Aparna Gopan
I build bold travel, wellness & lifestyle brands people follow, talk about & fall in love with. 12+ yrs across Asia & GCC. CMO, Founder, Brand Marketer, Record-holder, Tedx speaker. Let’s make marketing move people, not just metrics.
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Creative Strategy
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Content Marketing
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Social Media Marketing
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Branding Strategy
Brand Management
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

I’m a senior brand marketing leader with 12+ years of experience building tourism, wellness, lifestyle, hospitality, and experiential brands across India, UAE, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Bali. My work blends brand strategy, digital growth, performance marketing, and experiential storytelling — with a strong track record of scaling brands fast. 

I’ve grown Instagram communities from 0 to 225K+, driven 20M+ campaign reach, built India’s first women-focused surf & wellness brand (featured in Lonely Planet), and led national experiential campaigns that earned India Book of Records & Asia Book of Records (2025). 

My strength is turning ideas into high-impact, viral-ready brand ecosystems — spanning content, influencer partnerships, destination launches, hospitality marketing, and creative direction. 

My background aligns naturally with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 across tourism, hospitality, entertainment, and wellness. I bring cross-market experience, fast execution, and strong storytelling that helps brands grow with clarity and measurable impact. 

Currently in Riyadh and open to relocation within Saudi Arabia. 

Chief Marketing Officer, TENTGRAM
January 2019 - December 2025
Dubai
 • Grew the main Instagram page from scratch→ 225K+, delivering 3× engagement uplift.
 • Directed multi-platform destination campaigns across Kashmir, Kerala, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Sri Lanka, Thailand , Dubai & Bali.
 • Led viral destination launch organic and paid campaigns for Bali, Thailand, Dubai and local Indian destinations with 8M+ total impressions across creators.
 • Produced South India’s first VR tourism cabin launch, improving digital CTR by 300%.
 • Oversaw full creative team: editors, designers, writers, videographers, and community leads.
 • Managed influencer collaborations with top talent (Jumana Khan, Shehnaz Treasury, Saniya Ayyappan, Tanya Khaijow, Priya Warrier, Anaswara Rajan, Truly Nomadly, Travel with Sea Rats, etc.) reaching 20M+ audience.
 • Drove performance tracking, campaign optimization, and content-led conversions, directly contributing to record booking numbers in destinations like Kashmir and Bali.
 • Directed multi-country content production across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Dubai and India. 
Co-Founder & C.M.O., HOUSE OF SURF
January 2023 - Present
India
 • Founded and scaled India’s first women’s surf hostel, building a trusted community brand around safety, empowerment and slow wellness travel.
 • Featured in Lonely Planet in 2025 as a top women-led destination for solo travelers.
 • Launched surf + wellness retreats within 12 months of opening, achieving consistent full bookings and repeat traveler retention.
 • Created viral campaign content generating 6M+ views, with multiple videos 1M+, establishing brand visibility across India, GCC & Asia.
 • Operated as a one-woman marketing engine: content, UGC systems, creative direction, social growth, partnerships, and PR.
 • Grew the brand’s digital presence organically with strong engagement and community participation.
 • Expanded retreats to Sri Lanka, Thailand and initiated GCC expansion within the first year, positioning House of Surf as a global women’s wellness retreat brand.
 • Currently leading GCC expansion of women-only surf + wellness retreats while maintaining full capacity to deliver high-impact marketing leadership for Saudi-based tourism, wellness, lifestyle, and experiential brands. 
Chief of Marketing, REAL HIGH EXPEDITIONS
January 2023 - September 2025
Asia
 • Conceptualized and launched the brand from scratch — naming, identity, GTM, content, campaigns.
 • Directed India’s first record-holding 4x4 expedition of the largest convoy from Indias lowest point to worlds highest motorable road, leading 55 participants + 18 vehicles across extreme terrain; secured India Book of Records + Asia Record.
 • Built complete digital ecosystem in <90 days, including social, influencer, PR and performance funnels.
 • Produced high-impact expedition content generating 2M+ organic views across platforms within weeks.
 • Scaled @realhighexpeditions with strong visual identity, UGC pipelines, and multi-format storytelling.
 • Independently managed all creative + growth functions, demonstrating CMO-level agility.
 • Managed all sponsor and communication partnerships especially with Asia and India Book of Records team, finally resulting in creating 2 new records! 
Senior Copywriter & Perfomance Marketing Strategist, PHABLECARE
August 2021 - October 2022
India
 • Developed performance-driven ad campaigns that improved CTR & engagement by 2×, strengthening acquisition funnels for wellness products.
 • Wrote high-converting video scripts, performance ads, social media flows, and platform-native content for Facebook, Instagram, YouTube & Google Ads.
 • Collaborated with design, media buying, and product teams to optimize copy-to-creative alignment, directly improving campaign ROAS.
 • Created content frameworks for retention, activation and education flows, supporting product adoption.
 • Supported wellness influencer collaborations by preparing concept notes, scripts, and messaging guidelines, increasing creator-led conversions and trust.
 • Utilized A/B testing, copy performance analytics, keyword optimization, and funnel insights to refine campaign messaging. 
Education
INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP FELLOWSHIP FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS
2016
IISE(International Institute for Social Entrepreneurs
BACHELORS, HISTORY,ARCHAEOLOY, MUSEOLOGY
2013
Madras Christian College
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