[L to R: Lucy O’Brien, Dani Richa and Fouad Bou Mansour]

FleishmanHillard Middle East has become part of the Impact BBDO MENA group of companies, which has been operating across the Middle East and North Africa region for more than 45 years. Both, FleishmanHillard Middle East and Impact BBDO MENA, are part of the Omnicom Group.

The move will see the FleishmanHillard Middle East team in the UAE move to Emirates Towers, the headquarters of the Impact BBDO group of companies: Impact Proximity, Impact Plus, Impact Porter Novelli and Impact BBDO.

There will be natural synergies and collaboration between the FleishmanHillard Middle East and the Impact Porter Novelli teams, which together across the region will comprise over 50 communications professionals, explains the company in a statement. The individual brands will continue to exist but the economies of scale of combining resources will ensure both a continued high-quality service for existing clients while simultaneously providing access to more resources and services across the region, adds the statement.

Dani Richa, Chairman & CEO BBDO Middle East & Africa, says: “We are excited to have FleishmanHillard join the Impact BBDO group of companies, as it broadens the range of services we can offer our clients across the region. FleishmanHillard Middle East and its clients will benefit from the collaboration opportunities within the Impact BBDO group of companies, and we will now be able to give clients the choice of working with two of the world’s most respected communications brands; FleishmanHillard Middle East and Impact Porter Novelli, with all the expertise and access to global markets that they bring.”

Lucy O’Brien, general manager and Partner of FleishmanHillard Middle East, adds: “Our team is thrilled by the move and the potential it brings us to build the FleishmanHillard brand in the Middle East and Africa, as well as the benefits of giving our clients access to integrated creative services under one roof. Combined we have a deep client roster spanning a multitude of sectors and disciplines, and FleishmanHillard’s clients will only gain from a strengthened Middle East offering.”

The move is effective only in the Middle East.