CAIRO: When Dina Abdel Hadi started her career in Proctor and Gamble (P&G) she became the first woman, regionally, to work in the sales domain. A decade later she is running, in partnership with her husband, ProAct World, a multinational marketing company,while taking care of her two children and participating in a community service organization that she founded.
Among her many accomplishments, she was the first to receive the prestigious American University in Cairo award, the Parents’ Association Cup; career wise, she was the first woman to work in sales in the fast-moving consumer goods market and the only one to reach a management position in the field; she was also the first woman to receive the P&G Sales Masters Award; additionally, Abdel Hadi was among four Egyptian women chosen to participate in MEET U.S. executive program, held in the United States this year.
While she has stood out of the crowd in many ways, in the realm of private business, her story is that of collaboration and support. She and her husband, Shehab Helmy, founded ProAct World and gradually expanded to cover different Arab countries. “We are partners everywhere.We plan together for the family and business and split the roles.
Abdel Hadi credits her achievements to her husband’s understanding and appreciative character, not just at home but at work as well.”The synergy of our brains, skills and expertise get us where we want to be. “We had a dream of having our own business, she said, “When the time was right we decided that he was the one who would go for it while I remained in my job for some time to provide the stability and security.
ProAct World was founded in 1998.Abdel Hadi joined later as she was taking care of their two children – their second was born one year after the company was established. She first began work in 2001 but considers her “actual full time, full blast work as starting in 2003.
“We are a real team in every step, Abdel Hadi noted,”Now with the expansion of the business to the Gulf region, I am handling the Egyptian business while he is based in the U.A.E. for the business there.
ProAct World offers marketing services, with a focus on direct marketing – its list of clients includes P&G, Exxon- Mobile and Jaguar to name a few. “Our mission is to help organizations succeed and add value by. helping them communicate with the people, mainly through successful oneto- one communication campaigns in the field, via phone, mail, or any other media, Abdel Hadi explained.
The company also offers socially beneficial services. “We launch direct marketing campaigns that educate and change, not just advertise, she said referring to how the marketing plans of certain products are accompanied by campaigns that educate consumers – for example a diaper brand might teach mothers about their and their babies’ proper health care.
“It is a tough field but I truly enjoy it . It is very versatile as we deal with a whole range of different products.Each time we live its story, put ourselves in the shoes of the customer and work as if it was our product, she said.
In 2003 ProAct opened its Dubai office.Along with strong affiliations in Saudi Arabia, the company now offers its services in the Gulf region and has its eyes set on North Africa. In addition, talks are underway for collaboration with European companies.
“We have a vision of being a global company, Abdel Hadi explained,”We very much value doing business in Egypt as it gives us [the] opportunity to learn how real and challenging business can be done. Still, we consider it just the nucleus from which we will move around to explore and enter new markets.
In preparation for executing their global vision, Abdel Hadi and Helmy started building a working philosophy in their Egypt office.Their “unique culture is built on four values: knowledge, ethics, leadership and services, Abdel Hadi explained. She noted the role of technology and keeping up with what the world has to offer to their field. She also pointed to the importance of recruiting the right staff and training them.
Running a multinational company is proving to be a challenge, not just in achieving and maintaining a reputation but on the personal level as well. Abdel Hadi is now based in Egypt and her husband is in Dubai. “It s definitely not a comfortable situation for the family, she said.
“We kid about it now saying we are living on a private split family basis .We sure miss each other. It is very difficult for the kids too… But we know that life is tough and full of sacrifices. We are working hard to change things and bring the family back together.
Traveling back and forth between the two Arab cities is one solution they are trying as she is currently in Dubai. Meanwhile, Abdel Hadi is doing her best to benefit from the situation. “I have learned to find solutions to manage things despite the geographic barriers and use the maximum of things like technology, she explained.
This isn’t the only seemingly problematic situation that Abdel Hadi has turned into a positive learning experience. On the professional side, the ups and downs of the economy (usually corporations cut their marketing and advertising budgets as soon as they face financial challenges) have led the company to develop new services and techniques as protection against market variations; ProAct World will soon offer services that customers don’t usually request as part of expanding their line of work.
As a woman doing business in a male-dominated field, Abdel Hadi learned a lesson early in her career. “Nobody would think of my gender if I dictate my personality and character, she explained. “Even the ‘galabeya’ wearing ‘me’alems’ learned to appreciate me for who I am and respect my mind and personality. It is only if we send the signals that we are the weaker partners that we get treated this way.
She also points to the upside of being an Arab business women, saying her achievements are usually recognized and appreciated more than men with similar success stories.
However, the obstacle that career women usually face is not at work as much as in their homes, Abdel Hadi noted. “There is an issue I see with many men in our region – that they are afraid of women with character. They would rather marry somebody with no personality than get themselves an ‘equal’ as a life partner, she explained,” Then when it happens and they get married, they are expected to do everything so perfect at home, as if they don t do [anything] else.
“I don t want to enter into the debate of should women work. I am a very religious person. But I have a liberal point of view when it comes to women’s status in Islam. I respect women who decide to stay home,but I think the society should give those who decide to prove themselves in the workplace a chance.
An understanding husband, combined with her efficient character that “appreciates the value of each minute, allows Abdel Hadi to take care of a family (as a mother and as a wife), run a business, fulfill other social obligations and find the time to found and work in a community service organization called Omar’s Box.The organization, besides starting small communal projects, promotes the work of other charities and helps them find new ways of giving.
“The combination of a good understanding of my religion . With this efficiency-oriented character, helps me manage my priorities every minute of the day. I don t lose sight of my vision but work well around the strategies and continuously renew my plans. At the end, my life looks to me like a race, definitely in the right direction, tiring, but very rewarding.
