Joseph Ghossoub, CEO of MENACOM Group receives Pontifical Order of Knighthood

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the MENACOM Group, Joseph Ghossoub, has received a Pontifical Order of Knighthood, among the highest honours bestowed by the Holy See, in recognition of his lifelong commitment to serving communities across the Arab world, the Dubai-based integrated communications group announced today.

The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great, first established by Pope Gregory XVI in 1831, was bestowed upon Mr. Ghossoub by His Holiness Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch and the Whole Levant, at a special ceremony in Bkerke, Lebanon, on November 18, 2009.

“I am truly humbled to receive this enormous honour from the Holy See and the Holy Father, Pope Benedictus XVI,” said Mr. Ghossoub. “Throughout my life, I have been blessed with professional success, personal contentment and spiritual fulfilment. And I have always done my best, with all humility, to give back to the community which has given me so much.

“Words truly cannot express my appreciation to the Holy See and, in particular, His Holiness Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, for bestowing this honour upon me,” Mr. Ghossoub said. “I would like to share this great honour with my family and my colleagues – and dedicate it to the peoples of the nation where I was born, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates, the nation I have long called home.”

One of five Pontifical Orders of Knighthood, the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great is bestowed upon individuals by the Catholic Church in recognition of their service to the Church, unusual labours, support of the Holy See and the good example they set in their community.

Previous recipients of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great include: Rupert Murdoch, Chairman of News Corporation; Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics; Rodrigo Augusto da Silva, Brazilian Senator and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Bon Hope, the Hollywood entertainer; and Maurice Gerard Moynihan, Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland.

In 2004, Mr. Ghossoub received Lebanon’s highest civilian honour, the Knight of the Order of the Cedar, in recognition of his achievements and services towards promoting regional and international understanding and cooperation. In 2006, he was awarded the Presidency Shield of the Republic of Lebanon in recognition of his role as World President and Chairman of the International Advertising Association, the world’s largest partnership of marketing communications disciplines and practitioners.

Mr. Ghossoub has demonstrated a long-term commitment to strengthening bonds of trust and understanding between the Arab world and the West, as well as among brotherly Arab nations. He serves on a number of business, academic and civil society institutions. A former president of the Lebanese Business Council in the UAE and board member of the American University in Dubai, Mr. Ghossoub is also deeply involved in strengthening cultural ties between the countries of his birth and working life through the establishment of the Emirati-Lebanese Friendship Association.

Additionally, he is also a board member of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development, an independent non-governmental group dedicated to promoting policies and projects that support sustainable development across the region.

As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the MENACOM Group, Mr. Ghossoub oversees a firm with more than 1,200 employees in its network of over 50 offices in 17 countries. The MENACOM Group includes advertising agencies Young & Rubicam, Intermarkets and Partnership; public relations firms ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller and Polaris; direct marketing specialists Wunderman; media specialist firm Mediaedge:cia; and interactive firm Tattoo.