Dana Sarkis isn’t starting from scratch. When Omnicom Media folded Hearts & Science into the newly launched Hearts United, Sarkis kept her seat as Managing Director in MENA, still reporting to Omnicom Media MENA CEO Elda Choucair, same team, same clients, new network. The rebrand merges Hearts & Science with Mediahub into a single 40-market agency worth roughly $9.1 billion in 2025 billings.
Following the announcement, we wanted to dig into what actually changes on the ground for her team and clients, beyond the new name. Here’s what she told us.
Walk us through the new role, and what will you actually be doing day-to-day that’s different from before? Why this move, and why now?
There’s a lot of continuity in my role. I remain Managing Director, working with the same team and clients we have built previously in MENA. What changes is the network we are now connected to and the breadth of capabilities and thinking we can draw on globally.
For me, the immediate focus is making that bigger network meaningful for our clients here – connecting our teams into the wider Hearts United community, sharing expertise across markets and bringing the strongest ideas and capabilities into MENA. The timing makes sense because the world of media has become much more connected. Media, commerce, creators, data and AI continue to influence one another, and our agency model needs to reflect that.
What gap in the MENA market is this agency positioned to fill that others aren’t?
I think there’s an interesting space between scale and focus. Clients want access to the technology, data, commerce capabilities and global reach of a major network, but they also want senior people close to their business, teams that can move quickly and an agency that feels genuinely invested in their growth.
That’s the space we want Hearts United to play. Hearts & Science established a strong data-led foundation in MENA, and Hearts United builds on that with a broader global proposition shaped by the complementary strengths of Hearts & Science and Mediahub internationally. Locally, this is an evolution of the agency our clients already know, but with a much bigger network behind it. We want to combine the focus and agility of a challenger with the scale and capabilities of Omnicom Media.
What’s the first 90-day priority?
The first priority is making the transition real rather than simply changing the name above the door. Internally, that means connecting our MENA teams with the wider Hearts United network and understanding where we can immediately tap into new thinking, talent and capabilities. Externally, it’s about showing our clients what that means for their businesses.
I also want to protect what already works. We have strong teams, client relationships and momentum in this region, so this isn’t about starting again. It’s about building on that foundation, getting the team excited about what we now have access to and identifying where the expanded network can create new opportunities for our clients.
How do you see this agency differentiating in a region that’s arguably over-agencied?
There certainly isn’t a shortage of agencies, so simply being another name in the market isn’t enough. For me, differentiation has to come through how you work and the outcomes you create for clients.
There are four principles behind Hearts United that I think make that tangible. We are outcomes-oriented, with an evolving commercial model designed to connect our success more closely with client growth. We are predictive by design, embedding AI into our workflows to expand capacity and give our people more time for higher-value thinking.
The third is ecosystem mastery: planning across platforms, communities, creators and commerce rather than treating each as an isolated channel. And finally, we are focused and senior-led, with expert teams working closely with clients and reducing unnecessary layers and handoffs.
Those principles are important, but ultimately differentiation has to be experienced by the client. If we’re not faster, more connected and creating outcomes for their business, then the proposition is just words.
