Omnicom Media Group MENA’s CEO for Saudi Arabia, Choucrallah Abou Samra, will leave his position in June. Faisal Shams, currently general manager of OMD in the Kingdom, will assume the leadership of the group’s three offices in Saudi Arabia.
Abou Samra started his career with the company back in 2003. Since then, he has opened and overlooked OMD’s and PHD’s offices in Riyadh, won new accounts and awards, developed the group’s offering and built a network of relationships with key stakeholders. Abou Samra is leaving both the country and the industry to purse a personal project, joining his family in his native Lebanon. He will, however, continue as a consultant to the group for the rest of the year to ensure a smooth transition.
Shams, who’s been with the group for close to 10 years, has held various management roles and handled a number of key clients across the region from the MENA headquarters in Dubai. He moved to the Kingdom last year to lead OMD’s Saudi operations. He will report directly to Elie Khouri, CEO of Omnicom Media Group MENA.
“No one says goodbye to a dear friend without a great deal of emotion and while we’re very sad to see Choucrallah go, we’re also very grateful for all he’s done for the group and its clients,” says Khouri, in a press statement. “Over the past 13 years, we’ve come to rely on and cherish his consistency, dependability and impeccable integrity. He’s been a key ambassador for the group and the values we hold dear. Chico, as we affectionately call him, has made an indelible mark and we owe him the strong equity and reputation we have in the Kingdom. I know that Faisal has a strong base on which to build and the talent to propel our clients and us further still, thanks to his remarkable strategic abilities and foresight. I wish both Chico and Faisal the best of luck as they begin an exciting new chapter,” he adds.
