- Retail
How do you make numbers tell a story? 🔢 Meet Mazen.
As Finance Director for Global Stores, Mazen plays a key role in bringing the magic to life for fans worldwide. For more than eight years, Mazen has been contributing to the success of the LEGO Group, with the last 1.5 years focused on making vital financial decisions that help shape the future of our stores.
“I work with people to ensure that we get to open more stores so that children can play even more with LEGO® bricks.
Mazen’s work is focused on analysing the performance of existing LEGO stores and using data to guide decisions on where new stores should open.
"I look at everything related to how stores are performing. The key question I ask myself is what we can learn to do better. This analysis helps me, and my team identify success patterns from top-performing stores and apply those lessons to others. We’re able to learn a lot from this. Where should we open the next store? What should it look like? What are the different bricks that go into the model that will make that store work? It’s all there in the numbers.”
Every new store is built on this recipe of considerations, from the physical layout and customer flow to staffing and cost projections.
"We want to make the store an opportunity for people to interact with LEGO products, see amazing 3D models, and experience the magic of the LEGO Group. My team and I work closely with the retail division to ensure each store is designed to engage visitors and create memorable experiences, while keeping a close eye on costs to ensure profitability.”
Innovation plays a central role in Mazen’s work, not only in terms of technology but also in rethinking processes.
"For me, innovation is twofold: one, what are the new tools out there that can help me, and my team do a better job? And two, how do we reassess the way we do things to see if we can do them differently? Embracing new tools allows us to do so much, whether it’s streamlining data visualisation and governance or making our decision-making processes faster and more reliable.”
Beyond tools and technology, Mazen is constantly challenging the status quo.
"We might be looking at why we invest a certain amount in lighting or shelves, or why we structure lease contracts a certain way. I’m always asking, why do we do it like this? Can it be different?”
“Take traditional lease agreements as a case in point. Analysing everything from risk mitigation to financial structuring makes all the difference. Our goal is to ensure that contracts are flexible, scalable, and sustainable as the company grows globally. There’s a lot to consider. But the challenge is a big part of why I turn up for work every day.”
"What I really like about being here is how collaborative colleagues are. There’s always an assumption of best intent. Each country might have a different way of doing things but, in the end, it all boils down to taking best practices and making it fit. It’s much like the System in Play. If it fits it, it works. That’s what matters.”
Just imagine your LEGO® career.