Indian named CEO of Emaar's retail subsidiary
Tuesday, 17 June 2008, 17:20 IST
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Dubai: Emaar Malls Group (EMG), the shopping malls business subsidiary of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based real estate giant Emaar Properties, has appointed an Indian as the head of its retail subsidiary. Suresh Bhatia has been named the CEO of Emaar Retail, according to a company statement. "Suresh Bhatia brings to EMG over two decades of experience working in the Middle East and India retail sector in operations, merchandising, advertising and marketing of leading fashion brands," EMG chief executive Jim Badour said in the statement. "His depth and understanding in brand development and franchising will drive EMG's expansion in its key markets," he added. Bhatia will be responsible for developing a new portfolio of brands in key growth markets and will also work towards new alliances, joint ventures, franchises and licences for the mall developments of EMG. Initially, he will oversee the operations of the leisure and entertainment components of the Dubai Mall including an indoor theme park and a 22-screen multiplex, according to the statement. The Dubai Mall is EMG's flagship mall development and is set to become one of the world's largest shopping, lifestyle and entertainment destinations. "With the Dubai Mall, our flagship development, we are not only launching one of the world's largest retail destinations with a diverse brand portfolio, but also introducing new leisure and entertainment concepts to strengthen visitor footfall," Bhatia said. Bhatia joins EMG from India where he was the country head and director of Major Brands (India) and oversaw eight exclusive international brands and more than 40 stores in over 22,000 square metre of retail space. Bhatia is not new to the Middle East either. He had earlier served as head of retail operations of Al Maya Lal Group in Dubai managing key global brands at stores across the UAE, Azerbaijan, Poland and South Korea. He moved to India as general manager to launch international fashion brand Mango in the country, starting from Mumbai. A postgraduate in business management from Bangalore University, Bhatia was awarded 'Best Franchise Manager' award last year by Franchising India, and is a recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Rashtriya Ekta Samman 2006 for contributions to retail growth and economic development of India.
Source: IANS
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