What I Did Next What I Did Next

We’re continuing my conversation from last week with Malak El Baba, Country manager For Visa in Egypt. On this bonus episode, Malak tells me more about the digital payments industry, and Visa’s own evolution since it was established by Dee Hock in 1958.

Thank you for being a subscriber! We’re halfway through our season and have even more amazing guests coming up, so stay tuned, and don’t forget to catch our previous bonus episodes if you haven’t already.

We’ll be back next week with a new guest, see you then!

I’m joined this week by Malak El Baba, Egypt Country Manager for Visa, and a leader and role model for so many in her industry. We had a wonderful conversation that spanned different countries and phases of her life.
Although she has spent nearly two decades in banking and finance, she actually started out wanting to become a diplomat. But destiny had other plans, shaping not just her career but who she married and where she lives today.
Like a true marketer, Malak is very much a people-person, a team builder, and a team player. She’s also an optimist. She truly embodies the traits I find is most successful people. Malak also leads Visa’s Women Leadership Network for MENA, and is the winner of several market leadership awards including four MENA Effies’ awards and 2 Media Efficiency awards.
This episode is brought to you by:
EFG Holding, a trailblazing financial institution with a Universal Bank in Egypt and the leading investment bank in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
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On this bonus episode, Hatem Alakeel tells me how he began supporting the creative community in Saudi Arabia, and his cultural life.

Thank you for being a subscriber of the show. If you haven’t already, you can also listen to our bonus episode with former Foreign Minister of Egypt Amr Moussa, and artist Janan Shihadeh, and we’ll be back with a new guest next week!

Hatem Alakeel is an award-winning Saudi designer, fashion entrepreneur and podcast host. He has designed for global icons including Mattel’s Barbie, Evian, Lexus, Fairmont, Raffles, and the Ritz Carlton among others, and he was among the first regional artists to create and celebrate Saudi traditions.
With his first company, Toby Hatem Alakeel, Hatem brought the traditional thobe into the luxury fashion world, with displays at Harvey Nichols, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Boutique 1. Today, he runs Authenticite, a consulting and creative production agency connecting creators and brands who want to understand Saudi culture. He also continues developing content with his editorial pieces showcasing Saudi artists on his website, and through his podcast, Gems of Arabia.
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We’re continuing my conversation from last week with bespoke artist Janan Shihadeh. On this bonus episode, Janan talks art techniques, how she had to adapt to living and honing her craft in Cairo, and we unpack her cultural life.

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Janan Shihadeh has made her mark creating bespoke pieces for clients all around the world—from murals in Washington D.C., to furniture and candles in Cairo, to transforming old handbags into little arm-candy jewels in Dubai.
To say that Janan is versatile is an understatement. She brings passion, imagination and dynamism to whatever art medium she is working on and her eye for detail and colour is unsurpassed. Janan and I have known each other a long time, we even attended the same high school in Jeddah. As a friend, Janan is fun and mischievous. As a guest, she comes across as passionate, eager to tell her story and driven to make her mark through art. 
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