The Marketing Society, a global network of 3000 senior marketers headquartered in the UK, marks the first anniversary of its Middle East chapter this week. Created to inspire bolder marketing leadership among senior in-house marketers, The Marketing Society Middle East brings together some of the region’s most seasoned marketers to learn, develop and share best practice.

With over 75 members enrolled in the first year, 68 percent of The Marketing Society’s regional membership comprises client-side marketing executives, 76 percent of whom hold director-level positions and above in their companies. Members include executives from Fortune 500 companies and leading local business conglomerates, with a corporate membership also in place with Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). The Marketing Society has also partnered with IBM and Siegel+Gale in its first year, which have sponsored and lead some of the events organized by the Society.

Gemma Greaves, chief executive of The Marketing Society, said, “When we launched our Middle East hub last year, our goal was to represent the leading marketers in the region by 2017. I’m proud that we’ve made this a reality and our membership pool now represents some of the key brands in the region including HSBC, PepsiCo, Sony Music, Visa, Unilever, McDonalds and L’Oréal. As we enter our second year we’ll continue to fulfil our purpose of inspiring bolder marketing leadership by challenging the way our members think, encouraging uncomfortable conversations and most importantly by being brave.”

Asad ur Rehman, Chair of The Marketing Society Middle East and Director Media, North Africa & Middle East at Unilever, added, “We have had an exciting first year in the region, connecting with brands and industry leaders to further strengthen the marketing industry. In less than 12 months, we have been a part of over 15 events and also partnered with high-profile industry forums such as the Dubai Lynx and the Festival of Media.”