Samir Desai

Observer
DISC Type : ic

Board Member at Arhaus

New York, New York, United States

Overview

Samir Desai is the EVP, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and a Board Member at Arhaus. He is an expert in digital strategy, data science, and engineering, focused on driving business transformation. He earned his Bachelors from the University of Michigan.

He is deeply passionate about employee development and building high-performing, globally-connected teams. He frequently organizes workshops and planning events to foster innovation and collaboration among his team members, celebrating their progress on the companys multi-year Digital Revolution.

He spearheaded the successful in-house launch of "Share2Pay, " a new payment solution conceptualized, designed, and built entirely by his teams.

Personality Overview

Example Seeker

Assertive

Value Driven

They can sound friendly and charming but can quickly change gears to become inquisitive and probing.  They are generally strong communicators and are not easy to convince. They often ask many questions and rely heavily on information and documentation.

Topics They Care About

Retail Tech Innovation
He recently launched features like "Instant Buy" with PayPal and "Share2Pay, " demonstrating a focus on new, convenient customer experiences.
Data-Driven CX
He is focused on harnessing data to stay better connected to customers, a key part of the company's "Always Forward" plan.
Agentic Commerce
Believes the future of commerce is "agentic, " where customers can discover, research, and purchase within a single AI-powered experience.

Media Appearances

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Names Samir Desai Chief Digital and Technology Officer. Featured in Nasdaq

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Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Names Samir Desai Chief Digital and Technology Officer. Featured in Abercrombie & Fitch Investor Relations

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Work History

6-2025
Board Member at Arhaus
7-2021
EVP, Chief Digital + Technology Officer at Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
4-2019 - 6-2021
EVP, Chief Technology Officer at Equinox
4-2016 - 3-2019
SVP, Chief Information Officer at Equinox
4-2013 - 3-2016
VP Technology at Equinox

Education

1998 - 2002
Bachelors from University of Michigan
2003 - 2005
Masters from New Jersey Institute of Technology

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 23 Location : New York, New York, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Board Member at Arhaus
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Insights For Selling To Samir

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Use phrases like ‘clear proof that’, ‘data shows’ etc.
  • Focus on immediate action-items rather than the larger goals
  • Help them understand the risk aspect fully while inspiring confidence

DONT's

  • Avoid making offhand commitments
  • Don’t brush off any concerns, take all questions seriously
  • Don’t rely excessively on your relationship with them to win the deal

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Samir is

  • Clear proof of product value matters to them, followed by others' testimonials and rapport.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Samir

  • They are practical yet friendly, don’t expect a clear no very often.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Samir move?

  • They like to analyze well and then make their decisions.
  • Can Samir take some risk or not?

  • They systematically evaluate all decisions and are unlikely to take many risks.

You And Samir

Personality Compatibility


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