Born and raised in Dubai, Syed Shuja brings more than 20 years of experience developing ideas for global brands, connecting creativity with strategy, culture, design and storytelling.
His career spans agencies including Havas Worldwide, Impact BBDO, FP7/McCann and Leo Burnett. He now serves as Creative Director and Acting Head of Brand Management at Dubai World Trade Centre. His portfolio includes work for Ferrero, Pepsi, Visa, McDonald’s, Burger King, Mastercard, KFC, Sanofi, Starbucks, Primark, Dubai Tourism, Dubai Police and Emirates NBD, among others.
His work has earned recognition at Dubai Lynx, the Clio Awards, Gerety Awards, Caples Awards, WARC Awards and MMA SMARTIES, reflecting experience across formats, categories and markets. His approach brings together strategic thinking, cultural insight, design and storytelling, supported by strong execution.
Building Creative Systems That Scale
As a member of the Tomilli Summit 2026 jury, Shuja will assess projects against four core criteria: impact and relevance, innovation, scalability, and evidence of results.
His experience in creative direction and brand strategy will bring a practical perspective on how ideas become creative solutions. He views creativity as a way to translate specific needs into relevant, culturally connected concepts that can deliver impact beyond communication.