Al-Futtaim appoints Best Buy executive to its board

The appointment is effective from August 2009.

Robert is currently Chief Executive Officer of Best Buy International, the US-based multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products where he leads a multi channel portfolio which includes stores in China, Mexico, Canada, Turkey and nine countries in Europe.

He is also responsible for Enterprise Global sourcing, Supply chain, Corporate development and information technology. Robert is also Chairman of Best Buy Europe, a joint venture company with Carphone Warehouse.

Omar A. Al-Futtaim, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Al-Futtaim said:

"I look forward to welcoming Bob to the Board. I am confident he will bring considerable strategic experience to the Group and enable us to become truly customer centric throughout our portfolio of companies."

Robert, who began his career with Marks & Spencer in the UK, has distinguished himself creditably on the international retailing landscape by holding group CEO and Managing Director positions in major companies across Europe.

Prior to Best Buy, Robert was Global Managing Partner and Executive Committee member of the global management consultancy Accenture's retail practice. Robert is also a member of the LightHaus Logic Board, an analytics systems provider in Canada.

Al-Futtaim, the UAE based private conglomerate and one of Middle East's foremost business houses is structured into seven operational divisions - Automotive, Engineering, Electronics & Technology, Retail, Financial Services, General Services, Real Estate and Joint Ventures.

Today Al-Futtaim operates through more than 65 companies in 12 countries in sectors as diverse as commerce, industry and services.