Famous French lawyer Romain Gerardin-Fresse in spotlight at Times Square, New York

Renowned international lawyer and strategist, Romain Gerardin-Fresse, gained prominence at Times Square, New York after receiving the CEO Clubs awards on October 30.

The honour came after he was awarded for his outstanding leadership and exceptional professional achievements with two honours, including one presented during the recent CEO Clubs awards season. This accolade, awarded by global membership organisation, CEO Clubs Network Worldwide, celebrate Romain's work in building his international legal advisory firm, GFK Strategies Alliance, which incorporates GFK Middle East.

First among his recent distinctions was the award for 'Middle East Outstanding CEO of the Year', which was presented to Romain at the 6th edition of the Burj CEO Awards, in recognition of GFK's expansion in the Middle East, and its long-term presence in Dubai. The award from CEO Clubs Network, under the aegis of Dr Tariq Ahmed Nizami, was conferred during an event staged at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Romain also received the 'Outstanding European CEO Achiever of the Year' award at the 2023 CEO Night on September 17. The ceremony was held in the presence of ambassador Sandeep Mehta, secretary general, international diplomatic mission; Yaqoob Ali, executive director and private advisor, Office of Sheikh Juma Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum and Youssef Naeemat.

To add the finishing touch, on November 30, he will also be honoured at the Emirates Finest Business Awards, which acknowledge outstanding members of the local community and expatriates. He is also due to attend the Golden Trees Awards on December 8.

Beginning his career as a political and diplomatic adviser, Romain started out providing strategic advice to leading figures and decision-makers on the international stage. Building on the experience and networks he developed in this field, Romain set up a multidisciplinary consultancy in France in 2017, focusing on corporate strategy and resolving technically complex issues. Under Romain's leadership, the firm rapidly expanded, with sales tripling from the first to the second year and then doubling almost every year thereafter.

As the reputation of GFK began to grow internationally, Romain found a niche in top-of-the-range and made-to-measure consultancy, and in so doing, attracted an elite clientele, including governments and heads of state, as well as artists, actors, comedians and top sportsmen and women.

He is a regular guest on television and radio programmes for business and the general public.

Romain told the local press in the Emirates of his love for the country: "I've always been fascinated by the intellectual quality of Emirati decision-makers, and by their ability to think ahead. The applicability of liberal concepts, the visionary nature of the measures implemented and the simplicity of the procedures offered to investors make Dubai a veritable oasis for the entrepreneur of tomorrow. {...} Everything is designed so that entrepreneurs can concentrate on their primary mission: developing, managing and growing their business.

I'm also fascinated by the economic dynamism that surrounds the UAE. In 52 years, what they have managed to achieve was nothing short of breathtaking. They went 10 to 15 times faster than any newly created state. But what fascinates me even more is the ability to anticipate crises. A large part of my work involves anticipating problems and implementing solutions to prevent them from occurring," he added.

To a question about UAE operations and international expansion, Romain elaborated that his company is already operating in the UAE market since 2019. "We decided to use the many advantages offered by the UAE system to relocate a large part of our consultancy business, which has historically been based in France and the UK. Demand from a section of our customer base interested in penetrating the local market, and more broadly from GCCs, was also growing. At the same time, it's an opportunity for us to introduce this land of opportunity to people with only a superficial view of the Emirate," Romain explains.

Establishing in Dubai has proved a winning bet for the firm, which has already seen its sales increase by almost 28 per cent over 2023. "We've witnessed remarkable advancement in the Emirates. In 2022, when many European countries were in recession, the GDP grew by 3.1 per cent, having already grown by 2.5 per cent in 2021. Dubai, in particular, has made considerable efforts to diversify its economy away from oil, with increased attractiveness in key sectors such as tourism, aviation, technology, real estate and financial services," concludes Romain.

• KT Network