talabat announces CEO transition as Tomaso Rodriguez steps down

Image: Supplied

Talabat Holding, the on-demand online ordering and delivery platform in the Middle East and North Africa, announced that CEO Tomaso Rodriguez will step down after six years in the role as part of a planned leadership transition.

Rodriguez will be succeeded by Toon Gyssels, who returns to the company and will formally assume the position of CEO on November 21.

The transition reflects talabat’s focus on maintaining sustained growth and leadership while preparing for the next phase of innovation in the delivery sector.

Rodriguez will continue to support the company as a member of the talabat board, focusing on strategy and stakeholder engagement in a non-executive capacity. He will also work closely with Gyssels during the handover period.

“Tomaso has done a great job during six impactful years as CEO and I am delighted that he is remaining on the board to help shape Talabat’s strategy going forward,” said Pieter-Jan Vandepitte, chairperson of talabat’s board of directors. “With Toon’s outstanding entrepreneurial experience and proven track record in the platform delivery technology sector, we are confident that he will drive Talabat’s next chapter of innovation and growth in the region. His appointment is an exciting step forward as we continue to strengthen our position in this dynamic market.”

Reflecting on his tenure, Rodriguez said, “The last six years as CEO of talabat have been nothing short of amazing. I’ve been privileged to work with an incredibly talented team that managed to grow the business more than nine-fold. More recently, I was privileged to guide the company through a record-breaking IPO, and I couldn’t be more proud of what we achieved. I am looking forward to closely supporting talabat’s strategy going forward as a Board member, and assisting Toon as he moves into the CEO role.”

Gyssels’ previous roles at talabat

Gyssels previously spent four years at talabat, serving as COO and later as interim CEO. During that period, he played a key role in expanding Talabat’s operations across MENA, transforming its logistics infrastructure, and launching new verticals such as Q-commerce and cloud kitchens.

Most recently, Gyssels served as COO at Kitopi and CEO of its On Demand business unit, where he contributed to building the company into a next-generation food and beverage player in the region.

Earlier in his career, he worked with McKinsey & Company and has since led growth and transformation mandates across several technology scale-ups in the MENA region, with a strong focus on AI-driven business innovation.

“talabat has achieved a great deal in recent years, and I’m excited to rejoin at such a pivotal point in its journey,” Gyssels said. “Together with the team, my focus will be on accelerating innovation and ensuring we are well positioned to capture the opportunities ahead in one of the most dynamic markets in the world.”

The company expressed its appreciation for Rodriguez’s leadership, crediting him for his contributions to the company’s rapid growth and for guiding it through its record-breaking initial public offering on the Dubai Financial Market in December 2024.

Founded in Kuwait in 2004, talabat has grown into the region’s leading on-demand delivery platform, serving more than 6.5 million active customers across eight markets, including the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, and Iraq.

A subsidiary of Delivery Hero SE, the platform continues to focus on expanding its offerings and market presence through technology-driven innovation.