IAA Lebanon - International Advertising Association

Founder of Publi-Graphics
IAA Lebanon chapter President (1984 – 1986)
IAA Regional Vice President Middle East & Africa (1986 – 1990)
IAA Senior Vice President and World President elect (1990 – 1992)
IAA World President (1992 – 1994) IAA Chairman of the “Former World Presidents Council” (1994 – 1996)
IAA Medal of Merit
IAA Champion Award

Mustapha Assad was born in October 1941, in Dakar. He returned to Lebanon in 1967 and started his advertising career at Promotec, and then as Manager at Publicité Pharaon in 1968. In 1969, he moved to the media side of the industry, heading the advertising department of Al Ousbou’ Al Arabi and Magazine at Editions Orientales until 1973.
In 1973, he opened his own agency and became the majority partner in the Publi-Graphics agency. Under his leadership the agency grew to become one of the leading agencies in the region with 27 operations.
End of 1999, Publicis Group, the 4th largest communication group in the world, entered into an equity partnership with Publi-Graphics Group, and the agency became known as Publicis Graphics with Assad remaining the Chairman and CEO of the Group. In September 2012, he sold his shares to Publicis Group Holdings due to conflict of interest.
He joined Front Page Communication as CEO.
Mustapha Assad has been an active and dedicated player in the IAA. Elected President of the Lebanon Chapter in 1984, he also played major role in the international association, being elected Senior Vice-President/ World President Elect in 1990, and then World President in 1992 during the World Congress in Barcelona.
Assad was named Chevalier of the Senegalese ‘Ordre National du Lion’, and ‘Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Cèdre’. Among the many awards he has received, are the ‘IAA Medal of Merit’, ‘The Golden Cedar Award’, and the ‘Star Gazers Award’. He was elected 2009 Arab Ad Man of the Year.

Founder or Arab Ad
IAA Lebanon chapter President (1988-1989 & 2000-2003)
IAA Lebanon chapter VP International Affairs (1999-2000)
IAA Lebanon chapter Board member (1995-1997)
IAA Medal of Merit

Walid Azzi, born in Lebanon, received his education at the Lycée Français de Beyrouth. After a brief one-year stint at the American University of Beirut, he moved to the United States where he graduated from Boston and Harvard universities with a B.S. and M.S. degrees in mass communications, journalism, and public relations.
Upon his return to Lebanon, he was hired as the head of the economic research department at Intra Bank. He then moved in 1970 to Al-Hayat Group and became the General Manager of the four entities of the group: Al Hayat newspaper, The Daily Star, PRODECO- the Middle East Promotion and Development Company- and MEMRI, the Middle East Marketing and Research Company.
Years later, he was appointed by An-Nahar Group as managing director of Media Press, a media representative company, the An-Nahar Press Services, a PR company, and An-Nahar Publishing House. He then founded, with Mounir Takchi and the An-Nahar Group, the Trans Arab Media Advertising Management (TAMAM) S.A.L. of which he became member of the board of directors and the general manager.
During the Lebanese Civil War, he moved to Paris and was appointed General Manager of Media Management Holding. In 1986, he launched ArabAd magazine, the oldest business and communication monthly dedicated to Arab professionals in the field of advertising, marketing, and research. He also became the publisher of Business M.E. and Sawt Wa Soura. In the 90s, he became General Manager of Lebanon’s ICN TV.
Azzi was elected twice President of the IAA Lebanon chapter as well as worldwide board member. He was awarded the IAA Medal of Merit in addition to dozens of trophies and decorations from different associations.
With ArabAd, Azzi instigated the creation of one of the first advertising awards in the region: the Lebanon Print Awards, the Jordan Advertising Awards, and the Kuwait Advertising Awards (KREA). Walid Azzi passed away on November 29th, 2018.

Founder of Inter-Régies
IAA Worldwide President (2002-2004)
IAA Vice President / Area director Middle East and Africa (1996-1998 / 1998-2000)
IAA Lebanon chapter President (1986-1988 / 1991-1993 / 1993-1995 / 1999-2000)
IAA Lebanon chapter Vice President (1981-1983 & 1984-1986)
IAA Samir Fares Award, IAA Medal of Merit, IAA Champion Award
IAA Honorary Life membership

Jean-Claude Boulos was born in 1934 in Iskenderun. In 1957, he graduated from St. Joseph University’s Superior School of Engineers in Beirut (ESIB) with a diploma in civil engineering. JCB began his engineering career in 1958 working on building CLT, the first Lebanese television.
He chose to join the TV as Director of Programs, where he remained until 1970. His passion for the small screen drove him to produce and host several game shows and talk shows, becoming as he often says of himself a “face in the crowd.”
Boulos started his advertising career in 1970, when he joined the local advertising agency PIMO, before moving to the media-publishing house Les Editions Orientales. In 1973, he decided to establish his own agency, Inter-Régies, which became a leading advertising agency in the Lebanese market.
From September 1996 until 1999, the Lebanese government appointed him CEO of Télé Liban. In 2003, JCB helped establish the new Iraqi station, Al Sumaria TV.
Boulos joined the IAA in 1977. He was elected four times as the President of the Lebanon chapter and two-times as the Vice-President/Regional Director for Middle East and Africa. In 2002, on the occasion of the 38th IAA World Congress in Beirut, JCB took the reins of the world presidency for a mandate of two years. In 1995, Boulos was named administrator of the Mondial de la Publicité Francophone for Lebanon; he lobbied with the organizers to create a Special Nation Prize for Lebanon and later won the right to organize the award competition event in Beirut in 1997. JCB is the author of four books: Amertumes, La Télé, Quelle Histoire!, La Télé, Quel Enfer! Recueils: Œuvre d’une vie en huit volumes. In 1998, JCB was elected ‘Arab Ad Man of the Year’ and named ‘Officer of the Arts and Humanities’ by the French Government. In 2004, he received the ‘Knight of the Order of the Cedar’ by the Head of the Lebanese State. In 2008, he received the ‘IAA Samir Fares Award’ in Washington.
Jean-Claude Boulos passed away on March 4, 2012. During his funeral, he received the National Cedars Citation, of an Officer’s rank by the President of the Republic General Michel Sleiman.

Founder of H&C Leo Burnett
Honorary Chairman and Advisor to the Board | Leo Burnett ME

Born in Lebanon in 1944 and raised in Beirut, Farid Chehab is a Public Law and Political Sciences Graduate.
He is the co-founder of H&C with Charles Homsy in 1974. In 1980, H&C, an already striving agency in the Middle East got into partnership with Leo Burnett. As CCO, Chehab led its creative performance to become one of the first advertising networks in the MENA region.
In 1987, H&C fully mergered with Leo Burnett. At the departure of Homsy in 1991, Chehab became Chairman & CCO of Leo Burnett ME and Raja Trad CEO. Between 2006 and 2011, Chehab took the creative lead of the Leo Burnett CEEMEA region and got familiar with the CEE countries which he visited regularly.
Beside the privilege of having contributed to the “Humankind” philosophy of Leo Burnett WorldWide, he was elected to the “House of Fame” of the Golden Drum Festival CEE in 2009 and “Man of the Year” for MENA in 2010.
He has a special passion for political communication and was the advisor of one president of the Republic and several well-known political figures in Lebanon. Chehab is a talented speaker. He has given several regional and international conferences to the communication industry. Among them: ”The knife and the Sharpener”, “Nobel or Cannes” ,“The Mother-of-all-Integration”, “Brand Building-The New World”, “Welcome to the 21st Century”, “Soldiers or Commandos”, “10 ways for one million returns” ,“Chief Inventor Officer” and the most recent one, “From Chaos to Creativity”. He is behind more than 12 regional and international campaigns,
In 2011, he wrote his first book A Bet for a National Conscience. In 2012, he initiated a massive project for the water of Lebanon and contributes to the “Blue Gold” 5-year plan for the country hydraulic resources . In 2015 he wrote his third book Of Happiness and Ideas, dedicated to the spirit of creativity. Following an invitation to Harvard in 2017 to talk about the Arab people relations with the West, he wrote a new book dedicated to the global young generations facing their challenges with the 4th industrial revolution , “Building Bridges over the 21st Century”, released in March 2018.
On October 4, 2023, he signed his latest book De l’Intelligence, challenging us to review crucial aspects of our comfort zones, as citizens and as humans, facing the impact of AI on Homo Sapiens destiny

Founder of Choueiri Group

Antoine Choueiri was a visionary leader, renowned entrepreneur, and esteemed figure in the world of media and advertising. Born in 1938 in Lebanon, he dedicated his life to shaping the landscape of the advertising industry in the Middle East.
In 1970, he founded Lebanon’s first media representation company, Régie Générale de Presse.
In 1975, he established the Choueiri Group, a media representation company that would grow to become one of the most influential and successful media conglomerates in the Middle East.
Under his leadership, the Choueiri Group transformed the advertising landscape by introducing innovative and strategic approaches to media planning. At the height of its powers, the group controlled several companies: Arabian Media Services International, MEMS, Arabian Outdoor, Times International, Audio Visual Media, C Media, Press Media, Digital Media Services, Interadio, Promofair, AMC and SECOMM, and handled several media across the region.
Choueiri played a pivotal role in revolutionizing media buying and selling in the region. He recognized the immense potential of television and radio as advertising platforms, and his forward-thinking vision propelled the Choueiri Group to become a powerhouse in media representation. Through strategic partnerships and acquisitions, Choueiri expanded the Group’s reach across the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond, solidifying its position as a leader in the industry.
He was also a fervent advocate of the IAA in Lebanon and the region. He played an instrumental role in establishing and promoting ethical practices, transparency, and accountability within the industry. His efforts contributed to raising the bar for excellence in advertising and fostering trust between clients, agencies, and media outlets.
Choueiri was the President of Lebanese Basketball club, La Sagesse whose phenomenal domination during the 90s of the Lebanese league, the pan-Arab and FIBA Asian championships took the game to a whole new level which also contributed in the rise of the Lebanese national basketball team.
He was elected Arab Ad Man of the Decade of the 90s in 2000. Antoine Choueiri passed away on March 9, 2010, leaving behind a profound legacy.

IAA Worldwide President Elect (1988)
IAA Vice President / Area director Middle East and Africa (1974-1988)
IAA Lebanon chapter President (1973-1974)
IAA Lebanon chapter Vice President (1971-1972)
IAA Lebanon chapter Board member (1961-1967 & 1967-1969)
IAA Medal of Merit

Samir Fares was born in 1934.
He started his advertising career with his uncle Fouad Pharaon at Pharaon Advertising in 1965. Shortly after, Fares joined Kamel Mroue at Al Hayat for a couple of years as advertising director. When Pharaon died in 1969, he took over the management of the agency.
In 1970, he co-founded Intermarkets and became one of its managers. He left the agency as soon as the war started in Lebanon, and moved to Bahrain where he established his own agency, Amacom.
Fares’ main struggle was to improve the standards of the advertising industry in Lebanon. He was among the signatories of the petition form the IAA local chapter becoming member of its board for three terms which eventually led to his being elected president of the Lebanon chapter in 1973, and later IAA Vice President / Area director Middle East and Africa (1974-1988) and member of the board of directors of the IAA Global. Through his personal PR initiatives, he became one of the leaders of the IAA’s World board and finally succeeded in being elected Senior Vice President - IAA World President Elect in 1988 during the World Congress in Sydney - the first Arab to hold this position. He received the IAA Medal of Merit for his contribution to the advertising industry.
Unfortunately, Samir Fares was not able to serve his mandate as his life and great communication and advertising career, were cut short by a sudden heart attack in August 1988.

CEO Fattal Group

Bernard Fattal studied Economics at Paris 1 Sorbonne and held an MBA from Berkeley University. Passionate about marketing, he deepened his knowledge in the field at Northwestern and Georgetown Universities.
A third generation of the Fattal family and Jean Fattal’ son, Bernard Fattal took over as chief executive of his family’s company in 1979.
He was appointed in challenging times for the company, when the Lebanese war was raging. Thanks to his business acumen and inspiring leadership, the company not only survived the civil war, but grew further, acquiring more agencies and venturing into new distribution businesses. In 2000 and under his impulse, a new regional vision for the company was put in place: affiliates replicating the Lebanese distribution model were created in neighboring countries, among which Iraq, Jordan, and the UAE.
Fattal was one of the most adamant believers in the power of advertising in building brands. As a result, Fattal Group, during his tenure, held top rankings in advertising spending among distributors in Lebanon. He strongly believed in advertising innovation for boosting advertising impact and directed towards internal sharing of best practices in advertising innovation, to be replicated across all entities in his group in Lebanon and outside Lebanon. As one of the most illustrative examples, advanced innovation in media planning took place with the innovative tunnel concept that ended up defying audience zapping. A concept consisting of timed synchronization of the same advertising commercial across all TV channels.
Corporate Social Responsibility was at the heart of Bernard Fattal’s concerns: in 1987, Our Lady of Hope, the Fattal Foundation for Education, was created. A retirement plan was put in place for Fattal employees.
Bernard Fattal tragically passed away in a car accident in Egypt in 2009.

Founder of Intermarkets
IAA Lebanon chapter President (1977-1980)
IAA Lebanon chapter General Secretary (1961-1967)
IAA Lebanon Chapter Vice President (1967-1969)
AAA Vice President (1973-1974, 1992-1994, 1994-1996, 1996-1998 & 1998-2000)
AAA Board member (1974-1979 & 1979-1983)

Born in 1936 in Beirut, Erwin Guerrovich came back from England in 1961 and started his career at Khalil Fattal & Fils. He was soon promoted to head the company’s advertising department. In 1963, he established MEMAS (Middle East Marketing and Advertising Services) and soon opened branches outside Lebanon, namely in Kuwait.
In 1970, MEMAS and HIMA (owned by Nahi Ghoraieb. Raymond Hanna and Ramzi Raad) merged to become Intermarkets (also merged with Pharaon advertising headed by Samir Fares). Under his leadership, the new entity pioneered expansion in the Gulf and built the first regional network. In the 80s, Guerrovich moved Intermarkets’ headquarters to Paris, then London, before moving back to Beirut in 1992 after the end of the war.
Guerrovich was a member of the IAA since its very beginnings in 1961, being one of the signatories of the famous petition sent to New York to establish the Lebanese chapter. He was the general secretary of the first board and then the vice president in 1967. In 1977, he was elected President of the board for two years.
During the 70s till the 90s, he was not only one of the major advocates of the IAA, but also of the advertising industry in Lebanon, being a member of the LAAA board from 1973 to 1980 and 1991, as well as its vice president from 1992 to 2000. He was also one of the organizers and president in 1997 of the Mondial de la Publicité Francophone.
Erwin Guerrovich passed away in Beirut in March 2001. Erwin’s children, Yan and Stephanie paid their father a tribute by publishing a website called Tribute to Erwin Guerrovich on www.tribute-toerwin-guerrovich.org. The website contains Erwin’s life work, testimonials, press articles and photos.

Founder of Impact BBDO

Alain Khouri was born in 1942. He travelled abroad to study, graduating with a degree in Graphic Design from ENSAAV (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture et des Arts Visuels) in Brussels in 1966. He began his career teaching advertising at the Lebanese University of Fine Arts in Beirut, and in tandem created the agency Publi Graphics in 1968 with two partners, Razek Maamarbashi and Joe Shalha. Shortly thereafter, Khouri parted ways with Publi Graphics and launched IMPACT Advertising in 1971 in Beirut and headed the agency for the subsequent 40 years of his successful career.
In 1972, Khouri launched Impact Visuel, a cinema advertising concession whose purpose was to run commercials before the main feature screening. A year later, Impact Print was launched. This new entity was specialized in providing all printed materials needed by the regional hotel and tourism industry. That same year, also saw the birth of Impact DISPLAY: a unit specialized in retail space enhancement and creative shop window displays.
In 1975, the civil war forced everyone to seek safer havens. Khouri chose Cairo, where they had some clients, as the new base for Impact. A year later, the Cairo agency was well established, and Khouri opted to set up a hub in Cyprus to manage newly gained regional business.
Regional expansion started with the opening of an agency branch in Kuwait in 1978. And a few months later, Khouri began talks with BBDO about forming one of the first region partnerships with an international agency. Impact soon became IMPACT BBDO.
Over subsequent years, the agency’s regional expansion continued, with the 80s being the height of this acceleration with the opening of Dubai in 1982 and Jeddah in 1986, followed by the re-opening of Beirut in 1988, which also involved the purchase of a majority share in Stratégies Beirut.
In 1992, IMPACT took the decision to leave Cyprus and move the agency’s regional headquarters to Dubai. The new millennium saw the agency adding operations in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Algeria, and Qatar. IMPACT Porter Novelli, a public relations consultancy, and IMPACT Proximity a specialized digital and activation agency accelerated regional development and diversification, allowing the group to provide a full spectrum of marketing-communication services. OMD, PHD, and Integral were launched in partnership with OMNICOM agencies, rapidly becoming regional leaders in the media field, with operations across all major markets across the Middle East.
On the agency’s 40th anniversary, Khouri took the decision to bow out, selling the majority of his shares in the company and now remains as Chairman Emeritus.

Founder of Promoseven
Akram Miknas was born in Tripoli, Lebanon on 29th May 1944. He holds Bahraini, Lebanese, and Panamanian nationalities. He studied at the International College of Beirut and the American University of Beirut majoring in Business Administration.
He is the founder of Promoseven Holdings group, under whose umbrella reside some of the most sought-after brands in advertising and PR, and which today is one of the largest advertising and communications network in the Middle East and North Africa.
In 2008, subsidiary Fortune Promoseven made advertising history by becoming the first agency from the Middle East to win two Gold and two Silver Lions in the same year at the 55th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival held in France.
Miknas also owns several major hospitality and leisure companies in the kingdom and is owner of the McDonald’s franchise in Lebanon. With an interest running into real estate, Miknas owns prime buildings in various countries and is also a partner in several real estate and investment ventures. He was the chairman and co-founder of Advista Arabia and was appointed honorary consul general of the Republic of Panama and honorary ambassador to Brisbane, Australia.
He has been ranked at No. 3 on Communicates Power List in Middle East’s 50 Most Powerful People in Media, Marketing, and Advertising in 2011, he received the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Patron of the Arts Award in Dubai in 2013 for his contribution to the arts and culture scene in Dubai. He was also named as one of The World’s 100 Most Influential Arabs by Arabian Business in 2014, ArabAd Man of the Year in 2014, and Person of the Year by the Arabian Marketer in 2018. He is also two-time recipient of Al Bilad Award for Corporate Social Responsibility, in 2022 and 2023.
Mikans is an avid collector of antiques, objets d’art, and vintage cars.

Founder of Memac Ogilvy
Born in Beirut in 1944, Moutran studied at the Choueifat International College, prior to setting off for the United States to complete a Business and Marketing degree at Southwest Missouri State University.
Upon graduating, he joined the Bahrain-based firm Intermarkets - the oldest advertising group in the Middle East - in 1973. In 1984, he founded his own agency – Middle East Marketing and Communications, better known as MEMAC.
Following two successful and highly productive years, Moutran set about broadening his business’ horizons by adding an international dimension to the agency through an affiliation with Ogilvy & Mather. MEMAC would then go on to officially partner with the WPP agency 12 years later – in 1998 – with Ogilvy acquiring a minority equity ownership stake in the business. MEMAC was then renamed MEMAC Ogilvy.
Over the course of the ensuing years, Moutran worked diligently to grow the agency, expanding it across the region and entering new territories such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Lebanon, Egypt, and Kuwait, as well as Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Qatar, Jordan, and Iraq.
In 2000, Moutran launched the media agency, Mindshare, in partnership with JWT MENA. Ten years later, he launched Ogilvy Action and in 2011, MEMAC Ogilvy partnered with Grey and JWT to acquire a stake in Mediacom.
2014 marked a new chapter for MEMAC – story, with the sale of a majority share of the agency to Ogilvy.
In 2017, Moutran stepped down as CEO of MEMAC Ogilvy and maintained his position as Chairman of MEMAC Ogilvy.
Moutran was elected Man of the Year in 2001 by ArabAd Magazine and named Dubai Lynx Person of the Year in 2014. He was also awarded Lebanon’s National Order of the Cedar medal in 2014.
Edmond Moutran passed away in 2021.

IAA Lebanon chapter President (1995-1997)
IAA Lebanon chapter Vice President (1991-1993)
IAA Lebanon chapter Secretary General (1986-1988 & 1988-1990) IAA Lebanon chapter
Board member (1993-1995)
AAA President (2002-2004)
AAA Board member (1996-1998, 1998-2000 & 2000-2002)

Born in Beirut in 1952, Ramsay held a master’s degree in mass communication and a bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature and Education from AUB. His career began as an academic professor. In 1976, he joined Intermarkets and in 1978 co- founded with Jacques Sarraf Lead Advertising. In 1981, he partnered with Trust, including Nazih Moussallem and Alain Brenas. He returned to Intermarkets in 1987 as MD-Partner, Lebanon and Group General Management MOB.
In 1989, with Eli Khoury, Raymond Merheb, and Joe Ayache, he co-founded BD&A, which became in 1992 Saatchi and Saatchi Levant, elevating the regional advertising industry. Under his leadership, Saatchi & Saatchi played a pivotal role in advancing the regional advertising industry.
In 2002, Najjar founded S2C (Strategic Communication Consultancy) to transform the region’s communication landscape for multinational and regional corporations and public entities. He was a trusted advisor to many.
Najjar also co-founded the Advertising Faculty at ALBA - University of Balamand.
Najjar was a leader in copywriting and television, created and produced the TV educational quiz show “Al Moumayazoun”.
Additionally, he conducted numerous studies and analyses of the ad industry including the development of the ethical chart, which was endorsed by, and integrated into the by-laws of the Syndicate of Lebanese Advertising Agencies (SLAA).
An accomplished writer, Najjar authored several books in philosophy, politics, and religion: الفلسفة العربية عبر التاريخ
احالمك كما يف ّّسرها علم النفس
كي يعود اهلل الى لبنان
وسفر نظر وجهة / Views, Reviews and Previews
والسكون الحركة / The Right Not To Remain Silent ورق على فكر
Ramsay Najjar’s life was tragically cut short by Covid-19 on November 19, 2020, leaving behind a significant impact on the world of advertising, communication, and academia.

First IAA member from Lebanon
IAA Vice President / Area director Middle East and Africa (1961-1968)
IAA Medal of Merit
LAAA Vice President (1960-1968)

Fouad Pharaon is the pioneer of advertising in Lebanon since he founded the first advertising agency, Publicité Pharaon, in 1932.
In 1927, Fouad Pharaon a young student in Paris, got a part time job as clerk in an advertising agency to subsidize and pursue his academic studies. Returning to his home country two years later, he decided to abandon his intended teaching career and introduce what he discovered in France; La publicité (advertising); a concept that was totally unknown in the Beirut trade community. “Publicité Pharaon” was formely established in 1932.
Advertising thus started with Pharaon going around town, gluing printed posters featuring a shop opening or the quality of a product. He was the “account executive,” the “designer,” the “production manager,” and the “media executive.”
A few yeas later, his concept of “reaching the public” was expanded to the few newspapers available at the time. Print ads and print media were thus born in Lebanon. To set a benchmark for the price of the ad in the newspaper, Fouad Pharaon agreed with the different publishers on a formula and the principle of the “centimeter /column rate,” which was then adopted as the guideline.
After World War II, the opportunity to deal with international brands, prompted Pharaon to travel to Europe and the US to attend clients’ seminars and IAA congresses worldwide. For this reason, he changed the name of his agency from Publicité Pharaon to Pharaon advertising.
“Publicité Pharaon” was a school, if not “the school” for all those who went into the advertising business at that time. Fouad Pharaon, who was at his peak, did not spare any efforts to improve the industry positioning and ethics, initiating the formation of a syndicate of agencies and advertising – the LAAA, and later, through his international contacts lobbied for the creation of the IAA Lebanese Chapter becoming the first Vice President Area Director for the Middle East and Africa from 1961-1968.
He was actually the first Lebanese to apply for an IAA membership; his accreditation goes back to 1948. Fouad Pharaon passed away in 1967.

Founder of Publirizk and Rizk Advertising and Associates
The story of André Rizk’s illustrious career in advertising began amidst the vibrant first republic of advertising in Lebanon, during the era dominated by the notable figures, Mounir Takchi and Antoine Choueiri—two maestros of the field.
In a twist of fate, after not succeeding in his baccalaureate in 1962, André Rizk ventured to Paris. Four years later, he returned to Beirut, armed with a degree as a “Head of Advertising Agency” from the prestigious Art et Publicité school.
At just 22, Rizk set up his own agency in a humble three-room space. Its furnishings were simple—a drawing table, a stool, and an entrance sign that proudly proclaimed: “Publirizk, Lebanese Advertising Agency.” Back then, giants like SNIP, Pharaon, Reclama, Universel, and Byblos were the few other names in the industry. Undeterred, he forged ahead. Publirizk’s inaugural ad campaign was a memorable one—for Antoun’s music, promoting the Hamoud organs.
In the years preceding the war, Publirizk became a hub of talent. It boasted the likes of Gaby Hayek, Elie Masbourgi, Elie Jabre, Alain Khoury, Amine Kassouf, Ramzi Najjar and Wajih Nakhle, to name but a few.
The 1975 war, however, reshaped Publirizk’s trajectory. Between 1976 and 1979, André expanded his horizons, opening branches in the Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, while also establishing a liaison office in France. The 90s brought further evolution. After parting with partner Wajih Nahkle in 1990, “Rizk Advertising and Associates (RA&A)” was founded, quickly climbing the ranks to become Lebanon’s premier advertising agency. 1992 saw RA&A unveiling its grand seven-story headquarters in Achrafieh’s epicenter. The new millennium ushered in collaborations with global giants. In 2001, RA&A joined forces with multinational TBWA, prompting Rizk Advertising to spread its wings further into Syria, Yemen, Sudan, and Afghanistan. By 2011, this partnership evolved into Rizk Group Communications SAL, with André, his son Alain, and Serge Dagher steering the board of directors. This dynamic era saw affiliations with Havas ME in 2012 and a venture with Mark Daou to establish Rizk Public Relation SAL. The Havas chapter concluded in 2016.
Across half a century in the industry, André Rizk wasn’t just a businessman. He was a visionary. He established an advertising school and birthed campaigns that didn’t just sell—they became an intrinsic part of Lebanon’s cultural tapestry (Ray-O-Vac, Junal, Bata, Café Najjar, Perlex, Sanita..).
In 2022, his son Alain Rizk took on the role of CEO of Rizk Group.
He was named Man of the Year by Arab Ad in 2017.

Founder of Stratégies
IAA Lebanon chapter President (1997-1999)
IAA Lebanon chapter Vice President (1995-1997)
IAA Lebanon chapter Board member (1988-1990, 1991-1993 & 1993-1995)
AA Vice President (2004-2006 & 2006-2009)

Born in Beirut in 1944, Ibrahim Tabet studied in France and graduated from HEC (Hautes Etudes Commerciales) in 1967. He worked in France in the marketing field until 1970. Back to Lebanon, he joined Advision the media representative of CLT as head of the media research department. In 1973, his was appointed assistant general manager of the newly formed régie télé-management. In 1975, following Mounir Takchi’s resignation, he was promoted to general manager.
In 1976, he moved back to France to manage Al Mostakbal magazine before joining Tamam, the newly media representation company established by Takchi. After Takchi’s death, he joined Al Moukhtar (Arabic version of Reader’s Digest) as general manager. In 1981, Tabet returned to Lebanon to establish Stratégies RSCG.
In 1990, Stratégies joined the Impact BBDO network. In 1994, Impact BBDO re-opened its offices in Beirut and Tabet was appointed Chairman and CEO of the new agency. In 2000, Stratégies separated from Impact BBDO network and Tabet joined the DDB network after an agreement with Idées & Communication. In 2008, Tabet decided to leave the advertising field and opened a production house called ORIGAMI, with his two sons.
Tabet was also former president of the HEC Alumni Association, director of the Association des Publicitaires Francophones, and organizer of the Mondial de la Publicité Francophone in Beirut in 1998.
He has published several history books: Empereurs et empires européens, Histoire de la Turquie de l’Altaï à l’Europe, Les grandes dictatures de l’Histoire, La France au Liban et au Proche-Orient du XIe au XXIe siècle, Une brève histoire de Dieu, Le crépuscule du Liban et le naufrage d’un monde, Le monothéisme, le pouvoir et la guerre. De la conversion de Constantin au jihad isalmiste, Les Tabet, une histoire de famille, La vie à plein temps: Bernard Fattal, biographie.

Founder of TAMAM
Founder of the IAA Lebanon chapter
IAA Lebanon chapter President (1961-1967)
IAA Lebanon chapter Board member (1967-1969)
IAA Medal of Merit

Mounir Takchi was born in 1929. He studied marketing in England before returning to Lebanon to start a career in media.
In 1960, he became General Advertising Manager of Dar-Al-Hayat. From 1961 to 1972, he was appointed General Manager of Advision, the first media company to handle the advertising representation of CLT (Campagnie Libanaise de Télévision). In 1973, he was appointed General Manager of télé-management, which became the only media representative company to represent CLT and Télé Orient.
In 1977, Takchi decided to establish his own company TAMAM, which represented Lebanese and Pan Arab publications (An Nahar, An Nahar Al Arabi wal Douwali, L’Orient-Le Jour, Ousbou’ Al Arabi, Magazine, Al Moukhtar) as well as the media representation in the Arab world of the International Herald Tribune and the Reader’s Digest.
Mounir Takchi was one of the first Lebanese admen to join the IAA in 1960 and is recognized as the founder of the IAA Lebanon Chapter in 1961, being one of the signatories of the petition sent to New York to establish the Lebanese chapter and becoming its first president from 1961 to 1967.
Mounir Takchi passed away in 1978 at the age of 49.

CEO AnNahar
One of the three Lebanese who were granted the honorary life membership by the IAA Global.

Ghassan Tueni was a journalist, politician and diplomat who headed An Nahar one of the Arab World’s leading newspapers.
He was born in 1926 and was the son of Gebran Tueni, the founder and publisher of An Nahar. Tueni studied at the American University of Beirut under Charles Malik who was influential in the development of his thoughts. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy in 1945. He then went to the United States to study at Harvard University where he received his master’s degree in government. He had to abruptly interrupt his Ph.D. studies at Harvard and return to Lebanon to take over the reins of the journal when his father died. He was just 22 at the time. He became editor-inchief and publisher of the paper from 1947 to 1999, and from 2003 until his death. He was imprisoned in the 1940s for his objections to censorship. Committed to his father’s work, Ghassan developed a new team of journalists, modernising the editorial content and its production.
He became a member of parliament in 1951, at age 25. Until 1977, he served in different governmental positions, including house speaker, deputy prime minister and minister of the social affairs and labor, industry, information, energy and education. He also served as Lebanon’s permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) from September 1977 to September 1982. After his son Gebran Tueini’s assassination, Ghassan Tueni became the candidate for his son’s seat in parliament and won the election of 2005.
Tueni’s writings are extensive. In 1985, his book, Une Guerre Pour les Autres (A War of Others) was published. He published another book, Enterrer La Haine Et La Vengeance (Let us bury hate and revenge), in 2009, which he dedicated to his late son Gebran.
Tueni was awarded the National Order of the Cedar, Grand officer rank in 1984, an honorary degree from the AUB in June 2005. In December 2009, and the Lebanese Order of Merit for his achievements in politics. In 2009, he was also the recipient of the Life Time Achievement Award of the Arab Thought.
Ghassan Tueni passed away on June 8, 2012 at the age of 86.