Dubai: Dentsu has announced that Abdallah Bibi has been appointed as Commercial Director – Sports, Gaming and Content Partnerships, leading the development and design of dentsu’s offering in this space in the MENA region. Reporting to Tarek Daouk, CEO of dentsu MENA, Abdallah's new role will leverage opportunities in content production, rights distribution, naming and broadcast rights, gaming, anime and sports franchise infrastructure. Concurrently, Jad Noujeim, former Group Trading Director at Carat, assumes the position of Head of Trading for Amplifi, dentsu’s media investment arm. In this newly created role, Abdallah, with over 15 years of regional media experience, will oversee dentsu’s regional content and production efforts, integrating capabilities across the organization to build cohesive brand experiences. Jad, another stalwart of the dentsu team with 16 years’ expertise, having spent the last decade with Carat and most recently leading the media agency’s trading division, will take on Abdallah’s previous responsibilities leading Amplifi MENA. Globally, dentsu has an established Entertainment and Gaming business backed by a worldwide studio footprint, pioneering craft and technology capabilities and a roster of production partners and independent creators, enhanced by seamless integration with dentsu’s product and data offering. Abdallah will lead strategic investments and partnerships to leverage global entertainment opportunities and engage the thriving Middle Eastern gaming community. Working with the newly established Dentsu Anime Solutions Inc. in Japan, dentsu MENA will introduce new opportunities to market with anime licensing and merchandising to broadcasters and streaming platforms, along with peripheral businesses such as games, merchandising and events. Abdallah Bibi, newly appointed Commercial Director – Sports, Gaming and Content Partnerships remarked: “I’m excited to leverage my career experiences and dentsu’s rich heritage in this field to design our regional Content, Sports and Gaming offering. We are uniquely positioned to unlock new revenue opportunities for sports franchises, content producers and our clients. We will also be looking to create, enhance and invest in authentic gaming experiences for our clients in publishing, creator worlds, anime and e-sports. There is huge potential to produce transformative work in this space in our region, and I can’t wait to get started”.Jad Noujeim, now Head of Trading, Amplifi MENA said: “I'm thrilled to be leading our trading division into new horizons within the dynamic MENA media landscape. My focus will remain on cultivating strong partnerships, while leveraging deep industry insights and client-centric strategies to deliver on dentsu’s commitment to excellence and ongoing advancement.” Tarek Daouk, CEO, dentsu MENA added: “Dentsu Japan has an exceptional history in Entertainment and Sports as critical players in major sporting events and properties, as well as having a vast array of film, television, gaming, and anime experience. Dentsu’s content business is one of its true differentiators and as anime, gaming and sports continue to generate enthusiasm in MENA, particularly among Gen Z audiences, I’m excited for us to build a compelling regional offering in this space with Abdallah at the helm. Jad is also extremely well placed to lead Amplifi going forward, bringing together innovations, capabilities, and expertise to unlock new opportunities for our partners and clients. Congratulations to them both, I wish them every success in their new roles.” 

Dubai: Publicis Groupe Middle East announced today that Ajit Ramaswami, CEO of MSL ME, a regional strategic communications agency, has taken on a new role as a strategic advisor and corporate practice head for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. In this new capacity, Ajit will be focused on identifying and driving strategic initiatives that support MSL’s growth objectives across key thriving markets within APAC.   “For nearly two decades, Ajit has been the driving force behind the successful transformation and expansion of MSL across the Middle East,” said?Bassel Kakish, CEO of Publicis Groupe ME&T.?"It’s an exciting time for him to be leveraging his deep expertise to unlock new opportunities in a dynamic new business landscape. I wish him the best in this new role, and I have every confidence that he will continue to propel the Publicis Groupe ‘power of one’ vision forward across APAC and beyond.”    Ajit is a communications veteran with 27 years of experience in the Middle East and India, delivering strategic communications to multinational and regional organisations across a diversity of industries including financial services, telecom, FMCG, technology, tourism, public affairs and family businesses. He joined MSL ME and Publicis Groupe in 2004 and was appointed CEO in 2008. During this time, he was instrumental in securing prestigious accounts for the agency including DU, Samsung, key P&G brands and TAMM for the Groupe.“Ajit is a seasoned and well-respected practitioner who knows how to drive transformative results for both the business and our clients,” said Margaret Key, CEO at MSL Asia, Middle East and Africa. “Having worked together for the last few years, I know the value he will bring to this region, and I am excited to see how we can partner together to further accelerate MSL’s growth agenda.” Under his stewardship, Ajit has built MSL’s credentials as the go-to consultant for industry verticals such as Professional Services, Technology, Media and Telecommunications while making significant advances in key growth areas in Healthcare, Automotive and Utilities. He is credited for establishing a proprietary framework for Brand Resilience and C-Suite profiling and establishing the agency’s reputation as a Crisis & Incidence Management leader. “I’m incredibly proud of the past 19 years with Publicis Groupe ME and MSL for the Middle East, but I am also excited for the opportunity to tap into a dynamic and booming market such as Asia-Pacific,” said Ajit?Ramaswami.?"I am grateful to Publicis Groupe ME’s leadership for enabling a culture of opportunity where this has been possible and to our valued clients who have entrusted us as their partner over the years. Lastly, I am immensely proud of my exceptional team, who I know will continue to thrive and deliver exceptional client results.”In this new role, he will work closely with the MSL APAC leadership team to provide strategic counsel to strengthen their offering with a focus on the corporate practice, introduce new, measurable solutions for clients and expand the network’s footprint across key markets and industries.   

Dubai: Havas Middle East has promoted Naveen Chako Mathews as the General Manager for Havas Media UAE. Mathews, who has been with Havas Media for over nine years in the role of Head of Business, will now oversee all media operations in the UAE and client servicing in his new position. He will also support Havas Media's CEO, Houda Tohme, in expanding the agency's offerings. In a restructuring of responsibilities, Tohme will shift her focus to the Media Group's expansion into new Middle Eastern markets and its operations in Saudi Arabia.Expressing his gratitude for the leadership's trust and encouragement, Naveen Chako Mathews, the newly appointed General Manager, shared his excitement about taking on the role and further evolving the agency's offerings. CEO Houda Tohme praised Mathews' dedication and strategic thinking, highlighting his significant contributions and outstanding results that have played a crucial role in the agency's success.Havas also announced the promotions of Fabio Silveira and Dana Tahir to Managing Directors. Fabio Silveira, who has been with the Havas Group in various markets for over a decade, and Dana Tahir, who joined Havas Middle East in 2008, will continue to develop the business in their new roles.Dany Naaman, CEO of Havas Middle East, expressed confidence in the promoted leaders and their ability to drive growth, enhance the quality of work and services, and execute ambitious growth plans in the region. The agency is also undergoing global changes, including a rebranding of its visual identity, which will be rolled out across all markets, including the Middle East, later this year.

Dentsu International has announced the appointment of Robert (Rob) Gilby as CEO APAC, Dentsu International, effective September 5, 2022.“Rob is an exceptionally well-rounded leader with a progressive approach that deeply understands the future of the industry and opportunities for growth, for our people, our clients and our business,” said Dentsu International CEO, Wendy Clark. “Importantly, he clearly demonstrated his long-term vision, values-based leadership style and passion for building high-performance, diverse teams that is fundamental to the way we do business at dentsu.”Gilby will be responsible for unifying the APAC region’s 11,600 talented people in 18 markets around dentsu’s global ambition to be the most integrated network in the world. He has a strong platform for growth with the region’s transformation agenda showing positive results, delivering +4.7% organic revenue growth in FY2021 with momentum continuing into Q1 2022 delivering 5.2% organic revenue growth. His appointment follows the global launch of Dentsu Creative, with dentsu awarded Asia Pacific Regional Network of the Year and Dentsu Creative India named Global Agency of the Year at Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. This momentum, coupled with Rob’s knowledge of the region, understanding of the advancing habits of Asian consumers and view on the future of the industry is a catalyst for growth, cementing the future success of dentsu’s APAC business.On joining the agency, Gilby said, “I was instantly drawn to dentsu’s compelling vision with its rich heritage as the only holding company born out of Asia. It is a privilege to be leading this region with the world looking to the Asia Pacific region as its GDP growth is forecasted to remain strong, the emerging middle-class booms and rapid digitisation and investment in homegrown platforms leapfrog existing technologies. Dentsu’s ability to understand people better than anyone else and vision for horizontal creativity coupled with these market conditions creates an exciting opportunity for brands to thrive.”Gilby has 30 years of experience in the Media and Entertainment industry and has worked in Asia Pacific for over 25 years. He has a proven track-record of growing profitable businesses, including WarnerMedia and The Walt Disney Company, with extensive experience in markets, including Australia, China, India, Southeast Asia and Singapore. He joins dentsu from Nielsen, where he is President, APAC responsible for building relationships with key media owners, brands and agencies to deliver audience insights across the media ecosystem. Prior to that, he was CEO & Founder, Blue Hat Ventures, an investment and advisory firm focussed on identifying and commercialising high-growth businesses in the Digital Media sector in Asia Pacific. He has held non-executive board and advisory roles at the Ministry of Communications & Information, the InfoComm Media Development Authority and the Singapore Media Festival.He will be based in Singapore, reporting to Wendy Clark, Global CEO, Dentsu International, and joins the Dentsu International Executive team.

Dwayne Eaton joins Sky today as a Commissioning Executive working across Sky Arts and Entertainment.Reporting to Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts and Entertainment, Eaton will join the wider commissioning team as they continue to deliver award-winning original content across Sky Arts and Sky Max. He’ll form a key part of the team responsible for much-loved shows such as A League of Their Own, Rob & Romesh Vs, Portrait Artist of the Year and BAFTA-winning Life & Rhymes, and he’ll support Sky Arts’ mission to bring the arts to everyone as a free-to-air-channel. His tenure begins following Sky Arts’ award for Specialist Channel of the Year at the Broadcast Digital Awards last week.Eaton joins Sky from the BBC where he worked on hit shows including The Graham Norton Show, Drag Race UK, Only Connect and Mastermind. He went on to commission BBC Three’s streetwear competition The Drop and the black music entertainment show Tonight with Target, hosted by DJ Target.Dwayne Eaton, Commissioning Executive, commented:“I'm genuinely excited to be joining Sky and being part of Phil Edgar-Jones' team. Sky has always had a special place in my heart and it's a dream come true to be joining their Commissioning department. I grew up on a council estate and when I was young, Sky was the only entertainment we could really afford. We didn't go to the cinema or theatre so Sky was my window to the world. I can’t wait to get started and I look forward to making some amazing shows.”Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts and Entertainment, commented:“We are thrilled to have Dwayne join our small but perfectly formed Arts and Entertainment team and look forward to getting stuck in to the next chapter in our comedy Ents and arts journey. He’s totally brilliant, you’ll love him.”

Silverpush, a Singapore-based, AI driven contextual martech company, announced its expansion into the North American market to expand its worldwide presence.As marketers in the US and Canada embrace a privacy-first world and leverage the boom in contextual advertising, Mirrors’ AI - driven, visual context detection technology will help brands place their video ads in exact contextual alignment with key moments that drive brand suitability and emotional resonance.Mirrors offers disruptive brand suitability solutions on a video level to help marketers protect their brand equity and customer experience; making it less likely for the user to skip out of viewing the ad experience. All of this in a privacy compliant manner. “More than a third of those surveyed in the US said they will drop a brand after one bad experience. To solve this raging issue, our vision is to ensure the brand dollars deliver positive ROI, using Mirrors brand suitability solutions without any over-blocking or compromising their reach.” - Mr. Kartik Mehta, CRO of SilverpushSince Mirrors’ introduction into the US market at the height of the pandemic, brands such as Stellantis, Oakley, Miller Coors, Dole, Wingstop, and Disney have used Mirrors to place relevant video ads next to the exact content they want.Shabbir Helaly, SVP of Silverpush, North America commented, “Mirrors by Silverpush has become a key partner for YouTube buys as we offer a level of contextual granularity (while still maintaining reach) that's not available through direct activations on DV360, AdWords or Google Select. This granularity in contextual targeting will be even more important as the traditional ways of targeting on the web are sunsetted.”In the coming quarters, Silverpush will help brands leverage Mirrors hyper contextual targeting across Facebook, Instagram and open web (including CTV, mobile and desktop) in various formats. 

Wavemaker, a software platform, has named Deveshi Chugh as its managing partner for Wavemaker Asia-Pacific. Chugh will report to Rose Huskey, Wavemaker Asia-chief Pacific's client officer, in her new position.Based out of Singapore, Chugh will collaborate with Huskey to manage customer connections throughout the region.Chugh has previously worked with GroupM, Mediacom, and Maxus. She provides substantial regional experience working with some of the world's largest consumer brands, delivering adaptive marketing efforts across clients and portfolios. She has worked in a variety of capacities with teams across markets and will be responsible for the continuous growth of our integrated media planning capacity as well as day-to-day operational excellence. "I am thrilled to be a member of Wavemaker's dynamic, nimble, and energised team," Chugh stated. "I am looking forward to leverage my knowledge with the company's product offerings for our clients.""We are happy to welcome Deveshi. She provides a wealth of expertise and a deep grasp of the area that will benefit our customers' development and transformation goals in this highly competitive media market," Huskey remarked."Her track record of effectively guiding clients and teams in the region will add depth to our leadership team, and being a qualified professional coach is an added advantage for all of us at Wavemaker!" she said."Bringing Deveshi to Wavemaker, with all her acquired experience and skill in this area, illustrates our determined commitment on understanding and bringing tremendous value to our customers' businesses," said Gordon Domlija, chief executive officer, Wavemaker Asia-Pacific.