Women Of Influence 2025: LWK & Partners' Tala Alnounou

With over 14 years of experience in the creative industries under her belt, Tala Alnounou, Head of Marketing and Research for the MENA at LWK & Partners, leads the strategic positioning, brand growth, and market intelligence for one of the region’s most dynamic architecture and design firms. Through her work, she has helped to position the Hong Kong-founded enterprise as a thought leader in areas like climate-responsive urbanism, sustainable master planning, and culturally attuned design.

Additionally, she has leveraged research to map high-potential sectors and drive expansion into new markets, besides aligning the firm’s design philosophy with regional narratives like Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and regenerative urbanism. “Over the past six years, I have transformed the marketing function at LWK & Partners from a primarily promotional role into a strategic growth driver for the business,” Alnounou says. “I embedded research and analytics into our decision-making processes, enabling the firm to identify emerging markets, respond to regional trends, and secure high-profile opportunities from Saudi Arabia’s giga-projects to design-led urban regeneration in Egypt and the UAE.”

To understand how these achievements came to be, one has to look at the way Alnounou reshaped her function at the firm. “When I first joined LWK & Partners, marketing was largely seen as producing materials, managing events, and executing campaigns,” she shares. “I saw an opportunity to reposition it as a core part of the firm’s leadership and decision-making process. This meant embedding market research, competitive intelligence, and brand strategy into every major business conversation. It was not an easy shift—it required changing mindsets internally, building trust with senior leadership, and proving through measurable results that marketing could directly influence revenue, reputation, and market share…That decision has shaped every success that followed from securing our presence in new markets like Saudi Arabia, to building a thought leadership platform that positions our team as regional voices on urbanism, sustainability, and cultural design. It taught me that decisive moments are not always about saying ‘yes’ to opportunities; sometimes, they’re about redefining the role you play in the opportunities you already have.”

The transformation that Alnounou has led at LWK & Partners also illustrates how female leaders like her are leaving their mark on the ecosystem at large. “In the architecture and design industry, the growing role of women of influence has brought a more holistic, human-centered perspective to the way we shape cities and communities,” Alnounou says. “Women leaders often integrate empathy, inclusivity, and long-term social value into projects ensuring that our work is not only functional and beautiful, but also deeply connected to the people it serves.”

But it’s not just about the work they deliver, Alnounou adds. “When women occupy leadership positions, they create a visible pathway for others,” she says. “Representation matters not as a token, but as a signal that leadership comes in many forms and voices. For younger women in the industry, seeing women lead major projects, chair panels, and influence policy normalizes ambition and fosters the belief that they can not only belong, but thrive. I believe the true impact lies in the multiplier effect when one woman steps forward, she doesn’t just open the door for herself; she holds it open for many others to walk through.”

Lessons Learned: Q&A With Tala Alnounou 

Looking back on your journey, if there is one piece of advice you’d give yourself before you embarked on your career, what would that be? Additionally, if you could go back in time and tell yourself something that you should avoid or simply not do, what would that be?  

If I could give my younger self one piece of advice before starting my career, it would be: trust your voice sooner. You don’t need to wait for more titles, more years of experience, or more validation to contribute meaningfully—your perspective has value from day one. 

And if I could go back and tell myself something to avoid, it would be: don’t shrink yourself to fit into spaces that weren’t designed for you. Early in my career, I sometimes softened my ideas or adjusted my style to match the dominant voices in the room. In hindsight, the moments when I stayed true to my instincts were the ones that led to my most meaningful impact. 

For women following in my footsteps: own your space, invest in your growth, and never underestimate the ripple effect your courage can have on others. 

Pictured in the lead image is Tala Alnounou, Head of Marketing and Research for the MENA at LWK & Partners. Courtesy of MENA's LWK & Partners.

Tala Alnounou was one of Inc. Arabia's Women of Influence 2025, a showcase of 30 women rewriting the rules of business in the MENA region. For the full list, please click here.