Omaid Hiwaizi
Innovation That Moves the Needle with Omaid Hiwaizi Ep 271 - The Global Discussion
Simon Hodgkins speaks with Omaid Hiwaizi on this episode of The Global Discussion. Omaid Hiwaizi has been busy navigating the intersection of creativity, technology, and human behavior. His story, which he shared on The Global Discussion podcast, is shaped by migration, curiosity, and a relentless desire to work on ideas that matter. It is also the story of someone who refuses to view innovation as an abstract notion. For Omaid, technology is valuable only when it moves the needle for real people in the real world.
Born in Iraq and raised in the United Kingdom, Omaid describes his early journey as a typical immigrant narrative, one defined by work ethic and a determination to build something meaningful. What is less usual is the path he carved. He studied mathematics, fell into graphic design for the avant-garde magazine i-D, and from there stepped into entrepreneurship at an age when most people are still figuring out their first job. By his mid-twenties, he was running his own integrated and direct marketing agency, later launching a digital agency as the internet began reshaping the industry.
That early appetite for experimentation never left him. Omaid went on to work at some of the sector’s most influential agencies and networks, from WPP to Sapient, before pivoting to the client side. His leadership roles included serving as President of Global Marketing at the augmented reality pioneer Blippar, an experience that continues to shape how he thinks about innovation and adoption today.
Making complexity compelling
Omaid divides his time between two worlds. He is Co-Founder of Infinity Maritime and serves as Planning Director at Future Positive, a micro-agency that specialises in helping emerging technology ventures translate complex propositions into compelling narratives.
The founders and subject matter experts inside these companies know their technology intimately. The challenge is that their audiences often do not. Future Positive approaches this not by simplification but by immersion. The team digs into the details, understands how the technology works, and then crafts a story arc that retains its integrity while still speaking to the intended audience.
One example he shared on the podcast illustrates this well. A consumer appetite suppressant product required an explanation rooted in gastroenterology, specifically how certain plant extracts reactivate L cells in the colon to stimulate GLP-1 production. The science mattered, but the explanation needed to resonate with people on the high street. By naming the product after the cell itself and framing the benefit in relatable terms, the team created a brand that stayed true to the underlying mechanism without overwhelming consumers with jargon. This, Omaid says, is what it means to make complexity compelling.
Lessons from the frontier of AR and AI
Omaid’s time at Blippar placed him at the forefront of early augmented reality innovation. The technology was dazzling, but dazzling on its own was never going to sustain a business. One of the first questions he asked was simple. How many customers were repurchasing? Very few. That observation sparked a year-long effort to understand how AR could align with the core metrics that clients cared about rather than the platform’s own vanity metrics.
He shifted the focus from impressive demos to measurable value. The Covent Garden Christmas campaign became a breakthrough example. By tying AR interactions to footfall, coupon distribution, and eventual sales, Omaid and his colleagues built a case study that showed direct commercial impact. It changed the way clients viewed the technology and became a template for future engagements.
He learned an important principle along the way. It is not what you are selling, it is what the client is buying. And often, behind every decision lies a simple truth. People want to know whether this will get them promoted or fired.
Omaid spoke with urgency about artificial intelligence. He believes the impact of AI will eclipse that of the internet, and not in some distant future. He sees changes unfolding now. Tasks that once required hours of human effort can be handled by models in minutes. Value based on time quickly shifts, and the ripple effects on job structures, skill development, and opportunity are already visible.
He encourages everyone to engage deeply with AI instead of waiting for someone else to interpret its significance. The tools will reshape every role. Those who experiment now will adapt faster than those who assume their work is insulated.
The next generation of leaders
When asked about the graduates entering the workforce, Omaid acknowledged the challenge. Many junior roles across white-collar sectors are disappearing at the very moment when entry-level experience is most needed to build senior judgment. He offered a hypothesis.
Perhaps younger professionals will accumulate experience and instinct more quickly than previous generations, aided by advanced tools and accelerated workflows. And perhaps older professionals will increasingly channel their expertise into creative ventures, not because they are forced to, but because the barrier to building products and prototypes has fallen dramatically.
He shared a recent example. A CEO with no coding background rebuilt a prototype in two weeks using modern no-code platforms. The output surpassed a previous version that had taken a year and considerable investment. Tools like this open doors for anyone willing to test ideas, regardless of age or technical training.
Toward a more aligned model of value
Omaid recalled his time working with a retail client who admired the Pampers campaign, One Pack One Vaccine. The genius of that campaign, he said, was the alignment between commercial success and positive impact. The more the company sold, the more vaccines were funded for children in developing countries.
This idea, that commercial value and societal value can be woven together rather than separated into profit and philanthropy, has stayed with him ever since. For Omaid, this is a more thoughtful form of capitalism, one where creativity is not spent on shaving costs or avoiding responsibility, but on designing systems where doing well and doing good reinforce each other.
It is also the mindset he brings to the startups he supports and the ventures he chooses to invest his time in. The work must matter. The impact must be real.
As Omaid puts it, the world is changing quickly. The real opportunity lies in how we choose to engage with that change.
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