He has just graduated from MIP’s Design and Luxury Management program – one of the few MBA programs in the world specialising in links to luxury industries.
Adnan is passionate about marketing, fashion and business. After studying an MBA, he has his sights set on bringing European influences to the Arab state.
Saudi Arabia is renowned for its links to wealth, with an economy bustling along at 6.8 per cent growth, driven largely by oil prices and expansionary public spending. While the kingdom’s investment is often considered undermined by a lack of transparency, it is part of a region that is consistently associated with economic progress.
Adnan recognises the potential – its citizens have cash to spend. In an emerging market like Saudi Arabia, competition for products is high. Adnan has always been interested in business, exposed by his family’s company that sells staple foods in the region, Salem Abdullah Binmahfooz Est.
But marketing is his field of expertise. He believes a successful marketer will make the difference for his company in what could be considered a saturated market.
Before studying an MBA in Milan, he was a senior project manager at Marcus Evans, developing marketing and sales tactics across a wide range of industries. In 2009, he was a marketing coordinator for his family’s business for almost two years.
He studied Economics at McMaster University in Canada, but he is drawn by the creative aspects of a marketing career. “Marketing triggered creativity and that aspect fits with my personality,” he said. “Marketing really interests me in business. How can I change the perspective of customers by showing how my product applies to their daily lives?”
Adnan sees great potential for the function in the Middle East. A lot of Western media has flooded into Saudi Arabia and with new technologies, social media and the internet; things can only get better for those hoping to launch a marketing career in emerging markets. “It has opened new horizons for the Saudi Arabian market,” Adnan says.
“Everyone knows Saudi Arabia is a rich country which has a strong buying habit. There’s a lot of competition and lots of products, so for me to bring in something new to the market, I see it as a huge opportunity to be able to play in that field.”
After a few years in the industry, Adnan picked Politecnico Di Milano for its unique design and luxury specialization. He always had a desire to get into the fashion industry and thought an MBA would be a solid base for marketing. Students on the MBA program get the chance to meet key global players in the luxury goods industry and work with a diverse mix of students.
Adnan worked alongside MBAs from 19 different countries and after studying in both Canada and Italy, thinks international exposure is essential to a modern business career. “It wasn’t always a managerial aspect; the MBA included us in the creative part of design,” he said. “I was able to be exposed to veterans of the industry and integrate with designers.
“With nineteen different countries and 12 different languages spoken in our class, we had a real depth and understanding. We look at problems from a minimum of twelve different angles; it widens your perspective. It was one of the best things about the MBA.”
For Adnan, there was no other choice: MIP was perfectly aligned with his passion for European culture. He loves the premium fashion and food in Italy (and even the soccer teams). With Milan seen as the capital of fashion, it was a perfect fit.
It is that culture that he is hoping to export to Saudi Arabia, in a fresh branch of his family’s business. After meeting his business partner, Pier Luca Di Fazio, through a friend on the MBA program at MIP, Adnan wants to strike a balance between Europe and the Middle East. “Bringing in European regional specialities to the market is more appealing to a high end customer,” he said.
“By default the products are more premium because there isn’t as much awareness about them. I’m trying to bring Europe to Saudi Arabia.
“Living in Italy for fourteen months, I have tried to link between both cultures and try to adapt those similarities into consumer’s habits in the Middle East.”
The end goal is to take over the family business one day, and use his European influences to drive into the luxury goods market. The market is changing in Saudi Arabia and there is an increased demand, he thinks. Adnan wanted to bring something new to the business and give it a “younger face”.
Studying an MBA has been critical to helping him hone his marketing, business and luxury industry skills. But was it essential for him to give his career a boost? “Absolutely,” he said. “Before the MBA I was working at the family business and was exposed to marketing in a shallow way; I was always in the background.
“So for me, to be able to initiate these discussions I needed something strong to push up my confidence. I needed to participate with senior-level executives and communicate ideas very clearly with buyers and clients in a more linear way. The MBA helped my career exponentially.”
There is no doubt an MBA can help you further a marketing career. It can give you an advantage over your peers and help you sharpen your skills - in one of the most popular roles in the MBA Jobs world. Throughout 2013, permanent marketing salaries have increased, and according to a survey in September, a staggering 72 per cent of female marketers received a pay rise in 2012.
Senior marketers can expect to earn a salary close to £80,000 per year. But when running your own company, the sky’s the limit.
Entrepreneurs in the luxury goods and fashion industries turn to MIP to get a foothold in the market, and Adnan hopes he can take his family’s business to new heights.
Saudi Arabia may be a rich country – but there is always room for improvement. After studying at MIP, this MBA is hoping to bring European flair to the Middle East.
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