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FP7 McCann and McCann Worldgroup Regional Strategy Head, Tahaab Rais, has moved on from the agency after 10 successful years to take on new challenges. Rumour has it that he will be joining Publicis Groupe.
Tahaab headed the agency’s strategy, effectiveness, and data practices, and formed a crucial component of the regional leadership team as well as the Strategy ExCo for McCann Worldgroup globally.
He joined the network in February 2012, and since then, has led a strategic and creative resurgence at the agency, overseeing a range of successful pitch wins across the region, profitable client growth, creative culture development through innovative initiatives, and creating highly awarded work across regional and international award shows.
With Tahaab’s strategic stewardship, the agency ranked The World’s #1 Agency for Creative Effectiveness in the WARC Effective 100 rankings in 2020 and 2021 - the first time any agency from MENAT has achieved that standing. Additionally, the agency also achieved more regional firsts, as it ranked The Most Effective Agency globally in 2016 and in 2020 in the Global Effie Index with more good news expected in the 2021 Global Effie Index. During this period, Tahaab also led FP7 McCann to be Effie Agency and Network of the Year, for eight years consecutively, from 2013 to 2021 in MENA. And the efforts have led to the agency’s best years at Dubai Lynx, at Cannes Lions, at D&AD, at One Show, at Webby’s, at Clios, at ADFest and at other top-tier festivals.
Tarek Miknas, Group CEO, credited Tahaab by stating, “He has played an instrumental role in the growth and development of our agency over the last 10 years. He has been one of my key regional team members and nothing short of a great partner on a journey we started a decade ago. We did and achieved a great deal together, across multiple markets and across multiple brands. His name is credited against a great deal of our globally recognized work, often in multiple capacities. And it’s without doubt that he has been a key driver in our 8-year undefeated Agency and Network of the Year Effie titles. On one hand, it’s sad to lose such talent. I will certainly miss him and the value he added to our company, with his persistence on excellence, his drive, his passion, and his ambition all mirroring the values that we have always lived. On the other hand, it makes me very proud of the platform our company provided for great talent to explore their ambitions and succeed. I wish Tahaab success throughout his career and will cherish our friendship built on trust, ambition and mutual understanding.”
Recounting his journey, Tahaab shared, “The company was big-hearted enough to trust me as its strategy head in 2012 as a wide-eyed 27-year-old with big ambitions. I remember how in my interview with Tarek, I mentioned how I wanted us to be #1 in the region in three years and #1 globally in five years. We did all of that, together with an awesome set of clients, people, and partners - and actually achieved much more, much sooner! The company has been an incredible platform for me to grow both personally and professionally, giving me the space, the trust, and the belief to allow me to do what I aspired to do, in turn, enabling the company to flourish. I’m immensely thankful to Tarek for his support and faith over the years, to our clients, and to our teams for being advocates of great creativity. And I wish the company all the best to grow and succeed even further and carry the legacy we’ve all created forward.”
Here is a short film recounting Tahaab’s journey:
