Board of Directors

Mr. Yusuff Ali MA has served as the Chairman of Lulu Retail since July 2024. He is also the Chairman of Lulu Group, a role he has held since its founding, and has overseen and driven its expansion. Additionally, he serves on the boards of several group companies and has been a Director on the Selling Shareholder’s Board since May 2020.

He was formerly the Second Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry 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 Rupawala has been the Chief Executive Officer of Lulu Retail since July 2024 and a Director of Lulu Retail since September 2019. He has also served as a Director on the Selling Shareholder’s Board since December 2017. He was the Chief Executive Officer of Lulu Group from September 2005 until June 2024. Having first joined the Lulu Group in July 1982, his career spans over four decades, during which he has been instrumental in driving the company's expansion initiatives.

In addition to his corporate responsibilities, Mr. Rupawala is actively involved in community and professional organizations. He is a board member at the Indian Business and Professional Group in Abu Dhabi and a steering committee member of the Indian Professional Business Council in Dubai. He is also a member of the India Social & Cultural Centre. Furthermore, he holds a board position alongside Mr. Yusuff Ali. at the Indian Business and Professional Group.

Mr. Rupawala holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Mumbai University and a Master of Business Administration degree specialising in Financial Management and Human Resources from Vinayaka Mission University.

Mr. Ashraf Ali MA has served as the Executive Director of Global Operations at Lulu Retail since July 2024. He has also been a Director on the Selling Shareholder’s Board since May 2020. Previously, he served as the Executive Director of Lulu Group from 1982 until June 2024. He first joined the Lulu Group in 1981 as a Sales Executive and has since played a pivotal role in the creation and innovation of Lulu Group’s stores, as well as streamlining their operations across the GCC region.

Mr. Ashraf Ali currently leads the group’s retail operations, with a particular focus on innovation, including their expansion into e-commerce and the development of its private label offerings.

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

Mr. Saleem VI is the Director and Chief Operating & Strategy Officer of Lulu and serves on the boards of several group companies. He joined Lulu Group in 1986 and has held various positions, including serving as Chief Operating Officer of Lulu Group until June 2024.

Mr. Saleem is responsible for the development, implementation, and supervision of the group’s operational policies, regulations, initiatives, and objectives.

He holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Commerce from the University of Calicut.

Mr. Gil Adotevi has served as a Non-Executive Director of Lulu Retail since July 2024. He has also been a Director on the Selling Shareholder’s Board since January 2024. Mr. Adotevi has been the Chief Investment Officer at ADQ since January 2020, where he oversees portfolio management, including investments, joint ventures, and restructuring efforts in the food & agriculture, transport & logistics, financial services, tourism, entertainment, and real estate sectors.

He serves as Chairman of Unifrutti Group and is a member of the boards of Agthia Group, Louis Dreyfus, and Al Dahra. Prior to joining ADQ in 2020, Mr. Adotevi was Senior Vice President at Mubadala Investment Company, responsible for the performance, development, and key acquisitions of investments in the Food & Agribusiness, Metals, Mining, and Utilities sectors. Earlier in his career, he held various roles in investment banking and investment management at RBC Capital Markets and State Street in Canada.

Mr. Adotevi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from London Business School.

Mr. Abdulrahman Abaalkhail has served as an Independent Director of Lulu Retail since July 2024. He has been the Chief Executive Officer of Dan Company, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, since 2022. Mr. Abaalkhail is also 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, and the Vice Chairman of Al Rajhi Ekhwan since March 2022. Additionally, he serves as an Independent member of the investment committee at Awj Holding, a role he has held since January 2024. Previously, Mr. Abaalkhail was the Chief Executive Officer of Masic Logistics from 2020 until 2022.

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

Mr. Salmeen Obaid has served as a Non-Executive Director of Lulu Retail since July 2024. He is also the Vice Chairman of Agthia Group, an Abu Dhabi-based food and beverage company, and a Board Member of the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Water Solutions Company. Mr. Salmeen is the Chief Executive Officer of Silal, an ADQ company established to diversify food sources and stimulate the UAE’s manufactured and agri-food sectors.

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

Ms. Reed Hamad Khamis Al-Sheryani Al-Dhaheri has served as an Independent Director of Lulu Retail since July 2024. She is the Chairwoman of the UAE Women’s Electronic Sports Federation Committee (since 2022), a Partner and Board Member of Reed Law Firm and Legal Consultations (since 2012), a Board Member at Mada’in (since 2007), and the First Vice President of the International Arab Federation for Women’s Electronic Sports (since June 2022). Previously, Ms. Al-Dhaheri was a member of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (from 2014 to 2022) and the Chairwoman of 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 G. Sayegh has served as an Independent Director of Lulu Retail since July 2024. Previously, he was the Chairman of the board of Multiply Group from December 2021 until July 2024. Mr. André also served as a board member of Shuaa Capital from March 2023 to February 2024 and Mubadala Infrastructure Partners from 2010 to 2017.

From 1990 to 2000, Mr. André was the Abu Dhabi Area Manager for Citibank, focusing on Global Corporate Finance and Private Banking. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of First Gulf Bank (FGB) from 2006 until 2017, when it merged with the National Bank of Abu Dhabi to form First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB). He was also the Chief Executive Officer of First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) from 2020 to 2021 and served as a board member of FAB from 2021 to 2023, during which time he was a member of the Audit Committee and the Risk & ESG Committee.

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