Campaign’s PR Faces to Watch 2024 – Zahra Zakriya, Senior Associate, Weber Shandwick MENAT
Campaign’s PR Faces to Watch 2024 – Zahra Zakriya, Senior Associate, Weber Shandwick MENAT
Age: 25
Nominated by Tania Kteily, Account Director, Weber Shandwick MENAT, Vice President, MEPRA Youth Board:
Zahra is a growth-oriented and ambitious professional with an exceptional sense of accountability displayed from early stages of her career. She has built strong connections with media, influencers and colleagues across functions, through her mature soft skills, which she continues to develop by listening, absorbing and applying. She depicts a can-do attitude and is always looking to learn and improve, which allowed her to win over her clients across diverse industries. In short, she is a motivated, creative, responsible professional, who I’m confident will contribute to elevating the industry.
Career highlights
After graduating in the pandemic, Zahra joined Weber Shandwick as an intern. Over three years, she grew through the ranks to become a senior associate. She worked across FMCG, sports, and fashion, supporting Dubai Harbour, Dyson, and Cadillac. Her contributions led to MEPRA Gold awards for Best Automotive and Best Consumer Services Campaigns. In 2023, Zahra and her teammate won the ICCO NextGen PR World Cup for MENA. A former MENA Young Lions PR Competition finalist, Zahra aims to make a positive impact in the PR space through storytelling and collaboration.
Guiding principles
Although it may seem clichéd, Zahra believes positivity is key to growth in any aspect. As work culture intensifies, prioritising ‘YOURSELF’ becomes difficult. It is important to embrace growth while nurturing a mindset focused on self-improvement and mental well-being. FOMO is real but so are you!
Side hustle
While most assume Zahra is outgoing, she is a dedicated bookworm immersing herself in genres from crime to romance. Additionally, inspiring new PR talent through university talks, offering guidance to soon-to-be graduates, and fostering connections define her commitment to nurturing upcoming professionals.
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