Mohammed Mansour

The first thing one notices about Mohammed Mansour is his remarkably understated demeanor. Unlike most of his peers within Egypt’s ultra-successful business elite, he does not presume to enter a room without introducing himself, nor does his personality refract itself like a disco-ball, a relentlessly flashy but quickly forgotten effect. Rather, Mohammed Mansour’s style is distinctive and refreshing. An excellent listener who chooses his words carefully, he exudes a thoughtfulness that comes only with the awareness that whatever he is exposed to — be it people or ideas — is equally as important as what he has to say.
It is no surprise, then, that what began as a family business together with his two brothers and father has been transformed into a major international holding company.

The Mansour Group has made great strides, not only within its particular industries, but also as a model of management and growth and as a significant commercial force in Egypt. Mansour himself stresses that the company’s unique approach to management is no small dimension of its success. In a business environment notorious for centralized authority, and with a workforce that rarely has allegiance to anything larger than the immediate task at hand, the Groups’s management style is noteworthy: both for its obvious and tangibly measured success and its ability to turn its values into professional norms that deviate from competitors.

“We manage by objective,” says Mansour, “and view people as our primary assets.” 
With an emphasis on training and incentive to perform, the Group has created an environment where the welfare of one is organically tied to the welfare of the organization. 
“We are blessed with excellent people who have made the business grow and prosper by their devotion to something bigger,” he says. 
The young professionals who started with the company in the 1970s now occupy the top levels of its management, and it is only in relation to them that Mansour allows himself a bit of pride. 
“Our people can compete with the vice-presidents of multinational corporations [MNCs] in developed countries,” he remarks with satisfaction.
His management style — which involves, he says confidently “finding and keeping people who are smarter than I am,” — does not purely follow the American, Egyptian, or Japanese models. It is efficient — “we don’t micromanage,” — and paternalistic —“we care for our people and they care for us.” But most of all, it is proving effective, in some ways almost too effective. With the reputation of the company’s quality recognized internationally, Mansour says the cost of holding onto his top people has always been considerable, as MNCs outside Egypt try to lure them away with higher salaries. 
“I don’t want ‘yes’ people, [but rather] people with more knowledge and the instinct to sense when something is a go or a no-go,” he says. 
Along the way, he says he has also learned that it pays to be very selective, especially when it comes to finance. “Otherwise everyone’s cousin or sister would get a job, and nepotism just doesn’t work,” he says with a sigh.
Learning how to deal with corporate prey, and the cultural baggage that fills the ranks of any business or organization with employees’ unqualified relatives, has been part of a long process. Mansour manages the company (which was founded by his father, Lotfy Mansour) with his older brother Youssef and his younger brother, Yasseen, based on an unwavering belief in Egypt’s potential. While initially simply opening a letter of credit was a challenge, now strategic concerns are the greatest priority. Beyond just fine-tuning operations for optimal performance, Mansour says he must now discern when to say yes or no, and how exactly to expand into the future. 
“The bigger you are, the harder you fall,” he says.
Mansour attributes much of the company’s success to partnering with major, world-renowned companies. “We can benefit from their know-how, but ultimately maintain an Egyptian way of doing things,” he says.
It’s important to remember, cautions Mansour, that Egypt’s private sector is young, with an excess of businesses that are one man shows. Management doesn’t develop overnight, and it takes a while to realize a group is very much like an institution. 
“If I need to make a decision,” he says, “then there’s something wrong.” 
In the early years, he recalls that business would suffer whenever he or his brothers would travel. He started admonishing his employees and encouraging them to make decisions, even if their choices involved a measure of risk. “‘Make mistakes,’ I would always tell them, ‘but make sure you learn along the way,” 
It took 25 years, he says, to finally apply a proper delegation of authority. 
In looking to Egypt’s future, Mansour suggests that Egypt must upgrade its human resources to be competitive. 
“Once properly trained our people perform comparably or better than the international standard,” he says confidently. “We need to identify what we need, and then do it on a large scale.”
Another way Mansour is trying to make a contribution toward Egypt’s future is by being the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt. By devoting a considerable amount of his time, Mansour is actively helping to further increase trade relations with the United States in order to ensure both countries have a mutually beneficial outcome. Although his new AmCham role is another demand on his already heavy schedule, Mansour says the challenge and opportunity to make an impact are well worth his time.