The CEO of Omnicom Media Group (OMG) MENA, Elie Khouri, has been appointed as the group's newest chairman - one of a trio of key promotions made by the regional media heavyweight.
Khouri - who has been the regional CEO since 2007 - will step into his new role immediately as part of plans by OMG MENA, the media services division of Omnicom Group, to bolster its operations across the Middle East.
Stepping in to the fill the CEO’s role is OMD MENA’s CEO Nadim Samara, who has been with the group for 17 years.
Meanwhile, Elda Choucair, CEO of PHD, Omnicom’s media and communications agency, moves to the newly created role of chief operating officer (COO) of OMD MENA.
Khouri, who has been with the group for three decades, has been leading its media division in the Middle East since 2001, when he left BBDO, where he worked in client relations, to become a founder of OMD in MENA.
Khouri, who has dual Lebanese/French nationality, has been a pacesetter in MENA's media industry since assumed the leadership of the newly formed Omnicom Media Group in MENA in 2006, following the opening of PHD in Dubai.
As chairman, Khouri will report to Mike Cooper, Omnicom Media Group CEO for EMEA and APAC.
"What makes working in the Middle East so exciting is that there is still plenty to achieve," said Khouri. "And with Omnicom’s vision for talent, the growth prospects are endless.
"I am delighted to be given the opportunity to keep adding value and contribute to further progress in our group and our industry.
"Together with Nadim and Elda, I look forward to widening our group’s offering, strengthening our values and principles, and shaping our collective future."
Samara joined OMD in 2002, quickly moving through the ranks, from planning to analytics and agency management to his newest CEO role.
Choucair has led PHD in MENA since 2008 and was the agency CEO for the last three years. She will expand her remit as COO for the holding group.
On the new promotions, Mike Cooper, Omnicom Media Group CEO for EMEA and APAC, said: "Our operations in the Middle East are a great source of pride as we lead there on many fronts across our networks and units.
"In these transformative times, speed, agility and innovation are huge assets, and our leadership in this region has amply demonstrated the results of this approach.
"With this new management structure, we will combine and capitalise on all this energy in order to grow further. We are uniquely placed to realise new opportunities to enhance operational efficiencies and service quality for the benefit of our clients."
The promotions are effective immediately.
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