Executive Assistant – Office of the CEO – Chalhoub Group

Sitting within the Office of the CEO at Chalhoub Group, a partner and creator of luxury experiences across the Middle East for over seven decades, this Executive Assistant role provides direct, high-level support to senior leadership. It’s a role defined by trust, discretion, and the ability to keep a demanding executive schedule running smoothly.

The work covers the core responsibilities of a senior executive assistant: managing a complex calendar across time zones and priorities, coordinating meetings and travel, preparing and handling correspondence and materials often of a confidential nature, and acting as a gatekeeper who protects the CEO’s time without creating unnecessary friction with internal or external stakeholders. The role requires genuine judgement about what needs the CEO’s attention immediately versus what can wait or be delegated.

It suits someone highly organised, discreet, and unflappable under pressure, with the polish and professionalism to represent the Office of the CEO in every interaction. Prior experience supporting C-suite or senior leadership, ideally within a luxury, retail, or similarly brand-conscious organisation, is the strongest preparation.

Based in Dubai, the role sits at the centre of one of the region’s leading luxury groups, giving an Executive Assistant genuine visibility into how a major, multi-brand organisation is actually led.

A CEO's time is one of the scarcest and most valuable resources inside any large organisation, and this Executive Assistant role exists to protect and maximise it. Every meeting scheduled well, every piece of correspondence handled with the right judgement, and every travel itinerary that runs smoothly removes friction that would otherwise consume leadership attention better spent on strategic decisions. Because the Office of the CEO is often where sensitive, confidential information passes through, the discretion this role provides protects the organisation from the reputational and competitive risk that comes with information mishandling. At a group as large and brand-conscious as Chalhoub, the Executive Assistant also represents the Office of the CEO in nearly every interaction, internal and external, meaning their professionalism directly shapes how partners, stakeholders, and employees experience the organisation's leadership. A strong Executive Assistant quietly compounds the effectiveness of the entire leadership function around them. That trust, once established, is difficult to replace quickly, which is exactly why the role carries more weight than its job title alone might suggest.

Supporting a CEO directly is one of the most valuable vantage points available anywhere in a company, offering genuine visibility into how major strategic and operational decisions actually get made, information and perspective that most roles at a similar level in the organisation simply don't have access to. The discretion, judgement, and composure this role demands build a professional reputation for reliability that opens doors across almost any future career path, whether that's progressing to Chief of Staff, moving into a broader operations or business management role, or taking on an executive assistant position supporting even more senior leadership elsewhere. Being inside Chalhoub Group specifically means learning how one of the region's most established luxury conglomerates operates at the highest level, which carries real prestige and credibility on a CV. The relationship-management skills built here — navigating competing stakeholder demands, representing leadership professionally in every interaction — are also highly transferable into senior administrative, business management, or operations roles. For someone who thrives on being trusted with real responsibility and discretion, this is one of the strongest proving grounds available. It also builds a quiet confidence that comes from being trusted with real stakes, which is something far harder to pick up in a role where the consequences of a mistake are smaller.

• Significant prior experience as an Executive Assistant supporting C-suite or senior leadership
• Exceptional organisational skills, able to manage a complex, shifting calendar and competing priorities
• Absolute discretion when handling confidential information and sensitive correspondence
• Polished, professional communication skills, both written and verbal
• Calm, composed manner under pressure and tight deadlines
• Strong judgement in prioritising what genuinely needs the CEO’s attention
• Advanced proficiency with scheduling, travel coordination, and office productivity tools