Tony believes in the magic of ideas and their power to generate change. They form his passion to transform brands and agencies. Since arriving at Young & Rubicam in 2008, Tony has done both. He has attracted some of the industry’s best creative talent, fully integrated digital into the agency, and built a global creative community in both spirit and pactice. It has resulted in radically refreshed work for clients including Virgin Atlantic, Land Rover, LG and Telefonica.

Under Tony’s creative leadership, at Cannes 2010 Young & Rubicam’s global network ranked third, leaping forward five places in a single year; Y&R New York was the number one agency in the US and second globally. Also in 2010, Young & Rubicam was named Network of the Year by the Art Directors Club, New York Festivals and London International Awards.

“Young & Rubicam’s rising up the agency ranks in the last couple of years is a testament to Tony’s incredible talent, his belief in the power of creativity and brilliant leadership. Chairing both the Film and Press juries is a highly demanding role, which Tony will no doubt excel in and relish,” said Terry Savage, Festival Chairman.

Commenting on his role, Tony Granger said, “This is a great honour. Cannes Lions is the most prestigious global awards show in our industry – it gives us the chance to highlight what is possible while inspiring us to leap forward. It’s the celebration of creativity in all forms of communication, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Before joining Y&R, Tony spent five years at Saatchi & Saatchi. There, too, he led the agency’s creative transformation. Saatchi became the top creative agency in the US, and International Agency of the Year at both Cannes Lions and the Clio Awards. He led a similar renaissance at Bozell New York, where the shop catapulted to best in the US and third best at Cannes Lions in 2002. Tony began his career in his native South Africa, where he led TBWA/Hunt Lascaris, a shop of proud heritage and creative pedigree.

Tony and his agencies have won numerous awards, and he’s been fortunate to serve as president of several international juries. But he’s most proud to have shaped top creative agencies, and worked with the world’s most sought-after clients on some of the most recognised and influential global brands. He is fanatically focused and excited for the future of the business and this industry.

Recognized as one of the world’s foremost marketing strategists, Trout is the originator of positioning and other important concepts in marketing strategy. With over 40 years of experience in advertising and marketing, Trout is a boardroom advisor to some of the world’s largest companies.

Entitled: ‘In Search of the Obvious’, Trout’s presentation will highlight the increasing importance of positioning and repositioning and how the search for the right positioning strategy is a search for a powerful, obvious idea.

“It will be interesting to hear Mr. Trout’s views on the challenges facing today’s professionals in the Region and worldwide, as they are quite different from those faced in the decade in which positioning was born and flourished,” said Dr. Lance de Masi, President of the IAA UAE Chapter.

According to Trout, “The world is a marketing problem!” Recent research has indicated that many sectors proved to have little differentiation and therefore that marketing’s growing problem is that of creeping commoditization. Trout believes that positioning is therefore more important today than it was 40 years ago, when Trout first introduced the concept. This is because competition is one hundred times as intense as it was when he first wrote about the ‘battle for the mind.’

This limited seating event is hosted by the IAA, UAE Chapter in conjunction with BrandLounge – Branding & Marketing strategists and is supported by Gulf News. The presentation is one element of the comprehensive IAA UAE programme of networking, speaker sessions and master class training.

Gitex Technology Week is celebrating its 30th anniversary from 17 – 21 October 2010 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The brand new Global Leaders Summit is an exclusive opportunity to network with the region’s top decision makers and meet some of the world’s foremost thinkers as they share their global insights into today’s hottest topics and issues.

Randi Zuckerberg has been instrumental in initiating and developing many of Facebook’s marketing initiatives and her speech will based around ‘How the Internet, Social Networks and Social Media Are Being Used In Government and Business’. One of her most recent addresses prior to Gitex was at a social networking session on the opening day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Delegates will hear firsthand how companies can harness the power of social media to develop a significant presence within this vital channel. More than 50% of the Fortune 500 companies have fan pages on Facebook and 60% of Fortune 100 businesses regularly post on their Facebook accounts with corporate messages.*

A recent survey** showed that there are 1,600,000 registered Facebook users across the UAE, that’s 36% of the population, the highest penetration in the Middle East and North Africa. Qatar is in second place with 29%.

Helal Saeed Almarri, CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre, organiser of Gitex Technology Week, said:
“As the Middle East and Africa’s largest ICT event, Gitex continues keep pace with global innovations and increases its standing as a cutting-edge exhibition. Facebook’s place in commerce is very much a next generation tool – and Gitex is a next generation show. We are very pleased to welcome Facebook and the other communication pioneers to the new Global Leaders Summit.”

“New features and developments each year emphasise Gitex as one of the most influential and high-profile global ICT events, and position the show as a key platform for companies to grow into the Middle East.”

Coupled with new segments such as the Gitex Cloud Confex, Gitex Mobile Apps & Content World and the Gitex Global Conference, the event is set to be the most comprehensive knowledge platform that will bring together business leaders, government departments and trade professionals to network, discuss critical industry issues and explore opportunities for growth.

The Global Conference includes 30 streams, and more than 50 local and international industry expert speakers, giving advice on a full spectrum of information and communication technology issues. Small and medium businesses, GULFCOMMS, environmentally-friendly IT, the future of security and dozens more debates will ensure hundreds of delegates are kept up to date, informed and aware of the latest developments. Contributors include Tareque Choudhury, Head of Business Continuity and Security at BT, Khaled Kefel, General Manager of RIM Middle East, and Edmund English, EMEA Senior Marketing Manager, Dell and Irfan Ali, Senior Operator Account Manager, Nokia.

The three days of streamed networking and knowledge sharing will be followed by a Developer Day on Thursday 21 October, where developers, programmers, engineers, analysts, technicians, network managers and many others will gain expert advice and top tips.

Gitex Technology Week runs from 17 – 21 October 2010, at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Admission is for trade and industry professionals only.

Bartlett took on the Campus Academic Coordinator role for SAE Dubai last month, and will be responsible for overseeing the curriculum and the academic well being of the teachers, students and courses at the campus. In his new vocation he will also ensure that the SAE courses stay at the forefront of technology with the practical component SAE is renowned for, while still maintaining a top-tier academic focus.

Commenting on his new appointment, Bartlett said “My job is to ensure that we’re teaching the right things, by the right people, to the right students. I ensure that our courses stay relevant to both students and the industry while also being compliant with regulations. This involves managing the teachers, and liaising with the students to find out what they want, what they need, and how each can be folded into our courses to make for the best possible SAE experience.”

Bartlett comes from a background in Computer Science, with a Bachelor of Information Environments (Hons) and a Master of Philosophy from the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering at the University of Queensland. His previous appointment was as the National Academic Coordinator at Qantm College in Australia, which is affiliated with SAE Institute, before he made the move to Dubai.

Predrag Toncev, SAE Dubai Campus Manager said: “As our campus continues to grow, we are constantly expanding the SAE Dubai team to incorporate new talent, and we are thrilled to welcome Keiran Bartlett as our new Campus Academic Coordinator. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the SAE brand and I am certain he will be a valuable asset to our team.”

Alrashed referred to a phone call received from MBC Group’s Chairman of the Board, Sheikh Waleed Bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, who formally informed him that he rejected his resignation.

“I confirm that I will remain with “MBC Group” in any appropriate capacity. Accordingly, I am postponing my resignation for the time being, to have more time to think, ponder and work,” Alrashed said.

“It is unfortunate that some have tried to capitalise on the inadvertence that occurred on-screen in order to harm the channel itself, and actually launch an attack against it, simply because Al Arabiya has become a foremost beacon in the media scene, something that doesn’t sit well with them,” he added.

“The nature of our work, around the clock, live and recorded content, may involve mistakes. But, I was really surprised that some have tried to turn an unintended editorial blunder into a political matter, under different labels, wrongly implicating colleagues both in Al Arabiya and in Asharq al Awsat newspaper,” Alrashed added. “All of those claims were fabricated and inaccurate to their last detail.”

“The nature of my job requires me to assume responsibility for everything that is aired; this is part of the ethics and duties of this profession, I’m not coming up with anything new. Al Arabiya today is not just a News channel, it actually embodies rationality, moderation, objectivity and balance in the Arab society, which are quite rare nowadays. In turn, this naturally makes it a direct target for those who are opposed to it. Al Arabiya did not only rectify some misconceptions during the past seven years but, it also straightened out the trajectory of Arab media and paved its way towards a better path. This achievement is a common ground shared by all that work for Al Arabiya, and not specific to one individual per say,” he said.

About rumours of mass resignations in ‘Al Arabiya’, Alrashed reiterated what MBC Group’s Chairman said, “Those are stories that are absolutely devoid of truth, and have nothing to do at all with my resignation, which is a strictly administrative matter. Some have tried as hard as they could to make a big issue out of it, while MBC Group includes more than 1,500 people, most of them armed with skills, talent, experience and real passion for their jobs.”

MBC Group’s Chairman, Sheikh Waleed Bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, said in a statement on Wednesday that “There were no mass resignations at all, and that the whole story is fabricated and devoid of truth.”

Corcoran joins Hilton Worldwide from InterContinental Hotels Group where she most recently served as the Global Communications Director, overseeing worldwide internal communication programs and consumer campaigns. Prior to InterContinental, Corcoran spent five years at Amey, one of the UK’s leading public service providers. As Head of Communications at Amey, she directed internal communications, marketing, corporate responsibility, sponsorship, events and public affairs.

“Emma brings extensive experience leading impactful internal and external communication programs,” said Ellen D. Gonda, Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Communications. “As our company continues to look for opportunities to expand in the Middle East and Africa and to share our many newsworthy offerings with our guests, Emma will be a strong ambassador of Hilton Worldwide.”

Corcoran received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of York, United Kingdom, where she studied Philosophy and Politics.

As Director of Research & Operations, Kasia Moreno will oversee the research department at Forbes Middle East, Arab Publisher House’s flagship publication and produce the magazine’s rankings and special reports. In addition, she will help the company recruit a network of correspondents across the region and assist in seeking out new sources of revenue and developing new ventures.

Kasia Moreno spent two decades at Forbes in the United States, where she served as Chief of Reporters, Editorial Director of International Editions and Editorial Director of News Operations. While at Forbes she covered international business, money management and corporate strategy.

Hugo Moreno has been named Assignment Desk Editor. He will edit stories that are originally produced in English, as well as writing for the magazine and creating marketing materials. Eventually, he will oversee the English-language edition due out next year.

Hugo Moreno spent a decade at Forbes and then another decade at SmartMoney: The Wall Street Journal Magazine, where he served as Deputy Managing Editor and wrote a feature story that was selected as one of the 10 best stories in SmartMoney’s first 10 years.

The new magazine, published in partnership with Forbes Media, is Forbes’ latest international edition. Forbes Middle East will debut in October and be based in Dubai.

Khuloud Al Omian, Vice President of Arab Publisher House and Editor in Chief of Forbes Middle East, said, “Kasia and Hugo’s broad experience as journalists, their rigorous standards and their deep knowledge of the Forbes approach to reporting make them uniquely qualified to assume these roles. Their entrepreneurial drive will prove invaluable to Arab Publisher House as we grow the business and expand our stable of publications. I am delighted to welcome Kasia and Hugo on board.”

Forbes Middle East will debut in Arabic in October 2010, to be followed in a few months by an accompanying website. The English-language edition, also accompanied by a website, will appear in 2011.

Arab Publisher House is a newly formed joint venture of influential Arab investors; it plans to bring to the region a number of other Forbes publications, as well as other magazines.

Turibe brings over 10 years of experience working with Renault in Europe, across the product marketing, events communications, public relations and advertising fields. His new position with Renault GCC will see him take responsibility for developing and deploying Renault’s global marketing policy throughout the region, and helping to build the brand’s image across the Middle East.

Commenting on his new appointment, Turibe said “I have enjoyed a long and prosperous career with Renault in Europe and I am excited begin a new challenge with the company here in the GCC. This region is growing rapidly and is extremely important for Renault’s worldwide strategy. I look forward to building Renault’s presence in this market with consistency and in line with the spirit of our brand baseline ‘Drive the Change’.”

Prior to his new position as Renault GCC Marketing Director, Turibe was based in Boulogne, France and was in charge at Central Marketing for the worldwide Advertising Strategy of the Renault and Dacia Brands.

Mustansir Lakdawala, Renault GCC Managing Director said: “As we continue to grow in this market, we are expanding the Renault GCC team to meet the demand, and we are thrilled to welcome Benoit Turibe as our new Marketing Director. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the Renault brand and I am certain he will be a valuable asset to our team.”

Headquartered in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone, Renault’s GCC office has a 13-strong team of highly experienced industry professionals to support local and regional initiatives and increase Renault’s profile in the Gulf.