Agency revenue in two years after an operating model overhaul and the launch of new service lines.
Business leader building growth through digital products, customer experience and organisational change.
Managing Director at November Five. Previously President at BPG and Managing Director at Havas CX. Based in Dubai, with leadership experience across MENA, North America and APAC.
Recent Outcomes
Lift in digital conversion through a redesigned enterprise digital system for a regulated global organisation.
Customer experience practice scaled in under three years across North America.
New business win rate while scaling a multidisciplinary customer experience practice.
Team turnover while growing distributed teams across cities and time zones.
20+ years in the industry. 16 in MENA.
I'm a digital product, CX, and transformation leader based in Dubai. For over two decades I've helped brands and their leadership teams turn ambition into digital products that perform under pressure, customer experiences that build loyalty, and operating models that hold up in delivery.
Sixteen of those years have been in MENA, where I now lead November Five's Middle East business. Before this I held senior leadership positions across agencies and consultancies building for growth across capabilities in brand, CX, media, and martech.
My focus is how brand, experience, and a strong intelligence layer can lift relevance, efficiency, and performance without compromising craft.
Selected clients
Areas of Expertise
Digital Product
Product strategy, service design, delivery governance, and operating models for digital products expected to perform under pressure.
Customer Experience
Customer journeys that connect service, content, data, and delivery across the complete relationship with a brand.
Creative Advertising
Brand building ideas grounded in audience insight and designed to perform consistently across channels.
Omnichannel
Connected experiences across owned, paid, earned, service, commerce, and relationship channels.
Brand Creation and Go to Market
Positioning, identity, launch strategy, and the operating system needed to scale a new or renewed proposition.
AI Integration and Orchestration
Practical AI integration across product, content, decision support, and customer experience, with clear governance and accountability.
CRM
Lifecycle programmes that use relevance, value, and disciplined measurement to build stronger customer relationships.
Martech Implementation
Technology selection, integration, workflow design, and adoption so marketing teams can operate and ship effectively.
Leadership across markets and disciplines
Leads November Five's Middle East business, connecting digital product, customer experience and applied AI. Sets regional priorities and brings teams and clients together around delivery.
Dubai, United Arab EmiratesLed the UAE business across brand, communications, media and customer experience. Built strategy and CX capabilities, reshaped the operating model and developed the leadership team.
Dubai, United Arab EmiratesHelped build Havas CX in North America, connecting product, CRM, content and experience design. Led multidisciplinary teams delivering customer programmes for the regulated healthcare sector.
New York, United StatesLed consulting and operations across Australia, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Built the Dubai office and connected customer experience strategy with digital delivery.
Melbourne, AustraliaLed integrated customer experience and relationship marketing programmes for regional and global organisations.
Dubai, United Arab EmiratesBuilt and led client partnerships spanning digital strategy, media, technology, and delivery.
Dubai, United Arab EmiratesManaged complex digital programmes and multidisciplinary delivery teams.
Dubai, United Arab EmiratesLed client relationships and integrated programmes across brand, advertising, digital, and customer experience.
BahrainBuilt the early foundation of a career across direct marketing, digital delivery, and customer relationships.
Dubai, United Arab EmiratesThought Leadership
Writing on digital product, customer experience, AI, brand, and the teams behind them.
Artificial Intelligence in Customer Experience Is Solving the Wrong Problem
July 2026Read the Article
Selected press and interviews
Coverage of appointments, work, leadership, and industry participation.November Five Launches AI Driven Product Studio in the Middle EastCampaign Middle EastRead articleMember Interview: Darius LaBelleThe Marketing SocietyRead articleNovember Five Appoints Darius LaBelle as Managing DirectorAdtech Today MERead articleDarius LaBelle Joins November Five as Managing DirectorCampaign Middle EastRead articleCannes Lions Announces 2024 Awarding Jury Members from the UAECampaign Middle EastRead articleBPG CX Transformation Nets Major Business Wins Across the GCCKhaleej TimesRead articleBPG Strengthens Integrated Offering with Senior Leadership AppointmentsET HRWorldRead article
What People Say
Darius is exceptional. A talented business person with a razor sharp mind and wit to match. Darius was one of those rare individuals who showed an immense drive to succeed and also bring people along with him.
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Speaking &
Judging
I've served as a judge, juror, and speaker at some of the industry's most respected programmes across creative, CX, and effectiveness categories.
