Introduction
Katy Keenan has turned the British Chamber of Commerce Dubai into one of the most respected business communities in the UAE 1,200 members across 29 sectors, a board that’s now 50% women, record profits donated to charity, a 98% satisfaction rating, and a LinkedIn following that grew from 6,000 to nearly 33,000 with no marketing budget whatsoever. Just authentic storytelling, genuine relationships, and a woman who remembers every person she’s ever met.
Katy was bullied at school. She spent her Saturdays caring for severely disabled children. She’s supported women escaping domestic violence, trailing spouses who’ve lost their professional identity, and menopausal women being quietly pushed out of the workforce. Her hairdresser told her at age seven: “No matter how happy you are, always have your own money.” She’s never forgotten it, and she tells her daughters the same thing.
This is one of those conversations that moves between the boardroom and kitchen table, between hard business reality and the kind of honest human warmth you rarely get from a leader of her calibre. You get a masterclass on what it actually takes to build something real in Dubai and why the people who dismiss this city from afar are the ones who wouldn’t have made it here anyway.
Show Notes
0:00 – Why Spencer hates networking and what the Chamber is actually for
2:22 – The secret sales team: how the Chamber coaches members who hate selling themselves
5:38 – Her first day: the numbers were dire, the board wasn’t diverse, she nearly walked
7:25 – From 13% to 50% female board and why diversity has to be earned, not forced
9:26 – Speed networking with a 3–5 week wait list: what that tells you about Dubai right now
12:18 – The old boys’ club conversation: gender events, merit, and the allies that actually helped
17:17 – Lifelong volunteering, the Rashid Centre, and where her empathy really comes from
21:17 – Hyper helping mode, setting boundaries, and why she remembers every single person
27:25 – From deficit to record profit: the turnaround, Covid calls, and 6,000 government surveys
33:09 – Zero marketing budget and the editorial approach that worked
34:22 – Exiting members for bad behaviour and why psychological safety is non-negotiable
37:17 – The biggest mistake UK businesses make when they arrive in the UAE
42:54 – What “Made in Dubai” means to her and why her children were essentially made here
49:11 – The Liberated Woman, trailing spouses, and why mature women are better hires
51:32 – The hairdresser’s advice at age seven: “Always have your own money”
58:48 – How the Chamber could support Spencer’s school-building charity model
1:02:00 – Bullying, Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria, and how being the outsider became her superpower
1:09:04 – Cranial sacral therapy, personal coaching, and a body “bracing for a car to hit you”
1:13:21 – UK media bashing Dubai and why the critics are the ones who wouldn’t have made it anyway
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