Mohammed Alshaya is Executive Chairman of the Alshaya group of companies, a family trading business which was founded in 1890 in Kuwait, and Chairman of Mabanee Company SAK, the development company behind Kuwait’s leading mall development, The Avenues, the largest real estate project in Kuwait. He was appointed CEO of Alshaya in 1990 and Executive Chairman in 2007, and has played an integral part in the development of the company, driving its rapid growth and expansion across the Middle East and North Africa, Russia, Turkey and Europe. Today, Alshaya partners with over 80 of the world’s most recognized retail brands to operate 3,500 stores across diverse customer sectors. The group is also a major shareholder in development company Mabanee Company SAK, the largest real estate development company in Kuwait. He is an honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE), in recognition of his services in developing British-Arab business, and a member of the International Business Advisory Council for London. He holds a BA in Marketing from Kuwait University and sits on its Board of Directors. He also holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business (University of Pennsylvania), and is a member of the Wharton Board of Overseers.