Ramzy Abou-Ezzeddine, CEO of Y&R Group in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) announced that he is naming Georges Barsoum the CEO of Y&R in the AGCC. Georges will be responsible for Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and will be based in Dubai.
Barsoum has been with Leo Burnett for the past 16 years, and was most recently the Regional Managing Director for Leo Burnett Saudi Arabia. He played a key role in restructuring the agency, developing talent, and pursuing new business to achieve record growth for the Saudi offices.
“We have ambitious plans in the region, and we are aggressively building a strong team to delight our clients,” said Abou-Ezzedine. “Georges is the perfect choice to lead our AGCC offices. He knows the region inside and out, is passionate about our business and has great, relevant experience. I’m thrilled to have him on board and look forward to working together with him.”
Prior to Georges’ Managing Director roles at Leo Burnett, he was Regional Director and Planner for Procter & Gamble’s Middle East and North Africa laundry business. Among his honors, his team was awarded P&G’s Global Brand Building Award for their Tide White Musk commercial innovation.
“I am excited and honored to take on this new role at Y&R,” said Barsoum. “We have outstanding work, impressive talent, and deep resources that come from all parts of the Y&R network. I’m really looking forward to building on this solid foundation to drive growth in Dubai and across our offices in the Gulf. We have everything we need to start writing a bold new chapter in the region.”
David Sable, Y&R Global CEO, said: “The Middle East is a key region for us and for clients everywhere. With the arrival of Ramzy Abou-Ezzedine, who will be concentrating on driving the whole MENA network, and Georges Barsoum leading the AGCC, we are well-positioned to build on the achievements we have already made. Agencies are built by people — and with the talent we have residing in the region, I feel confident that our clients will get the work and results they desire.”