Creative Zone announced the appointment of Lorenzo A. Jooris as their new Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Jooris has a solid background in international business driving growth and building world-class teams in the Middle East region, Africa and Asia.
Celebrating its 10th year anniversary in 2020, Creative Zone is set to put in place a number of new initiatives that will continue supporting the development of SMEs, startups and entrepreneurs in the region. Creative Zone’s new Start-up Accelerator program, in partnership with key government and financial institutions, will support entrepreneurs in accelerating their journey by providing professional advice, coaching, marketing resources, tax and accounting support, human resources, access to investment, banking solutions as well as company formation support when needed.
New products and services for Creative Zone clients are also being announced in Q1 2020 that will further expand the company’s position as a hub of support and solutions for entrepreneurs in the UAE.
On the occasion Mr. Steve Mayne, Managing Partner of Creative Zone said. “We are delighted to welcome Lorenzo Jooris as Creative Zone’s new CEO. He brings deep expertise in the business services sector as well as managing successful client-oriented teams around the world. I am confident that 2020, the year we celebrate our 10th anniversary, is going to be a year to remember as we push for initiatives that support the development of startups and entrepreneurs in the UAE.”
Mr. Jooris added “I am both honored and excited to take on the responsibility as the new CEO of Creative Zone. 2020 is such an important year for the company and the UAE itself, I see a lot of opportunities for growth and to continue our support towards the development of start-ups and entrepreneurs in the region.”
Creative Zone has supported 36,142 new start-ups set up their own companies in their 10-year span since inception. Among the most sought-after jurisdictions we find the Dubai Economic Department, Sharjah Media City, and Fujairah Creative City for new company formations. It takes an average of 8-10 days to set up a new company in one of the free zones and about 15 - 20 days in Dubai’s mainland. Creative Zone also offers support services for investors including visa arrangements, bank account setup, PRO services, tax and accounting advise, among many others.
The Startup ecosystem in the UAE
The UAE has for many years been regarded as a prime destination for starting a new business. It is estimated that an average of 500,000 new companies are formed each year in the UAE.
A tax-free environment, a well-developed infrastructure, rule of law and its strategic location has helped position the UAE and in particular Dubai, as one of the most attractive destinations for SMEs looking to grow their business.
Over the years, the UAE government has taken important measures to establish the necessary framework for developing the startup ecosystem in the country. New regulatory policies were set in place with an important increase in government support for SMEs over the last few years.
According to Ministry of Economy, the SMEs sector represents more than 94 per cent of the total number of companies operating in the country and provide jobs for more than 86 per cent of the private sector's workforce. In Dubai alone, SMEs make up nearly 95 per cent of all companies, employing 42 per cent of the workforce and contributing around 40 per cent to Dubai's GDP.
The UAE Government is set to enhance the contribution and performance of the SME sector. It is taking a major role in establishing initiatives and programmes to help with sources for funding SMEs. Recent success stories such as Careem, Souq, Dubizzle and The Entertainer, saw important private led investments take part of this fast growing startup scene in the UAE. It is estimated that the MENA start-up ecosystem received $1bn in funding over the last year.
About Creative Zone
Creative Zone is Dubai’s largest and most trusted business setup advisory firm. Creative Zone’s registration professionals have helped thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs and SMEs grow their businesses in the UAE since its launch by Mahesh Dalamal and Steve Mayne in September 2010. The Company was created with a simple yet revolutionary model for the UAE marketplace; to serve as a one-stop shop, with flexible payment plans, for easy company incorporation. Creative Zone has now evolved to provide added business support services to create an ecosystem that helps entrepreneurs and SMEs to setup, sustain, and grow their businesses and contribute to the UAE’s position as the global location of choice for company setup.
About Lorenzo A. Jooris
Lorenzo Jooris has been a global nomad from his early days. Born and raised in Argentina, to Belgium/German parents, it didn’t take long for him to seek new business and professional horizons. Lorenzo brings more than 20 years of experience in sales, management, business consultancy and corporate leadership in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America.
At the age of 25 he moved to the UK to start his career in the production of country branding campaigns and national advertising projects. In 2005 he went on to establish One World Communications, a full-fledged multimedia powerhouse advising governments around the world in branding and communication strategies. He later on established LEADERS Middle East magazine in the UAE, Envision Films and Eventus, when he thought it was time for him to spend more time at home and less travelling the world. LEADERS Middle East allowed him to curate events such as the Young Global Leader Summit and the Power Women of Arabia Debate.
Lorenzo joined Arton Capital in 2018 as their Vice President of Global Growth and Strategy where he oversaw the international expansion of the company in charge of sales, marketing and events worldwide.
Lorenzo has a soft spot for social initiatives and projects that give back to the communities in need; Lorenzo founded Leaders without Borders, an initiative that promotes the development of young social entrepreneurs. He is the author of “Recipes for a Better World” and an advisor to the James Michel Foundation.
Lorenzo is now the CEO of Creative Zone in Dubai, having joined in January 2020. He lives in Dubai with his wife and two daughters.
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