Serhat Ekinci
Managing Director, UNITE
Omnicom Media Group UK
Born and raised in Istanbul, Serhat had moved to the UK in 2006 with no English or a degree by then. Having gained vast and varied experiences across various spectrum of marketing at companies such as Gorkana Group, MediaCom, Kantar Media and GfK, Serhat felt that those with differences were not being recognised enough and, as a mixed ethnic minority himself married to a mixed ethnic minority from a different continent and now with his son, he wanted to do more to change the landscape of diversity in marketing for client outputs and change the historical way of thinking about minorities only when there is a specific cultural moment or product for them to, to be part of every response to brief at every stage to be inclusive of them.
Serhat is the Managing Director of OMG Unite Omnicom Media Group UK’s diversity-driven agency. Since joining, the division has gone from 1 award in 8 years to 10 in5 years, including a Campaign Media Award, ‘Best Marketing Campaign of the Year’ at the European Diversity Awards and ‘Advanced Award for Diversity’ at the BIMA Awards and growing both its client base from 2 to over 60+.
He is a keen Diversity and Inclusion advocate and has been a panel speaker at organisations such as Facebook and BIMA , EffWorks Global, DIAL Global and more as well as writing thought leadership on publications such as Drum and Campaign,. He was also chosen as one of the “Trailblazer of the Future” by Campaign Magazine as well as being of one of the winners for IPA’s (The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) iList of Industries Inclusivity Game-Changers in 2020 and shortlisted for Media Leader of the Year 2021 at MediWeek Awards.
Serhat is also part of MEFA – Media For All, a non-profit mentoring network for Black, Asian, and other ethnic minorities as well as Bloom UK, a professional network ensure women have equal opportunity in the communications industry and a Board Advisor for 14 Consulting, a not-for-profit company helping organisations and institutions on culture change, mental wellbeing and diversity and inclusion.
Serhat is the Managing Director of OMG Unite Omnicom Media Group UK’s diversity-driven agency. Since joining, the division has gone from 1 award in 8 years to 10 in5 years, including a Campaign Media Award, ‘Best Marketing Campaign of the Year’ at the European Diversity Awards and ‘Advanced Award for Diversity’ at the BIMA Awards and growing both its client base from 2 to over 60+.
He is a keen Diversity and Inclusion advocate and has been a panel speaker at organisations such as Facebook and BIMA , EffWorks Global, DIAL Global and more as well as writing thought leadership on publications such as Drum and Campaign,. He was also chosen as one of the “Trailblazer of the Future” by Campaign Magazine as well as being of one of the winners for IPA’s (The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) iList of Industries Inclusivity Game-Changers in 2020 and shortlisted for Media Leader of the Year 2021 at MediWeek Awards.
Serhat is also part of MEFA – Media For All, a non-profit mentoring network for Black, Asian, and other ethnic minorities as well as Bloom UK, a professional network ensure women have equal opportunity in the communications industry and a Board Advisor for 14 Consulting, a not-for-profit company helping organisations and institutions on culture change, mental wellbeing and diversity and inclusion.