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In The Hot Seat – Jonathan Shillington

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Jonathan Shillington, Managing Director at Grayling Middle East, offers his advice to leaders in the communications industry and discusses how agencies must adapt to their environment in the Middle East…

Name: Jonathan Shillington

Age: 45

From: United Kingdom

Current Job Title: Managing Director, Middle East, Grayling

When did you first arrive in Dubai?

I have worked in Dubai since 2012, but only fully moved here in June. I am currently getting to know Dubai from a different perspective as a new resident, with my family – which is very different from flying in and out for work!

Where did you work prior?

I was Managing Director of Grayling’s business in Qatar, and for several years led an embedded team of advisers at Qatar Foundation’s communication directorate. Before that I was the head of Grayling UK’s Corporate and Financial practice in London. I started my career in London, working in marketing for a fund management company.

What were your first impressions of the media industry in the Middle East?

Coming from London, which has such a diverse, investigative and questioning media tradition, it did take a while to understand and appreciate some of the differences in the two media landscapes. What works in London does not necessarily work in Dubai, Doha or Muscat. Too many expats come here expecting to impose their home country’s ways of doing things, without taking the time to develop an understanding of the cultural differences and attributes of each country in the GCC and wider Middle East.

How has your opinion changed?

As economic conditions have become tougher in the last year due mainly to falling oil prices, communications and marketing budgets have tightened across the board in the GCC. Organisations are demanding more and more from PR – and are having to really demonstrate the tangible benefits of communications to their boards – usually in terms of proving how it is ultimately benefiting the bottom line. Helping clients to gain an increased share of voice by comparison to their competitors for the right reasons is key to what we do. This isn’t about lots of press releases every week or social media posts every day, but it is about ensuring the delivery of really great content and developing real understanding and relationships with people. This is about listening to and talking with your audiences as well as being as transparent as possible about how you conduct your business.

Tell us about your current role…

I am the Managing Director for Grayling’s business in the Middle East – responsible for all aspects of our PR business in this region. Absolutely key to what I do is making sure we provide the best possible service to our clients. We have long established offices in Dubai and Doha, and last year we opened an office in Muscat. Last week, we signed an exclusive affiliation agreement with PGt Advertising in Tehran, which is an exciting development for us as Iran becomes increasingly open for international business.

What challenges do you face?

You have got to be able to multi-task and keep calm under pressure. When I started out in the mid-90s you would tend to finish work at 6pm and that would be it until the next day. Now it is pretty much non-stop – you are on call 24/7. If you are not able to check your emails in the evening and on the weekend, PR probably is not the right career for you.

At the same time you have to be disciplined about organising your time so you can manage a decent work/life balance. You have certainly got to be flexible, as you never quite know what each day will bring, no matter how much you plan ahead!

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

Doing great work for clients, which is acknowledged by them is always fulfilling. At the same time, seeing our advice or work actually make a difference in terms of the desired outcome for the client is also very rewarding. Working with a team of people that are positive, keen to learn and willing to go the extra mile for the company and our clients is also key. We are lucky to have an incredibly bright, talented and diverse team here at Grayling, and a really positive and respectful culture – which is actually not as common as it should be, agency-side.

What do you think is the secret to successful leadership?

Leaders should not only be prepared to take responsibility and make difficult decisions, but they should also empower their teams, rather than micro-manage them. Being approachable and doing, not just talking, is also so important. Providing clear guidance on what is expected of your team and what the company is trying to achieve is also vital. People need to understand what they are working towards, and how the business is performing. I try to encourage colleagues to come forward with ideas and, if necessary, question things that they don’t feel are quite right. Everyone should have a voice and feel they are valued and respected.

What advice would you offer to someone looking to start a career in media in the UAE?

Read a lot. make sure you understand the media landscape across the country and develop your writing skills either in Arabic or English (or both, if possible!). Get creative with your job applications, and be tenacious. Do not just email over your CV. Do your research on the firm before contacting them and find out what they are working on – and think through how you can actually help them in a way that will get you noticed. It is all about getting your foot in the door. Once your foot is in the door and you do a good job, you will be up and away.

Lions Festivals appoints new Managing Director

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Lions Festivals has appointed Jose Papa to the role of Managing Director. Jose is currently CEO of another business – WGSN – owned by Ascential, Lions Festivals parent company and was previously Corporate Strategy Executive Director at Estadão, Cannes Lions’ official representative in Brazil. In his new role, which will be effective as of September 1, 2016, he will head up and manage the Lions Festivals four annual global celebrations; Cannes Lions, Lion’s Health, Lions Innovation and Lions Entertainment, as well as regional events including; eurobest, Dubai Lynx, Spikes Asia and the Tangrams.
“Clearly this role attracted a lot of interest and I am delighted that Jose has agreed to join Lions Festivals,” says Philip Thomas, CEO, Ascential. “He has led WGSN to unprecedented success and with a deep understanding of our brand and huge international experience, he was the outstanding candidate for the role.”
Jose adds, “Lions Festival is the definitive global destination for creativity and inspiration. A legacy built by bringing together the world’s brightest minds and awarding the most innovative work. It is a privilege to carry on the heritage and further lead an exciting new phase of continued success.”

Nominations open for Leaders in Food & Beverages Awards

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Catering News Middle East has opened nominations for the inaugural Leaders in Food & Beverages Awards. The awards will celebrate excellence and innovation in the region’s food and beverage industry across 18 categories, including nine for restaurants and nine for individuals. Winners will be announced at a ceremony which will take place on November 9, 2016 at the Westin Mina Seyahi, Dubai and will be sponsored by prominent suppliers on the market including; Horeca Trade, Ronai and Pulsar.
“The first annual Leaders in Food & Beverages Awards‎ is part of BNC Publishing’s ongoing commitment to highlighting exceptional industry players,” says Wissam Younane, CEO, BNC Publishing. “The Middle East’s culinary and catering community continues to surpass itself in terms of creativity, service excellence, and innovative conceptual development. We look forward to welcoming both established and upcoming food and beverages talent to the event.”

Verizon buys Yahoo’s search and advertising operations

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US telecoms company, Verizon Communications has bought Yahoo’s search and advertising operations for a deal of around $4.8bn. The telecoms company will now own Yahoo’s core Internet businesses of over a billion active users a month, to become a global mobile media company.
“Verizon is progressing its transformation to become a cross-screen advertising and media group,” says Juan Jose Rio, Partner, Advisory and Investment group, Delta Partners. “Through Yahoo, Verizon is harnessing a significant number of assets, including new advertising capabilities, but most relevant is its fixed and mobile advertising properties in the search, communication and digital content space. Whilst it remains to be seen what exactly Verizon will do with this latest acquisition and all its underlying assets, including those beyond the US borders, this may lead to similar deals and acquisitions between telcos and digital companies. More deals of a similar nature may be forged in the future, with telcos looking increasingly to leverage their connectivity and data assets to become powerful digital companies.”

ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller wins In2 SABRE EMEA Award

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ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller has been awarded the Thought Leadership in PR Award at this year’s In2 SABRE EMEA Awards in Berlin. The awards recognised the agency for it’s work in the seventh annual Arab Youth Survey 2015, as well as excellence in various categories of innovation and insight, with an emphasis on content creation, PR agency management and marketing. ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller also received a Certificate of Excellence in the Social Media – Collective category for its Warriors in Pink campaign for Ford Middle East recognised by the SABRE awards.

“Our thought leadership platform, the Arab Youth Survey, has been recognised as a pioneering initiative for the PR industry across Europe, the Middle East and Africa,” says Sunil John, Founder and CEO, ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller. “The survey has earned a reputation as a unique piece of work that adds a new dimension to the dialogue in and about the Middle East, providing a valuable insight for policymakers, businesses and civil society.  It is rewarding to see our hard work and investment in this major initiative recognised at the highest level by our peers in the PR industry.”

Wassim Daniel joins Cheil MENA

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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.”

Susan Parker joins Eaton

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Power management company Eaton has appointed Susan Parker to the position of Marketing Communications Director, Middle East, Electrical Sector – EMEA. Susan previously worked as Group Director of the Technology Practice for Weber Shandwick in Dubai, and she brings 10 years of experience in journalism and public relations to her new role.

As Marketing Communications Director, Middle East, Electrical Sector – EMEA, Susan will be located in Eaton’s facility in Jebel Ali, where she will be responsible for leading the development of the marketing communications strategy for the electrical sector’s Middle Eastern operations. She will also work with the Middle East leadership team and EMEA Central Marketing Communications team to strategically plan, facilitate and manage marketing communications programs that support the business’ objectives.

“Susan joining our team shows our intention to build on the developments we have made in all areas of our business in recent years,” says Frank Ackland, General Manager – Middle East, Eaton. “Her knowledge of the media sector in the region and experience in our core markets will enable her to hit the ground running.”

Susan adds, “I’m obviously thrilled to be taking up this role for Eaton at what is such an exciting time for the company. Eaton is going through a huge change in the way that it approaches marketing and the opportunity to join what will become a sector-leading team is incredibly exciting.”