Samia Kanawati is the Head of Communications and Government Affairs Head for Allergan India, Middle East and Africa (IMEA) based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  She joined the company in August 2018 to drive the company’s communications and public affairs activities throughout the region.

An experienced communications professional, Kanawati leads the company’s internal and external communications efforts across several practices including public affairs, social and digital communications, CSR, patient advocacy group relationships as well as crisis communications.

In her current capacity, Kanawati provides counsel on communications programs with a clear understanding of the key business imperatives facing the company, and the value of strategic communications in achieving Allergan’s business objectives in the region.

She runs the company’s reputation management by developing media training programs, developing robust strategies, planning as well as execution across key markets in the IMEA.

Prior to joining Allergan, Kanawati ran the regulatory and communications functions at Shire Middle East. During her time, she built robust relationships with regional authorities, and associations while also advised the company on brand strategies that focused on consumer activations.

Moreover, she also developed a detailed understanding of the legal framework, processes and legislative agendas of regional policy makers, and ensured to communicate Shire’s point of view in the region.

Kanawati’s work across the region includes a detailed focus on private, government and NGO programs, leading teams to implement ROI driven communications strategies for both profit and NPO organizations.

She was also GlaxoSmithKline’s regulatory and communications specialist for the Middle East and CIS regions, where developed new digital communications platforms and channels to deliver functional priorities.

From January 2005 until June 2013, Kanawati worked in KMP Pharmaceutical, where she assumed different posts that included Pharmacist in Charge, Regulatory and Research & Development Assistant as well as Head of Quality Control and Regulatory for the Levant region.

Samia Kanawati is a graduate of the University of Jordan, with a degree in Pharmacy. She has pursued her education to include an Executive MBA from Bradford University, School of Management in the United Kingdom as well as a diploma in bio pharmacy from The Martin Luther University of Halle Wittenberg, Germany. She is fluent in English, Arabic and French.