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Young & Rubicam welcome new Account Manager

Global marketing and communications company Young & Rubicam has welcomed Jad Fares to the role of Account Manager. With two years of experience in media, Jad previously worked as an Account Executive at MadCom, in Dubai. In his new role, Jad will be utilising his knowledge of shopper marketing and brand activations as a part of the Young & Rubicam Labstore team, where he will be researching shopper mindsets in order to come up with creative concepts to attract and engage target markets.

“I joined Young & Rubicam Labstore because I fell in love with the brands from a consumer’s perspective, so it’s amazing to work on them in the capacity of a shopper marketing specialist,” says Jad. “Each of the brands are well-known and admired and I just can’t wait to dive in.”

Ghaleb Zeidan heads Weber Shandwick Abu Dhabi

Ghaleb Zeidan, former Deputy Managing Director of Weber Shandwick in Abu Dhabi, has been promoted to Managing Director of the Twofour54-based agency. Having been with the company since 2010, the former journalist from Lebanon has successfully led a number of the agency’s largest accounts as well as having grown its government communications practice into the leading practice in the agency today.

“Our Abu Dhabi office is an award-winning operation that is well renowned for the quality of its work and the calibre of its team, which is unique locally in that it is comprised of largely Arab nationals from Abu Dhabi itself who live and breathe the local market,” says Ziad Hasbani, CEO of Weber Shandwick MENA. “With a five-year successful track record at our company already behind him, I am in no doubt that Ghaleb is the right leader to take our Abu Dhabi office forward into its next exciting chapter.”

Clement Dean promoted at BPG Group

Regional marketing and advertising agency BPG Group has promoted Clement Dean to the role of Senior Account Manager. Having previously worked for the agency as Account Manager, Clement has over six years of experience in public relations.

As Senior Account Manager, Clement will be responsible for delivering on-brand innovation and contributing to the achievement of business objectives for clients. He will also lead client relationships and build media relationships for BPG Group.

“It is great to be recognised and rewarded for the effort and hard work I have put in,” says Clement. “I will take this opportunity to further my learnings and experience, as well as to work towards greater results and achievements for the company.”

Sarah Bartlett promoted at Weber Shandwick

Sarah Bartlett, a Weber Shandwick veteran of 13 years and former Managing Director of its Abu Dhabi operation since 2007, has taken up the role of Executive Director, Talent, Organisational Development and Brand Communications, Middle East and North Africa. This new role has been created to enhance the company’s investment in people across the region.

“My new role puts people at the heart of everything we do,” says Sarah. “My new mandate is to ensure that we have best-practice current people practices in place, allowing us to tap into the changing talent needs of the organisation, fostering a learning culture where employees are encouraged to own their careers, and promote the company’s unique customer employee proposition, collectively combining to ensure that Weber Shandwick MENA is one of the leading talent destinations for the best creative minds in our region.”

Commenting on the new internal structure, Ziad Hasbani, CEO of Weber Shandwick MENA, said “As a growing company with high standards in a specialised industry in this region, the single largest barrier to growth we face is the ability to bring the right kind of people on board. This newly-created function is a major step forwards for our industry in this part of the world and represents a strong message about the importance we are placing in attracting, retaining and growing the right talent in a fast-changing environment. We’re no longer hiring PR people only, but designers, planners, digital specialists and other related professionals. As a former leader of one of the largest offices in our regional network, Sarah is well placed to understand both the needs of our business and the type of people who excel in the award-winning environment we offer.”

ExtraCake and Katch collaborate for Games 15

ExtraCake, organisers of the Middle East Film and Comic Con and Games 15 have announced a strategic partnership with Katch International to help promote the 2015 edition of the marquee gaming event in a bid to maximise reach to fans and exhibitors alike.

While the event will again focus on early access to the latest games and demos from publishers like Sony PlayStation, XBOX and many leading games publishers, GAMES 15 will also incorporate many innovative and unique elements with the inclusion of eSports with ESL, Video Games Live, mobile gaming, table top gaming, workshops, merchandising, celebrity guests and much more making it an event that transcends boundaries.

“The scope we have for Games going forward is much broader than ever before.,” says Arafaat Ali Khan, Director of Public Relations at ExtraCake. “Like the Middle East Film and Comic Con before it, Games 15 will offer something for everyone and offer one of the most entertaining weekends out for families and hardcore gamers alike. To ensure that we reach every demographic and every communication channel, we felt that increasing our resources was a must and tying up with another strong agency like Katch seemed to be the obvious way forward.”

While the Games 15 event will be managed, organised and communicated by ExtraCake, Katch will add an extra layer of support.

Motivate Publishing to launch Cyclist ME

Cyclist Middle East is set to launch in September 2015. Cyclist Middle East will be published by Motivate Publishing under license from Dennis Publishing. The international cycling title first launched in the UK in 2012, and this will be the third license deal just in 2015.

The 116-page monthly magazine will be available from September 1, 2015 and will cost AED25. The title will feature content that focuses on the best road bikes and technology, performance advice from top experts and in-depth articles mixed with breathtaking imagery from the sport’s best photographers. With the growing enthusiasm of the sport in the Middle East, which currently hosts four major cycling races: the Dubai Tour, the Abu Dhabi Tour, the Tour of Qatar and the Tour of Oman, Cyclist Middle East already has a growing audience.

“Launching Cyclist Middle East is an exciting opportunity for Motivate,” says Ian Fairservice, Managing Partner and Group Editor-In-Chief, Motivate Publishing. “Cycling is becoming a hugely popular pastime in the Middle East, with more races being added to the calendar here each year. Launching the title now will allow us to grow the global audience of the brand.”

For Further information, contact Anthony Milne at anthony@motivate.ae / +971 (0)4 427 3461