Bidfood Middle East, the leading foodservice distributor in the region and part of JSE-listed Bidfood Group, has appointed former employee, Samer Abou Daher, as regional Director of People and Culture.

The move comes as BME turns the dial up on its People Development vision – an integral part of its mission to nurture a people-focused and future-driven organization.

As Director of People and Culture, Abou Daher will be driving BME’sPeople and Culture journey, setting and delivering strategic direction across all BME’s offices in the GCC. The latter entails providing his know-how with regards to leadership, coaching, employee relations, productivity, engagement, and accountability, talent acquisition, corporate culture, work-life balance, performance management, and learning and development.

“It is a proud moment for all of us at Bidfood Middle East. We welcome Samer back with open arms and are confident in his ability to strategically unlock the capabilities and bring out the inner leader in each one of our employees,” says Hisham Aljamil, Bidfood Middle East CEO, “Bidfood has always been and will always be piloted by its people, who are and always will be the core of our business. At Bidfood, we hire characters and build capabilities.”

“I was lucky enough to join Bidfood – (previously HORECA Trade) – as a Sales Executive in my early 20s. I learned and grew alongside the company as both a person and a professional, and with that grew my attachment to it,” says Abou Daher, “I started my career as a server in restaurants in Beirut and I’m proud and grateful to rejoin my Bidfood family as a mentor to my 300 colleagues to drive a leadership-enriched culture and ignite the potential of our people. It’s like I never left – my heart has always been here.”

With a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Abou Daher has an impressive 18 years of professional foodservice experience under his belt spanning across the GCC, Africa, Turkey, and the Middle East. His formative years in the industry began at Bidfood, where he worked for 10 years and held the position of Sales Manager.