40 Under 40 2025: Umair Wolid, Roar Global

Umair Wolid

Chief marketing officer
Roar Global
Sri Lanka

Umair Wolid has dedicated nearly two decades to reshaping digital media in Sri Lanka and the broader South Asian region. Starting his career at a leading print media group, he spearheaded their digital transformation, turning traditional newsrooms into agile online platforms, building sustainable revenue through digital advertising and branded content. His efforts led to one of Sri Lanka’s most successful legacy-to-digital transitions.

In 2020, Wolid co-founded Newswire, Sri Lanka’s largest English-language digital news platform, known for real-time updates and platform-native storytelling. Within five years, it became the country’s most financially sustainable digital news startup. 

Simultaneously, he represented Facebook (Meta) in Sri Lanka, leading the local team to introduce localised billing, native-language training, and simplified SME onboarding, unlocking digital growth for thousands of businesses. In 2024, Wolid’s role expanded to include Bangladesh, Nepal, and Laos as Roar became a Meta-managed agency. Through Roar, he now leads Meta’s growth across multiple South Asian markets with a focus on accessibility and impact. 

Wolid led the rollout of key business enablement tools, including localised billing, native-language training, and simplified SME onboarding, which was instrumental in establishing operations in new markets, driving a 10% increase in topline revenue for the company.  More importantly, the rollout of native-language Meta training in Sinhala and Tamil, allowed small businesses, rural entrepreneurs, and grassroots marketers to access platform education in their own language.

As President of the Digital Marketing Association of Sri Lanka, Wolid led the national digital summit, the country’s largest digital marketing conference, attracting 750+ participants. He has shaped policy dialogue, and championed inclusive upskilling. Wolid continues to bridge industry and government, helping position Sri Lanka in Asia’s fast-evolving digital economy.