Today, MCN announced the appointment of Joe Nicolas as Regional Managing Director of UM MENA.
Joe Nicolas has been with UM for over eight years, and has been an integral part of leading UM towards becoming the largest and number one media agency in the region – developing the product offering, driving growth, building teams and galvanizing people, and contributing to the success of our clients and brands.
As the Regional Head of Product for UM MENA, Joe has been the driving force behind the successful rolling out and integration of UM’s product offerings of social, digital, branded content, technology andcreative solutions for clients across the MENA region.
Joe has a unique understanding of the region’s dynamics. In addition to overseeing the Levant offices he also – along with his team – has been a change agent and leader in transforming UM Egypt in times of economic instabilities. He successfully revamped the office into a healthy operation, building a motivated team and improved capabilities with higher client satisfaction. As the Business Lead on key global and regional accounts, he plays a crucial role in client relations and business development, for which he has an outstanding track record.
Joe has been working closely with Chris Skinner who successfully led UM MENA since 2013, who now relocates to the UK as President, UM EMEA.
“I am excited to be taking over this role at one of the largest agencies in the region. At a time where our region is undergoing a transformation, we have the right team, the right company culture and the right portfolio of clients to enable us to deliver great work and set new standards. I look forward to playing a major role in this and the continuing success and development of the agency in the coming years” said Joe Nicolas, Regional MD, UM MENA.
Ghassan Harfouche, Group CEO MCN, said: “MCN would like to thank Chris for his excellent leadership and in strengthening the agency’s position in the MENA region. We sincerely appreciate his vision and tenacity towards expanding the company’s portfolio and performance and we look forward to the next phase of UM under Joe’s leadership. Joe Nicolas is widely respected for consistently delivering strong business results and comes with a deep understanding of the media, the marketing industry and the region. His experience and contribution in making UM a leading agency, his passion for servicing customers at a regional scale, and his authentic team player attitude make him an extraordinary fit for this role. He is definitely the right person to lead UM to greater heights.”