From a distinguished career in strategic communications, public policy, and governmental affairs, Hala Abdel Wadood shares the challenges she faced as a female leader in an industry traditionally skewed toward male figures.
In the spirit of Women’s Month and International Women’s Day, Abdel Wadood, CEO of Moharram & Partners Firm for Public Affairs and Strategic Communications, Africa and the Middle East, sat down with Business Today Egypt to discuss her insights into balancing strategy and emotional intelligence, fostering trust, building confidence, and empowering women in business.
As a successful woman in several leadership roles, Abdel Wadood shares her strategies for developing confidence – a blend of experience, self-awareness, and continuous learning. Her emphasis on setting achievable goals, seeking feedback, and embracing both success and failure provides an in-depth perspective into the mindset of a seasoned leader.
You have achieved a lot as a woman and built an admirable and inspiring reputation. How were you able to defy stereotypes and biases to build such a strong career?
Thank you for your kind words! Defying stereotypes and biases often requires resilience, determination, and surrounding oneself with supportive individuals and professional mentors, which I was blessed to have throughout my career journey. Additionally, it's about staying true to oneself, pursuing passions, and consistently challenging societal norms and expectations.
What kind of challenges have you faced as a female leader in your industry, and how have you overcome them?
Throughout my career, I have seen significant shifts in perceptions and attitudes compared to when I first started. Earlier in my professional journey, particularly in government relations and crisis management, there was this idea that men were better suited or able to handle the job, and breaking through this stereotype was a challenge.
One experience that shaped how I lead was working with older men on my team. Managing individuals who were older than me needed a delicate balance of strategy and emotional intelligence, with the challenge being creating a collaborative atmosphere where trust and mutual respect could thrive without them feeling like I was bossing them around.
I recognized the importance of fostering a sense of cooperation, making it clear that we were in it together as a team and that I genuinely valued their expertise. Building trust was key, allowing them to see me as a leader and a teammate. This approach enabled me to gain their trust and respect, as well as their confidence in my guidance.
To further overcome similar challenges, I've focused on building strong relationships, demonstrating competence, and advocating for diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Additionally, I've sought mentorship, cultivated my skills, and stayed resilient in the face of adversity.
As a successful woman in several leadership roles, how have you developed your confidence as a leader?
Confidence as a leader comes from a combination of experience, self-awareness, and continuous learning.
I've developed my confidence throughout the years by setting achievable goals, seeking feedback, and learning from both my successes and failures. Additionally, surrounding myself with a supportive network and maintaining a positive mindset have been crucial in bolstering my confidence as a leader.
What advice would you give to other women aspiring to reach similar heights in their careers?
My advice to aspiring women is to believe in yourself and your abilities, cultivate resilience, and embrace opportunities for growth. Seek out mentors and allies who can support and guide you, and don't be afraid to advocate for yourself.
Stay true to your values, be willing to take calculated risks, and remember that setbacks are simply stepping stones to success.
Above all, never underestimate the power of perseverance and determination in achieving your goals.
How have you used your position to advocate for gender equality and women's empowerment in the workplace?
As CEO of Moharram & Partners, I plan to utilize my position to advocate for gender equality and women's empowerment in several ways.
This includes promoting diversity and inclusion initiatives within the organization, ensuring equal opportunities for career advancement and leadership roles, and implementing policies that support work-life balance.
Additionally, I am actively supporting mentorship and sponsorship programs for women, participating in industry events and panels to raise awareness about gender equality issues, and fostering a culture of respect and inclusivity in the workplace.
Through leading by example and using my influence, I strive to create a more equitable and empowering environment for all employees.
Was there an experience/s that heavily influenced your leadership style as a female executive and leader? What were the major lessons that you learned and how do you apply them today?
A major influence on my leadership style was witnessing the impact of mentorship and sponsorship on my own career growth, which has taught me the value of paying it forward and supporting other women in their professional journeys.
Back when I was younger, I tended to underestimate my abilities. However, a mentor, who has been both a colleague and a friend, played a pivotal role in empowering and pushing me to meet and exceed my potential. It was a turning point in my career.
Having someone mentor me and consistently believe in my capabilities has truly been a blessing; the trust, empowerment, and encouragement to push through have been an influential part of my life, shaping the way I approach leadership.
Today, my plan is to prioritize mentorship and sponsorship initiatives within my organization, advocating for women's advancement, and providing opportunities for skill development and leadership training.
Overall, this has shaped my leadership style to be inclusive, collaborative, and supportive. I strive to create a culture where everyone feels valued and empowered to reach their full potential, regardless of gender or background.
How do you ensure gender diversity and equal opportunities for women in the hiring and promotion processes within your organization?
To ensure gender diversity and equal opportunities for women in the hiring and promotion processes within my organization, I implement several strategies:
Unbiased recruitment practices through utilizing blind resume screening techniques and structured interview procedures to mitigate unconscious biases during the hiring process. Our job postings emphasize our commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Diverse candidate pools by actively sourcing candidates from a wide variety of talent pools. Transparency about promotions and opportunities for growth by ensuring that decisions on promotions are based on merit, performance, and potential, rather than subjective factors.
Regular reviews and enforcing accountability. We regularly review our hiring and promotion processes to identify any disparities and take corrective actions as needed. Accountability measures are in place to ensure adherence to diversity and inclusion goals.
By implementing these strategies, we strive to create a workplace culture that fosters gender diversity and provides equal opportunities for women to thrive and advance in their careers.
Can you share some specific initiatives or programs that your company has implemented to support the professional growth and development of women?
At M&P, our commitment to empowering women is reflected in the numbers and initiatives we have implemented. Around 57% of our team are women, and in the senior positions – director and up – women hold 42% of those positions. Of course, this includes a female CEO – me.
In the world of public policy and governmental affairs, where things can be a bit biased towards men, we're actively pushing to empower our women. We get them involved in panels, interviews, and meetings with VIPs, ministers, and government stakeholders.
We also have a lot of age diversity in our company, with some as young as 25 years old. It's impressive to see them engage with CEOs, directors, and other influential figures, gaining confidence and valuable knowledge. So, it's been amazing to watch them get exposed to these experiences and grow.
Our senior members, especially the VPs, play a crucial role in empowering our team members. Through networking opportunities, attending conferences, mentoring, and other initiatives, we work to ensure that the knowledge and experience of our senior leadership are shared, promoting the team’s growth and development. It's all part of our mission to empower women at all levels in M&P.
What is your vision for the future of women in business, and how do you think we can create a more inclusive and equitable business environment for all women?
My vision for the future of women in business is one where gender equality is the norm, and women have equal access to opportunities, resources, and leadership positions.
To make this a reality and create a more inclusive and equitable business environment for all women, we must take concerted actions on multiple fronts:
1. Education and Awareness: We need to continue raising awareness about gender biases and stereotypes that exist in the workplace, and provide education and training on how to address them. This includes educating both men and women on the importance of gender equality and inclusive leadership.
2. Policy and Legislation: Governments and organizations must enact and enforce policies and legislation that promote gender equality, such as pay equity laws, parental leave policies, and anti-discrimination measures.
3. Leadership Commitment: Senior leaders must demonstrate a strong commitment to gender diversity and inclusion, both through their actions and their words. This includes setting diversity targets, holding leaders accountable for progress, and fostering a culture of inclusion on all levels of the organization.
4. Flexible Work Arrangements: Providing flexible work arrangements, such as remote work options and flexible hours, can help accommodate the diverse needs of women balancing work and family responsibilities.
5. Mentorship and Sponsorship: Mentorship and sponsorship programs play a crucial role in supporting the career development and advancement of women. Organizations should actively promote and support these initiatives to help women navigate their career paths and access leadership opportunities.
By taking these actions, we can create a more inclusive and equitable business environment where all women have the opportunity to thrive and succeed.
If you were a brand, which one would you be and why?
I won’t mention a certain brand, just to not be biased, but as I always highlight in my talks, every single person has a brand identity that she/he needs to develop and promote.
Just like with any organization or business, it is vital to have a clear brand identity – how you present yourself, your reputation, credibility, and value systems.
It takes a lot of effort, hard work, resilience, and persistence; however, it is even more important for individuals to create, strengthen, and promote a brand identity. This personal brand identity is one that people around you will link to your work ethic, value system, and reputation, and it is what will differentiate you from others.
If I were a brand, I would be aligned with one that represents innovation, curiosity, and a commitment to making information accessible to everyone. A brand that fosters a culture of continuous learning, creativity, and collaboration. A brand that values diversity and inclusion, and strives to create products and services that improve people's lives.
Likewise, I value innovation, learning, and inclusivity, and I seek to contribute positively to the world by empowering others and facilitating access to knowledge and opportunities.
Moustafa Moharram, CEO and founder, Moharram & Partners + USEBC vice chairman: Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is Moustafa Moharram (LinkedIn), CEO and founder of Moharram & Partners, as well as a vice chairman of the US-Egypt Business Council. Edited excerpts from our conversation:
I’m Moustafa Moharram and I’m the founder and CEO of Moharram & Partners and vice chairman of the US-Egypt Business Council. Put simply, our job at Moharram & Partners is to represent businesses before governments and strive to create a better policy environment for our clients and partners, so they can focus on what they do best, including growing and running their operations, launching exciting IPOs — and, of course, generating earnings. Moharram & Partners was also recently tapped as one of three vice chairmen of the US-Egypt Business Council (USEBC). In our new role, we look forward to forging new collaborative policy initiatives across different industries, paving the way to closer and stronger trade and foreign direct investment relationships between the US and Egypt.
In this part of the world, there are policies and regulations for everything under the sun, so if you’re facing a crisis where a regulator is concerned, or there’s a new piece of legislation that you’ve seen in Enterprise’s Legislation Watch section that’s affecting your business and you’re wondering why you have to apply for a new license or pay new taxes, or if you need to sit with government officials to pitch a partnership proposition, we can help with all of that. We advise 50+ companies across 17+ sectors, including big names such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, GlaxoSmithKline and Coca-Cola.
Public policy engagement allows governments to become better governments and businesses to become better corporate citizens. Sustainable development will never be achieved without corporates having a voice in policymaking, especially in a country like Egypt. Many policies are developed in isolation, away from businesses, which creates big issues for the business and investment climate. I’m very proud of our team — over the past seven years, we’ve built a unique team of 60+ professionals who are specialized in public policy and government engagement.
As the CEO, I’m in charge of developing engagement strategies and overseeing our operations across the Middle East & Africa region.
One of our biggest success stories is what we did with the Data Protection Act. We were able to launch, for the first time, a private-public dialogue on this critical piece of legislation that’s important for the technology sector in Egypt but initially didn’t meet international standards. We got major global tech firms at the same table as the CIT Ministry and legislators, where they were able to express their concerns — which were mainly that regulations in Egypt weren’t the same as the ones applied elsewhere. These recommendations were picked up by the regulators and some amendments were introduced. Other than the benefits to the tech sector, this was an important step for the culture of participatory decision making in Egypt.
The return on investment from this shift can be seen in how the business environment has changed now. Many of these big companies have, since that constructive dialogue session, decided to expand their operations in Egypt or do new work here. Google began direct operations in Egypt shortly after, Amazon inaugurated a major fulfillment center, and Microsoft recently held a meeting with Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly to discuss new potential investments.
My morning routine is as crazy as my job. I wake up every day hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. My alarm goes off at 9am and I take my phone off airplane mode. The minute I do that, I’m flooded with messages, reminders for calls, and missed calls from clients, CEOs, corporate policy directors, our office manager, as well as my VPs. As much as I would like to take the time to gradually kickstart my morning, I always find myself diving in head-first. As I always like to say, I’m engaged from Port Said to Washington DC, and from Casablanca to Islamabad. It’s always morning somewhere [laughs].
Once I face that first wave of catching up, I’m able to take a few moments to clear my mind and think of how to approach different parts of the day. I enjoy my irreplaceable first coffee of the day — a double espresso — while reading (in this order) local, regional, and international news. I usually go for a light breakfast — think yogurt, fruits and granola. The only exception is when we have clients over in the morning, which is when we serve our signature breakfast: Fuul, taamia, and feteer.
I usually hit the gym later in the day, typically towards the end of my workday. I used to be very athletic in my previous life; now, things are becoming more challenging. But my two daughters and my wife sometimes try to talk me out of going to the gym so that I can spend more time with them.
My days end at different times, depending on what’s going on. The firm is called Moharram & Partners, so Moharram has to be around when there’s a crisis [laughs]. There are days when we finish at 4am. This job isn’t for everyone — it requires dedication, but it’s very rewarding in the end.
A big part of my day is centered on communication. It’s very important for us to ensure proper communication between our partners and policy makers. Some of this communication entails keeping our clients informed about what’s happening in the regulatory and policy landscape, but it also entails listening to their expectations on these matters and how they impact their businesses. Then, of course, there’s communication with bureaucrats, policy makers, and anyone that has influence in that realm to help us convey our viewpoints.
Our overarching goal throughout the day is always to get things done — with integrity. This industry is relatively new to Egypt, so we hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity, because we hold it in high regard.
I need to give credit to my office manager, Salma, for keeping me organized. She’s very zen [laughs], but she also makes sure that all my reminders, goals, meetings, and to-do lists are always updated. We have a pipeline of our client work, complete with matrices that track their requests and the different things required toward a certain strategy. It’s part of my daily routine to check these matrices and follow up with the teams and ensure that things are progressing. We rely a lot on Excel sheets, but also on WhatsApp groups we have with our clients, which are the easiest way to communicate updates and get feedback in real-time. I’m on every single WhatsApp group we have with our clients.
I listen to a lot of music to unwind. In recent years, I’ve gotten into classical Arabic music, from the likes of Mohamed Abdel Wahab, Fairuz and Umm Kulthum. I also try to read more novels because I’m a heavy consumer of news.
The last great show my wife and I watched was Westworld — and we’re waiting for the next season. We also used to go to the cinema regularly before the pandemic. The last movie we watched in theaters was No Time to Die.
The best piece of advice I’ve gotten is from my late father, who was a medical doctor and a professor at Cairo University: No matter how serious your job is, enjoy life and don’t take yourself too seriously.