Overview
Find out the secrets to winning MEPRA’s Young Communicator of the Year with our award-winning MEPRA Youth Board who will share their top tips on how to stand out to the judges. The session will also include a special appearance from one of our 2025 MEPRA Award judges.
The MEPRA Youth Board members who are all previous MEPRA Young Communicator of the Year winners, will cover the following topics in an interactive virtual panel session:
• Nailing the submission process
• What to include and what to avoid in your written entry
• Making first impressions count in your interview
• Preparing an unforgettable presentation
Facilitator
Tania Kteily, MEPRA Youth Board, Associate Director at Weber Shandwick MENAT
Tania is an Associate Director at Weber Shandwick in the UAE and the Vice President of the MEPRA Youth Board. She brings particular expertise in consumer and corporate communications, strategic planning, client servicing and influencer and media relations. Tania is particularly knowledgeable in the automotive industry with over seven years of experience in the field and spearheading General Motors varied brand portfolio – Cadillac, GMC and Chevrolet. She has also built significant experience across the consumer technology, real estate, retail and entertainment sectors. Throughout the past years, Tania has led a diverse client portfolio, including Google, Nike, The Sustainable City – Yiti and Mattel, amongst many others. Before joining Weber Shandwick, Tania was part of a varied and high-profile brand portfolio that included Jaguar Land Rover, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld, Barclays Bank and The Suez Canal. Tania is a certified mental health first-aider and is a champion for best practice at Weber Shandwick, driving impactful change crowdsourced from internal workshops. She believes in leading with kindness and the power of compassion, which she demonstrates both on accounts and through mentorship. Throughout her career journey, Tania was recognized with numerous prestigious industry awards for client campaigns as well as personal achievements. Notably, Tania was featured on Campaign Middle East’s PR Faces to Watch list and was highly commended for MEPRA Dave Robinson Award for Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year (Agency) in 2022. Tania holds a bachelor degree in Business Administration from the American University of Beirut. She is fluent in English, Arabic, French and speaks basic Spanish. Tania holds a bachelor degree in Business Administration from the American University of Beirut. She is fluent in English, Arabic, French and speaks basic Spanish.
Yara Hamdan, Communications Consultant, Seconded Disney + MENA)
Yara Hamdan has over four years of PR and social media experience and continues to bring a fresh perspective to the industry. She has extensive knowledge of regional market trends and is well-versed in a variety of sectors including consumer, corporate, and events portfolios. As a self-proclaimed Jack of All Trades, she currently leads PR campaigns for global giants at Weber Shandwick – Saudi Arabia including PepsiCo, Netflix, and Dyson, seamlessly integrating planning, coordination, and strategic execution. Before joining Weber, she spent time working at UAE-based agencies including Action Global Communications and Seven Media where she worked across clients including the GNTO, Messe Frankfurt Middle East, Intel, Four Seasons Hotel, Dubai Sports World, and many more. Yara holds an Honors with Distinction degree in Media, Advertising and PR from Middlesex University, and is fluent in English and Arabic.
Alexandra Richards, MEPRA Youth Board Member Associate Account Director at Gambit PR & Communications
Alexandra traded the UK’s top university for agency life in Dubai at the height of COVID. Since then, she became the MENA Young Lion Champion 2024, placed top five in the world at Cannes Lions, won MEPRA’s Highly Commended Young Communicator of the Year, and picked up multiple gold awards for her client campaigns along the way. Alexandra now leads on PR for Gambit’s ever-expanding luxury and hospitality portfolio, including Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, The Leela Palaces, The Ozen Collection, Essilor Luxottica, and Majid Al Futtaim Lifestyle. Her talents for strategic thinking and attention to detail also lend to major regional events such as Dubai Watch Week and Emirates Airlines Festival of Literature, with experience handling 14 active markets in addition to hosting international press trips across Monaco, Switzerland and the Maldives. An avid storyteller and writer, Alexandra has a knack for matching the right angle for the right brand to the right editor at the right publication – all whilst publishing several thought leadership pieces of her own to keep abreast of industry trends and topics.
Rishi Talwalker, MEPRA Executive Board Member, Head of Communications at Havas Red ME
Rishi is a seasoned marketing and communications professional, having managed complex relationships in agency and in-house roles since 2005. He has worked with holding companies and multinational organisations across a width of sectors including corporate, retail, real estate, travel, aviation, food & beverage and hospitality. A specialist in strategic communications, Rishi employs a creative approach combining tools across traditional and digital platforms to deliver impactful campaigns for clients. He is experienced in diverse disciplines such as corporate communications, corporate responsibility, social media, marketing collaborations, communications for activations, influencer management and crisis management.
Date & Time
Thursday 7th May, 2026, 4.30 PM – 5.30 PM, GST
Location
This session is hosted via Zoom.