Latest news with #BasselKakish


Campaign ME
13-06-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Winners revealed: Campaign Global Agency of the Year Awards
More than 200 guests from around the world attended the Campaign Global Agency of the Year Awards yesterday at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower hotel in London. A record number of entries – 117 companies from 27 countries – was received for this year's Campaign Global Agency of the Year Awards. The Middle East celebrates with a haul of six big wins across five categories in Gold, Silver and Bronze. Leaders at Publicis Groupe Middle East & Turkey won two leadership category awards. The Gold award for Head of Agency went to the network's CEO Bassel Kakish. Tahaab Rais took home Strategic Planning Leader of The Year 2024 as the Gold winner in the category. Along with these wins, TBWA celebrates three, with TBWA\RAAD clinching Gold for Best Place to Work: Individual Shop & Network, along with Romy Abdelnour winning Gold for Corporate Communications/Marketing Person of The Year 2024. The agency also won Bronze in the Best Network: Middle East & Africa category, while Publicis Groupe's Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East took the lead in this category with a Silver win. Here is a full breakdown of the Middle East winners: Head of Agency of the Year 2024: Bassel Kakish, Publicis Groupe ME&T Best Place to Work: Individual Shop/Network of the Year 2024: TBWA\RAAD (UAE) Strategic Planning Leader of The Year 2024: Tahaab Rais, Publicis Groupe ME&T Corporate Communications/Marketing Person of The Year 2024: Romy Abdelnour, TBWA\RAAD Network of the Year (Middle East and Africa) 2024 – Silver: Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East Network of the Year (Middle East and Africa) 2024 – Bronze: TBWA Click here for the full list of winners.


Campaign ME
13-06-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Head of Agency of the Year 2024: Bassel Kakish, Publicis Groupe ME&T
The Gold winner of Head of Agency of the Year 2024 for Campaign's Global Agency of the Year Awards is Bassel Kakish, chief executive officer, Publicis Groupe ME&T. The metrics speak volumes of Kakish's three-year leadership of Publicis Groupe Middle East & Turkey (ME&T): 84 per cent of employees find work meaningful, staff turnover has been slashed to 12 per cent (down 9 per cent over two years), and diversified capabilities now represent 66 per cent of revenue. His 'Growth Club' initiative – a workplace community spanning 80+ participants across 11 agencies and seven markets – achieved an 85 Net Promoter Score with 68 per cent monthly attendance. Meanwhile, 'The Strategy Garage' boasts 97 per cent retention and 33 per cent talent acquisition growth, with an 11:3 female-to-male ratio demonstrating conscious inclusion and support for female strategy talent. When regional conflict escalated, Kakish's business continuity plan seamlessly relocated Lebanese staff to Jordan, maintaining operations without missing a beat. This human-centric crisis management epitomises his leadership philosophy. Commercial vindication is undeniable: 76 per cent new business win rate, €62m in new revenue across Middle East and North Africa, and market share leadership surpassing Omnicom, making ME&T the only region besides North America where Publicis significantly outpaces competition. Strategic partnerships tech platforms position the agency at AI's forefront, while the socially conscious creative work made under Kakish's leadership, from NBA's basketball equality campaign to Anghami's child protection initiative, proves purpose can be a strong multiplier for profit. His colleagues' testimonials reveal a leader who reliably answers calls no matter the time of day or night, solves problems collaboratively, and genuinely prioritises people over processes. In Kakish's hands, 'talent-first' is competitive advantage. Judges applauded Kakish for turning Publicis Groupe ME&T into 'a real powerhouse.' Shortlisted: Tom Otton, Create. Group Tyler Turnbull, FCB Natalie Bell, MG OMD Sam Stuchbury, Motion Sickness This content was first published on Campaign UK.


Campaign ME
14-05-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Athar Festival launches Maheerah Network for women-empowerment
Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity has announced the launch of the Maheerah Network, an initiative, powered by Publicis Groupe, that aims to become a year-round platform dedicated to enabling, inspiring, and nurturing women in the creative marketing and communications industry in the Kingdom. Over the next three years, the Maheerah Network is designed to be a long-term enabler for women in every stage of their career. The first of its kind for women in creative marcomms in Saudi Arabia, the initiative aims to establish an industry standard for leadership, empowerment, and continuous development. 'Saudi Arabia continues to make significant strides in women's empowerment and is firmly on track to achieving its Vision 2030 goals,' said Mohamed Al Ayed, Vice Chairman of Athar Festival and CEO of TRACCS. 'As the Kingdom's foremost creative marketing event, Athar Festival recognises its responsibility in advancing the participation and leadership of women in the industry. The launch of Maheerah Network is a result of our continued commitment to this endeavour,' he said. The network will consist of three core pillars: Maheerah Network, Maheerah Programme, and Maheerah Alumni. 'When we partnered with Athar Festival to bring Maheerah to life two years ago, we didn't anticipate the depth of response, or the powerful community that would grow from it,' said Bassel Kakish, Chief Executive Officer, Publicis Groupe Middle East & Turkey. 'It quickly became clear that we were meeting a real need for women living and working in Saudi Arabia's marketing communications industry — a space to learn, connect, and thrive.' Through online and offline events, access to exclusive insights, and learning opportunities such as webinars and networking meetups, the Maheerah Network aims to build early confidence, capability, and community. The second pillar, the Maheerah Programme, is a high-level learning and development track for women in senior roles from across the industry. With its third iteration taking place during Athar Festival 2025 later this year in October, it will feature curated workshops, leadership coaching, and executive-level training designed to equip participants with the tools to step into strategic and leadership roles within the creative sector. Building on that, the Maheerah Alumni pillar creates an enduring network for graduates of past editions of the Maheerah Programme. Alumni will continue to benefit from tailored professional growth experiences including webinars, mentorship with industry leaders, and in-person gatherings. Leading by example across organisations such as NEOM, Nestle, STA, and more, members represent a growing cross-section of sectors including marketing, advertising, PR, and technology. 'In a market where the industry is already thriving, Maheerah has become a platform to further unlock the talent, ambition and leadership potential of women across the Kingdom,' Kakish said. Now in its third year, the program has evolved into a year-round network, and we have shared ambitions to grow it into one of the strongest communities of women in Saudi Arabia, supporting and enabling the next generation of leaders in our industry,' he said.