Olivier Altmann

Chairman of the Worldwide Creative Board

- Publicis Worldwide -

When I was invited to be the President of the Jury for the MENA Cristal Awards, my first reaction was one of surprise: why me? You can’t really say that my career shows a lot of experience in advertising in the Middle East or North Africa! Or that I have reached the level of respectability of the event’s previous patron, Jacques Séguéla. But when the organizers of the Festival let me know that the agency managers from this part of the world agreed to this silly idea, I told myself that it would be more than impolite to refuse the invitation. And even more so, seeing how global advertising is permanently nourished by our cultural differences. To be convinced, you just need to look at the campaigns which, beyond their local particularities (or on the contrary, because of them), are now travelling the world on the video sharing web sites. Back in the 80’s, Diesel did a humorous parody on the frankness of African advertising. Today it's the countries of North Africa, the Middle East, and also Asia, Eastern Europe and South America which are bringing youthful freshness to advertising which is too limited and standardized by the “old Europe” or North America. And it’s by being permanently open to the ideas, mentalities, and feelings from other countries that we will be able, whatever our country of origin, to produce campaigns which will be able to cross the borders. It's because good advertising, which makes us smile, which moves us, or which surprises us, has a unique feature: for a brief moment, in spite of political, social or religious differences, it brings people together. I am sure that again this year, through the MENA Festival, we will find some gems of creativity which will be able to do this.

Ramzi Barakat

Chief Creative Officer
- Drive Communication Mena

Hicham Benabdeljalil

Regional Creative Director
- Grey Worldwide Casablanca

Bechara Mouzannar

Executive Regional Creative Director
- H&C Leo Burnett Beyrouth

Ossama Elkaoukji

Chief Creative Officer
- Memac Ogilvy mena

Alexander Gutt
Creative Director
- Draftfcb Hambourg

Nihal El Daly

Marketing Director of Food ans Beverages
- Unilever Mashreq

Nikolaj Dahl Jensen

Marketing Manager Middle East
- Arla Foods Amba

Thierry Albert

Senior Creative
- DDB London

Ghislain de Villoutreys

Executive Creative Director
- JWT Paris

Chengez Khan

National Marketing Manager
- Juffau Automotive Company/Mercedes Benz

Hassan Kabbani

Chief Executive Officer
- Orascom Telecom Algeria

Adel Al Shamaly

General Manager
- Al Homaizy Limited & Ikea

Raymond Khoury

Marketing Director
- Procter & Gamble Near East

Mohamed Shahin

Communication Director (Egypt, Libya, Horn of Africa)
- Nestle

Eddie Maalouf

Area Director, Marketing Customer & Market Operation, Mea
- Nokia

Mustafa Moussa

Regional Marketing Director Middle East & Africa Region
- Pepsico International

Daniel Verpeaux

President of the Jury
Chief Operating Officer
- Euro RSCG Worldwide Corporate Communication

“Mounting public demand for accountability and authenticity has driven companies and organizations to rethink how they engage in social, political and corporate issues that impact the long-term, shared interests of business and society. Companies are looking to corporate communications to fuel innovative activities and provide responses to their increasing need for appropriate communication. All the disciplines involved in corporate communications should emerge in the MENA region for three main reasons:
- A number of MENA countries are experiencing vigorous economic growth,
- Those countries have a multi-cultural character,
- Information technology has taken root.
Financial communications, corporate identity and brand management, public relations, internal communications, corporate advertising, Internet, crisis management—all the ingredients are there today to ensure that the entire range of corporate disciplines come into their own. In addition, Internet and new information technology are going to have a major impact on the way that companies and organizations voice their concerns and put their message across. Businesses and public-sector organizations in the MENA are facing a serious challenge. They need to shift from conventional, segmented communications to integrated communications that welds the full spectrum of corporate and product communication practices into a single communications strategy.”

ALAIN KHOURI

CHAIRMAN and CEO
- MPACT/BBDO GROUP

RAMZY RAAD

CHAIRMAN and CEO
- TBWA\RAAD MIDDLE EAST

FADI SALAMEH

President and CEO
- Middle East Communication Networks MCN Holding / FORTUNE PROMOSEVEN

RAJA TRAD

CEO
- Leo Burnett Group Mediterranean

EDMOND MOUTRAN

CHAIRMAN and CEO
- Memac Ogilvy & Mather Holding MENA

PIERRE SOUED

Managing Director
- Euro RSCG Middle East

ROY HADDAD

CHAIRMAN and CEO
- JWT MENA, TURKEY, PAKISTAN

TALAL EL MAKDESSI

CHAIRMAN and President
- THG GROUP

KARIM TABET

COO
- DRIVE COMMUNICATION