APO Group, the media relations consultancy and press release distribution service in Africa and the Middle East, has announced the appointment of Lionel Reina as its CEO.
Founder of APO Group, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, will become Chairman with his focus being delivery of high-level counsel for APO Group clients and developing his own investment fund dedicated to Africa.
Lionel Reina has over 25 years of senior management experience and has a strong history of providing effective leadership and delivering significant growth.
(TOP: Lionel Reina, the new CEO at APO Group).
From 2003 to 2012, he was VP and GM for Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Orange Business Services, the B2B division of French telecoms company Orange, a role that covered more than 80 countries. He was made General Delegate and Chairman of the Board of Orange Business Saudi Arabia in 2012.
In 2013, Lionel Reina was appointed Middle East Director in the Gulf region for Accenture. More recently, he was the Managing Director Benelux for Damovo which was acquired by Eli Global in July 2018.
As CEO of APO Group, the 50-year-old Reina assumes operational responsibility for all aspects of the business and will look to grow its portfolio of clients and continue its international expansion and digital transformation – building on the company’s extraordinary successes over the last 11 years.
Since its formation in 2007, APO Group has become an influential and reputable media relations consulting firm in Africa and the Middle East through its pioneering press release distribution and innovative monitoring solutions. Its global advisory services allow organizations from all over the world to harness the potential of media by developing strategic communications plans that help to build positive connections with key audiences.
APO Group has various global brands among its client list including Facebook, Hilton and PwC while 57 of the global PR agencies regularly rely on the firm’s media expertise to increase their clients’ exposure.
APO Group has built strategic partnerships with Bloomberg, Getty Images, CNBC Africa and many other international media organizations, and is also the main Official Sponsor of World Rugby’s African association, Rugby Africa.
“This is the right time for APO Group to bring in a professional CEO as we continue to grow,” said Pompigne-Mognard. “Lionel has a fantastic track record in helping companies scale up quickly and break new ground. I have known Lionel for many years, and from the moment I decided to change my role, I was certain he was the right person to help change the narrative of APO Group and move us forward to the next level and beyond.”
“This is a great opportunity and I want to personally thank Nicolas for the trust he has placed in me,” said Lionel Reina. “I’ve been following the progress of APO Group for years and been hugely impressed by their approach to innovation and willingness to stay ahead of the competition. I want to ensure we keep our strong customer focus and build on our reputation as a global consultancy with unique experience and relationships across the media landscape.”
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