CEO MONTHLY / APRIL 2025 7 Feb25195 Weaving a strong, symbiotic relationship between companies and their customers is no small feat but, with Reward, it doesn’t have to be difficult. To this day, Reward has given back $2 billion in cashback rewards through the programmes it delivers to banking and retail partners, forging a better – more rewarding – world for us all. We learn more from Jamie Samaha as he wins Most Influential CEO 2025 – Loyalty & Rewards (UK). Based in London, with offices in Belfast, Dubai, and Singapore, Reward is an innovative and purpose-driven company with the aim of making everyday spending more rewarding – supporting consumer budgets while enabling banks and retailers to connect with their customers on a deeper level. Reward ensures that data, technology, and digital advertising are used as combined forces to power customer engagement solutions that drive real impact for businesses, turning one-off visits into a fruitful, long-lasting relationship. Jamie Samaha shared: “What sets us apart is our position at the intersection of Banking Loyalty and Commerce Media. We provide best-in-class consumer behaviour insights, helping brands make smarter, data-driven decisions, elevate omnichannel experiences, and ultimately, drive stronger engagement and lasting loyalty.” Appointed as CEO in 2023, Jamie has brought over two and a half decades of experience to the firm – and his expertise is not only consistent with Reward’s mission, but echoes the very essence of what Reward stands for. Jamie’s entrepreneurial drive has always been fuelled by the challenge of expansion, engaging with customers, and building businesses that create real impact. He led Pinpoint’s expansion across Asia Pacific, culminating in its successful sale to Mastercard in 2015. Stepping into a global leadership role, he gained invaluable experience operating at scale, learning how to navigate complexity and drive strategic growth. He reflected: “Spending seven years at Mastercard was a defining phase of my career. Operating at a truly international scale, I learned how to navigate complex environments, influence across multiple stakeholders, and think about scale and impact in a way that goes beyond just operational execution. Those years made me a better leader and CEO and now, as I return to medium-sized, founderled businesses, I bring a more rounded, strategic perspective – helping founders and leadership teams take their vision and scale it into something much bigger. “Leadership is a constant evolution. I’ve led multiple businesses through different stages of growth, and in each role, I aim to bring my best self – but I’m also always learning and adapting. One of the biggest lessons I’ve taken with me is that great leadership isn’t just about the business; it’s about people.” Since Reward’s establishment, Founder Gavin Dein led the company with a mission to not only transform customer engagement but to truly give back and make a positive impact on its surrounding communities. Reward continues to scale and make even more deeply rooted connected with consumers, customers, and partners as its team dedicates themselves to the company’s mission. Jamie is well-aware of the digital transformation that every industry is experiencing in current times, and he leads Reward with a keen eye for detail, years of experience, and an appetite for not only continual growth, but also creating an environment where people feel empowered to succeed. He enthused: “I’m very hands-on in fostering our culture. I’m a big believer in empowering people and creating an environment where talent can thrive. A big part of that is championing workplace equality – achievements such as reaching gender pay-gap parity, and We live to power the world’s best loyalty programmes. “ “ initiatives like Reward Women in Tech are just some examples of how we support mentorship, career development, and leadership opportunities.” Atop Reward’s plans for international expansion, the company is set to further enrich its services. Jamie elaborated: “We are deepening our capabilities in data and AI, ensuring our partners can harness enhanced intelligence to drive more effective customer engagement strategies. We’re also exploring further acquisitions, having recently acquired Hospitality Data Insights (HDI) to strengthen our data insights and analytics capabilities. “Additionally, we are strengthening our partnership with Experian, which invested in Reward last year. Together, we are bringing to market enhanced intelligence and audience activation solutions, helping businesses better leverage their first-party data to drive more targeted, measurable engagement strategies.” Jamie’s future with Reward looks bright indeed and technological and personal advancements unfold. It’s a pleasure to take a moment to celebrate Jamie’s success in our Most Influential CEO Awards 2025. Contact: Alice Ford Company: Reward Website: https://rewardinsight.com/
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTY1MjM3