UAE. Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Colm McLoughlin was the subject this week of ‘Making Tracks’, a popular local radio programme hosted by Tom Urquhart.
In this fascinating interview, conducted on location at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, he relates memories from his childhood in County Galway, Ireland; his early days working as a bus conductor; and his early retail career at a Woolworths store in London. By chance in 1969 he spotted a job advertisement in the Aer Rianta duty free operation at Shannon Airport.
The rest of his 51-year career tale, including the origins and subsequent rise and rise of Dubai Duty Free, is history and it is very well told here by Colm McLoughlin himself. That deeply personal narrative is interspersed with his choice of four favourite songs. Can you guess which?
Here are some clues in the form of a line from each of his chosen songs:
- And watch the barefoot gosoons as they play
- I rebelled, they brought me down
- Someone left the cake out in the rain
- It started with the dream team
It’s a compelling programme, packed with poignant and nostalgic recollections. A must-listen for anyone interested in how a modern-day retailing powerhouse emerged, and the personal and business values of the man who has led it with such class for 37 remarkable years.
