An introduction to Making It, by one of our hosts Patrick, Enterprise's editor-in-chief and co-founder.

An introduction to Making It, by one of our hosts Patrick, Enterprise's editor-in-chief and co-founder.

Making It is a show about building great businesses in Egypt, produced by Enterprise, the daily brief on all matters business, finance, and economics. Each episode brings you a one-on-one sit-down with a CEO or founder at the top of their game. They are leaders at the helm of businesses going through different stages of growth and they discuss with us the issues they face, the challenges they have to overcome, and what it takes to “Make it.”

Making It is a show about building great businesses in Egypt, produced by Enterprise, the daily brief on all matters business, finance, and economics. Each episode brings you a one-on-one sit-down with a CEO or founder at the top of their game. They are leaders at the helm of businesses going through different stages of growth and they discuss with us the issues they face, the challenges they have to overcome, and what it takes to &ldquo;Make it.&rdquo;

Making It

Making It is a show about building great businesses in Egypt, produced by Enterprise, the daily brief on all matters business, finance, and economics. Each episode brings you a one-on-one sit-down with a CEO or founder at the top of their game. They are leaders at the helm of businesses going through different stages of growth and they discuss with us the issues they face, the challenges they have to overcome, and what it takes to “Make it.

Making It is a show about building great businesses in Egypt, produced by Enterprise, the daily brief on all matters business, finance, and economics. Each episode brings you a one-on-one sit-down with a CEO or founder at the top of their game. They are leaders at the helm of businesses going through different stages of growth and they discuss with us the issues they face, the challenges they have to overcome, and what it takes to &ldquo;Make it.

Enterprise is venturing into new territory with our very first podcast, Making It, and we thought it was time to take you a little more in depth. Patrick, Enterprise’s editor-in-chief and co-founder, tells our origin story, how Enterprise came to be, and how it all led to Making It.

Making It: The Introduction

After more than five years at Mashreq’s helm, Group CEO Ahmed Abdelaal is a well-known face in the regional banking industry and beyond. Ahmed has led the bank through an ambitious expansion strategy that has seen it recently open Mashreq Oman, in addition to Mashreq Neo in Egypt, as well as its digital banking platform for corporate clients in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. 

We recently sat down in Dubai with Ahmed to speak at length about how he and his team see the road ahead. Resilience and adaptability, he thinks, will be key in a year that’s filled with uncertainty about everything from interest rates to what the new US administration means for trade, finance, and the world order. We get into whether Arab business leaders pay enough attention to India, banking as a service, innovation in financial services, and a lot more.

As with every episode of Making It, this isn’t just a show for industry nerds: It’s part of our masterclass on leadership. We go deep into why Ahmed invites the entire bank to “scru my strategy,” how he gets his leadership team on the same page (while avoiding groupthink), as well as how he makes decisions, decides what to work on himself, and structures his org chart. 

What does the year ahead look like? In a nutshell, Ahmed tells us that 2025 is “the year where we will be delivering on some of Mashreq’s key strategic objectives.” That includes “continuous innovation, regional expansion, and building state-of-the-art client experiences.” Already a major player in the corridors linking MENA to Asia, the United States, and Europe, Ahmed aims to make the bank the dominant digital player in our region, talking openly about “banking as a service” as concepts including open finance and embedded finance move toward center stage in the so-called platform economy. 

However it plays out, you can be sure that client experience is at the heart of everything Mashreq has planned. “Focusing on driving client experience — and client excellence — is key,” Ahmed told us. And that goal requires Mashreq to ensure that it has the right kind of people running the show, which means that the bank’s org chart was “built for collaboration, speed of decision making, and — most importantly — innovation and efficiency.” 

Being a nimble organization that’s able to execute on its key objectives also makes Mashreq well-positioned to jump on opportunities, including those that have long been underplayed, such as India. Today, the UAE has freetrade agreements with India, while “the influx of capital in and out has tremendously increased over the past few years,” Ahmed says. India is one of the many trade corridors that Mashreq is heavily interested in, and has created a “state-of-the-art solution with the biggest seven banks in India” to allow Mashreq clients to digitally open bank accounts in India, eliminating the need for physical presence in India. 

Closer to home, Ahmed sees plenty of potential in sustainability and ESG, whether you’re looking at the UAE, Saudi Arabia, or Egypt. Across these three key geographies — which Ahmed maintains will continue to work together, rather than compete, for economic strength — sustainable agriculture, ESG investments, and renewable energy continue to be areas of interest. “The amount of commitments and spend, whether it's here in UAE, Saudi and Egypt, is tremendous,” Ahmed says.

 

In this episode of Making It, we dug into all these topics and more, including where Mashreq wants to be in 10 years’ time and other major corridors where Ahmed sees opportunity.

** Tap or click here to listen to the full episode (42:51) on our website or on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

After more than five years at Mashreq&rsquo;s helm, Group CEO Ahmed Abdelaal is a well-known face in the regional banking industry and beyond. Ahmed has led the bank through an ambitious expansion strategy that has seen it recently open Mashreq Oman, in addition to Mashreq Neo in Egypt, as well as its digital banking platform for corporate clients in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar.&nbsp;
We recently sat down in Dubai with Ahmed to speak at length about how he and his team see the road ahead. Resilience and adaptability, he thinks, will be key in a year that&rsquo;s filled with uncertainty about everything from interest rates to what the new US administration means for trade, finance, and the world order. We get into whether Arab business leaders pay enough attention to India, banking as a service, innovation in financial services, and a lot more.
As with every episode of Making It, this isn&rsquo;t just a show for industry nerds: It&rsquo;s part of our masterclass on leadership. We go deep into why Ahmed invites the entire bank to &ldquo;scru my strategy,&rdquo; how he gets his leadership team on the same page (while avoiding groupthink), as well as how he makes decisions, decides what to work on himself, and structures his org chart.&nbsp;
What does the year ahead look like? In a nutshell, Ahmed tells us that 2025 is &ldquo;the year where we will be delivering on some of Mashreq&rsquo;s key strategic objectives.&rdquo; That includes &ldquo;continuous innovation, regional expansion, and building state-of-the-art client experiences.&rdquo; Already a major player in the corridors linking MENA to Asia, the United States, and Europe, Ahmed aims to make the bank the dominant digital player in our region, talking openly about &ldquo;banking as a service&rdquo; as concepts including open finance and embedded finance move toward center stage in the so-called platform economy.&nbsp;
However it plays out, you can be sure that client experience is at the heart of everything Mashreq has planned. &ldquo;Focusing on driving client experience &mdash; and client excellence &mdash; is key,&rdquo; Ahmed told us. And that goal requires Mashreq to ensure that it has the right kind of people running the show, which means that the bank&rsquo;s org chart was &ldquo;built for collaboration, speed of decision making, and &mdash; most importantly &mdash; innovation and efficiency.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Being a nimble organization that&rsquo;s able to execute on its key objectives also makes Mashreq well-positioned to jump on opportunities, including those that have long been underplayed, such as India. Today, the UAE has freetrade agreements with India, while &ldquo;the influx of capital in and out has tremendously increased over the past few years,&rdquo; Ahmed says. India is one of the many trade corridors that Mashreq is heavily interested in, and has created a &ldquo;state-of-the-art solution with the biggest seven banks in India&rdquo; to allow Mashreq clients to digitally open bank accounts in India, eliminating the need for physical presence in India.&nbsp;
Closer to home, Ahmed sees plenty of potential in sustainability and ESG, whether you&rsquo;re looking at the UAE, Saudi Arabia, or Egypt. Across these three key geographies &mdash; which Ahmed maintains will continue to work together, rather than compete, for economic strength &mdash; sustainable agriculture, ESG investments, and renewable energy continue to be areas of interest. &ldquo;The amount of commitments and spend, whether it's here in UAE, Saudi and Egypt, is tremendous,&rdquo; Ahmed says.
&nbsp;
In this episode of Making It, we dug into all these topics and more, including where Mashreq wants to be in 10 years&rsquo; time and other major corridors where Ahmed sees opportunity.
** Tap or click here to listen to the full episode (42:51) on our website or on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Building an innovative bank — and how to lead it — with Mashreq Group CEO Ahmed Abdelaal

In 20 years of working in private equity, Hossam Abou Moussa has seen the makings of great businesses across industries in Egypt and other emerging markets. At Actis, he is a partner in the private equity business, as well as chief operating officer of the unit. Actis is one of the leading investors in emerging markets, and currently operates roughly USD 10 bn under management. In Egypt, they have invested in some of Egypt’s biggest companies, including CIB, Edita, International Diagnostics Holding, and Fawry.

In our last episode of the season and the year, Abou Moussa outlines the three fundamental aspects investors look for in a business and how to leverage them for fundraising, as well as how to choose a business partner or investor, and when to choose private equity as an option.

 

** Subscribe to Making it here for free  https://bit.ly/35lugvb.

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at www.enterprise.press.

 

Making It is grateful for the generous support of:

CIB, Egypt’s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories.

The United States Agency for International Development, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.


You can learn about Actis here: https://www.act.is/

In 20 years of working in private equity, Hossam Abou Moussa has seen the makings of great businesses across industries in Egypt and other emerging markets. At Actis, he is a partner in the private equity business, as well as chief operating officer of the unit. Actis is one of the leading investors in emerging markets, and currently operates roughly USD 10 bn under management. In Egypt, they have invested in some of Egypt&rsquo;s biggest companies, including CIB, Edita, International Diagnostics Holding, and Fawry.
In our last episode of the season and the year, Abou Moussa outlines the three fundamental aspects investors look for in a business and how to leverage them for fundraising, as well as how to choose a business partner or investor, and when to choose private equity as an option.
&nbsp;
** Subscribe to Making it here for free <a href="https://bit.ly/35lugvb">&nbsp;https://bit.ly/35lugvb</a>.
** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at<a href="http://www.enterprise.press/"> www.enterprise.press</a>.
&nbsp;
Making It is grateful for the generous support of:
<a href="https://www.cibeg.com/English/Pages/default.aspx">CIB</a>, Egypt&rsquo;s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories.
<a href="https://www.usaid.gov/egypt">The United States Agency for International Development</a>, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.
 You can learn about Actis here: <a href="https://www.act.is/">https://www.act.is/</a>

How to fundraise with Actis Partner Hossam Abou Moussa

Hend El Sherbini took over her mother’s testing facility MK Lab in Egypt and rebranded it to Al Mokhtabar in 2004, with the intention of providing affordable and quality testing beyond Cairo. 

16 years later, El Sherbini sits atop Integrated Diagnostics Holding, a merger of Al Mokhtabar and Al Borg. 

IDH is the first Egyptian company to list on the London Stock Exchange, and has since become a regional player with over 450 facilities across Egypt, Sudan, Nigeria and Jordan. El Sherbini speaks to the merits of institutionalizing her family business and highlights the role consolidation plays in enabling affordable healthcare.

 

** Subscribe to Making it here for https://bit.ly/35lugvb.

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at www.enterprise.press.

 

Making It is grateful for the generous support of:

CIB, Egypt’s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories.

The United States Agency for International Development, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.

You can check out IDH here: idhcorp.com

Hend El Sherbini took over her mother&rsquo;s testing facility MK Lab in Egypt and rebranded it to Al Mokhtabar in 2004, with the intention of providing affordable and quality testing beyond Cairo.&nbsp;
16 years later, El Sherbini sits atop Integrated Diagnostics Holding, a merger of Al Mokhtabar and Al Borg.&nbsp;
IDH is the first Egyptian company to list on the London Stock Exchange, and has since become a regional player with over 450 facilities across Egypt, Sudan, Nigeria and Jordan. El Sherbini speaks to the merits of institutionalizing her family business and highlights the role consolidation plays in enabling affordable healthcare.
&nbsp;
** Subscribe to Making it here for<a href="https://bit.ly/35lugvb"> https://bit.ly/35lugvb</a>.
** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at<a href="http://www.enterprise.press/"> www.enterprise.press</a>.
&nbsp;
Making It is grateful for the generous support of:
<a href="https://www.cibeg.com/English/Pages/default.aspx">CIB</a>, Egypt&rsquo;s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories.
<a href="https://www.usaid.gov/egypt">The United States Agency for International Development</a>, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.
You can check out IDH here: <a href="https://www.idhcorp.com/">idhcorp.com</a>

Making It: The Introduction

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