- Dr Günther Helm will join on 1 April 2023 to lead the organization on its continued transformation program.
- More than 15 years of CEO experience in the global multi-category retail sector, across both online and offline channels.
- Will lead the company’s new focused strategy and continue to drive towards extensive cost optimization and best in class retail operations.
- Dr Helm will work closely with the company’s leading brand partners across strategic verticals to deliver sustainable growth and excellent customer experiences both in-store and online.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 5 March 2023: Cenomi Retail, the leading retail and lifestyle brand partner in Saudi Arabia, has appointed Dr Günther Helm as Chief Executive Officer. He will join the company on 1 April, 2023, spearheading the organization’s continued transformation program, leading its new focused strategy and continuing to drive towards extensive cost optimization and best in class retail operations. He will work closely with the company’s leading brand partners across strategic verticals to deliver sustainable growth and excellent customer experiences both in-store and online.
Dr Helm brings more than two decades of global retail industry experience, 15 spent in C-suite level roles. He joins from his position as CEO with Germany’s Müller Holding, the country’s largest multi-category retailer with 850 stores in seven countries, 35,000+ employees and a strong online retail presence. Under his leadership Müller delivered a company-wide transformation master plan, driving operational efficiency, digitalization and cost optimization. The turnaround program was so successful that it resulted in revenues topping Euro 5 billion while EBIT increased by more than 100% after the second year.
In addition, he spent 16 years in leadership roles with HOFER KG and ALDI, the international arm of Germany’s Aldi Supermarket chain. Becoming CEO in 2015, he entered new markets and delivered more than four billion Euros in revenue, responsible for 21,000+employees. He holds a Doctoral study in law and a Degree in law from Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria.
Fawaz Alhokair, Chairman, Cenomi Retail, said: “We have been looking for the ideal candidate to take on this role at a pivotal time in the company’s growth and transformation journey. Günther’s impressive experience and his clear leadership pedigree, together with his intrinsic understanding of the ways in which to define and grow within the competitive landscape of the multi-faceted retail sector, complement the priorities for the Cenomi Retail business. I would also like to thank Mohamad Mourad, who has been acting CEO as we undertook our search to fill this important role. As Board Member and Chairman of the executive committee for Cenomi Retail, Mohamad will continue to work closely with Günther as he leads the next phase in the company’s growth.”
Dr Günther Helm, CEO, Cenomi Retail, added: “Saudi Arabia’s retail sector, and economy in general, is a formidable force with vast and exciting opportunities. Cenomi Retail has an extensive and impressive history of leadership and I strongly believe in the value that we add as a brand partner, both in Saudi Arabia and the countries in which we operate internationally. I am confident that my experience of working in complex retail environments to deliver multi-category retail experiences to consumers will support the ambitious and existing transformation program that we are delivering at Cenomi Retail. This will be underpinned by an outstanding retail operations network, world-class supply chain management and driving company-wide cost efficiencies.”
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About Cenomi Retail
Cenomi Retail, formed as Fawaz A. Alhokair & Co in 1990 by Fawaz, Salman and Abdulmajeed Alhokair. The company has since become the leading franchise retailer in the KSA and the only listed business of its type in the Middle East. Since the opening of its first store in 1991, Cenomi Retail has grown considerably and now trades in circa 1,684 stores across 100 shopping malls in 11 countries, with a retail platform operating on a total GLA of more than 470,000m2. All of this is managed by a workforce numbering more than 10,500. Cenomi Retail currently represents around 85 brands, spanning womenswear, menswear, kids and baby, department stores, shoes and accessories, cosmetics in addition to operating a series of restaurants and coffee shops.
