Episode 30: Navigating Mental Health in the Communications Industry

This 30th episode of the The Brief , As May is about Mental Health Awareness Month, we explore the crucial topic of mental health with PR professionals in MENA.

In this episode of MEPRA's #TheBrief podcast, we discuss strategies for managing stress in the fast-paced world of public relations, the importance of mental health awareness, and the support systems available within the industry.

Host:

Kate Midttun - MEPRA Chairperson, Founder & CEO, Acorn Strategy

Kate Midttun is Chief Executive Officer at Acorn Strategy. She has 20 years of experience in strategic marketing consulting with a specialisation in destination marketing and a deep sector knowledge across the real estate, leisure and hospitality industries in Australia, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and other countries. She has demonstrated success in creating impactful strategies with quantifiable business results for large global brands, including Mubadala, Miral Asset Management (Yas Island), Duracell, Oman Arab Bank, Hilton Worldwide, Viceroy Hotel Group, World Future Energy Summit, and National Central Cooling Company (Tabreed), amongst others, giving her a deep cultural understanding and adaptability to local and international markets.

Kate is strategically minded with a pragmatic approach, and it is under her vision and guidance that Acorn Strategy has tripled in size in less than three years, becoming an award-winning and internationally recognised powerhouse of integrated marketing and communications on three continents. She has a bachelor’s degree in Business with focus on Marketing and Public Relations from Queensland University of Technology, Australia, and a Master’s Degree from Warwick Business School in Business Administration, with focus on Marketing and International Business Strategy. She is the Chair of the Middle East PR Association and holds a position on the Executive Board of The Marketing Society.

Guest Speakers:

Scott Armstrong - Founder, Mentl

Scott Armstrong is CEO and founder of mentl, a new platform aimed at tackling the stigma of mental health head-on. He believes that the future of work is empathetic and empowering. An award-winning journalist and communications strategist, Scott has been a storyteller for more than three decades, heading up titles such as Arabian Business and Times of Oman as Editor in Chief, and holding roles at the UAE’s The National as well as a number of UK titles.

Tania Kteily - MEPRA Youth Board Vice President, Account Director, Weber Shandwick MENAT

Tania is an Account Director at Weber Shandwick in the UAE, within the Consumer and Corporate practice and the Vice President of the MEPRA Youth Board. She brings particular expertise in consumer and corporate communications, strategic planning, client servicing and influencer and media relations. Tania is particularly knowledgeable in the automotive industry with over seven years of experience in the field and spearheading General Motors varied brand portfolio – Cadillac, GMC and Chevrolet.

Tania is a certified mental health first-aider and is a champion for best practice at Weber Shandwick, driving impactful change crowdsourced from internal workshops. She believes in leading with kindness and the power of compassion, which she demonstrates both on accounts and through mentorship.

Throughout her career journey, Tania was recognized with numerous prestigious industry awards for client campaigns as well as personal achievements. Notably, Tania was featured on Campaign Middle East’s PR Faces to Watch list and was highly commended for MEPRA Dave Robinson Award for Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year (Agency) in 2022.

Tania holds a bachelor degree in Business Administration from the American University of Beirut. She is fluent in English, Arabic, French and speaks basic Spanish.

Kevin Teixeira - Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Warehouse Gym

Kevin Teixeira has over 20 years of experience in the Health and Fitness industry, from the United Kingdom to the Middle East. He progressed from a bottom-up to a Managing Director role after graduating from Lancaster University, allowing him to gain experience in all aspects of the career chain. A passion for fitness has led him down a path of continuous growth and development within the industry. As one of the co-founders of The Warehouse Gym, he has been responsible for transforming one of Dubai's most well-known gyms into the UAE's fastest-growing and most influential gym-chain brand, with 11 locations and growing. By redefining the gym experience, he created an innovative fitness experience within the industry, such as a concept within a concept, signature programs, an unparalleled value proposition, and multi-club network offerings

Produced by LPME Studios