Mario Foster
Group Chief Information Officer at Al Ghurair Group.
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Name in Arabic:
ماريو فوستر
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Nationality:
Canadian
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Country of Residence:
United Arab Emirates
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Social media
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Mario Foster's Bio
Group Chief Information Officer at Al Ghurair Group since January 2023, United Arab Emirates.
Mario brings more than 30 years of international experience in IT business transformation, with extensive expertise in leading large-scale IT transformations.
Prior to his current role, he served as Chief Information Officer at Al Naboodah Group Enterprises, Pan Gulf Holding, and Rawabi Holding Group. He also held the positions of Head of IT Security Operations at Riyad Bank and Director of Information Technology at Empire Life in Canada.
Earlier in his career, he served as Head of IT Infrastructure and Security at RSA Security in the United States and as a Senior Network Consultant at Microsoft Canada.
Mario is fluent in both Arabic and English. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Management of Technology (with Honours) and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. He has also obtained multiple professional certifications in information technology and information security.
He actively contributes to the advancement of the IT sector in the United Arab Emirates through voluntary advisory roles, including serving on the Advisory Council of the Cloud MENA Annual Conference and the National Advisory Council of the College of Technological Innovation at Zayed University, among other industry bodies.
Mario Foster is the Group Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Al Ghurair Group. An award-winning leader, Mario joined the Group in January 2023 with a mission to elevate and restructure the IT organisation through strategic innovation and leadership. In his role, he sets the strategic direction for IT, driving growth, introducing innovative technologies, and ensuring these advancements align with business objectives to deliver tangible value.
With over 30 years of international experience in IT business transformation — including 15 years as a Group CIO for major conglomerates in the UAE and Saudi Arabia — Mario brings deep expertise in leading large-scale IT transformations. His career also includes time with global technology leaders in Canada and the USA, such as Microsoft and RSA Security (now part of Dell).
Before joining Al Ghurair Group, Mario served as the Group CIO at Al Naboodah Group Enterprises for eight years. There, he transformed the IT department into a regionally acclaimed operation, earning multiple awards for excellence under his leadership.
Mario's expertise encompasses cutting-edge technologies such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Cloud-based solutions. He is passionate about transforming IT departments from traditional support functions into dynamic business enablers, focusing on enhancing service delivery, security, standardisation, and overall systems performance.
Fluent in Arabic and English, Mario holds a BSc in Computer Science and an MBA in Management of Technology (with honours) from Canada. He also possesses numerous professional IT and Information Security certifications. Known for his strategic insights and ability to craft actionable strategies, Mario’s contributions to the IT sector in the UAE are evident in his voluntary roles on the Advisory Board for the Cloud MENA Annual Conference and the National Advisory Council of the College of Technological Innovation at Zayed University, among other industry bodies.
Mario Foster Career Highlights
