Women Of Influence 2025: The Marketing Boutique's Nancy Assad
The founder and CEO of The Marketing Boutique has been named one of Inc. Arabia’s Women of Influence 2025, which showcases 30 women rewriting the rules of business in the MENA region.
As the founder and CEO of The Marketing Boutique, a Dubai-based agency redefining how tech companies in the Middle East navigate growth in a digital-first world, Nancy Assaad combines human-centered storytelling with advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics to create compelling campaigns for her clients. Key to her success, she tells Inc. Arabia, has been building an agency structure that privileged long-term relationships over short-term wins.
“When I founded The Marketing Boutique, I made a conscious decision to reject the conventional model of transactional client relationships, and instead create a space where strategy, empathy, and innovation could coexist,” Assaad says. “It was a bold move, especially in a region where tech marketing was still largely product-centric. But it allowed us to lead with purpose. It shaped our identity as a human-centered agency in a highly technical space, and that shift has not only differentiated The Marketing Boutique in the market but also empowered us to drive meaningful growth for the brands we serve. This decision was based on my personal values as well—my purpose is to guide, mentor, and build for the future.”
With nearly two decades of experience driving go-to-market strategies for global tech giants, Assaad has set up The Marketing Boutique as an agency that responds directly to client needs. “One of my key innovations has been transforming the traditional agency-client model into long-term strategic partnerships,” she shares. “Rather than chasing one-size-fits-all metrics, we focus on building long-term systems—ones that connect storytelling, technology, and market insights into measurable business impact. Our purpose is to guide, mentor, and build for the future.”
That decision has positioned The Marketing Boutique as more than a service provider, and under Assaad’s leadership, the firm has become a strategic growth partner—embedding itself into client ecosystems, tailoring narratives to regional culture, and designing campaigns that are performance-driven yet deeply authentic. And even as her agency model rethinks how the industry at large works, Assaad believes a greater shift lies in how she and her female peers are reshaping it.
“In a field traditionally dominated by hard metrics and rapid scaling, women have introduced a more holistic approach—one that values human connection, long-term vision, and inclusive growth,” Assaad says. “In my experience, women leaders tend to lead with both head and heart. We build ecosystems, not just companies. We listen deeply, mentor intentionally, and make space for diverse voices around the table. At The Marketing Boutique, that philosophy is embedded in everything we do, from the way we work with clients to the way we develop our team. I’ve seen firsthand how women in leadership create cultures of trust, purpose, and psychological safety, and how that accelerates creativity, resilience, and performance. When women step into leadership, we don’t just open the door; we hold it open for others. Representation matters. It signals to the next generation that there’s space for them at the top. It shows that leadership doesn’t have to look or sound a certain way. For young women especially, seeing someone who looks like them making bold, strategic decisions can be transformational. It’s not just about inspiring ambition; it’s about making it feel possible. As more women rise, the ripple effect becomes undeniable.”
Her goal is bold: to shape the future of marketing in the Middle East by designing scalable systems that connect human insight with digital transformation. “We’re not just telling stories,” Assaad explains. “We’re building the frameworks that allow companies—and people—to grow with purpose in a world that’s being rewritten by technology.”
Lessons Learned: Q&A With Nancy Assaad
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 myself one piece of advice before starting my career, it would be this: trust your instincts, even when they go against the norm. So many of the pivotal moments in my journey happened when I chose to build differently, think unconventionally, and lead in a way that felt authentic rather than expected. Your intuition is not a weakness, it’s often your deepest wisdom speaking. And if I could go back and warn myself of one thing to avoid, it would be don’t wait for permission. Don’t wait for the perfect moment, the validation, or the title. The biggest delays in my early journey came from underestimating my readiness. I now know: you grow into leadership by stepping into it no matter how messy, it remains to be bold and brave. This is what is needed in today's world.
Pictured in the lead image is Nancy Assad, founder and CEO of The Marketing Boutique. Image courtesy The Marketing Boutique.
Nancy Assad 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.
