MY STORY i am Babu Umair
From Wazirabad o the world. A story of service, curiosity and ambition.
I’m Muhammad Umair, known as Babu Umair. I’m a marketing leader with a background in software engineering, a family history rooted in public service, and a career that has taken me across Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.
ME, ME, ME
About Me
My story begins in Wazirabad.
Today, I’m based in Manchester and lead global marketing for Drone Champions League. My work brings together sport, technology, creativity and people—interests that have shaped different chapters of my life.
The roots behind the name
I come from a family with a long connection to civic life in Wazirabad, Pakistan. The Babu name carries a history of public representation, community involvement and responsibility to the people around us.
That history reaches back to my great-grandfather, Mian Allah Jawaya, whose service as a municipal member and Numbardar dates to 1918. Across subsequent generations, members of the family served in municipal government and contributed to the city’s development.
My grandfather, Babu Muhammad Bashir, served as a municipal member and later as a Union Council Chairman. My father, Babu Muhammad Aqeel, studied engineering in Germany and served as a Municipal Councillor in 1992 and 1996.
Growing up with that background gave me an early understanding of responsibility. Decisions made in a meeting could affect a street, a neighbourhood or a young person’s opportunities. Leadership had a practical, everyday meaning. That connection to community remains part of how I see the world.
Taking responsibility in myn my own right
In 2017, I was elected Youth Councillor in Wazirabad. The role gave me the opportunity to contribute to youth activities, local sport and community development. During my tenure, initiatives included youth festivals, speech competitions, cricket and badminton events, and a Kabaddi league involving members of Pakistan’s national team.
My work also included supporting local improvements, from street reconstruction to the rehabilitation of public sports grounds.
These experiences taught me about listening, coordination and following through. Bringing an event to life meant working with people who had different priorities, solving practical problems and keeping the purpose clear.
They also strengthened my interest in bringing people together—something that would later become central to my work in marketing, content and international events.
An engineer’s mind, a storyteller’s curiosity
My academic foundation is in software engineering. I completed my BSc (Hons) in Software Engineering through Lancaster University and COMSATS University, studying from 2014 to 2018. Engineering developed the way I approach problems: understand the system, question assumptions, test an idea and work through what needs to improve.
Alongside that technical interest, I became increasingly drawn to design, communication and the way people respond to ideas. Early work across software, websites and visual content helped me connect these interests.
Marketing brought them together. It gave me a field in which technical understanding, creative judgement and human behaviour could inform the same decision.
I later completed an MSc in Digital Marketing at the University of Salford, graduating with Distinction. That experience deepened my understanding of the discipline and added academic perspective to the work I was already leading.
Building a career across borders
My professional journey has included software and design work in Pakistan, technology support and agency marketing in Dubai, and international marketing leadership.
At Promo AD, I worked across different clients, audiences and sectors. That agency experience strengthened my ability to move between creative briefs, content production, paid campaigns and day-to-day delivery.
In June 2022, I joined Drone Champions League as Marketing Manager.
Since then, I have led marketing across brand, digital channels, paid acquisition, content, websites, partnerships and live events. The work connects international audiences with a sport where racing, engineering and emerging technology meet.
It has taken me from campaign planning and team development to production coordination and delivery at events across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Germany.
I enjoy that range. A clear strategy matters, and so does the judgement needed when a campaign changes, a production deadline approaches or a team needs direction.
What experience has taught me about leadership
Some of the most rewarding progress comes from seeing someone grow into a stronger role. Mentoring an entry-level social assistant into a Social Media Specialist is one example of the kind of development I value. I also believe in being precise about results. Understanding what worked, what the numbers actually represent and what needs to change makes the next decision better.
The common thread is responsibility: to the work, to the people doing it and to the trust placed in me.
A wider world, with Wazirabad still part of it
Living and working across different countries has broadened my perspective. Travel has introduced me to different cultures, ways of communicating and approaches to work.
It has also made me more attentive to context. An idea that connects with one audience may need a different expression somewhere else. Listening and observation are as valuable as confidence.
Through those experiences, my roots have remained important. Wazirabad, my family’s history and my own time in public service continue to influence how I think about people and opportunity.
I’m proud of where I come from, and I’m curious about what comes next.
The next chapter
Today, I’m building the next chapter of my career from Manchester, bringing together international marketing experience, technical understanding and creative direction.
I’m interested in opportunities where I can help an organisation grow, develop capable teams and make complex or ambitious ideas meaningful to people.
There is still a great deal I want to learn, create and contribute.
The story continues.