John Hadden, Chief Executive Officer of Alshaya Group, directs one of the world’s foremost franchise operators, overseeing thousands of retail stores, cafes, restaurants, leisure destinations, and a robust digital ecosystem spanning over 100 online sites and apps. Reporting to Executive Chairman Mohammed Alshaya, he champions the company’s omnichannel transformation, fueling performance across luxury, fast fashion, beauty, foodservice, and experiential brands in Kuwait, GCC nations, and global markets.
As Acting CEO & Chief Operating Officer and COO, John streamlined operations and propelled strategic expansion, including ambitious store openings. His extensive tenure as SVP Retail Property orchestrated property portfolio optimization, lease negotiations, asset development, and support for Alshaya’s multi-brand growth across new stores, brands, and countries.
John’s international acumen traces to his role as Director of Store Development EMEA at Starbucks, where he spearheaded store rollouts, design standardization, and real estate strategies across Europe, Middle East, and Africa from Amsterdam headquarters—laying groundwork for the brand’s regional footprint.
With a Master’s degree in Project Management from the University of Reading, John masters negotiation and strategic planning. Recognized among Forbes Middle East’s Top 100 CEOs and a speaker at Retail Leaders Circle MENA Summit, he navigates MENA’s retail evolution—from souks to malls—spotting growth in food/non-food segments, QSR, FNB, and developments like Avenues in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait.
Under Hadden’s stewardship, Alshaya evolves from regional powerhouse to global retail titan, blending bricks-and-mortar excellence with digital innovation for superior customer experiences and enduring market leadership.