Introduction
Early Life & Career
Halima Jumani was born and raised in Dubai around 1979 . She began her professional journey in finance, working at KPMG in audit and assurance . After earning her Six Sigma Black Belt at General Electric’s Employee and Financial Services division, she pursued an MBA at London Business School to broaden her strategic perspective and refine her leadership approach.
Joining Kibsons
Halima Jumani became Director of Operations of the family business ‘Kibsons’ . In 2007, she left her career in finance after the birth of her third child. She also assists with operations and finance on a temporary basis, after business hours .
Kibsons: From Wholesale to E‑Commerce
Established in Dubai around 1980 , Kibsons started as a family business managed by Hussain Ismail Khatri (Chairman), further handled by Jamal Hussain (Managing Director) since 1997. It expanded its presence in fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and poultry, catering to wholesale and retail markets. The company expanded from about 20 staff members to 100s, setting up warehouses, cold storage, and a refrigerated delivery fleet.
Kibsons faced competition from expanding supermarkets in the early 2010s,and Kibsons’ retail division struggled because of low prices and small profits. In 2016, Halima ran a small test by sending an Excel list of Kibsons’ products to friends and family, not to make money but to see if there was demand online.
2 years later, the e‑commerce business grew rapidly, going from a spreadsheet experiment to over 35,000 weekly orders. During six weeks of COVID‑19 lockdowns, Kibsons increased its capacity three times to meet higher demand..
Infrastructure, Operations & Vision
Kibsons’ operational foundation HACCP certified cold storage, production facilities, meat processing, and refrigerated fleet enabled huge scaling, delivering more than 250,000 kg of fresh produce daily
Halima promoted a culture of “consistency,” ensuring that every delivery from the first to the 500,000th maintained the same high quality and reliability.
Leadership Style & Culture
Discipline & Rules
Halima separates her caring side and always work with strict discipline, Halima well-known for saying ‘I need to like me’, Others don’t need to like me, highlighting her belief that rules are essential for success.She proudly owns her bad cop image, both in the workplace and at home, on the basis of her leadership in structure and accountability.
Employee Focus
She empathized by creating an app for drivers keeping her busy on the ground and valuing team needs. Kibsons not only grew operations during COVID19, but also gave 400 new jobs, overtime bonuses, and improved pay prioritizing employee wellbeing even in the midst of crisis.
Technology, Sustainability & Innovation
Halima incorporated technology extensively into operations:
- Utilized machine learning and AI to manage demand forecasting, reduce food waste, and optimize procurement as the business grew.
- Led initiatives towards sustainability such as reduced plastic consumption, local procurement, and green CSR with initiatives such as AED 100,000 collected for Gulf for Good and fundraising for Red Cross Lebanon .
Presently, Kibsons works with more than 1,000 staff members and handles 5,000+ orders per day under the guidance of Halima as the CEO . The company provides a vast product range beyond groceries covering baby care, pet care, home, and beauty items
Revenue estimates range from \$163M to \$228M annually, with 700+ employees and 600+ suppliers. App based convenience features like smart filters, saved shopping lists, real-time tracking, secure payments, and a 95% customer satisfaction rating .
Conclusion
Halima Jumani’s leadership has transformed Kibsons from a small family business into one of the UAE’s leading fresh-food e-commerce platforms. By combining discipline with empathy, embracing technology, and focusing on quality and consistency, she built a company that could scale rapidly while maintaining customer trust. Kibsons’ journey from wholesale beginnings to online success, resilient operations during COVID‑19, and commitment to sustainability and community demonstrate how strong leadership, innovation, and a clear vision can turn challenges into opportunities.
References
