IAA

As Managing Director for Leo Burnett Dubai and Kuwait, Kamal Dimachkie supervises 225 employees and more than 30 accounts across a broad range of industries. His main responsibilities include setting and delivering against growth targets for the offices. His role includes new business development, oversight of the recruitment and development of the agency’s human capital, maintenance of creative excellence and agency reputation and management of client-agency relationships.

Kamal began his tenure with Leo Burnett in 1985 as an account executive on the Procter & Gamble account. His experience in the Middle East has taken him through a number of assignments and enabled him to work and live in Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Outside the region, Kamal has worked in both the United States and Canada.

He has held a number of senior positions with Leo Burnett, including manager of the Kuwait and Saudi Arabia offices and head of new business development for the Arabian Peninsula. He also has led and developed two prominent multinational assignments, Procter & Gamble and Kellogg’s, for Leo Burnett in the Middle East.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Kamal graduated in 1985 from the American University of Beirut with an MBA.

In addition to managing Leo Burnett Dubai and Kuwait, Kamal has served as an adjunct instructor at the American University in Dubai, lecturing on integrated marketing communications and advertising.

Eric Hanna started his career with Leo Burnett before moving to Saatchi & Saatchi, Dubai in 1993.

He has been involved in the setting up of several agencies and regional networks including Zenithmedia (1996) Bates (1998) and MediaCom and G2 Middle East & North Africa where he was closely involved in developing proprietary planning and experience tools.

As Associate Vice President for Bates, Eric helped start up the Middle East network in 1997 before joining Grey Worldwide in 1999 as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer since 2004.

Elie is Regional Managing Director of Omnicom Media Group, part of Omnicom Group, the leading global advertising, marketing and corporate communications holding company.

Elie leads the operations of two leading communication planning agencies, OMD and PHD, as well as several specialist companies and units. These include Integral, a research and insights company, OMD Digital, the region’s largest digital media specialist, Fuse, a unit specializing in branded content and entertainment, and OMD International, the group’s unit managing Omnicom Media Group’s clients’ international media management needs. Today, the group employs more than 300 people and is expanding its footprint across the region.

Elie’s progression within the Omnicom Group started in 1988 at BBDO, where he managed several accounts. He then moved through various management positions, including general management at BBDO and, more recently regional management of OMD across the Middle East.

He holds an MBA from the American University of Beirut.

In order to support the development of the advertising and media industries, he is committed to building, attracting and nurturing professional talent for the benefit of the industry at large. He is involved in various industry initiatives and projects, including the joint industry board to oversee TV viewership research projects in the region.

As a board Member of the IAA, UAE Chapter he serves as a team member on the Talent development sub committee.

Rajeev has been Group Advertisement Manager of the respected Gulf News daily newspaper since 1998. He heads the three advertising activities around the flagship daily broadsheet newspaper as well as the direct marketing and online sales activities.

He joined the newspaper in the marketing department at the time of the newspaper’s re-launch in 1985 and has helped grow the publication which today is the most widely circulated English language daily in the UAE and a dominant player across the GCC.

Prior to joining Gulf News Rajeev held senior positions in India’s well known TATA group and is a graduate of Bombay University majoring in Economics & Political Science.

Rajeev has been a Board Member of the IAA UAE Chapter since 1996, and participated with the core team during both the Asian Advertising Congress and the successful pitch to stage the IAA World Congress in Dubai.

Tanvir Kanji is a senior within the UAE advertising and marketing communications industries. He heads the Inca Tanvir consortium of Advertising, Public Relations, Media and Internet companies headquartered in Dubai and Sharjah (United Arab Emirates).

He was a founding member of the United Arab Emirates Chapter of the International Advertising Association in 1979 and was its President until November 2006. Whilst President, the chapter become the largest and one of the most active in the world and was twice awarded the Golden Tulip Award for Excellence.

In 2006 Tanvir was awarded the IAA’s ‘Medal of Merit’ for services to the advertising Industry.

His many contributions to the advertising industry include; the Organizing Committee of the successful “Dubai 2006” IAA World Congress, Chair of the 2006 IAA Awards Committee and he represents the UAE in the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA).

Tanvir was also instrumental in forging a joint venture with the International Advertising Festival – organizers of the Cannes Advertising Festival – and the IAA to stage the Dubai Lynx Awards in March 2007.

Having recently stepped down as President of the IAA UAE Chapter, Tanvir continues as President Emeritus.