Strategy& Middle East unscripted

Join Abdulla Abunayyan, Strategy Middle East alum and Chief Business Development Officer at Abunayyan Holding, as he reflects on his transition from consulting into the family business. Abdulla shares the consulting lessons that continue to shape his leadership style, including ownership and discipline. He discusses the mindset behind giving 120% when the mission feels personal, the realities of l...

Join Leyla Azizova, Strategy& alum and founder & CEO of Endocare, as she shares her inspiring journey from consulting to launching a startup tackling obesity and metabolic health. Get a behind-the-scenes look at her approach to entrepreneurship, the real talk on juggling a growing business and motherhood, and her vision for the future of healthcare, where cutting-edge technology meets the...

Join Ashish Labroo, Strategy& alum and CEO of Careem Rides, as he reflects on a journey that spans hardcore operations, a dozen years in consulting, and leading ride-hailing across the Middle East. He opens up about staying connected to local markets, managing complex teams, the role of meditation in finding balance, and why kindness drives his leadership style.

Join Anna Germanos, Strategy& alum and Group Director for FMCG, Luxury, Retail, and E-commerce (MEA) at Meta, as she reflects on a career shaped by curiosity, resilience, and bold choices. From being the third daughter in a traditional Arab family to leading in tech and retail, Anna shares how her mantra “What’s the worst that can happen?” helped her embrace change, navigate motherhood, and le...

Join Christos Mastoras, founder and managing partner of Iliad Partners, as he brings us the untold stories of seizing opportunities and overcoming challenges in emerging markets.  From shaping bold investment strategies to fostering relationships across cultures, Christos shares lessons from the front lines. This Unscripted episode is packed with insights and inspiration for entrepreneurs rea...

Join us as Tarek Kabrit, Strategy& Middle East alum and co-founder of the automotive AI company Seez, walks us through his startup journey – from launching a car buying app to expanding across 16 countries and eventually being acquired. In this Unscripted episode with Karim Sarkis, Tarek shares how Seez navigated multiple pivots, tough investor conversations, and the financial pressure between...

Join us as Godfrey Sullivan, a Strategy& Middle East alum with an intriguing background, takes us through his unique career path from a consultant to SVP at Visa. In this 'Unscripted' episode with Karim Sarkis, Godfrey explores the skillsets he honed during his consulting days, his deep-rooted curiosity, the moral choices he faced in the corporate world, and his takeaways on parenting and lead...

Shant Oknayan, VP of Global Business, Asia, Oceania, and Africa at TikTok/ByteDance and a Strategy Middle East alum, shares insights from his journey working across multiple continents. Hear his thoughts on the power of cultural intelligence and how taking risks and calculated leaps of faith shaped his career.

J.K. Khalil, EVP and Division President at Mastercard, is an investor, advisor, cooking enthusiast, and Strategy ME alum. In this ‘unscripted” conversation with Karim Sarkis, he shares the story of how he got his nickname, what becoming a father has taught him about leadership, the importance of listening to your gut, and the value of asking for feedback as well as giving it.

Motivated by curiosity, creativity, communication, and good food, Fares Akkad’s career has taken him on an exciting journey — from consulting, to makeup, to one of the biggest media and tech companies in the world. The common theme through it all? Making a positive impact on others. Press play to hear Karim Sarkis interview him as he opens up about his career path, the future of AI, and his person...

CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Holding and Strategy alum Ahmed Galal Ismail reveals his personal and professional highs and lows in the first of our new ‘unscripted’ series, brought to you by the Strategy Middle East alumni team. Listen to this exclusive interview and uncover the importance of transparency, vulnerability, self-care, and personal growth in building one's career.

Mounira Jamjoom, co-founder and CEO at Aanaab and Emkan Education, shares her story in an exclusive interview with Karim Sarkis, partner at Strategy. Listen to this episode, part of our ongoing series with Middle East alumni, to learn about a leader's path through academia to consulting to entrepreneurship and beyond

Fadi Arbid is an entrepreneur, investor, asset manager, sports enthusiast, and Strategy alum. In this ‘unscripted’ conversation with Karim Sarkis, he takes listeners across his diverse career path – from consulting to hedge funds, chicken shawarma and plastic surgery. In this episode, part of our ongoing series with Middle East alumni, Fadi talks about winning and losing and the importance of curi...