Hug digital has made two key appointments to its leadership team. Tim Durgan has been roped in as Head of Digital Media within its operation in Dubai. Ramy Kandil has been named the new Deputy General Manager in charge of operations within the Cairo office.

Mr Kandil’s appointment comes amid a larger restructuring effort that saw several vertical changes with the aim of increasing the digital agency’s efficiency and diversification efforts. He joined hug digital in Dubai in August 2015 as a Senior Social Manager before climbing up the ranks to become the Head of Social in Dubai. In January 2016, he took on the challenge of establishing the social media unit and leading the client servicing department in Cairo. In 2016, hug digital Cairo won the businesses of Emaar Misr, Shell Egypt, Abou Ghaly Group, Amer Group, Cairo Festival City, Misr Italia and MNHD among others.

“I’m beyond honored to be chosen for this role in hug digital. After more than a year and a half with hug digital, I can proudly say there’s no other team I’d rather belong to and I’m very excited for what’s to come and what this team can accomplish together on transforming the digital front, locally, regionally and globally,” said Mr Kandil.

“hug digital is fueled with talent so it is hugely gratifying to see Ramy’s accomplishments being rewarded with such a promotion. This move to Deputy General Manager of our Cairo operation reflects Ramy’s hard work, dedication, and commitment over his time with hug digital MENA. Ramy will play a key role in facilitating our continued growth in Cairo and our commitment to the region as a key hug digital market,” said Hussein M. Dajani, Chief Operating Officer of hug digital.

Mr Durgan joins hug digital from UM MENA, where he was heading up the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) business across MENA and Pakistan, as well as setting the digital pace for the agency as a whole. He oversaw the transition of J&J being a traditional TV brand into becoming a digital first company. He also has a wealth of international experience working across the likes of Coca Cola, IKEA, Panasonic and Virgin Media.

“My vision for media is to understand consumer objectives first and deliver a unique story to each unique individual, underpinned by data. This will allow us to drive new markets, build new brands and drive new leads. To a consumer, your website, app, media strategy PR strategy and creative strategy aren’t different things. Yet there are usually three or more agencies inputting into the ecosystems with their models, approaches and agendas and the right hand doesn’t talk to the left. This ends up being confusing for customers and ultimately expensive for clients. It’s time for change. I’m looking forward to being part of a team that believes in this approach and works tirelessly to drive this strategy forward so we can be the trendsetters in the market,” said Mr Durgan.

“We’re very excited to have Tim on board. Tim brings an impressive arsenal of in-depth knowledge of new and innovative tools. His local know-how and desire for transforming the market are exactly the kind of thing we look for and I personally look forward to working together closely with him on boosting our media offerings to our clients,” added Sarah Abdel Wahab, hug digital’s Regional Head of Media.