True leaders collaborate with their teams to effect good change in their businesses and contribute to the general progress of society, while motivating others to do the same. An example of such excellent leadership is provided by Lubna El Bannan, the Managing Director of PSdigital in Dubai.
A good leader, according to the ardent entrepreneur, puts people before profit while growing their abilities, encouraging them, offering helpful assistance, and creating a great culture inside the firm. “This is what gives employees a sense of ownership in their job and a sense of loyalty to a company. As a leader, you cannot achieve everything by yourself, but when you are surrounded by people who support you, anything is possible,” opines Lubna.
Below are highlights of the interview:
Tell us about your journey. Share your background and what did you do before you joined PSdigital LLC?
I have studied Economics at Alexandria University in Egypt, and in my 2nd year of studies, I have decided to start working in various sales & marketing roles in different companies. I challenged myself that taking early responsibilities can flourish my communication and negotiation skills.
I moved to Dubai in 2012, where I have taken different roles with great advertising companies, serving different sized clients from diversified industries. Worth mentioning is O2 marketing & communication agency, where I was hired as the executive manager to oversee business development and operations. I have worked on multinational brands across multiple markets and was awarded the EMEA Customer Delights award in 2016 for the great satisfaction we provide to our clients. In 2017, I joined a branding consultancy company where they work more on the strategic side of the business with clients. This was an amazing opportunity to dig deeper into how market research and branding strategies are built for big brands.
I have always been interested in smart data and have dug into different strategic approaches to grow businesses. It excites me to work on extracting relevant information from a mass of raw data to gain valuable insights. I am a firm believer that data driven decisions are the most efficient and tend to be the most successful. So I joined PSdigital in 2018, a digital agency that has been operating in Egypt for more than a decade, to launch the company’s Dubai branch, overseen by myself as a shareholder and active managing partner. That was when I became a true entrepreneur—the moment I began believing in my own capabilities, my experience, my track record, and my ability to take responsibility. I knew that if I could do this for other companies, I could do it for my own company, too. At this job, I was awarded as the Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 in the Digital Technology category by APAC Entrepreneur.
Tell us more about the firm.
At PSdigital, we understand the importance of businesses’ digital transformation. In today’s world, almost every part of life is digitized: from paying bills, to shopping, or even dating online, to virtual meetings. Our company offers a wide range of services: digital consultancy, building digital strategies, developing brand websites, e-commerce, mobile apps, digital and social media communications, creative designs, and digital campaigns. Finally, our solution is a matrix or combination of services that will enable a company to meet its specific business objectives. We have helped clients increase their sales 20 times at some point.
What really makes PSdigital stand out are our innovative solutions that harness the latest technology (and can often trigger a surge in our clients’ business), and the future planning and roadmaps we develop for our clients—helping them plan for what comes next with solutions that are agile and scalable.
As the managing director, what are your major roles and responsibilities in the company? What is your understanding of good leadership?
At the most basic level, my role is to ensure that our business grows and the company is successful. My responsibilities vary between clients’ management, exploring business opportunities across the globe and managing operations. But being a true leader is much more than that—good leadership isn’t a title or a position, it’s about desire and decision-making. A good leader prioritizes people before profit, building a long-term relationship with them, nurturing their skills, guiding them, providing resourceful support and building a positive culture within the organization. This gives employees a sense of ownership in their jobs as well as a sense of loyalty to a company. As a leader, you cannot achieve everything by yourself, but when you are surrounded by people who support you, anything is possible.
Describe who you are as a person, inside and outside of the workplace.
I am ambitious and driven. I thrive on challenges and constantly set goals for myself, so I have something to strive toward. I’m not comfortable with settling, and I’m always looking for an opportunity to do better and achieve greatness. Remember, if you have the will, you will find the way.
I’m also a people-person. I love meeting new people and learning about their lives and backgrounds. I can almost always find common ground with strangers, and I like making people feel comfortable in my presence. I find this skill is especially helpful inside the work environment and when kicking off projects with new clients. In 2016, I was awarded the Customer Satisfaction Award by the MENAA Awards in Burj Al Arab, Dubai, UAE.
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement so far, and why?
Well, expanding geographical business reach and the high client retention rate we have at PSdigital are considered great achievements. Working with multicultural people serving clients across 36 markets was not an easy job. With limited resources, different people’s mentalities and business objectives, we had to be very dynamic and adaptable to adapt and cater to every client’s challenges and goals.
- In 2016, I was handed the “Customer Delight Award” at the MENAA Awards, on behalf of the O2 team, which were held at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai in December, 2016.
- In 2017, I was nominated for the Best Female Leader by Women Empowerment association in UAE.
- In 2018, I was a part of a team that won 8 Prestigious Awards at the Transform Awards Mena Ceremony
- In 2021, I was awarded as the Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 in the Digital technology category by APAC Entrepreneur.
- In 2021, Speaker at the “Rise Up Summit”, international summit for entrepreneurs at the Pyramids, Egypt & Speaker at the “Creative Industry Summit”, international summit for creative, digital and branding.
- In 2022, Was selected to join “Proctor & Gamble Women Entrepreneurs Academy” and became trained and certified by P&G leadership team.
What advice would you give to the emerging leaders and enthusiasts considering a career in corporate sector?
Do something you don’t just like, but really love—something you have a passion for. It’s this that will keep you going when times are tough.
Never let people doubt your capabilities when you know you have what it takes.
Trust the process. There may be times you’ll have to walk away and start all over again, but it might turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
Consistency is key. You need to practice and keep doing what you’re doing. Even if you fail, learn your lessons and start again.
Be patient. It takes time to accomplish your goals, and it’s probably going to be tough and exhausting. You might fail multiple times along the way, but don’t give up. You’ll get there in the end.
Where do you see yourself and the company in upcoming years?
When I first joined PSdigital, I had a five-year goal in sight: achieving geographical expansion; and establishing an office in Silicon Valley, USA, in order to expand our digital solutions and technology innovations and serve the industry’s biggest players there. Now, four years since I joined the company, we have offices in Egypt and the UAE, serving clients across 36 countries, have pioneered technologies in the market, and have a proven success record with our clients.
Website: www.psdigital.me
