Movements Round-Up: Key leadership transitions in May
The ever-evolving business landscape of the Middle East has seen a transformative shift in leadership diversity. From CEOs and Managing Directors to Vice Presidents and HR leaders, businesses are preparing themselves for the challenges ahead. Some key leaders have been recruited from top competitors, while others have been promoted to lead the Middle East's competitive market, bringing with them proven leadership skills.
Here's a recap of all leadership movements in the Middle East during the past month:
C-suite Leaders
ADMO: Sanjay Nandi as CEO
Alpha Dhabi-backed ADMO Lifestyle has welcomed Sanjay Nandi as its first Chief Executive Officer. He relocated to Abu Dhabi, UAE, to take on this key role and lead the global expansion strategy across the hospitality, lifestyle, and entertainment sectors. With approximately 15 years of leadership experience in the leisure, entertainment, hospitality, fragrance, and fashion sectors, he previously served as CEO of Pacha Group and Lío Group.
Oman Air: Con Korfiatis as new CEO
Oman Air has appointed Con Korfiatis as the Chief Executive Officer, following approval from Eng. Saeed Al Mawali, Minister of Transport, Communications, and Information, and Chairman of Oman Air, as well as the Board of Directors. Con brings over 30 years of industry leadership experience, having held key roles at Flyadeal, Heidrick & Struggles, Flight Ideas Consulting, Garuda Indonesia Citilink, VIVA Macau Airlines, Jetstar Asia Airways, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Ansett Australia, and Air New Zealand.
Dubai Duty Free: CEO & EVP Colm McLoughlin steps down
After over 41 years of service, Colm McLoughlin has stepped down as Executive Vice Chairman & CEO of Dubai Duty Free. Announcing his retirement, he expressed his gratitude to the management, staff, and Chairman H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, who supported him throughout his tenure and will continue to support his successor.
Wipro: Vinay Firake as CEO for APAC, Middle East & Africa
Following the exit of Anis Chenchah, Wipro has appointed Vinay Firake as the CEO for the Asia Pacific, India, Middle East, and Africa Strategic Market Unit.
Apollo Tyres: Satish Sharma resigns as President for APAC & MEA
Satish Sharma, the President of Apollo Tyres’ Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (APMEA) division, took early retirement in May after over 27 years of service with the company.
PROVEN 360: Leandra Meintjes as Chief Executive Officer
Saudi Arabia-based marketing consultancy PROVEN 360 has elevated Leandra Meintjes to the role of Chief Executive Officer. She brings over 32 years of marketing experience across various sectors and will continue to foster innovation and nurture a high-performance team for the company.
Meeza: Mohamed Ali al-Ghaithani as Chief Executive Officer
Qatar’s leading IT services and consultancy firm, Meeza, has appointed Mohamed Ali al-Ghaithani as its new Chief Executive Officer. Al-Ghaithani succeeds Mohsin Nasser al-Marri, who has been serving as acting CEO since October 2023, following the resignation of Eng. Ahmad Abdulla Al-Muslemani.
Fidelis Partnership: Matthew Warren as Executive Chairman and Youssef Al Kareh as CEO and CUO
The global insurance firm Fidelis Partnership has named Matthew Warren as Executive Chairman and Youssef Al Kareh as CEO and CUO to lead Fidelis Middle East, Africa, Southern Asia (MEASA). They will be based in the company’s new office in Abu Dhabi to spearhead its Middle East expansion strategy.
MMA Global: Melis Ertem as CEO of Türkiye, Middle East, and Africa
Global marketing company MMA Global has appointed Melis Ertem as the Chief Executive Officer for Türkiye, the Middle East, and Africa (MEA). Melis, who has been with the company since 2005, brings over 28 years of leadership experience across the marketing, technology, and telecommunications sectors to her new role.
PepsiCo: Ahmed Elsheikh as Chief Executive Officer
PepsiCo Middle East has welcomed Ahmed Elsheikh as the Chief Executive Officer for the Middle East business. Ahmed has been with the company in India since 2017 and brings a wealth of expertise to his new role.
Al Akaria: Ibrahim bin Mohamed Alalwan resigns as CEO & MD
Saudi-based real estate company Al Akaria has confirmed the resignation of its Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Ibrahim bin Mohamed Alalwan, with the company's Board of Directors accepting his resignation on May 27, 2024.
Managing Directors
Publicis Sapient: Ashwaq Al Shathri as MD for KSA
Publicis Sapient has welcomed Ashwaq Al Shathri as the Country Managing Director for Saudi Arabia. She brings over 25 years of leadership experience and will be based in the Riyadh office, working closely with regional teams to spearhead digital business transformation and growth strategies across the KSA region.
Frost & Sullivan: Robin Joffe as Managing Director
Frost & Sullivan has appointed Robin Joffe as Managing Director to oversee operations across the Middle East region. He will be based in the company’s new regional HQ in Riyadh to lead the company’s growth and expansion efforts.
WeFreight: Pramod Raj as Managing Director
Global logistics company WeFreight has appointed Pramod Raj as the Managing Director for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He brings over four decades of leadership experience in the logistics and supply industry of the Middle East and the USA.
Zoom: Mohannad AlKalash as MD
Zoom has appointed Mohannad AlKalash as the new Managing Director for the Middle East, Turkey, Africa, and Pakistan. With over 20 years of leadership experience in cybersecurity and SaaS technology, he will be driving expansion efforts and nurturing local talent across these regions.
Dubai Duty Free: Ramesh Cidambi as Managing Director and Salah Tahlak as Deputy MD
Following Colm McLoughlin’s exit, Dubai Duty Free named Ramesh Cidambi as his successor and Managing Director, and Salah Tahlak as the Deputy Managing Director. Ramesh previously served as the Chief Operating Officer, and Salah as Joint COO.
Apex Group: John Papesh as MD for ApexInvest
The leading financial services company Apex Group has appointed John Papesh as the new Managing Director of ApexInvest. John brings over 30 years of leadership experience in the finance and investment sectors. He will be based in Abu Dhabi to oversee advisory, capital raising, and distribution solutions, as well as expansion across the region.
Bacardi GTR: Sam Pickard as Regional Director
Bacardi has appointed Sam Pickard as the Regional Director of the newly established business unit for the Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (AMEA) region. Sam will also continue to lead Europe operations in addition to his new role.
Eaton: Qasem Noureddin as Managing Director
Eaton has named Qasem Noureddin as Managing Director for the Middle East. He brings over 24 years of leadership expertise in the electronics and safety management industry, succeeding Ashraf Yehia, who has taken another role within the company.
Veremark: Dipesh Arora as Director of MENAT
The UK-based HR Tech solutions company Veremark has appointed Dipesh Arora as the Director for the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey (MENAT) region. He brings around two decades of leadership experience in the HR Tech, IT, and Consulting industry to his new role.
Ciena: Chris Bayly as Managing Director of Saudi Arabia
Global software company Ciena has named Chris Bayly as Managing Director of Saudi Arabia. Chris brings over 30 years of leadership experience in telecommunications and software technology industries.
Alvarez & Marsal: Justin Whitehouse as Managing Director for the Middle East
A&M has appointed Justin Whitehouse as a Managing Director for the continued expansion of its Middle East business. Justin brings over three decades of leadership experience in management and tax consulting sectors in the UK, Europe, and the GCC countries.
HR Leaders
Gulf Air Group: Suhaila Al-Sadeq as Chief People Officer
Gulf Air Group has appointed Suhaila Al-Sadeq as the new Chief People Officer to nurture leadership development, improve productivity, and optimise efficiency within the group’s subsidiaries. She will also be responsible for the group's talent attraction, retention, and strategic people management.
Aldar Group: Shorouk Habib Al Redha as Chief People & Culture Officer
UAE’s leading education group Aldar Group has appointed Shorouk Habib Al Redha as the Chief People and Culture Officer. Shorouk brings over 15 years of HR leadership experience in the BFSI, real estate, and business consulting sectors.
blnk: Wafaa Elnagdy as Chief People Officer
Egyptian fintech company blnk has appointed Wafaa Elnagdy as Chief People Officer. She brings over 20 years of HR leadership experience in IT, FMCG, real estate, construction, and distribution sectors.
OCS: Ryme Dembri as CHRO for APAC & Middle East
Global facilities provider OCS has appointed Ryme Dembri as Chief Human Resources Officer for the Middle East and APAC. She brings over 25 years of HR leadership experience in the manufacturing, food and beverage, HR consulting, and professional training and coaching sectors.
Ma'aden: Assaf AlQuraishi as Chief Human Resources Officer
Saudi Arabia’s leading mining company Ma'aden has appointed Assaf AlQuraishi as the Chief Human Resources Officer. Assaf brings over 25 years of HR leadership experience in manufacturing, professional services, and HR advisory and consulting sectors.
Mashreq: Ashfaq Bandey as Executive VP and Global Talent Acquisition Head
UAE’s leading banking group Mashreq has appointed Ashfaq Bandey as the Executive Vice President and Global Talent Acquisition Head. Ashfaq brings over 21 years of HR leadership and advisory experience in the banking and government sectors.
The Executive Centre: Indu Vishwanathan as Head of HR for South Asia, UAE & KSA
The global provider of flexible co-working spaces, The Executive Centre, has promoted Indu Vishwanathan to the role of Head of Human Resources for the South Asia region, UAE, and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Indu, who joined the company in 2020, brings over 14 years of HR leadership experience to her elevated role.
Vice Presidents and Partners
Frost & Sullivan: Abdulaziz Jalab as VP of Strategy & Hani Al Sayed as VP of Corporate Development
In addition to MD Robin Joffe’s appointment, Frost & Sullivan has named Abdulaziz Jalab as Vice President of Strategy for the regional HQ and Co-Country Leader for KSA, and Hani Al Sayed as Vice President of Corporate Development for the regional HQ and Co-Country Leader for KSA.
Horváth: Saad Hamam as Partner
Germany’s management consulting firm Horváth has welcomed Saad Hamam as Partner in the Middle East region. He brings over 15 years of industry experience to spearhead the company's growth and expansion efforts across the region.
Mastercard: J K Khalil as Executive VP for East Arabia & Adam Jones as Executive VP for West Arabia
The global payments technology firm Mastercard has appointed J K Khalil as Executive Vice President and Division President for East Arabia, and Adam Jones as Executive Vice President and Division President for West Arabia. They will spearhead the company's MENA expansion strategy and bolster its leadership position across key markets.
Neurocare Group: Tariq El-Titi as Senior Vice President
Global health-tech solutions provider Neurocare Group has named Tariq El-Titi as the Senior Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa region. He brings three decades of leadership experience in finance, technology, HR, consulting, and health-tech sectors.
Cisco: David Meads as Vice President for Middle East & Africa
Cisco has appointed David Meads as the Vice President for the Middle East, Africa, Romania, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). He succeeds Reem Asaad, who resigned from the position after four years of service.
Russell Reynolds Associates: Nicolas Manset as Head of the Middle East
The leadership advisory firm Russell Reynolds Associates has appointed Nicolas Manset as the Head of the Middle East region. He previously served as the Managing Director and Country Head for France, as well as Managing Director for APAC.
Westcon-Comstor: Rakesh Parbhoo as Executive VP for Middle East & Africa
The global IT consultant Westcon-Comstor has elevated Rakesh Parbhoo to the newly created role of Executive Vice President for its Middle East and Africa (MEA) business. He brings over 26 years of experience to drive the company's continued growth across the region.
Procter & Gamble: Kareem Yassin as VP and General Manager for Egypt
The global manufacturing company Procter & Gamble has appointed Kareem Yassin as Vice President and General Manager for Egypt. Kareem has been with the company for over 18 years, serving in key roles.
Omnicom Qatar: Mazen Abd Rabbo as Senior VP
Omnicom Group has named Mazen Abd Rabbo as Senior Vice President for its newly formed business, Omnicom Qatar. Mazen will oversee agencies in Qatar, focusing on talent, cross-agency collaboration, and innovation to drive growth in the Middle East region.
Domo Tactical Comm: Stephen Beeching as Senior VP for EMEA
Global technology firm Domo Tactical Communications has appointed Stephen Beeching as the Senior Vice President for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region. He brings around 30 years of leadership experience in IT, defense and space manufacturing, telecommunications, and financial services sectors to his new role.