Burson Names New MENAT Leader

(MENAFN- PRovoke) DUBAI - Burson has named its new Fouad Bou Mansour as its new Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT) CEO, after long-time leader Bashar AlKadhi announced his retirement earlier this year.

Bou Mansour (pictured, right) joins the agency from the Saudi Tourism Authority, where he spent two years as vice president of the creative studio. In this role, he partnered with the marketing and brand teams on the development and implementation of the 'Saudi Welcome to Arabia' brand.

His previous agency experience includes a seven-year tenure as chief operating officer at Impact BBDO Group UAE, where he led operations for Impact BBDO, FleishmanHillard, and Impact Porter Novelli, managing a team of 115. Before becoming COO, he was managing director at Impact & Echo BBDO in Kuwait.

Burson EMEA CEO Jon Hughes, who joined the firm in March , said:“Fouad brings a blend of deep regional knowledge, an integrated mindset, agency experience, and client-side experience and perspective. He has a proven track record in delivering great work, developing talent, driving innovation and unlocking growth. I am thrilled to see him take up this critical role in the region and confident that under his leadership, Burson will build on its legacy and reputation for being great client partners and delivering outstanding work.”

Bou Mansour added:“It's a privilege to join this talented team and an agency with such a rich heritage and strong reputation for driving results. My previous experience as a client provides a unique perspective on the opportunities ahead. We will build upon Burson's incredible foundation by delivering the bold, integrated, and creative solutions that position our clients to lead on the local, regional, and global stage.”

AlKadhi, Burson's former CEO in the MENAT region, announced his retirement in April after a nearly-40 year career in the public relations and media industries, working in the UK, UAE, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain.

AlKadhi (pictured, left) joined Hill & Knowlton as CEO of Middle East, North Africa and Turkey in 2016, having previously been COO of sister agency Asda'a Burson-Marsteller (later Asda'a BCW) for the previous six years. Under his leadership, H&K was named as PRovoke Media's Middle East agency of the year three years in a row (2020-2022). He also held senior in-house roles, including as director of public affairs at The Coca-Cola Company in the Middle East and North Africa.

In a LinkedIn post, AlKadhi – who was honoured with a PRovoke Media Outstanding Individual Achievement Award in 2024 – said:“It's nearly impossible to encapsulate a career spanning four decades into a few paragraphs, so I won't attempt to do so, but the time has come for me to hang up my proverbial boots and spend much more time with my family and close friends.

"Heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has helped me along the way. It has been a most fulfilling career. I wish Corey and everyone in the Burson Family every success. Special gratitude to my magnificent Leadership Team and all my outrageously talented colleagues in this incredible region that is full of promise. Super proud of them all. It's been the privilege of a lifetime.”

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