United Arab Emirates
With over 40 years of international experience in interior design and hospitality, I work at the intersection of creative direction, operational intelligence, and business strategy. My career has been shaped across Switzerland, France, the United States, and the UAE, giving me a global perspective grounded in how hospitality spaces are conceived, delivered, and experienced. I am the Co-Founder and Creative Director of MMAC Design a Dubai-based hospitality interior design studio specializing in luxury hotels, lifestyle destinations, restaurants, and airport lounges across the GCC and beyond. Over the past decade, I have helped position MMAC as a design-led practice recognized for translating creative ambition into operationally intelligent, commercially viable hospitality environments. My work spans leading global hospitality brands including Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, Rosewood, IHG, Accor, and Millennium, as well as corporate clients such as Rolex, UBS, and Ernst & Young. Across all projects, my focus is consistent: creating experience-led spaces where narrative, functionality, and long-term value are seamlessly aligned. Today, as co-founder and former Managing Director, I also contribute at board level to MMAC’s strategic direction across business development, marketing, finance, HR, and studio growth, while leading creative direction and client relationships. I believe hospitality design is no longer defined by aesthetics alone, but by the integration of story, culture, and operational logic into one coherent experience. The most powerful spaces are those that perform as strongly as they inspire. I am equally committed to mentoring the next generation of design talent and fostering a studio culture where experience and emerging voices challenge and elevate each other. Recognized among the region’s most influential designers, I continue to speak internationally on the future of hospitality design and leadership.
As Co-Founder and Creative Director at MMAC Design, I lead the studio’s creative vision, design direction, and overall creative output across luxury hospitality, lifestyle, F&B, and airport lounge projects throughout the GCC and beyond. Drawing from my background in hospitality operations and my previous role as Managing Director, I bring a commercially informed approach to design — balancing guest experience, operational intelligence, and narrative-driven concepts with broader business strategy. My role extends beyond creative leadership to include shaping the company’s strategic direction across business development, marketing, client relationships, talent development, finance, and studio growth. I am also deeply committed to fostering a strong studio culture and mentoring the next generation of design talent within MMAC.
About MMAC Design Associates MMAC is an Award winning boutique design agency founded by Christian Merieau ans Anil Mangalat early 2014 in the United Arab Emirates. The firm provides interior design services to developers, architects and hotel operators. Specialized in luxury, up-scale and upper mid-scale hotel and restaurant design, the founding team has developed more than forty hotel concepts for ten of the leading international operators. Based in Dubai, this team has delivered high-end projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Jordan. The firm's hospitality expertise is fully expressed through its ability to produce powerful and original designs for each project, delivering on time and within budget, while fusing the client's vision, local customs, geographic considerations and the operator's guidelines. MMAC's mission is to understand the needs of our hospitality clients and provide creative design and innovative solutions through an efficient process based on deep industry knowledge, extensive & specialized experience and an up-to-date comprehension of standards, context and guest experience.
• Realized a 24% increase in revenue and a 120% increase in net profit in 2013. • Secured six new international hotel operators as clients in the last six years. • Built a highly proficient, goal oriented team of 33 employees. • Responsible for business development and corporate marketing strategy. • Implemented new PR & Communication strategy leading to higher brand recognition. • Restructured the organization for effective communication and improved coordination of multiple projects. • Implemented project monitoring and control techniques to improve project delivery and optimization of resources. • Redesigned processes to generate efficiencies leading to an improved profit margin. • Implemented quality control methods and tools. • Formulated human resource policies to improve motivation reducing turnover. • Analyzed issues for risk identification and mitigation. • Managed finance and administration function.