DUBAI, UAE, Nov. 2, 2009 (Marketwire) --

DUBAI, UAE -- (Marketwire) -- 11/02/09 -- The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council -- a global group of 5,000 senior executives controlling more than $125 billion in marketing spend -- is expanding its reach and presence in the Middle East and North Africa with a new advisory board and assessment of marketing credibility and effectiveness in the region. The geography includes more than 20 Arab-speaking countries and some 200 different nationalities across diverse countries, cultures and population groups.

CMO Council Advisory Board members include senior marketing decision makers from 3SC Technologies, Al-Futtaim Automotive Division, Almarai Company, Bloom Properties, Citibank, Etihad Airways, GBS Group Holding, HSBC Bank, Jumeirah Hotel Group, MTN, One97 Communications, Saudi Telecom, Schlumberger Information Solutions, Sony Ericsson, and Western Union. Chairing the MENA advisory board will be Mohammed Al-Tajer, Vice President & Cluster Marketing Head for the Global Consumer Group of Citibank in the MENA region.

"We have assembled a highly experienced group of senior practitioners in the MENA region," noted Al-Tajer. "We plan to have a very active and engaged team that will help develop CMO Council program initiatives, authority leadership platforms and advocacy positions. In particular, our group will forge close links with the academic community so we can influence and shape the marketing curriculum to better prepare students for a more digital, analytical and multi-channel marketing environment," he added.

The first meeting of the MENA Advisory Board was hosted by CYVIZ in Media City, Dubai on October 12. A number of important initiatives were mapped out for implementation in 2010:

--  Address key issues facing marketers in the region; leverage the
    knowledge and expertise of veteran marketers to advance insights and
    competencies.
--  Work with universities on creating programs that will improve the
    quality of marketing/business graduates.
--  Improve thought leadership in the region through the encouragement of
    the marketing professionals to produce related studies.
--  Reach out to business schools and enroll as many marketing professors
    as possible in the CMO Council Academic Liaison Board.
--  Create opportunities for board members to speak and represent the CMO
    Council on university and college campuses, as well as at professional
    conferences and summits.
    

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have long been considered a region of opportunity, but one that is challenged by cultural and religious complexity, volatility, and political uncertainty.