Our People
Dr. Hassan El Kalla
Chairman
Dr. El Kalla was appointed on November 19, 1996. A medical practitioner by training, Dr. El Kalla’s experience has extended far beyond clinical practice. With regards to the public health sector, Dr. El Kalla helped lay the foundation for health sector reform and the re-engineering of the Ministry of Health as a key member of the Health Policy Committee. Dr. El Kalla has also managed the following health projects: Family Health project in cooperation with GTZ, regional Center for Training in Family Planning (USAID), and the Cost Recovery for Health projects (USAID). With regards to the education sector, Dr. El Kalla founded and chaired Futures Foundation for Education Training and Development, which educates around 10,000 students. With regards to the trade and commerce sector, Dr. El Kalla is the President of GS1 Egypt, a company that promotes international trade standards. Dr. El Kalla has also developed curricula for nurses’ education in Yemen and has provided training in collaboration with UNRWA for Palestinian nurses in refugee camps. Dr. El Kalla has also setup the foundation for the Child Spacing Program in the Sultanate of Oman, and was a member of the Japanese-Egyptian survey team in Iraq in July 2003. Dr. El Kalla graduated from the University of Texas, “Health Science Center in Houston”, and attended training courses at Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Boston and Ohio State Universities. Dr. El Kalla is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of AFS International for Cultural Exchange in New York, and the founder and president of the Egyptian Society for Health Care “ESQUA”. Dr. El Kalla is also an active member of the Egyptian Fertility Society, the American Society of Public Health, and the Specialized National Committee for Health.
Mohamed El Kalla
CEO, CIRA
Mohamed El-Kalla is the Chief Executive Officer of CIRA Education, an EGX30 Company and winner of Africa's top IPO in 2018. CIRA was founded 1993 and currently CIRA is Egypt’s largest investor in the area of private education. It holds more than 17 affiliate companies and brands, including Futures Educational Systems, Rising Stars, Mavericks, British Columbia Canadian International School (BCCIS) and Badr University in Cairo (BUC). CIRA has invested in 26 campuses, serving more than 40,000 students around Egypt, and has plans to expand regionally. Following a 10-year career in the United Nations that focused on development and corporate sustainability, El-Kalla founded Ahead of the Curve (ATC) consultancy, offering technical assistance to the private sector on corporate social responsibility issues. In 2011, Ahead of the Curve restructured into a leading regional sustainability management think tank focused around inclusive economies, as El-Kalla believed that the region was in dire need of developing a locally sensitized think tank that works on supporting the realization of a MENA-based model for sustainability. El-Kalla is a specialist in private sector sustainable development, educational and BOP investments, and corporate governance and corporate social responsibility. A graduate of the American University in Cairo, he majored in political science with a specialization in international law and a minor in development studies. He started his career in UNHCR, moving on to UNV, UNRC and UNDP, where he supported the foundation of the Global Compact Network in Egypt, and other countries around the MENA region. El-Kalla is responsible for the creation and management of more than 100 developmental projects and partnerships involving the private sector, including the setup of the Egyptian Responsibility Center and the Center for Transparency at the Ministry of Investment.
Ahmed El Kalla
Non-Executive Director
Mr. El Kalla is a member of the board of directors of the following institutions: Mavericks International Schools (Chairman), EMCO Systems, GS1 Egypt (CEO) and GS1 AISBL. Mr. El Kalla is also a founding partner in Social Impact Venture Partners. Mr. El Kalla has work experience in helping corporates and startups scale and disrupt as well as leading investments and growth initiatives in various industries such as healthcare, blended learning and home service market places. Mr. El Kalla is currently a member of: the innovation and entrepreneurship committee of the American Chamber of Commerce, and the ICT committee of the Egyptian junior businessmen association. Mr. El Kalla received a bachelor of finance from the American University in Cairo in 2002.
Dr. Mohamed Soliman
Non-Executive Director, Member of the Audit Committee
Mr. Soliman is also a member of the board of directors of the following institutions: the Internal Trade Development Authority, NEW Soft Software Company and Systems, “Nations and Future Company”, and the Egyptian Company for Medical Care Administration. Mr. Soliman is the Secretary-General of Badr University in Cairo. Mr. Soliman also has work experience as both a consultant evaluating investment proposals as well as a consultant for the preparation of financial and management studies for educational institutions. Mr. Soliman received a PhD in finance institutions from the Faculty of Commerce of Ein Sham University in 2017.
Dr. Sherif Samy
Independent Director, Member of the Audit Committee
Currently, Mr. Samy is an advisor in the areas of investment, financial markets and corporate governance. Mr. Samy is also member of the following institutions: non-executive chairman of the National Asset Management & Investment SAE, a non-executive board member of GB Auto and a number of non-banking financial services firms, the investment board of the State Pension Funds and the Waqf Authority, the International Advisory Board of the UAE Securities & Commodities Authority. Mr. Samy was also the former president of the Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority. In addition, Mr. Samy previously served on the board of several institutions including: the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), the Central Bank of Egypt and its Monetary Policy Committee, National Payment Council, the Anti Money Laundering Unit, Banque Du Caire and GAFI. Mr. Samy was also elected as chairman of the board of the following institutions: Financial Services Institute, Egyptian Institute of Directors, Accounting Oversight Board, High Committee for Accounting & Auditing Standards. Mr. Samy previously held leadership positions in investment management and consulting firms, operating in Egypt and various countries within the Arab region (GCC and Levant). Mr. Samy started his career with global consulting firm Accenture in Chicago in 1987 prior to transferring to its regional office in Riyadh. Mr. Samy graduated with High Honors from Alexandria University’s Faculty of Commerce and, over the past two decades, attended a number of executive programs in strategy, investment and management at leading US and European business schools.
Ms. Nermine El-Tahri
Independent Director, Member of the Audit Committee
Ms. Nermine El-Tahri serves as an independent director and an audit committee member at CIRA. The former Sub-Governor at the Central Bank of Egypt ("CBE") currently holds the role of the Assistant Minister of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises ("MSMEs") at the Ministry of Internal Cooperation, a natural progression after developing an end-to-end MSME ecosystem and an implementation strategy for financial and non-financial services. Prior to her public sector experience, Ms. El-Tahri built a long-standing career in the private banking sector, with leadership roles at Banque Du Caire, Citibank and American Express. During her time at the Central Bank of Egypt, she was named amongst the top 50 most Influential Women in Egypt and received the Governor's recognition for Innovation & Creativity.
Ms. Marwa El Ayouti
Independent Director
Ms. Marwa El Ayouti, a senior finance executive with more than 20 years of local and international experience, serves as a non-executive director on CIRA’s board. Currently the Chief Financial Officer of Orange Egypt, Ms. El Ayouti has developed extensive hands-on management experience with multi-billion-dollar operations, including as the Chief Financial Officer Vodafone Egypt. She also held international roles as Vodafone’s London-based Regional Financial Controller of Asia, Pacific and the Middle East. In June 2001, she received her Master’s degree in Business Administration specializing in International Business & Globalization from Maastricht School of Management. Ms. Ayouti has also been ranked on Forbes 200 Most Powerful Arab Women for four consecutive years between 2014 and 2018, most recently ranked as 27th. She was also honoured by The Egyptian Junior Business Association as one of the most influential and successful Arab women in Egypt's Telecom & Financial sectors. In January 2017, she was selected as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in the Egyptian Economy by the Economy & Finance magazine.