DUBAI — Hill + Knowlton Strategies has made a number of senior hires to its fast-growing Middle East Innovation + Creative hub, including the founder of Edelman Dabo, Lucy D’Abo.

D’Abo (pictured, right), who becomes director of client services, founded Dabo and Co with her sister Camilla in 2004. They departed the firm in 2017 after it was bought by Edelman in 2015; Camilla D’Abo recently moved to APCO Worldwide as its new Dubai managing director.

In the past three months, H+K has made a total of 30 new hires to the regional innovation and creativity hub, including its design and production studio, in response to client demand for high-quality content, advertising and documentaries.

The Middle East Innovation + Creative hub is one of 10 across H+K’s global network that pull together creative strategists and creative directors, sector specialists, digital planners, public affairs consultants, content and publishing specialists and communications consultants on client projects.

Other senior hires to the Dubai-based team include Audrey Soler (left) as regional director of The Studio and digital optimisation. Soler has over 20 years’ experience in the digital and creative industries across the UAE and Europe, including as a business developer at Dentsu-Aegis and MD of Hug Digital (now part of WPP’s AKQA network), and as an ecommerce consultant and events producer.

In addition, Arne Mosselman (second right) – formerly strategy director and partner at Amsterdam-based creative sports agency, Helden Media – takes on the newly-created role of director of creative strategy, while creative content specialist Salah Bakri (second left) joins from a career in advertising, latterly as account director at TBWA Raad, to become director of Content + Publishing.

H+K’s CEO of Middle East, Turkey, India and Africa (METIA), Bashar AlKadhi, said: “Seeing our community of communications experts grow this year is one of the highlights of my role, and our latest cohort are some of the most intriguing and exciting. I have always believed in hiring people smarter than me, bringing in new skills and experiences to surprise and delight our clients, and deliver campaigns that make a real difference. Each of them brings more commitment, imagination and collaboration, and we look forward to introducing the new team to clients across the Middle East, and beyond.”

Global chief creative and innovation officer Simon Shaw added: “The incredible success of H+K in the Middle East is testament to the relentless pursuit of creative excellence across the region. I am confident that this further strengthening of the team will ensure even more creative and innovative solutions for our clients and, along with the wider team, deliver increased business value to our clients.”