My professional journey began in accounting, with a monthly salary of just $170. This modest start taught me discipline, responsibility, and the value of every professional opportunity. At the age of 25, I moved from Jordan to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, seeking to broaden my career prospects and build a more ambitious future. As I transitioned from accounting into commercial and leadership roles, I discovered my passion for building businesses, developing teams, and turning challenges into opportunities for growth and success.

Over more than two decades, I built my career across several multinational companies, including PepsiCo, where I gained valuable experience in international business environments, followed by nearly 14 years at Philip Morris International. I later joined JUUL Labs, where I held leadership responsibilities across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Global Duty Free markets. These experiences strengthened my expertise in strategic planning, commercial leadership, and managing businesses across multiple markets. They also enhanced my ability to build teams, lead initiatives, and achieve objectives in dynamic and competitive business environments.

In 2020, I took a pivotal step in my professional journey by co-founding ANDS in the United Arab Emirates, transitioning from corporate leadership into entrepreneurship. Together with my partners and team, we expanded the company's operations into multiple international markets and established a significant presence in the duty-free sector, culminating in a successful sale in 2025. This was one of the most defining milestones of my career, allowing me to apply the experience I had accumulated over the years to building my own business and taking full responsibility for its decisions, risks, and outcomes. Beyond the commercial success, this achievement created opportunities for our team and demonstrated our ability to build a business with sustainable value.

I currently serve as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ACT Holding Ltd. in Dubai, where I focus on developing ventures in industries that I believe offer significant opportunities for growth and impact, particularly artificial intelligence, health and wellbeing, and sport. These ventures include LUUCI, an AI-powered family wellbeing ecosystem initially focused on pets, and ACT AI Lab, which helps businesses adopt AI solutions and agents while supporting the growth of companies operating in this field. I am also a partner and advisory board member at One Hundred Group, contributing to its strategic direction and expansion across the Middle East.

My professional journey has not been without challenges. Losing my father at a young age taught me to take responsibility early in life, while moving to Dubai presented the challenge of proving myself in a new and competitive professional environment. Early in my career there, I faced the possibility of losing my job. This became a turning point that encouraged me to reassess my performance, improve my capabilities, and take greater ownership of my professional future. Later, transitioning from leadership roles in multinational corporations to entrepreneurship required me to rely on personal initiative and operate without the established systems and institutional support I had previously known. I overcame these challenges through persistence, continuous learning, openness to feedback, and collaboration with capable and experienced people. These experiences reinforced the importance of adaptability and perseverance, even when outcomes remain uncertain.

Al-Ahliyya Amman University provided the academic foundation from which I began my professional journey, helping shape my thinking and prepare me for greater responsibilities. As my career evolved, I came to recognize that university education is not the end of the learning journey but rather a starting point on which to build through practical experience, continuous development, and openness to new knowledge and technology. I continue to value analytical thinking, discipline, and a structured approach to problem-solving, alongside integrity, sound judgment, and the ability to listen to different perspectives. These principles guide me when evaluating business opportunities, making strategic decisions, and leading organizations.

My advice to Al-Ahliyya Amman University students and graduates is not to let their first salary or job title define the limits of their ambitions. I began my career with a modest salary, but what made the difference was taking every opportunity seriously, continuing to learn, and striving to earn greater responsibilities. Seek practical experience early, ask for guidance and honest feedback, and develop communication and interpersonal skills alongside your technical knowledge. Remain curious about technological developments, particularly artificial intelligence, because learning never stops, regardless of how much experience you gain. You do not need to have your entire career mapped out from the beginning, but you must take ownership of your next steps. Think big, start small, build progressively, and establish a professional reputation based on commitment and delivering results.

Looking ahead, my ambition is to build internationally competitive businesses in artificial intelligence, health and wellbeing, and sport, developing ventures that create long-term value and positively impact people's lives. Through ACT Holding, I aim to expand my current ventures, support the adoption of AI technologies, and contribute to business growth across the region and beyond. I intend to draw on the experience gained through multinational corporations and entrepreneurship while continuing to learn and develop as a leader.

I believe that success is not defined solely by the position one reaches, but by the ability to continue growing, recognize opportunities, and transform experience and challenges into meaningful and lasting value.