Georges Barakat

Commander
DISC Type : D

Director at Public Investment Fund (PIF)

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Overview

Georges Barakat is a Director at Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund (PIF), where he leads retail strategy for the nations flagship real estate projects. With over 24 years of experience, he has a distinguished career in the luxury and consumer goods sectors, previously holding leadership roles at Richemont, Samsung, and LOréal across the GCC and KSA.

Described by colleagues as a charismatic and driven leader, Georges is passionate about mentorship and developing young Saudi talent within the retail industry. He is a trilingual professional, fluent in English, French, and Arabic, and has pursued executive education at both the University of Oxford and MIT Sloan School of Management.

Unique fact: Georges believes, "The traditional shopping mall model is no longer viable—consumers want experiences, not just stores. "

Personality Overview

Risk-Taker

Strong-Willed

Decisive

They take a lot of pride in personal achievements.  They prefer to be the ones controlling the conversation or defining the terms. They like to move fast and expect the same from others.

Topics They Care About

Future of Retail
He is a frequent speaker on the "changing economics of retail destinations, " advocating for experience-driven ecosystems over traditional models.
Saudi's Growth Market
He actively promotes Saudi Arabia as a "global magnet for luxury" and a prime opportunity for international brands, in line with Vision 2030.
Strategic Innovation
Recently completed an executive program at MIT Sloan on "Driving Strategic Innovation, " focusing on creating and capturing new business value.

Media Appearances

Georges has no verified media appearances

Work History

9-2023
Director at Public Investment Fund (PIF)
9-2020 - 8-2023
Chief Operating Officer | Richemont Saudi Arabia LLC at Richemont
1-2018 - 9-2020
Regional Director - Alfred Dunhill Ltd (Richemont Group) - MENA, India, Turkey & Russia at Richemont
9-2014 - 1-2018
Regional Director - Samsung Home Appliances MENA at Samsung Electronics
12-2012 - 8-2014
Regional Commercial Director at L'Oréal

Education

1994 - 1999
B.A. from Concordia University
2021 - 2021
Diploma from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 24 Location : Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Director at Public Investment Fund (PIF)
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Insights For Selling To Georges

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Refer to testimonials from well-known industry leaders
  • Use phrases like ‘it’s your decision’, ‘strategic impact’ etc.
  • Be respectful but crisp

DONT's

  • Avoid being too verbose
  • Don't try too hard to forge relationships with them
  • Do not back off when challenged, respond with a confident, objective answer instead

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Georges is

  • Confidence in impact is paramount to them, followed by a sense of achievement and ROI.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Georges

  • If they are not convinced, they will have no hesitation in telling you the same.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Georges move?

  • They can reach decisions fairly quickly if they are convinced.
  • Can Georges take some risk or not?

  • They don’t mind risks but can be quite binary about them.

You And Georges

Personality Compatibility


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