Publicis Groupe Middle East Appoints New Starcom ME Chief Executive Officer Ramez Zeineddine
Former CEO Racha Makarem is to move into a strategic Groupe role.
Publicis Groupe Middle East has announced the appointment of Ramez Zeineddine as Chief Executive Officer of Starcom Middle East. This marks Ramez’s return to the Groupe, having been with Starcom ME for a decade until 2018. He takes the helm from Racha Makarem, who transitions into a strategic Groupe role, driving key business accounts across multiple regions.
In his new role, Ramez will spearhead the next chapter of transformative growth and innovation for Starcom ME. He will oversee the management and business operations of the media agency across the region, with a focus on driving sustainable growth for clients at scale.
“We are excited to have Ramez join us again, he brings a wealth of experience to the Groupe. With his digital proficiency, customer-centricity, and focus on innovation, I am confident that he will unlock further growth and opportunity for our clients through the Power of One propelling Starcom ME to the forefront of the industry”, said Bassel Kakish, CEO of Publicis Groupe Middle East & Turkey.
Ramez is an industry veteran with nearly two decades of experience in advertising and marketing working with large government, international, and regional brands across the Middle East. During his tenure with Starcom ME, as Group Media Director he set up the agency’s center of excellence, driving year-on-year growth for key brands like Samsung, Emirates Airline, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and General Motors. He then shifted to Saudi Arabia as Managing Director for Mediacom, contributing to its transformation into a leading agency. His most recent role was that of Country Head of Amazon Ads KSA where he launched, grew, and scaled the Amazon Ads brand in line with their objectives.
Tony Wazen, CEO of Publicis Media Middle East added, “Ramez is a natural business leader and has a keen sense for identifying opportunities that propel the business forward. Under his leadership, he will be responsible for accelerating Starcom ME’s transformation agenda through his data-driven and innovation-led approach.”
Of his new role, Ramez Zeineddine commented, “It is a privilege to be called upon to lead Starcom ME, an organization that has long been renowned for its inspiring culture and great talent, for me this is a homecoming. I am thrilled to rejoin a group of the brightest minds and most creative teams in the region with the mission to shape the future of clients' businesses and industry trends under the umbrella of Publicis Groupe's "Power of One.”
