The Jonathan Stretton has been appointed by Legend Holding Group, which named him Chief Operating Officer. The announcement was made by the company, confirming that Stretton will be based in Dubai and will oversee operations across the group’s multi-sector businesses.
Legend Holding Group operates across automotive, mobility, energy, travel and media verticals in the Middle East and Africa. The appointment adds operational depth to its executive structure as it continues to expand its cross-border footprint.
COO to oversee multi-market operations and governance
Under the Jonathan Stretton appointment UAE mandate, he will oversee operations across automotive, mobility, energy, travel and media businesses. His responsibilities include governance, performance alignment, shared service optimisation and scalable growth across the holding structure.
Legend Holding Group operates across the Middle East and Africa and maintains commercial links between the UAE and China. The COO role will focus on strengthening operational discipline as the group expands across markets.
Career background: Global automotive and regional CEO roles
The appointment brings more than three decades of international automotive and commercial leadership experience to the group.
Most recently, Stretton served as President and CEO at Group Lotus, where he held responsibility across 19 markets and more than 60 retail and aftersales outlets. He was a member of the Global Executive Committee and contributed to product, distribution and commercial strategy.
Prior to that, he served as Director of Network Development across Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. In those roles, he led distribution strategy across over 50 markets, managed importer transitions and directed large-scale retail development initiatives. He also oversaw EV infrastructure and charging ecosystem planning in regional markets.
Earlier in his career, Stretton was Regional Director at AJ Automotive & LCME in Abu Dhabi, where he held full P&L responsibility and led the establishment of a MENA dealer network as an official OEM importer and distributor.
He previously held global network development and marketing positions at Lotus Cars in the UK. His career began in management consulting at Accenture in London, where he led transformation programmes for financial services and telecommunications clients.
Education and early foundation
Stretton holds a BSc (Hons) in Business from The Manchester Metropolitan University. His academic background includes international business development, marketing strategy and business planning.
UAE leadership movement context
The Jonathan Stretton appointment UAE reflects continued senior executive hiring activity in the Emirates, particularly among diversified holding groups expanding across automotive, mobility and energy segments. As UAE-based companies scale multi-sector operations, leadership structures are being reinforced to manage governance, performance alignment and regional integration.
For more updates on regional executive changes, see our latest coverage of UAE leadership moves and executive appointments.
