Artefact promotes 2 new Managing Partners and 7 new Partners

Oussama joined Artefact in 2019 at our MENA office and has been a key driver of our impressive growth story in the region. With over a decade of consulting experience at Strategy& and Oliver Wyman, Oussama is not just a “data enthusiast” but also a “data evangelist,” firmly believing in the transformative power of data and AI across industries.

While his primary focus is on travel, tourism, and transportation, Oussama embraces “industry-hopping,” extending his expertise to real estate, telecom, utilities, and energy. His leadership has spearheaded numerous large-scale data transformations, specializing in data and AI strategies, big data platforms, data and AI use cases, and AI factories.

Within his team, Oussama is recognized as the “Facilitator in Chief,” taking pride in empowering his team and finding inspiration in analytical problem-solving. Outside of work, he finds enjoyment in activities such as boxing, crossfit, and swimming.

We’re thrilled to announce Oussama’s new role as Managing Partner and Global Lead of the Travel, Tourism & Transportation practice. With confidence, we anticipate Oussama to play a pivotal role in Artefact’s next phase of growth.

Arvand has been with Artefact since 2017, initially joining as a Partner to develop our data consulting business in Spain. In 2020, he transitioned to the French team full-time and has since been instrumental in driving and supporting some of our most ambitious Data Acceleration Programs for renowned brands such as L’Oréal, Danone, Bel, and Clarins. Additionally, Arvand serves as the Partner Sponsor of the Staffing & Consulting Chapter VP for the Paris office.

Before joining Artefact, Arvand held the position of Principal at Oliver Wyman in the Retail & Consumer practice, focusing on large-scale transformations in Merchandising, Operations, and Big Data & Analytics.

A true global citizen, Arvand has worked and lived in various countries, including France, Russia, the USA, UK, and Chile. Currently splitting his time between Madrid and Paris, Arvand brings a diverse perspective to his role.

When not immersed in solving staffing challenges or recovering from partner offsites, Arvand enjoys introducing his daughter to the best 80s movies. Additionally, he finds pleasure in mastering the art of cooking Spanish (relatively easy) and Iranian (not so easy) dishes.

Natacha joined Artefact France in 2017 as a Digital Marketing Manager, overseeing digital media strategies and operations for Travel and Retail clients. Prior to joining Artefact, she graduated from Iscom Paris and spent four years at an independent media agency, Repeat, honing her digital expertise and client management skills.

During her time at Artefact, Natacha has progressively developed and led the media consulting team. For the past three years, she has co-managed the data-driven Digital Marketing department in France. In this role, she is responsible for international clients’ digital marketing strategies, always employing a data-driven approach, nurturing client relationships, and leading an exceptional team of 80 digital marketing experts. She collaborates closely with our extensive teams of data scientists and analysts from the consulting area.

Artefact, a data-driven digital marketing agency, seamlessly integrates the data consulting approach with digital marketing expertise. Our ambition is to centralize data and its analysis at the core of digital marketing strategies and operations. We assemble experts in digital marketing, data analysts, and creative teams to craft highly impactful campaigns. Our focus is on business performance, working on structured analysis such as consumer knowledge, audience segmentation, product feed quality, and the ROI measurement of campaigns.

Thomas joined Artefact France in mid-2018 as a Digital and Data Marketing Manager to develop the new business activity. Prior to joining Artefact, he graduated from HEC Paris and then spent three years in an independent data marketing company, Numberly, developing expertise around DMP and real-time bidding advertising.

At Artefact, Thomas has structured the new business strategy, building a differentiated value proposition by merging digital channels and data expertise, leading to acquiring more than 20 new clients. Thomas also took the lead on the retail media activity and successfully co-managed the Digital Marketing department in France, overseeing a team of 80 people.

Mark joined Artefact UK in 2018, initially focusing on digital marketing, and has most recently served as our UK Managing Director & Chief Client Officer. With over 20 years of experience in digital marketing, Mark embarked on his career journey in digital at a specialized independent agency. He then progressed through various roles within WPP’s GroupM. At Mediacom/M4C, he specialized in digital strategy and campaigns for the UK Government before transitioning to Maxus (now Wavemaker), where he catered to clients such as Barclays, Ubisoft, and the FCA Group.

At Artefact, Mark holds a multifaceted role, overseeing our clients, our team, and the operations of our UK office and business. The continuous evolution of our offering combined with optimal delivery & performance for clients are core to his focus. Building on what has been achieved to date, Mark’s vision for our future is central to our continued growth, a vision of advancement and progress. As we say at Artefact, ‘AI is about people’ and Mark’s truest passion relates to people, be that our Artefact team members or through partnering with clients including Hertz, Nissan and Micron

Paul initially became a part of Artefact in 2016 in Paris subsequent to his graduation from Dauphine University. During his initial three years, he spearheaded diverse data and AI projects catering to significant clients like Orange and Sodexo. His specialization primarily focused on data governance and the design and implementation of data platforms.

From 2020 onwards, Paul has directed his efforts toward cultivating relationships with pharmaceutical clients, notably Servier. Currently, he is broadening Artefact’s clientele and services within the healthcare sector.

Victor Coimbra was the first employee for Artefact in the Americas Region back in 2018. Bringing a robust background in Tech Strategy consulting from Bain & Co and Accenture, he played a pivotal role in establishing and advancing the Data Science & Engineering team within the region. Over time, the LATAM team has evolved into an Excellence Technology Hub, driving numerous projects globally.

Victor’s primary focus revolves around ensuring the scalability of all technical Data & AI solutions within expansive enterprise architectures. He actively provides guidance to IT & Data leadership across diverse clients and industries in the US & LATAM, engaging at both strategic and operational levels. Victor’s dedication lies in fostering excellence, scalability, and perpetual innovation within the realm of AI.

Akhilesh Kale (AK) joined Artefact in April 2022 after a successful decade at Deloitte. He currently leads Financial Services in the US with deep experience from strategy to execution across data, analytics and AI initiatives. He has spent his career delivering value to CDO, CFO and CIO/CTO teams of Fortune 100 financial institutions on lean and large data programs driving direct business value. Akhilesh is based out of Artefact’s New York City offices.

Paul Gilhooly joined Artefact UK as a consulting director in 2023, having been part of the Arca Blanca team since 2022. After graduating from the University of Nottingham, he started his career at Marks & Spencer and then worked at two other large UK retailers, Tesco and Asda, in senior operational and operations development roles. He has held advisory roles at KPMG Boxwood and Alvarez & Marsal and now leads the retail sector for Artefact in the UK.

Each of them has brought unparalleled strategic thinking and expertise to drive our mission forward. Through their day-to-day commitment, they have accelerated the adoption of data and AI to positively impact people and organizations!

Managing Partners and Partners at Artefact are selected for their capacity to successfully lead clients in complex and evolving territories, showcasing strategic thinking and leading expertise. Concurrently, they play a vital role in developing their respective teams in terms of scale, business opportunities, and personal development.

“The current Partners’ committee has been notably impressed by the accomplishments of Oussama, Arvand, Natacha, Thomas, Mark, Paul de B., Victor, Akhilesh and Paul G. during their previous tenure at Artefact. As new Managing Partners and Partners in our organization, I am confident that they will serve as inspiring figures for both our colleagues and clients.”

Vincent Luciani, CEO of Artefact