Suad Merchant

Suad Merchant is the Global Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at GEMS Education, where she leads global marketing, brand strategy, and communications. In this role, she reinforces GEMS Education’s reputation as a trusted, family-run institution delivering world-class education with heart and vision. Her mandate goes beyond communications, she is a key driver of business growth and impact, ensuring GEMS continues to lead in a sector critical to regional and global development.

Previously, Suad was the Global Head of Brand & Growth Marketing, Partnerships, and Corporate Communications at Mashreq, the UAE’s oldest bank with a presence in 15 countries. She defined and executed the bank’s global brand and marketing strategy, corporate communications, strategic partnerships, and ESG marketing. Suad also played a pivotal role in shaping Mashreq’s strategic vision, acting as brand custodian, and steering its customer-centric digital transformation. Under her leadership, Mashreq was recognized as the fastest-growing brand in the Middle East by Brand Finance in 2024.

Suad began her career at McCann Worldgroup in India, where she managed communications for global brands including MasterCard, Microsoft, Sony Entertainment, Kraft Foods, and L’Oréal, across EMEA, the UK, US, Australia, China, and India. She later established the Global Integrated Marketing team at Hewlett Packard, driving marketing across 35 countries, and played a key role in the brand merger for First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) in the UAE.

Known for her agile, digital-first approach to data-driven marketing, Suad excels in forging strategic partnerships and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders. She holds a Master’s in Business Management, a Master’s in Digital Business, a Diploma in Advertising & PR, and has completed executive programs in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Oxford and Sustainability Communications from London Business School.