Youssef El Akkad, head of operations at AK-Ships: 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 Youssef El Akkad (LinkedIn), head of operations at AK-Ships.

My name is Youssef El Akkad. I'm 29 years old. I was born and raised in Alexandria, but moved to Boston when I was 18 years old, where I studied mechanical engineering for five years. I then spent a year working in New York, before coming back here and working in the shipping logistics industry for a few years. I then decided to pursue data analytics and modern AI development by completing a master's degree at the NYU Stern School of Business in 2023, but I’m back again.

Now I’m with AK-Ships.  We’re technically a startup, but we’ve been present in the market for a while. We want to shape our future using advanced tech solutions and, at the same time, add value to the shipping sector in Egypt and the Middle East in general.

I’m the head of operations at the company, so my job is divided into three main parts. There’s the analytical part, which entails monitoring the performance of our fleet. We currently have three container vessels trading in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and domestically in Egypt. The second part of my job is the financial part, which involves monitoring the budget, making sure that the owners are satisfied with the expenses, minimizing inefficiencies, and making sure that we achieve financial gains from our vessels near the end of their lifecycle. The last part of my job is regulatory compliance — that is, making sure that we’re operating in compliance with international maritime standards.

You need to have multiple decision makers within each department because you need to make sure that everyone understands what the goal is — what the vision is. So we decided to establish AK-Ships, which is a tech-based ship management company.

Our vision for 2030 is to become the leading ship management company in North Africa and the Middle East. Right now, we're trying to break into other markets by targeting other ship owners, different operators, and becoming a regional player, rather than focusing on our in-house ownership model.

The main change in the industry is, of course, the emphasis on emissions and decarbonization. We’re currently experiencing a problem of supply and demand in the shipping industry, as there's a surplus of outdated container vessels. Now you see lots of shipping lines and major operators looking toward the new build vessels that are capable of utilizing the alternative fuels like green hydrogen, methanol, etc.

I also think that in order to be able to add value, you need to invest in data analysis coupled with software and tech solutions, and not just continue to operate using the same workflow that has been used for the past 20 years. We now have plenty of different types of software that we use to optimize our operations and maximize efficiency.

The morning routine question is the most difficult one for me. For me, every day is different from the next. It really depends on the needs of the day, and how late I stayed up the previous night. Sometimes I wake up early, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I have breakfast, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I go running, sometimes I don’t. Generally, though, I like to meditate in the morning, and maybe put on some music. The most important thing for me is to have a conversation with myself every morning to organize my thoughts.

There are two constants in my day — coffee and prayer. That’s about it.

I read Enterprise every morning, sometimes in the car when I’m not driving, or when I get to the office and check my email. I usually start with the AM editions and then check Enterprise Logistics when there are important developments that affect my area of work.

I usually work from 9am to 7pm. My mornings usually entail following up with departments and doing cross-functional meetings, which I think is important for aligning our goals and strategies. From 2-5pm, I’m usually completing my tasks and my reports, then the last two hours of the workday are where the magic happens. That’s when everyone else is gone and I can be clear-headed and focused — that’s when the good ideas come.

The Notes app is the most important app on my iPhone. It takes up about 80% of my screen time. It has everything, whether it's my bucket list of countries I want to visit, ideas I have for work, projects, groceries, or meeting times. So when I want to identify my goal or what I want to be doing in a given time, I usually look at my last 30 or 40 notes for some direction. That’s how I stay organized and on top of things.

I think balance is variable. It depends on what you’re trying to achieve at a given moment. When I’m obsessed with achieving a particular goal, balance is not in my dictionary.

When I want to relax, I love putting on some headphones and going for a run. I’ve also been taking acting workshops for the last year and a half, and I just finished another one in July. I also read a lot of fashion magazines, and it may be something I want to focus on down the road. The last thing is languages. I’m currently fluent in Arabic, English, and Spanish, and I’ve set a target for 2025 is to speak five languages. Greek or Turkish is next, because I think they’ll add a lot of value for me in this business.

I’ve been listening to a lot of motivational speakers. I’d specifically recommend Wayne Dyer, David Goggins, and Andrew Huberman. As for books, not to sound cliche, but I recently read Atomic Habits and found it super helpful. But my favorite book of all time is The Winner Stands Alone by Paulo Coelho.

The best piece of advice I’ve received came from my brother. He's 24 years old — five years younger, but I really do respect him a lot, both personally and professionally. He told me, “you’re not doing enough.” My brother is the first person to congratulate me when I achieve something, so he knows the potential I have, and he's always telling me if I’m not doing enough or when I get complacent.