Global Citizen and CEO of Al Masaood Automobiles
With over 40 years of experience spanning across three continents, Irfan Tansel is recognized as one of the ‘Top 100 CEOs in the Middle East’ by Forbes (in 4 consecutive years), one of the ‘100 inspiring leaders in the Middle East’ twice, as well as one of the ‘Greatest CEOs in 2024’ by Arabian Business magazine. Acknowledged as ‘Visionary of the Year’ by Entrepreneur Middle East magazine, and ‘CEO of the Year’ by CEO Magazine, Irfan is driven to disrupt the automotive industry and to create a legacy.
Irfan’s passion for automobiles began at the age of 15 when he apprenticed as an auto mechanic. Now an entrepreneurial and visionary leader, Irfan is credited for his unique approach to innovation, employee engagement, and more recently, succeeding in a challenging market. He also continues to be credited for his unique approach to innovation, employee engagement, and more recently, succeeding in a challenging market.
In 2019 and 2020, Al Masaood Automobiles gained global recognition for re-strategizing; creating an omnichannel experience to prepare for Industry 4.0. Under his guidance, Al Masaood Automobiles made history in 2019 by launching the region’s first Nissan e-commerce car-buying website, along with a virtual, live, and interactive sales platform, one of many firsts launched. The years 2023 and 2024 marked significant triumphs in Irfan's tenure, as they became record-breaking years for Al Masaood Automobiles across multiple facets, including unprecedented achievements in sales and aftersales, surpassing all previous records.
In his role as CEO of Al Masaood Automobiles (AMA), Irfan has steered the company to numerous milestones and accolades. Under his leadership, the company not only clinched the esteemed Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award 2023 - which is based on the internationally recognized European Foundation of Quality Management (EFQM) framework, but also continued its tradition of excellence with multiple editions of the coveted Nissan Global Dealer Award in 2013 and 2019, the Global Nissan Aftersales Award in three consecutive years - 2020, 2021, and 2022.
INFINITI presented Al Masaood Automobiles with the ‘Outstanding Performance Award’ in 2020 for strengthening the market share in Abu Dhabi, and later in 2021 awarded the company with the ‘INFINITI Global President Award’ for exemplary execution of Project Falcon - Al Masaood Automobiles’ first mid-term strategy. In 2023, the company was crowned with the inaugural ‘INFINITI Global Award’, for its contribution to the success and growth of the auto brand in Abu Dhabi. Al Masaood Automobiles outperformed other dealers within its segment, becoming the first dealership in the GCC region to be awarded this accolade.
Renault as well awarded Al Masaood Automobiles the prestigious ‘Global Partners Award (P.A.R.I.S. Challenge)’ in 2020, being the highest accolade for car dealerships granted for exceptional performance in customer satisfaction, Sales and Aftersales – tapping into new market segments, strengthening the brand, and expanding their portfolio. They reported a staggering 40% sales growth, outperforming other Renault dealers around the globe. In 2024, Renault once again honoured Al Masaood Automobiles with the Best Dealer Performance Award and the company received a special visit from Renault’s global CEO for this appreciation.
In 2024, the company made a global debut at the 5th Annual Customer Centricity World Series, and secured two distinguished regional awards: the Customer-Centric Culture Award, recognizing organizations that place customers at their core, and the Customer Insight & Feedback (VOC) Award.
Irfan's vision for Al Masaood Automobiles is grounded in forward-thinking, innovation-driven, and customer-centric principles. With an unrelenting desire to best serve his customers, Irfan believes that “the road to recognition is built upon a commitment to leave behind the ordinary to achieve the extraordinary”. His competitive nature drives his vision to revolutionise the industry and lead the transition into a future where disruption capitalizes innovation. Now an entrepreneurial and visionary leader, Irfan is committed to mentoring and developing his leadership team, nurturing them to become the next superstars in the industry.
When Irfan isn’t preparing for a future of disruption, as electric cars, connectivity, autonomous vehicles and ride-sharing come into play, you can find him spending time with his family and playing golf.
For inquiries, please connect with Irfan here.
