Ben Amar Karim
Director Export, GYMA Food Industries L.L.C.
Highly talented and creative Management professional with over 12 years of progressive experience in INTERNATIONAL RETAIL OPERATIONS Management with World’s leading Hypermarket in UAE / IRAN / Saudi Arabia / France with proven ability to increase market share, outperform competition, and increase profits.
Member of the Pre-Opening Team for 6 Branches – 4 in Saudi Arabia & 1 in Iran & 1 in U.A.E.
Actually in charge of the development of the export department of a multinational French Group Co in food industries
131 contacts- In charge of the development of the export department of this multinational French Group market leader in UAE of spices, dried fruits, nuts & Herbs.
- Management of a team of 30 people (area manager, sales executive, key account manager)
- Setting up, implementation & development of the export strategy and sales achievement as per budget. 41 Millions Dhs/year (8.5 Millions euros)
- Maintaining & enhancing the performance of the existing customer in GCC markets & GAFTA area (23 countries).
2009 - 2010- In charge of the opening with the G.M. of the first AUCHAN hypermarket branch (French retailer-8500 m2) in the gulf countries as a joint venture with Nakheel (Semi Governmental Company, leading the real estate market in the UAE)
- Selection & training of the full store team: 180 staffs- 27 segments managers & 3 department Head (14 different nationalities).
- Organizing the advertisement for national communications.
- Development, participation & marketing of the Auchan “Full discount concept” strategy on the U.A.E.
- Management of all commercial (mainly Non-Food) and non commercial departments (Finance, H.R., I.T., Decoration, Maintenance, CCO …)
- Selection, negotiation & implementation of the full Textile/ General Merchandise/ Health & Beauty/ Household departments.
- Store, product lay-out and assets management (online with the budgeted CAPEX).
- Responsible of Profit & Lost, budget store 80 M. US$ first year.
- Reporting to the G.M. & C.E.O. of the group.
Purchasing Director in Saudi Arabia (2 years) & in Iran (3 years), Majid Al Futtaim Carrefour Hypermarket- 2nd worlwide retailer
2004 - 2009- Senior Member of the management team.
- Planning, developing and implementing strategies for managing the centralized purchasing functions for procurement and organize the policies, systems, and processes required to support business operations and improve financial performance.
- Plan and manage departmental operating, capital and overall procurement budgets: 6 M. US$, 10% of total turn-over, 15% of total fees.
- Sourcing, selections & negotiation with 120 suppliers for more than 4500 items in store. Team: 2 national purchasers.
- Store, product lay-out and assets management of the first international Hypermarket in Iran.
- Creation & settlement of collections.
- Reporting to the G.M. sourcing & C.E.O. of the country.