UAE. Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Colm McLoughlin has been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the CEO Middle East Awards.
Launched in 2006, the 11th edition of the CEO Middle East Awards recognise and reward the most successful and innovative CEOs in the Middle East based on their accomplishments in 12 categories.
McLoughlin was singled out for his influence as a leader in the duty free business over the past 34 years.
McLoughlin said: “I’m absolutely thrilled and humbled by hearing the names of the (Lifetime CEO Award winning) people that went before me. I feel honoured to be following them.
“Dubai Duty Free has done well and we’re very proud of it but mostly I’m proud of the freedom that we have been given to run our business by the government of Dubai and my own Chairman His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, and by my team of staff who now number 5,900. I want to dedicate this lifetime achievement award to those people and, of course, my beautiful wife Breeda.”
An independent judging panel consisting of the editorial team and directors of ITP Executive Publishing, working across the CEO Middle East and Arabian Business brands, both in print and online, came together to select the CEO winners.
The awards ceremony was held last week at the Four Seasons Resort Hotel. McLoughlin was accompanied by his wife Breeda, son Niall and his wife Sherly, along with senior executives from Dubai Duty Free. These included Chief Operating Officer Ramesh Cidambi, Executive Vice President – Corporate Services Salah Tahlak, Senior Vice President – Marketing Sinead El Sibai and Senior Vice President – Purchasing Saba Tahir.
