AI, governance, and resilience: What leaders prioritized at the 7th AUC Business Forum

For executives today, disruption is no longer confined to technology or markets. It increasingly stems from policy shifts, regulatory volatility, and the accelerating influence of artificial intelligence. At the 7th AUC Business Forum, hosted by Onsi Sawiris School of Business, conversations spanning AI, governance, and institutional durability converged on a shared conclusion: leadership must evolve as quickly as the systems it oversees.

One of the clearest signals came from the AI-Powered Marketing roundtable, where speakers argued that AI adoption is less about tools and more about how organizations rethink decision-making and customer engagement. Rasha Saleh, Managing Partner at Flavor Republic and Instructor at ExecEd, stressed that “AI is inevitable, but we are in control. The important thing is to continue to humanize marketing and communications.” Other speakers cautioned that many organizations are still underutilizing AI’s strategic potential.

The implications extend well beyond marketing functions. As May El Gammal, Group Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at EFG Holding, noted, “AI is revolutionizing how industries function today. Business schools have a responsibility to rethink how modules and curricula are taught.”

Framing this response, Amira Metwally, Manager, Marketing Programs, ExecEd, reinforced the school’s broader mandate: “We are not a cheat-sheet of AI tools; instead, we deliver a mindset of learning.” She underscored ExecEd’s role in bridging academia, technology, and practitioners, preparing leaders to adopt AI with discernment and accountability.

The discussion ultimately widened from technology to policy and governance risk. Sharyn L. O’Halloran, Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, noted that “the most expensive disruptions today are policy-driven.” In a world defined by tariffs, sanctions, and regulatory volatility, resilience depends not only on operational efficiency but on strategic foresight and institutional adaptability.

From an industry perspective, Wassim El-Metwally, Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer at Al Baraka Bank Egypt, echoed this shift. “Banks are becoming more resilient to disruptions,” he said, noting that institutions are increasingly assessing geopolitical risk, supply chain dependencies, and country exposure alongside financial efficiency.

From AI adoption to governance discipline, the forum highlighted a defining leadership challenge: organizations must build institutions capable of adapting as quickly as the technologies and political environments shaping them.