The Innovator 25:

Maysoun Ramadan

Head of Communication and Public Affairs

Roche Diagnostics Middle East
Dubai

“Tell a true story and make sure you add the human element”

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As head of communication and public affairs for Roche Diagnostics Middle East, Maysoun Ramadan is responsible for corporate communications in 16 countries and internal communications to over 350 employees across the region. Ramadan is also a strong and active advocate for women in leadership and women’s health initiatives, with specific experience in oncology, hematology and breast cancer, enabling her to develop communications campaigns that focus on driving early diagnosis and treatment to help people live longer, better lives. Ramadan is considered one of the brightest talents on the Middle East in-house scene, working closely with a variety of stakeholders including health regulators, NGOs, patient groups and the media.

How do you define innovation?
Innovation is the core of what we do at Roche because we bring new ideas and solutions to help patients better control their life and health. However, innovation as a whole is doing the unexpected and the new to provide efficient solutions to customers!

Describe a moment in your career that you would consider ‘innovative.’
When we integrated digital platforms in one of the biggest healthcare exhibitions and it was a huge success.

In what area of marketing/PR do you see the most innovation?
Digital & ecommerce platforms. 

How would you describe the communications/PR industry’s level of innovation?
More innovative than other disciplines.

Where do you see the greatest opportunity for marketing & PR to become more innovative?
Planning & analytics.

Who most influences how innovative a brand’s marketing/PR is?
Communications/PR agency.

Who is your mentor and why?
Harald Wolf — my direct manager and GM of the company. He has been leading different teams for the past 20 years and this breadth of change in the way of doing business is a great experience to learn from and understand how to integrate the change (needed with this new digital era).

How do you find inspiration?
I can find inspiration in things or people driving change.

What is your advice for people seeking to bring new ideas, ways of doing things to their organizations?
Try to always show the value and the impact of what you innovate. Tell a true story and make sure you add the human element.

In your opinion, what’s the most innovative place in the world?
I would definitely say Dubai and Jordan — two countries where technology and innovative ideas are driving the community to different places.

What’s your favourite time of day and why?
The 30 minutes which I get everyday to connect with the world through news or connect with my own world through different platforms which allow me to communicate with my beloved ones living far away. Moreover, being able to experience what happened right now somewhere else is fascinating.