Elda Choucair is CEO of Omnicom Media Group MENA, the media services division of the Omnicom Group.

As the industry changes beyond recognition at light speed, Elda is tasked with retooling and reconfiguring the services and talent of the agency for optimum performance in the new world. She has championed multiple projects to accelerate the group’s transformation, including technological developments in automation, predictive modelling and eCommerce, and has passionately engineered the highest caliber of training and upskilling curricula required for its agencies and people to thrive.

A 15-year veteran at the group, Elda has held senior account positions at OMD and led PHD for more than 10 years. Under her leadership, PHD grew sevenfold and became a key player in the region. In 2016, she was named CEO of PHD MENA, the same year the company was named “MENA Media Network of the Year” by Campaign Middle East. Elda’s remit expanded in 2019 to COO of the holding group before she was promoted to CEO in 2021.

Elda shakes up traditions, approaches strategies innovatively, and remains ahead of the industry on several fronts. Recent highlights include the group’s expansion into new Middle Eastern markets, accolades like the ‘Most Effective Media Office 2021’ and third best employer in the UAE by the Great Place to Work Institute.

She is also an active industry figure, as vice-chair of the Advertising Business Group (ABG), board member of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) GCC and the International Advertising Association (IAA) UAE Chapter, and a founding board member of the Unstereotype Alliance as well as the D&I Middle East Council powered by PWC.