With more than 30 years of international experience in the ceramics and building materials industry, Leonardo de Muro has built a distinguished career across global markets, combining business development, brand strategy, commercial leadership and design innovation. Before joining RAK Ceramics in 2018, he held senior positions at renowned international companies, including Tagina Ceramiche d’Arte, Cooperativa Ceramica d’Imola and Kale Group.
Following his appointment as Group Chief Marketing Officer, effective October 2026, De Muro takes on a central role in shaping the company’s global brand positioning, marketing strategy and innovation agenda. His new responsibilities build on his previous leadership in international business development, reinforcing the connection between commercial growth, brand identity and global market expansion.
As RAK Ceramics continues its evolution from a major manufacturing group into a design-driven lifestyle solutions provider, the strategic importance of marketing extends beyond communication and visibility. It encompasses customer experience, technological innovation, sustainability and the ability to create distinctive value across international markets.
In this exclusive interview with Gulftagline.ae, De Muro shares his vision for the future of global branding, the growing influence of artificial intelligence and data-driven marketing, the balance between global identity and local market expectations, and the strategic priorities that will shape the company’s international positioning towards 2030.
You have recently taken on the role of Group Chief Marketing Officer at RAK Ceramics, following your experience in international business development. What are your main priorities in this new position, and how do you see your role evolving as the company continues to expand globally?
My first priority is to bring greater clarity and consistency to how we present RAK Ceramics around the world. We have a strong industrial heritage, a broad product portfolio and an international presence. The opportunity now is to translate those strengths into an even more distinctive brand experience, from product innovation and showrooms to digital channels and our relationships with architects, designers and customers.
We have a strong industrial heritage, a broad product portfolio and an international presence.
Today our marketing team is working closely with product development, sales and our regional teams. Marketing should not simply communicate what a company produces; it should help identify what customers need, guide how solutions are positioned and support sustainable commercial growth. As we expand, I see my role increasingly focused on building a shared global direction while giving local teams the tools and flexibility to succeed in their markets.
RAK Ceramics is strengthening its position beyond manufacturing, with a growing focus on design, premium products and lifestyle solutions. How can marketing help transform the way international customers perceive the brand and differentiate it in an increasingly competitive global market?
The shift is from being recognized primarily for what we manufacture to being valued for what we enable people to create. Quality, scale and technical expertise remain fundamental, but customers also connect with design, emotion and the experience of a space. Our communication needs to bring these dimensions together and show how RAK Ceramics contributes to contemporary living and architecture.
Quality, scale and technical expertise remain fundamental, but customers also connect with design, emotion and the experience of a space
That means more coherent storytelling, inspiring applications, carefully curated collections and a stronger presentation of our complete solutions across surfaces, sanitaryware and faucets. Italso means making the differences between our brands clear. Each brand and collaboration must have its own identity and reason to exist. In a crowded premium market, differentiation comes less from making louder claims and more from creating a recognizable, credible and consistent experience at every touchpoint.
Artificial intelligence, digital transformation and data-driven strategies are changing how companies communicate with customers. Which technologies and marketing innovations do you believe will have the greatest impact on RAK Ceramics, and how do you balance technological efficiency with creativity and human insight?
I see the greatest potential in connecting data, content and customer experience. Better use of customer and market insights can help us understand preferences, measure the effectiveness of our activity and make more informed decisions. Digital platforms, CRM and marketing automation can help us communicate more relevantly with different audiences, while advanced visualization and AI-assisted content creation can accelerate the way we present products, finishes and environments.
However, technology is an enabler, not a substitute for judgment. AI can improve speed, efficiency and personalization, but creativity, taste and an understanding of people remain essential, particularly in design-led categories. Our approach should be to automate repetitive work where it adds value and invest the time gained in stronger ideas, better design narratives and more meaningful human relationships. Quality and brand integrity must remain non-negotiable.
RAK Ceramics operates across diverse international markets, each with different cultural expectations, customer preferences and business dynamics. How do you maintain a consistent global brandidentity while adapting marketing strategies to local markets, particularly across the GCC, Europe and Asia?
For a global brand, consistency does not mean uniformity. We need a clear foundation that is shared everywhere: our identity, design values, quality standards and the way we communicate our brands. Within that framework, local teams must be able to respond to regional architecture, cultural preferences, purchasing behavior and the needs of their distribution networks.
For a global brand, consistency does not mean uniformity.
In the GCC, the conversation may place greater emphasis on integrated spaces, premium experiences and strong showroom engagement. In Europe, design credibility, materiality and relationships with the architecture and design community are especially important. Across Asia, market maturity and brand awareness vary significantly, so priorities must be defined country by country. The role of headquarters is to establish direction and support collaboration, not to impose a single campaign on every market. Close alignment between HQ and local teams is what makes localization effective without diluting the brand.
As Group CMO, what key achievements would you like to accomplish over the next few years? Looking ahead to 2030, how do you envision the future of RAK Ceramics, and what role will marketingplay in strengthening its international reputation and long-term growth?
Over the next few years, I would like to see a more unified and recognizable global identity, a stronger digital ecosystem, better integration between marketing and product development, and amore consistent customer experience across our showrooms and channels. Just as importantly, I want us to measure marketing not only through visibility but also through its contribution to preference, demand and long-term customer relationships.
Looking ahead to 2030, my ambition is to further strengthen RAK Ceramics’ international recognition as a leader in manufacturing excellence and a design-driven partner in creating inspiring spaces.Building on our strong foundations in design, innovation, and manufacturing, we will continue to elevate our global positioning through strategic brand building and a deep understanding of evolving lifestyles. Marketing will play a pivotal role in connectingthese strengths into a compelling and consistent brand narrative that resonates across markets, reinforces our identity, and creates lasting value.
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