Naji Younes

• Supporting international brands in market entry, partner development, and commercial expansion across EMEA and Asia, covering multiple industries and business models
• Sourcing and qualifying franchise leads, including investors and multi-unit operators, across multiple markets
• Advising on franchise sales strategy, market entry, and commercial structuring to support scalable growth
• Supporting deal execution from initial engagement through partner selection and agreement structuring
• Engaging with local partners, investors, and stakeholders to support early-stage market entry and expansion initiatives across multiple regions
• Operated across diverse and emerging markets, adapting commercial strategies to local market dynamics and building growth through partner-led approaches

Role covered EMEA & APAC with extensive travel; based across Lebanon, Tunisia, and Kuwait during tenure.
• Directed international business development across EMEA and APAC, driving revenue growth and market expansion across multiple territories
• Structured and closed 18+ master franchise and multi-unit development agreements, driving over 60% growth in international sales
• Built and managed a strong pipeline of strategic partners and operators across multiple markets
• Negotiated complex commercial agreements across diverse markets, aligning partner capabilities with long-term growth strategies
• Engaged with automotive dealers and partners across multiple markets, supporting commercial development within the automotive ecosystem
• Developed and managed multi-country partner and distribution networks, driving revenue growth and market penetration
• Conducted on-ground business development across multiple African markets, meeting automotive dealers and investors to present and propose master franchise opportunities
• Managed commercial performance across markets, including pricing strategy, partner alignment, and revenue delivery
• Represented the company at global trade shows and industry events, driving brand visibility and partner acquisition

• Ziebart International, Turkey & Saudi Arabia
o Appointed by Ziebart to accelerate growth for franchisees in Turkey and Saudi Arabia by implementing integrated multi-channel sales strategies across retail, digital, and B2B segments, delivering sustained net profit growth of 14% in Turkey and 12% in Saudi Arabia.

• GenuWin, FMCG Company, MEA
o Secured and onboarded new international brands from Malaysia, Egypt, USA, and Canada, expanding the company’s regional portfolio and market reach.

• Ziebart Lebanon & Jordan
o Directed a $1.2M operational budget for Ziebart Lebanon & Jordan, implementing cost-control strategies and resource optimization that maximized profitability and supported sustainable regional growth.
o Led a 21-member cross-functional team, establishing clear performance objectives, mentoring staff, and enhancing team efficiency to consistently exceed operational and sales targets.
o Negotiated exclusive partnerships with multiple new car dealerships and launched several new franchise locations across Lebanon and Jordan, driving substantial market expansion.

Led distribution operations and commercial strategy for a portfolio of international FMCG brands in Yemen, managing supplier relationships and driving market penetration through localized go-to-market strategies. Oversaw sales, marketing, and operational execution to maximize revenue and profitability in a complex market environment.
• Secured exclusive distribution rights in Yemen for leading regional and international brands, including Lactalis International (France), NAPCO Group (KSA), Olam Dairy (Malaysia), MEPTICO (Lebanon), YPE (Brazil), Sukest (Brazil), and Ciao Juices (Romania).
• Conducted market exploration visits to Ethiopia, Egypt, and Kuwait, assessing expansion opportunities and potential partnerships.
• Managed and responded to tenders and RFQs with government institutions, NGOs, and large commercial clients.
• Represented the company at major global FMCG trade events, including GULF FOOD (UAE), ANUGA (Germany), and SIAL (France), building supplier relationships and scouting emerging product trends.

Role was for Yemen, Iraq, & Jordan
• Promoted PWC products and marketed all services within both the public and private sectors by distributing PWC’s publications to the relevant parties. Additionally, implemented a CRM strategy to retain existing clients and attract new ones.
• Collaborated with the regional team to introduce new consultancy services, positioning PWC to potentially become the primary consultant for the governments of both Yemen and Kurdistan.
• Conducted a market analysis for Erbil, which influenced PWC's regional team to establish an office in the capital of the Kurdish region.

1 year contract
Agents of Nestle, Henkel, Kimberly Clark, Quaker, Libby’s …
• Established systems and policies for each department to ensure consistent follow-up and business continuity.
• Implemented a rewards system and coaching methods, resulting in increased loyalty and reduced employee turnover.
• Secured international and regional partnerships, including agencies such as Nestle Water, Perrier, and Al Bayader packaging

• Efficiently managed and controlled trade channel budgets for L&Y, ensuring that trade channel programs were developed and implemented in alignment with the company's brand, volume, and profit objectives.
• Established a HoReCa team in each market within the cluster, ensuring the implementation of effective tools, availability, and distribution plans to address this growing channel. This led to a 34% growth in HoReCa volume in L&Y from mid to late 2006.
• Managed information by compiling and distributing reports, keeping trade-marketing and distribution managers informed of new trends and competitor activities. This enabled the addressing of opportunities and weaknesses through effective planning and in-market activities

• Formulated business development plans and agreed upon specific actions that all levels of sales teams need to take to develop their areas of performance including Sales Training/Workloads plans/Stock control & credit management/Volume forecast/sales distribution.
• Developed quality trackers with the factory management and trained staff on identifying related issues to improve product quality within the MENA region. The Retail Quality Index was first piloted in Yemen and then rolled out to other countries including KSA, UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, and Iran.
• Appointed Project Manager of “to do things smarter” to identify savings. Achieved savings of more than $120, 000 by identifying smarter ways to do things in deals with various suppliers.

Did 3 months training in UAE.
• Achieved 2003 OPS targets of Sana’a branch. 45% increase vs. 2002 (Sana’a sales volume represents 55% of Yemen overall sales).
• Enhanced skill & proficiency of sales force and merchandisers to ensure volume growth, visibility, performance and implementation of trade consumer's scheme.
• Successfully managed the launch of Knorr products in the market.
• Collaborated with relevant government agencies to discuss strategies to combat counterfeit goods.