Ishwar Chugani, MD of Giordano Middle East FZE and executive director of Giordano International, received the 2014 Retail Professional of the Year Award from the MENA Shopping Center and Retailer Awards organized by the Middle East Council of Shopping Centers and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Chugani was selected from fellow nominees for his outstanding work in steering Giordano to expand and penetrate markets beyond the Middle East. He was also honored for his exemplary leadership in managing 1,000 people from 22 different nationalities. Chugani has been at the helm of Giordano for the past 21 years and has over 35 years of retail experience in the region.

Chugani has received numerous recognitions recently, including a special recognition award in the 2013 Arabian Business Indian CEO Awards in Dubai, 2013 Top 20 Indian CEOs in the Arab World by Forbes magazine in 2013 and 2014, and a special recognition award from Entrepreneurs Organization, UAE Chapter in 2014.

Giordano is one of the world’s major international retailers for fashion and accessories. Giordano International currently operates 2,500 stores in 40 countries.

In recognition of its success, Giordano was also recently listed as one of the Top 100 Companies Making a Difference in the Arab World by the Forbes magazine. The company also received the 2013 Global Emerging Market Retailer of the Year award in London from Retail and Leisure International (RLI).