In their latest move to bolster growth in the MENA region, Leo Burnett have appointed Jean Traboulsi to spearhead business development in the region as the Regional New Business Director. This is a move that Leo Burnett MENA have made in recognition of the region's recent economic upturns, which have resulted in an incredibly strong market. Traboulsi, who will oversee business potential in the UAE, Kuwait and the Lower Gulf, and has been with Leo Burnett for more than two decades, believes that “Having driven the success of the Dubai office in recent years,” his new role offers him a tremendous opportunity to extend the agency's reach across the region.
Traboulsi believes that his new role offers him a tremendous opportunity to extend the agencies reach across the region
The former Managing Director of Leo Burnett UAE went on to say that “Economies across the GCC have picked up, opening up extensive prospects for new business, particularly in markets as exciting and dynamic as the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman.” He looks forward to exercising his expertise, by enhancing the agencies presence across the region. This 'expertise' refers to the various, eclectic accounts Traboulsi has worked with, influenced and led over the past two decades at Leo Burnett, and the experience he's gathered working in several key aspects of the group.
CEO of Leo Burnett MENA, Raja Trad, believes that Traboulsi is the “Ideal man to drive Leo Burnett's acquisition of the numerous opportunities that exist.” He feels that with the 23 years he's spent working for them, Traboulsi has amassed both the resources and the drive to “Extend the HumanKind philosophy across the region and take the Leo Burnett growth story to the next level." The HumanKind philosophy is a brand strategy created by the agency, which works as an internal way of thinking about the world markets, and how brands will impact those markets.
The company's strategic shift arrives on the back of a strong 2014 start for Leo Burnett MENA
Another shift announced as part of this strategic refocus concerns Kamal Dimachkie, who will take full control of all Leo Burnett's UAE operations, alongside his existing commitments to the Kuwait and Lower Gulf Regions. Dimachkie underlines Traboulsi's appointment, commenting that “There is nobody more suited to expanding the agencies reach across the region than Jean.” He believes that as Traboulsi will be focusing the lion's share of his attention on acquiring new business, there will be even more opportunities forthcoming for the agency to “ Further expand its already sizeable regional portfolio.”
Jean Traboulsi (left) and Kamal Dimachkie (right)
The company's strategic shift arrives on the back of a strong 2014 start for Leo Burnett MENA, with the agency winning 37 awards at the Dubai Lnyx Awards (8 golds) and being named Network of the Year at the 2013 MENA Cristal Festival. At the same festival, it won a staggering 49 awards, including 3 Grand Prix Awards and 10 Golds. The agency was founded in 1981 as the first multinational agency in the region, and staffs a team of almost 750 at offices in Abu Dhabi, Daha, Riyadh, Kuwait, Beirut, Amman, Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, Cairo and Casablanca.
Official Leo Burnett MENA Website
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer who believes wholeheartedly in the concept behind the HumanKind philosophy, but doesn't come even close to fully understanding it.
Sarfaraz Meghani May 6th, 2014, at noon
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