Melanie Bender

• Spearheading strategic growth initiatives, cultivating high-impact partnerships with governments, multinational corporations, and industry leaders across MEA, and Turkey.
• Strengthening cross-functional collaboration by integrating regional teams into a unified, goal-oriented commercial strategy.
• Fostering alignment across business units by streamlining internal processes, adopting AI-driven innovations, and improving project delivery metrics.
• Building and maintaining trusted relationships with external stakeholders, including industry leaders, and strategic agencies, to enhance alignment and operational impact.

Key Achievements:

• Unified multiple business units under a cohesive B2B strategy, developing and implementing an integrated go-to-market approach that maximized commercial impact while fostering synergy and collaboration across product teams.
• Negotiated and executed strategic partnerships at global events, including the World Economic Forum, UNGA, Expo 2020, the World Government Summit, and COP, promoting sustainability and innovation.
• Developed and executed The Economist’s healthcare strategy, forging strategic partnerships with prominent government healthcare entities, pharmaceutical firms, and MedTech companies at Arab Health and Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week.

• Drove market expansion by conducting market research and leveraging high-level executive networks to uncover and capitalise on growth opportunities in emerging markets
• Delivered new business revenue by driving cross-sector engagements, including research, thought leadership, consulting, content development, media, and events
• Directed projects to optimise resource allocation, uphold delivery timelines, and ensure high levels of client satisfaction

• Managed and strengthened relationships with key financial stakeholders, including banks, sovereign wealth funds, investment firms, and law firms, ensuring strategic alignment and long-term engagement.
• Achieved sustained revenue growth by securing renewals, onboarding new clients, and identifying upselling opportunities.
• Fostered a consultative sales approach, resulting in increased engagement and tailored solutions for strategic partners

• Led sales and marketing integration, supporting product launches, promotions, and advertising campaigns
• Monitored competitive activity and market trends, providing insights to refine commercial strategy

• Market-tested Pearson Middle East’s higher education mobile app, gathering critical user feedback from professors and scholars
• Negotiated and secured sponsorship deals for Financial Times live events, including global investment forums and regional banking conferences
• Organised a bespoke intrapreneurial lab at Saïd Business School, Oxford, collaborating with Barclays Wealth, Unilever, Walt Disney, and Accenture on impact investing and innovation projects
• Supported the IFC Middle East & North Africa in rebranding a regional bank, driving engagement with female entrepreneurs and SMEs