Egypt’s talent market is undergoing a structural shift as employers prioritize productivity, engagement, and skills development in the face of rapid technological change. We spoke with Somaya El Sherbini, co-founder and CEO of Opus Talent Analytics, on the sidelines of the EnterpriseAM Egypt Forum to discuss the firm’s expanding focus on Egypt, how data and science are reshaping talent decisions, where she sees the most compelling opportunities for new ventures, and why she remains cautiously optimistic about the outlook for the year ahead.

EnterpriseAM: So, what is new at Opus Talent Analytics this year?

Somaya El Sherbini: Opus Talent Analytics is a US-based talent management and analytics company with our head office in Dubai. Over the past year, our strongest focus has been Egypt. The talent potential here is significant, both on the employer side and on the candidate side.

We are seeing a wave of interesting jobs open in the market, especially in engineering. Many of our clients want to expand quickly in Egypt, and they want to do it wisely. That means looking at productivity, engagement, intentional skilling and upskilling, and a scientific approach to talent decisions. This is exactly what Opus does. We compare talent profiles, assess job-specific skill sets, measure sentiment, and help employers design stronger people strategies. This has been a major driver of our work in the past year.

EnterpriseAM: If you had to start a completely new business today in a different sector, what would you choose?

SE: Microfinance. The level of inclusion it creates is very compelling. It gives people the chance to become self-employed, to build small savings, to invest in themselves, and to improve their quality of life. When this happens, the entire economic cycle benefits. It opens opportunities, drives spending, and creates independence. It is a field I would be very interested in exploring.

EnterpriseAM: On a personal level, which asset class are you most interested in at the moment?

SE:Technology. I spent most of my career in corporate institutions, and the growth we are seeing in tech today is extraordinary. I am especially interested in the infrastructure that enables AI. These are the tools and systems that allow AI to support businesses of all sizes and in all sectors. We have not scratched the surface yet. I believe this space will grow very quickly in the coming period, possibly within a year or a year and a half.

EnterpriseAM: What exchange rate are you using in your 2026 budget?

SE: We are very positive about Egypt. The trend over the past three months has been encouraging, so we are using EGP 48 in our projections.

EnterpriseAM: How do you plan to finance your growth in 2026?

SE:Our approach has two parts. The first part is co-selling partnerships. These partnerships give us reach into markets that we cannot access on our own. For 2026, I am particularly focused on Africa and we have very clear targets there.

The second part is self-financing. We are investing our own funds to strengthen our technology. We do not build AI. We build the systems that enable talent management. This requires time, investment, and deep expertise from specialists in this field. We are committing our own capital to build that capability.

EnterpriseAM: Has AI influenced your hiring plans in any way?

SE: Our team is intentionally small. I firmly believe that AI does not replace people. It helps them become more capable and more effective.

If you look at a financial analyst, for example, AI can automate spreadsheets, comparisons, and basic analysis. The real value is in interpreting what the numbers mean and looking beyond the model. AI frees time for that deeper work. It will also create entirely new jobs that we do not have names for yet.

When I speak with clients, I always advise them to avoid rushing into eliminating roles. The right question is how to use the institutional knowledge that already exists and scale it through technology.

EnterpriseAM: Are you optimistic, pessimistic, or neutral about the outlook for the next year?

SE: I am cautiously optimistic. There is positive momentum in the market and the signals are encouraging. Clients today are more willing to learn, explore, and invest. This is very different from a year and a half ago when many were saying they did not have the time or the appetite. This shift is driving the optimistic outlook.

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