Saatchi & Saatchi Appoints Strategy Chief for MENA

20 JAN 2009

DUBAI, UAE - Joseph Atallah has joined Saatchi & Saatchi as Chief Strategy Officer for the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region.  His appointment is part of the agency's push to boost its strategic offering to clients across the region.

Atallah joins Saatchi & Saatchi from FP7 McCann Erickson, where he established and led strategic planning as Chief Strategy Officer MENA on accounts such as MasterCard, McDonalds, Coca Cola and BMW.

Saatchi & Saatchi CEO MENA, Elias Ashkar, says Atallah's appointment is part of the agency's bold regional expansion plan, which is happening at a time when other agencies are downsizing.

"Joseph has a strong regional understanding with a truly global perspective with the expertise to build strategic insights that lead to big organising ideas. And it is these ideas that have long established Saatchi & Saatchi as a true creative leader," he said.

Atallah started off his career in 1989 as a Research Executive with PARC (Pan Arab Research Centre) Beirut and moved up to become Deputy MD for the Beirut office, a position he held until he left them in 1996.

He then joined FP7-McCann Eriksson in Saudi Arabia as an Account Planning Manager, moving up to Account Planning Director and then Regional Planning Director.  In 2002 he was promoted to Vice President-Chief Strategy Officer, leading a network of 56 Strategic Planners across 13 offices, developing the planning and account team's strategic planning, communication and advertising expertise.