People - RedPeg | Middle East

Ghada El-Kari

Ghada El-Kari

Managing Director

Born and raised in Beirut, Ghada arrived in the UAE in 2003 and is here to stay. Her passion, commitment and eye for luxury make her the go-to for brand experiences, and she’s got the reputation to prove it. When she’s not adding a little dazzle to her clients’ portfolios, Ghada’s chasing after her twin sons, both of whom keep her on her toes.

Habib Wehbi

Co-Founder

Habib is a man with a forward-thinking plan who doesn’t mind living life on the edge. As a business strategist and successful entrepreneur, Habib knows all about leveraging a bit of risk across his diverse collection of clients and agencies. When he’s not scouting new opportunities, Habib is admiring his second love: unique collectors watches.

Husam Abukoush

Chief Financial Officer

With an affinity for politics, food, and football, Husam is anything but your “typical numbers guy,” though it would be remiss not to mention that he certainly knows his way around a spreadsheet, having spent six years at PwC prior to joining the agency. When he’s not keeping the finances in check, Husam is usually cheering on A.C. Milan or spending quality time with his daughter.

Lara El Ghandour

Group HR Director

Lara is our “passionista,” in-house lie detection expert, and all-around people person. Whether she’s putting her background in HR or can-do attitude to use, she’s constantly upping our in-house morale. When she’s not working, Lara’s marking to-do’s off her list, including trying the newest fusion restaurants in town.

Mert Kal

Senior Brand Strategist

Mert has more than 10 years of working experience in various advertising agencies such as JWT, BBDO, Plasenta Social, TBWA, Y&R and now RedPeg ME. Working for different types of agencies enhanced his approach on marketing with varied focuses on brand strategy, consumer research, ATL, Digital, Social, Shopper & Experiential Marketing.

Philip Matta

Chief Commercial Officer

Part ad veteran, part thrill seeker, Philip brings a deep knowledge of retail and OOH to the agency. His background at Ogilvy & Mather and Publicis have led him to develop close relationships with clients and agencies alike. And, true to his thrill-seeking nature, he’s a collector of sports cars and can frequently be found behind the wheel of one of his beloved racecars.

Sandy Zavzavadjian

Creative Director

Sandy, who is originally from Armenia, was born and raised in Lebanon. She has a Master’s Degree in Art Direction from Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts – ALBA, Beirut. Sandy has 11 years working experience in Art Direction and has worked in various companies in Lebanon & Dubai such as Lead Advertising, EURO RSCG and Havas Worldwide.

Adam Cohen

Corporate Development Manager

As RedPeg’s unofficial “Chief of Stuff,” Adam has his finger on the RedPeg pulse and mysteriously seems to know all that happens internally. Not only does he manage all of RedPeg’s business development efforts, he’s also a whiz at 90s pop culture trivia.

Amira Ward

Director of Talent Management

Born and raised in Munich, Germany, Amira would trade anything for a pretzel. With her bilingual brain and den mother instincts, she has led experiential staffing teams since 2007. When not showing off her extensive shoe collection (100+ pairs strong), she’s building and motivating some pretty amazing teams.

Brad Nierenberg

Co-Founder

Fondly known as “Miller Lite Brad” from his days in the field, Brad set out on a mission in 1995 to create a best-in-class creative agency that focused on the point of contact between brands and consumers. Today, RedPeg is a full service, award-winning brand engagement marketing agency. Although Brad’s original purpose has evolved, the beer stills flows freely.

Derek O’Rourke

Director of Client Services

Once a homeless professional golfer who lived in a van, Derek’s your guy if you need a putting lesson or a beer (though not necessarily in that order). At RedPeg, he’s the guy who brings 20 years of client experience with Fortune 100 CPG brands, sports and entertainment sponsorships.

Fredda Hurwitz

Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer

American by birth, Euro trash by default (30 years abroad does strange things to a person…), Fredda is known as The Mixologist, combining her global brand strategy know-how, sports & entertainment sponsorship expertise, and journalism background with her passion for all things French (et oui, elle parle français).

Harry Poole

VP of Client Services

Harry is our “Roadrunner,” always on the move finding ways for us to outrun the competition. When he’s not going the extra mile for our clients, this native New Englander can be found traveling with his wife, hiking with his dog, or cheering on his beloved New England Patriots (despite most of his colleague’s vocal displeasure).

Jason Colvin

Sr. Director of Gaming and Esports

Know someone who is good at just about everything? Well, that’s Jason — the “All Rounder.” He’s a rare breed of agency person who has had his hands in just about everything — from sponsorships and partnerships to gaming and esports. He’s a team player who can plug in just about anywhere. Just don’t ask him to draw anything…

John Piester

President

John is fondly known as The Voice of Reason. His calm, cool and collected demeanor is what keeps us out of sticky situations and ensures our team culture is enforced, both in and out of the office. When not sprinkling the team with sage pixie dust, he’s rooting for the NY Giants (despite his relocation to Redskins Country).

Kelly Padgett

Experience Designer

A traveler since birth, an explorer by cosmic design, Kelly has always sought out the unknown, the what’s next and the yet-to-be-discovered. A Notorious Badass in Design (or Disguise), her bag of tricks always seems to contain the necessary solutions, even if they’re not the most conventional.

Martin Codd

VP of Operations

Martin’s our resident Brit and Experiential Architect. From overseeing operational logistics to leading venue sponsorship and talent, Martin is the producer that brings a creative edge to our clients. When he’s not overseeing production logistics and helping clients shine, Martin is tuning into the Premier League cheering on London’s finest: Chelsea F.C.

Matt Sincaglia

Senior Director of Data & Analytics

The main goals that matter to this soccer player are those set by brands. When it comes to delivering on business objectives, Matt is there for the assist. He utilizes data to develop strategy and analyzes program results to optimize performance and maximize returns for clients.

Sam Hanks

VP of Creative

This creative guru leads the pack, ensuring all of our ideas, color palettes and decks come to life. When he’s not making the creative impossible happen, Sam is rough-housing with his kids, catching shows with his wife, or jamming out with his buddies. He may be soft spoken in person, but when plugged into his Marshall Amp, he goes to 11.

Sebastian Lita

Senior Operations And Production Manager

Sebastian has been in the experiential production industry for 7 years and has delivered high end brand experiences for leading local and international brands. He recently joined RedPeg Middle East as the Senior Operations and Production Manager after working with top agencies such as Jack Morton and Avantgarde. Sebastian thrives on delivering remarkable brand experiences by organizing efficient operation practices resulting in flawless production.

Taheera Tim Kee

Account Manager

Taheera is our resident “Pundit” who brings her impeccable grammar, sense of humor, and ability to meet seemingly impossible deadlines to our agency. In her quiet moments, Taheera can be found agonizing over the plot progression on Game of Thrones or scrutinizing the improper use of “then” vs. “than” on social media.

Strategists, creators, producers, negotiators, ambassadors, designers, business builders, short folks, tall ones, curly-haired, no-haired, dog-loving…you get the picture. Check out our eclectic squad!