Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Experienced General Manager - Luxury / Premium Global Brands. • Experienced in strategic and operational sales and marketing management for leading, luxury, branded products, at international, regional and local market level. • Strong business acumen, result-oriented, proactive, used to working under pressure. • Practiced in P&L management, financial reporting and budget planning. • Dynamic, hands-on, inspirational business leader, with an entrepreneurial and innovative approach to business development. • Accomplished omni-channel strategist, with excellent problem-solving skills, experienced in developing creative and effective sales, marketing and customer-centric action plans that deliver sales, marketing and financial KPIs. • Exceptional understanding of business development, crisis management (Covid-19, SARS), brand building and repositioning, revenue generation, margin improvement, and cost savings. • Detailed understanding of retail operations, merchandising, visual merchandising, leasing, store planning & analysis, product assortment management. • Strong cross-cultural and cross-functional networking skills. Used to working with HQ & Regional offices to align international brand strategy with local market needs. • Experienced in staff management and team building, focused on employee coaching, development, satisfaction and retention. • Excellent interpersonal skills (Building lasting relationships with coworkers, VIPs, landlords, media). • Product experience: Jewelry, watches, accessories (leather goods, pens, eyewear, etc.), and beverages (wines and spirits). • International and multi-cultural experience: Lived and worked in Asia (China, Hong Kong and Taiwan), Europe (UK and France) and USA. • Languages: English (Native); French (Fluent written & spoken); Mandarin (Intermediate conversational).
Curating time since 1950. Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons represents more than 60 luxury timepieces and jewellery brands across the UAE.
• Freelance consulting projects for two European high jewelry brands: Business plan development, organized sales and media events (2 Events total sales 275,000 Euros). • Developed Covid-19 crisis management strategies for luxury brands’ Taiwan subsidiaries. • Organized 2 VIP “Tour de France” trips for Taiwanese HNWIs. • Consulting work for luxury brands interested in Greater China area (Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau). • Retail and Wholesale specialist. • Product specialty: Jewelry, watches, leather goods, pens, eyewear; wines and spirits; luxury cars.
(100 employees. Turnover: 84M USD) • Full management and P&L responsibility for Taiwan subsidiary: Sales, marketing and retail network development - 11 stores (8 internal stores and 3 franchise/Travel Retail stores). Achievements: • Increased Sales +56% vs. 2012. Same store sales +18%. In first six months, turned sales around from a decline of -10% to +3% at the end of the year. In 2015, maintained sales vs. previous year, whereas competitor brand sales declined -7% to -22% vs. PY. • Re-built sales team and company morale following mass resignations of senior sales staff in 2011 and early 2012, by working with internal KOLs: Improved Tiffany Biennial Employee Satisfaction Survey results from 12 negative out of 14, to 12 positive (2012 vs. 2014). • Strengthened management team, by hiring new Sales Director, Marketing Manager and HR Manager. Created new Customer Development Manager position to focus on top VIP customers. • Elevated brand image through traditional & digital marketing and PR actions and through a new product merchandising strategy, focused on upselling and high-priced products. • Upgraded and expanded store network: Entire network was renovated or relocated to more premium locations. Opened 3 new internal stores (including new flagship store) and 2 franchise stores. Renegotiated leases for store network. • Awarded “Market of the Year” Award for Performance Excellence in 2014.
• Full management and P&L responsibility for Mainland China for Breitling watches. • Reported to Greater China Managing Director for Breitling at Melchers HK Ltd. (Breitling is distributed by an agent in Asia). Dotted-line reporting to brand head-office in Switzerland. Achievements: • Increased Sell-in +42% and Sell-out +66% vs. previous year. • Established new office and after-sales service center in Shanghai. Hired new team: Sales, marketing, logistics, customer service, watch technicians (11 people). • Developed and implemented new sales & marketing strategy. • Initiated inventory/supply chain management policy. Organized first direct imports from Switzerland. Created permanent stock assortment in China for faster delivery. • Successfully negotiated contracts to open the first boutique in Greater China in Beijing (230sqm) and a second boutique in Shanghai (120sqm). Opened 3 shop-in-shop (60sqm).
Freelance consulting projects for European fine jewelry brand, Italian coffee-shop brand and local Hong Kong Language Centre.