LYNDSAY DORAN

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, L’COUTURE

What does innovation mean to you? It means never resting on your laurels. However, innovation doesn’t always have to mean radical and incremental changes – especially within the fashion industry. As a brand, we have always been consistently focused on elevating and therefore innovating in every sense. Founded in Dubai, L’Couture is a homegrown brand with a global mindset. How do you innovate in your company culture? As a business, we are always looking to innovate in four key areas. In terms of the product itself, from consciously sourcing Oeko-Tex factories that produce new and improved fabrics to extensive fit testing with diverse models to perfect that all-important LC fit. We recently dropped our best-selling Serenity Seamless collection in a new and planet-friendly Amni Soul Eco fabric with an enhanced fit. We constantly look for new technologies to improve even our best sellers.

At the core of our business is people, not only our strong community but our team across the board. We aim to diversify, grow, and promote within the company. The instore experience is a core component of the business and something we are passionate about as a team. In line with trends in experiential retail, we want to ensure the shopping experience is as seamless and innovative as possible for our customers. Finally, L’Couture was launched online, therefore we continue to optimise the website to provide an endto-end shopping experience. The world of e-commerce and digital is forever changing, so in order for us to be competitive, we have to be ahead of the curve and innovative and offer our customers a 360 experience.

ZEINA EL-DANA FOUNDER AND CEO OF Z7 COMMUNICATIONS

What does innovation mean to you? Innovation is the key to success… especially in the world of communications, events and digital. We are continuously finding ways to disrupt the industry with our creative and experimental approaches to ensure that our clients always stand out above the rest. To me, innovation is about constant growth and agility, being able to stay ahead of the curve and offer something outside the box to create noise! How do you innovate in your company culture? Company culture is very close to my heart, and I have spent the past few years dedicating a lot of time and resources to building a culture that enables my team to feel inspired and help them grow. I believe the physical work environment is very important, we have a beautifully designed office space in Dubai Design District, which is the heart of design, fashion, and culture in the region, but also offers flexibility to the team to work between the office and outside locations where they can gain further inspiration. We organize weekly team brainstorms and monthly skill shares to upskill the team – knowledge gives the team the power and confidence to innovate. We also schedule bi-monthly team activities to enable the team to relax, bond, and foster a fun environment.

At Z7, we empower the team at every level, from interns to directors, no idea is too big or too small, and I always encourage the team to believe in the impossible, push boundaries, and encourage continuous innovation! We offer a safe environment where open communication is cherished to allow the team’s creativity to be seen and heard. Recognizing and rewarding success is something we continually do, and formally, once a month, we also announce an employee of the month who has achieved something special, thus encouraging further innovative behaviours within the team.

Fatma Aimheiri

SENIOR MANAGER OF COMMUNICATIONS – MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE

What does innovation mean to you? Innovation to me is more about being open to new ideas and perspectives. It’s a pathway to selfimprovement and finding novel ways to having a bigger and better impact on those around me. How do you innovate in your company cul- ture? In order to have an innovative culture embedded in any field, I feel it’s extremely important to welcome creativity and new ideas with open arms. It’s also crucial that your team is empowered enough to share these ideas confidently.

Zoe Haldane

Brand Director Of The Arts Club

What does innovation mean to you? To me, innovation is about pioneering change in order to thrive. In our business, we strive to innovate on all levels, from what we offer in our restaurants and how we build and train our teams to how we programme our cultural events and communicate them to our members. Our industry is highly competitive here and in London, and innovation is key to our success. How do you innovate in your company culture? Since The Arts Club Dubai is not only our first international outpost, but also the second ever clubhouse to be opened since our establishment in 1863, we naturally had a blank canvas opportunity to innovate across all aspects of our business, including company culture.

Key to my approach is an open-door policy that gives all colleagues, no matter which department, the space to come and discuss their thoughts and ideas freely. Some of these can be specific to their respective teams or divisions, but there is an intrinsic value in allowing people to share their ideas in a way that is not confined or limited. I’m also a big believer in breakaway brainstorming sessions, some of which take place outside of the office environment. These sessions consistently provide the suitable space and environment for blue-sky thinking, ambitious strategy planning, and long-term vision.

Perhaps most importantly, I always aim to take a positive approach in my role and channel a mindset open to change. I guide colleagues through influence rather than instruction and empower them to think independently and operate with confidence. This non-hierarchical way of management has always been important to me and is an intrinsic contributor to business success.