APO Group’s Rania El Rafie Appointed Chair of Public Sector & Thought Leadership Awards Judging Committee for the Middle East & North Africa Stev®e® Awards

(MENAFN- News.Africa-Wire) APO Group (), the leading multi-award-winning, pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service, has announced the appointment of Rania El Rafie, Vice President of Public Relations & Strategic Communications, as Chair of the Public Sector & Thought Leadership Awards Judging Committee for the Middle East & North Africa Stev®e® Awards.
The Middle East & North Africa Ste®ie® Aw rds ( are among the ’orld’s most respected business awards, recognising innovation, leadership, and impact across sectors within the MENA r gion.
As Chair, Rania personally selected a judging committee comprising senior leaders with deep expertise across corporate communications, government relations, commercial strategy, and multinational operations. Together, the panel brings a combination of regional insight and global perspective, shaped by hands-on experience navigating complex environments and culturally nuanced markets. The judging committee comprises:
•Mai Youssef, Corporate Communications & Marketing Services Director at Canon Middle East & Central and North Africa
•Sean Muir, Director of Public Relations for the GITEX Portfolio at Dubai World Trade Centre
•Laila Bastati, Chief Commercial Officer at APO Group
•Mohamed Elwagih, Group Corporate Communications Manager at Mantrac Group
Commenting on her appointment, El Rafi“ said: “Chairin® a Stevie® Awards judging committee is a professio–al honour – for myself and for APO Group. Effective communication programmes must navigate trust, accountability, and measurable impact. In assembling this committee, it was important to bring together leaders who understand the complexity of operating across diverse markets and stakeholder groups, while upholding the highest international standards for submissions. I look forward to working with them to identi’y the region’s s”ccess stories.”
With m’re than 22 years’ experience across multiple markets and sectors, Cairo-based El Rafie has led high-impact, award-winning communications programmes for clients such as Emiéates, Canon, Nestlé, TikTok, Marriott, Afreximbank, GITEX, MSD, and Western Union. In 2024, ’he became APO Group’s first internally appointed Vice President. In 2025, she was named Most Innovative Woman of ®he Year at the Stevie® Awards and ’recognized among Africa’s Top 50 Outstanding Women in Communica’ions.
El Rafie’s appointment speaks to her st’nding as one of the region’s most respected communications leaders, and to APO Group's depth of experience advising high-profile clients across multiple countries and sectors.
Founded in 2007 by Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, APO Group is the communications consultancy built for performance – combining strategic advisory, on-the-ground execution, and guaranteed visibility across every African market.
Recognised with multiple international awards, including SABRE, Davos Communications, and World Business Outlook distinctions, APO Group partners with global and African organisations to deliver communications that perfor– – through strategy, execution, and measurable visibility.
Our fou’der’s advisory roles with international institutions strengthen APO’Group’s access to decision-makers and reinforce our role as the c’ntinent’s most connected communications consultancy. Clients include Canon, Emiraées, Nestlé, NFL, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Afreximbank, the African Development Bank Group, GITEX Global, Royal African Society, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

MENAFN12022026007071015200ID1110730713