Emaar Malls Group (EMG), the shopping malls business subsidiary of Emaar Properties, has appointed Suresh Bhatia as chief executive officer of its subsidiary Emaar Retail.

He will be responsible for developing a new portfolio of brands in key growth markets and also work towards new alliances, joint ventures, franchises and licences for the mall developments of EMG.

Initially, Bhatia will oversee the operations of the leisure and entertainment components of The Dubai Mall including KidZania, the SEGA indoor theme park and the 22-screen Cineplex. The Dubai Mall is EMG’s flagship mall development and one of the world’s largest shopping, lifestyle and entertainment destinations.

EMG chief executive officer Jim Badour said: “Suresh Bhatia brings over two decades of experience working in the Middle East and Indian retail sector in operations, merchandising, advertising and marketing of leading fashion brands. His depth and understanding in brand development and franchising will drive EMG’s expansion in its key markets. He will also lend his expertise initially in developing The Dubai Mall’s leisure and entertainment roster.”

“Powerful brand alliances and franchises are increasingly becoming the drivers of mall developments. It is important to create the right retail mix for various markets, which is the operational philosophy of EMG. With The Dubai Mall, our flagship development, we are not only launching one of the world’s largest retail destinations with a diverse brand portfolio, but also introducing new leisure and entertainment concepts to strengthen visitor footfall,” Bhatia said.
Bhatia joins Emaar from India, where he was Major Brands country head and director, overseeing eight exclusive international brands and more than 40 stores in over 22,000 sqm of prime retail space. He was responsible for the implementation of brand policies, and ensuring the profitability of each outlet apart from operations, legal, advertising, IT, finance, accounts, HR and administrative tasks.

Earlier, he was Al Maya Lal’s Group Dubai retail operations head, managing key global brand at stores across the UAE, Azerbaijan, Poland and South Korea. He moved to India as general manager to launch Mango, the first international fashion brand in the country, in Mumbai and later across India.
 
Bhatia holds a post-graduation in Business Administration from Bangalore University, India. He was awarded ‘Best Franchise Manager’ in 2007 by Franchising India, and is a recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Rashtriya Ekta Samman 2006 for outstanding achievements and contributions to retail growth and economic development of India.

EMG is also developing the Dubai Marina Mall and Cairo Gate in Egypt and through Emaar Retail, it drives the retail expansion plans for Emaar in the key emerging markets across the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian subcontinent. – TradeArabia News Service