Alessa's vision is to create a Saudi-champion company that goes from Saudi to the world.
In 2012, Abeer Alessa, CEO and co-founder of The Bold Group, became one of the first women in Saudi Arabia to launch her own agency.
Along with co-founder Mohammad Baalbaki, Alessa, 36, has grown the Riyadh-based agency to more than 100 employees with a roster of clients that includes Snapchat, Chaumet, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), AlUla, Alwaleed Philanthropies, Ministry of Tourism, Almarai, Dominos, Majid Al Futtaim and others.
It wasn’t easy for Alessa, particularly at the start.
“I remember I used to go to meetings and nobody would look at me. Like, I was just sitting at the end of the table and nobody would look me in the eye,” Alessa said. “They would [only] look at Mohammad. But things have changed drastically. And it’s never been a better time to be a woman In Saudi Arabia.”
Last year, Alessa helped rebrand the company from The Bold Agency to The Bold Group and expanded its offerings into three independent business units focused on brand building, communications and digital experiences. The agency also launched an office in Cairo.
“Our vision is to create a Saudi-champion company that goes from Saudi to the world and not just from the world to Saudi,” Alessa said.
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Recently, I have become addicted to TikTok, but I believe it is a great tool for educational content in an easy format. Additionally, I find myself constantly browsing Twitter [now known as X] to stay updated with the latest news and unfolding events.
Not many are aware, but I came to realize that I have attention deficit disorder. This revelation led me to the world of audiobooks, which has allowed me to embrace learning in a whole new way. Recently I have taken an interest in audiobooks and podcasts mostly about biographies and self-development. However, currently I’m listening to “Contagious,” which explains what makes information or certain things “go viral.”
My most recent was "Winning Time,” which shows a team (the Los Angeles Lakers) that defined an era in the 1980s.
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