Publicis Groupe Middle East appointed you as Head of Sport and Commercial Investment MENA. In this newly created role, you will lead the Groupe’s commercial investment and sports marketing initiatives in the region, driving innovative content partnerships, sponsorships, and revenue growth opportunities for clients. On the ground, what does that mean?
For the past eight years, I’ve had a Global role with Publicis, leading the Group’s investment in Content. I used to say I had the best job in Publicis, moving to Dubai and taking the new role as Head of Sport, I can honestly say I now have the best two jobs in the Publicis Groupe.
If you are going to be in the business of sports then the one place in the world you want to be is in this region. It is such a vibrant sector and one on which the whole world is focused. It’s a two-way street. MENA is now on the radar for Global Events, and Clients in the region are keen to be on the Global Sports stage. My two roles are important, sport is a part of culture, not a silo. While the sports world requires its own set of relationships and skills, bringing together both my roles allows us to unlock even more meaningful opportunities for clients
The Publicis approach of The Power of One, which removes all of our internal barriers means we are uniquely placed to help clients in the region have a joined-up approach to Culture, which naturally will include Sport.
Sponsorship, partnership and content are all tangible touchpoints for clients, particularly in the LIVE Sports space, which is the great defender of the must-watch NOW linear television. Collaborating with Rights Holders, be they Broadcasters, Platforms, Leagues, Teams Sporting Talent or their Agents, to create those touchpoints is the day job. This could be Sponsorships of major events, teams or athletes or the creation of unique sporting experiences or even a Branded Content Series. The exciting bit is to co-create those in a way that takes advantage of the uniqueness and the scale of the ambition of the region. My background is in Formula One, World Rally, Football and Basketball, all of which have a huge following in the region.
Your duties apparently include developing strategic partnerships with sports federations, broadcasters, and content owners, as well as leading sports sponsorship and activation strategies. You will also focus on enhancing client investments in sports marketing, maximising commercial opportunities, and leveraging digital tools to drive measurable impact. How does this take shape in the GCC at large?
My motto is Learning by Doing – or, to put it another way, you don’t win awards by not trying. I want to answer that question in a year’s time by showing what we have achieved. The GCC has one amazing advantage, and that is, as I mentioned earlier – the scale of the opportunity. The challenge here is to select the right projects for the right clients. My other main occupation is keeping up with the pace of development – scale and pace are problems the rest of the world would love to have!
The other key differentiator that the region has in its favour is youth. This is a digital and social first environment. For clients, this is a golden opportunity to innovate and implement cutting-edge strategies. As the marketing communication sector accelerates towards a data-driven future, sport is a defining cultural medium to drive measurable engagement.
One of the issues of sports in the GCC is that, whereas it is booming year on year, it tends to be focused around watching as opposed to participation. How does one tackle this dilemma?
While there’s a strong spectator culture, I believe the premise that participation is lagging is an oversimplification. The question is better framed with regard to different sports – golf, tennis and cycling have massive uptake and are superserved in the region by world-class facilities. Football, Basketball and, to a lesser extent, Cricket and Rugby are more spectator-orientated. They are also culturally embedded in school and education as a sport you play. But gym, swimming and the explosion of paddle and pickleball represent huge opportunities for brands to align with fitness and participation. I’m new to the region; I’ve never seen so many gyms and swimming pools. And every government seems to have a commitment to physical well-being, which is backed up with sporting infrastructure. Saudi’s Vision 2030, for instance, has a massive commitment to Sport as both a spectacle and as a physical activity. These commitments are tangible. Brands can play a very positive role in promoting and encouraging fitness and well-being, particularly with athlete endorsements and the creation of inspirational role models.
Sports, especially for females, is a bit of a mixed bag in the region. Yet, there is great enthusiasm from females, as they show more interest in sports, such as F1 or football. Where do you see this going in the region at large in terms of tendency?
In my Global Role as Head of Content Investment, we’ve made a commitment to Women’s sports at Publicis Groupe. My American colleagues recently funded a series in the US called “Women’s Sports Now” on the Roku platform, produced by the amazing Hello Sunshine.
Whilst my UK colleagues funded documentaries on the history of Women’s Boxing with Sky called “Right to Fight”.
I’d love to do something similar in the region. I love the documentary “Destined to Play” about the foundation of the Saudi Women’s Football Team made by Footballco. Clients are demanding credible opportunities in this space, it’s a huge underserved area of the market. It just makes good business sense to engage with women’s sports from the grassroots to the elite levels in the region. Once more collaboration with positive role models inspiring young women to engage with sport is an opportunity for clients.
What are you most excited about in your new role, and where do you see areas of growth in a region which is actually very mix-and-match in terms of culture and identity?
My passion for sport, particularly as a long-suffering Manchester City fan who witnessed the transformative power of investment from Abu Dhabi – leading to iconic moments like ‘Aguerooooo!’ – perfectly encapsulates what this region can achieve. It’s a testament to the fact that with vision, investment, and strategic execution, underachievement can turn into global dominance. This isn’t just about sporting success, and it certainly isn’t just about football, it’s about cultural reinvention and inspiring a new generation. To be on the ground, helping clients tap into this transformative energy, is genuinely exhilarating and represents the ultimate growth frontier in sports marketing.
Where do I sign?
