Horizon FCB’s Bomediano named TBWA/Raad ECD as Bordé moves to head US and Canada at Geometry
TBWA/Raad has a new executive creative director, Bruno Bomediano, who previously held the same role at Horizon FCB Dubai.
He replaces Manuel Bordé, who has been hired as US and Canada ECD of WPP experiential agency Geometry Global in New York.
The announcement is the latest in what has been a turbulent year for TBWA/Raad’s creative department.
In October 2018, Bordé was promoted to ECD, a role he was to share with Fouad Abdel Malek, who had been in the role since May 2016.
Then, in July of this year, Abdel Malek moved to FP7 to head up the Middle East Communication Network agency’s creative department alongside Oliver Robinson. Bordé became the sole ECD at TBWA/Raad.
Walid Kanaan, the agency’s chief creative officer, said when Bordé told him he was leaving, “as much as I was sad to see him leaving us after so many successful years, I was happy for him because this is a big step forward in his career”.
He added: “I was also happy for the agency and for the region, because this is a big testament that our MENA region is attracting recruiters from North America, which is a big statement. This is amazing for TBWA/Raad as well. Our agency is graduating talent that can make it anywhere else in the world.”
Bordé, who joined TBWA/Raad from DDB in Puerto Rico in 2014, said it had been his plan to come to the UAE for only a year, after a recruiter had described Dubai as “a good trampoline to go to New York”.
He says the Cannes Lion Grand Prix won by TBWA’ sister Omnicom agency Impact BBDO this year has given Dubai even more credibility as a source for global talent.
Bomediano has previously worked with TBWA in his native Brazil. He said: “The thing I like the most about TBWA/Raad is the environment. To keep this friendly environment and these people is the most important thing. … The second thing is that it’s a dream to have brands that are brave enough to jump into bold ideas.”
TBWA recently won Ferrero, so it is likely that one of Bomediano’s first tasks will be to work with Kanaan to bring in teams to handle the confectionery client.