Alifya Thingna
Women In Marketing,  United Arab Emirates

Women In Marketing 2024 Edition ft. Alifya Thingna from Edenred UAE

Alifya Thingna, a prominent figure in the marketing world, shares her journey from Saudi Arabia to India, (and now back in the Gulf) highlighting how her diverse cultural experiences have shaped her expansive worldview. Her passion for marketing stems from its unique blend of art and science, allowing her to forge deep connections with people. As a leader at Edenred UAE, Alifya continues to leverage her multicultural insights to drive innovative marketing strategies. Welcome to Women In Marketing

Personal Background:

Thanks for taking the time to participate in our ‘Women In Marketing’ feature. Where were you born, and what childhood memories stand out for you?

I was born in Nagpur (a city in Maharashtra, India) and we immediately moved to Saudi Arabia, since my dad worked there as a doctor for one of the Ministry hospitals. We were in Saudi Arabia until I was 12, and then relocated back to India (Pune). So my earliest childhood memories in Saudi included multicultural friends and a lot of road trips amidst sand dunes. 

I often joked with my friends that I feel like I grew up like an indoor plant (i.e. a quintessential ‘Gulf-baby’ who played no sport, who knew no concept of exercise, and who barely had any exposure to the real world) but still grew up in a fabulous big city with a monochromatic colour palette.

Image of Alifya Thingna. Supplied for Women in Marketing

Describe your high school and college years. You were the coolest one, right?

Once we moved to India, I witnessed the real world – different kinds of people, career opportunities, and possibilities. From my high school dream of interior designing, I took a wild swing in the other direction to do my Bachelor’s and Master’s in French literature. 

Not sure I was the popular one in school, but rather a ‘behind-the-scenes’ kind of cool. Always observing the trends, never the trendsetter. 😉

What’s your favourite meal that you wouldn’t share with anyone?

A well-made, perfectly moist and flavour-bursting Tiramisu. It’s my idea of a perfect dessert and a guilty pleasure that I would hate to share with anyone else.

What would be your plans for a sudden $10 million windfall if you were to receive it tomorrow?

Travel the world in all probability, while signing up for every wonderful experience that this world has to offer (hello, a lifetime of spa treatments!).

Alifya Thingna travelling with friends. Supplied for Women In Marketing

Can you share an interesting fact or hidden talent not found on your LinkedIn profile? Previous Women in Marketing candidate Anastasia Hamel says that she can breathe fire!

My superpower is that I can see through people xD

And on some days, it works out great. Other days, not so much. 

My strong sense of intuition allows me to be perceptive enough to be a human lie detector, lets me sense good energy, and lets me connect with genuine people on a deeper level, in my own quiet way.

Career and Work:

How do you typically start your day, and are you #TeamCoffee, #TeamTea, or both?

Team Coffee all the way!

What inspired you to pursue a career in marketing? Didn’t the “I want to become a doctor” bug bite you?

I have always been fascinated with literature, languages, psychology, different cultures of the world, and everything connection-centric that basically makes humans tick. My career started in a translation & localisation company in Pune, where I was a French-English translator. In a couple of years, I moved to Project Management and then a Sales & Marketing role for 6 years. 

That’s when I discovered my passion for Marketing — it brought my love of connecting with people, the art of crafting compelling narratives, storytelling and designing campaigns that resonate with audiences – all together! 

Today, I work with a fintech B2B2C company in Dubai in a Marketing Communications role, where I work on creating brand awareness material to promote ‘financial inclusion’.

Many industries had to create systems overnight that would enable their respective workforces to work from home due to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. What’s your perspective on remote and hybrid work, and how have you dealt with its challenges? Do you have a preference?

I’m a big fan of the hybrid approach. In my opinion, it allows for the best of both worlds: the flexibility and work-life balance of remote work, combined with the in-person collaboration and camaraderie of the office. While there are valid pros and cons on both sides, I’ve found that a well-structured hybrid model can be highly beneficial for both employees and businesses. Remote work life is definitely here to stay!

The Future of Remote Work, According to Startups. Women In Marketing 3
How productive is remote work? According to Visual Capitalist

AI is the hot topic of the day, most specifically, generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. How do you address the challenges you face in your day-to-day responsibilities? Any specific tools you’d like to plug us with? 

AI has, without a doubt, transformed the way we work, and generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are certainly at the forefront of this revolution. While these tools offer incredible potential, they also present unique challenges. One of the biggest hurdles is ensuring that the output from these tools is accurate, relevant, and aligned with our brand guidelines and OKRs. 

To address this, we ensure that there’s a rigorous quality control review involved in all that we do.

According to the WEF, the pandemic caused a 4.2% reduction in women’s employment compared to 3% of men (from 2019 to 2020). How can organisations better support women and mothers, especially in light of the pandemic’s impact on women in the workplace?

I believe that organisations must prioritise flexible work arrangements, invest in parental leave policies to alleviate financial stress and foster a culture of inclusivity to support women and mothers in the post-pandemic workplace. Offering childcare support, mentorship and guidance, inclusive policies, and return-to-work transition programs are also part of the benefits offered by many workplaces.

By empowering women and ensuring their equal participation, we can begin to create a more dynamic and innovative business landscape, anywhere in the world.

Graph showing employment levels amongst genders from 2006 until 2021
Source: ILO

2024 and Beyond:

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self?

If I could go back and meet my 18-year-old self, I’d tell her to immerse in and embrace every experience that comes your way, good or bad. We often get caught up in trying to find the ‘right’ path, but the truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all. It’s about making choices, learning from them, and using those experiences to grow. That’s the secret to a fulfilling life: taking accountability, moving on, and having a growth mindset.

Alifya Thingna with her cat, supplied for Women In Marketing

What are your personal or professional goals and aspirations for the future? 

My goal is to be a thought leader of substance in the UAE marketing industry. I’m passionate about things that essentially bring people together, and I realise that we’re at an interesting cusp where staying ahead of the curve is crucial particularly when it comes to emerging trends and technologies. AI is opening up a ton of new avenues, so the future is looking quite interesting from here. 🙂 

Who are some of your sheroes?

Wonder Woman! 😉

via GIPHY

What are you currently reading, and how do you consume your content?

As a marketer, I’m all about testing everything out and seeing what works best for which context. xD

I prefer the tactile experience of a paperback, but I also appreciate the convenience of an eReader when travelling. It’s a matter of personal preference, but I seem to enjoy the flexibility of both formats. I’m currently reading ‘The Palace of Illusions‘ – which is a retelling of the Hindu mythology epic ‘Mahabharat’ from the perspective of Draupadi, one of its central female characters. I love the perspective and lens through which the author describes this story.

What are you currently streaming that you’d recommend?

I just finished watching ‘Alchemy of Soulson Netflix (a Korean fantasy drama) and cannot stop recommending it to everyone I meet! It’s about a powerful sorceress trying to change her destiny – with an intricate plot, well-developed characters, beautiful emotions, stunning visuals, and captivating storytelling techniques. If you dig action, romance, comedy, and drama  – then you have got to watch this!

You wake up one day, and before you know it, you are nearing retirement. What would you like your professional legacy to be? Furthermore, what do your colleagues and superiors admire about you the most?

If I’m approaching retirement (and still working with Marketing lol), I hope to be remembered as a good thought leader, one who was passionate about innovation, collaboration, and mentorship. I want my legacy to be one of fostering a culture of creativity and continuous learning within my team. I would also like to be proud of the relationships I’ve built with my colleagues – in and outside work, and perhaps be admired for my ability to think strategically, solve problems creatively, and inspire others to reach their full potential. That’s the dream 🙂

We are always looking for amazing Women In Marketing to profile. Who would you like us to get in touch with? 

I would recommend speaking to Tina Mansukhani Garg, she is the founder of a Branding & Marketing company in Bangalore called Pink Lemonade Communications. 

She’s an established thought leader in the Indian marketing space, and has seen this space evolve from close quarters over the last couple of decades. She is also a TEDx speaker and one of the 13 women from across the world, to be chosen for the Fortune Global-US State Department Global Mentoring program (and worked with the founders of Airbnb).

Share a unique message for young professionals in the marketing industry.

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in trends and fads. But when things get overwhelming, it is important to remember the essentials and foundation of good marketing: empathy, storytelling, and a genuine understanding of your audience. Stay curious, be authentic, and never stop learning. Your unique perspective and fresh ideas are what the industry needs, not one more AI tool!

Alifya Thingna with her husband. Supplied for Women In Marketing

Thank you for your time, Alifya. We hope this interview will inspire future leaders and other Women in Marketing. How can people follow you and your company on social media? 

Thank you so much for letting me participate in this feature. I love that you guys are celebrating women working in the marketing and communication space across countries, especially since everyone has such different stories and backgrounds. 

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn

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As Managing Director at naughtybanana, I am responsible for leading and managing the organisation’s marketing strategies and business development. I am involved in driving brand awareness, customer acquisition, and revenue growth through effective marketing initiatives, market research, and collaboration with cross-functional teams. I have experience working with clients in various industries such as defi, crypto, music and events, consumer packaged goods to name a few. I am passionate about entrepreneurship and creative problem-solving which help me stay updated on industry trends and foster innovation to drive the organization’s competitive advantage in the market.