Name : Ralph Khoury Designation: CFO, WPP Media MENA Years in the industry: 18 years Years in the Middle East region: 18 years
Ralph Khoury is often labelled a ‘Crisis Financial Officer’, for his unique ability to support growth, transformation, and deliver profitability for corporations that have experienced ‘once in a lifetime’ financial/economic crisis.
Be it Indonesia, post the Asian Financial Crisis, Malaysia following the SARS outbreak, in Dubai during the Global Financial Crisis, or most recently with the Financial challenges brought on by Covid-19, Ralph has been integral in helping navigate the re-emergence of the corporations that he represented, to become leading players in their markets and industries in post-crisis environments.
In January 2026, he was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer for WPP Media across MENA, to help drive the transformation the Finance function, and adapt the group’s financial strategy in a world and ecosystem that is now powered by AI. Prior to that, he held a number of CFO roles across Omnicom Creative and Media, culminating in his last role as the CFO leading Omnicom’s Commercial and Financial relationship with their largest global client, Nissan.
In December 2023, Ralph was appointed to CPA Australia’s Ethics and Professional Standards Centre of Excellence. An active Public Speaker, and an advocate for the Finance Community Internationally, Ralph speaks in many forums on topics ranging from Ethics and Governance, Financial Management during crisis environments, the role and evolution to CFO and Effective Commercial Negotiation.
Ralph holds a Bachelor of Economics Degree from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. He is a fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants. He has served on the Finance Committee for the American School of Dubai for more than 5 years up until December 2025 and was the Chair of the UAE Committee for CPA Australia for 8 years until the end of 2022.
Born in Sydney Australia, he has spent the last 18 years of his life in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Ralph is married and has twin daughters.
From a personal standpoint, it’s a no-brainer to say that the highlight of the year was joining WPP Media. Through 2026, Amer El Hajj and the team have been on a winning streak across the MENA region. There is a reason for that. When one client after the other entrusts their brand to you, it builds confidence and trust. So, when I started on 5 January 2026, it felt great.
Best book you’ve read in the past 12 months Madison Avenue Revisited by Michael Farmer.
One thing the industry needs to improve as a priority Overhauling the pricing of services.
One point of focus for 2026 within the organisation Insulating the organisation from the impact of the regional conflict.
One quality you believe is essential to leadership Integrity
Words of advice to young leaders There is no substitute for hard work.
One ad that you enjoyed in the past 12 months “The KitKat Heist”
One thing that you’ve unlearnt and learnt in the past 12 months Unlearnt: losing my patience. Learnt: the power of AI for finance.
POWER ESSAY: WHY YOUR NEXT AGENCY RFP NEEDS A REWRITE
The marketing and communications landscape in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is experiencing an extraordinary era of growth and innovation. As we navigate this dynamic market together, our industry’s ultimate goal remains constant: delivering exceptional growth for our clients, building their…