Following the success registered in recent years by the Leo Burnett Group of Companies, Middle East and North Africa, its CEO Raja Trad has been invited to join the Leo Burnett Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Regional Executive Committee.
The appointment will have no affect on Trad’s existing responsibilities as CEO of the Leo Burnett Group of Companies, MENA, a post he has held since 1994. The executive board oversees the operations of 50 offices across the region, which represents 40% of Leo Burnett Worldwide’s total business.
“In recognition of the extraordinary contribution that the Middle East and North Africa unit has made to our business at Leo Burnett, I have asked Raja to spare some of his time to join this committee. He will be a valuable contributor and his experience, perspective and wisdom will benefit us both now and into the future,” said Richard Pinder, president, Leo Burnett Europe, Middle East and Africa.
In the past five years, Trad has led a network that has both doubled in size and doubled its share of Leo Burnett’s worldwide business.
“What’s more, this growth has been fuelled by a strong and steady rise in the calibre of the regional network’s creative product. Several years ago we would acknowledge that their work was good, but now we are seeing LB MENA work that is on par with our most creative offices around the world,” Pinder added.
Trad, who joined Leo Burnett in 1981 as an account director, said, “This appointment is a privilege and an honour that offers me an opportunity to contribute to the wellbeing of our agency, not only within the MENA region, but on a multi-region level as well.”
Trad was named CEO of Leo Burnett Middle East in 1994, with North Africa added to his geographic scope in 2000. A year later, Trad’s responsibilities were expanded to cover all non-media operating units in the region, namely brand agencies Leo Burnett and Black Pencil, interactive and CRM agency Arc MENA, public relations agency Manning Selvage & Lee and post-production unit The Orchard.
About Leo Burnett MENA
The Leo Burnett Group of Companies, Middle East and North Africa, whose origin dates back to 1974, has always been progressive in its thinking and approach. From a single brand agency, Leo Burnett as a group has grown to encompass a comprehensive range of communications solutions, including advertising, media, public relations, digital and CRM. The group offers both specialization and holistic integration to answer the ever-changing needs of both clients and the marketplace.
About Leo Burnett Worldwide
Founded in Chicago in 1935 with eight employees and three clients, Leo Burnett Worldwide, Inc. today operates a global network of over 200 operating units including a variety of specialty marketing services and 95 full-service advertising agencies in 83 countries. Leo Burnett creates ideas that inspire enduring belief for many of the world’s most valuable brands and successful marketers, including McDonald’s, Disney, Procter & Gamble, Marlboro, Altoids, Heinz, Kellogg and Nintendo.
The world’s seventh largest agency network (as ranked by Advertising Age in April 2004), Leo Burnett Worldwide (www.leoburnett.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Publicis Groupe (www.publicis.com).
