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, ‘100 inspiring leaders in the Middle East’ by Arabian Business magazine, ‘Visionary of the Year’ by Entrepreneur Middle East magazine, and ‘CEO of the Year’ by CEO Magazine, and he 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.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 brought unprecedented challenges across all industries. Despite this, Irfan’s forward thinking vision, innovative strategies, and ability to engage his team, enabled Al Masaood Automobiles to grow their market share by 30%, outselling their direct competitors by number of vehicles sold.
In 2019 and 2020, Al Masaood Automobiles gained global recognition for re-strategizing; creating an omnichannel experience to prepare for Industry 4.0. Al Masaood Automobiles launched the region’s first e-commerce car buying website with Nissan, and a virtual, live & interactive sales platform. 2019 was a record-breaking year with Al Masaood Automobiles selling more cars than ever before.
Under Irfan’s leadership, Al Masaood Automobiles has been conferred numerous accolades. In 2013, 2019, Al Masaood won the Nissan Global Dealer Award and in 2020, Al Masaood Automobiles won the coveted Global Nissan After-sales Awards, a global award that recognizes the accomplishment of remarkable after-sales performance, excellent customer service, and contribution to Nissan’s business. INFINITI presented Al Masaood with the ‘Outstanding Performance Award’ in 2020 for strengthening the market share in Abu Dhabi.
Renault’s prestigious Global Partners Award (P.A.R.I.S. Challenge), received in 2020, is the highest accolade for car dealerships granted for exceptional performance in customer satisfaction, and in 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.
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. After achieving his goals and reaching the peak of his career, he is determined to motivate tomorrow’s leaders by sharing his extensive knowledge in leadership.
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.
