Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Luxury Brand Specialist | Available Immediately I am an accomplished retail professional with extensive experience in the luxury sector throughout the Middle East. With a proven track record of driving growth and operational excellence, I am actively seeking new opportunities in buying, merchandising, marketing, e-commerce, and CRM within luxury retail brands. Key Highlights: Strategic Expansion: At Zimmermann, I successfully managed the brand's expansion across the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, and Bahrain, launching five stores while implementing best practices in retail operations, CRM, and inventory management. Operational Excellence: As Head of Operations at CADO Gifting, I fine-tuned commercial strategies and empowered teams to enhance processes, profitability, and vendor management, directly reporting to the CEO. Project Leadership: My six-year tenure with Chalhoub Group allowed me to oversee large-scale projects, optimize product performance, and lead digital transformation initiatives. Notably, I managed the operational success of luxury brands like Versace on Farfetch and Ounass, leveraging data analysis to drive commercial strategy and growth. Expertise in account management and business development, with the flexibility to expand my skills across various industries. A passion for enhancing customer experiences and delivering exceptional results in fast-paced environments. I am eager to connect with recruiters and industry leaders who are looking for a results-oriented professional to join their team. Let’s connect and explore opportunities to drive success together!
∙ Leading ecommerce operations across multiple fashion brands (Sandro, Maje, Ted Baker, Kiabi, AAPE) spanning four GCC markets — UAE, KSA, Qatar, and Kuwait ∙ Direct oversight of a Data Masters team and close cross-functional collaboration with Merchandising, Finance, Policy & Compliance, Logistics, Area Operations, DRT, and Customer Support ∙ Driving end-to-end order lifecycle management across all markets, owning SLA performance on cancellations, returns, exchanges, and refunds while continuously improving fulfillment resolution speed and operational accuracy ∙ Steering system integration projects and platform stability across SAP, Shopify, OMS, payment gateways, and 3PL ecosystems — partnering with DRT and IT to ensure seamless data sync and minimal downtime ∙ Leading platform QA governance across homepage, navigation, collection architecture, and checkout flows to uphold site readiness standards and drive checkout performance ∙ Overseeing online merchandising execution in coordination with brand teams, ensuring campaign accuracy, collection readiness, and timely go-lives ∙ Spearheading operational reporting through BI tools for multi-brand, multi-market KPI visibility, and leading workflow automation initiatives via Power Automate to eliminate manual bottlenecks ∙ Championing active projects in system integration, app development, and workflow optimisation — translating business needs into scalable digital solutions ∙ Overseeing data master product catalogue management including listing accuracy, pricing, and promotion creation across all brands and markets, while leading UAT cycles for inventory sync to ensure seamless platform integration and data integrity post-launch
• Project Management – spearhead store openings in UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Liaised relationship between Zimmermann Australia and Chalhoub Group as a Joint Venture. • Data Analysis & Reporting – studied sales, product, merchandising performance, and client data to generate weekly and monthly reports. Generate actionable insights for commercial growth and board-level decision-making. Working closely with buying, supply chain, and visual merchandising team for floor changes and replenishments. • CRM & Marketing – Organized marketing events, influencer gifting, vendor management and collaborations with PR. Strategized the clienteling calendar and mail-out according to collection launches. • Training – Planned trainings across stores, traveling across regions, to focus on collection and website launch and campaigns. Consistently achieving a high rate of completion on training platform Z.Style across all teams. • Tech Development – led UAT testing and tech implementation of omni-channel platforms Oracle ERP, Xstore POS, Invoice Ninja, Adyen Pay. Ensure seamless reporting using Looker Dashboard, Pivot Tables, Shoppertrak, Zendesk, Metabase and TRS portals. Managed training for ecommerce and Google Business profiles of stores. • Policies & Procedures Implementation – streamlined retail operations, clienteling, CRM, ensuring compliance with brand and regional standards. • Store Operations – supervised execution of operational SOPs and markdowns including permit application, compliance, price implementation on Oracle RMS & RPM. Managed store operations, stock control, inventory stocktakes, loss prevention, and health & safety across UAE and KSA. • Budgeting – set monthly sales and financial targets, cost control, and expense audits.
Brought on as Founder Advisor to scale brand visibility and commercial distribution for MUSURE — an Argentina-founded fashion-tech platform incubated under Chalhoub Greenhouse that merges music culture with AI-designed, AR-enhanced apparel and a play-to-earn digital ecosystem. Served as the primary bridge between the brand’s phygital product vision and real-world retail and event channels, following MUSURE’s showcase at the 10th Edition of Fashion Factor in Dubai and its features with Vogue Business. Drove market entry strategy through 12 high-value introductions to premium retailers, boutiques, and major event organizers across the Web3, fashion, and gaming sectors. Worked directly with the Founder to align commercial efforts and networking to build trade marketing plan.
Reporting directly to the CEO • Operational Excellence: Consistently exceeded performance targets by implementing strategic initiatives and fostering a culture of operational excellence. • Team Leadership: Successfully led and motivated a high-performing team to achieve ambitious goals while promoting collaboration and professional development. • Profit Optimization: Conducted in-depth analysis of pricing and profit margins to identify opportunities for improvement and maximize profitability. • Strategic Procurement: Spearheaded procurement and pricing strategies for RFPs, RFIs, and RFQs, delivering competitive and innovative solutions to clients such as Cartier, Sephora, Chopard, HUDA Beauty, MASDAR, Modon, Al Dar, etc • Client Relationship Management: Delivered high-quality products for clients including: Valentino, Tryano, Saks Fifth Avenue, Chaumet, TECOM, Richemont, Emirates Transport, American University Sharjah, Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, Future Aviation Forum, and other VIP clients. • Product Optimization: Developed a comprehensive product categorization system based on performance and price positioning to optimize product offerings. • Process Improvement: Implemented data-driven initiatives to streamline workflows, increase productivity, and enhance overall operational efficiency. • Quality Assurance: Ensured adherence to rigorous quality standards to deliver exceptional customer experiences and safeguard brand reputation. • Risk Management: Proactively identified and mitigated operational risks to protect business interests and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. • Supply Chain Management: Managed end-to-end logistics operations, including order fulfillment, delivery, and after-sales support, within the GCC and Europe. • Project Lead: Managed the Odoo process implementation, migrating operations from Asana and ensuring the team are well-trained on the platform and product creation.
• Business Growth: Successfully grew Versace's Farfetch Marketplace sales by 300% from 2021 to 2022, consistently maintaining a top-performing position among mono-brand retailers in the Chalhoub group. • Buying & Merchandising: Gained hands-on experience in the buying calendar and merchandising strategies through mentorship from Michael Kors Buying Manager. • Product Creation and Assortment: Utilized forecasting tools to identify trends and collaborated with store managers to gather feedback on collections, influencing purchasing decisions for upcoming seasons. Developed skills in aligning product offerings with customer preferences to optimize sales. • Data-Driven Decision Making: Leveraged data analytics to identify KPIs, benchmark competitors, and implement strategic solutions to optimize sales and profitability. • Operational Excellence: Expanded Versace's e-commerce presence from 3 to 10 stock points on Farfetch, including the integration of the Warehouse Project, to maximize sales channels and efficiency. • Account Management: Managed a total of 12 stockpoints on Farfetch along with Ounass platforms across UAE, KSA, and Kuwait. • Team Leadership and Development: Provided hands-on training and mentorship to retail teams, ensuring adherence to high operational standards and driving continuous improvement, and migrated systems from Xstore to SIOCS. • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Effectively collaborated with internal departments and external stakeholders to align on strategies, brand guidelines, and operational processes. Constantly aligned with buyers and supply chain team to • Strategic Initiatives: Spearheaded new projects, including exclusive product launches, stock point expansions, seasonal campaign edits, and fulfilment center optimization, to drive growth and profitability. • Digital Merchandising: Curated edits according to market trends and plan regular photoshoot slots to enhance product visibility and accelerate time-to-market by 200%.
• Operational Excellence: Supervised operations for 21 stores in the GCC, ensuring compliance with brand guidelines, deadlines, and administrative requirements. • Market Analysis: Analyzed data to champion solution-driven strategy and identify opportunities for growth during meetings and floor walks. • Omni-Channel Integration: Successfully coordinated and monitored the implementation of key omni-channel initiatives, such as e-commerce, concierge services, and chatbots, to enhance the customer experience. • Digital Project Management: Led the review and execution of digital project deliverables, ensuring alignment with KPIs and driving positive business outcomes. • CRM Implementation: Coordinated CRM initiatives, including training retail teams on Salesforce, to optimize customer engagement and retention. • Training & Development: Organized seasonal training sessions using digital platforms to enhance employee knowledge and skills on collections, new systems, and strategies. • Employee Engagement: Successfully planned and executed the Versace Induction Day event and implemented the Employee Enrichment Program to incentivize excellent initiatives, boost morale, and foster a positive work environment. • Customer Loyalty: Engaged collaborations with loyalty programs to enhance customer engagement, retention, and acquisition. • Vendor Development: Spearheaded the Vendor Development Program to expand sales opportunities through strategic partnerships with external agencies, stylists and personal shoppers. • Support Sales & Regulations: Provided support to retail teams to improve processes, including organizing permits, stock takes, and budgeting.
• Operational Efficiency: Successfully upgraded retail operations software to Xstore from POS, streamlining processes and improving efficiency. • Strategic Planning: Led the coordination of cross-functional stakeholders to develop and implement monthly operational plans. • Data-Driven Decision Making: Analyzed KPIs, commission, and incentives to identify areas for improvement and recommend targeted action plans. • Brand Marketing: Maximized brand presence across multiple channels, including social media, newsletters, magazines, and press, through effective content creation and strategic partnerships. • Event Management: Organized and executed various marketing initiatives, such as events, pop-ups, fashion shows, and influencer collaborations, to increase brand awareness and engagement. • Visual Merchandising Management: Overseen the administrative aspects of the VM department, ensuring timely execution of tasks and adherence to brand guidelines. • Team Development: Coordinated training and development initiatives for retail teams to support product launches and enhance employee skills. • Buying Support: Contributed to buying presentations, seasonal collection training, and proposals through effective copywriting and analysis of product performance feedback.