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Ali Nehme promoted at Publicis Media

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Publicis Media, part of Publicis Groupe has promoted Ali Nehme to President of Innovation and Commerce, EMEA starting September, 2017. Ali joined Publicis Groupe in 2008 as a part of Starcom Mediavest Group and most recently held the position of Chief Strategy Officer at Publicis Media, where he oversaw the development and execution of the agency’s vision and strategy. In his new role, he will work with the leadership team in the region to accelerate growth and report to Iain Jacob, the CEO of Publicis Media EMEA, as well as continue to report to Steve Parker, the CEO of Publicis Media Middle East. He will also be responsible for driving an innovation agenda for the agency with a primary focus on strengthening and building an e-commerce strategy and roadmap to ensure scaled solutions across all markets in the EMEA region.

“Ali is an incredibly talented, dynamic and accomplished leader and his impressive track record demonstrates his ability to identify new opportunities to drive tangible business results for our agencies and clients,” says Iain Jacob, CEO, Publicis Media, EMEA. “Commerce is a critical area of future growth for our business and I look forward to working with him as he builds on the momentum he’s already achieved in the Middle East.”

BPG Cohn & Wolfe makes senior appointments

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BPG Cohn & Wolfe has made three new appointments following the expansion plan of its corporate and technology practice. Hala Sarieddine has taken on the role of Account Director having previously worked with Weber Shandwick and most recently with Hill+Knowlton Strategies. Also appointed to the role of Account Director is Ajith Henry who has experience in handling financial services clients and previously worked with APCO as well as ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller.

Mara Carpencu joins the team as Associate Account Director having previously worked with Active DMC, where she worked across integrated communications campaigns for international B2B and B2C clients she brings with her experience in communications and events.

In their new role, they will join the senior management team at BPG Cohn & Wolfe and build the current client portfolio of the agency, which includes KPMG, HMD Global – the home of Nokia phones, Booz Allen Hamilton and Omantel. They will also deliver innovative solutions to build, protect and enhance the brand value of the agency’s clients.

“We are excited to welcome Hala, Ajith and Mara to our team,”says Ketaki Banga, Business Director, Corporate and Technology, BPG Cohn & Wolfe. “Our technology and corporate practice has grown to over 16 accounts in the past three years and we credit this success to the entrepreneurial culture encouraged at every level in the BPG Group.”

New promotion at DDB Dubai

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DDB Dubai has appointed Iris Minnema to the role of Managing Director. Having joined DDB Amsterdam as Senior Account Manager in 2007, Iris moved to Dubai and most recently held the position of Business Director, where she worked across clients such as Johnson & Johnson, McDonald’s and Dubai Parks and Resorts. In her new role, she will report to Hubert Boulos, CEO of DDB Middle East and lead the operations of the Dubai office.

Effies 2017 open for entries

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The MENA Effie Awards (Effies), hosted and organised by MediaQuest, is now accepting entries for its ninth edition, set to take place on November 15, 2017. Aiming to recognise effective and innovative marketing in the region, the programme will honour brands across 29 industry-specific award categories, including a newly launched addition for the 2017 ceremony, ‘Renaissance’. Winners of the MENA Effie Awards 2017 will become part of the ranking process for next year’s Effie Effectiveness Index, a comprehensive global ranking of marketing effectiveness. The first deadline for entries is September 7, 2017, followed by the second deadline on September 14, 2017 and the final deadline on September 28,2017.

“We are delighted to be opening the call for entries for the ninth edition of the MENA Effies, which has become one of the most prestigious award programmes in the region’s marketing calendar,” says Alexandre Hawari, Co-CEO, MediaQuest. “The programme has been designed to encompass the entire marketing world and gives companies a real opportunity to display their innovative and effective approaches to everything ranging from sector-specific marketing to branded content and media ideas. The entries have been of an increasingly high calibre year-on-year and we are confident that 2017 will be no exception.”

New Editor-in-Chief at The National

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UAE-based newspaper, The National, recently acquired by International Media Investments (IMI) has appointed Mina Al Oraibi to the role of Editor-in-Chief starting July 1, 2017. Mina previously worked with Saudi Arabian newspaper, Asharq AlAwsat in the UK as Assistant Editor-in-Chief and in the US as Washington DC Bureau Chief, and most recently with the Institute for State Effectiveness in the UK as Senior Fellow, where she led the institute’s Middle East discourse program. In her new role, she will lead The National team and contribute to the newspaper’s brand development, both print and online across the region.

Changes at ITP Media Group

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Stylist Arabia and OK! Middle East are set to close down. Falling under the umbrella of ITP Media Group, women’s lifestyle magazine Stylist Arabia will discontinue production with its July/August 2017 edition being its final issue. In addition, celebrity lifestyle magazine, OK! Middle East will also follow suit with its last volume to be published at the end of this month. The two lifestyle magazines will also discontinue all digital operations on their mobile applications following the closures.