Management

Ahmed Galal Ismail was appointed as CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Properties in November 2018. He was the CEO ofMajid Al Futtaim Ventures for 10 years overseeing seven business verticals including fashion retail, leisure and entertainment, cinemas, financial services and facilities management. Mr Ismail first joined Majid Al Futtaim Group in January 2007 as Vice President of Strategy. Prior to that, he was a principal with Booz Allen Hamilton in Dubai having started his career with Procter and Gamble in Egypt and then Germany. Mr Ismail holds an MBA with distinction from London Business School and a B.Sc. in computer science from the American University in Cairo.

Ahmed El Shamy is the Chief Financial Officer of Majid Al Futtaim – Properties, responsible for the financial health and risk and compliance practices of the business unit. In his previous role as financial consultant to our Communities business interests in Egypt, Ahmed has built a solid understanding of our operations and aspirations.

Prior to working with Majid Al Futtaim, Ahmed worked as a partner and Group Chief Financial Officer for Qalaa Holdings, one of the world’s largest Arab Private Equity where he led the restructuring and development of a number of the firm’s business interests.
Specialising in transformation and turnaround operations, Ahmed’s last role was as Board Member and Head of M&A for Misr, a leading MENA glass manufacturer. Previous to this he was Group Chief Financial Officer for Orascom Development Holding, a publically listed leading developer of fully integrated destinations including hotels, villas and apartments across the Middle East and Europe.

Ghaith Shocair is the Chief Executive Officer of Shopping Malls at Majid Al Futtaim Properties, a position he has held since 2016.

Mr. Shocair leads the Majid Al Futtaim’s Shopping Malls Business Unit that comprises 23 shopping and leisure destinations in the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, and Oman, and also spearheads company’s expansion and development within the Middle East and North Africa region. Under his leadership,Majid Al Futtaim’s shopping malls has continued to raise the bar on customer experience and retail performance by delivering innovative products, services, experiences and merchandising plans. Mr. Shocair joined Majid Al Futtaim in 2010 as the Chief Financial Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Properties, and also served as acting Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Properties in 2014. He is a seasoned multinational executive with senior management experience at PepsiCo, Inc. and Kingdom Hotel Investments, and is a graduate from Lancaster University and the University of Texas, Arlington.

Viviana Alberu joined Majid Al Futtaim Holding as Head of Human Capital to lead the Transformation Office. Viviana comes from McKinsey’s Dubai office, where she was in charge of professional development and regional consultant staffing. She holds an MBA from Indiana University Kelley School of Business.After beginning her career with McKinsey in Caracas, Venezuela, Viviana was promoted to head of the Corporate Planning Department, a position she also undertook with Venezuela’s leading food and beverage company. At Majid Al Futtaim, Viviana’s key role is to take charge of planning, developing and embedding a performance-driven culture across the organisation.

Hawazen Esber was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Communities in October 2015, from his previous position as CEO of Oman’s largest waterfront destination development, Al Mouj Muscat. Hawazen has also held several positions with Majid Al Futtaim, including Residential Development Director and Board Member of Sharjah Holding.In addition to his service at Majid Al Futtaim, Hawazen is the former CEO at Syrian development company Bena Properties and the former Vice President at AIG Global Real Estate. With two decades of experience in management and property development across the Middle East and North Africa, Hawazen offers his expertise in hospitality, master-planned communities, and mixed-use projects to lead the Majid Al Futtaim Communities Business Unit to success.

Khalifa Bin Braik is the Managing Director of Hotels at Majid Al Futtaim – Properties, leading the business unit’s growth strategy across the entire portfolio of existing assets and new developments. Mr. Bin Braik is responsible for portfolio performance and expansion in alignment with Majid Al Futtaim’s vision of developing integrated lifestyle destinations.

Mr. Bin Braik has over 15 years of Real Estate and Hospitality leadership experience in various organisations. Starting his career with Dubai Holding, he joined Majid Al Futtaim - Properties in 2014 from Sharjah Holding as a Director in the Shopping Malls Business Unit and soon after was appointed as Head of Asset Management for the Hotels Business Unit. In his last role, Khalifa was responsible for optimising the operating and financial performance of the entire portfolio of Majid Al Futtaim Hotels, as well as building robust relationships with our international hotel partners.

Mr. Bin Braik Holds a Masters in financial economics from Boston University and a B.Sc. in Economics from Northeastern University.

Khaled brings with him more than 23 years of experience in project management, engineering, construction, commissioning and contract acquisitions. Prior to joining, he worked at the multi-million dollar company KBR where he last served as President of KBR Middle East and North Africa. He has also served as a Board Member and Treasurer for the American Business Association in Saudi Arabia.

Roberta Calarese is Chief Legal Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Properties. In her current role, Roberta is responsible for all legal matters including advising the Board of Directors and CEO on legal and reputational risks, contributing to the setting and implementation of strategy for the company and driving the legal risks agenda.

Roberta joined Majid Al Futtaim in 2015 as Chief Legal Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Holding and quickly established her position as a strong business partner and role model for the company’s leadership attributes.

Prior to joining Majid Al Futtaim, Roberta was Chief Legal Officer and Executive Committee Member at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Authority. During her twelve-year tenure at DIFC, Roberta held a number of other positions including Secretary General of the Board of Directors of DIFC Authority and DIFC Investments, Chairwoman of the Legislative Committee, Data Protection Commissioner, and Director Policy and Legal Services of the Dubai Financial Services Authority.

Roberta is currently the Vice President of the board of directors of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the UAE and board member of the UAE Tennis Federation

As Country Head of Levant, Waddah represents Majid Al Futtaim Properties in the Levant in areas concerning financial, government and regulatory affairs. Prior to joining, Waddah founded and managed Projective Development Group Inc. and he also worked as Construction Manager for the Broadway Plaza Apartment at the Chaarani-Khan Construction Division in the USA.

Waddah El Solh is Country Head of Levant. He has held this position since 1999. In his role, Waddah represents Majid Al Futtaim Properties in the Levant in areas concerning financial, government and regulatory affairs.
Prior to joining Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Waddah founded Projective Development Group Inc. and managed the company’s construction activities and legal obligations for both private and public sector projects. He also worked as Construction Manager for the Broadway Plaza Apartment at Chaarani-Khan Construction Division in USA.

Waddah holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from California State University, United States, and was awarded the Engineer-in-Training Certification from the California State Licensing Examination Board.

In his role, Abdalla represents Majid Al Futtaim Properties in Egypt in areas concerning finance, government, regulatory affairs, as well as overseeing project development and implementation. His previous positions include President and Group Chief Real Estate Officer for Orascom Development Holding AG as well as several senior positions in the USA at Power Group International, Polaris Industries and the Good Year Tire & Rubber Company.

Abdalla joined Majid Al Futtaim properties in December 2012 to head the company’s operation in Egypt. In his role, Abdalla represents Majid Al Futtaim Properties in Egypt in areas concerning financial, government, regulatory affairs and overseeing project development and implementation.

Previously, he held the position of President and Group Chief Real Estate Officer for ORASCOM DEVELOPMENT HOLDING AG (Cairo/Egypt) for 6 years. Prior to this role, Abdalla worked in the USA form 1986 – 2006, where he held several senior positions at Power Group International, POLARIS industries and Good Year Tire & Rubber Company.

Abdalla holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix, USA, as well as a BA from the American University of Cairo.

Khaled Al Ajmi is the Country Head for Majid Al Futtaim Properties for Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Bahrain, State of Qatar and State of Kuwait. As such, he acts as the leading representative of the company in these countries, identifying potential business opportunities, ensuring that projects proceed smoothly through a constantly evolving network of the authorities and local contacts. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Aswaq Al Emarat (Mall of Saudi) and as Chairman of AYA Project in Bahrain and Chairman of KSA Sustainability Committee.

Mr. Khaled Al Ajmi joined Majid Al Futtaim in 2007. Prior to joining Majid Al Futtaim , he held several Executive positions in Diplomatic organizations and international foundations. He also serves as Board member and advisor in several Charity Organisations and Government Committees.

Talib Omar is the Country Head, Oman for Majid Al Futtaim Properties. As such, he acts as the leading representative of the company in Oman, identifying potential business opportunities, ensuring that projects proceed smoothly through a constantly evolving network of local contacts. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Almouj project, Muscat. Mr. Omar joined Majid Al Futtaim in 2001 as Administration and Personnel Manager for Carrefour and also held the position of General Manager of Business Development from 2005 to 2007.

Prior to joining Majid Al Futtaim, Mr. Omar was Administration and Personnel Manager at Target LLC in Oman. Mr. Omar has also held the positions of Director of H.E. the Secretary General’s Office of University Council and Director of Public Relations at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman.

He was Member of Parliament in Oman from 2003 to 2007, holding the position of Deputy Chairman for the Economic Committee. He was also a Member of Omanisation Committee, part of Ministry of Manpower, a Member of the National Product Committee, part of the Chamber of Commerce, and an ex- Board Member of the Omani Economic Association.

Mr. Omar has a Masters degree in International Economics from Johns Hopkins University, USA.

Currently overseeing Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Syria, Xavier has enjoyed more that 31 years of extensive retail experience across Europe, Hong Kong and the UAE. His previous positions include Chief Operating Officer of Carrefour in Bulgaria, Chief Financial Officer of Carrefour Asia, and Chief Executive Officer of Mosemart in the Ukraine.

Hani Weiss is Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim – Retail, the exclusive franchisee to operate Carrefour in 38 countries across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Mr. Weiss is responsible for developing and growing the company’s Carrefour franchise and Hyperstar businesses, and establish market leadership across all countries it operates in through exceptional customer centricity and a strong omnichannel offering. This includes reimaging the stores of the future and the execution of a digital agenda.

Hani began his career at Majid Al Futtaim - Retail in 2001, as a Section Manager at Carrefour in City Centre Deira, the firm’s first hypermarket in the region. Since then he has built up a portfolio of different finance roles across the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Egypt before being appointed Chief Financial Officer in 2014. Hani’s lengthy experience within the operation, and unparalleled understanding of the food retail business saw him promoted to Chief Executive Officer in September 2017.

Holder of a PhD and a MBA in Management and Administration, Herve is also currently a board member of the French University of Egypt and the Egypt Food Export Council, a member of the board of trustees of the Arab Institute for Trade and Commodities Exchange, as well as the Co-President of the French Chamber of Commerce in Egypt.

With 24 years of working for Carrefour across Spain, Argentina and China, Miguel brings invaluable experience to Majid Al Futtaim Retail in UAE. His previous positions with the retail giant include National Manager Supply Chain, General Manager Merchandise, Textile, and Vice President Merchandise, Non Food.

Based in Georgia, Marc currently oversees five countries including Pakistan, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. This MBA graduate brings with him over 38 years of retail experience, including holding the position of Director of Hard Goods and Appliances for Carrefour Head Office.

Younis has enjoyed over 14 years with Majid Al Futtaim including being Vice President of Business Development, and Senior Vice President, Special Projects for Majid Al Futtaim Properties, as well as CEO of Al Mamzar Island (a joint venture between Majid Al Futtaim Properties and Nakheel Developments).

In addition to his duties at Majid Al Futtaim Retail, Mohammed is also a member of the Majid Al Futtaim Charity Foundation, the Chairman of Bab Al Madeena in Yemen and a member of the Yankit board in Oman. He joined us in 2005 from the Ministry of Labour & Social Affairs in the UAE where he served as the Undersecretary of Ministry of Labour.

Khaled El Chidiac was appointed as Acting Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Ventures on November 2018. He continues to serve as the Chief Financial Officer for Majid Al Futtaim Ventures and leads the Finance, IT & Risk Management functions. In this role, Mr El Chidiac is responsible for the development of the group’s capabilities and building world class processes.

Previously, Mr El Chidiac spent over 13 years with General Electric (GE) where he graduated from its premier Finance and Leadership development programs and held various leadership assignments in finance, controllership, internal audit and general management across Europe, the Middle East and the United States. As CFO for GE Corporate in Middle East and Africa, he effectively partnered with the CEO in crafting GE’s expansion strategy in the region and played a critical role in building the finance team and infrastructure.

Mr El Chidiac holds a Masters in Management from the Lyon Business School (EM Lyon) in France and earned his MBA degree from London Business School.

Nasma Abbas’s tenure with Majid Al Futtaim began in in 2010 when she joined Majid Al Futtaim Fashion as Head of Human Resources and was appointed in her current role in 2015. Nasma brings more than 20 years of experience in various Human Capital leadership roles, including with Vodafone, IKEA, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Sony Ericsson.

Nasma is responsible for building a world class Human Capital function and developing Majid Al Futtaim Ventures’ capabilities to support and enable planned growth and expansion.

Richard Wingfield is the Chief Technology Officer at Majid Al Futtaim - Ventures. Mr. Wingfield originally joined Majid Al Futtaim as Chief Information Officer in January 2016, bringing with him over 25 years of experience in the information technology industry. As Chief Technology Officer, Wingfield is leading the delivery of Majid Al Futtaim – Ventures digital transformation strategy which involves analysis and deployment of the relevant advanced analytics technologies. He is also responsible for the expansion of shared services and building technology capabilities across the business.

Prior to joining Majid Al Futtaim, Mr. Wingfield spent three years in the telecommunications, multimedia and technology (TMT) industry in South Africa. He held the position of Chief Information Officer at Altron TMT and was responsible for the implementation of information technology initiatives aimed to improve the overall development of the business.

Prior to this, Mr. Wingfield spent 15 years within the investment banking industry. He began his career at JP Morgan in 1998 but moved to ABN Amro in 1999 where he took on the position of Programme Manager and was responsible for the implementation and support of the ABN AMRO Global Research System.

He returned to JP Morgan 4 years later as a Programme Manager and progressed into the positions of Chief Business Technologist and Executive Director in JP Morgan’s investment banking research platform. During his time at the firm, he was responsible for driving the division’s business/technology strategy, direction and scope.

Mr. Wingfield completed a master’s degree in technology innovation from The Da Vinci Institute for Technology Management.

Cameron Mitchell is the Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas, the owner and operator of the VOX Cinemas brand, the Middle East’s largest cinema exhibitor. VOX Cinema’s operates 12 locations (129 screens) in the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Oman, and by 2018, the company will be operating over 400 screens in at least 7 countries. Cameron has worked with Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas since January 2007, and is overseeing the company’s aggressive expansion plans across the MENA region, along with the company’s film distribution business.

Cameron completed a business degree in Australia, majoring in Business Management & Marketing, and brings more than 20 years of experience in the cinema industry to the company.

Shireen El Khatib is Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Fashion. In her current role, Ms. El Khatib leads the company’s lifestyle and fashion operations. Prior to her appointment as CEO, Ms. El Khatib served as Senior Vice President of Brand Development and Special Projects at Majid Al Futtaim – Ventures focusing on the development of new and differential shopping experiences.

Bringing more than 25 years’ experience in managing luxury brands and high end fashion, Ms. El Khatib was previously CEO of Al Tayer Insignia, the Luxury arm of Al Tayer Group.

Ms. El Khatib holds a degree in International Business Administration from the American University in Paris.

Rasool Hujair has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Finance since 2009. Rasool previously worked with American Express in several project and business unit management capacities across the Middle East, Europe and Africa, holding such esteemed positions as Regional Director for Gulf Countries and Director and Country Manager for the United Arab Emirates. Rasool has also been appointed CEO at AFS, the region’s leading provider of payments and consumer finance outsourcing services, and at Euronet Middle East.

With unparalleled expertise in credit, merchant servicing, marketing, sales, relationship management and customer-service operations, Rasool brings a wealth of knowledge with him to Majid Al Futtaim.

With more than 23 years of experience, Murtaza Muhammad, has an extensive knowledge of auditing having provided consultancy services to a variety of industries. He was appointed as Vice President – Internal Audit at Majid Al Futtaim Ventures in 2013 after spending 12 years at Majid Al Futtaim , and is responsible for maintaining a professional and independent audit function at Majid Al Futtaim Ventures. As Internal Audit, Murtaza works independent of the Management and reports directly to the Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee.

Prior to joining the Company, Murtaza worked with KPMG where he was engaged in performing statutory audits and consultancy services for a number of companies within the region. Murtaza is a Chartered Certified Accountant (FCCA), a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and is currently a member of the UAE Internal Audit Chapter.