Edelman has appointed Marie Claire Maalouf as the new EMEA Chief Creative Officer, following the departure of Mattias Ronge and Stefan Ronge. Maalouf, who previously served as the Middle East Chief Creative Officer at Edelman, will lead the agency's creative output across 13 markets in EMEA, including brand marketing, digital, influencer and entertainment, and will be based in the UAE.Throughout her career, Maalouf has been recognized for her work on impactful campaigns, such as 'Despair No More' for Tena, which aimed to redefine menopause for women in the Middle East. She has received numerous awards for her creative work, including Cannes Lions, The One Show, Caples, Clio Awards, LIA Awards, Dubai Lynx, D&AD, ANDYs, Warc, and Effies.Judy John, Edelman Global Chief Creative Officer, expressed her excitement for Maalouf's appointment, stating that she is confident that Maalouf's leadership will elevate the agency's work in the EMEA region.Maalouf expressed her enthusiasm for joining Edelman, stating that she was inspired by the agency's mission to build actionable brands through trust and the opportunity to work with a team of passionate creatives.AJ Hesselink, EMEA Chief Executive, expressed gratitude towards the outgoing co-chief creative officers and welcomed Maalouf's appointment, stating that she has already made a significant impact on the agency's ability to win new clients and produce important work.

Edelman, a global communications firm that partners with businesses and organisations to evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. It has more than 6,000 people in over 60 offices to deliver communications strategies that give clients the confidence to lead and act with certainty, earning the trust of their stakeholders.  Marie-Claire Maalouf will provide her expertise to build creative capabilities across the region, and will also be working across EMEA as part of the wider creative team. Maalouf will be joining the EMEA creative team that develops communication strategies, for clients, consisting of content strategists, creatives, and producers who work across all teams and practices within the business.  Edelman has seen significant growth within its creative community in recent years with senior creative hires in France, Spain, Germany and the UK, with Emma De La Fosse joining as Chief Creative Officer of the UK Edelman office. Maalouf had helped winning more than 85 awards, including the only D&AD Yellow Pencil won by MENA this year; one of the two Cannes Lions Grand Prix; and the only Grand Lia in Health for MENA, last year.  Stefan Ronge, Chief Creative Officer at Edelman EMEA, said: “We are helping brands earn trust and business growth through actions. And I can think of no better creative leader than Marie- Claire to bring this mission to life with us in the Middle East.” Omar Qirem, CEO at Edelman Middle East, said: “Marie-Claire is a first-class operator who has led some of the most recent standout creative work in the region. She shares the same ambition we have about creating creative campaigns that have real impact. This hire is the first of a wider strategic play and we will be adding further creative capabilities to the team over the coming months.” Edelman Middle East operates three offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Riyadh, and has a network of affiliates across the region.