CAMPAIGN PR FACES TO WATCH 2019 – KAREEM FARID, 28, LEAD STORYTELLER, APCO WORLDWIDE

Nominated by Geoff Beattie, managing director, corporate strategy, MENA, Apco Worldwide
“Kareem is possibly the most talented new talent I have worked with in my 20-plus years in global communications. He combines the best of technical and creative skills with an instinctive understanding of client needs. What will he do next? Amazing.”

Career path
Kareem is a communications professional who combines his vast experiences, creativity and entrepreneurship to shape digital storytelling for audiences across the world. He is the lead of strategic digital storytelling and content production at Apco Worldwide. He established the practice three years ago and led its growth across five different offices. Kareem’s work has helped set industry standards in channeling creativity for online and traditional production and communications at large, especially in the MENA region. As the head of the storytelling practice in Apco worldwide, Kareem is responsible for providing a 360-degree approach to client positioning, campaigns and strategies, ensuring the development, awareness and recognition of the clients’ brands. Kareem previously worked as a broadcast journalist in Egypt for seven years. He also presents a tech show on CNN Arabic called #TechWithKareem.

Guiding principles
Kareem believes in continuous learning and practical experience. This helps us learn a lot more about the industry than just the theories we learn at school. One piece of advice he shares with his peers is to learn everything and try everything and be curious. In this day and age curiosity helps people grow constantly and develop new skills. He has learnt this from his experience as a student who dropped out of school while studying computer science to chase his dream of becoming a journalist, communicator and entrepreneur.