key milestone that positions the agency as the only regional player to hold this distinction in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Platinum status represents the highest level of partnership within Optimizely’s global ecosystem, granted only to agencies that demonstrate deep technical expertise, strategic alignment, and a strong track record of delivering successful digital experiences using the platform. The recognition provides Digitas with access to exclusive features, early product releases, advanced training, and

priority support, benefits that will directly translate into more agile, data-driven, and personalised solutions for clients. Digitas has already been putting these capabilities into action, transforming the experience of their partners.

The announcement follows Digitas being named Optimizely Solution Partner of the Year 2024 for the MEA region, recognition of the agency’s ability to turn the platform into real business results.

These achievements further solidifies Digitas’ commitment to delivering best-in-class digital

capabilities across the region, particularly in high-growth markets like the UAE and KSA. With clients in sectors ranging from telecom to public services, the agency is now better positioned than ever to help organisations transform how they engage with their audience

Digitas’ Platinum status is effective immediately and will inform several key client programs launching in 2025.

For nearly two decades, Kareem has provided strategic vision and guidance to leaders at multinationals and start-ups on embracing a digital-first culture. His ethos leans heavily on ‘experience-led transformation’, believing that experience is the only true differentiator in today's digital world. His strategy is centered on personalized experiences that deliver a high return on investment.

​Commenting on the appointment Bassel Kakish, Group CEO for Publicis Groupe Middle East & Turkey said, "Digitas has witnessed remarkable growth over the past few years, and we are confident that under Kareem’s leadership, we will continue on this accelerated path of growth. With his wealth of experience driving digital innovation and transformation for multinational and private entities across the region, Kareem will unlock new opportunities across Digitas to propel the Groupe forward.”

Kareem joins Digitas ME from his previous role as Regional Managing Director at Valtech. Before this,  he spearheaded the launch of Publicis Sapient in the region and served as a Partner at PwC. Internationally, Kareem has worked with the likes of AstraZeneca, the Bank of England, and Vimplecom, to name a few, helping them create significant value from their digital and technology investment. He also co-founded a revolutionary modular banking platform that opened up the digital transformation pathway for institutions across MEA including King Abdullah Financial District, Central Bank of Egypt and Miral.

Kareem Monem, CEO of Digitas added, “I feel incredibly fortunate to be returning to Publicis Groupe after a four-year hiatus. The Groupe has gone through an incredible transformation, attracting world-class talent, creating award-winning work, and most importantly, delivering on the transformational commitment to its clients. I look forward to contributing to its continued success and being part of a phenomenal brand.”

Kareem replaces Tony Wazen, who was recently promoted to CEO of Publicis Media for the Middle East.

Why did you choose this career path?

I always wanted to work in a field where I could collaborate with others, present, strategize, and transform businesses. In 2018, I [applied for] a job at a martech startup. After the interview, they realized I had no experience, but my passion shined. I got the job and the rest is history!

How did you land this job?

MANIFESTATION. I reached a stage in my career where I had a clear vision of what I wanted and how my future would be. After a few conversations with others (and myself), I got a LinkedIn notification about a job opening at Digitas and it felt like the universe had aligned.

How do you compare your work life vs what you imagined it would be?

I’m a big fan of the series, and there’s always a scene where the main character leaves their routine boring life to pursue their dream career, in their dream company, with rainbows and butterflies – I feel like I am now that main character.

What do you wish you had been told before you started working?

Don’t let stress overpower you, everything has a solution.

What’s the best thing someone could tell you about your work?

You are the victim of your own success.

What’s the worst thing someone could tell you about your work?

People think you don’t work hard enough because you have a life outside of work when, in reality, you have been able to find the perfect balance to do your work passionately while still finding time to enjoy life and take care of yourself, physically and mentally.

What’s the most valuable lesson you have learned at work so far?

Surround yourself with people who inspire you, appreciate you, and respect your time. And most importantly, make time for yourself.

Who’s your role model?

My parents. For everything they’ve achieved together, and individually. #goals

If not this, what would you be doing?

I am where I want to be. I’ve always believed that we should make the most of our capabilities no matter what, which is why I’ve always pursued multiple things at once. I’m building my career, my brand, and my socials, all at once, because why not?

What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?

It’s hard to predict what the next decade will bring. I hope to be able to look back and feel like I’ve made the most of those years by challenging myself, achieving my goals, learning from my mistakes, and facing all obstacles (and perfecting at least five muscle-ups).

The 30 Under 30 ranking was first published in Communicate's Q1 2023 print issue.

The Lebanese cedar, "arze" in Arabic, is Lebanon's biggest symbol of pride and patriotism. This century-old tree can be found on the national flag, documents, car plates, façades, street art, team jerseys, tattoos, and literally everything. Whilst cedar illustrations can be found everywhere, actual cedar forests are vanishing by the minute and climate change is to blame for that. In fact, there are only 17 squared kilometres of forests in Lebanon right now, making the tree harder to find in nature than on walls, wallets, Lira bills, and so forth.

With this in mind, Greenpeace and Digitas Dubai created an interactive donation platform, ArzePay.com, to raise funds against the extinction of the Lebanese cedar tree. Through the use of machine learning and built-in cameras, users must first scan an image of a cedar design or illustration to prompt the next steps of making a donation, serving as a stark reminder to all that the arze is an omnipresent symbol of national pride that needs to be preserved in reality.

“It’s almost ironic. Lebanese cedars can be found everywhere in Beirut streets, walls and so forth, but if you make the trip up North, to the cedar forests, you’ll see that they’re vanishing at alarming rates. So, we had a very simple thought: why don’t we use the cedar icons you see every day to save the cedars that are actually disappearing?” explained Eduardo Branco, Creative Director at Digitas Dubai.

By feeding thousands and thousands of cedar illustrations into a machine-learning system, the ArzePay platform can successfully scan 99.9% of all cedar icons regardless of size, shape, and texture. Digitas has also added a function to the platform that allows it to continually learn as people scan new illustrations, making it an ever-evolving payment solution.

“Heat waves, droughts, floods, and social erosion are just some of the numerous impacts of climate change on our planet. Every single one of these is having a disastrous impact on humans and nature and consequently, the cedar tree – a true Lebanese symbol – is at risk of disappearing. Together, we can avoid a catastrophe for Lebanon and the world,” said Fadi Gedeon, Digital Lead at Greenpeace MENA.

The ArzePay platform is live and people can make a donation directly to Greenpace to save the cedar trees by visiting arzepay.com. It will be supported by a month-long social, PR, and influencer strategy, with QR codes placed near arze icons across Beirut.

Her tenure at Digitas has allowed her to expand her knowledge and expertise not only in media but also in creative, technology, data, and strategy, enabling her to have a well-rounded approach with existing clients and new business development opportunities.

Being involved in all pillars of brand com- munication has put Talin in a unique position to deliver bespoke marketing strategies and successfully help clients’ businesses thrive.

Why did you join this industry?

Marketing, be it product development, product positioning, marketing strategies, consumer insights, etc., always captured my interest. The media industry allows us to not only tap into all elements but also to bring it all to life.

How did you land your first job?

I started my career after graduating from uni- versity and coming to Dubai in search of a job. Through a contact, I came to know of a job opening; I interviewed and the next thing I knew, the agency became my second family and has been for almost eight years now.

Who do you look up to?

I have always looked up to those who are more successful than I am. I admire several hard- working people who have made it in life through their own sacrifice and dedication. It gives me the motivation and encouragement to aspire for something great of my own.

What’s the best advice you have received so far?

The best advice I have received is to always rely on yourself and never rely on others.

What’s the best advice you have given so far?

The best advice I have given is to always priori- tize yourself above all. In this day and age, it can be very easy to be overwhelmed and forget about oneself.

How do you feel about the stigma sometimes associated with Millennials and Gen Z?

This is a topic I hear being discussed frequently. There is definitely a difference between Millen- nials and Gen Zers but we need to have a dif- ferent approach to how we interconnect with Gen Zers as they were born in a time where things are easily accessible and that has more to offer.

What do you think you specifically bring to the organization you work for?

I bring strong work ethic and commitment. I put my heart and soul into everything I do while trying to push myself to achieve more.

What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned at work?

The most valuable lesson I’ve learned would be to think of different perspectives before taking any actions. This has allowed me to better do my job, but I also apply it in my daily practices.

What’s the most rewarding thing about your job?

There are many rewarding things about my job but the most rewarding one has to be when I see the positive results and impact of my efforts, whether it’s the success of a campaign or teammates developing over time. It’s very motivating.

What’s the most frustrating thing about your job?

When, due to fixed client perceptions that force them to remain in their comfort zone, you are unable to develop a client/business by imple- menting specially catered strategies that include new trends or approaches.

If not this, what would you be doing?

That’s difficult to answer because I love doing so many things; but I would find myself running an events agency due to my attention to detail and love for organizing events.

Would you start your own venture in the future?

I aspire to grow and develop my own business in the not-so-far future, where I can apply all my skillsets towards something that is mine. I am not sure what that might be but I am anxiously looking forward to all that comes along with it.

What is Digitas?

​Digitas is the Connected Marketing agency, purposely built around a diverse set of capabilities that enables us to identify better insights, make stronger connections, and drive critical business outcomes. Digitas is wired for Marketing transformation and offers brands access to all digital marketing solutions under one roof in order to truly transform their marketing ecosystems within the fast paced action happening today. Digitas focuses on a single customer view to maximize customer lifetime value, as we connect media with data, technology, and create experiences to win in the moments that count.

What will Digitas do differently in comparison to the existing parent company, Publicis Media?

Digitas is a one-stop shop for all marketing solutions needed to win in today’s market. Our roots are grounded in Media, CRM and data, but we are a powerhouse in digital experiences, creative, social, search and technology. We’re an integrated, full-service agency, but we work with the speed and scrappiness of start-ups, always listening and always optimizing. While media remains a key component of Digitas’ Middle East offerings, the solutions have been expanded to cover the entire Marketing spectrum.

Can you talk to us more about the technology that you will focus on for your clients?

Consumer experiences are generally disconnected due to different tech stacks from various providers, Digitas works towards integrating these technologies to provide better end-to-end customer experiences. Without the proper technology setup, brands are losing out on opportunities.  Our role as the Connected Marketing Agency is to ensure that the proper technology infrastructure is expertly set up to drive better efficiencies from various Marketing operations. As of today, Digitas covers the full spectrum of technology services from website/app design and development, to UX and UI, to tech stacking, to tagging and much more.

What are some issues Digitas may face working here in the Middle Eastern region and how does Digitas plan on overcoming that?

The fragmentation of today’s marketing solutions is a definite challenge. In the Middle East, brands have been accustomed to working with different agencies for their creative, media, data, technology and other scopes. Bringing everything together is still fresh for a lot of brands yet we have no doubt that we will overcome that as there is an absolute need for our solution today. Customers are tuning out from the conventional advertising and they hold the power when it comes to which ads they interact with. Brands need to transform the way they market from pushing media to building relationships from the first impression to a lifetime of advocacy.

The Digitas clientele already consists of some big names, what are some of the challenges these clients are facing that you will help them with?

We’ve had extremely positive outcomes with our existing clientele since we’ve launched Digitas in the Middle East. Our priority right now is to support them across our entire solution. Our Connected CRM offering has the ability to enhance the overall customer journey, start building relationships with customers and improve efficiencies when prospecting for new customers. The battle for increasing market share is never ending for all brands which is where Digitas’s Connected CRM can truly make a difference by delivering growth through retention. Nowadays with the pressure on all businesses, choosing an agency that is siloed by capability means having a singular focus, it slows down a CMOs ability to create a superior customer experience, placing the burden of connecting it all up on the client’s team. At Digitas, our purposefully diverse skill set means we are fluent across the marketing ecosystem, capable of connecting everything ourselves or orchestrating across a client’s agency ecosystem to do the same.