Publicis Groupe has announced the promotion of Raja Trad, regional CEO of Publicis Communications, to the newly created role of chairman of Publicis Groupe Middle East, a move it said “strengthens the Groupe’s ambition to develop its activities further in this strategic region and to become the trusted partner of its clients worldwide”.
This appointment is the next step in the implementation of Publicis Groupe’s Country Leadership Model, which was launched in April 2017 with the implementation first in France and then in the UK, in Italy, in Africa and in APAC, said the Groupe in a statement.
In his new role, Trad will oversee all of Publicis Groupe’s operations in the region, across Publicis Communications, Publicis Media and Publicis Sapient. His responsibilities include driving greater integration across the Groupe’s capabilities to transform its relationship with existing clients and win the trust of new ones, to cultivate and attract the best talent across its agencies and disciplines as well as improving its resources management across disciplines and solutions. Trad will report to Loris Nold, CEO of Publicis Groupe APAC, and will be supported by the solution hub leaders in the region: Alex Saber, chairman of Publicis Media Middle East and Kareem Monem, regional managing director of Publicis Sapient MENA.
Trad started his career at Leo Burnett in 1981, working his way to CEO of Leo Burnett Middle East in 1991. In 2016, he was appointed CEO of Publicis Communications MEA. Publicis said: “All the agencies of the Groupe in the Middle
East will benefit from his experience, his deep knowledge about this key region for Publicis Groupe and his ability to stand as the trusted partner of the Groupe clients in their transformation.”
Nold said: “I am incredibly excited with Raja’s appointment. He and I have partnered for years now and I am very confident that he will successfully drive our Groupe agenda in this complex, exciting and highly strategic region.
Our strategy relies on two very important pillars: a solution-led approach and a country-led approach. This is to ensure that we accelerate on our global game changers while driving the accelera- tion at country level.”
