The regional executive director of investments at the media services division of Omnicom Media Group MENA, Chadi Farhat, has been promoted to the new position of chief investment officer. In this role, he sets the group’s trading and investment strategy for the region across all media platforms.
Farhat has expanded his remit to cover programmatic investments, an increasingly large proportion of clients’ budgets. He will continue to enhance the investment performance of OMG’s agencies across the region, working closely with regional media, data and tech partners.
Focused on delivering the best value, both qualitatively and quantitatively for the group’s clients, he also procures advanced systems and data to inform their investment decisions and strengthen the group’s accountability.
Farhat has been with Omnicom since he joined Impact BBDO in Beirut as media director in 2001. He moved to Media Direction OMD in 2003 and became its general manager in 2007. Five years later, he joined OMG in Dubai to head the investment function.
Farhat said: “With an ever-changing media landscape and an increasing reliance on technology to manage advertising investments, the traditional buying function has transformed almost beyond recognition. What’s more, it will keep on evolving. This is a truly exciting time as the notion of value is being redefined, along with the definition and metrics of success. I look forward to bringing about positive change within the group and with all our partners.
His promotion comes as OMG’s OMD agency is celebrating two wins. Following a competitive review involving digital and creative agencies, Beiersdorf has reappointed OMD to manage its creative and digital assets. The three-year contract is the latest development in a relationship that was established more than 10 years ago. And following a statutory review of its offline media arrangements, Savola Foods has expanded OMD Egypt’s brief. OMD was already in charge of the FMCG manufacturer’s digital assignment and will now manage its full media brief for Egypt.