Ben
Leakey

Ben Leakey leads MENA’s technology sector Public Affairs team, bringing more than a decade of experience in strategic advisory, government communications and public affairs in the region. He also heads the region’s Research & Intelligence function, overseeing a team to provide bespoke insights to clients across a range of functions and sectors, with a particular focus on navigating geopolitical trends. In these roles he helps address complex policy issues — from data localisation concerns to enabling exports — as well as supporting clients in market entry and strategy development.

Ben joined APCO from Amazon, where he worked as public policy manager covering Africa and the Middle East region. While there, Ben led stakeholder engagements to help launch three successive sites in KSA, UAE and Egypt by identifying and resolving high priority issues and working cross-functionally with business leaders. He previously supported a range of local and federal Emriati government clients in Abu Dhabi as a communications consultant and advisor.

Ben holds a BA in Arabic and Middle East Studies from the University of Exeter, which included courses at the University of Damascus. He also holds a postgraduate course in Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St. Andrews, where he specialised in online radicalisation and countering violence extremism across social media platforms.