CXO Direct is a collective of senior operators. We own both strategy and execution, and step in as fractional or interim executives, or for a defined project.
Senior marketing operator for companies that need marketing built or fixed. Four functions built or reset, in telecom, postal services, retail banking and B2B technology, each on a lean budget, each still running after the handover. Five ventures prepared for launch in the last five years. Now designing the AI workflows a small marketing team runs on.
Senior commercial and revenue operator for technology companies whose market has moved faster than their go-to-market. Two decades of shifts in CX and contact-center software: on-premise to cloud, direct to partner-led, now AI. Partner programs built or rebuilt at two global vendors, two fractional repositionings delivered since 2025.
Technology operator with 35+ years in banking, insurance, fintech and the public sector, across the Levant, Europe, North America and the GCC. As CTO and COO of a GCC digital bank, governed delivery across 200+ engineers and cut cycle times by 50%. As CIO of a national postal operator, replaced the legacy ERP across 100+ outlets. Led a SOC 2 certification and an insurer's core-systems consolidation.
Senior operator with 30+ years in telecommunications and internet businesses across the GCC, Levant and Europe. Fifteen-plus years in C-suite seats as COO, CCO and CMO, with three commercial turnarounds and an internet company taken from loss to positive EBITDA. Since 2021, runs transformation programs for CEOs and governments, through to launch.
Brand and communication operator with 30+ years across 15 markets. Led group communication for a 12-country bank through a decade of crises, then sat on the executive committee of a GCC group, leading its rebrand, business-model shift and digital transformation. Now aligns corporate brands with business strategy through transformation, and shapes founder visibility and investor narrative for CEOs and growth companies.
HR transformation and change management operator with 25+ years, for corporations, public institutions and NGOs across the GCC, Europe and the Levant. As special advisor to a minister, delivered the reform roadmap a national anti-corruption unit now works from. Led an HR program that reached 85% policy adoption across five NGOs and incubators. Delivered culture-change and succession work for a national authority and a central bank.
Data and business intelligence operator with 25+ years across the Levant and GCC, for startups, enterprises and public-sector organizations. Co-founded a GCC data consultancy and built its data and AI practice from the ground up. Delivered BI solutions for public-sector and national-security institutions, and launched a web-services line that ran for seven years and served 1,000+ clients.
Strategy and transformation operator with 25+ years in consulting and implementation across the GCC, MENA, Europe and Asia. Scaled a GCC consulting practice from 8 to 35 professionals, with full P&L accountability. Led a state housing fund's transformation, with loan uptake up around 17% in the first year. Designs operating models, stands up PMOs and transformation offices, and turns corporate strategy into executable programs.
Senior HR and organizational development consultant with 20+ years across the Middle East, GCC and Europe. Combines in-house operating experience with extensive consulting for public and private organizations, including assignments with global HR firms. Designed the job architecture of a new government authority, a career framework covering 20 job families for a manufacturing company, and a 16-policy HR governance framework.
Technology operator with 35+ years in healthcare, banking, insurance and humanitarian operations, in North America and internationally. Has run technology as CTO, fractional CIO/CTO and senior vice president: launched a nationwide digital health platform, revived a stalled mobile banking program, cut policy costs by 40% for a global insurer and ran a $190M infrastructure budget.
Chief information officer with 35+ years across banking, consulting and technology in the Levant, the GCC and North America. Ran the full IT function of a top-ten commercial bank for sixteen years: 70 major systems replaced or upgraded, with 99.95%+ availability across critical banking services. Also led bancassurance launches for two banks and the design and implementation of a 50+ agent call center for a telecom operator.
Finance operator with 20+ years in corporate finance, fundraising, M&A and restructuring, the last twelve leading finance teams in high-growth companies across the GCC and Europe. Raised over $80M in equity and debt, took a consumer-tech scale-up through a SPAC merger to a US listing, and restructured a mobility company to positive cash flow. CFA charterholder.
