Middle Eastern women are embracing fashion as a way of self-expression

A life lesson that Michel Fahmy learnt early in his career is one that resonates with him even today.

Early in his career while working for Procter and Gamble selling health and beauty products, he was keen to perform at his best and make a mark for himself. ‘I would always tell my boss to give me more, more, more,’ he says.

The boss did and Michel found himself working until 11pm for weeks on end. ‘[This went on] until I burnt out and told him I could not handle any more. That’s when he told me: life is not a race, it’s a marathon. Learn to pace your energy, prioritize what’s important and focus, instead of trying to do it all.’

It is a lesson he still remembers. ‘I learnt that I had to talk with my actions more than just my words. I refused to simply coast through the system, and I learned as much as I could every day. A lot of great experiences followed.’

Today, with over two decades of experience in various fields including sales, marketing and management, Michel Fahmy is President of ALDO Group International overseeing development of franchises stores in more than a hundred countries stretching from Middle East and Africa, covering Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Michel’s responsibilities include managing teams that support ALDO’s international businesses, developing markets, merchandising and training at franchise stores, along with omnichannel transformaiton, while ensuring alignment with the company’s business model.

Excerpts from an interview:

For me, success is reaching your full potential in all aspects of life and not only in your job, finding joy and contentment along the way. More than just about your own success, it’s being a force for good, inspiring and uplifting others who find success in turn.

I have never had just one mentor who guided me. I believe each person can inspire and teach you a super power, so in that sense, many people have mentored me and inspired me.

For example, my father, who had a consulting company, taught me the principles of integrity and hard work. What defines a man is not what he accomplishes but what he stands for.

I love reading and have learnt a lot that way. Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective people or Good to Great by Jim Collins are examples of books that have helped me a great deal in my professional life.

Lately, Aldo Bensadoun, founder of the ALDO Group, has shown me that passion for what you do is ageless! His relentless pursuit of excellence and how he works with love and respect for others is truly inspirational.

I originally thought I was going to be an engineer, but when I took my first business class, I discovered a world that combined both creativity and problem-solving techniques and called on both left and right brain functions. I remember the project was we had to create a business case. I launched a small catering company as cooking was my passion, and it went well and led me to greater jobs. When I started studying marketing, it ignited a passion in me. Discovering who the consumer is, what they desire and how to speak to them – it’s exciting.

My foundation is my faith, my friends my family. I have two wonderful daughters, aged 15 and 14. It’s what keeps me calm in the face of any storm.

They go hand-in-hand, but we always need attitude. Aptitude without the right attitude means no learning spirit and ability to lead others. They will actually start to discourage others. Competence and the right attitude mean you can learn anything.

ALDO values are to be a force for good. It‘s about the social compliance of factories, how we treat our teams, partners and our consumers with love respect and integrity, and our sense of responsibility towards social and environmental concerns that relate to our planet.

We are focused on reducing our carbon emissions, a key aspect to our climate strategy. Our ambition is to achieve net-zero emissions (Net 0) by 2050. On top of that, since 2020, all our Call It Spring products are PETA-approved Vegan, a seal of trust which we’re immensely proud of.

Earlier this fall, we launched our newest footwear innovation: Pillow Walk technology. With Pillow Walk, we wanted to address a few things: first we know there’s a pent-up demand for dress, but customers still desire comfort.

Second, ALDO’s always been known as a top destination for dress, but with Pillow Walk we’re re-introducing ourselves as a company that can do both, producing beautiful footwear that you also don’t want to take off. The technology we’ve developed is a moulded sock foam that provides extra padding at the heel and ball of the foot that helps provide comfort. Imagine looking great and feeling great day to night.

Every month, I review where I am with my goals in the different aspects of my life. I’ve learnt over time to accept that it will never be perfect – and that’s ok! As long as I try some adjustments the following month! It’s a journey.

I love working out one hour every day. Bike, hike, walk dog, kayak, run, spend time with my kids – I need to be active.

I wanted to be a chef growing up, so I do a lot of the cooking on the weekend. Cooking for family and friends and spending time is a great way to relax and I love the quality time of gathering for a meal.