On the Move

BE appoints Uyanda Manana as MD

BE Agency has hired Uyanda Manana as its new managing director; she also assumes a shareholding in the creative agency. Conversation LAB Holdings is a minority shareholder and investor in BE.

Manana has operated in senior leadership roles in London, the UAE and South Africa on both client- and agency-side. She spent eight years at Publicis London, where she worked on L’Oréal and Garnier Global ATL. In SA, she has led client divisions at M&C Saatchi Abel, FCB and The Jupiter Drawing Room. In Dubai, she headed up activations for Abu Dhabi Motor Sports Management.

“This appointment couldn’t have come at a more opportune time in my professional and personal journey,” says Manana. “I am immensely proud and excited to be leading such a talented team of people, all with a diverse history, striving towards a brilliant tomorrow. For me, transformation is about second chances; it’s about deliberately seeking innovative ways to create a stronger future for ourselves, our children, our communities — one that learns from the past in order to bear little resemblance to it. That’s the vision and energy I want to bring to our business and our clients.”