TBWA/RAAD makes new appointment

UAE-based creative agency, TBWA/RAAD has promoted Manuel Bordé to the role of Executive Creative Director. With a wealth of experience in the advertising industry, Manuel most recently held the role of Creative Director at the agency. Manuel will be sharing the role with Fouad Abdel Malek, who has been In the role since May 2016. In his new role, he will be focusing on creativity while emphasising on genuine local insights to shape the agency’s new approaches.

“This is something I have known before, in South America where I worked,” says Manuel. “This is a very common practice to have double ECDs leading a team, but it’s only possible when you have agencies that are big enough to have space for two ECDs who can help each other and not overlap each other.”

Omnicom Media Group MENA appoints new MENA CEO

Global media network, Omnicom Media Group MENA has appointed Nadim Samara to the role of CEO of OMD MENA. With over 17 years within the agency, Nadim most recently held the role of CEO of OMD UAE where he secured local, regional and global accounts while creating new structures and strengthening the agency’s services. In his new role, Nadim will lead a network of 15 offices with over 600 employees and manage more than 200 clients, while driving transformation in the evolving media and marketing landscape to better respond to current and emerging client needs.

“Both the supply and demand side of our business are experiencing challenges that are increasing in frequency, velocity and intensity,” says Nadim. “This puts our clients’ and partners’ business models under significant strain and calls for more dynamic and agile responses. We’ve proactively evolved and our offices across MENA have the talent, the culture, the resources and the leaders to not only provide clients with results-driven solutions but also design the future. By scaling up our expertise in analytics, performance, tech and creativity in both depth and breadth, we will empower all our teams across the network to operate at the highest level.”

Zenith celebrates 30th anniversary

Zenith Middle East, part of Publicis Media Group is celebrating its 30th anniversary in the Middle East. Founded in 1988 and created from the media buying departments of Saatchi & Saatchi, BSB Dorland and KHBB, Zenith first opened its agency in Paddington, London. Over the years, Zenith has become a worldwide media agency network and merged with Optimedia to launch into performance, branded content, analytics and sponsorship consulting.

“I feel very proud to be part of this pioneering network as we celebrate our 30th anniversary,” says Vittorio Bonori, Global Brand President, Zenith. “As the ROI agency we have continually innovated and our vision is to be a key business partner for clients, focused on growth strategy, experience planning and 1-2-1 optimisation.”

ASDA’A Burson Marsteller partners with The Pearl Initiative

Dubai-based PR agency, ASDA’A Burson Marsteller (BM) has signed a Memorandum of Engagement (MoE) with The Pearl Initiative. Founded in 2010, The Pearl Initiative is a non-profit organisation that develops programmes and publishes regional research reports and case studies and aims to influence regional business. The agreement will work towards highlighting their commitment to enhance corporate accountability and transparency in the Gulf region.

“Corporate governance, accountability and transparency are the pillars of successful businesses,” says Sunil John, Founder and President, ASDA’A BM. “We are happy to engage in The Pearl Initiative’s activities to raise awareness on the value of ethical business and to promote the highest principles of corporate accountability and transparency in the Gulf region.”

Carla Koffel, Executive Director, The Pearl Initiative continues, “We are grateful to be working side by side with one of the leading PR consultancies in the Middle East to promote the adoption of strong corporate governance practices by businesses operating in the Gulf Region. Their commitment to supporting our vision will contribute to the expansion of our reach and highlight the significance of a corporate culture of accountability and transparency as a key driver of business sustainability.”

TishTash makes new promotion

Dubai-based marketing and PR agency, TishTash has promoted Marwa Mohamed to the role of Senior Account Executive. With almost two years of experience working within the agency, Marwa worked across clients including The Body Shop, The Organic Pharmacy, Missha and Grown Alchemist. In her new role, she will continue to work across the clients’ portfolio and provide support to generate results.

“Working with TishTash for the past year and a half has been one of the most rewarding experiences, as I had the opportunity to work with reputable brands with the support of a great team,” says Marwa. “I’m excited for the next chapter with the agency and happy to take on more challenges!”

Natasha Hatherall-Shawe, CEO and Founder, TishTash says, “Marwa’s passion for all things beauty always made her the perfect team member for TishTash, which she has gone on to prove time and time again in her time with the agency.   Having worked with Marwa personally on many accounts in the agency, I have always admired her dedication and good work ethic, as well as her passion for the sector and need to research all brands so thoroughly before she starts work on them. She has a fabulous career ahead of her and I’m pleased to see her grow within my team.”

Argaam News welcomes new Editor

Saudi Arabia-based news portal, Argaam News has appointed Paromita Dey to the role of Editor in the UAE. With over eight years of experience in journalism, Paromita previously worked with Construction Week at ITP Media Group as Reporter and most recently as Editor of Construction Business News at BNC Publishing. In her new role, she will be responsible for all content that gets published on the platform while liaising with freelancers and translators as well as generating exciting story ideas.

“I am really excited to join Argaam as an Editor,” says Paromita. “It’s a completely new challenge for me and I definitely look forward to it. These are exciting times for Saudi Arabia with so much activity happening. And it surely will present me a vibrant opportunity to tap into areas to create something engaging out of it.”

Nexa wins two awards at MENA Search Awards 

Dubai-based digital marketing agency, Nexa has received two awards in the MENA Search Awards that took place on September 20, 2018 at Madinat Jumeirah Resort, Dubai. The agency secured Best Integrated Campaign for its campaign work with a tour operator and Best Use of Search for its work with the use of display ads, strategically constructed blogs and search campaigns.

“We are delighted to have won ‘Best Integrated Campaign’ for the second year running,” says Amit Vyas, CEO, Nexa. “Our unique approach allows us to solve our clients’ real-life problems by creating actionable strategies that integrate offline and online activities, while enabling them to create stronger customer relationships, that directly translates to sales. Nexa prides itself in standing out from the crowd and being at the forefront of the latest marketing techniques and trends. This award not only recognises that approach, but the skill and dedication of the team to deliver the best results for our clients.”