Hany Arram, country manager at Bel: Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is Bel’s country manager for the North East Africa Region, Hany Arram (LinkedIn). Edited excerpts from our conversation:

My name is Hany Arram. I’m the country manager of Bel for the North East Africa region, which includes Egypt, Libya, and Sudan. I joined Bel in 2012 and have since taken on several sales roles across different channels before becoming sales director for around seven years. I’m proud to now be the first Egyptian to lead the company since it was established here 26 years ago. Before joining Bel, I worked at Nestlé in both its dry goods and ice cream divisions. I was born in Cairo and hold a bachelor’s degree in marketing and international business. I was just blessed recently with my first baby girl, Kaya. She’s completely changed my world and my routine.

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As a leader, my main responsibility is to set the vision, then turn that vision into action to deliver the growth we want. We’re a purposeful company, and being the first Egyptian in this role increases my responsibility to my country and local communities. I support and drive the team’s work across inclusion, digitalization, and environmental initiatives.

Bel is a French, family-owned company founded in 1865 and is a global leader in healthy cheese and fruit- and plant-based snacking — an area we’ve been expanding for the past three years. Our mission is to provide healthier food for all, and that mission informs hard decisions we sometimes make at the cost of profitability. For example, in areas like Sudan, we’ve borne financial burdens to keep products flowing because we believe in “for all, for good.” Bel was also the first company to put cheese into portioned formats — an invention intended to make nutritious food more accessible.

Affordability is the biggest challenge in our markets. It is not easy to maintain Bel’s high standards while adapting to regional economic pressures. We’re currently developing a new product at EGP 5, down from our current lowest price of EGP 35, to make our cheese accessible to more people. In Egypt, we operate a factory in Tenth of Ramadan, producing spreadable cheese wedges under brands like Kiri, La Vache Qui Rit, and Abu Al Walad. Egypt is becoming our regional export hub, and we currently supply 19 countries across the Middle East and Africa.

Purpose isn’t just a slogan for us, it’s something the whole team believes in. One very important initiative is Brighter Future, which provides training and permanent jobs for young people leaving care institutions. These are individuals who often don’t get to choose their own paths after leaving institutional care, and we wanted to change that. We partnered with McDonald’s Egypt, HyperOne, and the French NGO Samusocial International to provide 45k training hours and 1.5k jobs. Our first batch has just graduated, and all participants received job offers on the spot. For many participants, this was the first time they could choose their own future.

Another major program is our collaboration with the Egyptian Food Bank, through which La Vache Qui Rit provides daily nutritional support and educational programs to children. Two spreadable cheese wedges cover a child’s essential daily nutrients — calcium, iron, and other essential nutrients. We’ve distributed 250k portions to rural Upper Egyptian schools while providing daily supplies to El Nas Hospital. We also work with the Food Bank to teach children about healthy eating through interactive storytelling, helping them make better food choices.

On the trade side, our Enaya program supports small retailers. The first phase, launched in 2020, provided medical ins. for traders and their families, worth about EGP 60 mn. The second phase, in partnership with Fawry, now offers microloans from EGP 5k to 115k — helping traders stock products and stay in business despite the economic climate.

We’re also cutting our environmental footprint and localizing supply as much as possible. Some 90% of our packaging is now made from recycled materials, and we’ve localized much of our supply chain. We also partnered with Danone to share distribution fleets in rural areas, which reduces emissions while expanding reach.

There are three major trends that are shaping our industry today. The first is economic pressure, which is not exactly a trend but more of a reality. It’s pushing us to innovate in packaging and formats to keep products affordable. The second is the rise of health-conscious, on-the-go snacking, especially among Gen Z. We’re growing our plant-based and healthy snack portfolio to meet that demand, which could be expensive to source and produce. The third is the post-Covid out-of-home eating. People are eating out more than ever — and Kiri has become a staple ingredient in cafes and bakeries. From cheesecakes and sushi rolls to cream cheese croissants, Kiri is everywhere.

Since my daughter was born, mornings have been a bit unpredictable. On a typical day, I wake up around 6:30-7:00am, do some light exercise, and have breakfast with my family. I like to have my morning coffee with one piece of La Vache Qui Rit while reading EnterpriseAM. Since I live in Sheikh Zayed and commute to New Cairo, I try to get some work done at home before heading to the office to avoid traffic. I use that quiet time to focus on tasks that need full concentration before the workday chaos begins. Later at work, I have Babybel cheese as a snack to stay energized.

The one constant in my day is people. I make work calls on my way to the office and personal calls to family or friends on the way back. No matter how busy the day gets, people are always at the center of it.

I plan my days the night before. I write everything down — sometimes in a notebook, sometimes digitally. Before I end each day, I write down everything I need to do the next day, including things to follow up on, meetings to prepare for, and even small reminders. This helps me stay focused and clear-headed.

Professionally, my focus is on achieving Bel’s vision. I am in charge of growing the business while deepening our footprint across the region. Personally, I’m working on becoming a better version of myself — especially as a new father. I want to be a role model for my daughter.

I don’t really believe in work-life balance anymore — it’s more about work-life harmony. We’re always connected via mobile and can work from many places, so it’s about managing energy, knowing when to stop and when to recharge. If I’m highly stressed, I go to the gym or exercise. Otherwise, I observe my energy levels and give myself breaks when needed. I don’t think the strict nine-to-five model fits anymore.

When I need to switch off, I play sports — swimming, golf, and horse riding. When I need to take a break or get away from stress, Gouna is definitely my go-to destination. Whenever I can, I escape there, take a boat out, and completely unplug.

A book that I always go back to is Atomic Habits by James Clear. It’s simple but powerful. It shows how small, consistent steps can lead to big change. I also listen to a lot of podcasts, either on the way to work or while I’m at the gym. My favorites are The Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett, ABtalks by Anas Bukhash, and CEO Level.

The best advice I’ve ever received is “lead people the way you would like to be led.” It is not just advice, but something I live by. If you pause before making a decision and ask if you’d want this to happen to you, it will completely change how you lead. For me, trust and empathy are everything. Your team needs to know you have their back, and you need to trust them to take ownership. That’s how real leadership and lasting impact happen.

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