CEO Insights Magazine

Senior executives (CXOs) are responsible for guiding businesses toward long-term success through strategic decision-making, leadership, and effective governance. They define the company’s vision, oversee performance, manage resources, and ensure alignment across departments.

In the Middle East, CXOs play an especially important role due to the region’s unique economic environment, regulatory frameworks, and global market pressures. They must balance innovation with adaptability, managing risks while identifying growth opportunities.

CXOs also represent their organizations in dealings with investors, government bodies, partners, and customers. Strong executive leadership helps Middle East’s businesses remain competitive, resilient, and sustainable in a rapidly changing landscape.

Within this broader leadership narrative stands Kayvan Mohit Mafi, CEO of Diginext.ir, whose career reflects how deep technical grounding and strategic foresight can converge. A technology and innovation leader with over two decades of experience, he has consistently operated at the intersection of digital transformation, platform building, and startup ecosystem development.

His academic foundation includes a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology and a master’s degree in information technology management from Allameh Tabataba’i University, equipping him with both systems discipline and managerial perspective.

His early professional focus centered on enterprise software, where he led the implementation of large-scale SAP ERP and SAP Business One programs across logistics, finance, and supply chain operations. This phase established a reputation for translating complex technology into operational reliability.

He later joined Digikala, the Middle East’s largest e-commerce platform, contributing to the development of scalable technical and logistics infrastructures during a critical growth phase.

He also played a role in establishing DigiExpress, a technology-driven logistics company capable of delivering more than 100,000 orders per day at scale. Today, Digikala serves over 40 million users and stands among the region’s most advanced digital platforms.

Building on this operational depth, Kayvan moved into innovation leadership and startup mentorship. During his years with DigiNext, the innovation and venture arm of Digikala Group, he supported the formation and growth of nearly 100 technology startups, particularly in e-Commerce, logistics and artificial intelligence.

These experiences laid the groundwork for his later focus on cross-border innovation platform building. He is currently the Founder of Omatekk in Oman, a cross-border innovation hub connecting entrepreneurs, technology, and capital across the Middle East.

His work has earned international recognition, including multiple Gold and Silver medals at the INTARG International Invention and Innovation Show (Poland), alongside professional certifications, and formal recognition for ecosystem building and mentorship regionally.

Looking back on your professional journey, which defining moments and key lessons most shaped your growth as a leader within your field?

Leadership, for me, evolved from executing complex systems to enabling people and building structures that scale beyond any individual. Early work in enter­prise technology gave way to mentoring teams and guiding entrepreneurs toward sustainable businesses.

Experience in volatile environments reinforced that clarity, trust, and continuous learning matter more than control. Ultimately, I view leadership as creating conditions for growth, resilience, and sound decision making rather than directing every outcome.

What drove your decision to establish Omatekk in Oman as a central platform, and how does it support and extend your broader regional strategy?

Omatekk was founded on the belief that sustainable innovation needs regional platforms connecting talent, markets, and capital. Oman emerged as an ideal base due to its long-term innovation vision and neutral regional position.

Established in Muscat, Omatekk operates as an innovation and acceleration hub, linking startups with investors and partners across borders. It supports underexposed local ventures while offering regional startups a structured pathway to sustainable cross-border growth.

In what ways does Omatekk embody your long-term vision for advancing technology and innovation across the Middle East?

Omatekk reflects a vision of regional innovation built on integrated platforms rather than fragmented startups. It focuses on creating ecosystems where technology, capital, and market needs converge to address real regional challenges.

Emphasizing long-term system building over short-term gains, Omatekk prioritizes talent development, disciplined capital use, and practical technology adoption to generate lasting economic and social impact.

What distinctive benefits do you associate with cross-border collaboration between Iran and the wider Middle East region?

The core strength of cross-border collaboration lies in combining complementary capabilities, where technical talent and problem-solving depth align with market access, capital, and commercial infrastructure.

Such partnerships accelerate innovation, build managerial and regulatory maturity, and expose startups to diverse operating environments. This approach spreads risk and encourages regionally designed businesses with stronger global competitiveness.

How do you see Omatekk contributing to digital transformation and strengthening innovation across Oman and the wider region?

Omatekk is envisioned not as a conventional accelerator, but as a problem-driven innovation hub linking real business needs with practical technology. Grounded in experience across logistics, e-commerce, and digital systems, it prioritizes economically viable solutions over experimentation.

Across Oman and the region, Omatekk supports startups through mentorship, networks, and market access, enabling locally rooted yet scalable digital transformation.

Which insights and experiences from DigiNext continue to shape your ongoing regional and global initiatives?

The key lesson from DigiNext is the value of ecosystem thinking. Incubating, accelerating, investing, and mentoring over 100 startups, extending beyond ecommerce and logistics into health-tech, fintech, and agri-tech, showed that sustainable innovation requires aligned talent, capital, markets, and governance.

Through structured programs, mentorship, and systematic experimentation, these insights now guide Omatekk’s regional initiatives, fostering scalable, resilient innovation across multiple countries and ecosystems.

How do you define success today, and in what ways has this perspective evolved from earlier stages of your career?

Earlier, success was measured by personal execution and delivering tangible results. Today, it is defined by creating environments that enable growth, foster innovation, and generate sustainable value. Success now lies in designing systems that empower entrepreneurs, drive effective technology adoption, and nurture ecosystems capable of long-term impact independent of any single individual.

Kayvan Mohit Mafi, CEO, Diginext

A technology and innovation leader, Kayvan Mohit Mafi has over two decades of experience across e-commerce, logistics, and health tech, with a focus on digital transformation, startup ecosystem development, SAP implementation, and building scalable, cross-boarder platforms in the Middle East.