My Morning Routine: Hesham Radwan, general manager of Danone Egypt

Hesham Radwan, general manager of Danone Egypt: 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 Hesham Radwan (LinkedIn), general manager of Danone Egypt.

Edited excerpts from our conversation:

I’ve spent more than 25 years in business, 18 of them at Danone. Following my graduation from the American University in Cairo in 2001, I took on marketing, sales, and consulting roles at companies including Procter & Gamble, Nestle, and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) before joining Danone. I’ve watched the company grow in Egypt almost from its founding stage, an experience that’s made Danone part of my personal and professional identity.

As general manager, my main job is to ensure our team has a motivating environment to grow in, one that gives them a sense they’re contributing something useful to society. I’m also the link between our parent company’s global strategy and our local execution, translating that strategy into projects on the ground. That means guiding the team, providing training, and having the courage to try new things in our challenging market.

Danone meets a basic need: healthy food. What sets our story apart in the Egyptian market is our focus on a “dual project” that ties economic performance to community development. We don’t just sell yogurt; we offer solutions to local health problems like anemia and iron deficiency in children, and we support digestive health and hydration. We’re also proud of community initiatives like the Omda Project, which has enabled small distributors in villages and given them sustainable work prospects.

Prioritizing healthspan over lifespan is the most interesting shift in the market today. Consumers are seeking real nutritional value for their money and increasingly favoring products that fit an on-the-go lifestyle. We’re steering our innovation toward that demand, including higher-protein products. If we don’t keep pace with this shift, our impact on the market will decline.

I wake up very early, usually between 6:30 and 7am. I keep my morning pace slow and reserved for myself before the rest of the family wakes up. I start with meditation and a moment of gratitude, then play a light phone game called Kingshot. After that, I spend 15-20 minutes catching up on news on X, have breakfast with my wife, and go over the daily schedule before heading to work. During my commute, I listen to music and check in with the team.

I read EnterpriseAM to keep up with the regional business and finance market. It gives me a clear view of what’s happening, but what really draws me in is the human side. Features like this one let me see CEOs and business leaders as regular people with their own interests and routines, which keeps me connected to the business community in a more grounded way.

A typical workday starts when I get to the office, but I don’t head straight into meetings. I like to sit on the terrace first, have Turkish coffee, and chat with the team. My day is a mix of scheduled and unscheduled meetings, but I always leave 10-15 minutes between them to recharge and protect my creative capacity.

To stay organized, I rely on scheduling my main tasks and meetings weeks ahead on my calendar. I avoid heavy meals during work hours, sticking to light snacks to keep my energy up, and constant back-and-forth with colleagues in the office also helps me stay on track.

The one constant in my day is an Activia yogurt and a multivitamin. This habit matters to me for digestive health, which I consider the body’s second brain, and I treat it as a daily investment I won’t skip.

On a professional level, I’m always looking to take on greater responsibility, and I wouldn’t mind seeing Egypt become a regional hub for the Danone group serving other markets, should the chance arise.

Personally, I’m a father to Hassan, 10, and Alia, two and a half, and I hope they grow up to make a real difference in the world around them. I’m also a loyal Zamalek fan, and nothing makes me happier than watching a match or cheering Hassan on at his junior league football games.

Work-life balance isn’t a phrase I like. I don’t see them as opposites that need balancing. Work, family, health, and mental wellbeing are all just components of the same life. My routine stays flexible and open to emergencies; a family situation might interrupt my work, and an exceptional work circumstance might interrupt my family time. What matters most is being aware of the tradeoffs we make and accepting that no one gets it 100% right.

I switch off from work the moment I get home. I set aside 15-30 minutes of quiet time to shed the day’s stress and recharge, no phone, no conversation, just clearing my head and going over my day. It leaves me with peace of mind and positive energy before I join my family. Lately, I’ve picked up the drums and I’m learning alongside my son.

I’d recommend reading “The Forty Rules of Love” by Elif Shafak. It got me thinking about spirituality and the importance of intuition. In business, we can’t rely on numbers alone; we need instinct and a clear conscience to make good decisions. I don’t really follow TV series on my own, only whatever my wife is watching, but I love historical documentaries like Age of Samurai for broadening my perspective.

“Life is a school we never graduate from until we die.” I read that line decades ago in Rose El Youssef magazine, and it still reminds me that no matter how much experience I gain, there’s always something new to learn. It keeps me open to other people’s differences, whether in culture, class, or background, and helps me see mistakes as opportunities to grow rather than setbacks.