Sana Kays was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon. With over 18 years of professional experience in corporate communications strategies. Sana has developed a comprehensive and rewarding career. She is passionate about her career and eagerly awaits the opportunity to bring her education, credentials, experience, and insight to different clientele.
Her diverse experience in strategic marketing, internal and external communications, branding, and media relations has allowed her great career growth by offering greater challenges. With sharp organizational skills, extensive team management experience, and her ability to work quickly and accurately, Sana finds agility and persistence the key to her success.
She is a creative person who has expertise in her field. Let’s learn more about her through our interview below.
Explain your background in detail.
I have more than 18 years of experience. I am a trilingual who graduated from the Lebanese American University, holding a bachelor’s in Communications Arts and Mass Media and an MBA in International Management from the renowned Swiss Business School in Zurich.
After working for several years in Beirut during the renovation period, I sought a career change.
I relocated to Doha to pursue better opportunities. This is where I continued my journey in corporate communications beginning with Qatar Energy (formerly Qatar Petroleum) and Qatar Foundation and culminating in an incredible experience working with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy in preparation for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
Integrating communications plans and delivering strategic marketing campaigns, including promoting educational programs, sports content, and events. I oversaw event planning and logistics, including orientations, workshops, awards dinners, and photo sessions. In addition, I also created engaging marketing materials while ensuring adherence to brand standards. I oversaw media outreach, including managing media interviews and drafting press releases. Created and implemented new internal communications policies and procedures designed to strengthen the company identities and brand values and generate key messages. I also managed website updates and designed and implemented digital campaigns.
What are your goals?
The corporate world has seen the numerous benefits of having more women in leadership positions. Addressing gender and race prejudice and workplace difficulties are becoming increasingly important for organizations, society, and the economy. I am still investigating the abilities required to manage, persuade, negotiate, and navigate tough settings by tackling the workplace prejudices that female leaders encounter.
I was honored in that perspective to work closely with inspirational leaders, a pioneer leader focusing on women’s rights and Arab identity whose initiatives and achievements in this perspective are countless.
What do you feel is the biggest strength of yourself/COMMS sector right now?
I am a results-oriented individual who researches my job and takes the initiative in preparing my communications projects in detail with relevant and updated information. Following worldwide and regional resources and businesses that help me accomplish my job properly. I do tend to act fast on issues and find the proper solutions. Digital governance (social media platforms, websites, etc.) is becoming a priority for every company, with a substantial number of nations introducing laws, making it a need for websites to be inspected and visible to all. Websites and social media platforms are the company’s online presence and should carefully showcase the actual business.
What was the path you chose to get to where you are today?
Working constantly in building a better me, my only competitor, is a better version of myself tomorrow. I was lucky to harness my skills in the right universities and my first job back in Beirut with Future television. I owe it to my teacher and first CEO, the renowned Ali Mouin Jaber, who taught us how to be agile, competitive, creative, and unique. LAU graduates are all over the Arab world, especially in the gulf, and are leaving their positive and professional fingerprints in different sectors and markets.
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The most difficult obstacle I had was entering a new world where I had to learn about a new market, adjust to a new culture, and operate in a multi-national and varied setting. Learning how to do it with a different standard than we were taught and with new rules was quite challenging. Being equipped with a strong mindset and the right sets of values is also one of the ways to find success.
Reaching new heights and the skies are the limit are words I live by day by day.
I also have good faith in humanity and in God. My faith keeps me going.
Give us one word that describes you the best.
I am positive, determined and flexible.
What makes you excited about Mondays (Sundays)?
A good cup of coffee with a dark chocolate chip is a positive recipe to kick off the week. My motivation is to find new ideas earlier in the week and deliver them before the end of the week.
What do you value most about your culture and vision?
Coming from Beirut, a cosmopolitan city and an ancient country full of legacy and history, yet very liberal and modern, makes me feel both proud and advanced. The mindset that we are built with and the resilience that my people are born with defies all obstacles, not to mention the cultural heritage and the passion we have for life. My vision is to work on all these elements.
Tell us about a project that forced you to be innovative and creative.
I am never compelled to be original or creative; it is ingrained in my attitude and everyday routine. But once, we were at an employee recognition ceremony, and I surprised my ED with a Leadership Certificate signed by the whole staff and delivered to her during the ceremony with a special edition pen bearing her initials. It was a simple but powerful statement that demonstrated how delighted the team was with her leadership and how much she liked receiving praise.
What key values helped you overcome the roadblocks/challenges in your career? Tell us something about your memorable incident in your leadership.
Nothing is easy in life!! Lots of challenges to becoming stronger and more knowledgeable. I always concentrate on win-win situations, and I do accept constructive comments, and keep learning. I was able to negotiate a very good sponsorship for a CSR conference at the time the company I recently joined had a severe case with the public. So I devised a campaign to be fully integrated with CSR and our positive impact on the environment and highlighted our achievements from that perspective.
Where is your leadership going? What benefits do your clients get in this competitive world?
Long-term connections, a solid foundation, working with complete openness, and explaining the entire process to a customer are all critical. We provide custom-made solutions and, on occasion, design them from scratch. We accomplish everything while keeping our clients pleased and involved, but most importantly, we let them enjoy the process and the journey.
Connect with Sana Kays on LinkedIn.