Unplugged with iSolution: Trailblazing Leadership: Dina Amin's Journey in Tech and Empowerment in the Middle East

Discover how Dina Amin, the powerhouse behind Google Cloud's marketing in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, navigates the dynamic world of tech leadership. As she shares her decade-long journey with Google, Dina opens up about the nuanced challenges women face in leadership roles, particularly in a rapidly evolving region. She offers a candid look at how overcoming unconscious biases and building strong networks can pave the way for future female leaders. Plus, her personal insights on tackling imposter syndrome, backed by initiatives like the "I Am Remarkable" program, provide invaluable advice for aspiring leaders.

Switching topics, the vibrant tech scene of the Middle East takes center stage as we learn about Google Cloud's expanding presence, highlighted at events like Jitex. Dina gives us a firsthand account of the innovation and energy driving the region's tech transformation. Whether you're curious about the latest trends or seeking inspiration from a trailblazer, this episode is packed with insights that highlight the intersection of technology, marketing, and leadership, promising an engaging experience for tech enthusiasts and aspiring leaders alike.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:00

What's up with Google Cloud ? That dream has now gotten even closer with AI .

Speaker 2 0:04

A lot of people would actually love to be part of Google team .

Speaker 1 0:08

It is revolutionizing the way that we do business and the way that we do marketing .

Speaker 2 0:12

Women nowadays should listen to people like you Women sometimes face unconscious bias . We've all been there . Sometimes to get connected , you've got to unplug and try again . This is where we connect you with the brightest minds in the MENA region . This is Unplugged with iSolution . Dina Amin , welcome on Unplugged . Thank you , nice to be here . It's a pleasure for us having you here . Tell me a bit , what do you do ?

Speaker 1 0:46

My name is Dina Amin and I lead marketing for Google Cloud across the Middle East , turkey and Africa region . I've been with Google for 10 years now , and six of them in this role . It's a job that I love . It combines my background in computer science along with my love for storytelling , for data , for analytics , customer focus , amongst many other things . I joined Google straight after my MBA and Google hires in many ways , and it's been an experience that I've really enjoyed .

Speaker 2 1:20

That's good to hear . A lot of people would actually love to be part of Google team . I think so . I know you do great work . I know we're today at Jitex . I think this is the second year in Jitex for Google Cloud , correct ? That's right . I think you're expanding a lot in the region from a positioning point of view and awareness point of view . So , Dina , you're the driving force behind Google Cloud's marketing efforts . Tell me a bit like you're a woman in the leadership role in the GCC region . How is it for you ? What are the challenges you're facing ?

Speaker 1 1:51

So it's a great question . Thanks for asking it , kevin . It's definitely an exciting time to be in tech and in marketing , particularly in the Middle East , where things are evolving so rapidly In terms of unique challenges . I think women sometimes face unconscious bias and social expectations in terms of the roles that they are expected to fill , and that can make it harder to rise to leadership positions . Women might have to work harder to prove themselves on occasions and overcome these stereotypes . Also , building a strong network of mentors and sponsors is critical to get to leadership position , and sometimes that can also be more challenging for women .

Speaker 2 2:29

Yeah , so it's like we're doing a SWOT analysis for women in the region . So do you think like the opportunities that women should be taking advantage of are building a proper network that is currently available in the region ? So that's one of the main points what advice do you actually give to young women that are aspiring to leadership positions ?

Speaker 1 2:48

Yeah . So if I was to advise women coming up in the leadership space , or if I was to look to my younger self and want to give some advice , I would say you know ? Firstly , believe in yourself , believe in your capabilities , have the confidence that you deserve the place that you're at . Imposter syndrome is a very real thing and at Google Cloud we run a program called I Am Remarkable , which actually looks at imposter syndrome and looks at helping women communicate their achievements .

Speaker 2 3:18

Yeah , I just saw you posting something . I Am Remarkable . And Oman , that's right yeah .

Speaker 1 3:24

So I traveled to Oman earlier this week for Omani Women's Day and collaborated with Oman Tel to deliver an I Am Remarkable workshop for them , and it was really inspiring . It was great to see women leaning in to this training . We talked about championing our achievements and championing each other's achievements , and again about the imposter syndrome .

Speaker 2 3:46

Thank you . Thank you for this lovely advice . I think women nowadays should listen to people like you , because you've been in their spots and I think you'll continue to lead the way forward in this scope . I'm going to switch gears a bit . We all know that tech moves quite fast . Events and communities are where the real action is happening . So tell me , what's up with Google Cloud ? Are you doing any epic events ?

Speaker 1 4:11

Absolutely so . Google Cloud is a core part of the vibrant tech scene here in the Middle East and it is truly vibrant . It's buzzing with energy , with innovation , and to give you a taste of some of the things that we've been up to so , firstly , epic events . We've been hosting and participating in some incredible events across the region , many of which iSolutions has been involved in . So think summits , hackathons , workshops , you name it . Earlier this year , we had our Doha Summit , which was a huge success .

Speaker 2 4:46

That's the first year anniversary of the cloud region launch correct .

Speaker 1 4:50

That's right , yeah , and then later next month , on the 12th of November , we'll have the Saudi Summit and we're focused on skilling and learning across the region . We offer online and in-person training options . That's a big part of what we do . We manage dedicated centers of excellence in Qatar , in Saudi , we've got a national skilling program in Kuwait and we offer in-person learning activities in Turkey , south Africa , the UAE and many other places . So we do that . We continue to bring thought leaders together , developers , businesses to explore the latest in AI , in data analytics and cloud technology . On top of that , we're teaming with local heroes . So we believe in the power of collaboration and we've been forging fantastic partnerships with global and regional strategic integrators such as iSolutions . We're working to bring the best of Google Cloud solutions to more businesses through those partnerships .

Speaker 2 5:49

Yeah , I think you're paving the way . I think you're paving the way . That's what people can see in the region now . So , in the same scope , you're heading the marketing . You're a CMO . The names vary , the description varies , but the job remains the same . You're leading the marketing efforts for Google Cloud in the region . So now , with Gen AI , how do you think it's reshaping things ? And , on a personal level , are you actually utilizing GenAI ? It's a game changer .

Speaker 1 6:20

It is revolutionizing the way that we do business and the way that we do marketing . On a personal level , I use GenAI on a day-to-day basis . So I'll use our tool , gemini , to help proofread or create content for social media , for slides , for emails . I'll use Notebook LLM , which is another one of our tools , to ingest large amounts of data , like a presentation or a piece of content , to summarize it for me or , you know , ask queries into that piece of data . So it's really improving the effectiveness and the efficiency of marketing . Aside from that , I think AI is generally disrupting and revolutionizing the whole way we do marketing .

Speaker 1 7:06

The traditional marketing playbook was once predictable and linear . We would craft content and it would be for a specific audience . We would distribute it across the relevant channels , measure its impact often using imperfect and delayed metrics and then we would learn from that and refine our approach . So it was the long held dream of delivering the right ad to the right person in the right place at the right time . The right ad to the right person in the right place at the right time . And that dream has now gotten even closer with AI and it's essentially kind of we're like in a real-time optimization process .

Speaker 2 7:46

Yeah , you could have custom experiences for each and every one , and in real time , exactly . Yeah , that's something to capitalize on . I think everyone should be able to reach this technology and utilize it as much as they can . So what potential do you think , other than technical aspects of it and customization , what does it unlock on a creativity aspect ?

Speaker 1 8:18

being used to create new content , to actually create the ads , the messages that go out to the users , to ingest information about the audience , to understand the audience better and to use that in the creative process . So it's helping us create even more personalized advertising and doing it at a much more , a much faster , faster pace and using data which has been out of reach in the past .

Speaker 2 8:43

We just finished a session on data data to dollars and we discussed a bit how actually data can help you turn your ROI upside down , and so I totally agree with you . Since we're at Jitexx now , I think it's buzzing . There's a lot of people around us . There's people watching us through , uh , through the glass so , uh , why is jytex important ?

Speaker 1 9:10

Well , it's our second year exhibiting at Jitex and we're delighted to be here . Events like Jitex are an important part of our marketing strategy across the region . They offer us the platform to connect with our customers . They offer us the opportunity to forge partnerships as well and showcase the real world impact of our solutions solutions . We have many customers who are here collaborating with us to showcase the impact that Google Cloud has had on their business , and we have our partners here , such as iSolutions , exhibiting and showcasing what Google Cloud solutions can do for their customers . So it's a great opportunity to strengthen existing relationships and build new ones , all while demonstrating our commitment to innovation .

Speaker 2 9:53

That that's great to hear . Um , I'm going to ask you something . It's a bit outside of the technical aspect and the business aspect of it , but , uh , I've done my research , I've I've got to know that we have , we have mutual hobbies . So , uh , I know you love to travel . What are the top five cities or countries you've been ?

Speaker 1 10:15

to Great question . Thanks for asking . I do love to travel , and I travel a lot , both for personal and for business , and so I've been fortunate to see a lot of different cities and different places . From where do I love the most ? I mean from a personal perspective . I have very fond memories of Amsterdam yeah , it's a nice place it's a nice place .

Speaker 1 10:40

I went there recently . I've been there many times and recently got engaged in Amsterdam , so it's gonna congratulations , thank you so much , so it's it's gonna be a special place for me for , yeah , forever the then . From a business perspective , you , we're expanding our region , we're expanding our footprint , our cloud footprint , across the region and we're opening in many , many markets . We were just in Kuwait , which was a great place to visit and spend time . We had a cloud day that happened there . For instance , cape Town and Johannesburg are two cities that I've really enjoyed traveling to , and we recently launched a data center in South Africa , a cloud region , and they've become two cities that we now travel to quite a bit and I get to experience the amazing culture and enjoy being there .

Speaker 2 11:29

So it's a good thing . Yeah , you can mix between personal and business travels , which eases on the pressure you you already have . That's right , so that's good . I think you also play paddle I , yes , yes , that's right . Yeah , it's a new hobby . Yeah , it's a new hobby , so I do play paddle as well and I'm hoping we can . We can have a challenge between google cloud and I solution and if I solution wins , we're to have you on another full episode . That's a deal . That's a deal . Let's shake hands on that . Okay , dina , thanks a lot for being with us . It was an amazing discussion . Thank you so much . Please follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe on YouTube and wait for the next one .