Issue 8 2021

8 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 8 2021 , Jun21633 Marvellous Marketing Mover! Running a business for the modern marketplace is very different from running one just twenty years ago. The world has moved on incredibly quickly, and it’s essential that businesses are able to catch up. When First Mover first opened its doors in 2016, the challenge was finding a place for the project to succeed. The original team quickly fell apart, thanks to the frustrations of the industry. Its current CEO, Loay Almagushi, is the only one of the original team still in the company and he has seen the agency grow to its current impressive achievements. The lessons that Loay learned during that first difficult year have guided his leadership for the last four. The plan had always been to create a modern marketing company, but it was the challenges of creating such a business during that first year that taught him how to do it. The firm has used these teething troubles to support other businesses, and has earned its motto of “Backing You Up”. The support it is able to provide allows other companies to avoid the mistakes made by First Mover in its early days and has been intrinsic to the team becoming the 360-services agency that it now is. The world of marketing has changed significantly over the years, requiring amanagement approach that is flexible and driven in equal measure. FewCEOs display these qualities as well as Loay Almagushi, of First Mover, a company committed to brandmanagement on behalf of numerous organizations. Nownamed CEO of the Year, 2021 - Saudi Arabia in CEOMonthly’s rolling series of CEO of the Year awards, we thought it time to dig a little deeper into the secrets of Mr. Almagushi’s success. Under Loay’s leadership, the agency has grown to a size where it is able to support all of the services that an organization might need, including brand development, management of social media presence, building marketing and digital strategy, digital marketing, event management, and media production. The team’s mission to be one of the leading creative agencies in the country has become solid reality over the last few years, having seen accomplishments such as the establishment of a significant client base which includes more than 11 government bodies and mega-size enterprises in KSA. The revenue of the company from the first and second quarters have covered the entire revenue created during 2020. Even with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 has still been a record year for the company, as the team saw revenue increases of 80% when compared to 2019. Moreover, in 2021, First Mover became a member of the International Association of Exhibition and Events, the global authority on standards and criteria of the events industry, enabling First Mover to expand its own presence and standing in the events management sector of Saudi Arabia. In short, therefore, the leadership of the firm, and the success of that leadership has been one of the key factors behind the business’s success. Loay has been a major part of establishing the tone and feel of the company, guiding from the front at all times. His approach of “my team is my family” has been at the heart of his management style since the beginning, earning him incredible loyalty from his workforce. To ensure that he knows everything that is happening in the company, Loay has an office space in the heart of the team’s desks, always close to what is happening on the ground. This perspective allows him to make rapid changes where necessarily to create the best results, while also providing a friendly face to the management team. The nature of a business like First Mover means that Loay is always in the thick of a project, acting as a consultant to businesses in the government sector, as well as large and medium sized companies. He leads by example, putting the benefits of a choice to the client first and making sure that they are always comfortable with the decisions being made. It’s not enough for him to find options for a company to take. First Mover achieves its best work by ensuring that everyone is on board with the project. The name “First Mover” refers to what Loay calls his incredible team. They have been built up over the years to become success makers in every respect. The people behind the company have been hired and inspired to act as passionate people who want to reflect the creativity they see in their minds as works of art for clients. This passion is driven by the fact that the team are not forced to take on projects. Instead, Loay has developed a highly selective system where only those companies to whom the team can make a real difference are taken on as clients. By ensuring satisfaction on both sides, it’s possible to create a business with real drive to achieve as the team know that they are always pushing to make a real difference. The value of marketing is one which organizations around the world are still yet to fully uncover. Thanks to teams like those at First Mover, under the care and guidance of leaders such as Loay, they are able to reach their full potential. Name: Loay Almagushi Email: [email protected] Web Address: https://firstmover.com.sa/en/