Balancing act: alumnus aims to inspire future hospitality leaders in extra-curricular role

A career spent satisfying often competing demands on his time means alumnus Mohamed Abudagher is perfectly placed to inspire the next generation of hospitality leaders.

Mastery of more than one discipline is part of Les Roches Ambassador for Egypt Mohamed Abudagher’s DNA.

Holder of two Master’s degrees – an MBA from the Jack Welch Management Institute and an Executive Master’s in International Hotel Management from Les Roches – Mohamed also boasts 15 years’ experience in luxury hospitality, carrying out roles on the operator and the ownership sides of the sector. The experience of learning from ‘the CEO of CEOs’ Jack Welch in person was of particular value for Mohamed and helped shape his leadership style.

He currently holds the post of Executive Director of Hospitality (Owner Representative) with Talaat Moustafa Holding Group, Egypt’s largest hotel ownership company whose portfolio includes renowned properties under brands such as Four Seasons, Marriott, Kempinski, Accor and Steigenberger. Before this, he was Executive Director of Hospitality at Al Rajhi Holding, a role that enabled him to cement his expertise in managing the delicate balance between ownership groups and international hotel operators.

Identified as one of the Top 40 leaders under 40 in the Middle East and North Africa by the Business Elite awards, Mohamed also recently took part in a panel discussion at the International Hospitality Innovation Summit in Dubai on the global synergy between hospitality owners and operators. Having made a habit of dividing his time between often competing demands throughout his career, Mohamed was perhaps the natural choice to cover this topic.

A foot in both camps

“It’s honestly a completely different mindset,” says Mohamed, who has extensive knowledge of both. “The operator is in charge of the hotel’s existing resources and aims to maximise each revenue stream while ensuring they are applying the brand standard and delivering what’s being asked from the owners.

“On the ownership side, there’s more analysis, strategic thinking, vision setting and maintaining the relationship between all stockholders. So you need to analyse things such as the revenue streams and the EBITDA to understand if the hotel is running well or not. Another function of the owners is ensuring the right people are hired who align with the owners’ vision.

“So for example, if you’re planning on a series of openings, hiring a general manager who has a track record in this area is vital. It’s all about aligning goals. If operators and the owner don’t share the same vision and objectives, there can be challenges.

“For me, coming from an operational background to an owning company, I have a deep understanding of the essence of the operations. And this has been incredibly important, because if you are not talking the same language, it’s not so easy to deliver what you need to deliver.”

Securing a future in hospitality

Mohamed’s operational background started in 2006 when, having initially applied for a role on reception at Four Seasons, he instead ended up working as a security guard for the hotel group.

“A lot of my peers questioned why I became a security guard, but I learned a lot during that year – the kind of things you just don’t cover in hospitality courses,” he says. “When I then moved to front office, I also applied for a Management in Training (MIT) program, which I had to complete in my own time.”

This was a balancing act he would repeat more than once during his career. After completing the program, he rose through the ranks at Four Seasons to Director level before joining Ritz-Carlton to gain hotel opening experience. From there, Mohamed opened his own restaurant, then took the leap into the ownership side of the hotel industry.

“It’s quite a story,” he recants. “I sent my CV for a role in a holding company, which showed I was at director level. And the CEO said he was going to interview me for a General Manager position. Honestly, I thought he didn’t really know how hospitality works. When he offered me the role, I told him I couldn’t do it, so he then offered me an owner representative position. It was extraordinary.”

After three months in that role, Mohamed had already raised the status of one of the hotels in his portfolio from four to five stars. He was then promoted to be Executive Director of Hospitality and Lodging Development in charge of six hotels in Saudi Arabia, while also acting as the General Manager for three of them.

“The experience was intense,” he adds. “And it was at this time I started my MBA in Washington DC as well, frequently studying at the airport on my way to business presentations. Then after a year and a half, I moved back to Egypt to start working with the Mustafa Group as an owner representative.”

Balancing work and study

No stranger to juggling work with study, Mohamed employed the same mindset during his Executive Master’s at Les Roches.

“If you decide to study for a Master’s, you have to find time to fit it in your schedule,” he says. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s flexible – as the Executive Master’s is at Les Roches – or not. You still need to set aside time to study, focus and prepare. You’re genuinely working day and night, so you have to sacrifice things such as entertainment and travel. It’s really all about your mindset.”

While online study options allow Executive Master’s students to fit their studies in around their working schedule, for Mohamed, the time spent on campus was an invaluable part of the program.

“Living on the campus is totally different from the online study experience,” he says. “You get to properly engage with students, whether they’re on a bachelor or master’s degree program, and with the lecturers. I initially decided on just one week, but after my first visit, I opted to take another module on campus, which was great.

“We all loved the return to student life, but the big difference is going back to school with a wealth of work experience under your belt. Engaging with others in the same field not only offers networking opportunities, it also means the discussions you have with your peers are learning moments as well. So when we were talking about safety or risk assessments, you get the perspectives of those who work on cruise ships, hotels, airlines and resorts. It’s a real 360 degree education to go with the academic context you get from the professor.”

As well as valuing the opportunity to learn from fellow students, Mohamed enjoyed the discipline of attending lectures in person.

“With online lectures, you know it’s flexible, so you can join live or watch the recording,” he says. “But there’s no guarantee everyone will be attending at the same time, whereas on campus, you’re all slated to be in class, so it really helps with engagement. Not only that, being on campus full time means you meet students on other programs, so you explore other topics and really broaden your knowledge. Honestly, if you are considering an Executive Master’s, the on-campus time is not to be missed.”

Dual role

Having completed his studies, Mohamed is not content to just settle back into his role and has again taken on further responsibilities outside his work remit, this time as Les Roches Ambassador for Egypt. True to form, he’s looking to add value in that position as well.

“When I chose to be an ambassador, I said to myself it’s essential to contribute to the community, either by offering internships or by being accessible to other alumni,” he says. “During my professional career, I didn’t find many mentors to help me along the way, so I’m determined to make myself available to alumni who may benefit from the experience and knowledge I’ve built up.

“And it’s not just career advice I’m happy to share. I’d love to be able to help those running their own businesses. I have worked on numerous investment projects throughout my career, so would be delighted if I could help join the dots between alumni entrepreneurs and investors.”

In just a few months in post, Mohamed has already started fostering connections between alumni, having launched virtual coffee mornings to get the conversations flowing.

“Further ahead, I’m hoping to create a broadcast channel,” he adds. “Many alumni have extremely valuable experiences they can share, so I’d like to be able to find a vehicle that enables them to do that and inspire the future generation of hospitality leaders. Like many other sectors, this industry is struggling to attract the calibre of personnel it needs to thrive. So we need to create a bit of a buzz around hospitality by sharing success stories and showing how incredible this industry can be.

“I’ve always believed you can have an exciting and rewarding career if your attitude is right and you’re willing to work hard. But to reach the top, you need a genuine passion for the industry. Creating that level of desire is one of the reasons I chose to become an ambassador and I’m looking forward to working with the next generation of leaders as they take their first steps towards future success.”