The Gulf chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, the world’s largest association of communication professionals, has elected a new board for 2019. Following its first-ever annual general meeting on January 3, a new board slate was voted in by IABC’s Gulf membership.
The following people are elected to serve on the IABC GCC 2019 board.
- Samer Hamzi, President
- Hanisha Lalwani, President-Elect
- Yasser M Zaki, Membership VP
- Marko Selakovic, Professional Development VP
- Marwan Al-Zori, Marketing & Communications VP
- Sarah Palmer, Finance VP
- Gary Hernandez, Past-President
Addressing the membership during the AGM, Past-President Gary Hernandez spoke about the incredible growth of the GCC chapter, as well as his hopes for 2019. “We’ve grown from 12 members to over 125 and counting in the space of a year. There’s a growing awareness of what IABC has to offer. We’re going to be stepping up our activities in the region in 2019, with a focus on development and networking for communicators in the region, beginning with EMENAComm in Bahrain this February.”
Following the AGM Gary Hernandez has moved to the Past-President role. Samer Hamzi takes over as President, Hanisha Lalwani is President-Elect.
“The communication industry is changing at rapid pace, with organisations looking for new creative and innovative ways to engage with their people, stakeholders and communities,” added Samer Hamzi. “Our professionals want to ensure they have the right skills, both creative and technical, to lead the communications function. We at IABC understand the value of the transformation all communicators are facing, and we believe that our global network of over 10,000 members across 80 countries can help our industry to lead this change through our educational offerings, certifications, resource libraries, best practice guides and annual World Conferences and EMENAComm events. I am truly pleased to be named President of IABC in one of the most dynamic regions in the world.”