Class of 2015 Bachelor’s alumnus Omar El Figuigui is CEO and Co-Founder of tech startup Invise Consulting, serving over 4,000 customers. During his 7 years since graduation he’s overseen a team of 200 sales reps across 20 markets, coached over 300 professionals and grown sales units from 0 to 180 people in just 18 months. Impressive numbers. We caught up with Omar to find out more about his journey and what drives him.
Born in Rabat, Morocco, Omar and his family made the move across the Mediterranean to Marbella, Spain when he was 12. “I have very fond memories of Rabat and my childhood”, Omar says. “Morocco is a beautiful country rich in culture, traditions and history, this diversity makes for an incredible environment to be raised in.”
“I have seen 8 year old kids in Morocco that sold better than many Sales Reps.”
As a melting pot of cultures, Morocco gave Omar an international outlook, and his early years in Rabat also planted the seed for a passion that would ultimately become his profession. “A fun fact about Morocco is that Sales is in our blood. Growing up you have to learn to negotiate with merchants, with people, it’s just part of our culture and I am so proud of it. I specialize in Sales Psychology and I have seen 8 year old kids in Morocco that sold better than many Sales Reps I met throughout my career!. I find it fascinating how a variation of a word or a sentence can influence the whole decision making process of a customer and I thrive in unlocking more ways to fully comprehend the human psyche.”
Becoming a professional
To help power that career, Omar chose Les Roches. “It’s the reputation that attracted me, but above everything else, I wanted a place where I could feel home and connect with people with the same mindset and mentality. Les Roches taught me pretty much everything about the professional world, as well as discipline and enhanced manners. Since graduation I have always been headhunted by the biggest Hospitality names thanks to the prestige of the school. ”
After completing the Bachelor’s, Omar crossed the Atlantic to oversee front desk operations as Duty Manager at The Dewberry Charleston in South Carolina, USA. A return to Marbella followed, as did his first step into Sales and subsequent promotions that took him back to where it all began.
“I was the Country Manager and Director of Sales for a multinational IOT Security Solutions. I led the company’s B2C and B2B efforts, overseeing a team of 18 Sales Managers for 20+ markets and 200+ Sales Reps. My most exciting work was creating a subsidiary in Casablanca, Morocco where I grew the staff from 0 to 180+ in 18 months.”
“We believed that by leveraging AI and machine learning combined with the traditional human touch, we would help customers process their payments and companies recover their lost revenue.”
After two successful years in Casablanca that saw Omar help the business launch several Marketing and Sales campaigns and meet gross revenue targets, he felt Marbella calling. “I returned home, one thing led to another and I had an amazing encounter with my current business partner who owns and runs a revolutionary subscription platform for B2B businesses.
“We initially identified a pain point within the online subscription industry, which is failed online payments. All online businesses and e-commerce websites lose at least 10% of their monthly revenue because of failed payments. We believed that by leveraging AI and machine learning combined with the traditional human touch, we would help customers process their payments and companies recover their lost revenue.”
It’s all about the fix
Today, Omar and the Invise Consulting team help more than 4,000 customers a month solve the problem of failed payments, and it’s the ‘fixing’ aspect that drives Omar. “I just love new problems that arise, it stimulates my intellect and challenges me. I like to look at it as a game, how can I solve this or how can I optimize this to achieve this ROI or target? My biggest satisfaction is brainstorming ideas, executing them, and seeing the results.”
Undoubtedly, Omar is in his element, solving problems, supporting his colleagues, doing what he loves, and doing it well. And while excelling in the present, Omar also has a clear vision for the future. “My goals professionally are to create meaningful, sustainable, scalable and profitable businesses in the IT sector. I want to make an impact, effect change and help as many professionals as I can to grow and be the best version of themselves.”
“…all the biggest hotel brands will be fighting to hire you”
With roles in Hospitality, Sales and now as a tech entrepreneur, Omar’s career to date is evidence of the diverse pathways open to hospitality graduates. He shared his thoughts on the doors that open when you graduate from Les Roches. “Hospitality is an everlasting niche with an infinite number of sub-niches, so there is a role for pretty much everyone.
“As a student of Les Roches, all the biggest hotel brands will be fighting to hire you and you will be 100% ready for the professional world. The years spent in Les Roches will be the best in your life. You will learn invaluable knowledge regarding your future career, you will network and you will meet your future best friends.”
