“I will try to trick my children into staying in GMG, just like how my father tricked me to join it,” Mohammad A. Baker, the Deputy Chairman and CEO of GMG said at the Arabian Business Leadership Summit 2023 on Wednesday.
The summit is currently being held at Dubai’s Armani Hotel, where Baker spoke on building a well-being empire from “sun, sands and sports,” just like the name of one of his most notable businesses.
As Deputy Chairman and CEO at GMG, Baker’s leadership has resulted in a thriving conglomerate that encompasses a wide range of retail establishments, renowned brands, and comprehensive consumer and B2B services.
The company operates in vital industries including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, sports and fitness, real estate, education, and technology.
Speaking a the Summit, Baker said: “I had rejected the role of being CEO three times before taking it up, actually. However, my journey into the family business began when I first noticed a gap in the market – and while I noticed it, I spent the first six years going through every single department learning, being on the ground, spending time with the various teams and learning from them. That is where I knew that a good team will bring forth success.”
People are the ‘most important’ for any business
“I believe that the most important thing is the people,” of any organisation. “That’s how you take them with you on as successful journey,” he said, adding that it is also extremely important to ensure that employees are comfortable.
When asked about Baker’s succession plans, Baker said that GMG will always remain in business, however, it must be driven to success with passion.
“When I interview someone, I always tell them for us, as an organisation, that it is very easy to employ people. LinkedIn does a great job at recruitment, but that person must love their job. We need to have a passion to take upon.
“As for my kids, they have the passion and when we need to grow a family business, it needs to grow at a 25 percent pace to keep up the same value for today for our future generation, our kids. So, if they enjoy it and they have a passion, we will move forward,” Baker said.
GMG’s global expansion
Recently in May, the GMG chief also spoke about the remarkable transformation of the Dubai-based sports retailer into a multi-billion-dollar global well-being company in an exclusive interview with Arabian Business.
Under Baker’s leadership, GMG has expanded its reach to 12 countries, operating over 600 stores and employing a workforce of more than 9,300 individuals.
The company’s exponential growth has positioned it as a dominant player in the industry, with ambitious plans to establish a presence in every major world city within the next decade.
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