Sameer Poonja Appointed as Head of Experiences and Platforms at Merkle MENA

Sameer Poonja has been appointed Head of Experience and Platforms at Merkle MENA, Dentsu’s technology-enabled customer experience management company. With Poonja joining the team, Merkle is about to start a new phase of growth and development, with an emphasis on creating omnichannel content-driven experiences.

In his new role as Head of Experiences and Platforms 

Poonja will advocate for the use of headless content and digital asset management systems to provide personalized experiences. It illustrates Merkle’s dedication to remaining at the forefront of technical developments in the field of customer experience management. Through tying together Merkle’s pillars of analytics, data, CX, UX, creative, and performance marketing, he will spearhead the delivery of these results.

A Man of Multiple Achievements

Highlights of Poonja’s career include introducing the first consumer-facing application for Emirates Airlines, collaborating with Coca-Cola to create Canada’s first wireless machine, and leading the introduction of the country’s first cloud-based hotel management system. He also co-founded Spades, a contactless web-based dine-in solution. He was driven by an entrepreneurial spirit to meet the growing demand for frictionless payment experiences.

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Poonja’s role in developing strategies

Poonja worked as a Senior Advisor at Roland Berger before joining Merkle. In this capacity, he was instrumental in developing growth strategies for several prominent organizations. It included Entertainer and several Saudi government agencies. Additionally, he has led Innovation, Partnerships, and Design for Visa CEMEA. Furthermore, he mentored, incubated, and accelerated new entrants on the Fintech Fast Track Program, demonstrating a dedication to innovation and achieving measurable results.

His appointment, which completes the growing Merkle MENA executive team, comes after the previous announcements of Andreas Skopal as Managing Director, Omar Khan as Head of Data & Analytics, and Stacy Anderson as Deputy Managing Director.

Here’s what they said

Sameer Poonja said,

I am thrilled to join Merkle MENA and embark on this exciting journey of shaping transformative digital experiences. By focusing on the ‘why’ I believe we can redefine the boundaries of what’s possible in the region’s digital landscape. Merkle holds a distinctive position in the market, offering our clients a comprehensive blend of strategic insights, creative ingenuity, design and technical proficiency, and effective commercial strategies to advance their growth agendas.

Andreas Skopal, Managing Director at Merkle MENA added,

Sameer brings unparalleled experience and a proven track record in strategy, experience platforms and innovation. I have no doubt that under his guardianship we will be able to set new standards in digital experience delivery by harnessing platforms and fostering collaboration across UX, business upskilling, performance, and cross-channel connectivity to facilitate seamless interactions across digital touchpoints for our clients and their customers.

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