Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 19 January 2023: Cenomi, Saudi Arabia’s largest vertically integrated retail and lifestyle ecosystem, has appointed three new Chief Technology and Information Officers (CTIOs) dedicated to the implementation of world-class digital technology infrastructure. The appointment of three new CTIOs at Cenomi Group, Cenomi Centers and Cenomi Retail, further emphasizes the company’s commitment to adopting best-in-class technology to deliver next generation omnichannel retail and lifestyle experiences. Binoo Joseph joins as CTIO of Cenomi Group, Lijo Kankapadan as CTIO, Cenomi Centers, with Sunil Nair taking on the role of CTIO for Cenomi Retail. The appointments further bolster the company’s continued drive to enable a new era of retail, shopping and entertainment for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, supported by strong, innovative digital and technology infrastructure. The company has ambitious plans to develop and implement a world-class omnichannel presence in Saudi Arabia. The creation of these new roles is further testament to the pace at which the company aims to launch its customer-centric strategy, redefining the retail and lifestyle landscape for consumers across the country. At the heart of this lies the upcoming launch of the Cenomi ecommerce marketplace. The 100-strong team behind Cenomi.com is expected to double this year, helping deliver an entirely new online shopping experience for Saudi consumers, with access to some of the world’s most-loved brands, offering in-country fulfillment and delivery services. “A core pillar of success for our organization is the strength and scale of our digital infrastructure and appetite to enable transformation through a digital-first business strategy,” said Mohamad Mourad, CEO and Managing Director, Cenomi Group. Mourad’s own career is steeped in technology, having spent a significant part of his career in technology companies, including in Silicon Valley. “It has always been clear for me that investment in world-class digital infrastructure and technology is a non-negotiable, integral area of focus for Cenomi,” he adds. “It will underpin our journey in 2023 and beyond. Not only through the launch of Cenomi.com, but also by providing next-level customer service and experience through a seamless digitized consumer journey. I look forward to working closely with Binoo, Lijo and Sunil to drive this integral part of our business strategy.”
CENOMI REINFORCES DIGITAL STRATEGY WITH APPOINTMENT OF NEW TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP TEAM
- Appointment of Chief Technology and Information Officers (CTIOs) for Cenomi Group, Retail and Centers businesses - Reinforces company’s commitment to driving a digital-first, customer- centric approach across all operations - Will deliver a world-class digital and technology infrastructure to accelerate the growth of the company’s omnichannel ecosystem, underpinned by the launch of the Cenomi.com marketplace in 2023
Binoo joins Cenomi Group with more than 20 years of multi-national experience as an exceptional technology, product and engineering leader. He has led teams and projects across India, the UK, the US, Europe, China, Singapore and the Middle East. Working with some of the world’s largest and most prominent retail, hospitality and technology companies, including Tesco, Wipro and Damac Properties, and most recently as CTIO of Emaar Group. Lijo, joining Cenomi Centers, has been transforming organizations through digital innovation for more than 25 years. He brings strong expertise in developing new capabilities, enhancing customer experience and developing high-performance teams to deliver holistic digital journeys, most recently as Technology Leader – Business Verticals (Malls, Hospitality & Entertainment) with Emaar Group. Sunil brings close to three decades of experience to his role with Cenomi Retail. As a global digital and technology transformation strategist, Sunil has held diverse strategic and operational leadership roles with multinational organizations. He has expertise across retail, consumer, healthcare, manufacturing and omni channel/ecommerce. He joins Cenomi Retail from his position as Group Chief Information Office with GMG, the leading global well-being retailer and distributor.
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About Cenomi Cenomi is a the largest vertically integrated lifestyle and retail organization in Saudi Arabia. It curates the best from across the international world of fashion, beauty, technology, dining and entertainment to create immersive lifestyle experiences for the kingdom. Bringing together the largest malls and retail centers portfolio in the kingdom, together with its Retail franchising business, as well as a dedicated Rewards program and growing ecommerce platform, Cenomi offers a new era of lifestyle destinations both on and offline.
About Cenomi Centers Cenomi Centers is the leading owner, operator and developer of contemporary lifestyle centres in Saudi Arabia. Founded in 2002 as Arabian Centres, the company provides customers with a complete range of high-quality lifestyle centres up to international standards, located in the most attractive areas of the country to satisfy all shopping needs and market requirements. Cenomi Centers currently owns, operates and manages 21 commercial centres and complexes, with more than 4,300 stores, located strategically throughout 10 cities in the Kingdom. With a total GLA of nearly 1.3 million square meters, the company’s malls provide Saudi shoppers with their preferred point of access to the full range of international, regional and local retail brands.
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.