AZADEA’s AMP academy develops the next generation of retail leaders
AZADEA, a leading lifestyle retail company with over 700 stores across 14 countries, leverages its Advanced Management Program (AMP) to develop talented shop managers into future commercial and operational leaders. The one-year program is delivered in collaboration with Phi Management.
Since its founding in 1978, AZADEA has built an extensive portfolio of retail stores representing top international brands across fashion and accessories, food and beverage, home furnishings, sporting goods, multimedia, and beauty and cosmetics. The group employs more than 13,500 people worldwide.
The Advanced Management Program is a cornerstone of AZADEA’s talent development strategy for shop and operational managers. Having established a longstanding and successful partnership with Phi Management on several leadership and capability-building initiatives, AZADEA once again appointed the firm as its lead partner for the delivery of the AMP.
The Advanced Management Programme
“The AMP is one of three active academies we currently run with AZADEA,” said Mark Timbrell, managing director of Phi Management. “We bring our leadership and people-capability development to the academy, while AZADEA contributes its deep functional and technical expertise in the retail sector. Our collaboration is a true partnership, rooted in in a co-designed approach and aligned to their business priorities.”
The AMP’s core purpose is to groom talented shop managers into commercial and operational managers – leaders who can translate strategy into day-to-day store execution, drive performance through people, and steward financial and operational results. It is designed for shop managers drawn from six countries across the Middle East.
Each month, participants travel to Lebanon for a five-day intensive program focused on learning, peer exchange, and practical application. They take part in hands-on sessions designed to strengthen their commercial acumen, stock and logistics management, financial literacy, and operational excellence. In addition, interactive modules help enhance self-awareness, communication, resilience, and the ability to lead teams and manage performance effectively.
“Cohorts are intentionally cross-brand and cross-market to stimulate idea sharing and transfer of best practices,” explained Timbrell.
A strong learning culture
The program is embedded in AZADEA’s strong learning culture, which emphasizes continuous improvement, peer coaching, and practical experimentation between learning blocks. Participants are encouraged to apply tools on the job, share lessons learned, and scale what works across brands and markets.
A key feature of the program is its hybrid delivery model, combining digital tools with face-to-face sessions, while theoretical knowledge is reinforced through simulations and real-life case studies. Personalization is another pillar: content is tailored to participants’ roles, ensuring it is directly applicable to the day-to-day work of shop managers.
With dozens of cohorts now graduated, participants have demonstrated the program’s value to the business. “Participants acquire the right skills to translate strategy into day-to-day store priorities and simple metrics, sharpening judgment and building routines that sustain focus during peak periods. They strengthen their ability to coach and mobilize teams, set clear expectations, and create psychological safety through timely, actionable feedback,” said a program spokesperson.
“Communication becomes a true lever of influence: participants learn to craft concise narratives from data, present with executive presence, and handle difficult conversations with confidence. They also develop a principled approach to negotiation and conflict, de-escalating tense situations while protecting relationships and results, and build the resilience to lead through uncertainty with calm, clarity, and sound decisions.”
