Simone Dobson

Simone Dobson is Chief Operating Officer at Chestertons MENA, a leading provider of real estate management, agency, and professional services across the Middle East and North Africa. An industry veteran, Dobson has worked in the real estate industry for nearly 30 years, during which time she has covered all classes of property assets across more than 35 countries, advising clients from both the public and private sectors. As Chief Operating Officer of Chestertons MENA, she has emphasized the company's role as the only real estate company in the GCC hosting strategic business events and has been deeply involved in the firm's regional expansion initiatives.

She originally came to the UAE in 2001 whilst working for CBRE in a pan-EMEA corporate real estate role before making a permanent move to Dubai in 2007 with JLL, where she was responsible for onboarding and managing India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in addition to other EMEA locations. Since then, Dobson has held various FM and consulting positions with locally established companies, fulfilling roles on both the client-side and supplier side, working on projects involving development management, fund management and asset management. This experience formed her value-based approach to operational management, whereby operations are directly linked to value creation for owners and investors.

Career History

• Chief Operating Officer, Chestertons MENA (2022–present)
• Director of Property and Facilities Management, Savills Middle East (pre-2021)
• Head of Property and Facility Management Consultancy, Chestertons MENA (2021)
• Pan-EMEA Corporate Real Estate Manager, CBRE (2001 onwards)
• Regional Manager, JLL (2007–mid-2010s, regional EMEA expansion role)

What Simone Dobson could bring to Chief Operating Officer at Chestertons MENA: With her three decades of experience managing complex real estate operations across 35+ countries, her track record in digital transformation and process efficiency, and her expertise in facility and property management services globally, she is positioned to drive operational excellence and value creation across the firm's expanding MENA footprint. Her international best practices experience and demonstrated ability to lead strategic growth initiatives make her well-suited to scale operations across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.