ADNOC Names Iain Twine As Chief Communications Officer
1st October 2021
Iain Twine will oversee communications for UAE oil giant ADNOC after SVP Omar Zaafrani's departure.
ABU DHABI — Iain Twine is joining ADNOC in a newly-upgraded role as chief communications officer, PRovoke Media can reveal.
Twine’s arrival at the UAE oil giant follows the departure of group communications SVP Omar Zaafrani, after more than five years with the company. Zaafrani built ADNOC’s first communications, brand and CSR function, helping to unify the company and its 14 subsidiaries under a single brand and driving its culture transformation program. He also led the communications around the successful public offering of ADNOC’s fuel retail business.
At ADNOC, Twine reports to the company’s executive office. He returns to the UAE after previously establishing Edelman’s business in the region in 2008. During that period, he led the firm’s key relationship with the UAE government, including its work for Abu Dhabi’s sovereign investment company Mubadala, and the launch of the Masdar subsidiary.
“ADNOC is a powerhouse brand and business,” said Twine. “Very few companies have such a singular impact on an economy. Because of this impact, communications is a crucial function.I am honoured to be part of such a great team.”
Twine left Edelman in 2019 after 14 years with the firm. He relocated to Singapore in 2013 to lead Southeast Asia and Australasia, before taking on a vice chair role in 2017.
Since departing Edelman, Twine launched his own consultancy, which counted City Football Group and Abu Dhabi Investment Office has clients. He was also a non-executive director of global esports entertainment business, BLAST, and a partner of HyperKu, a founder focused investment company.
Zaafrani, meanwhile, joined ADNOC in 2016, playing an integral role in the company’s transformation efforts — which earned two Diamond SABRE Awards in our EMEA region competition last year. Before ADNOC, Zaafrani was head of energy communications at Mubadala.
ADNOC is led by group CEO Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, whose portfolio also includes roles as UAE Federal Government Climate Change Envoy, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Chairman of Emirates Development Bank and Masdar, and multiple other positions.
