Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Key Career Achievements • Experienced at communicating to influence strategy at senior level, across a wide range of stakeholders • Worked to develop and implement strategies across a variety of business areas that have had a material impact on company performance • Managed geographically spread units ensuring the highest standards of customer satisfaction and care in both the UK and Overseas through work with Franchise Partners. • Experienced in the strategic & implementation dimensions of major organisational change • MBA with Distinction from Durham University. Awarded University of Durham Business School prize for best dissertation – How Marketing needs to differ to Drive a Successful Retail Business across Asia Specialties: International Retail including market research, business development and partner relationship management
Vice President of Retail with responsibility for the Al-Futtaim Marks & Spencer business across MENA and Asia
Managing Director for a variety of Fashion, Sports & Lifestyle brands within the Al-Futtaim Retail Group across 8 major markets in the Middle East, with full strategic and P&L accountability for retail and in some cases distribution businesses. Brands and concepts include Marks & Spencer, Ted Baker, BCBG, Sandro, Maje, the Kooples, Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, DC, Reebok, Stadium, Pro Golf, Speedo and Umbro.
Managing Director with full P&L responsibility for the Marks & Spencer and Crabtree and Evelyn businesses across the Middle East and North Africa. Countries of responsibility include UAE, Kuwait, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Oman, Barain and Qatar.
Managing Director with responsibility across Greater China, including Mainland China and Hong Kong. Full accountability for all aspects of the retail business across China and Hong Kong including Strategic Development, P&L, Buying, Marketing, Store Operations, E-commerce, Finance & HR.
Head of Country for the Marks & Spencer subsidiary business in China, Managing all aspects of a rapidly growing subsidiary business in a key strategic market. Full accountability for all aspects of M&S Retail Business in China including Strategic Development, P&L, Buying, Marketing, Store Operations, Finance and HR
Responsible for the development and management of the Marks & Spencer Franchise Business across the world. Responsible for business in a variety of countries including Russia, Turkey, Ukraine,Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, The Philippines & South Korea
Responsibilities • Responsible for the development of a comprehensive 3 year retail strategy for the retail director • Responsible for the providing of a variety of internal consultancy advice for senior stakeholders within UK retail • Responsible for driving a range of projects that drive retail performance including a review of the hospitality business Key Achievements • Consulted across a wide varieties of stakeholders throughout the business, to build & deliver a comprehensive retail strategy, including HR, Service, Environment, Operations, Store Location Strategy, Community & Financial Dimensions • Developed an appropriate business model for the development of in store hospitality propositions including: o Management structure utilising third party and in house management skills o • Developed retail structure, within business constraints, based on customer shopping regions to drive sales, profit and business growth.
Responsibilities • Responsible for researching and recommending new trading locations and formats the Retail Director & Capital Approval Committee, underpinned by customer and financial metrics. Key Achievements • Managed and worked collaboratively with a matrix team across Property, Finance, SDDP, CIU and Retail to develop propositions and sites for CAC presentation. • Developed a format matrix to clearly identify formats to deploy according to market characteristics, defining the trading/footage deployment proposition, service proposition and drive format deployment decisions • Played a full part as part of the project team delivering 81 new Simply Food stores and a pipeline of a further 100, including 22 through a bulk acquisition. • Worked with design team to plan the roll out of the store modernisation programme driving sales benefit and shareholder value through a process of modernisation, re-cataloguing and footage rebalancing.