Hitesh Mirani is the Co-Founder of RLPC, a Dubai based advisory firm that spends its days (and sometimes nights) helping developers make sense of the wonderfully unpredictable world of retail real estate. With over two decades of experience, Hitesh has worked on projects across the GCC and beyond, from shopping malls and mixed-use destinations to airports and master plans, proving that retail strategy can, in fact, be equal parts science and storytelling. At RLPC, Hitesh leads the firm’s retail advisory and commercial strategy practice. He has directed 50+ advisory assignments and reviewed 400+ global developments, walking enough retail corridors around the world to qualify for frequent flyer status on half the world’s airlines. His work bridges the gap between design, data, and good old commercial sense, ensuring projects not only look great on paper but also work in real life. He enjoys exploring how manufacturing and retail is increasingly connected. He often says that what happens on the factory floor eventually shapes what happens on the shop floor. From inception to production and logistics to store display, and eventually to the final customer touchpoint, he believes the future of retail depends on how well these two worlds talk to each other. At the GEC Manufacturing and Retail Vertical Day 2025, Hitesh will share insights, and a few hard-earned lessons on how industry and retail can stop operating in silos and start building smarter and stronger ecosystems together.