Akram Miknas, Chairman of the Middle East Communications Network was nominated Man of the Year 2014 by the prestigious regional publication ArabAd.
Here is an excerpt: An unshakable belief in his ability to circumnavigate tragedy and hardship saw him excelling at every endeavour he set his mind on. The path was laden with unexpected outcomes to otherwise honest intentions, which at every turn necessitated a novel strategy. Armed with a will and bent on making a life for himself, Miknas pushed harder at every turn as destiny played its hand in what was to become a story for the ages.
The editorial:
From a modest beginning in Beirut dating back to 1968, Akram Miknas built a communication and business empire comprised of tens of companies spread throughout the MENA region.
He is a man who knows his limits and is relentless in pushing those as far as possible every chance he gets.
His accomplishments, though too many to name, are in great part due to personal characteristics he took great care and patience in fostering. These qualities later saw him winning accounts other well-established agencies were also pitching for.
Acquiring fundamental insights related to clients and brands he was servicing or after he did with a confidence that impressed and at other times baffled most.
With both feet firmly on the ground, he learned the inner workings related to how these brands connect with the consumer and used this knowledge to further evolve any task he took on.
Ambitious and passionate about the craft, not a day went by without him embarking on a new adventure of some kind. Few of these landed him in hot water, which he bravely navigated out of through sheer perseverance and sound business sense.
Akram earned his way to the top through diligent application of all his abilities, which were based on his belief to always do better. As a result, the achievements he later came to be recognised for were a natural consequence to the success he enjoys today.
Exhuming confidence, he acquired the ability to sway minds and in doing so, brought life to everything he worked on. Though rare these master communicators are, fewer still are the men who measure up to Akram Miknas.
Witness to such accomplishments I have been and though the way forward is riddled with increased uncertainty, I am overly confident that out of this looming chaos, Akram will birth a new idea that would fuel the imagination of the communication industry for years to come.
Walid Azzi, Arab Ad