Egypt’s Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) Chair, Dr. Mohamed Farid, underscored the central role of governance, gender diversity, and professional development in strengthening Egypt’s financial sector, during his participation in the Executive Education Summit, held on November 22–23, 2025.
Speaking in a high-level session convening senior business leaders, policymakers, and corporate executives, Farid noted that one of the most critical indicators used to assess the regulatory performance of financial companies in Egypt is the strength of their management structures and the representation of women in leadership roles.
He emphasized that meeting minimum requirements in these areas is not merely procedural, but essential to ensuring that the FRA’s regulatory goals translate into real, measurable outcomes inside institutions.
Turning Regulations Into Training and Practice
Farid stressed that the effectiveness of regulatory decisions hinges on companies’ ability to convert them into practical, internal training programs. This step, he said, is vital for embedding professional standards across the sector.
According to Farid, such integration raises:
- Governance quality
- Institutional efficiency
- Compliance discipline
- Employee competency
By ensuring that regulatory directives are transformed into ongoing learning and development initiatives, companies become more resilient, more transparent, and more aligned with international best practices.
A Summit Focused on Leadership, Innovation, and Future Skills
The Executive Education Summit, now a key fixture in Egypt’s leadership-development landscape, brings together executives and decision-makers from across the public and private sectors. The event provides a platform for discussing the future of work, leadership trends, and the evolving skill sets required in fast-changing industries.
The summit’s agenda is built around themes such as:
- Women’s leadership and representation
- Artificial intelligence and technological transformation
- Innovation inside organizations
- Talent retention and workforce competitiveness
These themes highlight the pressures facing institutions as they adapt to global economic changes and rising technological expectations.
Women’s Representation in Corporate Leadership: Significant Gains
A major portion of Farid’s keynote focused on gender diversity and the FRA’s strategy to expand women’s participation in corporate governance.
He highlighted notable progress since 2020, driven by regulatory interventions and leadership training programs:
- Firms with women on their boards increased from 14% to 27%
- The number of female board members rose from 400 to 1,140
Key decisions supporting this shift include:
- Decision 123/2019 and 124/2019 ensuring gender diversity in listed and non-bank financial institutions
- Decision 204/2020 prohibiting gender discrimination in financial services
- Decision 205/2020 offering incentives to companies actively improving gender inclusion
- Cabinet Decision 2479/2018, amended by 3456/2022, strengthening provisions relevant to gender-forward bond issuances within Egypt’s Capital Market Law executive regulations
Farid also announced that the FRA is preparing to launch an upgraded “Women’s Empowerment” mobile application to connect qualified female professionals with board opportunities across the non-bank financial sector.
“The results we see today are the product of sustained regulatory direction, leadership training, and systematic support for women,” he said.
Gen Z and Gen Alpha Are Redefining the Workplace
Turning to the challenges of generational transformation, Farid stressed that institutions must break free from outdated workplace models to attract and retain younger talent.
“Generations Z and Alpha carry different expectations around motivation, belonging, and work culture,” he said. “Leaders must rethink engagement, loyalty, and professional development dynamics.”
He urged organizations to move beyond older assumptions — such as demanding long hours or low pay in exchange for vague long-term experience — and instead adopt innovative tools to build trust, flexibility, and loyalty.
Developing agile, inclusive, and innovative work environments, he argued, is becoming a strategic necessity for the financial sector and for Egypt’s economic future.
Education, Human Capital, and Gender Equity as Strategic Pillars
In closing, Farid reaffirmed that continuous education, women’s empowerment, and investment in human capital are not slogans — they are executable pillars that enable institutions to translate strategy into measurable outcomes.
“These are the elements that ensure organizational resilience and competitiveness in the years ahead,” he said.
