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2015 SABRE Awards EMEA winners announced

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The 2015 SABRE Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Awards were held on 21 May, 2015 at The Roundhouse in London. Over 650 PR professionals from the EMEA region attended the ceremony to celebrate the winners, selected from 2,400 entries.

Among the agencies to have won were Roche Lebanon with Memac Ogilvy Public Relations for their Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign, Al Baik with TRACCS for their Park it Right campaign, Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange with Weber Shandwick for their The DGC-X-Factor! How DGCX Transformed its Regional and Global Profile campaign and Canon with DABO & CO for the Canon Cabast trade show. UN Women with Memac Ogilvy Public Relations – Dubai, were also nominated as finalists for the Platinum Sabre award for Best in Show for their campaign, The Autocomplete Truth.

Global agency Weber Shandwick won five awards in total on the night, with Memac Ogilvy winning three. Ketchum was presented with four awards for its clients, and Burson-Marsteller and Edelman (including Elan and DABO & CO) won three.

Ibrahim Mougharbel joins Instinctif Partners

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Ibrahim Mougharbel has been appointed Senior Regional Consultant at Instinctif Partners. He will work on assignments across various markets including those in the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman, specialising in real estate, oil and gas, healthcare, financial services, private sector growth companies and government relations.

Prior to joining Instinctif, Ibrahim worked with Edelman in the UAE as a Senior Account Manager, working with clients including Sky News Arabia, Mubadala and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB). He graduated from Saint Joseph University in Beirut with a BA in Business and Management.

“I’m delighted to have joined Instinctif Partners at such an exciting time,” says Ibrahim. “I am looking forward to working with a talented and experienced team committed to delivering first class communications strategies for its clients.”

Edelman to acquire DABO & CO

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Communications marketing firm Edelman today announced it plans to acquire independent communications agency DABO & CO. The combination of Edelman’s United Arab Emirates operations with those of DABO & CO will encompass 150 employees with a broad range of expertise from corporate to marketing to digital. The agency will offer creative, planning, research and event management capabilities across the region.

Edelman UAE opened its first office in Abu Dhabi in 2008; it now has an award-winning team of 85 consultants across Abu Dhabi and Dubai, working for UAE-based organisations as well as numerous multinational companies.

DABO & CO has grown over the past ten years to become a creative communications and experiential marketing business; it now has a team of over 60 staff and represents many world-renowned brands.

“Globally Edelman looks to invest in firms that are committed to reshaping the focus of the communications marketing industry, and DABO & CO demonstrates this vision through its highly-creative, client-centric approach,” says Matthew Harrington, Global Chief Operating Officer, Edelman. “As the industry develops in the Middle East, this partnership will position us to create engaging and innovative communications programs that support our clients’ needs.”

“We are excited to partner with Edelman as we believe this acquisition will unite two of the leading players in the market to create a regional powerhouse,” adds Camilla d’Abo, Managing Partner, DABO & CO. “Not only will our clients benefit greatly from this, it also constitutes a compelling proposition to brands seeking a new integrated approach in the region.”

Edelman appoints Associate Director

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Zaib Shadani has been appointed Associate Director in the Consumer division at Edelman. She will oversee the Arts & Culture and Luxury wings of the consumer practice.

With over nine years of PR experience, mostly in the Middle East, Zaib is an experienced strategist. Having spent five years with The Portsmouth Group as Lead Advisor and PR Counsel for a wealth of arts & culture clients, Zaib has also provided tactical oversight and media outreach for luxury, lifestyle and fashion related clients. She is a Cum Laude graduate from the University of Toronto and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Wollongong in Dubai.

“I feel privileged to be joining the Arts division of the world’s largest agency at a time when there is so much interest in the cultural movements happening across the Middle East,” says Zaib. “Edelman has a reputation for global excellence and innovative campaigns, and I look forward to being a part of their growing team.

Edelman welcomes new Executive Vice Chairman

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Edelman has appointed Carol Potter as Executive Vice Chairman, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APACMEA) from August 1, 2015. She joins the team from Shanghai, where she was President and CEO of BBDO China.

Carol is recognised and well-respected in global advertising, arriving in Shanghai as CEO of BBDO China in 2006, having previously worked as Global Business Director at J.Walter Thompson in London.  Starting her career at Satchi & Satchi, working in Sydney, New York, Tokyo and London, marketing and advertising across various high profile brands and fortune 500 companies.

In her new role, Carol will be based in Dubai supporting David Brain, President and CEO, APACMEA. She will be tasked particularly in helping to develop Edelman’s brand offer, which encompasses social, digital, experiential, PR, analytics and research for clients throughout the region.

“Carol represents the gold standard of advertising and planning, and will bring with her the science and rigour of marketing to accelerate our evolution into becoming the region’s first communications marketing agency,” says David. ‘”She is a leading brands thinker and will elevate our research, creative and content offerings across the region for the benefit of our clients.”

Carol adds, “Edelman has always been an impressive company to me and its evolution, which David is pioneering in the region, really ignited my interest.  I see this as a wonderful opportunity to use my experience in new ways to pursue the same agenda.”

MEAComS joins Edelman affiliate network

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Edelman and MEAComS have signed an agreement naming MEAComS as Edelman’s exclusive affiliate in Eygpt. MEAComS will form an integral part of the Edelman network of affiliates by providing local expertise and on-the-ground market support to Edelman. MEAComS’ staff and clients will have access to Edelman’s regional and global network of experts, best practices and professional development and training programs.

“Edelman is renowned for setting industry standards,” says Fatma Z. Ahmed, Managing Director, MEAComS. “We are proud to affiliate with a global firm whose reputation for innovation and an integrated approach to strategic communications in meeting client needs proceeds them. We at MEAComS share many of Edelman’s core values and work diligently to ensure the same success for our clients. Our partnership will give Edelman greater insight into Egypt and the Middle East while we gain important know-how and experience as we continue to grow our own influence regionally. We look forward to a fruitful relationship that is win-win for Edelman and MEAComS.”

Robert Holdheim, CEO of Edelman South Asia, Middle East & Africa adds, “Egypt is an exciting, rapidly emerging and important market in the Middle East and North Africa region. As a long-standing partner of Edelman in Egypt, we know that MEAComS shares Edelman’s commitment to excellence and quality in meeting our clients’ needs. This affiliation marks a new chapter in our alliance, adding considerable value to our present client portfolio in Egypt and enhancing the significant future growth potential in this important market for Edelman. We look forward to a long and prosperous partnership in Egypt.”

Ibrahim Ahmed joins Edelman

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Ibrahim Ahmed has joined Edelman UAE’s technology division as Account Manager. Having lived and worked in the UAE for five years, Ibrahim brings to his new role a solid understanding of the technology landscape in the region as he joins the Edelman team from DABO & CO, where he worked across a variety of B2B and B2C technology brands.

“I am thrilled to be joining the technology division at Edelman,” says Ibrahim. “My experience in PR so far includes working on tech brands such as Canon, Nokia and Linksys. Having previously worked on other sectors such as interiors, e-commerce, oil & gas and education, I am excited to see what my future holds at Edelman.”

New Senior PR Exec for Venture Communications

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Charles Santhakumar has today joined the team at Venture Communications in the role of Senior PR Executive. Hailing from India, Charles has over seven years of PR experience in agencies including Edelman, Hanmer MSL and Vaishnavi Corporate Communications, and his new role at Venture Communications will be his first step in to the Middle East PR industry.

“I am very much looking forward to commencing my career in the Middle East and putting the experience I gained in India to good use,” says Charles. “I love to work under pressure and am looking forward to getting stuck in to this new role.”

Charles will look after the lifestyle, healthcare, hospitality and transportation accounts and can be contacted at charlessanthakumar@venture-com.com / +971 (0)56 744 7423