Wissam Malaeb is the chief operating officer at Mirum, responsible for day to day operations. Wissam has 15 years of digital experience, particularly with innovation and VIP client management, 13 years of which were spent with Cleartag.

With a solid programming background and lots of passion to innovate and create, Wissam has helped solve a large number of the tough project questions, in a short period of time. Wissam loves tinkering with technology and leads a lot of the innovation, experimentation and research projects driving initiatives at Mirum across the MEA region. 

1. What do you love about this industry?

The fact that there is no monopoly in pursuing any idea, implementation or innovation. Technology is here for everyone; the challenge is in who can innovate best and be ahead of the curve. The current biggest market players, who own the largest market share in terms of views, visitors, members and users, were unknown and unheard of 15 or 20 years ago. This is an inspiration for all of us. Being part of this fast-paced technology-driven industry is something that satisfies my passion and every entrepreneur’s ambitions.

2. What do you hate about this industry?

The fact that there is not so much focus on the now, the current moment. We are always rushing to innovate and catch-up, aiming at the future, while missing-out on some of the precious current moments. This is a trap most entrepreneurs and tech companies fall into. While we are fully concentrating on work we are proud of and excited to pursue, most of the time, we don’t take a step backwards to reflect on our work, in order to appreciate it and enjoy it properly.

LOOKBACK: How 3 J. Walter Thompson agencies came together to form Mirum

3. If you could be in another profession, what would it be?

Music, and more specifically being a pianist. If you compare this to the industry I am in, you will realize that it is almost the same. Pianos are available for everyone and they all emit sound. The challenge is in the technique: how you play the music and use that instrument to compose the best combination of sounds. That is what will make you stand out among all other pianists.

4. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

I think of today’s challenge. Each day should have at least one major challenge that we have to attend to. For me, it is challenge that keeps people active and ambitious. That is not only applicable to human beings. But survival of the fittest, almost relevant, is what has driven innovation in nature for Millennia.

5. What’s the last thing you do before you go to bed?

Mostly, I ask myself whether I have solved today’s challenge and closed the loop in terms of the intervention needed from my side or not. If the answer is “Yes”, then I would go to sleep satisfied, and hungry for new trials/tasks. And if the answer is “No”, then I would consider re-visiting that same challenge the next day, from different angles and perspectives until it is achieved.

6. The craziest thing on your bucket list?

I’d like to participate in the “Peking to Paris” Rally and drive from China to Paris.

7. Tell us a little bit about the conversational bot

In September 2017, Mirum’s team was working on a pitch for a client, and they considered proposing a voice bot as one of the digital activations within the pitch. For that purpose, they researched existing voice and conversation platforms and frameworks. I was part of that research and helped in the creation of the Proof of Concept. Then I realized that we can connect the dots and integrate that same voice technology to control a robotic arm. That’s how “Zero”, our conversational bot, was originally created. “Zero” can currently attend to commands like pushups, handshakes, good bye and some other commands. I am also working on a new version of “Zero”, where she’ll be able to understand more languages and have more embedded intelligence and sensors.