A Visionary Designer of Business Strategy and an Orchestrator of Execution and Transformation
At Arab Leaders, we highlight executives who do more than manage complexity; they recreate it. Mohamed AlAssaf is a strategist who turns plans into performance and transformations into permanent impact. With more than 20 years of executive experience within MENA, Mohamed has been actively redefining the retail and omnichannel space with his leadership at Carrefour, specifically in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, overseeing significant market turnarounds, scalable programs in e-commerce, and launching formats that challenged the category and warranted a disruptive mindset.
Mohamed has been recognized as an expert in developing and executing transformative strategies in retail, successfully leveraging his experience of applying growth strategies that combine physical and digital retail. His ability to think strategically means he can uncover new areas for market development, and identify partners that create meaningful and impactful expansion opportunities.
A Career Characterized by Actionable Strategy and Operational Excellence
Whether managing a national turnaround or launching a new model of business, wherever Mohamed’s programs were usually transforming people and/or organizations he faces transformation with both clarity and momentum. He provides value in guiding cross-functional coordination around a clear actionable strategy, marrying ambition with a discipline to execute. Mohamed’s career includes substantial profit, operating, and customer satisfaction improvements by leading improved operational performance in under performing units, and generating improved eCommerce contribution margins. Mohamed is excellent at aligning groups of people behind clear deliverables, delivering strategy to execution.
Anchored in Knowledge, Sharpened by Experience
Mohamed has a Doctorate of Business Administration from Bocconi University in Milan where he graduated with distinction. His on purpose research was on omnichannel transformation and the impact of Omnichannel management on traditional retail ecosystems and the integration of new digital business models. His academic training provides structure, and depth to his approach, allowing him to connect research based thinking to pragmatic and actionable real-world problems. With complementary studies in strategy, M&A, and digital transformation, and Mohamed takes a robust, experience based approach to leading.
What makes him unique
Strategy that’s more than just planning; designed for execution
Practical turnaround leadership in complex high-stakes markets
Successful experience in scaling innovation and digital capability
Proven credibility in MENA
Cultural and organizational transformation that sticks
Leadership that’s built for now and the future
In an ever-changing MENA landscape where growth, technology, and consumer behavior are rapidly evolving, executives capable of designing and executing strategy are increasingly sought after in this region. Mohamed can deliver just that with a legacy of results. He is passionate about developing resilient, adaptive organizations; companies capable of thriving during rapid change through cultural transformation, digital innovation, and leadership pipeline development.
Acknowledged Excellence: A Leader of Leaders
The Arab Leaders recognize Mohamed AlAssaf as an exemplary leader in retail strategy and business transformation. Mohamed’s work has transformed the retail landscape in the region and changed the ways in which growth, innovation, and operational excellence is measured.
Mohamed’s journey demonstrates how visionary strategic leadership and tireless execution can reshape sectors, empower organizations, and drive sustainable success in the Arab world.
