Ayman El-Hattab is based in Dubai and is Nintex’s VP of Go-to-Market for the emerging markets. With an eight-year journey of progressive growth and tremendous impact at Nintex, he shares his story – and his best advice for a fulfilling career at Nintex: try new things.
“We’re agile, we try things, we make mistakes and we’re okay with it,” says Ayman of the work culture he’s helped cultivate at Nintex. He’s all about ensuring his people get out of their comfort zone and experiment with something new.
“If you’re happy being a cog in the machine, this isn’t the place for you. But if you want to leave a legacy, try things, innovate… come to Nintex.”
“Nintex isn’t for everyone. Acquisitions are part of our growth strategy and sometimes that’s disruptive,” says Ayman. “But with that, comes opportunity.” That opportunity, paired with “always being heard” have helped Ayman flourish at Nintex.
From pricing to recruiting, from market expansion to go-to-market strategy, Ayman’s played a part in all of it, having guided and contributed to significant growth in the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.
He walks the talk of a view that “If you’re happy being a cog in the machine, this isn’t the place for you. But if you want to leave a legacy, try things, innovate… come to Nintex.” Ayman is a bit of an entrepreneur within the broader organization and, as it turns out, that’s his sweet spot.
Always innovating. Always adapting.
Ayman began a computer business at age eleven. As a pre-teen entrepreneur, he built a small company that crafted websites for actors, celebrities, and singers. Tech was an early passion for Ayman.
Upon completing a Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering, Ayman meshed his studies with his love of technology as a software developer. In fact, his technical savvy helped him earn the prestige of being named a Microsoft MVP for seven years and Microsoft Regional Director for two.
It was at this time though, that Ayman began to notice an interesting trend. Whenever he joined a company in a technical role, it didn’t take long before he’d get a nudge towards sales. Upon returning to technical roles from a transition to sales the third time (at Nintex), he thought “I guess it’s meant to be,” and committed to a career in sales.
“I am very passionate about trying new things and making an impact, and Nintex has given me that opportunity.”
Channeling his entrepreneurial youth and “try new things” mentality, Ayman’s impact was pretty immediate at Nintex, along with his career progression which includes six promotions in eight years. He shares, “I am very passionate about trying new things and making an impact, and Nintex has given me that opportunity.” And the upward mobility, recognition, and pace have kept Ayman “wired.”
This feeling of “being wired” extends to all areas of Ayman’s life and being the best version of himself is something he’s worked to build discipline and stamina around, acknowledging that, “To succeed quickly, I had to work on things outside of ‘work’ and get healthy.” For Ayman, that’s working out daily and maximizing opportunities to do what he loves.
And when you ask Ayman about what he loves to do, you’ve rarely heard someone respond more quickly. It’s football and Ayman is a fanatic but is quick to point out a major shortfall, saying “I am a much better spectator. I love playing too, but I’m just bad!” And as a fortunate spectator, he’s experienced two World Cups in person – both Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
Embracing growth – globally, and personally
Ayman’s “try new things” spirit extends to his penchant for adventure and embracing new challenges. Egyptian-born and quite the global citizen, he has traveled to more than sixty countries. Recently, he visited Mexico for Nintex’s Sales Excellence Club, where he enjoyed one-third of his honeymoon celebrating his marriage to his beautiful partner, Ayat Ahmed.
And in developing Nintex’s emerging markets, Ayman’s at the helm of growth as the organization works to expand from UAE through Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and beyond. He shares that this, and Nintex’s evolution from just workflow to process intelligence and automation, has opened-up a lot of opportunities for the team – “Two years ago, we were a team of eight. Now, we are approaching forty.”
“My most important responsibility is cultivating the people I lead. I want them to have belief in themselves – confidence. ‘Go try things and never be fearful of failure.’ I reiterate this every day.”
As a leader who has progressed rapidly with a “get your hands dirty” mentality, Ayman’s had to grow too. He’s working hard to strike a balance between a natural impulse to get involved and acknowledging a need to step back to coach and lead the people he trusts to grow the business. He says of his role, “It’s an opportunity to make an impact more through strategy – so my “new things” are perhaps less tangible now. It’s a challenge for me to be less involved and a skillset I’m working to build.”
Ayman’s career has bloomed at Nintex, and he’s not done yet – not with developing himself, or his people. Ayman relentlessly encourages his team to think beyond their goals today and work toward where they want to be in the next three-to-five years, sharing, “My most important responsibility is cultivating the people I lead. I want them to have belief in themselves – confidence. ‘Go try things and never be fearful of failure.’ I reiterate this every day. We’re lucky to be in a company where mistakes are accepted. So, embrace the mistakes. Embrace learning. Embrace trying new things.”
Try something new at Nintex.
