INC. ARABIA’S WOMEN OF INFLUENCE 2026: EMIRATES HOSPITALITY GROUP'S NAOMI MENDEZ

In her role as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Hospitality Group, Naomi Mendez oversees brand strategy, creative direction, communications, digital marketing, public relations, partnerships, community building, customer experience, events, social media, and innovation across multiple lifestyle brands. “As the CMO, my role extends far beyond marketing campaigns,” she says. “I am responsible for defining the long-term vision of our brands, ensuring every customer interaction reflects our purpose and values, and building brands that people genuinely want to belong to… My responsibility is to align cross-functional teams around a shared vision, transforming business objectives into meaningful experiences that inspire loyalty and advocacy.”

But building brands that people want to belong to takes more than strategy; it also needs a willingness to evolve with the industry itself, and Mendez seems to be well-versed on that front. “One of the most important decisions I made was embracing change instead of resisting it, particularly during the rapid evolution of digital and social media,” Mendez shares. “The marketing landscape had transformed dramatically, and I realized that success would no longer belong to the brands with the biggest budgets, but to those capable of building authentic conversations and meaningful communities. Choosing to adapt early changed the trajectory of my career. Rather than seeing social media as another communication channel, I saw it as an opportunity to humanize brands, listen to customers in real time, and create experiences that extended beyond the physical product.”

It’s this bias toward action that Mendez shares as advice for women starting up in the industry right now. “Perfection is often fear disguised as preparation,” she says. “Progress belongs to those who are willing to act before they feel completely ready. Every meaningful opportunity in my career came because I chose movement over certainty. You learn far more by taking action than by endlessly planning. Action creates clarity. Experience creates confidence. If I could avoid one thing, it would be believing that I needed to have every answer before making a decision. Growth happens in motion, not in hesitation. To every woman building her career, I would say this: trust yourself enough to begin. You will never feel 100 percent ready, and that is perfectly normal. Courage is not the absence of uncertainty; it is moving forward despite it.”

Pictured in the lead image is Naomi Mendez, CMO of Emirates Hospitality Group. Image supplied.

Mendez was one of Inc. Arabia's Women of Influence 2026, a showcase of 60 female trailblazers from the MENA business ecosystem. For the full list, please click here.

Read More: Inc. Arabia’s Women Of Influence 2026: Lectera's And Women Empowerment Council's Mila Semeshkina

This article was posted on Inc. Arabia EN

2026-08-19T12:03:17Z