The Marketing Society, in partnership with Serviceplan, has announced that it will be introducing the new Marketing Leader of the Year Award in the UAE region, aimed at recognising senior marketers who have been changing the face of the industry.
The Marketing Society is a global community of 3,000 of the world’s most influential senior marketers. It launched its Dubai hub in 2016, and since then, the regional network has grown rapidly to become its number one market outside the UK.
Serviceplan is the largest independent agency group in Europe, with its “House of Communication” concept, combining all communication disciplines from campaigning, technology and media under one roof. The House of Communication in Dubai was established in 2009 servicing the entire MENA region.
The new Marketing Leader of the Year Award will celebrate the extraordinary talent in the region. The shortlisted candidates have been nominated by a committee of 15 leading CMOs, creating a unique award allowing CMOs to applaud the work of their peers.
The four shortlisted leaders are:
- Asad Rehman, Digital & Media Transformation Director, Unilever MENA
- Sanaa Bougazzoul, Chief Digital Officer, L’Oréal
- Vikram Krishna, EVP Marketing & Head of Customer Experience, Emirates NBD
- Vino Elkhatib, Chief Marketing & Brand Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Holding
Khaled Ismail, Chairman, The Marketing Society Middle East and VP Communications – Europe, Central Asia, Middle East and Africa, Tetra Pak said: “The Society is passionate about showcasing the leaders who standout in our industry and inspire others to make change, while delivering impressive results for their business. We are delighted to launch this award in the UAE and the quality of the shortlisted names is testament to the calibre of leaders in our region. Any of them would be worthy of winning the inaugural award.
Rami Hmadeh, CEO, Serviceplan said, “The CMO of the Year Award has been a huge success in Germany, and it’s time to recognize the incredible work of CMOs in the Middle East. By delegating the decision to a committee of CMO peers, award winners know that they are truly valued in the industry. Our region is constantly evolving, and our CMOs have responded successfully with dynamic and innovative strategies. We are thrilled to launch this award in the UAE and look forward to announcing our first winner!”
The Society runs a similar award in the UK with previous winners including Syl Saller, Global CMO, Diageo; Craig Inglis, Customer Director, John Lewis and Alistair Macrow, SVP & CMO, McDonald’s.
Serviceplan established their prestigious CMO of the Year Award in Germany in 2014. Winners include Dr. Ian Robertson (BMW, 2014), Eric Liedtke (Adidas, 2017) and Karsten Kühn (Hornbach Baumarkt AG, 2018).
The Award will be presented at The Marketing Society’s Bravest Conference on the morning of Tuesday 12 November where some of the shortlisted candidates will share insights on how they have navigated their way to the top, with the award winner announced at the end of the event.