Interview with His Excellency Hisham Zaazou
Former Minister of Tourism for Egypt
As former Minister of Tourism for Egypt, His Excellency Hisham Zaazou was part of a team that was responsible for roughly 12% of his nation’s total GDP. Given that tourism represents such a significant portion of the economy, his office has worked with virtually every major global consulting firm on the planet. Yet when a major new ecotourism initiative emerged, Mr. Zaazou trusted Amira elAdawi to helm the project from concept to execution.
“Maintaining pristine beaches and clean air has always been a priority for Egypt,” said His Excellency, “but with the relentless pace of global warming and heightened awareness of the environmental impact of travel, we wanted to place this pursuit at the forefront of our tourism efforts. We wanted to become a global leader in ecotourism.
A prime location was selected to pilot this effort – the stunning Sharm El Sheikh, located on the southernmost tip of the Sinai Peninsula – and work began on developing a multi-faceted plan that would encompass private industry, national government and local resources alike. It was audacious. It was complex. And it required an expertise and approach that was as unique as the plan itself. That’s why His Excellency turned to Amira elAdawi.
“This project was extremely ambitious and would require volumes of research, an ability to address both broad strategy and minute detail and, above all, an ability to work ‘hands on’ with multiple personalities across public and private sectors,” said Zaazou.
“Over the years, we have worked with all the large consulting firms, but few could match the skill, understanding, and capabilities of Amira. Her level of passion and dedication placed her above the rest.”
When asked for an example of these capabilities in action, Zaazou referred to a particular phase of the project which required gaining consensus across multiple, potentially conflicting parties before work could move forward. This was a delicate process that required equal parts diplomacy and creativity, yet Amira was able to navigate the situation with a high degree of diligence, focus and diplomacy.
“Amira worked with all parties involved and, as she gained deeper understanding about each of their concerns, was able to refine plans and processes in-flight,” stated Zaazou. “Her skills empowered her to craft an approach that ensured all parties were heard and respected, established enabling factors to move the project forward, and ultimately forged a positive and equitable collaboration among all involved. It was a crucial element of the strategy, and Amira delivered a potent combination of intellect, skill and personality that made it happen.”
His Excellency cited the long hours, multitude of meetings and volumes of research required to create and execute a strategy of this magnitude, yet praised the attitude and energy of Amira’s approach throughout the endeavour.
“Where other consultants had a set scope to which they would strictly adhere, or set hours of work, Amira took a personal interest in ensuring our project was a success no matter what extra effort was required,” said Zaazou. “At no point in the project did the weight of extra hours cause Amira to show signs of stress or fatigue. She was always there, always fresh, and consistently giving her all to move the project forward.”
Like all new endeavours, this project required breaking new ground and “on the job learning” for all involved, but Amira managed to make the ministry’s team always feel like they were the boss – even when she was doing most of the driving – and the entire team learned from her. This requires not only a high degree of diplomacy, but also the ability to gather information, synthesize it quickly, and leverage that data to develop plans, processes and programs. This was necessary to both motivate individuals and organizations who were executing the plan, but also to ensure executives and leadership understood what was required at a granular level. Amira excelled on this front as well.
“Amira approached such situations with a high degree of diligence, accuracy and intelligence,” said Zaazou. “When something wasn’t clear, Amira was an excellent listener and – unlike most consultants – didn’t jump to give quick answers to complex questions. Amira understood that such high-stakes programs required both precision and speed, but she took the time necessary to find the right answer so we could all move forward in confidence. Her honesty and integrity are exceptional, and it allowed us to develop a relationship based on total trust. This, coupled with her hands-on and pragmatic approach, makes Amira a tremendous asset in such projects.”
“Amira made this project her own and wanted to see it come to pass as much as those of us who commissioned the work,” said Zaazou. “She removed as many hurdles and obstacles as she could, and her dedication was unwavering. This spirit is commendable. If I had an opportunity to do so, I would be thrilled to work with her again.”
As the country continues to expand and evolve its ecotourism efforts, Amira’s unique, bespoke support will serve as an enduring foundation upon which to build.