Soha El-Turky, CFO At Banque du Caire, Egypt: An Inspirational Role-Model

Namita Nayyar (WF Team)

5 years ago

A dynamic executive with more than 20 years’ experience in global organizations, spanning Corporate Banking, Retail Banking and FMCG’s. Global experience, having held senior positions in the United Kingdom and Egypt, with exposure to the African and Middle Eastern markets. Diverse, cross-functional background, ranging across Finance, Business Development, Credit Risk and Operational Risk, complemented by a commercially attuned mind-set and an ability to go beyond functional responsibility and drive business strategy. Achievement-oriented leader with a strong execution and delivery focus and a proven track record of functional and business transform.

Namita Nayyar:

In her first ever interview on Women Fitness, she talks about balancing her family & career, diet & fitness routine. You have been listed in the Forbes Top 100 Most Powerful Arab Businesswomen 2017, for your contribution to the Banking and Financial Industry. Growing up what have been your dreams & aspirations? She has also been listed in the Forbes “The Middle East Most Influential Women “in 2018.

Soha El-Turky:

TO be honest, I did not have a grand plan for my future when I was growing up. What I always knew is that I wanted to excel at what I do and stand out. I chose a university and field of study that would maximize my chances of achieving that. I dreamt of having a successful career and building a family, but my aspirations were shaped over time.

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Namita Nayyar:

You have taken over some really challenging roles as the CFO- Corporate Banking at Barclays UK and CFO at Banque Du Caire. Elaborate on the role your family played in helping you build a successful professional career, to achieve great heights?

Soha El-Turky:

My family is the key reason I have been able to progress in my career. From my early days, my parents were very keen on providing me with the best education offered in Egypt and providing me with their full support and that is why I graduated from the American University in Cairo top of my class. My father had a great influence on shaping my vision of the future and my desire to stand out.

I have been married for 22 years and I have two daughters aged 21 and 15. My husband has always been supportive of my career. There were many times when work would be extremely demanding, but he would always encourage me and make me feel like a great wife and mother. My girls are my heroes, they are my biggest fans and they were not too difficult growing up. I have also had a lot of support from the rest of my extended family including my mom, my brother, my in-laws who were there for me especially when my girls were younger and I was juggling work, postgraduate studies and raising children. I am extremely grateful for having them and I would not have made it without them.

Namita Nayyar:

Being a mother, wife, professional and an individual at large, women tend to neglect their health. How do you make sure to take out time for yourself & stay healthy? Proper diet & exercise is essential to lead a healthy life. Share some healthy lifestyle habits you follow at home & work?

Soha El-Turky:

I have learnt over the years that unless I take care of my health, both physical and mental, it would be impossible for me to succeed in my personal life and my career. I try to stick to healthy eating habits. I do not drink coffee, tea or alcohol and I have cut out junk food and minimized my sugar intake years ago. I am not perfect, I still have more work to do to make my diet healthier, but I am exerting a lot of conscious effort to achieve that. I do not exercise as regularly as I would like to. I used to go to the gym and exercise with the help of a personal trainer for years. More recently, I have been swimming, which I found to be the best form of exercise for me. I am also starting Yoga classes this week, which is am looking forward to!

Namita Nayyar:

You have more than 20 years’ experience in global organisations, spanning Corporate Banking, Retail Banking and FMCG’s. With jobs filled with multiple challenges, share some work-life balance management tips to excel?

Soha El-Turky:

One might not be successful at achieving work life balance every single day; sometimes work will take over but at other times, one’s life must be the priority. The trick is to keep that delicate balance.

It is important to take enough breaks and switch off from work to be able to maintain a healthy and content life. I always use all my annual holiday allowance and I make sure I use that to reboot. I do not work weekends unless there is a work emergency, and I generally disconnect from my email while on holiday and count on my team to take care of business. I am very much opposed to the notion that being successful means you cannot take enough time off and must stay in the office for endless hours. There are times when I am completely absorbed by work, but the trick is not to make that the norm.

I enjoy traveling and I make sure I plan trips with my family, with my girlfriends and even alone. It is important to spend time alone, even for an extrovert like myself. Staying close to friends also offers great stress relief for me.

I work from home whenever I can. I do not like staying late in the office, I find it depressing. I often go home, spend some time with the family and then pick up work again if I must. When my girls were younger, I used to take them to swimming practice and work while I waited for them! One must multi task!

I almost never miss a school event or a parent-teacher conference. These are very important to children and it really hurts them when you do not show up.

It is also important to seek employment at progressive organizations dedicated to promoting diversity and work-life balance. Such organizations support both male and female employees at achieving their personal and career objectives.

Namita Nayyar:

Share 5 stress management tips for female professionals, who consider you as their role model, to create a healthy work-life balance?

Soha El-Turky:

Stay in touch with friends and make sure you make time to see them
Take time off for yourself and completely relax. Use the time to clear your mind. Go to a spa or travel for the weekend.
Read a “feel-good” book occasionally. Happy stories lift my mood.
Exercise whenever you can. I found going to the gym or swimming always makes me feel good.
Find a hobby. Find something you’ve always wanted to do and start doing it.

Namita Nayyar:

Presently holding the post of CFO at Banque du Caire, how do you plan to contribute to the banking sector in Arab countries? Any specific initiative to facilitate women clientele?

Soha El-Turky:

Banque Due Caire is one of the largest banks in Egypt. It is on a journey of transformation, and I am very excited to be playing a role in driving its turnaround strategy. The banking industry is being disrupted through technology and innovation and I am hoping to play an active role in helping my organization -and the industry in Egypt at large- to keep up with changing times and transform the way banking is done.

To be able to influence any change one needs to engage with the right stakeholders; whether they are banks, regulators, associations, etc. I am dreaming of working with other industry players on creating a Women’s Network in Egypt (and eventually the region) that aims at connecting women in senior roles in the financial services industry. It would aim at supporting women in building their network, connecting them to other industry players and disrupters, exposing them to the most recent developments affecting the industry and developing their skills and knowledge. My hope is that such an organization would help senior women progress in their careers and have an impactful role in developing the industry. I was privileged to be part of a similar network during the time I worked in the UK and I would love to see it in our part of the world.

Namita Nayyar:

What according to you are top 5 qualities that a business leader must possess?

Soha El-Turky:

Vision: Capable of creating a vision for their teams, obtaining their buy in and leading them on the journey of achieving that vison.
Visible drive: capable of driving change with visible determination to enhance organizational performance
Leader of people: a real leader will focus on developing their people, caring for their well-being and helping them achieve their full potential
Strong value system: uncompromising on values and leads by example
Collaborative: a true leader needs to value team work and collaboration and encourage their teams to do the same.

Namita Nayyar:

Having worked at some of the top managerial roles, do you think the industry is now evolving with more women reaching at higher managerial positions?

Soha El-Turky:

I believe the industry is evolving. It is not where it is supposed to be yet, but it is moving in the right direction. There is an increased awareness of the importance of diversity at senior levels, and I have had the pleasure to sit on executive committees with several other senior female colleagues.

Namita Nayyar:

WF team would love to have your input on Womenfitness.net and message for our visitors?

Soha El-Turky:

The thing I enjoyed most about WomenFitness.net is its comprehensive coverage of aspects that touch every woman’s physical and mental well-being. From exercise to healthy eating to yoga and meditation and many others. And there is something for women of all ages from teenagers to grandmothers. It’s great to be able to get everything you need in one place!