Publicis Media today announced the appointment of Ali Nehme, to the newly created role of President of Innovation and Commerce, EMEA. The promotion follows a period of significant growth across the region and continued transformation.

Currently Chief Strategy Officer for Publicis Media in the Middle East, in his new role, Nehme will be tasked with driving an innovation agenda, focusing primarily on strengthening and building an e-commerce strategy and roadmap to ensure scaled solutions across all EMEA markets.

Iain Jacob, CEO for Publicis Media EMEA comments: “Ali is an incredibly talented, dynamic and accomplished leader and his impressive track record demonstrates his ability to identify new opportunities to drive tangible business results for our agencies and clients. Commerce is a critical area of future growth for our business and I look forward to working with him as he builds on the momentum he’s already achieved in the Middle East.”

Nehme has worked within Publicis Groupe since 2008 when he started at Starcom Mediavest Group. During his eight year tenure with Starcom Mediavest Group, he was responsible for leading the transformation of the Middle-East region building its commerce, performance, technology, content and digital capabilities across markets.

 
After the Publicis Media transformation in 2016, Nehme was promoted to Chief Strategy Officer for Publicis Media in the Middle East. In this role, Nehme was tasked with overseeing the digital-first, data-driven centralized Practices – including; Data, Technology & Innovation; Content; Analytics, Research & Insights; Business Transformation and Performics – to ensure scaled, best-in-class solutions and operational excellence.

Additionally he was responsible for insuring the organization was building and investing in the right areas for future growth including looking at M&A strategies and product acceleration.

Commenting on his new role, Ali Nehme says: “This is an incredibly disruptive time for our industry, and I’m fortunate to be part of an organization that is building for the future. We’re making bold leaps in the region and I’m very excited being part of this journey as our client look up to us to guide them in an ever-changing consumer world.”

Nehme will report to Iain Jacob, CEO for Publicis Media, EMEA and will continue to report into Steve Parker, CEO for Publicis Media, Middle East for his Middle-East responsibilities. Nehme will continue working with the leadership team in the Middle-East to accelerate growth in the region. He will transition into his new role with full effect from September.