Delivering Executive Search Across Three Countries to Power a Regional Retail Expansion
Executive Search & Regional Expansion Hiring | Retail | Oman, Qatar & Bahrain
At a Glance
INDUSTRY
Retail
SERVICE
Executive Search & Regional Expansion Hiring
MARKETS
Oman, Qatar & Bahrain
ENGAGEMENT DURATION
8 Months
POSITIONS
FILLED
43
The Client
A leading UAE-headquartered retail organisation with over 200 stores and a workforce exceeding 4,000 employees embarked on a strategic expansion across Oman, Qatar and Bahrain.
To support this growth, the organisation required more than a recruitment supplier—it needed a talent partner capable of building leadership teams and supporting large-scale hiring across multiple countries while keeping pace with aggressive expansion timelines.
Leira Consulting was selected to deliver an end-to-end recruitment solution, beginning with confidential executive search before expanding into functional and specialist hiring.
The Challenge
Regional expansion required carefully coordinated recruitment across multiple business functions and markets.
The client needed experienced professionals who could establish operations quickly while maintaining consistent standards across each country.
The engagement presented several challenges:
✓ Recruiting senior leaders with proven GCC retail experience.
✓ Accessing talent beyond local markets to widen the available talent pool.
✓ Prioritising critical leadership appointments before operational hiring.
✓ Coordinating recruitment across three countries without delaying business expansion.
✓ Ensuring employees joined early enough to complete onboarding and training before store openings.
Our Solution
Leira Consulting developed a phased recruitment strategy aligned with the client's business expansion roadmap.
EXECUTIVE SEARCH
We confidentially identified and secured senior leadership appointments, including Country Managers, Heads of Retail, Operations Directors and functional leadership positions.
INTERNATIONAL
TALENT MAPPING
Using our international recruitment network, we sourced talent across the GCC, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Sudan and other international markets, focusing on professionals with relevant retail experience and relocation readiness.
PHASED
WORKFORCE DELIVERY
Once leadership appointments were completed, recruitment expanded into middle management and specialist functions, ensuring every phase of the client's expansion had the required talent in place.
Results Delivered
⭐ 43 Positions Successfully Filled
Leadership, management and specialist professionals recruited across three countries.
⭐ 6 Executive Leadership Appointments
Including Country Managers, Operations Directors and Heads of Function.
⭐ 13 Middle Management Hires
Strengthening operational capability during the expansion phase.
⭐ 24 Functional & Specialist Professionals
Supporting Finance, HR, Supply Chain, Buying, Merchandising, Operations and IT.
⭐ 200+ Qualified Professionals Assessed
Delivered through structured sourcing, screening and interview management.
⭐ Talent Sourced Across 15+ Nationalities
Providing access to a diverse international talent pool.
⭐ Successful Expansion Across Three GCC Markets
Supporting business growth across Oman, Qatar and Bahrain.
⭐ On-Time Store Launches
Recruitment completed early enough to allow onboarding and training before operations commenced.
Business Impact
Leira Consulting delivered far more than recruitment—we provided a strategic talent solution that supported the client's regional growth ambitions.
By combining executive search, international talent mapping and phased workforce planning, we enabled the client to build complete teams across leadership, management and specialist functions without disrupting expansion timelines.
The successful delivery of the project established a long-term recruitment partnership, with Leira Consulting continuing to support the client's hiring requirements across the region.
Why Leira Consulting?
✓ Executive Search for confidential leadership appointments.
✓ Multi-country recruitment across the GCC and international talent markets.
✓ Access to diverse talent across 15+ nationalities.
✓ Strategic workforce planning aligned with business expansion.
✓ Long-term recruitment partnerships built on quality, speed and market expertise.
Our Perspective
Regional expansion is rarely a recruitment challenge alone—it is a business transformation initiative. Organisations that enter new markets successfully recognise that leadership appointments, workforce planning and hiring timelines must move in step with commercial objectives.
Our experience shows that the strongest expansion programmes begin with appointing the right leadership team, followed by a structured rollout of functional and specialist talent. This phased approach not only reduces hiring risk but also provides new teams with sufficient time for onboarding, training and alignment before operations commence.
For businesses expanding across the GCC or into new international markets, recruitment should be viewed as a strategic enabler rather than a transactional activity. Partnering with a recruitment firm that understands local labour markets, international talent mobility and cross-border hiring can significantly improve the speed and success of market entry.
At Leira Consulting, we combine executive search, international talent mapping and workforce planning to help organisations build high-performing teams that support sustainable business growth across multiple markets.
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Planning a Regional Business Expansion?
Expanding into new markets requires more than a business strategy—it requires the right people to execute that vision.
Whether you are entering new GCC markets, building leadership teams, or scaling operations across multiple countries, Leira Consulting helps organisations identify and secure the talent required for successful growth.
Partner with Leira Consulting to build teams that deliver business results.