22 January 2012 - The Dubai International Advertising Festival, the leading awards for creative excellence in advertising and communications in the Middle East and North Africa, is proud to announce that Raja Trad, CEO of Leo Burnett Group MENA and member of the Leo Burnett Wordwide Global Leadership Council (GLC), will be presented with the prestigious Dubai Lynx Advertising Person 2012 Award.

The Dubai Lynx Advertising Person Award is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to advancing the reputation and profile of the communications industry in the MENA region. The recipient of the award is selected by the organisers of the Dubai International Advertising Festival.

"With great passion and commitment, not only has Raja Trad achieved great success for the Leo Burnett Group in the Middle East and North Africa, but he has raised the profile and made an exceptional contribution to the development of the region's advertising and communications industry," says Terry Savage, Chairman of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and the Dubai International Advertising Festival, who, with Motivate Publishing, are joint organisers of the festival. "We are delighted to hounour Raja with this well deserved accolade."

Raja Trad is the CEO of the Leo Burnett Group of Companies, MENA, an integrated communications network (Brand Agency, Cross Channel Brand Building Experts, Digital and New Media Activation and Public Relations) headquartered in Dubai with offices in Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Riyadh, Kuwait, Qatar, Beirut, Amman, Cairo and Casablanca. Through solid and expansive partnerships with its multinational clients and through the strong growth of its regional and local accounts, Leo Burnett MENA has become one of the region's leading agencies.

Commenting on the award, Raja Trad says,"It is an honour to receive this recognition, especially from such a professional, credible body, which works hard with us to elevate the industry standards of advertising and communications in the region. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Lynx Committee for presenting to me the title Dubai Lynx Advertising Person 2012.

"I owe my success to my team of Burnetters who, together with me, believe in a shared vision and a culture of seamless collaboration. Our common beliefs and passionate commitment to advertising, coupled with high integrity, has got us to where we are today."

Raja Trad began his career in advertising in 1978 as an account executive with Young & Rubicam on the Procter & Gamble account in Beirut and Athens. In 1981, he joined H&C Leo Burnett Beirut as an account director, and in 1984 he was named regional account director on the Philip Morris account. He moved to Bahrain in 1987 as sub-regional managing director for the Bahrain, UAE and Kuwait operations. In 1991, Raja Trad became the CEO of Leo Burnett Middle East. North Africa was added to his geographic scope in 2000. A year later, in 2001, his responsibilities as CEO of Leo Burnett MENA were expanded to cover all non-media operating units in the region.

Over the years, Raja Trad has dedicated his time to growing the network and developing its talents. Between 1991 and 2011 the number of professionals swelled from 120 to 600, while the network as a whole expanded from three offices to ten.

Raja Trad was the recipient of the Lebanese Order of the Cedar (Knight) from the Lebanese President of Republic in 2004; he served as a trustee to the American University of Beirut (AUB) for three years, and as a board member of Dubai Media Incorporated.

Born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, Raja Trad received his Bachelor of Arts in political studies and public administration from the American University of Beirut in 1977. He is married to Suzane Sawan, and has two daughters, Nadine and Nathalie.

Raja Trad will be honoured and presented with the Dubai Lynx Advertising Person 2012 trophy during the awards ceremony and dinner to be held on Wednesday 7 March at the Madinat Jumeirah Arena in Dubai, venue of the festival.

Previous recipients of this honour are Joseph Ghossoub, President and CEO of MENACOM (formally The Holding Group); Tanvir Kanji, Head of Inca Tanvir; Ramzi Raad, Chairman & CEO of TBWA/RAAD Middle East; and the 2011 recipient was His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline & Group.

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The Dubai International Advertising Festival is the leading competition and awards for advertising creative excellence in the Middle East and Africa

Presented by Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity together with their regional partner, Motivate Publishing, the Dubai International Advertising Festival is held with the support of Dubai Media City (DMC) and in association with the UAE Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA). The 5th Dubai International Advertising Festival will bring to the Middle East and Africa a series of high-profile seminars, workshops, exhibitions and screenings aimed at giving creative inspiration, learning and networking opportunities to the advertising and allied industries in the region. The Lynx Academy, The Young Lynx Integrated Competition and Networking evenings are additional events enjoyed by participants. The Dubai Lynx advertising awards, which are part of the Festival, will honour creative excellence in Film, Print, Outdoor, Radio, Direct, Promo & Activation, Media, Interactive, Film Craft, Print & Poster Craft, Design, Mobile, PR and Integrated advertising and communications. High-profile international jurors will award the coveted Dubai Lynx trophy to establish the definitive standard for creative excellence in the Middle East and Africa region.

Key Dates:

Delegate Registration: Now Open. Early Bird Discount available until 2 February 2012

Entries Open: Now Open

Entries Close: 2 February 2012

Festival Dates: 4-6 March 2012, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE

Dubai Lynx Awards: 7 March 2012, Madinat Arena, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE

For further information, please contact:

Amanda Benfell, PR & Press Manager
Dubai International Advertising Festival
Greater London House, Hampstead Road, London NW1 7EJ, United Kingdom
www.dubailynx.com
Tel: +44 (0)20 7728 4040; Fax: +44 (0)20 7728 4044; E-mail: amandab@canneslions.com

Emma Lancaster, Festival Director
Dubai International Advertising Festival
PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAE
www.dubailynx.com
Tel: + 971 (0)50 518 2368; Email: emmal@dubailynx.com
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© Press Release 2012