DUBAI — Teri O’Donnell and Robin Gordon-Farleigh have joined forces to launch Manara Global, focusing on reputation management, purpose and communications from its headquarters in the UAE.

The duo previously worked together at Edelman Middle East. O’Donnell recently left the firm after spending the past year there as MD, following a lengthy stint at Freuds in London, where she rose to the role of partner.

Gordon-Farleigh, meanwhile, departed Edelman last summer, after a similarly short stint as regional director of government strategies. He has since overseen communications for the Office of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, having previously served as senior communications strategist in the UK Prime Minister's Office.

"We believe it is an exciting opportunity to break down siloed working practices, provide greater creativity and joined up thinking to business and societal challenges and problem solving," said O'Donnell. "The power of our partnership is the convergent and creative thought we bring to the table — global inspiration with local understanding, always driven by insight. We start from different places, but end with a plan and a unified focal point. We believe the results are stronger for it."

Gordon-Farleigh added that "it is an exciting time in the UAE’s ambitious journey to becoming a global hub for so many things underpinned with its ambitious agenda and with the eyes of the world upon us with Expo 2020."