Business Forward Annual Event - Future Forward: Inspiring Business in 2025

Moataz Sedky

Moataz Sedky is the general manager of Travco Holidays Egypt, bringing over 35 years of expertise in the travel and tourism industry. Since 2012, he has led the company’s expansion across operations, marketing, HR and finance, building a global network of over 300 partnerships. Under his leadership, Travco Holidays now serves more than 1.2 million inbound and 90,000 outbound travelers annually, with revenues surpassing $38.5 million. A strong advocate for innovation, Sedky has prioritized digital transformation—modernizing booking systems and enhancing user experience through technology. He also champions sustainability and responsible tourism, embedding these principles in Travco’s strategy for both inbound and outbound markets. Sedky serves as co-chair of the Travel Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (AmCham) and is a frequent speaker at universities and tourism forums

Mohamed Youssef

Mohamed Youssef ’98 is the CEO of Dcode Economic and Financial Consulting, bringing over 22 years of experience in policy development and private sector growth across Egypt and the MENA region. An expert in SME development and entrepreneurship, Youssef has led high-impact initiatives in both public and private sectors. His previous roles include assistant deputy minister at Egypt’s Ministry of Finance and head of the policy unit at the Social Fund for Development. Since 2014, he has led Dcode’s economic advisory and policy advocacy efforts, alongside work on value chain analysis, private sector development and market research across key industries. He holds a Master’s degree in International Development from the University of Bath and is currently a doctoral candidate at the same institution.

Hadeer Shalaby

Hadeer Shalaby ’11 is the VP & managing director of Talabat Egypt and a trailblazing entrepreneur known for her innovation, leadership and passion for progress. She founded Egypt’s first ride-hailing service, Taxi El Sahel and later started Careem in Egypt after they acquired Taxi El Sahel. Since 2014, she has been a key figure in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, mentoring startups across Egypt and the region. Under her leadership, Talabat Egypt grew sixfold in just four years. Named one of Egypt’s Top 50 Influential Women in 2016 and honored with the Visionary Leader Award Egypt 2025 by the World Economic Magazine, her career reflects years of dedication to transformative growth and excellence.

Marwa Abbas

Marwa Abbas '94, '98,  is a visionary technology leader with over 30 years of experience driving innovation and transformation across the tech industry. As the general manager and technology leader for IBM North East Africa, she oversees operations across Egypt, Morocco and East Africa—steering strategic growth, digital transformation and AI adoption across the region. Marwa joined IBM in 1994 and has taken on several pivotal leadership roles across Egypt and the broader Middle East & Africa. In 2013, she launched IBM’s first Digital Sales Center in MEA and in 2022, she was selected as the first female General Manager to lead IBM Egypt. By 2025, she stepped into her current regional leadership role, where she continues to champion innovation and client success. A passionate advocate for youth empowerment and women in tech, Marwa leads numerous initiatives that support IBM’s global education mission. She’s also a board member at Beltone Holding, a certified director from the IFC–World Bank Group and a board member at AmCham Egypt.

Ahmed Abdel Wahab

Ahmed Abdel Wahab is the managing director of Egyptian German Automotive (EGA) and a seasoned business leader with over 30 years of combined academic, teaching and executive experience. His expertise spans leadership, corporate governance, investment and strategic business transformation. Abdel Wahab serves as an advisor to several boards, offering guidance on governance, organizational restructuring and sustainable business models. He holds a Corporate Director Certificate from Harvard Business School and completed the Bank Governance program at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. His work is rooted in purpose-driven leadership and long-term value creation.

Alfred Younan

Alfred Younan is the CEO of Edita for Trade and Distribution, one of the largest FMCG distribution companies in Egypt, the GCC and the Middle East, directly serving over 50,000 retailers across Egypt. With 31 years of industry experience, he joined Edita in 2005 as national sales manager and rose to vice president of sales and international business in 2007. He previously held leadership roles at Hero Middle East, Mansour Distribution Company and Philip Morris. Younan completed executive programs at INSEAD and Kellogg School of Management, with expertise in regional expansion and FMCG sector growth.

Moussa Asfour

Moussa Asfour is the deputy CEO of Carina Wear, Egypt’s leading women’s fashion brand, where he oversees operations and strategy as he prepares to assume the CEO role. With a Mechanical Engineering degree from New York University (NYU) and business training from Harvard Business School (HBS), Asfour blends analytical precision with creative leadership. His career spans fashion, retail and industry with a focus on brand building and sustainable growth. He has been instrumental in transforming Carina from a product-focused retailer into a purpose-driven brand centered on storytelling, content and customer connection. Asfour is dedicated to positioning Carina as a regional fashion leader while staying true to its values and community roots

Riad Armanious

Riad Armanious is a serial entrepreneur and CEO of EVA Group, a leading healthcare organization advancing access to high-quality medicines and personal care products across Middle East, Africa and Europe. With a background in pharmacy and an MBA from Harvard Business School (HBS), he drives initiatives that position health and well-being as basic human rights. His ventures span pharmaceuticals, consumer health and animal vaccines, with growing investments in biologics and regional manufacturing. Riad champions biomedical innovation, export growth and healthcare infrastructure, building EVA Group into a regional platform for sustainable impact

Abir Leheta

Abir Leheta is the CEO of EGYTRANS, a business leader with a proven track record in driving organizational growth and transformation. She has been named one of Forbes' 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen in the Middle East in 2020, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Known for her collaborative and values-based leadership, Leheta excels in guiding companies through turnarounds and sustaining high growth. Her expertise spans strategic vision, operational excellence and responsible governance. With a focus on delivering impactful results, she is committed to building high-performing teams and creating lasting value, while embracing change and innovation for long-term success

Hossam Heiba

Hossam Heiba’88 is the president of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI). With over 32 years of experience in investment banking and direct investment, he has led major investment initiatives across more than 15 sectors in Egypt. Heiba has held senior leadership positions in institutions such as Egypt Kuwait Holding, Beltone Private Equity and PwC. Additionally, he has held board positions and chaired various companies with previous representations in over 36 companies operating in natural gas distribution, venture capital, packaging, tourism, FMCG, power generation, district cooling, asset management, food and beverage, retail, engineering and insurance.

Alaa Hashim

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alaa-hashim-896696

Alaa Hashim '97 is co-founder and executive partner of Transcendium. Hashim also serves as chairman of Delicious Inc.; HE is the owner and operator of the leading local coffeeshop chain - Cilantro Café (www.cilantrocafe.net), which was Transcendium’s first transformation buy-out. He also serves on the boards of Giza Seeds and Herbs (www.gizaseeds.com), Egypt’s largest exporter of culinary seeds and herbs, CACC Cargolinx (www.cargolinx.com), leading bonded Export-Import terminal and cargo handler located in Cairo International Airport and B-Tech (www.btech.com), Egypt’s leading whitegoods and electronics retailer. 



Hashim also serves on the a number of boards and committees including  the Dean’s Strategic Advisory Board (SAB) of AUC School of Business,  Egyptian Center for Economic Studies (ECES) - Egypt’s leading independent Economic think tank, Egyptian National Competitive Council (ENCC) – Leading Policy advocacy institution, Educate Me – Pioneering community based education innovator, Egypt-US Business Council (EUSBC). He is also the Chairman of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (AMCHAM).



 

Dina Abdel Fattah

Assistant Professor and Chair, Department of Economics

AUC School of Business

Dina Abdel Fattah is an assistant professor of economics at The American University in Cairo (AUC). Abdel Fattah received her MSc (2009) and PhD (2017) in economics from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom. Her doctoral thesis dealt with the economics of young women in Egypt, preceded by an MSc with a focus on return migration and entrepreneurship in Egypt. In addition to her work, Abdel Fattah has worked as an independent migration, gender and migration, gender and labor market expert who works with a number of local, regional and international institutions.

Sherwat Elwan

Associate Professor of Management and Director of MBA Programs

AUC School of Business

Sherwat Elwan Ibrahim is an associate professor of Operations Management at The American University in Cairo (AUC) and the MBA program director at AUC School of Business. She holds a Master’s and Ph.D. in Technology Management from Stevens Institute of Technology.

Her current research interests include global value chains, sustainable supply chain management, responsible sourcing, supplier governance, and supply chain technology adoption. She serves as the founding Vice-Chair for PRME Chapter Africa of the

UN.