DUBAI: Regional advertising group Middle East Communications Network is ramping up efforts to train staff with a new platform, collaborations and programs.

The firm’s MCN Academy is “designed to advance professional and personal progression at all career stages for our people,” said Ricarda Ruecker, chief talent officer of MCN Middle East, North Africa and Turkiye, during a recent interview.

In the past, the academy has collaborated with partners including the Berlin School of Creative Leadership.

In addition, it has held an MCN AI Week, which had experts provide workshops, training and talks for all employees, she told Arab News.

Although the academy has existed for nearly 10 years, the network has “relaunched and revamped the platform with upgraded, tailored programs and new partnerships,” she added.

In June, MCN Academy announced a dedicated Harvard Business School Online learning collaboration including two programs for mid-management and executive leader talents.

The two-month-long programs focus on areas including leadership in change and innovation and “designing and delivering unique value to teams and clients,” Ruecker said.

The partnership will be continued in 2025 with “further strategic programs” as well as other “high-profile collaborations,” she added.

The academy will focus on three areas in the next two years: leadership development at all career stages, generative AI, and emotionally intelligent and inclusive leadership.

Ruecker said that these three “strategically important areas” are equally relevant to all 15 MCN agencies. This includes creative agencies FP7 McCann and MullenLowe MENA, media agencies UM and Initiative, and public relations agencies including Weber Shandwick.

Moreover, MCN Academy’s focus on these areas will complement the individual agencies’ efforts in “providing upskilling and knowledge in functional areas and technical skills,” she added.

Ruecker explained that development of talent at all career stages is crucial for the network, whether it is training the next generation of talent or upskilling its top leaders.

Referring to the third area, she said: “We believe that behavioral skills are critical in successfully leading high-performing teams and bringing out the best and unique skillsets of our teams.”

For MCN, it is important to not only form large-scale partnerships at the parent company level but also “ensure our people in market feel empowered and well equipped to integrate AI tools into day-to-day projects,” Ruecker explained.

The fast-paced nature of the AI sector has driven the need for MCN Academy to focus on it in the past and continue to do so as part of its longer-term program.

Critics often question the threat AI may pose to human talent, but Ruecker said that AI should be “the partner, enhancer and facilitator for our industry”.

“With the correct guardrails and usage, it opens the door to not only change the way we work, collaborate and create but also shape the future of our workforce with new skills and opportunities for our talent,” she added.

Ruecker’s views on generative AI are seemingly supported by data of its adoption as a crucial investment for businesses. According to a 2024 McKinsey report, 65 percent of respondents said that their organizations are regularly using generative AI.

The same report found that AI adoption has seen a massive surge this year jumping to 72 percent compared to 55 percent last year.