Imad Ghazal Ghazal, General Manager

Imad Ghazal Ghazal

General Manager

adidas Emerging Markets

Location
United Arab Emirates
Education
High school or equivalent, Business Management
Experience
29 years, 11 Months

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Work Experience

Total years of experience :29 years, 11 Months

General Manager at adidas Emerging Markets
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • My current job since January 2012

A resilient result oriented executive, with more than 20 years record of achievements in sporting goods industry, managing complex and diversified business models across MENA region, opening subsidiaries, negotiating joint ventures and acquiring retail chains

Executive MBA holder, achieved a senior general management level, supported by diversified expertise within the adidas Group (adidas & Reebok), managing multi-functional teams. Crisis management, strategic planning, restructuring and market penetration in different type of business models (Subsidiaries, sales offices, Franchise, Key accounts, distribution) are the key assets supporting my career growth within the group

Expertise in all areas of directing and managing company financials, strategic business plan, supply chain, marketing, customer & sales services, retail and wholesale business

General Manager at adidas Middle East
  • United Arab Emirates
  • January 2012 to April 2018

adidas Emerging Markets-Dubai
Key Achievements
 Growing the revenues in Africa at CAGR of 15% and the profit at CAGR of 18%
 Managing the GCC growth in profit in 2017 vs 2016 despite 10% NS drop mainly coming from
KSA
 Opening two business models Morocco (Subsidiary) & Algeria (Franchise), establishing a
franchise/Own retail network of more than 50 adidas stores
 Acquisition of 3 multi-branded chains, 2 in Morocco (Planet sport & Reve Sport) and in Algeria
(City sports), taking out 40% of the competition shelf space and converting them to adidas
concept stores
 Managing Egypt crisis in 2013 (2nd revolution) and 2016 (Currency devaluation) where today
we have solid balance sheet and highest profitability in MENA region
 Earning the no.1 position across North Africa in Net sales and quality SQM
 Managing portfolio of different business set ups across MENA (Distribution, Subsidiaries,
Franchise and strategic key account partners)
 Penetrating new markets (East Africa, Angola, Libya) ahead of competition
 Re-establishing the UAE/KSA strategy under future market place global initiative

General Manager at adidas Sporting goods LLC
  • Egypt
  • November 2007 to December 2011
General Manager at didas Sporting goods LLC
  • Egypt
  • November 2007 to December 2011

Establishing full fledge subsidiary shifting the business from exclusive distributor to own set up
starting with Joint venture till we had 100% ownership
 Evolving the market with new product positioning moving from local production to
importation
 Developing a solid distribution channel of more than 50 own retail and franchise stores
 Creating and implementing catered marketing plan to strengthen the leadership position,
earning the highest brands equity in the world >7
 Negotiating and signing the no.1 sports assets in Egypt & Africa
 Owning the full P&L responsibility, delivering bottom line growth at a % higher than the top
line
 Earning adidas executive board recognition in “best Crisis management” (Egypt revolution in
2011) where we grew the business in 2011 vs drop across direct and indirect competition

Regional Sales Manager at adidas Emerging Markets Middle East LLC
  • United Arab Emirates
  • May 2003 to October 2007
Regional Sales Manager at adidas Emerging Markets Middle East LLC
  • United Arab Emirates
  • May 2003 to October 2007

Significantly grew the business operations in Africa and Middle East export regions by 50%,
and increased the profitability of Export unit
 Achieving clear market leadership in Jordan, Syria and Iran (Franchise business model)
 Re-structured the business by aligning it with exports, negotiated exclusive contractual
agreements with high profile clients and customized business development plans for each
account separately.
 Managed to establish mutual marketing working budget with major distributors securing the
extra benefit on the commercial level

Regional Key Account Manager at adidas-Salomon Middle East LLC
  • Lebanon
  • January 2001 to April 2003
Regional Key Account Manager at adidas-Salomon Middle East LLC
  • United Arab Emirates
  • January 2001 to April 2003

Drove the account management portfolio, restructured the operations of the sales office in
KSA to establish an offshore set up and allocated resources to meet and offset the bad debts
collected from the previous operation
4
Career Achievements continued…
 Spearheaded the business in KSA through focused key account management and
accomplished to nullify the bad debts as well as turn a non -profit making organization to
achieve a 2 fold revenue growth in 2 years period.
 Established stable distribution channel in Egypt, Syria, Iran, and Jordan with high focus on
developing adidas Franchise outlets
 Restructure the operation in Egypt from a non-profit subsidiary business to profitable
distributor business

Sales Manager at Lebanon
  • United Arab Emirates
  • August 1999 to December 2000
Sales Manager at didas Sarragan France LLC
  • United Arab Emirates
  • August 1999 to December 2000

Directed a team of sales executives and streamlined the sales administration portfolio by
standardizing processes and procedures for smooth operations.
 Recruited competent sales professionals and groomed them to exceed the preset targets thus
managing a 42% increase in sale and reduction in receivables by 30 %. DSO was 110 end of
2000, vs. 188 end of 1999.
 Launched the Salomon Brand in Lebanon end of 1999 and accomplished positioning Salomon
as the premier Ski brand in Lebanon by year 2001 through joint venture

Key account Manager at didas Sarragan France LLC
  • Lebanon
  • May 1998 to July 1999
Key account Manager at didas Gulf LLC
  • United Arab Emirates
  • May 1998 to July 1999

Accelerated the sale in the Abu Dhabi and Dubai markets by 50% and 20% respectively and
conducted stock controlling exercised to monitor the sell in and sell out activities.
 Developed more than 5 franchises and 15 shop in shop stores with customers and worked
closely with the retail marketing team to provide support to existing shops.

Customer Service at didas Gulf LLC
  • United Arab Emirates
  • June 1995 to April 1998
Customer Service at didas Middle Eas
  • Lebanon
  • June 1995 to April 1998
Sales Executive at Ets.Abdul Rahim Diab
  • June 1994 to May 1995

Education

High school or equivalent, Business Management
  • at Lebanese American University of Beiru
  • January 1994

in

High school or equivalent,
  • at Hult Business School

,

Specialties & Skills

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
EQUILIBRIO
LEADERSHIP
MANAGEMENT
MARKETING
NETWORKING
POSITIONING

Languages

Arabic
Expert
English
Expert
French
Expert