Wael Doukmak, CEO of R2L Innovations & Ahlan Inc.: From Damascus to Global Leadership and Impact

Wael Doukmak, CEO of R2L Innovations & Ahlan Inc.: From Damascus to Global Leadership and Impact

July 16, 2026 · 44 min · Season 7 · Episode 558

About this episode

Wael Doukmak shares his journey from Damascus to becoming a global leader, discussing his career transitions and perspectives on technology and community impact.

In this inspiring episode of the Leader Who Cares series on The Brand Called You , host Mark Sadovnick engages in a heartfelt and insightful conversation with Wael Doukmak, CEO of R2L Innovations & Ahlan Inc. Wael shares his remarkable journey from Damascus to the United States, reflecting on his early influences, the importance of family, and his curiosity-driven pursuit of knowledge. The conversation explores Wael's career transitions—from pharmacy to computer science, entrepreneurship, teaching Arabic, becoming CNN's on-air interpreter during the Iraq War, and leading digital transformation initiatives with Cisco in Saudi Arabia and Ooredoo in Qatar. Discover Wael's perspectives on leadership, community impact, the intersection of technology and humanity, and the future of AI in communication and language learning. He also reflects on the lessons of the pandemic, gratitude, and hope for the future. If you're interested in leadership, innovation, cross-cultural journeys, and the intersection of technology with purpose-driven impact, this episode is for you!

People in this episode

Host: Mark Sadovnick

Guest: Wael Doukmak

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: R2L Innovations, Ahlan Inc., CNN, Cisco, Ooredoo

Places: Damascus, United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar

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