Mazin Siraj has been appointed as Sales Manager at Business Traveller Middle East. Previously, Sales Account Manager at Astro Digital Publications in Malaysia, Mazin brings with him extensive experience in media sales in print, TV and radio.
“This is a great opportunity to expand my horizons and I am pleased to be part of such a respected media company in the region,” says Mazin.
Style blogger Dee Mohamud has joined luxury lifestyle PR agency Aziza Communications as PR Executive. As Founder of streetstylesavvy.com, Dee is experienced with creating fresh and eye-catching content and staying up-to-date with the latest online trends. At Aziza Communications, Dee will work across fashion and beauty accounts, developing engaging content and assisting with digital account development.
“I’ve always wanted to work in PR and in the luxury lifestyle field, so to join Aziza Communications is very exciting,” says Dee. “I love fashion and being creative, so this really is the perfect match.”
Loubna Elfakri, Account Director, Aziza Communications adds: “We are expanding our digital capabilities considerably at Aziza Communications and Dee joining the team only adds to the strength of this offering. As a respected blogger and digital influencer in the lifestyle field, Dee will offer invaluable insight to clients.”
Natalie Haynes has joined OMD UAE as Associate Director – Digital for the network’s luxury unit. Previously, Natalie worked in media in Los Angeles handling key accounts such as Beats by Dre and brings over eight years of media experience to her new role. As Associate Director – Digital, Natalie will manage the digital deliverables for the LVMH portfolio.
“Moving to the UAE and joining such a great team has been an incredible experience,” says Natalie. “I was really impressed with OMD’s approach to fresh thinking and their strong workplace culture. Being names as one of the best employers in the country also made a strong case for me to make the move. I look forward to this new challenge and working to raise the bar further with OMD.”
Dubai-based PR service provider, Secret PR has appointed Nitesh Patel as Business Development Manager. Previously Business Development Manager for The Oath Legal Magazine, Nitesh brings with him 16 years of experience in sales and customer service. In his new role, Nitesh will be responsible for building and maintaining Secret PR’s client portfolio and aiding in business growth.
“I am very excited to be joining Secret PR,” says Nitesh. “This is a new challenge for me and I believe my experience will allow me the opportunity to really shape the future of the business. I am very happy to be part of this young, dynamic and professional team.”
For further information, contact Nitesh Patel at specialagent.patel@secret-pr.com / +971 (0)55 293 8899
The Studio Dubai has appointed Laila Clarke as Head of Client Servicing and Sales. Laila has over eight years of experience in event management working with clients that include; Coca-Cola, KPMG and Philip Morris. She relocated from London to Dubai earlier this year and in her previous role worked with Meraas Holding on Royal events.
“I am really excited to be working at The Studio to develop and grow the Corporate & Events division,” says Laila. “I feel that there are so many photography opportunities in the market and I am looking forward to getting The Studio lined up for as many of them as many as possible.”
The Studio is part of Linktia, a Dubai-based group made up of brands including Bareface Productions, arabianEye Productions, Alchemy Films, Aperto Middle East, Magnet Photo Productions and Corbis.
Samer Alloush has been appointed Senior Sales Manager at The Week. Samer most recently worked as Senior Sales Manager for OK! Middle East, and previously was the Senior Sales Manager at ITP Publishing for three and a half years across titles Refining & Petrochemicals ME, Oil & Gas ME, Utilities ME as well as Oil & Gas Al Arabiya.
In his new role with Motivate Publishing, he will sell advertising space, work to reach sponsorship targets and establish long-term relationships with clients.
“I am looking forward to starting fresh with Motivate,” says Samer. “I always believe that you should not be afraid of new challenges and making a change. I think joining The Week is a great opportunity for me.”
Cheil Middle East and North Africa(MENA) has appointed Wassim Daniel as its new Chief Growth Officer. Wassim brings with him 15 years of experience in top multinational companies in the GCC and Levant area. Most recently, Wassim established FP7-McCann in Iraq and previously was Growth and Development Director for MCN in the Levant region.
In his new role, Wassim will look to diversify the extensive client portfolio at Cheil MENA and will work closely with the agency’s headquarters in Seoul to support global clients looking for greater market share in the Middle East. He will also work with the digital team to promote its new services in programmatic media across the current client portfolio which includes; Etihad, Samsung, du, Coco Cola and Renault, identifying new opportunities for the experiential and retail marketing divisions.
“Cheil MENA is taking on the legacy networks with the kind of ideas that transcend discipline and the traditional ways of advertising,” says Wassim. “It has recognized strengths in technology, retail experience, digital solutions and events, which support its offering as a full service agency. There is a real movement happening at Cheil and I am very proud to be part of the executive team driving its expansion.”
Keesoo Kim, CEO, Cheil MENA adds, “Through his experience in the industry, Wassim will add tremendous value by helping introduce domestic clients to Cheil’s global vision for Ideas that Move and to Cheil’s global network of experts that develop cutting-edge solutions to clients’ business problems.”
Lisa Welsh has been promoted to General Manager at Hill+Knowlton Strategies Dubai. Previously Deputy General Manager Dubai, Lisa brings with her years of experience in integrated communications having lead the consultancy’s Health+Wellness practice across the Middle East and Africa, tripling its size in the last three years. She also has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical sector where she advised regional and global brands, ranging from regulatory issues management to market entry and influencer engagement.
“We’ve had an impressive 2015 with significant growth across all our key sectors specifically healthcare, sports + entertainment and brand marketing,” says Lisa. “We continue to drive our clients businesses through creative integrated campaigns that deliver impact and enhance their reputation.I am looking forward to the opportunities for further growth in 2016.”
Penelope Walsh has been appointed as the Online Editor for Hotelier, Caterer and Arabian Travel News magazines. Previously Eating Out Editor for Time Out Dubai for the last three and a half years, Penelope will continue to cover restaurant, bar, hotel and travel news across the region more in depth and with industry-relevant perspective.
She will focus on new openings of hotels and restaurants, industry appointments, new hotel and F&B operational features and relevant on-trade developments.
Teesta Raha joins The Portsmouth Group as Consultant. In her previous position as Account Manager at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, she managed PR strategy for consumer, corporate, technology and finance accounts including Sony Professional, Intel, Coca-Cola, TetraPak and Meshreq.
In her new role as Consultant, Teesta will be responsible for all PR and creative communications strategy for a range of clients and include managing retainer accounts and select client projects from across the technology, corporate and consumer sectors.