Jonathan Labin
Executive Biography
Jonathan is a seasoned business leader, trusted advisor, and global connector who has shaped and scaled technology-driven organizations across developed and emerging markets. Through more than two decades of leadership, he has consistently built high-performing organizations that deliver breakthrough results, combining strategic vision with hands-on transformation expertise. His ability to scale operations, drive growth strategies, and navigate technological change has made him a sought-after executive and advisor.
Executive Leadership Experience
Unifonic (2020-2024)
As President of Unifonic, he partnered with the founders to reimagine what started as a local SMS provider, transforming it into an AI-powered customer engagement solutions leader. Through his cross-functional leadership spanning Go-to-Market Strategy, People & Culture, Corporate Development, and Operations, he secured significant capital investment and drove the company's next growth phase. During his tenure, the team expanded from 75 to 500+ employees across seven countries while transforming the go-to-market strategy and teams, growing revenue by 3.5x.
Meta (2011-2018)
Before Unifonic, Jonathan was the Managing Director of Meta in the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan (2011-2018). As Meta's first employee in the region, he built the team and business from the ground up, rapidly accelerating revenues across Meta's family of apps, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Under his leadership, Meta became one of the leading tech and media companies in the region, with revenues growing to hundreds of millions of dollars and a user base of over 150M.
Paramount (2006-2011)
Prior to Meta, Jonathan served as VP of Ad Sales at Paramount International for Emerging Markets (2008-2011), maximizing advertising revenues for brands like MTV, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central. He also held the position of Strategy and Business Development Director (2006-2008) and played a crucial role in strengthening the company's position across multiple lines of business and regions.
Advisory and Board Experience
Jonathan believes in the transformative power of technology and startups. As a board member at Sestek, a pioneering conversational AI company, he advises on the strategic impact of AI advancements, helping transform the company's technology and go-to-market strategy. He also supports promising founders as a Venture Partner at Antler, active angel investor, and mentor with Endeavor and Misk, while helping companies of all sizes leverage AI through strategic guidance and workshops.
Recognition
His contributions to the technology and business landscape have been widely recognized, with regular inclusion in Forbes Middle East's Global Meets Local top 100 executives ranking. He was also named marketing business leader of the year by Gulf Business.
Education and Global Perspective
Jonathan's global mindset was shaped through his international education, earning an MBA with highest distinction from Columbia Business School and dual bachelor's degrees from universities in Madrid and Reutlingen. Having lived in six countries and visited over 70 across all continents, while being fluent in German, English, and Spanish, he leverages this diverse perspective to navigate stakeholder relationships and guide companies through critical phases of growth and transformation.
Contact: labin.jonathan@outlook.com | LinkedIn