J.Walter Thompson Dubai has been left without a managing director and an executive creative director following the departure of Mohammed Sabry and Marco Bezerra.
Sabry, who had been with the agency in Dubai as managing director for two years, has left to take on the position of chief executive at a new initiative backed by one of the region’s largest investment groups. His departure and that of Bezerra are understood to be unrelated.
It is not known why Bezerra, who only joined the agency as executive creative director in February last year, is no longer with the agency. Before his arrival he had been creative director at DM9DDB in São Paulo.
“I had an opportunity that I could not say no to,” said Sabry, who declined to disclose the specifics of his new role. “I was approached by an investment group to set up a global brand out of New York – a consumer goods brand – and I gave my notice in December and left at the end of April. If it wasn’t for something like this I would never have left JWT to be honest. They understand my position and I’ve been working with them very closely over the last few months to identify a successor.”
J.Walter Thompson Dubai has been plagued by staffing issues over the course of the past few years. It was hit by a wave of firings and resignations following the arrival of Sabry in January 2015, with executive creative director Seyoan Vela among the early casualties. Chafic Haddad was later appointed to the newly-created post of chief creative operations officer for the MENA region.
