Keynote address for EY Partner in Dubai

Client: Partner at EY’s Tax Practice, Dubai

Challenge: Draft a keynote address that would position the partner as authoritative and as an expert for the opening remarks at EY’s flagship tax conference in the UAE, attended by ~320 people, including senior figures from sovereign wealth funds like Mubadala, IBD, real estate developers (e.g. Emaar) and banks (e.g. ADCB).

Approach

• Interviewed the partner to understand the context of the speech, what they wanted the audience to take away/remember and capture the partner’s voice

• In partnership with the client established the narrative arc of the speech

• Leveraged transcripts from previous keynotes to understand the type of speech that is typically given at such EY conferences

Outcome

• Compelling speech that positioned tax not as a cost but as a strategic enabler that has fuelled economic growth in Middle East

• Connected speech to the economic transformation of the UAE

• Speech received universal acclaim as an insightful and engaging way to set the tone for the entire conference

“Working with Ali-Asghar completely changed how I approached the opening of the UAE Tax Summit. He helped me turn a technically dense topic into a clear, engaging  and compelling story with impact.

We worked together to strike the right balance between a speech that felt genuinely personal whilst remaining professional and impactful.

I would absolutely recommend him to any leader preparing for high-stakes communications such as pitches or conferences.”

- Sana Azam, EY Tax Practice Leader

Client Testimonial