Middle East’s largest eyewear vendor Magrabi Retail Group has announced a new leadership structure.
The official appointments, which have taken effect as of January 1 this year include the appointment of Amin Magrabi as chairman of the board. He had served as chief executive officer for 14 years. He is expected to oversee strategic expansion goals in the Middle East and beyond, with a new progressive board of directors set up.
The new Chief Executive Officer will be Yasser Taher, who had also held the position of chief operating officer for 14 years. According to a statement, Mr. Yasser has become the first non-family member to hold this position in the history of Magrabi Retail Group.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Ghobashi, the former chief financial officer, has taken over the role of chief operating officer. The new chief marketing officer is Cherine Magrabi, formerly vice president of marketing. She is expected to head the development of homegrown omnichannel marketing strategies.
Finally, Sabine Volcic, previously vice president of buying and merchandising, will now assume the role of chief merchandising officer.
Amin Magrabi commented on these organisational changes, by saying that, “Leading Magrabi as CEO over the last 14 years has been the greatest of privileges. Together with Yasser Taher and with an exceptional team of leaders, we have managed to grow into the Middle East’s leading eyewear retailer. This organisation, born from the vision of one person 96 years ago, thrives on the passion and commitment of nearly 1,500 people today. I am pleased to embark on this new journey alongside our new inspiring C-suite Executives and our new Board of Directors, balanced from a gender standpoint.”
Yasser Taher also commented, “Having dedicated over 20 years of my career to Magrabi Retail Group, I have watched it evolve under Amin’s leadership into an organization that has the power to move the industry forward. My vision is to consolidate our leading position across the Middle East, and capitalize on the team’s exceptional skills to expand the group further.”
The statement added that these shifts are strategically aligned with the group’s accelerated gender equity commitments, targeting a 50:50 gender balance at all levels of the organisation by 2025.
