What I Did Next

I'm joined today by entrepreneur Mounir Nakhla. Mounir is the co-founder & CEO of MNT-Halan, Egypt's fintech unicorn that has now served more than 8 million customers and recently expanded into the UAE, Turkey & Pakistan. Mounir launched his first company in 2010, which showed him the true potential of micro-financing to unlock economic potential. This led him to co-found MNT-Halan in 2021 with Ahmed Mohsen. Mounir is an old friend and I've always known him to be incredible disciplined and routine-based. So I wasn't surprised to see this translate into his role as a founder and CEO. He tells me how he pivoted to technology and fintech, and how he's grown as a leader as well. This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets worldwide. ⁠Start Investing Today⁠: https://app.efghermesone.com/ 0:00 Coming up... 1:59 Early Influences and Education 9:46 Mentorship and Guidance 17:00 Embracing Technology 20:12 From micromanager to delegator 29:03 Personal Goals and Values 30:50 Well-being and Self-Care 32:52 The Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Nadine Hachach-Haram is a trailblazing plastic surgeon and the CEO of Proximie, a revolutionary tech company transforming surgical operations. In this conversation, she shares insights on Proximie's explosive growth and its mission to enhance healthcare efficiency with AI technology. Nadine delves into her balancing act between surgery and her startup, emphasizes the need for large-scale healthcare innovation, and reveals her new venture focused on health for high-performers. Her passion for improving patient lives shines brightly throughout.

We’re continuing my conversation with Karima Hakim on this episode, talking about the evolution of the private sector in Egypt and Africa, and her work specifically with Plug & Play. You can also catch the first part my conversation with Karima in your podcast app or on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwjEtGnYxRs&feature=youtu.be This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets worldwide. ⁠Start investing today⁠: https://app.efghermesone.com/ Chapters 0:00 Introduction 0:45 The Private Sector Evolution 11:39 Women Supporting Women 16:23 Leadership in a Changing World 19:55 Karima’s work with Plug and Play 26:48 Addressing the Forum for President Macron Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Karima El Hakim, Country Director at Plug & Play Egypt and a vibrant advocate for animal welfare, shares her inspiring journey from a Francophone upbringing in Cairo to a dynamic career in technology and investment. She discusses navigating personal losses and how they reshaped her priorities. Karima also delves into her work with ecosystem building in Africa and her passion for teaching fitness at BURN. With candid insights on mental health, career pivots, and her quirky personal brand, she offers a refreshing perspective on balancing life's challenges.

Today’s episode is a deep-dive with our sponsor, EFG Holding. As a long-time sponsor of the show, EFG have been with us from our single digit episode count all the way through to 100! I’m joined on this special episode by Hanaa Helmy, Chief Corporate Sustainability and Impact Officer at EFG Holding and CEO of the EFG Foundation. Hanaa has been with the company 19 years, and has been involved with the Foundatoin right from its launch in 2006. She has also been recognised by Forbes Middle East as one the region’s Top Sustainability Leaders in both 2024 and 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re celebrating 100 episodes! So this week I’m sitting down with our producer Chirag Desai to celebrate this milestone and unpack some of the learnings. Chapters 0:00 Episode 100! 1:11 Evolution of Podcasting 3:11 Reflections 13:53 Destiny vs Agency 24:08 The Impact of Our Work 24:28 A big thanks to  @EFGHolding  25:35 Malak takes on the Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re continuing my conversation with Azzam Fakhreddin this week, where he tells me about his decision to shift focus to economics under the mentorship of Dr. Galal Amin and getting starting in the family hospitality business. Azzam also tells me about his involvement with the Jordan football team, which just qualified for its first FIFA World Cup in 2026. I’m also excited to share that What I Did Next just completed 100 episodes! Next week, I’m sitting down with our producer Chirag Desai to celebrate this milestone and unpack some of the learnings. This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets worldwide. Start Investing Today: https://app.efghermesone.com Chapters 0:00 Introduction 4:03 Meeting Dr. Galal Amin @AUC 9:23 The Family Business Unfolds 14:32 Fakhreddin Restaurant Legacy 19:26 Football! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m joined today by Azzam Fakhreddin, a name familiar to many across the Middle East as a notable figure in the hospitality industry. On Part 1 of our conversation, Azzam tells me about his involvement in two significant projects, the book ‘Palestine, Memories of 1948’ and the feature film ‘Palestine36’, which is Palestine’s official entry to the 2026 Oscars. It stars iconic actors Jeremy Irons and Liam Cunningham and will be premiering in London later this month. This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets worldwide. Start Investing Today! Chapters 0:00 Introduction 5:41 Family Legacy and Early Life 14:10 Palestine, Memories of 1948 21:24 Life After 50 22:25 The making of Palestine 36 33:11 Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI is a topic that has come up many times over the years on the show, so today I’m sharing a special episode of Double-Take where I’m connecting the dots from some of our previous episodes on the philosophical, ethical and practical implications of our future AI world. You’ll hear from author & AI expert Mo Gawdat on how we all need to be better role models for this nascent technology, actor Ramy Youssef on some of the implications for creators and filmmakers, Amazon’s Omar El Sahy talks about some of its practical applications and ad legend Tarek Nour asks some philosophical questions about our AI future. Chapters 0:00 Coming up 1:10 Tarek Nour: The age of acceleration 7:18 Mo Gawdat: The scary-smart world of AI 20:45 Mona Hamdy: What do we want AI to do? 21:27 Ramy Youssef: The manipulation of soundbites 23:59 Omar Elsahy: The future of the workforce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Continuing my conversation with Dr. Mona Hamdy to unpack the role of AI, and how the emerging world should prioritise its adoption. We talk about the ethical implications of technological advancements, and the need to close the gap between profit-driven AI development and our needs as a society. She also tells me about her work with Anomaly, the ‘Bitcoins and Birkins’ club, and upcoming launch of iConnections Middle East. This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets worldwide. Start investing today: https://app.efghermesone.com/ Chapters 0:00 Where tech and humanity intersect 5:51 Navigating AI's Future Responsibly 9:23 Defining the Ethical Framework for Technology 15:15 The Global Race for AI Resources 20:07 The Bitcoins and Birkins Club 27:25 Launching Middle East Operations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices