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A strategic, transformative, and customer-obsessed executive with nearly two decades of experience shaping the luxury, retail, destinations, and leisure sectors in the MENA region. Her expertise lies in building brands and propelling them onto the global stage.

Maria founded Gedeon Mohr & Partners with a vision to service clients around the world helping them design, transform and grow sustainably. Previously Maria served as the former Chief Customer and Marketing Officer of the Chalhoub Group the largest fashion and beauty retailer in the MENA and the JV partner of LVMH, the world’s largest luxury group conglomerate. In her capacity, Maria managed an award-winning team of 150+, driving the transformation, overseeing brand building, marketing, customer experience, customer engagement, loyalty insights and advanced analytics, commercial partnerships, and content for the group.

Maria’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2002 with the establishment of Select, an events and entertainment startup catering to the Middle East. In 2006, she relocated to the UAE to work on the World Future Energy Summit, a collaborative initiative between Turret Media, Masdar, and the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre. She also spearheaded marketing and sponsorship for the Turret Media consumer portfolio, playing a key role in the acquisition and growth of Taste of Dubai and the Abu Dhabi Art Fair, and the Abu Dhabi Motorsports Festival among others.

In 2009, Maria took up the role of Director of Marketing and Communication at the Abu Dhabi Entertainment Company (a Mubadala subsidiary) heading up the function for Zayed Sports City. Her responsibilities included transforming and growing the brand, driving a turnaround in the company’s performance, and transforming the marketing, sponsorships, events and customer experience organization.

Maria then moved to Majid Al Futtaim in 2016, the leading shopping malls, retail, and entertainment conglomerate in the MENA region, as Director of Marketing. As part of the senior executive team, she managed a cadre of 70+ award-winning marketers for the Entertainment division. Her tenure was marked by the transformation of the marketing and customer organization to instill an innovative, creative, customer-obsessed, and data-driven culture.

Presently, Maria serves as an external advisor to Bain & Company and holds positions on several regional boards, including the Marketing Society’s Middle East Chapter, the International Women Board of Directors, and Almentor.net, the largest e-learning platform in the Arab world. Maria earned her bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Visual Communication from the Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts (alba) in Beirut.

She is a proud working mother of two and a huge proponent of diversity & inclusion initiatives. A former national ski champion and enthusiastic tennis player, she possesses a deep appreciation for art, hospitality, and food. In her spare time, she travels, exercises, and delights in cooking for friends. Maria also lends her support to startups emerging from the MENA region and mentors marketing leaders of tomorrow.

With an extensive professional background spanning over 16 years, Rifah has demonstrated her marketing leadership across diverse industries like technology, retail and food packaging. She has worked on some of the nation’s most renowned brands, including easypaisa, foodpanda and Metro Cash and Carry. Presently, Rifah leads the Marketing and Corporate Communications department at easypaisa, Pakistan’s foremost fintech institution.

Throughout her career, she has orchestrated numerous successful campaigns and shattered gender-based barriers by consistently securing prominent positions within her various organisations. Her skill set spans the spectrum of brand management, creative strategy, and the creation of many consumer-centric initiatives. Beyond the realms of boardrooms and marketing campaigns, Rifah’s passion for travel provides her with a unique perspective on the world, infusing her work with a distinct creative flair. Her expeditions are the secret sauce to all the creativity that she brings into her work!