMASCO
07.2024 - 08.2025
Marketing Manager
SMASCO
07.2022 - 07.2024
Head of Marketing
QEHC Group
01.2021 - 06.2022
Business Development Manager (QEC Division)
QEHC Group
11.2019 - 12.2020
Marketing Manager
Gulf Hospitality
02.2019 - 11.2019
Marketing Manager
HB Brands
01.2018 - 02.2019
Marketing Manager
Hayat Capital Group
08.2015 - 01.2018
Executive Manager
Life Advertising (Hayat Capital Group)
11.2013 - 08.2015
Marketing Manager
Hayat Capital Group
11.2010 - 11.2013
Marketing
Early Career – Egypt
07.2003 - 10.2010
Master of Business Administration (MBA) -
IBAS International Business Academy of Switzerland & Vern University
Bachelor of Education - Mathematics
Alexandria University