logo
Strategic Planning Leader of The Year 2024: Tahaab Rais, Publicis Groupe ME&T

Strategic Planning Leader of The Year 2024: Tahaab Rais, Publicis Groupe ME&T

Campaign ME13-06-2025
The Gold winner of Strategic Planning Leader of The Year 2024 for Campaign's Global Agency of the Year Awards is Tahaab Rais, Chief Strategy Officer and Film Director, Publicis Groupe ME&T.
Since joining Publicis Groupe in 2022 as its first regional chief strategy officer working across the Middle East and Turkey (ME&T), Rais has transformed the network's ME&T operations into a strategic powerhouse, delivering a +6.6 per cent organic revenue growth in the hard commercial reality of 2024's challenging economic climate.
By introducing new models of thinking, Rais has reimagined how strategy should work – from '4P' a proprietary strategic thinking model, to 'OPEN' for democratised strategic and creative thinking, to 'The A.I. Strategist' a suite of AI tools, to 'Collabs' for synergies between brands, and a novel measurement framework called the '7 Dimensions of Effectiveness' – these initiatives have evolved how Publicis Groupe ME&T delivers proactive and evolved strategic thinking for clients in the region.
Saudia Airlines 'Rihla' (meaning 'journey') was shot across three countries. Besides co-writing and directing the moving narrative film, Tahaab also handled camerawork in Mecca amongst 2 million pilgrims. NBA's 'Jump' tackled female basketball exclusion in India, while repurposing neglected fishing nets, demonstrating strategy that solves multiple problems simultaneously. Meanwhile, 'ProtecTasbih' – self-sanitising prayer beads – proved that strategic innovation can emerge from addressing pilgrims' practical needs.
Rais' 'Duvet Days' initiative gives strategy team members the opportunity to take days off during weekdays, in lieu of overtime hours worked, to allow for rejuvenation and self-care. This is combined with breakfast or lunch delivered to their homes.
Judges called Rais 'a visionary leader who redefines what strategy means in today's ever-evolving landscape. A clear towering strength of impact across his agency.'
Shortlisted:
Sophia Durrani, MG OMD
Celia Garforth, Special
This content was first published on Campaign UK.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Telecom Egypt and SubCom complete landings of SEA-ME-WE-6 subsea cable
Telecom Egypt and SubCom complete landings of SEA-ME-WE-6 subsea cable

Broadcast Pro

time9 hours ago

  • Broadcast Pro

Telecom Egypt and SubCom complete landings of SEA-ME-WE-6 subsea cable

Telecom Egypt, the country’s integrated telecom operator and a subsea cables provider, together with SubCom, the global supplier of subsea data systems, has announced the completion of two critical landings of the Southeast Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 6 (SEA-ME-WE-6) subsea cable system in Egypt. The cable has now come ashore at Port Said on the Mediterranean […] Telecom Egypt, the country’s integrated telecom operator and a subsea cables provider, together with SubCom, the global supplier of subsea data systems, has announced the completion of two critical landings of the Southeast Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 6 (SEA-ME-WE-6) subsea cable system in Egypt. The cable has now come ashore at Port Said on the Mediterranean coast and at Ras Ghareb on the Red Sea. Telecom Egypt facilitated the connection between the two coastal landing points by ensuring diverse and resilient terrestrial crossing routes were in place. With this, the SEA-ME-WE-6 subsea cable has completed its landing activities in Egypt. SEA-ME-WE-6 is the sixth edition of the SEA-ME-WE cable system family. The system connects Singapore (Tuas) to France (Marseille), crossing Egypt’s territory terrestrially. SubCom serves as the contractor responsible for building the subsea cable system. Upon completion, the SEA-ME-WE-6 cable system will establish a strategic connection between Africa, Asia and Europe through its 17 landing points, significantly enhancing global network infrastructure. Spanning a distance of 21,700 km, the system’s consortium comprises 16 major subsea cable providers, including Telecom Egypt, alongside BEYON B.S.C (Bahrain), Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC, Bharti Airtel Ltd. (India), China United Network Communications Group Company Limited, Dhiraagu (Maldives), Djibouti Telecom, Microsoft (United States), Mobily (Saudi Arabia), Orange (France), PCCW Global , Singtel (Singapore), Sri Lanka Telecom, Telekom Malaysia, Telin (Indonesia) and Trans World Associates (Pakistan). Mohamed Nasr, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Telecom Egypt, commented: 'We are thrilled to announce the successful landings of the SEA-ME-WE-6 cable system in Port Said and Ras Ghareb, marking another significant milestone in our journey to expand Telecom Egypt’s global reach and strengthen our subsea infrastructure. These two landings enable the connection between the Red Sea and Mediterranean segments of the cable via two diversified unique trans-Egypt terrestrial crossing routes. 'Over the years, the Eurasia route between Southeast Asia and Europe has proven its importance and effectiveness in carrying critical telecommunication traffic. Thus, we keep developing new routes to connect Singapore and Egypt, adding layers of diversity, enhanced marine paths and much-needed capacity. These strategic landings underscore our commitment to enabling countries across the region and beyond to realize their digital ambitions by investing in building a robust, resilient, and future-ready network to serve the global subsea community.' David Coughlan, President and CEO of SubCom, said: 'Our congratulations to Telecom Egypt and its consortium partners on the landings of SEA-ME-WE-6 in Port Said and Ras Ghareb, which are another major step towards the complete deployment of this expansive subsea cable system. From engineering to route design, and manufacturing to installation, SubCom has played a vital role in making SEA-ME-WE-6 a reality for its operators and their customers. Our team looks forward to the next set of milestones associated with this impressive project.'

Let Artificial Intelligence help slash utility bills
Let Artificial Intelligence help slash utility bills

Gulf Today

timea day ago

  • Gulf Today

Let Artificial Intelligence help slash utility bills

As energy demand is spiraling and sustainability fast becoming non-negotiable in the Middle East, SureFlow has emerged as the leading disruptor. Now rooted in Dubai, the UK-based tech innovator has become the torch-bearer of a quiet revolution in how the Middle East thinks about energy — not through invasive infrastructure, but through artificial intelligence. With solar power integration on the rise, soaring electricity costs with electric vehicles becoming increasingly mainstream, SureFlow's AI Energy Suite arrives in the Gulf region with impeccable timing. It brings in control for households and businesses over consumption, costs, carbon, and climate resilience. Once a futuristic idea, Artificial Intelligence has now become an optimizer, an energy sensor, and a guardian of sustainability. As SureFlow CEO Sebastien Dui puts it: 'We're not just digitizing utilities — we're empowering users with intelligent decisions in real-time, reducing wastage before it begins. Our current version is targeted mainly at insurance companies in Belgium, France and the UK. However, we have received a lot of requests from other sectors related to electricity, gas and water utilities, solar and electric vehicles.' The flagship suite of SureFlow monitors electricity, water and gas flows, and minimizes carbon footprint with uncanny precision. At the same time it identifies wasteful patterns and delivers real- time alerts. Whether it's optimizing air conditioning, fine-tuning EV charging and solar energy inputs, the SureFlow suite ensures lighter footprints and smaller bills for consumers and businesses looking to improve their environmental impact and save on energy expenses. Founded in 2022 in the UK, SureFlow is no stranger to innovation. But its strategic shift to establish an R&D center in Dubai to cater to the world through the ME signals more than regional expansion. Rather it is a bet on the Middle East becoming the nerve center of smart sustainability solutions. Dubai's skilled talent, progressive regulations, and resilient economy make it an ideal springboard. As Sebastien Dui says: 'Dubai isn't just where we test innovation — it's where we invent it.' SureFlow's AI Energy Suite has already been serving households and corporate entities across Europe. It is now finding fertile ground among UAE's facility managers and real estate developers. This is the reason that the company has received interest from solar power as well as water utilities for good reasons. The product is more than just an eco-friendly luxury as it has the ability to slash a significant portion of energy bills, which makes it a competitive necessity in an energy-conscious market.

Telecom Egypt, SubCom complete Egypt landings for SEA-ME-WE 6 cable system
Telecom Egypt, SubCom complete Egypt landings for SEA-ME-WE 6 cable system

Zawya

timea day ago

  • Zawya

Telecom Egypt, SubCom complete Egypt landings for SEA-ME-WE 6 cable system

Arab Finance: Telecom Egypt and SubCom have announced the completion of the Egypt landings for the Southeast Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 6 (SEA-ME-WE-6) subsea cable system, as per a press release. The two landing points are located in Port Said on the Mediterranean coast and Ras Ghareb on the Red Sea. Telecom Egypt, a major subsea cable operator in the region, facilitated the connection between the two coastal sites by establishing terrestrial crossing routes, completing SEA-ME-WE-6's landing operations in Egypt. This step contributes to the ongoing development of the SEA-ME-WE-6 system, which is designed to improve connectivity and data transmission across multiple regions. The cable spans 21,700 kilometers, linking Singapore (Tuas) to France (Marseille) and crossing Egypt by land. SubCom is responsible for the construction of the subsea infrastructure. Once operational, SEA-ME-WE-6 will connect 17 landing points across Africa, Asia, and Europe. The project is managed by a consortium of 16 subsea cable providers, including Telecom Egypt, Bahraini BEYON B.S.C, Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC, Indian Bharti Airtel Ltd., China United Network Communications Group, Maldives-based Dhiraagu, Djibouti Telecom, Microsoft, KSA-headquartered Mobily, Orange Group, PCCW Global, and Singapore-based Singtel.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store