What’s next in Maternity, Baby & Children’s Retail

Massimiliano Spalazzi is the CEO of Mumzworld, the Middle East’s leading e-commerce platform for Mum, Baby, and Child. With over a decade of experience in building and scaling e-commerce platforms, he was part of the founding team of Jumia and later served as Executive Vice President of Marketplace, leading its growth across several African markets.

Now based in Dubai, Massimiliano is focused on driving Mumzworld’s next phase of expansion. Originally from Italy, he is a father of two and passionate about creating meaningful, tech-driven solutions that make parenting easier and more rewarding for families across the region.

Harsha Prakash, Director at the Global Strategy Group (GSG), brings over 15 years of experience in strategy consulting. He specializes in strategy advisory within a deal context, supporting strategic investors, private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds in evaluating opportunities across greenfield and operating ventures. His work spans commercial due diligence, growth strategy, market assessments and financial feasibility studies, all geared toward helping investors make confident, well-informed decisions. Harsha plays a vital role in shaping value creation strategies that drive sustainable growth. His diverse experience covers financial services, real estate, manufacturing, digital business models, food and agriculture across the GCC region and India.

Chirin Khawatmi serves as the Chief Brand Officer at Mumzworld, the Middle East’s leading e-commerce platform for Mum, Baby, and Child, and is the founder of Mama’s Box, a pioneering subscription service for new mothers. With over a decade of experience in brand strategy, digital marketing, and category management, she brings deep expertise in understanding the evolving needs of mum consumers.

Chirin helps brands forge lasting connections through data-driven insights and community engagement, and is a strong advocate for mum-centric retail experiences that fuel growth, innovation, and brand loyalty. Originally from Syria, she has lived in Germany and has called Dubai home for the past 15 years.

As the newly appointed Managing Director at MAPYR, a leading distributor of premium global baby brands across the MENA region, Ali El Hagar brings 15 years of experience in the kids’ industry. With a strong background in consumer-centric strategies and impactful brand-building initiatives, he has a proven ability to connect with diverse audiences.

Prior to joining MAPYR, he led consumer products and licensing efforts for renowned brands such as Disney and Cartoon Network in the MENAT region. Known for driving business development, scaling organizations, and ensuring sustainable growth through market expansion, Ali is now focused on amplifying MAPYR’s presence and delivering exceptional value to customers.

Suresh Kuttikatu is the Managing Director of BabyGrow, a premier player in the baby industry in the Middle East. With over a decade of experience at BabyGrow, since 2010, Suresh has demonstrated a strong track record of driving business growth, fostering customer satisfaction, and embracing innovation. Throughout his career, he has developed a unique blend of skills and expertise, having worked in various organizations prior to joining BabyGrow. Under his leadership, the company has consistently delivered exceptional results, solidifying its position as a market leader in the region. Suresh’s commitment to excellence, customer-centric approach, and passion for innovation have earned him a reputation as a respected and accomplished professional in the industry.

As Director of Global Operations at Baby Brezza, Aby Sakkal spearheads the development and implementation of strategic operational initiatives worldwide. Since joining the company in 2022, he has leveraged expertise in supply chain management, logistics, and process optimization to drive efficiency, scalability, and growth across the organization. With a focus on innovation and customer satisfaction, Aby and his team have collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless operations and exceptional service delivery. Prior to Baby Brezza, he held previous roles/industries, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to Baby Brezza.

David Contract is the VP Global Marketing for Baby Brezza, the #1 brand of baby feeding appliances globally. David has worked at Baby Brezza for more than 7 years, a time in which Baby Brezza’s sales have grown over 30% each year. David has worked in consumer products marketing for more than 25 years including 6 years at NUK USA (the #1 brand of baby feeding accessories in North America), and stints at Kraft Foods (#2 food company in the world), and Merck Consumer Care (a well-known global Pharmaceutical and OTC company).

Ms. Jozie Habib is a distinguished healthcare professional and entrepreneur with a remarkable career spanning over 20 years. She began her journey in Dubai in 2002 as a medical representative and swiftly rose to the position of Country Manager at a Swiss multinational company.

Balancing health, career, and motherhood, she pursued an MBA from Wollongong University in Australia (Dubai Campus) in 2017 and dedicated two years to becoming a certified Lactation Consultant.

Currently, Ms. Jozie oversees the distribution of 33 multinational brands across pharmacies, specialized baby stores, hospitals, e-commerce platforms, and more throughout the Gulf region. As the CEO of Mummazone Medical Equipment and Trading LLC, she has successfully expanded operations to the UAE, New Jersey, Riyadh, Jeddah, Turkey, and soon, India.

Ms. Jozie has provided invaluable guidance to countless mothers throughout their breastfeeding journeys. In June 2023, she gained international recognition as a speaker at the prestigious Nutrify Summit at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai, where she addressed demographic trends in women’s health in the GCC and highlighted opportunities for the nutraceutical industry in the UAE. On March 10, 2024, she was honoured as UAE’s Best Woman CEO of the Year. Additionally, her dedication was recognized at the Indian Women Dubai Awards 2024 on September 14 at Taj Exotica, Dubai, where she won the “Excellence in Mother and Child Award”, hosted by IWD.

At the Baby Expo Dubai on May 24–25, 2024, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, she participated in a panel discussion on trends and innovations in the mother and child care industry. From June 4th to June 7th, 2024, she attended a roadshow in Morocco as a trade mission delegate of the UAE organized by Dubai International Chambers. Ms. Jozie is also slated to participate in the 2025 Baby Expo, further cementing her commitment to advancing the mother and child care industry.

Nancy Ozbek is a seasoned professional in the retail industry with over 20 years of experience. She currently serves as the Mall Division General Manager at Sharaf Group, where she oversees Times Square Center and Dubai Jewel Tower in Dubai, as well as Al Masa Mall in Oman.

Before joining Sharaf Group, Nancy held several senior leadership positions at prominent malls and community centers across the UAE.

A trailblazer in the retail sector, she brings together two decades of strategic leadership with a strong commitment to innovation and community impact. Her journey reflects perseverance, vision and a relentless drive to inspire transformation in both her professional and personal pursuits.

Elli Kasbi is the founder of Elli Junior, an award-winning, design-led retail and e-commerce brand offering premium, sustainable products for babies and children. Born in Iran, raised in Sweden, and now based in Dubai, Elli brings a truly global perspective to the world of modern parenting and retail. Elli launched her business in 2019 after identifying a gap in the market for high-quality, Scandinavian baby products in the region. What began with just five exclusive brands has now expanded to over 300, with Elli Junior becoming a trusted name among parents across the Middle East.

With a background in finance and over a decade of experience as a Corporate Account Manager in Sweden, Elli brings a sharp business acumen to the world of children’s retail. Her experience spans strategic partnerships, digital marketing and business development, having doubled turnover year-on-year and secured exclusive regional rights for several global brands.

Elli’s journey from finance to fashion-forward children’s retail underscores her ability to spot unmet needs, scale thoughtfully and anticipate what’s next in an ever-evolving industry. By blending digital and in-store experiences, she continues to meet rising consumer expectations through products that are functional, ethical and beautifully designed.

Halima Jumani is the CEO and a founding family member of Kibsons, the UAE’s leading online home delivery platform known for bringing fresh, healthy food directly from the market to customers’ doors. With over a decade of experience at the company, Halima has been instrumental in driving its rapid growth and operational excellence.

She currently leads all finance and operations at Kibsons, managing a workforce of more than 1,500 employees and overseeing the fulfilment of over 35,000 weekly orders. Her leadership has been central to the company’s success in navigating the complexities of trading, logistics, and customer experience in the digital retail space.

Under her stewardship, Kibsons has earned numerous accolades, including awards from BBC Good Food, RetailME, Entrepreneur Middle East, Arabian Business, and Emirates Woman, recognizing the brand for its innovation, service quality, and industry leadership.