PlayDOOH names new CEO

Visual Retale's spinoff digital out-of-home (DOOH) platform PlayDOOH, has picked digital transformation and data analytics specialist Farouk Abdullah as its chief executive officer. The brand new company was co-founded by Visual Retale's owner Sailendra Kanagasundram, who also sits on the board as a director alongside Alex Tan. 

PlayDOOH is a DOOH platform that connects advertisers to screen networks dynamically, intelligently, and efficiently at scale. It empowers brands to buy outdoor media the same way they purchase digital ads with data-driven flexibility and precision.

By combining audience intelligence, automation, and dynamic content delivery, PlayDOOH enables brands to target the right audience at the right moment across multiple locations, while delivering measurable, impactful results. From a publisher’s side, it empowers screen owners to monetise their inventory more efficiently, using artificial intelligence (AI) to optimise yield and maximise exposure.

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Prior to taking up the CEO role at PlayDOOH, Farouk was a self-employed founder and CEO of HJIB Solutions, a digital transformation consultancy. Before that, he was the chief executive officer for Natural Intelligence Solutions, a data, analytics, AI and business consultancy firm.

Farouk also spent a brief time at Berjaya Corporation as its chief digital officer around 2021. He also held the roles of chief data scientist at the ASEAN Data and Analytics Exchange, director of consumer data and analytics at Astro Malaysia, and senior manager at Deloitte Digital.

Farouk told A+M that before assuming the role of CEO at PlayDOOH, he decided to join the advisory board as he was drawn to the company's vision and the way it was reimagining DOOH through technology and data.

"From the outset, it was clear they had something special. A strong product, a talented team, and a genuine appetite for innovation. Over time, as I worked more closely with the leadership, I could see even greater potential. The conversations began shifting from 'What’s possible?' to 'How do we scale this with purpose and precision?' That’s where I saw an opportunity to contribute more meaningfully," he said, adding that: 

We’re not just expanding screen networks. We’re building a smarter infrastructure that enables precise, data-enriched storytelling for brands.

"The goal is to turn PlayDOOH into a platform that’s not only scalable, but self-optimising, able to learn, adapt, and deliver better outcomes over time. Ultimately, it’s about tying digital and AI capabilities directly to business impact, helping PlayDOOH evolve from a media platform into a performance engine that’s intelligent, responsive, and commercially compelling," stated Farouk. 

How technology is redefining outdoor advertising

Long associated with static billboards and broad messaging, out-of-home (OOH) advertising is being transformed by digital innovation, evolving into a dynamic, data-driven, performance-based medium. "Digital is reshaping every media channel. Television, radio, print, you name it. And out-of-home is no exception. What was once seen as static and mass-market is now evolving into a dynamic, data-enriched medium capable of delivering targeted messaging at scale," said Farouk. 

This new generation of DOOH media no longer focuses simply on impressions, but on intelligent engagement. Brands now have the tools to adapt quickly, respond to trends, and optimise performance with precision. Capabilities once reserved for online and social media platforms.

Besides that, Malaysia's transition into DOOH is also uncovering new insights about audiences and campaign performance. Brands now have access to granular, dynamic data, tracking dwell times, audience behavior, and movement patterns. With AI layered in, this data becomes instantly actionable. "Brands can learn which messages resonate best at specific times, in specific locations, or under certain conditions and dynamically optimise campaigns based on those patterns. That kind of precision was never available in traditional OOH," explained Farouk. 

"But the bigger shift is how DOOH is changing the mindset from static advertising to active audience engagement. It’s no longer just about broadcasting a message, it’s about creating contextual, relevant touchpoints that capture attention and drive interaction. Brands are moving from long-term static buys to agile, dynamic campaigns that flex with audience patterns in real time," he added. 

Farouk also noted that DOOH is reshaping creative strategies in ways that were previously unimaginable. "DOOH is not just a new medium, it’s a game-changer for creative strategies. Because the platform is so data-driven, it allows brands to test, measure, and optimise their content quickly, something traditional OOH never really allowed," he said. 

Where is PlayDOOH headed?

Farouk also shared that the ambition for PlayDOOH goes beyond just growth, as the company is currently focused on positioning itself as a leader in media planning for the DOOH space. 

"In the immediate term, we’re scaling our footprint across strategic markets, growing our screen inventory, and enhancing our platform’s intelligence through data and AI. But the real vision is to become the planning engine of choice for brands and agencies when it comes to OOH offering precision, flexibility, and measurable performance at a macro scale," he added. 

"We’re targeting strong year-on-year growth, not just in revenue but in market influence, building deep, strategic partnerships with both supply and demand-side players," said Farouk. 

Currently, PlayDOOH's advisory board includes Alex Tan, former chief agency officer for Manulife who is taking charge of strategic growth for the platform, and former Carat Malaysia CEO Lorraine Annette Chapel who will lead its strategic media. The board also includes Spurr's co-founder Arulchelvam Arulampalam who will focus on mobile data intelligence, and Russel Rehim who is in charge of PlayDOOH's platform and AI functions. 

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