Sirocco Podcasts - CRM the right way

In this episode of The Sirocco Sessions, we sit down with Karen Khoury, Head of Digital Experience & CRM at Agthia, for a candid look at how CRM strategy, data, and AI actually get implemented at scale across FMCG, luxury retail, and consumer electronics in the Middle East.

Karen shares her unconventional path—from nutrition and even ice-cream tasting at Häagen-Dazs—to leading omni-channel transformations.

We unpack persona-driven luxury journeys (why some VIPs prefer 1:1 personal-shopper outreach), regional differences in data privacy and consent, and why CRM must start as business strategy (not an IT project).

Karen outlines a “think big, start small, scale fast” approach: quick POCs with a single data source, change-management first, then platform rollout.

She also details a D2C test that revived a dates brand via a lightweight Shopify pilot—surfacing Dubai demand, refill behaviors, and profitable cross-sells. We then dig into AI beyond the hype: layering AI only on clean, integrated data; starting with service use cases (chatbots, agent assist for tone/translation/sentiment); real-world cost surprises with per-message pricing; and why marketing AI needs CDP-grade foundations. Karen and Niklas explore the growing need to capture engagement happening outside your website (e.g., GPTs/WhatsApp), and the future of app-store-style, specialized agents within major CRM platforms.

Finally, we talk channel design and last-mile CX: when WhatsApp is useful (transactional updates, address validation, live tracking via 3PL) vs. intrusive (spray-and-pray promotions), and how to build guardrails so the customer journey doesn’t break at delivery. This is a must-watch for digital leaders, CRM owners, and marketers who want pragmatic playbooks for data-driven growth and AI adoption—without losing sight of governance, ROI, and customer trust.

🔗 Follow Sirocco on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4iZfd0c

In this episode of The Sirocco Sessions, we sit down with Michal Hicks, Director of Digital CX at Expo City Dubai, for a deep dive into how customer experience, data, and emerging technologies are being used to transform a World Expo site into a future-ready smart city.

Michal shares his journey from hospitality to digital leadership, how Expo City is evolving post-Expo 2020, and the challenges of managing diverse user journeys, from visitors and residents to businesses and government entities. We explore how Expo City is trialing WhatsApp as a citywide service channel, using CDPs like Tealium, and deploying AI to drive automation and customer insight.

This is a must-watch for digital leaders, marketers, and technologists curious about the future of connected urban environments and real-time, citizen-centric engagement.

🔗 Follow Sirocco on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4iZfd0c
🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5WZyP6XvuzRVk0SmbpBqF5
📰 CRM insights on our blog: https://bit.ly/424xUJb

Sirocco bridges the gap between business needs, processes, and technology through vendor-agnostic consultancy, unrivaled CRM expertise, and a customer-centric approach.

Transform your view on enterprise AI in under an hour! 🤖

✨ In this episode of The Sirocco Sessions, Sirocco Group CEO and Founder Laith Al-Hashimi sits down with Sven Nordquist, Country Leader of Salesforce Sweden, for a straight-talk, no-jargon look at how agentic AI is already changing sales, service and the very business models we sell on.

🔑 What you’ll learn
Why every Swedish board is suddenly asking “Where’s our AI plan?”

The rise of AgentForce and why Data Cloud is Salesforce’s fastest-growing product ever

How SMEs are out-innovating the giants—and where the talent bottlenecks are

A practical 8-week, SAFE-agile playbook for starting small, failing fast and scaling what works

A Sneak preview of the AgentForce World Tour – Stockholm, 27 May 2025

🚀 Register for the event here: https://invite.salesforce.com/agentforceworldtourstockhom/Sirocco
Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sirocco-ab/

In this episode of The Sirocco Sessions, we sit down with Hossam Al-Saeed—Head of Customer Experience at Nissan Middle East—to explore how data, technology, and innovation are reshaping the automotive industry.

Hossam shares insights on building brand loyalty, navigating the dealership model, and delivering a physical and digital customer journey. We also dive into how AI and connected vehicles are driving real-time insights, enhancing safety, and creating more personalized experiences. Whether you’re a marketing enthusiast or simply curious about the future of cars, this conversation offers a compelling look at how Nissan is blending heritage, technology, and customer-centric thinking to “defy ordinary.”

Follow Sirocco on Linkedin
Check out the latest CRM news on our blog

Sirocco bridges the gap between business needs, processes, and technology through vendor-agnostic consultancy, unrivaled CRM expertise, and a customer-centric approach. 

In this episode we will on a high level cover the Q, the Quote part of CPQ

In this episode we will on a high level cover the P, the Pricing pricing part of CPQ and what Guided Selling is

In this episode we will on a high level cover the C, the Configure part in CPQ

This episode is based on the Youtube Live and Facebook Live event held on May 27th, 2021.

 

Niklas Wikström, Managing Director of Sirocco Arabia, Jasmin Brandstätter, Salesforce Application Specialist from Sirocco and Laith Al-Hashimi, founder and group CEO of Sirocco discuss Salesforce B2B Commerce Cloud - the benefits and business value it can bring to any business as well as a brief demo.

You can find the Youtube live event here https://youtu.be/0Pzu8oeHQtw

A conversation with Thordur Gunthorsson, Regional Sales Director at SugarCRM, about how COVID-19 has affected us all, and the focus and importance this has put on CRM for companies managing their sales and activities remotely.

A conversation with Christian Conradsen, Country Leader Alliances and Channels Sweden at Salesforce, about how COVID-19 has affected us all, and the focus and importance this has put on CRM for companies managing their sales and activities remotely.

This episode is in Swedish.