Back in September last year, we reported that Starcom Middle East’s CEO Tarek Daouk is leaving the group after 18 long years for Dentsu Aegis Network’s Carat. At the time, both the groups declined to comment.

Now, Dentsu Aegis Network has announced Daouk’s appointment as CEO of Middle East and North Africa – a move that will continue to drive forward the organization’s ambition to become a 100 percent digital economy business by 2020, says the company in a statement.

In his new role, Daouk will take responsibility for accelerating Dentsu Aegis’ growth in MENA as the organization delivers integrated solutions across creative, media, data and content. Tarek will also play a critical role in mobilziing the existing strategy of growth through M&A.

Thierry Jadot, CEO France, Belgium and MENAT, Dentsu Aegis Network says: “The appointment of Tarek Daouk as CEO for Dentsu Aegis MENA is an important milestone for the group in the region. Tarek is an established and seasoned business leader in MENA, known for his business acumen and strong leadership, and widely respected by clients and the industry. The region remains a key growth market for Dentsu Aegis and Tarek’s role will be instrumental in ensuring we remain on track to achieve our strategic objectives. By developing our service offering to clients through innovation and providing inspirational leadership to further energize our existing talent, I have no doubt that Tarek will take the business into its next phase of growth and deliver long-term value for our clients.”

 Daouk adds, “I am delighted to be joining Dentsu Aegis Network at such an exciting time. The Network is at the forefront of the industry in its shift to people based marketing with strong ambition and clarity of purpose. I was drawn to Dentsu Aegis’ high-performance culture and its commitment to help clients achieve their business goals. I am looking forward to building on the existing success in the region, as well as leading the business in achieving its ambitious agenda.”

Daouk brings with him over 20 years’ industry experience in a number of leadership roles, most recently as the CEO of Starcom Middle East. Throughout his career, Tarek has worked with a number of bluechip advertisers including GSK, GM, Mars, Mondelez, P&G, Samsung, and Visa.