1^st Annual Corporate Communication Conference

Roderick Wilkes

Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Marketing

Rod is Chief Executive of The Chartered Institute of Marketing, the leading international professional marketing body with some 47,000 members worldwide.
Rod Wilkes, Hon FCIM, FRSA, FCAM, FCMI, FIoD, Chartered Marketer, has a business career spanning forty years, including marketing and general management experience with GKN, Bridon Group, Ellison Group, Senior Engineering and, latterly, Phoenix Metal Products. No stranger to The Institute, Rod took up his latest role as Chief Executive in January 2007, although he has been a Member for many years and was its Chairman in 1994, which followed the posts of Vice Chairman and Treasurer. He also continues his Trusteeship of The Institute’s Benevolent Fund. Born in the Black Country, Rod left Kingshill School for Boys in Wednesbury at 15 but went on to gain an HNC in Business Studies from Sandwell College and a Diploma in Marketing at night school. He has been visiting speaker at Birmingham University, visiting lecturer to Wolverhampton Polytechnic, and an external advisor to Aston University.

Elisabeth Lewis-Jones

President 2008, Chartered Institute of Public Relations

With both in house and consultancy experience Elisabeth has worked across a variety of sectors and industries. From grass roots Public Relations activity to national consumer work she has a proven track record. Her main area of specialisation is corporate / damage limitation activity and she has managed incidents from a fatal plane crash to BSE, foot and mouth, industrial tribunals, land mark court cases and medical errors. She is a contributor to the Kogan Page book, Managing Business Risk. Prior to setting up Liquid Public Relations Limited, she was Managing Director of one of the largest and well respected PR consultancies in the Midlands. She has been UK PR Manager for the States of North Carolina, Nevada and the City of Las Vegas.With over fifteen year's experience, she has had a number of career highlights. In 1995 she was named Young Communicator of the Year by the Institute of Public Relations at the age of 25. She has 'appeared' in all 6 episodes of 'The Airport' on BBC Radio 4, the forerunner to the television programme and has been a guest presenter on BBC Radio 5 Live's travel programme, 'Blue Skies'. In 2008 Lis became President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. She is only the 8th woman in 60 years to hold this post. During her year in office, which was the 60th anniversary of the CIPR, she hosted the World Public Relations Conference and Festival in London, involving delegates from 34 countries across the globe. She chaired the CIPR Council and the CIPR Executive Board which shapes the UK PR industry in terms of policy, professionalism and development. Elisabeth is listed in PR Week's 2008 'Power Book' and in the last year has written industry articles for The Financial Times, The Times and The Independent and has spoken at conferences across the UK and British Isles, in South Africa, Nigeria and Argentina. In November 2003 she was awarded Fellowship of the CIPR for services to the Industry. She is the youngest person ever to be awarded such a high industry accolade

Roger Pereira

Founder & Managing Director, Edelman India,

Exec. Vice Chairman, Edelman Worldwide

Roger C B Pereira is one of India's most renowned communications professionals. He began his career, which spans 48 plus years, as a copywriter with J. Walter Thompson, Bombay, then with Shilpi Advertising Ltd., where he was appointed CEO at the age of 32; and finally, R&PM:Edelman, the brand name of the company he founded in April 1987. R&PM:Edelman is a Communications Consultancy whose portfolio of case studies comprise a diverse range of Indian and global companies. Roger studied at St Stanislaus' High School, St Xavier's College, the Bombay University Department of Political Science, the Govt. Law College & Chicago University. Roger has the unique experience of working with Presidents/Prime Ministers/ Senior Ministers of five countries, including India, Indonesia, Japan, Sri Lanka, USA and Yemen. And with legends like JRD Tata, Dr Vikram Sarabhai, Dr Verghese Kurien, Prof Amartya Sen and Senator Larry Pressler.

Roger has also worked with the Government of India on a wide range of issues: Nuclear Power, Milk Co-operatives, Defence, Nutrition, Indo-US relations and a few crisis issues. Roger started his communications career at the age of 17 when he scripted and 'voiced' his first documentary for Films Division. He went on to win his first global scholarship to New York at the age of 23 when he came under the influence of luminaries like Bill Bernbach, Henry Luce, David Ogilvy, Nelson Rockefeller, amongst others. He was also awarded the responsibility to spearhead the team that presented India to Presidents and Prime Ministers in New Delhi at International Summits. His prime time 52 TV episode, HUMRAHI, under the patronage of the legendary JRD Tata, was hailed across the world for the attitudinal change it initiated in rural India.

He is also the recipient of several national and international awards for a range of advertising and public relations campaigns including the Clio Awards, the New York Advertising Festival Award, the IPRA Award and the IAA scholarships at New York in 1964 and London in 1967. He has subsequently served on the juries for these awards. He was also honoured at the Emmy Awards in New York, at the United Nations with the UN Award, at the Banff Television Festival at Canada and at the Hollywood Academy for Television Arts and Sciences. In 2008, he was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Roger was Founder-President/Chairperson of the International Advertising Association, India Chapter, Co-founder & later Chairperson of the Advertising Standards Council of India, President, Advertising Agencies Association of India and the Advertising Club, Bombay. Roger has lectured on advertising, marketing and developmental communications at leading Universities/ Management Institutes in India and in the United States (Chicago, Northwestern (Kelloggs), North Carolina and Hawaii) and Johns Hopkins.

Faisal Zahrani

President, International Public Relations Association - Gulf Chapter

Faisal graduated with a BS in Computer Engineering from the University of the Pacific California in 88. He is a member of the Society of Organizational Learning, the Arabian Society for Human Resources Management and Toastmasters International. At Saudi Aramco, he held several management posts in Industrial Engineering. He also served as Assistant to VP and Assistant to Sr. VP, as a Performance Improvement Consultant, and as Director of Continuing Excellence Department. In 2006, he joined Saudi Aramco Public Relations and currently serves as Director of Internal Public Relations and president of the International Public relations Associations- Gulf Chapter.

David Ingle

General Manager, Hill and Knowlton, Abu Dhabi

Currently General Manager of Hill & Knowlton Abu Dhabi David entered communications, specializing in technology and corporate PR, after training as engineer and working in the computer industry. He has had a broad experience of many aspects of communications most recently focused on understanding how social media can be used by companies as an element of their communications strategy.

Mathew Neale

Co-Managing Director, Golin Harris Europe

Matt has provided international and domestic senior counsel to some of the world's leading consumer and corporate brands. Matt currently heads Orange's PR account working across consumer, corporate and CSR. Matt also works with Wrigley's, Unilever, Kraft and Expedia.co.uk on brand and product campaigns. Matt joined GolinHarris two years ago from Weber Shandwick where he acted as Deputy Managing Director to the 50 strong Consumer practice. During his eight years with the company, Matt directed global consumer and corporate PR for Siemens in over 40 markets and a European consumer campaign for Unilever. Through this role Matt has launched products to the world's media in Asia, the Americas and across Europe, partnering with entertainment brands, global media platforms and A-list celebrities and designers. Matt has worked with Electronic Arts Europe to develop a European celebrity strategy for TW PGA Tour and ran product placement campaigns for Daimler Chrysler and Bombay Sapphire. Prior to Weber Shandwick Matt worked in the corporate practice at Edelman. In 2007 he was elected the youngest board member of the industry's trade body, the PRCA Public Relations Consultancy Association (PRCA).

Rob Sherwin

Managing Director, Regester Larkin

Rob is Middle East Managing Director of the reputation management consultancy, Regester Larkin. Specialising in helping clients manage difficult reputation issues and prepare for communications in the event of a crisis, Rob leads all Regester Larkin's work for clients across the Middle East. Previously he was Middle East Energy Adviser to the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office, working with many departments of the UK government and its network of Embassies to engage Middle East governments and energy companies on issues of energy security and climate change. Prior to working for the UK government, Rob had a diverse 10 year career with Shell, working in natural gas marketing, corporate strategy, and finally upstream new business development in the Middle East, based in Dubai. Reputation management was central to his work with Shell, whether he was promoting the brand to gas customers, advising the Board on sustainable development strategy or helping to position the company as the partner of choice for Middle East governments. A regular visitor to the Gulf since 2001, and a former resident of Dubai, Rob has been based back in the UAE since June 2008 and is supported by Directors and Consultants based in London, and Associates based in the UAE.

Mohammad Mahmood

Chief Operating Officer, ALBA

Mohd Mahmood holds a Master degree from Strathclyde University in Scotland. He presented several Technical papers and Chaired several sessions in TMS conference (Highest International conference on Aluminum and metal processes in USA). He imparts solid commitment to the development of staff to become future leaders throughout the organization with integrated programs that emphasize corporate values, critical skills and competencies and a global mindset for business success, and presented many papers on employees' power of motivation in difference Human Resources conferences in Bahrain and in the Gulf. As a Head of Alba community Services since 2002, he taken an active role in promoting the sense of Voluntary work among Alba employees and reflect on Alba image for corporate social responsibility. Has established Smart Centers at Alba, a unique concept where employees are fully empowered to take charge of their jobs, discuss their problems and follow up on solutions.

Gus Takkale

Author, Motivational Speaker

Ghassan is the author of the book "5C's in Change" and founder of "The New Me" concept. His background includes working as a Regional HR Director for blue chip companies like SAP and HILTI in the Middle East and in consulting with Arthur Anderson and KPMG in Canada and the US. Gus holds a Business Degree from the University of Albuquerque New Mexico (USA) and a Business Diploma from the Toronto School of Business (Canada).

Yousef Tuqan Tuqan

CEO, Flip Media

With over 12 years of regional experience, Yousef Tuqan is one of the most respected and sought-after online marketing consultants in the Middle East. Since building his first websites in his bedroom in 1996, he has gone on to work with a number of leading agencies, and has developed and executed online marketing initiatives for some of region's leading brands, including Emaar, Jumeirah, Nakheel and Emirates.
A regular contributor to regional publications and conferences on Internet strategy and marketing, Yousef has been one of the most vocal and visible evangelists for the role of the Internet in the marketing mix. In his role as CEO at Flip Media, Yousef is responsible for strategy and delivery at the largest interactive agency in the Middle East, with a team of over 150 digital specialists across 8 offices worldwide.

 

Meredith Carson

Head of Digital, Action Global Communications

Meredith has worked in the areas of brand management and marketing communications, at both national and regional level, for over a decade. She now heads Action Digital, the company's dedicated digital PR offering. In this role she provides senior client counsel on digital strategy while also supporting core teams in managing the day-to-day digital components of core PR programmes. She also serves in a digital thought-leadership capacity for the agency. Her other experience lies in formulating and implementing integrated communications strategies where she has worked with leading brands across a range of sectors including Tourism, FMCG, aviation, media and fashion throughout Australasia and the Middle East. In addition to her MarComms experience, Meredith has edited international and national lifestyle magazines and has also produced and presented online and broadcast media.

Shahriar Shahabi

Founder, Chief Newzcaster, Newzmakerz.com

Shahriar Shahabi is a serial entrepreneur and a corporate communications strategist with over 15 years of experience in public relations and marketing. He has advised government organizations in the UAE and multimillion dollar IT companies in Canada, and today, he leads NewzMakerz.com, the first strategic communications WebTV in the Middle East.

AhmedNaved

Mn=anaging Partner, Raee PR

Naved brings 18 years' experience in the communications industry serving as Creative Director in award winning agencies, before branching into publishing and now, as co-partner in Raee PR. Naved has extensive experience in regional Public Affairs and Government Relations, managing grassroots CSR campaigns, corporate positioning, reputation management, financial PR and crisis. .

Sue Vey

Managing Partner, ReputationInc

Sue Vey is ReputationInc's Middle East-based Managing Partner. At ReputationInc - the regions first international advisors specialising in strategic communications - Sue specialises in corporate responsibility, scenario planning and stakeholder engagement, consulting to governments, multinational and local companies as well as international clients needing on-the-ground expertise and support in the Middle East. She has advised a number of real estate companies across the region. Sue's 25-year career in communications consulting began in journalism in South Africa. After post graduate studies in public relations, she was appointed to a number of public relations management posts in multinational corporations including De Beers, Old Mutual and Anglo American. Moving agency-side in 1988, she was a partner for eight years in a mainstream South African investor relations consultancy, Greg Kukard Corporate Services until its acquisition by Citigate SA. Following the management contract, Sue established her own corporate communications consultancy in Johannesburg advising clients across a number of sectors including the healthcare, mining and construction industries.
In 2001, Sue was appointed by the Ince Group to direct investor relations at corporate branding consultancy, Motiv. From 2003 to 2005, Sue was the General Manager of Promoseven, Weber Shandwick's Middle Eastern hub based in Dubai.

Mahmood Al Yousif

CEO, Gulf Broadcast

Mahmood Al-Yousif is a veteran of the international online community. His association with successfully launched social networks since 1986, such as Stray Cats BBS and the world famous blog and video log, Mahmood's Den, has granted him opportunities to present and be part of expert panels at various RAND, Aspen Institute, IREX and other international conferences exploring aspects of new media in the new communications mix