Thoroughly unapologetic, unapologetically fierce and fiercely funny, Rifah Qadri is just getting started. In a world where marketing is often synonymous with clever slogans, flashy campaigns, and an endless pursuit of consumer attention, Qadri, Head of Marketing and Communication at Easypaisa, approaches the field with a unique blend of grit, purpose, and a deep sense of authenticity. In 2024, Qadri’s achievements received national and international recognition, the most recent being the ‘Red Dragon Master’ award, making Qadri the first Pakistani to win Industry Leader of the Year at Dragons of Asia. But her humility shines through, as she giddily thanks Aurora during her interview. So, beyond the professional titles and accolades, who is Rifah Qadri, and what has shaped her into the marketing powerhouse she is today?

Hailing from Lahore, Qadri was born into a family where women traditionally pursued teaching careers. A childhood lover of the performing arts, she “sees everything in colour.” After completing her secondary education at the Lahore Grammar School, Qadri graduated from the Lahore School of Economics with a degree in marketing. Her belief that “advertising can truly change the world” defined her resolve from the onset. “My mom said, ‘What’s the need? Get a job in a bank,’” Qadri reminisces, grateful that she stayed the course. “Growing up, the concept of patriarchy wasn’t understood as it is today, thanks to the internet,” she explains, “but I constantly questioned: If a boy can do it, why can’t I?” In that spirit, Qadri climbed the male-dominated corporate ladder, challenging the boys’ club and its failure to recognise women as leaders at every rung.

Her career began with an internship at Nestlé, an experience that allowed her to dip her toes into the world of branding and marketing. The eager-eyed intern was entrusted with substantial responsibilities, including a project that took Qadri to Karachi. “It was my first time travelling alone and I loved the independence,” she recalls enthusiastically, “And I loved Mr Burger. I’d work for them for free,” she laughs.  The marketing exposure young Qadri gained at Nestlé was thrilling, but her story is far from a straightforward corporate success narrative.

Qadri’s time as a product manager at ICI, where she started as part of their prestigious management trainee program, exposed how corporate spaces weren’t constructed, quite literally, with women in mind. During a visit to ICI’s soda ash plant, she found no female restrooms. “There are no female workers here. You can use the male restrooms or go back to the guesthouse,” a site worker shrugged. An incredulous Qadri retorted: “Are you saying that there will never be female engineers working here? Female plant managers? Female HR personnel?” Critiquing the superficial ways many corporations try their hands at inclusion, Qadri asserts: “Real empowerment goes beyond token gestures: How are you treating the women that you already have in your organisation?”

Qadri’s approach to marketing goes far beyond simply selling products; for her, it’s about creating real, tangible change. She is critical of performative empowerment, often touted in corporate environments as a buzzword. “No offence to anybody, but I believe that a lot of organisations pick up women empowerment but they don’t do justice to it and that’s probably because those calling the shots are not women. You can’t be as passionate as a woman when it comes to female empowerment and inclusion.” Real inclusion must begin from within the workplace, she reiterates, extending her critique to male-dominated spaces in advertising that, inadvertently or advertently, exclude women, especially in informal settings like a smoke break – “Such a blatant exclusion of space and inclusivity!” At Maple Leaf Cement, Qadri was one of the only female marketing managers in the cement industry at the time. She pushed for consumer marketing – a concept largely unheard of in the B2B dominant sector. Her hard-fought efforts culminated in the tagline ‘Ek Dum Solid’, which Maple Leaf Cement still uses. This marked a pivotal moment in her career, as Qadri began to solidify her reputation as a woman capable of transforming an industry that did not value nor meaningfully leverage women’s potential. For Qadri, marketing isn’t just about creating buzz; it’s about fostering real change. “As marketers, we have a huge responsibility to show the right way forward,” she explains.

Her time at Foodpanda provides a glimpse into her “show, don’t tell” approach. When Qadri proposed featuring a female rider in a Ramzan campaign, she was met with scepticism. “The response I got was, ‘Are you mad? How can we show female riders when we barely have any?’” But Qadri saw an opportunity to showcase the change she wanted to see and replied: “How are we going to have more female riders if we don’t show them in our campaigns?” The ad, featuring a woman delivering iftari on a motorbike, was a huge success – proving to Qadri that her instincts were right. “You don’t need to do a socially aware campaign to empower women,” she explains. “It’s the little things you add to your marketing space, like featuring female brand ambassadors or creating savings pockets specifically for women.”

One of Qadri’s key strengths is her ability to make subtle but powerful changes that don’t necessarily scream “social cause” but have a significant impact nonetheless. It was her move to Easypaisa that truly allowed her to combine her professional expertise with her passion for women’s empowerment and inclusion. Easypaisa, a digital finance app, provided Qadri with a platform to drive change in a sector that held immense potential for societal impact. One of her most significant achievements came in the form of the ‘Audio Nikahnama’ campaign, a ground-breaking initiative aimed at educating women about their financial rights in marriage.

“I’m a divorcee, I know the importance of a Nikahnama,” she says matter-of-factly. To some extent, the statement explains why Qadri was adamant about bringing the Nikahnama campaign to life. Originally pitched to her for Telenor, she seized the opportunity and decided to make it an Easypaisa initiative, much to the initial confusion of her colleagues. Where others saw no connection between a digital finance app and a legal marital document, Qadri saw the first step toward women’s financial empowerment. Her foresight paid off – the campaign was a resounding success, with women across the country accessing the ‘Audio Nikahnama’ feature within the Easypaisa app, learning about their financial, and marital rights in a way that had never been done before.

Qadri is open about her past – her marriage, her divorce, and the lessons she’s learned from both. “I would like to thank my ex-husband and my ex-mother-in-law for making me the survivor and fighter that I am today,” she says half-jokingly. This blend of humour and hard-earned wisdom shines through in her work, where she remains acutely aware of the challenges women face in both personal and professional spaces. “Men take credit for things they haven’t even done. On the other hand, women are hesitant to take credit for things they have done,” Qadri chides, speaking to the double standards that persist in the workplace. “I have shifted from saying ‘I feel’ to ‘I believe’, and now to ‘I know what I’ve been through and I’m not going to apologise for it’. There’s an inherent gender bias and I’m determined to face it head-on.”

This unapologetic confidence is often labelled “aggressive” in corporate circles. “But if I’m not that person,” she muses, “then I would not be able to do what I want to do.” Qadri’s journey is a testament to the power of big-picture thinking compounded by the unwavering belief that marketing can be a force for good. “I am closer to the point where I can start implementing the changes I have wanted to see, rather than asking others to make them happen,” she expresses gratefully. “I’m very proud of myself.” It looks like Rifah Qadri is just getting started.