Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors guide the direction of our company and operations to ensure that Majid Al Futtaim maintains its stature as the leading lifestyle conglomerate in the region.
Sir Michael Rake
Chairman
Sir Michael Rake was appointed as Chairman of Majid Al Futtaim Holding in July 2009. He is also Chairman of NewDay Limited...
Sir Michael Rake was appointed as Chairman of Majid Al Futtaim Holding in July 2009. He is also Chairman of NewDay Limited and Wireless Logic Group. Previous appointments include Chairman of BT Group, Chairman of KPMG International, President of the Confederation of British Industry (2013–2015), Chairman of easyJet and Deputy Chairman of Barclays.
John Rishton
Non-Executive Director
Mr. John Rishton joined the Majid Al Futtaim Properties Board in April 2017. Previous appointments include Chief Executive...
Mr. John Rishton joined the Majid Al Futtaim Properties Board in April 2017. Previous appointments include Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce Holdings plc from 2011-2015, Chief Executive at Ahold and Chief Financial Officer at Ahold and British Airways. Mr. Rishton was a non-executive director of Unilever and Associated British Ports and is currently non-executive director and Chairman of Serco and Informa.
Andrew Higginson
Non-Executive Director
Mr. Andrew Higginson joined the Majid Al Futtaim Retail Board in August 2018. He is also Chairman of JD Sports plc and The...
Mr. Andrew Higginson joined the Majid Al Futtaim Retail Board in August 2018. He is also Chairman of JD Sports plc and The British Retail Consortium, the body representing the U.K. Retail Industry. He is a Director of InstaVolt, Bloom Fresh, Evergreen Garden Care and Bridge Farm Group, and is an advisor to Shore Capital Markets. Mr. Higginson was previously Chairman of WM Morrisons. After starting his career with Unilever, Mr. Higginson has spent over 35 years in retail. He was Group Finance Director of Laura Ashley Holdings plc, the Burton Group plc, then, for 15 years he was an Executive Director of Tesco PLC, 11 years as Finance and Strategy Director and four years as Chief Executive Officer of the Retail Services Division (Tesco.com, Tesco Bank, Tesco Telecoms and DunnHumby). Mr. Higginson was Chairman of Poundland up to and including their initial public offering. Mr. Higginson also served for six years as Chairman of online clothing retailer N Brown plc, as an independent non-executive director on the Board of the Rugby Football Union and for 10 years as an independent non-executive director at the broadcaster Sky plc.
Hamed Kazim
Non-Executive Director
Mr. Hamed Kazim has over 40 years of experience in professional services and is currently a senior advisor to PwC Middle...
Mr. Hamed Kazim has over 40 years of experience in professional services and is currently a senior advisor to PwC Middle East, having previously served as an advisor to firms including Mercer, RBS, and Alix Partners. He was the Managing Partner of Andersen Dubai, as well as Ernst & Young, and served on the Boards of the UAE Securities and Commodities Authority, Commercial Bank of Dubai, and Larsen & Toubro. He was involved in various financial forensic assignments in the United States and Middle Eastern offices. Mr. Kazim also led initial public offerings on the Dubai Financial Market, including Emaar, as well as large acquisitions such as P&O and Inchcape Shipping. Mr Kazim's main focus is technology, finance, and organisational effectiveness.
Mr. Kazim is a UAE national and a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, USA, with a B.A. in Economics and a minor in Electronic Engineering. He joined Arthur Andersen in 1981 and worked in the Washington, D.C. office, where he obtained his CPA qualification with high distinction in 1986.
Ahmed Galal Ismail
Chief Executive Officer
Ahmed Galal Ismail is the Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors at Majid Al Futtaim - Holding, the...
Ahmed Galal Ismail is the Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors at Majid Al Futtaim - Holding, the leading shopping mall, retail, and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia with assets in excess of USD 19 billion and 43,000 employees.
Mr. Ismail has been a long-standing leader at Majid Al Futtaim, having held several executive positions across the company’s portfolio of businesses during his 18-year tenure, and has played an instrumental role in the growth and development of the Group.
Most recently, Mr. Ismail served as the Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim - Properties, from 2018 to early 2023 leading the company’s portfolio of shopping malls, hotels, and mixed-use communities across the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Oman, Bahrain, and Lebanon. Prior to assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim - Properties, Mr. Ismail led Majid Al Futtaim - Ventures, overseeing seven business verticals including Leisure and Entertainment, Cinemas, Lifestyle, Facilities Management, and Consumer Finance. He joined Majid Al Futtaim in 2007 as the Group's VP of Strategy.
Mr. Ismail started his career with Procter & Gamble in Egypt and Germany, before joining Booz Allen Hamilton where he was named Principal, advising organisations in the retail, media, tourism, and transportation sectors.
Mr. Ismail serves on the Board of the Arab Investment Bank and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council and the CEO Alliance for Climate Change, in addition to being a Trustee of the American University in Cairo.
Mr. Ismail holds an MBA with distinction from London Business School and a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the American University in Cairo.
Ziad Chalhoub
Chief Financial Officer
Ziad Chalhoub is the Chief Financial Officer and member of the Board of Directors at Majid Al Futtaim - Holding. In his role,...
Ziad Chalhoub is the Chief Financial Officer and member of the Board of Directors at Majid Al Futtaim - Holding. In his role, Mr. Chalhoub is responsible for the financial health and control of the organisation, overseeing all financial activities, including financial risk management, financial planning, financial reporting, and analysis of data in support of delivering against the company's strategic objectives. In addition, Mr. Chalhoub is responsible for the Group's sustainability strategy, ensuring the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles across the business. Mr. Chalhoub plays a key role in advancing the company's sustainability agenda, driving initiatives that align with its long-term vision for responsible growth and impact.
Prior to joining Majid Al Futtaim, Mr. Chalhoub spent 20 years at IBM, 14 of which were as a finance leader in New York. In 2011, Mr. Chalhoub served as Chief Financial Officer for IBM's Central and Eastern Europe-based businesses and in 2013 was appointed Chief Financial Officer for IBM's Middle East and Africa interests. Mr. Chalhoub has also served as Chief Financial Officer for IBM's Global Technology Services (GTS) business.
Mr. Chalhoub holds an MBA in Finance and Strategy from the University of Rochester, New York, USA and a Bachelor's degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, USA.
Peter Davison
Company Secretary
Peter Davison is the Company Secretary of Majid Al Futtaim - Holding. He is responsible for managing the systems and processes...
Peter Davison is the Company Secretary of Majid Al Futtaim - Holding. He is responsible for managing the systems and processes that uphold the Group’s corporate governance standards.
Peter brings over 30 years of legal and secretarial experience across Europe, the United States, the Middle East and North Africa region, and the Far East. Most recently he served as Company Secretary, Group General Counsel and Head of Compliance at Arriva, adding to the 17 years he was with British American Tobacco where he held roles including Assistant Group General Counsel, Regional General Counsel Europe, and Head of Commercial Legal.
Peter is admitted as a solicitor in the UK and Hong Kong, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from Durham University, England, and has completed the Law Society’s Final Examination (LSF) and Common Professional Examination/Graduate Diploma in Law (CPE/GDL) from Northumbria University, Newcastle, England.
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