Lowe MENA appoints Mounir Harfouche as Creative & Managing Director

Announcing the appointment, Fadi Salameh, CEO and President of MCN said, "At the group level we are fully committed to enhancing the creative positioning for Lowe. Having Mounir at the helm of Lowe Dubai makes absolute sense - this allows us to put the creative product as the center of gravity for the agency.'

Peter Atkinson, Executive Chairman, Lowe MENA said, 'Lowe around the world is famous for having creative people at the management of its successful agencies. Mounir's announcement follows the precedent set by world class names like Fernando VegaOlmos in Lowe Buenos Aires, Lionel Hunt in Lowe Australia and Matthew Bull in Lowe South Africa & London.'

Mounir Harfouche will also lead the creative teams around the region in an additional capacity of Regional Creative Director for MENA. A young and respected advertising professional, Mounir worked as Regional Creative Director for Grey Worldwide, based out of Dubai for the last six years.

A multiple global and regional award winner, Mounir has extensive experience across categories like Banking, Telecommunication, FMCG's, Automobiles, Food and Beverages, Hospitality and more. Mounir has won several awards as a recognition of his work. These include awards like the New York festivals, Cresta, Epica, IAA and finalists amongst every perceivable award forum.

Commenting on the move Mounir said, 'The opportunity to run an international agency, with a heritage of creative excellence, would be relished by any creative. Lowe made most sense for me, given the perfect match in their positioning and my vision. I believe that an experienced creative mind on the management side can help the agency see things from a different point of view. After all, the market is changing and so should the format of advertising agencies.'

'Gone are the days of carpet bombing the consumer with reach and frequency. Engagement and enjoyment is the need of the hour. Today is about bigger ideas. It's about more magic and less cliches.

'By harnessing creative talent, passion, enthusiasm and a love to build iconic brands, creative based management will generate an ideas driven culture that permeates every aspect of the business. At Lowe - we are ready with high value ideas for our clients.'

Justin McCarthy moves from Lowe to a new MCN role where he will be leading special projects around the region. Rupen Desai, Regional Director, MEA, a long-term Lowe employee will continue in his role for the development of all the multinational business across the region.