Initiative MENA appoints new Regional MD

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Global media agency, Initiative MENA has appointed Lee Boden to the role of Regional Managing Director. With over 17 years of experience in media and advertising, Lee previously worked with MediaCom Singapore where he held the role of Regional Director and most recently worked with Kudos Content. In his new role, Lee will develop media strategies and improve client business outcomes in the agency.

“Initiative has undertaken a successful internal transformation over the past two years led by our Global CEO, Mat Baxter,” says Lee. “It’s now time to bring the power and benefit of that transformation to our clients here in the MENA region. As always, we remain absolutely committed to finding new ways to unlock immediate value and competitive advantage for our clients.”

APO Group appoints new CEO

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Media relations consultancy for the MENA region, APO Group has appointed Lionel Reina to the role of CEO. With over 25 years of senior management experience, Lionel previously worked with the French telecoms company Orange where he held the role of Vice President and General Manager for Eastern Europe and most recently as the Middle East Director in the Gulf region for Accenture. In his new role, he will assume operational responsibility for all aspects of the business and look to grow its portfolio of clients and continue its International expansion and digital transformation.

“I’ve been following the progress of APO Group for years and been hugely impressed by their approach to innovation and willingness to stay ahead of the competition,” says Lionel. “I want to ensure we keep our strong customer focus and build on our reputation as a global consultancy with unique experience and relationships across the media landscape.”

MEPRA Award winners announced

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The winners of the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) Awards have been announced following the conclusion of its tenth edition of the awards that took place on November 28, 2018. Held at the JW Mariott Marquis, the awards focused on celebrating and recognising impactful and creative campaigns in the Middle East. The awards saw wins for Brazen PR for Small Agency of the Year and Hill+Knowlton Strategies for Large Agency of the Year.

“This festival of creative communications has been the biggest and most successful event in MEPRA’s history, reflecting the growing maturity of the industry in the region,” says Ray Eglington, MEPRA Chair. “We’ve been delighted to welcome such an impressive array of international experts and to celebrate the excellence of the award-winning campaigns.”

Mad Diameter makes new appointment 

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Dubai-based advertising agency, Mad Diameter has appointed Amr Moustafa to the role of Marketing Communications Director. With over eight years of experience in the advertising and marketing communications industry, Amr most recently handled digital activities, operations and client services while monitoring the progress of projects. In his new role, he will plan the communication strategy for the agency and lead the client servicing team along with the creative and operation team to release successful advertising campaigns and executions.

Facebook appoints new Managing Director 

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Facebook has appointed Ramez T. Shehadi to the role of Managing Director in the MENA region. With a wealth of experience in the digital business and technology industry, Ramez most recently worked with Booz Allen Hamilton where he held the role of Senior Partner and Managing Director. In his new role, Ramez will lead the commercial growth and impact of Facebook and its portfolio of apps, services and businesses across the region.

“Digital transformation is well underway across the region, driven by demand for secure, fast and personalised online experiences throughout social communities and public and private sectors,” says Ramez. “I am excited to join the Facebook team at such a time and look forward to helping shape and drive the strategy in MENA, ensuring that the market remains prioritised and a source of information globally.”