Successful retailers know that in order to stand out, retail businesses must build a strong brand, be trustworthy, and provide excellent customer experiences - and our guest in this episode has built such a brand.

Thomas Lundgren, is an awarded Swedish entrepreneur and Founder & CEO (Creative Emotional Originator - as per Thomas' words) of THE One Total Home Experience.

Thomas moved to the Middle East with IKEA at the young age of 24, where he first began his career in Saudi Arabia, before being transferred to Kuwait. It wasn't until a few years later, when he started his "adventures" in Dubai, UAE.

During his first two years in Dubai, Thomas worked tirelessly on his business plan, trying to convince every bank and business family in the region to understand his vision of a revolutionary home fashion brand - but all he got were a bunch of rejection letters.

In 1996, along with two partners, Thomas finally managed to see results from his hard work & persistence with the official opening of THE One's first "Theatre" (store) in Abu Dhabi.

Since then, THE One has grown to be one of the largest and most successful furniture & home decor retailers in the Middle East, with different "Theatres" across the UAE.

Over the years Thomas has been recognized for his entrepreneurial and business leadership skills with several awards such as "Leader of the Year (2018/19)" by Great Place To Work and "Businessperson of the Year 2018" by Esquire ME.

Join me as I have one of the most amazing conversations with Thomas. We discuss the importance of play in retail, the inspiration & meaning behind the name, how he created the renowned furniture brand, and how he scaled within the region. You will also discover his thoughts on succession planing, physical retail vs online, company values, creating impact, scalability opportunities within the region, organizational culture, and much much more...

Hosted by: Rania Masri El Khatib