Ampersand launches operations across the region

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MCG& Group has launched new marketing and talent consultancy, Ampersand. Founded by Nick Clements and Justin McGuire, Ampersand will have offices across Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore to deliver marketing and talent consulting services. The consultancy will be divided into &Knowledge, which will provide specialist learning and development as well as training, coaching and assessments, &Search, an executive search and placement operation and &Connect, a strategic advisory and M&A service in the creative services arena. The new launch will also see Nick Clements, COO at MCG& take on the additional role of CEO along with Chris Quy, who most recently worked as Director at MCG& to take on the new role of Managing Director.

“Ampersand is a unique offering that brings the best of the worlds of marketing and talent consultancy together,” says Nick Clements, CEO, Ampersand. “We know that there is an appetite for the L&D, search, advisory and M&A services that we provide and are growing the business out internationally from day one. I’m thrilled to be partnering with Justin on this new venture and delighted that Chris Quy is bringing his wealth of experience to the company as Managing Director.”

House of Comms makes new appointment

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Dubai-based integrated communications agency, House of Comms has appointed Hossam Sultan to the role of Senior Social Media Manager. With over six years of dedicated social media experience, Hossam previously worked with more than 35 regional and global clients, including GoPro, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, L’Oreal, Dubai Tourism and Nakheel. In his new role, he will be will be responsible for developing creative solutions for the agency’s client social media platforms and producing data-driven insights.

“It’s impressive to witness the rapid growth of House of Comms and its capacity to compete with global giants that have been in the industry for years,” says Hossam. “It is a true testament to the hard work, passion and creativity of the team here. I’m really looking forward to this exciting new chapter in my career and growing within the agency!”

Smartly.io launches first Middle East office

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Finnish-based Facebook marketing platform, Smartly.io, has launched its first Middle East office in Dubai. The marketing platform provides Facebook and Instagram advertising optimisation tools for leading advertisers in the region. The new office will help brands create and optimise campaigns with first-to-market solutions and features. Tegan Kerr, who previously worked with Effective Measure, takes on the role of Head of MENA along with the new MENA Customers Lead, Valtteri Virtanen, who previously worked in Finland with Dingle. Both will work together to oversee the operations of Smartly.io across the region.

“The explosion of e-commerce and locally-built startups in the Middle East has driven ever-increasing investment in Facebook as a channel, which reaches over 42 million people in the GCC alone,” says Tegan Kerr, Head of MENA, Smartly.io. “Our clients are looking for a partner, not just a tool, that gives them the ultimate competitive edge. They’re looking for significant performance improvements and automation across what can often be large-scale and complex campaigns.”