I build the brands of institutions, and the functions that carry them.
I have spent 25 years as the communications force behind some of Qatar's most ambitious institutions, leading brand transformations across global banking, higher education and complex research environments.
I have led brand and communications transformations at major institutions across the region: Coldwell Banker Lebanon, Commercial Bank of Qatar, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Community College of Qatar, and currently Qatar Stock Exchange.
I have built integrated communications functions from the ground up, turning fragmented activity into strategic, well-governed operations.
At Hamad Bin Khalifa University, a member of Qatar Foundation, I built the university's brand from inception: its unified institutional identity, the consolidation of six colleges and three national research institutes under one architecture, and its emergence as one of the leading universities in the middle east attracting learners from more than 60 nationalities.
My work has repeatedly carried institutions onto the global stage: from the first youth forum in the history of the UN Crime Congresses and a high-level roundtable on education and extremism in New York, to The Soufan Center's Global Security Forum, the Doha Forum, the Paris Peace Forum and the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. I have led the communications for flagship lectures by the UN Secretary-General and the President of the UN General Assembly. Earlier, at Commercial Bank of Qatar, I led an award-winning rebrand rollout and marquee partnerships including Manchester United, PGA Tour, Moto GP and more.
My career began in Lebanon, where I led the end-to-end launch of the Coldwell Banker brand into the Lebanese market, the first of a 25-year pattern of brand-building work.
Today I advise organizations on brand, reputation and strategic communications, and am open to senior leadership roles. I hold a BFA from the State University of New York, work in Arabic and English, and am based in Doha, Qatar.
Professional Experience
“Houssam is a professional in his field and possess an excellent execution track record. He is innovative and creative in terms of corporate communication channel, outputs and other collateral. His execution speed is phenomenal. His grasp of communicating Knowledge Management as a value-added corporate capability in attention-grabbing format is exciting. He is an excellent team player and would endorse with him with confidence.”
Norlida (Oli) Azmi,
Chartered FCIPD, Group Chief People Officer Axiata Group,
Adjunct Professor (UNITAR), Author, Keynote Speaker