Young at Heart, Tall in Thought

Can you tell us a bit about your role as the Assistant Brand Marketing Manager at Samsung?

Hello! I am Rey and I’ve spent the last 8 years learning and solving problems across different industries, borders, and cultures. I currently lead regional brand campaigns with an incredibly talented team at Samsung's regional office in Dubai.

How did you first become interested in marketing and advertising? What motivated you to pursue a career in this field? How did your journey in the advertising and marketing industry begin? What steps or experiences led you to your current role at Samsung?

I had the privilege of growing up in Dubai at a time when it was quickly becoming a global hub for innovation and ideas. So, it was only natural that my childhood was spent obsessing over how people and things worked. For most of my childhood, I thought I would express that curiosity through medicine and the sciences. During my senior year of high school, a once-in-a-lifetime internship in brand strategy on an incredible team, and an overly eager family of ad-women and ad-men, opened my eyes to a (far less bloody) industry fueled by the same child-like curiosity.

My fear of the sight of blood was relieved. I spent the next 4 years working with and learning from some of advertising’s brightest minds in between classes and semesters. With Leo Burnett and MullenLowe in Dubai and Boston, I learned to ask brave questions on behalf of clients and explore the positive impact communications can have in the world.

After graduating, a move to the client side in tech with Apple and then fast-moving consumer goods with Unilever opened up new opportunities. Here I gained exposure to more aspects of business and acquired more tools to solve problems. All of which led me to Samsung, where I currently get to work on products that help improve the lives of people every day. My role involves exploring the significance of our products in people's lives and finding ways to enhance their product experiences.

Congratulations on winning the Young Marketer of the Year at the MENA Effie Awards! How does it feel to receive such a prestigious recognition? This award is the first of its kind. What does it mean to you to be the inaugural recipient of the Young Marketer of the Year at the MENA Effie Awards?

It's an incredible honor. It's still difficult to believe there’s only one name on this award — an award that would not have been possible without all the bosses, mentors, teachers, friends, and family who helped (and continue to) shape who I am today. Not to mention all the other incredibly talented advertisers/marketers in the region who I continue to be inspired by and learn from. On a personal level, this is a full-circle moment — from growing up watching my father attend award shows and hearing about his success to attending my first and stepping on a stage he’s told me so much about.

On a professional level, the award stands for everything I’ve strived for since starting my career — a relentless pursuit of learning and a commitment to earning my seat at the table, no matter how young I was.

What do you believe, in your professional career, contributed to this win?

Beyond the people who’ve helped me learn and grow over the years, I feel it comes down to two factors: 1) luck, hard work, and a lot more luck; and 2) a constant pursuit of learning which has taken me across different geographies, industries, and roles.

Image Above: Rey Sawan awarded Young Marketer of the Year at the MENA Effie Awards on November 22nd, 2023.

What does working in the advertising and marketing industry mean to you personally and professionally?

So far it's been an incredibly fulfilling journey. I get to make things, tell stories, ask a lot of questions, learn from some of the best marketers in the region, and try to find answers to really challenging problems — sometimes with the opportunity to leave the world a better place than I found it. A mentor early on in my career shared that our role was to help make sense of complicated things and to bring structure to chaos. Over the years, those skills have gone a long way outside of work and helped guide a lot of my philosophy in real life — helping me pick up new hobbies, learn new skills, and find meaning outside of work.

What message or lesson do you hope your success sends to other young marketers aspiring to leave their trail of success in this industry?

I’ve been very fortunate to work with and learn from incredibly generous and thoughtful people whose advice I’ll have to steal to answer this question. Looking back on some of these conversations, three bits of advice and wisdom helped shape my career early on and that I hope may help others:

“No one really knows what they’re doing, and you don’t have to either.” While this is no cure for imposter syndrome, it’s a step in the direction of realizing what we each bring to the table (no matter how much younger or inexperienced you may be).
“At the end of the day we’re only selling [fill in the blank].” Missing a deadline, slipping up on a client presentation, or accidentally replying all on a company-wide email can feel like the end of the world. It helps to remember that no matter how intense something might feel in the moment, it could mean little to nothing five months or years down the line. Focus on what’s in your control.
“A closed mouth never eats.” It’s one thing to work hard and commit yourself to your work, and an entirely different thing to have people in your corner who know exactly what you want and actually want to help you get there.

Looking ahead, what are some of your professional goals or aspirations in the marketing and branding domain?

Looking forward, I continue to be guided by three goals: 1) to pay forward what I’ve learned to others, 2) to continue to be open to opportunities where I can be the outsider or beginner, and 3) to work on products and in industries that allow me to contribute positively to the world.

This piece was first published in Communicate's inaugural Best Places to Work 2023 issue.