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AOTY Snapshot: TBWA\RAAD on winning Talent Management Individual and Team of the Year

The judges praised their entry for its clarity and organisation, highlighting how each initiative aligned with the agency's broader goals.

Claudinia Harper and Majida Tabch from TBWA\RAAD held the Talent Management Individual & Team of the Year award handed over by a member of the awards jury, Marie-Capucine Maloy, Global Senior Director of Communications at Huda Beauty.
Claudinia Harper and Majida Tabch from TBWA\RAAD held the Talent Management Individual & Team of the Year award handed over by a member of the awards jury, Marie-Capucine Maloy, Global Senior Director of Communications at Huda Beauty.

Claudinia Harper and Majida Tabch from TBWA\RAAD were named Talent Management Individual and Team of the Year at Campaign Agency of the Year Middle East Awards in December 2024.

The judges praised their entry for its clarity and organisation, highlighting how each initiative aligned with the agency’s broader goals. Their submission for the Talent Management Individual and Team of the Year award  effectively demonstrated the value the talent team brings to the organisation, particularly through innovative approaches to fostering employee wellbeing. Among the initiatives, the judges commended efforts to move away from traditional agency practices, creating a more progressive workplace culture that prioritises mental health and holistic employee support.

Joe Lahham, Managing Director at TBWA\RAAD, shared his perspective on the team’s achievement.

What does winning this award mean for your team? 

Joe Lahham, Managing Director at TBWA\RAAD: Winning the award is not just recognition—it’s validation that placing people at the centre of the business yields real business results. It’s confirmation that your talent team can have a meaningful impact on your bottom line. At TBWA\RAAD, we strive to create an environment where our people can do the best work of their careers. This award reaffirms that investing in our people drives not only cultural progress, but also the innovative, creative solutions our clients rely on.

Can you share some strategies that contributed to this success?

Lahham: Our success stems from putting people at the heart of everything we do and aligning their growth with our ambitions as a business. Key strategies include:

Integration of people and business performance: Aligning talent development with business goals to transform the talent experience into creativity and to transform creativity into a growth driver for clients.

Data-informed decision-making: Using people analytics and the rich data available to us to help the business to make decisions about people based on real data and evidence.

Cultural transformation: Initiatives like the ‘agency reset programme’ have redefined our culture around belief, hunger, courage, and collaboration.

Motivational innovation: Programmes like ‘We Win, You Win’ have fostered satisfaction, performance, and the attraction of top-tier talent.

The courage to disrupt: We were not afraid to challenge the way HR is conventionally done. We found innovative solutions that were purpose-built for our industry and uniquely fit our business and our goals.

A people-first approach: Prioritising wellbeing and inclusivity has helped us be recognised as one of the Best Workplaces for Women and one of the Most Innovative Workplaces in the region. This people-first philosophy exemplifies how we navigate change and deliver impactful work.

What is your team’s proudest moment from 2024 and what’s your key takeaway from it?

Lahham: Our proudest moment was achieving the Great Place To Work certification, an accolade powered by our employees’ voices. This recognition underscored the impact of fostering a culture rooted in inclusion, innovation, and support. It also demonstrated that when people feel empowered and valued, it reflects in the creative excellence we bring to our clients. Our key takeaway? Building a supportive, human-first culture strengthens creativity and unlocks transformative growth across the business.

Has the business case for investing in creativity and disruptive strategies strengthened in 2024?

Lahham: Absolutely. Creativity remains the most powerful tool for solving today’s complex challenges, and in 2024, we’ve seen the tangible benefits of putting people first. When talent thrives, so do our ideas. By combining our proprietary tools like CollectiveAI with a disruption mindset, we’ve enabled ideas that are bold, measurable, and meaningful. The stronger our talent ecosystem, the more impactful our creativity becomes – and this directly translates into better business results for our clients.

How do you envision the demand for cost, speed, and quality being balanced in the months to come?

Lahham: Balancing cost, speed and quality is about maintaining the courage to put talent and creativity first. Our philosophy is simple: there are no shortcuts to greatness. By investing in tools like AI that enable precision and agility, while nurturing our people’s growth, we ensure that the work we produce meets the highest standards without compromising on innovation or craftsmanship. It’s about driving sustainable excellence – delivering speed and quality in tandem to create lasting value.

How can marketing be a force for good, and what will it take for brands and agencies to truly make a difference?

Lahham: Marketing holds the potential to be a catalyst for meaningful change – reshaping perspectives, driving inclusivity and solving real-world problems. To truly make a difference, brands and agencies must embrace purpose-driven creativity that aligns action with values. At TBWA\RAAD, we believe in creating work that goes beyond awards and resonates with diverse audiences. Whether addressing climate action, equity or wellbeing, marketing must inspire cultural progress through authenticity, accountability and the courage to lead by example.

How do you see data analytics and digital tools reshaping industry in the year to come?

Lahham: Data analytics and digital tools are revolutionising our ability to connect with audiences in a human-centric, measurable, and creative way. Tools like TBWA’s CollectiveAI go beyond efficiency – they amplify creativity by providing smarter, data-informed insights to drive growth. In the coming year, the challenge is not just leveraging these technologies but doing so responsibly, balancing innovation with ethical practices. The result is precision-driven storytelling that fosters deeper connections and delivers real impact, without losing the spark of human creativity.


See the full list of award winners here.