Our Team

Myra Searle | Associate (Alum)

Myra has 30+ years of UK & International experience in retail and mall management and has worked in the Gulf region since 1995.

Myra has extensive knowledge in store operations, regional training, franchising, brand representation, commercial real estate, theme park retail, shopping centre management & leasing.

Myra worked her way up within the retail industry and held senior Management positions for several blue chip companies such as Alders, Burberry and BHS and has worked in numerous countries on franchise assignments and business development.

Myra first arrived in the Middle East in 1995 as Gulf Operations Manager in Kuwait for M.H.Alshaya, one of the region’s leading retailers, for whom she handled brands such as Oasis, Oshkosh and Liz Claiborne & BHS.

In 1998, she joined Jawad, another major retailer, based in Bahrain, and later that year relocated to Dubai to set up a new franchise fashion division for the company’s brands, including Wallis, Adams, Richards, Monsoon, Accessorize and Miss Selfridge.

Later, requested and appointed by the Government of Dubai – Real Estate to run one of its shopping malls, overseeing all leasing and legal documentation, tenant relocations, advertising and marketing, fit out inspections, trouble-shooting, as well as manage the leasing of residential and commercial office space within the development.

In 2004, Myra was appointed Senior Vice President of Retail for the Ilyas & Mustafa Galadari Group, assuming responsibility for the retail management of the Mall of Arabia (4 million sq ft GLA), Wadi Walk (1.2 million sq ft) and the IMG World of Adventures Theme Park. This entails all aspects of design development, licensing and lease documentation, attending major toy fairs & liaising with licensed suppliers, product purchasing & manage client relations.

Her responsibilities also included managing the leasing & buying teams, attending licensee meetings and liaising with the architects and project teams & ensuring licensing terms & intellectual property rights are met.