General Manager, UAE

General Manager – UAE | Paints & Coatings

Location: United Arab Emirates

Sector: Paints & Coatings / Industrial Chemicals

Reporting to: Executive Leadership / Group Management

Travel: Regional travel as required

The Opportunity

Our client is a growing industrial business with an established presence in the Middle East and a strong position within the paints and coatings market.

As part of the continued development of the business, they are now looking to appoint a General Manager – UAE to take full responsibility for the performance, growth and development of the UAE business.

This is a senior, commercially focused leadership position with full P&L accountability. The successful individual will lead the local business strategy, drive profitable commercial growth and provide overall leadership across the organisation, working closely with Group Management and functional teams.

The role will suit an experienced General Manager, Country Manager, Commercial Director, Business Unit Director or senior Commercial Leader who has operated with meaningful P&L responsibility and understands the UAE industrial market.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the full P&L for the UAE business, including revenue, margins, profitability, costs, cash and working capital.
• Develop and execute the annual business strategy, budget and operating plan in alignment with Group objectives.
• Drive commercial growth through market development, key-account management, new business development and channel/distributor development.
• Identify new customers, market segments, applications and product opportunities across the UAE and wider region.
• Lead pricing, product mix and customer profitability initiatives to ensure sustainable commercial performance.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with major customers, distributors, contractors, consultants and other strategic stakeholders.
• Provide leadership across Sales, Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Technical/R&D, Quality and HR, ensuring effective cross-functional execution.
• Oversee operational and manufacturing performance where applicable, ensuring capacity, service, quality and supply-chain capabilities support commercial growth.
• Maintain strong control over budgets, costs, receivables, inventory and working capital.
• Lead, develop and retain a high-performing local management team.
• Act as the senior representative of the business in the UAE, representing the company with key customers, partners and industry stakeholders.
• Provide regular business performance updates to Group Management covering financial performance, commercial activity, opportunities, risks and strategic priorities.
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulatory, governance, EHS and Group requirements.

The Profile

We are particularly interested in speaking with individuals who can demonstrate:

• 15+ years' progressive commercial/business experience, ideally within paints & coatings, specialty chemicals, building materials or a closely related industrial sector.
• Previous experience as a General Manager, Country Manager, Commercial Director, Business Unit Head or equivalent senior business leader.
• Demonstrable P&L ownership and responsibility for revenue, margins and profitability.
• A strong track record of commercial growth, market development, key-account management and channel development.
• Established knowledge of the UAE market, including customers, distributors, competitors and routes to market.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including experience with budgets, forecasting, pricing, margins, cash and working capital.
• The leadership capability to manage and develop multidisciplinary teams across a business.
• Strong understanding of the paints & coatings or wider industrial chemicals environment.
• Manufacturing, operations or supply-chain exposure would be advantageous.
• Experience operating within a multicultural, regional or international business environment.
• Strong stakeholder management, negotiation and decision-making skills, combined with a hands-on and entrepreneurial approach.

What Success Looks Like

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Grow the business – Increase revenue, market penetration, customer acquisition and channel development.
• Improve profitability – Balance commercial growth with pricing discipline, product mix, margins, costs and sustainable bottom-line performance.
• Strengthen the organisation – Build a capable, accountable and high-performing management team.
• Develop the market – Identify new customers, applications, channels and opportunities across the UAE and wider region.
• Drive execution – Ensure commercial priorities are effectively aligned with operations, supply chain, technical and financial capabilities.

Why This Role?

This represents an opportunity to take end-to-end responsibility for an established UAE industrial business, with genuine influence over its commercial strategy, organisation and future growth.

The successful individual will have significant visibility with Group leadership and the opportunity to shape the next phase of the business across the UAE and wider Middle East market.

This is a confidential executive search. Further information regarding the company, package and strategic objectives will be provided to suitably qualified candidates during the process.