Expanding its international footprint amid ongoing industry volatility, United Entertainment Group (UEG) has hired three senior leaders to further bolster its creative and sports media business across EMEA: SVP Sports and Partnerships, Media, Europe, Sam Ellis; SVP Creator Partnerships, MENA, Sawsan Abdillahi; and Director, Celebrity + Creator Partnerships, Alex Mendes. Sam will oversee athlete and creator talent partnerships spanning all of EMEA, while Sawsan will oversee creative strategy from Abu Dhabi, and Alex will expand partnerships specific to celebrities and creators in London.
Each hire and the agency’s global expansion represent the critical success of UEG’s near-clairvoyant “matchmaking” capabilities between brands and talent partners, built and developed by CEO and Founder Jarrod Moses. Most recently, UEG brokered the Big Game partnership between rapper and actor Ludacris and McCormick brand Frank’s RedHot, continuing a viral social and paid series led in previous years by Jason Kelcie and Paris Hilton.
“The way brands show up in culture is evolving rapidly, and our clients are increasingly looking for partners who can connect them with the worlds of sport, creators, and entertainment in meaningful ways,” says Paul Tremain, MD, EMEA. “Bringing Sam, Sawsan and Alex into the team significantly strengthens our ability to do that across EMEA. Sam’s deep expertise in sports partnerships will help us build authentic connections between brands and fans, while Sawsan and Alex bring exceptional experience in creator and celebrity-led storytelling across key growth markets. Together, they represent the next step in our continued expansion across the region and our ambition to deliver culturally relevant work for our clients.”
Sam has straddled agency and brand-side experience as an Account Director for over 15 years, cutting his teeth with Paul Ridley Limited before roles with Red Consultancy and Ketchum. He oversaw adidas strategy as an AD for Hill+Knowlton and Cadbury UK partnerships with MKTG EMEA, supporting global brands including McDonald’s, adidas, P&G, Cadbury, Samsung, and Warner Bros. Passionate about finding the intersection between brand and fan, Sam thrives on working with brands brave enough to use sponsorships to build meaningful stories that cut through and complement fan culture–not simply borrow from it.
Sawsan is a senior social, influencer, and communications strategist with over 15 years of experience shaping brand narratives and turning storytelling into real business outcomes. Her work sits at the intersection of culture, audience behavior, and platform mechanics, allowing her to build strategies that are both creatively strong and commercially sound. Her portfolio includes brands such as Visit Abu Dhabi, Qatar Foundation, Yas Island, Johnson’s, and IKEA, where she has helped drive relevance, engagement, and long-term brand equity in competitive markets.
Alexandra is an experienced talent strategist with over a decade building strategic partnerships that connect global brands with high-impact creators and celebrities. She joins the UEG EMEA team after 3 years sitting on the NY UEG Celebrity Partnerships team, where she led talent for clients like Dove, Johnson & Johnson, SCJ, and more. Prior to UEG, Alex worked on talent programming across brands like Google, AB InBev, Bacardi, Mastercard, and more at brand event marketing platform First Tube.
