Tune into the brief podcast series to keep up to date with the latest news in Middle East PR and hear from the industry’s biggest names as they address key issues, challenges and trends for communications professionals in the region. The monthly show is hosted by the Middle East PR Association (MEPRA) and produced by the international broadcast specialist, Red Havas and LP.ME. The podcast is available to download via iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or RadioPublic and featured on www.mepra.org/podcasts.
Episode 32: Influencer Marketing: Arabia’s Evolving Landscape
This 32nd episode of The Brief, Weber Shandwick MENAT has recently released its inaugural InfluAnswer Arabia Report. The report aims to amplify the perspectives of content creators across the Middle East and North Africa, and share insights for brands to build stronger and more powerful partnerships. Above all, it hopes to contribute to a deeper knowledge of the evolving influencer ecosystem in the region.
In light of this release, we’re excited to be hosting this episode of ‘The Brief’ by MEPRA with Weber Shandwick MENAT to discuss the evolving marketing landscape from a brand, agency, and influencer perspective.
Host
Ola Zaidan, Manager, Influencer Relations, Weber Shandwick MENAT
Ola started her career in social media in 2016 and then shifted her focus to Influencer Management in 2019. Since then, she has built strong relationships with many influencers from different categories across the MENA region as part of managing influencer campaigns for brands across multiple sectors like automotive, f&b, hospitality, fashion, technology, and tourism.
She has deep experience in influencer marketing strategies, content ideation, platform selection, costing, negotiation, briefing, monitoring, quality control, and campaign reporting. Her experience extends to media relations for brands across the industry of technology, consumer goods, and finance. Ola was featured on Campaign Middle East’s Faces to Watch in 2021 and has a bachelor’s degree in marketing communications from the American University in Dubai.
Guests
Ronald Balit, Communications Director, GM, Cadillac
Ronald Balit was appointed Communications Director for General Motors Africa & Middle East, in November 2022. In his role, he curates and leads corporate, brand and digital communications strategies for the market, underpinned by GM’s regional ambidextrous approach and wider vision for a future of Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion.Ronald Balit brings to the table, over two decades of experience, with eight years of insight curated within General Motors alone, starting his journey with the platform innovator in 2015. He was first appointed as a Product Communications Manager, following which he was entrusted with the role of Product Marketing Manager, from 2018 until 2022. Throughout his career, Ronald elevated the communications practices within General Motors, having been instrumental across Product Communications, Public Relations, Internal Communications and Marketing, while having a finger on the pulse of the wider automotive, luxury and media industries for 20 years.Ronald’s skills are wide-ranging spanning, project management and spearheading successful marketing strategies for Chevrolet and GMC in the region. Ronald holds a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication from Notre Dame University in Lebanon.
Rama Murad, Content Creator & Influencer
Rama Murad, a dynamic content creator based in the UAE, invites you to explore a global tapestry of inspiration on her platforms. Originally driven by a deep-seated passion for sharing her lifestyle, Rama curates captivating content spanning fashion, travel, makeup, skincare, and lifestyle. Her journey in social media has blossomed into a substantial following and accolades, including the prestigious MENA Digital Creator’s award by META for Influencer of the Year in the “Best Use of Instagram – Lifestyle ” category. Rama leads with engaging insights into her world.
Ghaleb Zeidan, Regional Managing Director, Weber Shandwick MENAT
As Regional Managing Director, Ghaleb heads up UAE operations as well as Culture, Learning & Development and Partnership for Weber Shandwick MENAT. He joined the agency in 2010 and brings expertise in consumer, corporate, financial and government communications, as well as employee engagement, speaker training, and issues and crisis management. His sector expertise includes aviation, education, energy, finance, healthcare and tourism. Ghaleb was named ‘Best PR Professional in Middle East’ at the PRWeek Global Awards 2024 and won ‘PR Leader of the Year’ at the PRCA MENA Awards 2019. In 2023, he was inducted as a MEPRA Fellow for his outstanding contribution to the public relations profession in the Middle East. Under his leadership, Weber Shandwick UAE was officially certified as a Great Place to Work from 2022-24. He is a member of the MEPRA Strategy Board and has been selected to the judging panels of the MENA Effie Awards, the inaugural Arabic Communications MEPRA Awards, the PRCA MENA Awards and the MEPRA Awards.
Currently, Ghaleb partners with a range of brands including Netflix, General Motors (GM) and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), while providing counsel to local and federal government clients such as the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH).Organizations that have previously benefitted from Ghaleb’s insight include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al Watan, the World Health Organization (WHO), UAE Banks Federation (UBF), and Yas Island, in addition to several NGOs. He has also provided senior counsel on numerous mergers in the region.Before joining the agency, Ghaleb managed a client portfolio that included Air Arabia, Aramex, Dubai Bank, Dubai Financial Market and Dubai Islamic Bank. Ghaleb holds a Diploma in Diplomatic and International Relations from the Beirut Arab University and a BA degree in Political and Administrative Science from the Lebanese University in Beirut.
Produced by LPME Studios
Episode 31: Creativity in Communications in the Middle East
This 31st episode of The Brief , The Cannes Festival of Creativity in June, provides a perfect backdrop to explore the celebration of creativity in the Middle East. With several representatives from the region attending, this episode dives into how regional creativity stands up against global campaigns.
In this episode of MEPRA’s #TheBrief podcast, also offers insights into the MENA region’s unique perspective on creativity.
Host:
Joe Lipscombe, Partner, The Romans
Joe Lipscombe is leading the transformation of The Romans in MENA. Here, he brings his hands-on, unconventional leadership skills to solving complex business problems across the MENA region, championing new and innovative ways of creating disproportionate value for clients and agency. Joe is a cited author on published scientific research on the neuroscience of storytelling and has delivered major keynotes on the same, including at the UN’s Global Goals Week. He is a two-time Cannes Lion winner, Lynx Innovation winner, Sabre winner, and current holder of the Campaign of the Year Award for UAE, Qatar, and Jordan. He was Memac Ogilvy PR’s youngest ever member of The One Club for Creativity.
The Romans has been awarded Agency of the Year every year since 2018.
Guest Speakers:
Judy Bakieh, Senior Integrated Communications Manager, Gambit Communications
Canadian Syrian marcomms professional focused on managing and activating Gambit Communications’ social influencer and experiential campaigns across the region, from identifying the right profiles to fit clients’ needs to activating them and generating ROI. Multiple-Award Winner whose integrated campaigns at Gambit have picked up Gold trophies at both the MEPRA Awards and PRCA Regional Awards. She is also the winner of the prestigious Cannes PR Young Lions competition for 2023 and was named PRCA Rising Star of the Year 2023, Campaign Middle East Account Person of the Year 2022, and PRCA Highly Commended Digital Professional of the Year 2022.
Razan Karim, Senior Communications Director, HAVAS Red ME
Within a decade of working in the Middle East’s ever-evolving Communications field, Razan has gathered thorough agency experience servicing a wide range of clients across key industries – including major global players. Today, she works with an understanding of the trends and cultural influences impacting consumer mindsets and behaviors in this particular region, and simultaneously has developed strong relationships with fashion and lifestyle media and influencers. Having been with Havas PR since 2016 after working at Leo Burnett, Razan now handles the communications for CH Carolina Herrera in the Middle East region, while overseeing Havas’s portfolio of luxury fashion and lifestyle brands.
Hfu Reisenhofer, Senior Communications Manager, GEMS Education
A versatile and award-winning storyteller, writer, and content creator, Hfu has two decades’ experience in journalism, media relations, PR, and corporate communications spanning the travel, tourism, publishing, and education sectors. Hfu joined GEMS Education’s communications team – declared In-house Team of the Year at the 2023 MEPRA Awards – in 2018 and has spent the last six years promoting GEMS schools in the UAE and further afield. Prior to that he worked at Dubai Tourism, where he launched and led the department’s global press office and creative newsroom. Before his switch to communications, Hfu spent 10 years working in the media industry in the UK, China, and UAE as a journalist and editor.
Produced by LPME Studios.
Episode 30: Navigating Mental Health in the Communications Industry
This 30th episode of The Brief , As May is about Mental Health Awareness Month, we explore the crucial topic of mental health with PR professionals in MENA.
In this episode of MEPRA’s #TheBrief podcast, we discuss strategies for managing stress in the fast-paced world of public relations, the importance of mental health awareness, and the support systems available within the industry.
Host:
Kate Midttun – MEPRA Chairperson, Founder & CEO, Acorn Strategy
Kate Midttun is Chief Executive Officer at Acorn Strategy. She has 20 years of experience in strategic marketing consulting with a specialisation in destination marketing and a deep sector knowledge across the real estate, leisure and hospitality industries in Australia, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and other countries. She has demonstrated success in creating impactful strategies with quantifiable business results for large global brands, including Mubadala, Miral Asset Management (Yas Island), Duracell, Oman Arab Bank, Hilton Worldwide, Viceroy Hotel Group, World Future Energy Summit, and National Central Cooling Company (Tabreed), amongst others, giving her a deep cultural understanding and adaptability to local and international markets.
Kate is strategically minded with a pragmatic approach, and it is under her vision and guidance that Acorn Strategy has tripled in size in less than three years, becoming an award-winning and internationally recognised powerhouse of integrated marketing and communications on three continents. She has a bachelor’s degree in Business with focus on Marketing and Public Relations from Queensland University of Technology, Australia, and a Master’s Degree from Warwick Business School in Business Administration, with focus on Marketing and International Business Strategy. She is the Chair of the Middle East PR Association and holds a position on the Executive Board of The Marketing Society.
Guest Speakers:
Scott Armstrong – Founder, Mentl
Scott Armstrong is CEO and founder of mentl, a new platform aimed at tackling the stigma of mental health head-on. He believes that the future of work is empathetic and empowering. An award-winning journalist and communications strategist, Scott has been a storyteller for more than three decades, heading up titles such as Arabian Business and Times of Oman as Editor in Chief, and holding roles at the UAE’s The National as well as a number of UK titles.
Tania Kteily – MEPRA Youth Board Vice President, Account Director, Weber Shandwick MENAT
Tania is an Account Director at Weber Shandwick in the UAE, within the Consumer and Corporate practice 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.
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.
Kevin Teixeira – Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Warehouse Gym
Kevin Teixeira has over 20 years of experience in the Health and Fitness industry, from the United Kingdom to the Middle East. He progressed from a bottom-up to a Managing Director role after graduating from Lancaster University, allowing him to gain experience in all aspects of the career chain. A passion for fitness has led him down a path of continuous growth and development within the industry. As one of the co-founders of The Warehouse Gym, he has been responsible for transforming one of Dubai’s most well-known gyms into the UAE’s fastest-growing and most influential gym-chain brand, with 11 locations and growing. By redefining the gym experience, he created an innovative fitness experience within the industry, such as a concept within a concept, signature programs, an unparalleled value proposition, and multi-club network offerings
Episode 29: Page Report on the CCO and Stakeholder Capitalism
This 29th episode of The Brief will be based around measurement and the importance of it within the communications industry.
In this episode of MEPRA’s #TheBrief podcast, we discuss ESG and Stakeholder Capitalism, and the role of Communications Leaders – focusing on the recent CCO Guide released by Page.
Host:
Neda Shelton, MEPRA Executive Board Member and & SVP Communications at Mubadala
Guest Speakers:
Roger Bolton, Chair of the Arthur W. Page Society
Brian Lott, former MEPRA Chair and Chief Communications Officer at Mubadala
Episode 28: The Importance of Measurement
This 28th episode of The Brief will be based around measurement and the importance of it within the communications industry.
Host:
Kate Midttun, MEPRA Executive Board Member & CEO of Acorn Strategy
Guest Speakers:
Elise Misse, Global Communications Measurement Manager and Double-Gold AMEC Award Winner for Global Communications Measurement and Evaluation
Annabel Amann, Global head of Client Experience, Acorn Strategy
Episode 27: Mubadala Investment Company Campaign Investing in Innovation, The Future is Here
This episode of the brief is hosted by Taryam Al Subaihi, MEPRA Chair and Director of Corporate Communications, EWECfeaturing Mohamed Luqman of Mubadala Investment Company.
Host:
Taryam Al Subaihi, MEPRA Chair and Director of Corporate Communications, EWEC
Guest speaker:
Mohamed Luqman, Mubadala Investment Company
Episode 26: The Power of Storytelling
Host:
Hanisha Lalwani, MEPRA Youth Board Vice President & Senior Marketing Manager MEA, PageGroup
Guest speaker:
Jessica Jarlvi, bestselling author, editor, lecturer and PR professional
Episode 25: Celebrating 20 years of MEPRA
This episode of the brief will feature an interview with Jack Pearce, MEPRA Founder, former Chair and Founder of Matrix Public Relations. Taryam and Jack will take a look back to where it all began with MEPRA and how far we have come as we celebrate 20 years of supporting communications professionals in the Middle East.
Host:
Taryam Al Subaihi, MEPRA Chair and Director of Corporate Communications, EWEC
Guest speaker:
Jack Pearce, MEPRA Founder, former Chair and Founder of Matrix Public Relations
Episode 24: The Thriving Saudi Communications Industry
This episode of the brief features an interview with Khaled Tash, Vice President Corporate Communications at Saudi Arabian Airlines ‐ SAUDIA to discuss the thriving communications industry in Saudi Arabia, opportunities for further growth and challenges to overcome.
Host:
Taryam Al Subaihi, MEPRA Chair and Director of Corporate Communications, EWEC
Guest Speaker:
Khaled Tash, Vice President Corporate Communications at Saudi Arabian Airlines ‐ SAUDIA
Episode 23: Small But Mighty
This episode of the brief will feature three MEPRA Board Members who lead small and medium consultancies to address the biggest concerns and opportunities faced by SMEs in our industry, following results from a recent survey which revealed top challenges faced by this group, plus how MEPRA and the industry can come together to help grow this sector and our profession as a whole.
Host:
Hilmarie Hutchison, MEPRA Strategy Board Member and CEO at Matrix PR
Guest Speakers:
Ananda Shakespeare, MEPRA Strategy Board Member & CEO & Founder at Shakespeare Communications
Kate Midttun, MEPRA Executive Board Member and Founder & Managing Director at Acorn Strategy
Episode 22: Clubhouse Conversations
The 22nd episode of the brief in 2021 will feature a discussion with MEPRA Treasurer and CEO of CARMA & SOCIALEYEZ, Mazen Nahawi on Clubhouse, the new social networking app making waves all across the world.
Host:
Taryam Al Subaihi, Current MEPRA Chair & Head of Corporate Communications, EWEC
Guest Speaker:
Mazen Nahawi, MEPRA Executive Board Member and CEO of CARMA & SOCIALEYEZ
Episode 21: Looking Back & Moving Forward: A discussion between the past and present MEPRA Chair
The 21st episode of the brief in 2021 will feature a discussion between the past and present MEPRA Chair looking back at the year that was 2020 and focusing on what’s in store for MEPRA Members and the industry in 2021.
Co Host:
Jonty Summers, Former MEPRA Chair & MD Hanover Middle East
Taryam Al Subaihi, Current MEPRA Chair & Head of Corporate Communications, EWEC
Episode 20: The history of procurement and the path to success
The 20th episode of the brief will examine how procurement of communications services became what it is today and how to achieve the best outcomes for both sides of the fence.
The podcast is hosted by MEPRA Executive Board Member and Acorn Strategy Managing Director and will feature interviews Sam Achampong, General Manager, Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) MENA and Michael Farmer, author of Madison Avenue Manslaughter, a best-seller which discusses how agencies are caught between fee-cutting clients and profit-hungry owners.
Host: Kate Midttun MEPRA Executive Board Member and Managing Director, Acorn Strategy
Guest speakers:
Sam Achampong, General Manager, CIPS MENA
Michael Farmer, author of Madison Avenue Manslaughter
Episode 19: 12th Annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey
The 18th episode of the brief will examine the results from the 12th Annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey, which provides insights into the hopes, aspirations and attitudes of Arab youth. The podcast is hosted by MEPRA Executive Board Member and CEO of CARMA & SOCIALEYEZ, Mazen Nahawi who will interview Sunil John, BCW Middle East President and Founder of ASDA’A BCW and Dom Bartkus, Director at PSB Middle East on how the survey results can provide public and private sector organisations with data and analysis to make informed decisions and policies.
Host: Mazen Nahawi, MEPRA Executive Board Member and CEO of CARMA & SOCIALEYEZ
Guest Speakers:
Sunil John, President – Middle East, BCW & Founder, ASDA’A BCW
Dom Bartkus, Director PSB Middle East
Episode 18: Communication Lessons from the 2020 US Presidential Elections
The 18th episode of the brief will examine the 2020 US presidential election campaign and what it can teach us as communication professionals. The podcast is hosted by MEPRA Board Member and APCO Worldwide MENA President, Mamoon Sbeih and will feature interviews with Brandon Neal, Senior Director at APCO Worldwide, Washington, DC & former Democratic Campaign Strategist and Rich Galen – Political Commentator & Former Republican Campaign Strategist.
Host: Mamoon Sbeih, MEPRA Board Member and APCO Worldwide MENA President
Guest Speakers:
Brandon Neal, Senior Director at APCO Worldwide, Washington, DC & former Democratic Campaign Strategist
Rich Galen – Political Commentator & Former Republican Campaign Strategist
Episode 17: Next-gen learning to adapt
The 17th episode of the brief will feature interviews with Zayed University’s Professor of Practice at College of Communication and Media Sciences, Inka Stever and students Shamma Waleed Abdulla Ali Alhammadi and Noor Rashid Hamed Al Ruzaiqi, who will discuss the challenges faced by the university and media and communications students following to the ever-changing implications of COVID-19. This episode is hosted by MEPRA Youth Board Vice President and Senior Marketing Manager MEA, PageGroup, Hanisha Lalwani.
Host: Hanisha Lalwani, MEPRA Youth Board Vice President and Senior Marketing Manager MEA, PageGroup
Guest Speakers:
Inka Stever, MEPRA Strategy Board Member & Professor of Practice at College of Communication and Media Sciences, Zayed University
Shamma Waleed Abdulla Ali Alhammadi, Zayed University Student
Noor Rashid Hamed Al Ruzaiqi, Zayed University Student
Episode 16: The Workplace Re-imagined
The 16th episode of the brief will feature interviews with ADNOC’s Dr. Coni Judge and Four Communications Group Founder and Group Managing Director Ray Eglington who will discuss how they prepared for a return to office and helped their teams’ transition into the new normal following COVID-19 lockdown measures.
Host: Jonty Summers, MEPRA Chair & MD Hanover Middle East
Guest Speakers:
Dr. Coni Judge, Senior Advisor, Group Communications, ADNOC
Ray Eglington, Founder & Group Managing Director, Four Communications Group
Episode 15: The Path to Recovery
The 15th episode of the brief features interviews with Fred Duan, Siemens Energy China SVP & Head of Communications, and Jeff Astle, APCO Worldwide Shanghai Managing Director, who address how they prepared for, and transitioned to the new normal as businesses opened their doors following COVID-19 lockdowns.
Host: Jonty Summers, MEPRA Chair & MD Hanover Middle East
Guest Speakers:
Fred Duan, SVP & Head of Communications, Siemens Energy Hub China
Jeff Astle, Managing Director, APCO Worldwide Shanghai
Episode 14: Mental Wellness During COVID-19
The 14th episode of the brief will feature an interview with health and wellness expert and She is Arab speaker Dr Hanan Selim who will discuss the importance of prioritising mental wellbeing during COVID-19.
Host: Cheryl King, MEPRA Board Member & Managing Director, markettiers MENA
Guest speakers:
Dr Hanan Selim, Healthpreneur, CEO Founder of Healology & She is Arab speaker
Episode 13: The Impact of COVID-19 on Young Communicators
The 13th episode of the brief features interviews with MEPRA Youth Board members, Brazen MENA Senior Account Director, Jennifer Love, Weber Shandwick MENAT Senior Manager, Client Experience Nada Elbarshoumi and Mubadala Vice President, Employee Engagement Sara Kazim. Our guests will discuss how COVID-19 is impacting young communicators, their daily work and the way they are working with their teams and clients during this time.
Host: Sabrina De Palma, Executive Director, MEPRA
Guest speakers:
Jennifer Love, Senior Account Director, Brazen MENA
Nada Elbarshoumi. Senior Manager Client Experience, Weber Shandwick MENAT
Sara Kazim, Vice President, Employee Engagement, Mubadala Investment Company
Episode 12: How the comms industry is navigating COVID-19
The 12th episode of the brief features an interview with Maijd Al Futtaim’s Chief Communications Officer Tracy Faulkner, Edelman Middle East CEO & PRCA Mena Chair, Omar Qirem and our Chair and Hanover Middle east MD, Jonty Summers. Our guest will discuss how their teams are navigating the COVID-19 outbreak and how we can all best communicate through this time.
Host: Sabrina De Palma, Executive Director, MEPRA
Guest speakers:
Jonty Summers, MEPRA Chair & MD Hanover Middle East
Omar Qirem, CEO, Edelman Middle East
Tracy Faulkner, Chief Communications Officer, Majid Al Futtaim
Episode 11: International Women’s Day 2020
The 11th episode of the brief features an interview with Margery Kraus, Founder and Executive Chair at APCO Worldwide to mark International Women’s Day 2020. Margery discusses how lessons in motherhood helped create and run a successful global company and shares highlights from her new book ‘Roots and Wings’.
Host: Camilla D’Abo, MEPRA Strategy Board Member and Managing Director at APCO Worldwide Dubai
Guest speakers: Margery Kraus, Founder and Executive Chair at APCO Worldwide
Episode 10: Interview with Arun Sudhaman,CEO and Editor-in-Chief of PRovoke Media (previously The Holmes Report)
The 10th episode of the brief features an interview with Arun Sudhaman, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of PRovoke Media (previously The Holmes Report). Arun shares the latest in industry news and trends, discusses the recent PRovoke MENA event and its future plans for the region.
Host: Jonty Summers,MEPRA Chair & MD Hanover Middle East
Guest speakers: Arun Sudhaman, CDEO & Editor in Chief, PRovoke MEDIA
Episode 9: Interview with Buzzfeed Europe’s Head of Content, James Lamon – Live from REMAP
The 9th episode of the brief will feature an interview with James Lamon, Head of Content, Buzzfeed Europe following his presentation at REMAP. James will discuss how Buzzfeed has redefined content consumption, the evolution of the brand, how they measure for success, tips on going viral plus more.
Host: Jonty Summers, MEPRA Chair & MD Hanover Middle East
Guest Speaker: James Lamon, Buzzfeed Europe
Episode 8: Interview with Arab News Editor in Chief, Faisal Abbas
The 8th episode of the brief, Jonty Summers speaks to Arab News’ Editor in Chief Faisal Abbas on everything from how the media outlet become THE English voice for Arabs to uncovering his ‘Bad PR’ folder which included PR pros to avoid.
Host: Jonty Summers, MEPRA Chair & MD Hanover Middle East
Guest Speaker: Faisal Abbas, Editor in Chief at Arab News
Episode 7: Elevating measurement and evaluation practices and how to win awards
The seventh 7th episode of the brief, Jonty Summers shares a call with – London based – Richard Bagnall, Co-Managing Partner at CARMA International and Chairman of AMEC; Richard is also the 2019 MEPRA Awards Adjudicator. Amongst other key topics, Richard shares his views on what makes an award-winning entry, important things to remember and key measurement principles.
Host: Jonty Summers, MEPRA Chair & MD Hanover Middle East
Guest Speaker: Richard Bagnall, Co-Managing Partner at CARMA International and Chairman of AMEC
Episode 6: Uncovering the latest trends in broadcast PR
The sixth episode of the brief will feature an interview with Howard Kosky CEO of the markettiers network who will discuss the latest trends in broadcast PR.
Host: Jonty Summers, MEPRA Chair & MD Hanover Middle East
Guest Speaker: Howard Kosky, CEO, markettiers network
Episode 5: MEPRA’s Young Communicator takes on Agency versus In-house PR
The 5th episode of the brief is hosted by Brazen’s Jennifer Love, who is the named winner of ‘Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year’ at the 2018 MEPRA Awards. Jennifer chats to Rebecca Hall, PR Director of Atlantis, The Palm, discussing the contrast of working in-house versus in a PR agency; they cover opportunities and challenges from both perspectives, how an in-house PR can leverage from a PR agency and effective ways of working to get the most out of each one.
Host: Jennifer Love, Senior Account Director, Brazen
Guest Speaker: Rebecca Hall, PR Director, Atlantis, The Palm
Episode 4: In the spotlight: PRWeek Middle East with Danny Rogers
The 4th episode of the brief features an interview with Danny Rogers, Editor-in-Chief, PRWeek UK who shares the latest news and trends from the UK, discusses the recent PRWeek Power Book Middle East launch and what’s to come for the PRWeek Middle East chapter.
Host: MEPRA Chair, Jonty Summers
Guest Speaker: Danny Rogers, Editor-in-Chief, PRWeek UK
Episode 3: Live from the 2019 MEPRA Leadership Majlis
The 3rd episode of the brief covers the highlights of the 2019 MEPRA Leadership Majlis, interviewing speakers following their sessions on stage. Topics covered include; the critical role of communications in organisational change & transformation, whether CCO’s are facing an existential crisis and embracing the UAE’s Year of Tolerance
Host: Souad AlSerKal: VP Corporate Communications, Tabreed
Guest Speakers:
- Sara Kazim, Vice President, Employee Engagement, Mubadala Investment
- Roger Bolton, President, Page Society
- Jamal Al Awadhi, Vice President, Product & Guest Experience, Etihad Aviation Group
- Jonty Summers, MEPRA Chair & Managing Director, Hanover Middle East
Episode 2: The Changing Face of Modern Media
The 2nd episode of the brief explores ‘The changing face of modern media’ and what the future holds for media outlets as a trusted news source in a time of disinformation, clickbait and digital transformation.
Host: Jonty Summers: MEPRA Chair, Managing Director, Hanover Middle East
Guest Speakers:
- Mina Al Oraibi, Editor in Chief, The National
- Jason Leavy, Managing Director MENA, VICE Media
Episode 1: Women in Leadership
The 1st episode of the brief features MEPRA Chair, Jonty Summers speaks to H+K Strategies MD Lisa Welsh and Tabreed VP Souad Alserkal to discuss their challenges & opportunities as women leaders in PR. Award winning academic Dr Payyazhi Jayashree from the University of Wollongong Dubai also weighs in as an expert in gender parity to explore how we can achieve a gender-balanced boardroom.
Host: MEPRA Chair, Jonty Summers
Guest speakers:
- Lisa Welsh: MEPRA Vice Chair & Managing Director, Hill+Knowlton Strategies,
- Souad AlSerKal: VP Corporate Communications, Tabreed
- Dr Payyazhi Jayashree is Associate Dean (Education) and Professor (HR) at the University of Wollongong in Dubai