Saudi Dairy Giant Almarai Appoints Spyros Zampelis as Group General Counsel

Saudi Dairy Giant Almarai Appoints Spyros Zampelis as Group General Counsel

Almarai, a vertically integrated dairy business with a significant market capitalisation of $15 billion and listed on the Tadawul stock exchange, has named Spyros Zampelis as its Group General Counsel.

Bringing with him more than 22 years of legal expertise gained in Greece, the UK, and Switzerland, Zampelis is poised to assume a crucial role in spearheading the Corporate Legal Department of this major player in the food industry, headquartered in Riyadh.

Zampelis brings a rich and varied experience to Almarai, having previously served as the Senior Corporate Counsel at Coca-Cola HBC AG for 11 years, based in Switzerland. In this capacity, he played an integral role in supporting strategic M&A projects spanning 29 countries across Eurasia, Europe, and Africa. Zampelis also managed responsibilities associated with the Board and Board Committees, ensuring compliance with listing requirements on the LSE and ATHEX, and undertaking various regional roles.

His career began at Norton Rose Fulbright, where he spent a decade in the Corporate Finance Department. During this period, he actively participated in significant public and private equity and debt transactions, as well as regulatory banking and insurance deals in the UK, Greece, and the US.

Zampelis’ career path is marked by a diverse and successful background in both private practice and in-house roles. His commitment to personnel growth, dedication to fostering cross-functional collaboration, and deep comprehension of business strategy uniquely qualify him to spearhead the legal department of the FMCG giant headquartered in Saudi Arabia. Almarai has a widespread presence across all GCC countries, Egypt, Jordan, Romania, the United States (specifically in Arizona and California), and Argentina in South America.

In expressing his thoughts on the new role, Zampelis conveyed a sense of honour for the trust and confidence extended to him by the Board of Directors and Senior Management of Almarai. He also conveyed his excitement for the opportunities that lie ahead for both Almarai and its legal community.

“I look forward to building on the strong heritage of the Almarai brand and accelerate the strategic initiatives which will make Almarai even stronger and well positioned to embrace all future opportunities in the region and beyond,” Zampelis said.

The appointment represents a noteworthy milestone for Almarai, underscoring its dedication to achieving leadership excellence and strategic expansion within the global dairy industry.