Gabriela T. Janzen Nowak
This interview with Gabriela Nowak explores her journey in establishing a strategy consulting practice focused on Strategy and Digital Advisory in the UAE. Gabriela shares her passion for driving growth, her significant achievements in digitalizing Qatar’s public sector, building enterprise program and portfolio management systems, and leading complex business and technology transformations for various banks and retail organizations in Europe and Africa. She emphasizes the importance of continuous education, as exemplified by her Executive MBA from INSEAD—a top business school recognized by the Financial Times—and staying up-to-date with global trends and networks.
The Inspiration
We began the interview by asking, “What inspired you to establish a strategy consulting practice focused on strategy and digitalization in the UAE?”
Gabriela Nowak replied, “In September 2019, I attended a Tony Robbins event in Dubai, which inspired the audience to take the leap into entrepreneurship. I was left pondering questions like: How do I start? Where should I begin? How can I make it happen? How much will it cost? Who will join me on this journey? Can I make a living out of the business?
“By October 2019, I embarked on my journey with an Executive MBA at INSEAD. Gradually, through courses on strategy, leadership, finance, accounting, private capital, and more, I built the knowledge and confidence to take that leap. Countless hours spent reading hundreds of articles, books, and case studies from Harvard Business School, as well as engaging in discussions and networking across Europe, Asia, and the UAE, laid the foundation for establishing and leading an organisation.
“Encouraged by my ambitious colleagues, I co-authored a comprehensive 100-page, 10-year strategy to establish a technology-enabled startup capable of achieving a 10x EBITDA valuation. Being based in the UAE—a hub connecting East and West and driven by its visionary economic plans such as the UAE Economic Vision 2030—motivated me to establish and settle my practice here.”
Why Strategy and Technology Consulting?
The Arab Today: Why focus on strategy? Can AI, like ChatGPT, write a business strategy?
Gabriela Nowak responded, “The challenge lies in asking the right questions, applying a framework that facilitates unbiased decision-making, and addressing counterintuitive perspectives while tailoring solutions to clients’ needs. Unfortunately, many CEOs tasked with one-year or five-year strategies cannot see beyond their own experiences. Working with external advisors helps overcome these personal limitations.
“Traditional businesses often fail to recognise the potential of new technologies. Achieving scalability and rapid growth in annual recurring revenue (ARR) within highly competitive markets is challenging. Implementing ERP systems, for example, enhances operational efficiency, enabling teams to focus on core business activities.”
Building Value Creation
The Arab Today: How do you help companies create value?
Gabriela explained, “My first encounter with value creation through the Blue Ocean Strategy was during my EMBA when I conducted market research on the largest private equity (PE) and sovereign wealth fund (SWF) transactions in the Middle East. Value creation for stakeholders can be achieved in multiple ways: increasing enterprise value, growing revenue, reducing operating costs, and enhancing profit margins.
“Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in annual strategies should extend beyond obvious revenue-focused approaches and competitive analyses. The primary goal must be creating customer value and outperforming competitors on the ‘value stick.’ Applying Blue Ocean Strategy means excelling at what others already do and addressing unmet needs.
“Additionally, leveraging advanced analytics enables leaders to build customer-centric strategies that achieve high EBITDA multiples.”
Approaching Digital Transformation
The Arab Today: How do you approach digital transformation within organisations?
Gabriela replied, “I believe digital transformation is essential for businesses to thrive in today’s fast-paced environment. My approach focuses on three dimensions: PEOPLE, PROCESS, and TECHNOLOGY.
- People: Understanding the team through a cultural lens facilitates change and encourages adaptation to new technologies. Gaining internal advocates for the transformation process is key.
- Process: Conducting a detailed process mapping exercise identifies overlaps between manual and automated tasks.
- Technology: Leveraging advanced analytics, by creating digital roadmaps with clearly defined outcomes, standardised KPIs, and OKRs to align with client expectations. Evaluating legacy systems to determine what to phase out, what to adopt, and how to integrate these technologies effectively into operations.”*
Cultural Considerations
The Arab Today: What factors do you consider when leading teams in the Middle East?
Gabriela stated, “Leading multicultural teams in the Middle East as a European woman presented unique challenges. When I first arrived, I didn’t realise that handshakes were contingent on me initiating them.
“Erin Meyer’s book The Culture Map profoundly influenced my approach to leadership. A week-long workshop based on her methodologies transformed how I lead. For each project, I start by mapping the team against eight cultural dimensions: communicating, trusting, disagreeing, leading, deciding, scheduling, evaluating, and persuading. This relative analysis enables me to adapt my work style, reporting, and feedback to the team’s cultural backgrounds.”
The Future
The Arab Today: What is your outlook on the future amidst current economic and political trends?
Gabriela replied, “Ray Dalio predicts economic downturns occur every seven years on average. Organisations must anticipate that the exponential growth of technology-driven businesses during the pandemic will not continue indefinitely. The post-pandemic rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve, aimed at curbing inflation, have significantly impacted private equity and venture capital sectors, increasing the cost of capital and constraining investments.
“While geopolitical conflicts remain a challenge, USD-pegged economies like the UAE will benefit from economic stability. Companies must prepare to leverage technologies like AI to maintain a competitive edge in markets where such tools are already in use. Investors and equity owners must adopt more creative approaches to value creation to achieve the desired ROI and growth. A sustainable vision is now indispensable.”
Conclusion
To connect with Gabriela Janzen-Nowak, visit her LinkedIn profile or learn more at Janzen Consulting. Visit Janzen Consulting or book your online Meeting
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