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Omnicom Media Group MENA appoints new MENA CEO

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Global media network, Omnicom Media Group MENA has appointed Nadim Samara to the role of CEO of OMD MENA. With over 17 years within the agency, Nadim most recently held the role of CEO of OMD UAE where he secured local, regional and global accounts while creating new structures and strengthening the agency’s services. In his new role, Nadim will lead a network of 15 offices with over 600 employees and manage more than 200 clients, while driving transformation in the evolving media and marketing landscape to better respond to current and emerging client needs.

“Both the supply and demand side of our business are experiencing challenges that are increasing in frequency, velocity and intensity,” says Nadim. “This puts our clients’ and partners’ business models under significant strain and calls for more dynamic and agile responses. We’ve proactively evolved and our offices across MENA have the talent, the culture, the resources and the leaders to not only provide clients with results-driven solutions but also design the future. By scaling up our expertise in analytics, performance, tech and creativity in both depth and breadth, we will empower all our teams across the network to operate at the highest level.”

Festival of Media MENA reveals award winners

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Winners of the Festival of Media MENA Awards 2017, in partnership with Mediaquest, has been announced following the conclusion of the third edition of its conference on April 26, 2017. Held at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray hotel, the awards focused on the evolution of the media industry to celebrate the best in media thinking and communications across the region. The event saw major wins for Starcoms winning Agency Network of the Year, OMD UAE for Agency of the Year and MEC MENA for Campaign of the Year, while other winners also include Garage 366 for Best Use of Mobile, Magna Egypt for Best Engagement Strategy and MediaVest | Spark for Best Social Media Strategy. The winners were judged by a panel divided into two groups and chaired by Asad Rehman, Director of Media at Unilever MENA and Nick Graham, Director of Global Digital Marketing and Media at Huawei for the event.

“It is a privilege and a great responsibility to be asked to chair an awards ceremony that is as prestigious as the Festival of Media MENA,” says Asad Rehman, Director of Media, Unilever MENA. “Too often we are in the office with our heads down, but judging gives us the opportunity to open the windows and see what else is happening in the region.”

OMD collaborates with business intelligence agency

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OMD MENA has announced an exclusive partnership with MEA-based business intelligence and research firm, Emerging Markets Intelligence and Research (EMIR). Through the partnership, OMD, part of Omnicom Media Group, aims to offer its clients effective marketing strategies and better business results with the help of market and governmental intelligence, insights and analysis.

“Our ‘Insights.Ideas.Results’ motto has always been our guiding principle and philosophy at OMD, so naturally we strive to sharpen each of these facets with the best resources available,” says Nadim Samara, CEO, OMD UAE. “Today, we operate in a world that is rich with data and insights and it’s our role, as a strategic partner to some of the world’s biggest brands, to access this intelligence and extract its value for our clients. This allows us to collectively make even more impactful decisions going forward and, ultimately, deliver better marketing performance and business results.”

OMD UAE appoints new Associate Director

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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.”

OMD UAE partners with Pi Slice

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OMD UAE announces its partnering with Pi Slice, the web-based social platform channeling funding for Micro-Finance Institutions (MFIs). This comes as part of the media agency’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities and its continuous contribution to developing the region’s economies and improving the lives of its people. OMD UAE and Pi Slice have launched a ‘lending page’ to promote micro-lending opportunities to its stakeholders and the wider community. Individuals can view a list of micro-financed projects and provide support to the initiative of their choice.

Through this collaboration, OMD UAE and Pi Slice bring a unique proposition to the UAE, linking individuals who wish to invest with Pi Slice’s MFI partners in the region, which, in turn use the funds to provide micro-credit to their customers. Micro-lending allows individuals to build a sustainable future for micro-entrepreneurs, as well as a supportive ecosystem for development at the macro level.

“We’re delighted to have found common ground with Pi Slice,” says Nadine Samara, Managing Director of OMD UAE & Lower Gulf. “We share the vision of a brighter future for entrepreneurship, to help alleviate poverty, stimulate development and improve the lives of many. Supporting ambition is hugely rewarding for both individuals and organisations, so we hope many around us will join us in this endeavour.”

OMD Arabia undergoes internal restructure

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In response to the significant increase in billings in 2014, OMD Arabia has undergone a management restructuring and named new General Managers for its offices in Riyadh and Jeddah.

Toni El Rahi, previously General Manager of OMD Riyadh, has taken the role of Business Development Director for OMD Arabia’s parent company, Omnicom Media Group Saudi Arabia, reporting to CEO Choucrallah Abou Samra. In this role, he will capitalise on his vast network of connections and his talent for identifying and securing the best client relationships across the group. Toni will also hold the general management responsibilities of PHD Riyadh.

Faisal Shams, most recently a Business Unit Director at OMD UAE, has been promoted to General Manager for OMD Arabia, additionally managing its Riyadh office. Having gained significant experience climbing through the ranks of planning with the agency, Faisal will be responsible for building the business, strengthening the brand and deepening client relationship across the Kingdom and Riyadh.

Finally, Hani Dajani has been appointed as General Manager of OMD Jeddah, reporting to Faisal Shams. Most recently holding the position of Head of Planning, his primary objective in his new role is to maintain the network’s leading position in the Jeddah market and drive its digital and innovation agendas forward.

“At a time of rapid expansion, these new appointments strengthen our position to embrace the challenges and assignments that await us,” says Choucrallah Abou Samra, CEO, Omnicom Media Group Saudi Arabia. “With his experience, Toni is ideally placed to steer growth for the whole group. Faisal has managed some of our most demanding clients in the past, demonstrating unique leadership skills, and Hani has always led from the front with clients and prospects. I have full confidence in their ability to navigate our growth and pioneer the way forward for our clients, partners and the industry.”