Board of Directors

Mr. Yusuff Ali M.A. has served as Chairman of Lulu Retail since July 2024. He is also the Chairman of Lulu Group, a role he has held since its founding, and he has played a central role in steering the organization’s growth and global expansion. In addition, he sits on the boards of several group companies and has been Chairman and Managing Director of Lulu International Holdings Limited since May 2020.

 
He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI), where he previously served as Second Vice Chairman and is also the Chairman of the Indian Business and Professional Group, which was established to promote commerce and investment between India and the UAE.

 
Mr. Yusuff Ali MA has been the recipient of several prestigious awards, honours and recognitions, such as the Abu Dhabi Award, the UAE’s highest civilian award, in recognition of his contributions in business, industries and support of philanthropic initiatives; the Queen’s Award by Queen Elizabeth for his exceptional contribution to UK’s trade, industry, export and economy; the highest civilian award of Bahrain “Wessam Al Bahrain” by His Majesty the King of Bahrain for his contributions in serving Bahrain and its citizens; and the “Most Influential Asian Business Leader in the MENA region” award by the Forbes Middle East Magazine.

Mr. Saifee has served as the Company’s CEO since July 2024 and has been a member of the Board since September 2019. He began his career with Lulu Group in July 1982 and, over more than four decades, has played a pivotal role in driving the Group’s expansion.

In addition to his corporate responsibilities, he is actively involved in community and professional organisations. He is a board member of the Indian Business and Professional Group in Abu Dhabi and a member of the steering committee of the Indian Professional Business Council in Dubai. In addition, he is a member of the India Social and Cultural Centre.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Mumbai University and a Master of Business Administration with specialisations in Financial Management and Human Resources from Vinayaka Mission University.

Mr. Ashraf Ali has been associated with Lulu Group since 1981. Over the course of his tenure, he has been instrumental in the innovative development of Group’s stores and streamlining operations across the GCC region. He currently leads the Group’s retail operations, with a strong focus on innovation, including the expansion of Lulu Group’s ecommerce platform and the growth of its private label portfolio.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Calicut.

Mr. Saleem has served as the Chief Operating and Strategy Officer of the Company since July 2024 and has been a Director of the Company since September 2019. He first joined Lulu Group in 1986 and has held several key roles in Lulu Group throughout his career. He is responsible for the development, implementation, and supervision of the Group’s operational policies, regulations, initiatives and objectives.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Master of Commerce degree from the University of Calicut.

Mr. Abaalkhail has served as a Director of the Company since July 2024. He has been the CEO of Dan Company, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, since 2022. He is the Chairman of the board of Al Fadhili Housing Company (a joint venture between Aramco and Masic Logistics) since August 2021, the Chairman of the board of Mumtalakat (a joint venture between Al Akaria and POSCO Korea) since January 2022, the Vice Chairman of Al Rajhi Ekhwan since March 2022 and board member of Saudi Downtown Company (a PIF company). Additionally, serves as an independent member of the investment committee at Awj Holding since January 2024. Previously, he served as CEO of Masic Logistics from 2020 to 2022.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance degree from the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Wales.

Mr. Salmeen has served as a Director of the Company since July 2024. Additionally, he is the MD & CEO of Agthia Group, an Abu Dhabi-based food and beverage company (an ADQ company established to diversify food product sources and stimulate the UAE’s manufacturing and agri-food sectors). Previously, he has served as a board member of the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Water Solutions Company and served as CEO of Silal.

He holds a Master’s degree in Marketing and Communications from Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi.

Ms. Reed has served as a Director of the Company since July 2024. She is a partner of Reed Law Firm and Legal Consultations and a board member at Mada’in. She was the Chairwoman of the UAE Women’s Electronic Sports Federation Committee, the First Vice President of the International Arab Federation for Women’s Electronic Sports. She was a member of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s board of directors and chaired multiple committees within the Chamber.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Management and Marketing from Southeastern University (Washington D.C., USA) and a Bachelor’s degree in Law and Economics from the United Arab Emirates University.

Mr. André has served as a Director of the Company since July 2024. Previously, he served as the Chairman of the board of Multiply Group from December 2021 until July 2024. He was also a board member of Shuaa Capital from March 2023 to February 2024 and of Mubadala Infrastructure Partners from 2010 to 2017.

He served as the Abu Dhabi Area Manager for Citibank from 1990 to 2000, with a focus on Global Corporate Finance and Private Banking. He was CEO of First Gulf Bank (FGB) from 2006 to 2017, when it merged with the National Bank of Abu Dhabi to form First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB). He also served as the CEO of First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) from 2020 to 2021, and as a board member of First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) between 2021 and 2023, during which time he was a member of the Audit committee and Risk and ESG committee.

He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the American University of Beirut and a Master of Business Administration degree (majoring in Corporate Finance) from the American University of Beirut.

Svet Varadzhakov is an Executive Director with the L'IMAD Investments team. Prior to joining L'IMAD, Svet was Head of Food and Agriculture at ADQ where he oversaw ADQ's investments in the sector. In his earlier career, Svet served as an Investment Director for private equity funds in the UK and China, where he led food and agriculture investments across the value chain, with focus on key food producing and food consuming emerging markets. Svet holds an MBA from the University of Oxford and served as a Research Fellow in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge.