Ishwar Chugani, CEO and Managing Director of Giordano Middle East
Ishwar Chugani is the CEO and Managing Director of Giordano Middle East and is also a member of the Management Committee of Giordano International, Hong Kong. Globally, Giordano International operates over 2,200 stores in 30 countries with plans to explore many more untapped markets across the world.
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Overview
Today on the show, we have with us the CEO of GIORDANO Middle east, Ishwar Chugani! Coming from a family of merchants and businessmen, Mr.Chugani has always been in touch with the business environment. He was introduced to retail at a very young age and has been passionate about it ever since. Mr. Chugani has worked for family entertainment centres in the Middle East. In pursuit of better business, he came across Giordano and made a deal. Currently he is managing business and heading the branches of Middle East, India, Africa, Central Asia and Europe. Mr. Chugani and Mr. Garg talked about the relevance of brands for a longer run. And what keeps relevance in check. Mr. Chugani believes that strategies and customer relationships are the key and that it is no magic formula. He believes making shopping easier for consumers is the basic need of the hour. The other key aspects he mentions are efficiency, time, price, health and safety. They also discussed the extended evolution of brands into the digital world due to Covid-19 situation. While talking about the budding entrepreneurs, Mr. Chugani states that common sense along with judgement and development of multi skills gives one an upper hand.
“Most exciting thing about retail is how rapidly it’s changing!”
Profile
Ishwar Chugani is the CEO and Managing Director of Giordano Middle East and is also a member of the Management Committee of Giordano International, Hong Kong. Globally, Giordano International operates over 2,200 stores in 30 countries with plans to explore many more untapped markets across the world. As CEO and Managing Director of Giordano Middle East, he heads the group’s business in the Middle East, India, Africa, Central Asia and Europe. Giordano Middle East (FZE) is a 100 % subsidiary of Giordano International Hong Kong and provides strategic support, logistics, and management to Giordano’s franchise partners across the region. Chugani began his career in 1979 when he set up Sindbad’s Wonderland, the Middle East first Indoor Family Entertainment Centre at the Al Ghurair Centre, Dubai. In 1993, he successfully entered into a joint venture with Giordano International and has expanded the business from its original base in the UAE to numerous markets around the region. In recognition of its success, Giordano was listed as one of the Top 100 Companies Making a Difference in the Arab World by the prestigious Forbes magazine. The company also received the 2013 Global Emerging Market Retailer of the Year award in London, UK and the 2015 International Retailer Award in Dubai, UAE, both from Retail and Leisure International (RLI). From 2012 to 2016, Chugani served as an Executive Director on the Board of Giordano International Limited, Hong Kong. Known for his distinct management and leadership style, Chugani received the 2014 Retail Professional of the Year Award from the Middle East and North Africa Shopping Centre and Retailer Awards organized by the Middle East Council of Shopping Centers and the International Council of Shopping Centers. He has also received numerous recognitions during his career including a Special Recognition award in the 2013 Arabian Business Indian CEO Awards in Dubai and has consistently been named as one of the Top 25 Indian CEOs in the Middle East by Forbes magazine. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, Chugani has been named as one of the 100 most influential Filipinos in the Middle East by Illustrado Magazine. In June 2017, he was appointed as the FICCI – Philippines (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce Inc.) first Foreign Ambassador of Goodwill. In 2018, he was bestowed the prestigious La Sallian Global Achievement Award as an outstanding alumnus by his alma mater, De La Salle University in Manila, Philippines. In 2019 he was awarded the Retail Professional of the Year from the Middle East and North Africa Shopping Centre and Retailer Awards organized by the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres and Retailers. Apart from his responsibilities at Giordano, Chugani is also a founding member of the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres and The UAE Retail Business Group. His contribution to the retail industry in the region spans 42 distinguished years.
