Regional creative communications powerhouse Memac Ogilvy has announced the appointment of Philippe Berthelot as the agency’s new Managing Director for the UAE.
Berthelot’s arrival marks another milestone in Ogilvy’s Next Chapter evolution. The strategy, revealed in early 2017 and formally implemented as part of the company’s ‘re-founding’ in June 2018, integrates the agency’s capabilities under one P&L and the single Memac Ogilvy brand. Berthelot’s appointment follows the announcement of Patou Nuytemans as CEO MENA in September 2017, who also led the UAE agency in the interim for one year after succeeding Memac founder and chairman Edmond Moutran, who shifted to Executive Chairman.
In his new role, Berthelot will lead the agency’s UAE operations, drawing on more than two decades of experience across three continents. This experience sparked an indistinguishable passion for tech and innovation that will serve him well at the helm of Memac Ogilvy UAE, as the agency focuses on its Next Chapter strategy to deliver modern marketing solutions that make brands matter.
“I’ve always been an experience junkie, always needed a challenge, and always needed to grow in my career – that’s what’s led me across the world from the creative to the account side,” said Philippe Berthelot, Managing Director of Memac Ogilvy UAE. “Ogilvy came at an interesting time for me, with the opportunity to help lead a one-agency approach that integrates capabilities across Brand & Advertising, Customer Engagement & Digital, Social Media Performance, and PR & Influence. The industry has changed, and I haven’t seen a creative network get it right like Ogilvy has. The truth is, consumers have changed as well. They seem to care less about brands today. That’s why our goal is to create purposeful work that makes brands matter in peoples’ lives. It’s as simple as that.”
Berthelot will work shoulder to shoulder with Patou Nuytemans, Memac Ogilvy CEO MENA and Chief Digital Officer EMEA, out of Dubai, as the agency accelerates its transformation across the region.
“The year since we began delivering on our Next Chapter strategy has gone exactly to plan as the significant wins across our traditional and new capabilities show,” commented Patou Nuytemans. “The UAE agency has been pivotal to this success because it combines many of our most influential assets – great talent across our diverse areas of expertise collaborating seamlessly, all driven by our culture of best work and the best place to work. I needed a proven leader to accelerate this success as Next Chapter continues to take shape, and someone who could deliver the collaborative culture, modern marketing expertise, and client-centricity we pursue. I have no doubt that Philippe is the best person for this,” added Nuytemans.
Formerly with Impact BBDO Dubai for six years, Berthelot has previously helped spearhead the creative and financial growth of Unilever’s second largest brand, Lipton, as Global Business Director. He also participated in the early growth and success of Publicis Group’s creatively renowned agency MARCEL in Paris as Managing Director.
With a track record of delivering award-winning creative campaigns globally, Berthelot’s career to date has seen him elevate the communication strategies and creative output of leading brands operating in more than 70 markets. This includes Pepsi, Lays, Google, Nestle Water, and France 24. A copywriter by trade and self-proclaimed digital native, Berthelot’s career launched in San Francisco at the start of the dot-com boom.
