Executive Program in El Gouna Egypt

This experiential program provides a combination of benefits that no other senior executive program can claim. This is a comprehensive management program that incorporates world-class faculty with a blend of traditional and team-based learning.

By attending this program, you will:

• Improve management, decision-making and leadership in times of digital, economic and social disruption
• Discover how to use data to enhance strategic decision-making in an increasingly complex and evolving digital environment
• Develop tactical innovation tools that will help leverage outside perspectives for insights and new ideas
• Acquire the analytical frameworks to increase ROI and improve your decision-making process based on customer insights
• Learn how to anticipate disruptive market changes and act with strategic agility
• Discover what financial lessons can be drawn from recent crises to better prepare for future economic risks and operational challenges
• Learn best practices in behavioral science and negotiation techniques and develop frameworks for making sound decisions
• Identify, replicate, and nurture high-performance behaviors and work groups throughout the organization

World-Class Guest Speakers

This program features world-class guest speakers; 2024 guest speakers will be announced in fall 2023. 

Past guest speakers have included Raghuram Rajan, the Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at Chicago Booth and one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.

Why Attend?

• Experiential Learning: Experiential learning, or simply known as learning by doing, is woven throughout the program. In the serene setting of El Gouna, executives will have the opportunity to collaborate on teams and engage in activities that bring concepts to life outside of the classroom.
• Exclusive Speakers: The program includes distinguished global leaders as keynote and dinner speakers. They will inspire and motivate participants to reach their highest potential. The speakers present topics that will augment and align with the classroom learning experience. 
• Group Projects and Collaboration: Participants will learn from each other, from practitioners, and from faculty. Group activities throughout the program help increase collaboration and decision-making in a team environment. To reinforce the curriculum and apply it to future real-world challenges, participants will work in mixed public/private sector groups on a final group project, culminating in a presentation at the end of the program.
• Networking: Participants will experience not only high-impact learning but also social activities over the course of the program. Participants will have the opportunity to join group dinners and receptions, and connect with each other even after the program ends.
• The Chicago Approach^TM: Booth's approach to business education has yielded some of the most groundbreaking business insights and advances in the 20th and 21st centuries. You'll learn multidisciplinary frameworks that will empower you to define problems, ask better questions, and develop better solutions. You'll be able to turn business challenges into opportunities, in any industry, anywhere in the world.

This program is designed for senior-level executives in charge of creating value for their organizations. This program brings public and private sector leaders together; the class size is around 50 executives split between public and private organizations. A variety of industries are represented.

The program is an excellent fit for executives who are responsible for enhancing their organizations by combating competition and market disruption, leading digital transformation and innovation, working with policymakers and government officials, evaluating new ventures, managing change or improving the growth of the organization.

Recommended Profile:

• 12 years plus work experience (many participants have 15-20+ years of experience)
• English language proficiency
• Senior executives (responsible for leading and/or managing a large team)
• Individuals identified as high-performers within their organization
• P&L owners, responsible for strategic direction of department and/or business unit, managing line of business or multiple lines of business, country manager, regional head (MENA)
• Many participants hold an MBA or Master's degree

Recommended private sector titles include Head of Strategy, Head of Innovation, EVP, SVP, Managing Director, Senior Director, General Counsel, Executive Director, Division President, Country Manager, etc.

For public sector executives, titles may include Vice Minister, General Manager, Chief of Cabinet, Advisor to the Ministry, Assistant to the Minister, Dean of Faculties, Director, Undersecretary, and Deputy Minister.

Each applicant must be nominated by their employer in order to be considered for the program.

The curriculum blends traditional and experiential learning to illustrate the challenges and opportunities facing industries in today’s growing markets. While the program includes concepts and business cases from businesses around the world, the curriculum is specifically designed for the region.

Program Core Sessions

• Know the Business: Financial Statements*
• Strategic Risk Management and Financial Fragility
• Driving Innovation and Change in Organizations
• High-Performance Leadership
• Innovation Leadership
• Executing Breakthrough and Disruptive Innovation
• Strategic Project Management
• Behavioral Economics
• Negotiations and Decision Making
• Artificial Intelligence and New Analytical Methods
• Marketing Analytics for Growth

*Virtual sessions held May and June 2024

I wouldn’t call the Chicago Booth Executive Program just a program! It was a two-week journey for a truly beneficial learning experience. The uniqueness of the journey is not only in the provided material, but it is also about the people, both on the teaching and learning sides. I find it an epic opportunity to gather this public/private sector group of participants and get them to share experiences and lessons learned together. I am grateful to be part of this cohort, and I consider myself lucky to be in this group.
—Mary Safwat, Head of Fintech Enablement Office, Central Bank of Egypt

It is not just the experienced instructors or the rich materials and intellectual discussions that made this program unique. The diversity of backgrounds and the excellent carefully selected participants made the overall experience an incredible learning experience with a lot of values to take home. 
—Haitham Hamza, Under Secretary of MOHESR, Ministry of Higher Education

It was amazing to have the opportunity to learn on campus in El Gouna from the University of Chicago Booth professors networking with Egypt’s future leaders from the public and private sectors. Sharing real-life experiences was magnificent. It was an experience that no one should miss.
—Mohamed El Khouly, Head of Trading, Misr Digital Innovation

The best thing I got out of the program is the partnerships that were built between the public and private sectors in Egypt at a time when they were much needed. Leadership, empathy, and data-driven analysis are the three main learnings I’m excited to bring back to my workplace, as they will help us cause and command the disruptions needed to create the Egypt we all long for. If I were to recommend the executive program of Chicago Booth to a colleague, I would simply say,  “If you want to build your confidence and strength to make a disruptive and powerful impact, search for the Avengers of Disruption – the Chicago Booth Program – and make it your goal to be a part of their program!’”
—Alaa Abdel-Rahman. Associate Minister of Finance for International Relations, Ministry of Finance, Egypt 

I liked the compelling content and topics covered and how well the organization program was. I benefitted most from the frameworks and will implement what I learned in negotiations. Chicago Booth really met expectations and more.
—Sherif Abdullah, Board Member and CFO, Natural Electricity Technology Company

Very unique experience and truly one of a kind. The teaching staff is amazing, the content is extremely up-to-date, and the organization and the location make it a seamless and enjoyable experience! Most importantly, we built a network that will last a lifetime.—Mohamed El-Shazly, General Manager, Cilantro

In only two weeks, I have gained enormous knowledge and insight into practice and concepts that make a better and more effective leader. I am very enthusiastic about implementing this new knowledge in my workplace as much as possible. At this stage of my career, it was very nice to be back in the classroom and to reflect and learn about things that we do in our everyday business to optimize, perfect, and enhance how we manage and lead our organizations. The network of amazing and exceptionally talented executives and leaders from the private and public sectors I have gained from this program is priceless.
—Manal Abdel-Hamid, CEO, OSL Entertainment Projects

This program provided two important values; long-term insights into strategy planning, innovation and daily skills in the fields of decision making, negotiation and risk mitigation. Highly recommend.
—Sameh Elkaffas, Lecturer of Cardiology, Kaser AlAiny Cairo University

What I like most about this program is bringing together such a large group with different backgrounds. Trying the make the “decision making” link among the different topics was on the challenging side but definitely worthwhile. This program is a great opportunity to touch base on topics away from one’s field of expertise.
—Dalia Abou El Rouss, Corporate Banking Early Warning Signals Head, Commercial International Bank, Egypt

Learnings from fellow participants combined with world class academic instruction provided unique insights. Looking to take back new frameworks on identifying risks and growth opportunities with the team. Once in a lifetime opportunity.
—Amer El Salanekly, Investment Professional, Ezdehar Management

I liked getting to know and apply the University of Chicago approach. I am excited and inspired to take back what I learned about strategy, risk management and leadership. I hope to inspire our company to create higher value based on what I have learned.
—Samy Awad, General Manager, Abco United

I liked the public and private mix. I liked the subjects and materials. I am really excited about the innovation techniques as well as the high performance environment attributes. I would tell my colleagues: ‘It is a life experience.
—Emad Essam Abdel Malek, Country Manager Egypt. BASF Construction Chemicals Egypt SAE

The course is a door (mind) opener, highly recommend! ‘It is a life-changing course’ for my career.
—Ramez Sayegh, Director, Oracom Construction

The private/public sector mix was outstanding. Key learning: we should be stubborn on vision and flexible on details.
—Mohamed AbouShady, Head of Sales & PepsiCo Egypt Business, Pepsi Cola Egypt

This is an exceptional program that brings the best practices of management.
—Karim Elsabee, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Reliance Egypt

If you are an Egyptian government executive, information about the public sector application process is available here.

The Chicago Booth Executive Program is an application-based program and includes a formal admissions process. In order for your application to be considered complete, we require the following to be submitted through our online portal:

1. Required application questions
2. Letter of Recommendation
3. CV/Resume

All application materials are required to be considered for the program.

For more information about the application process and decision dates, please view our application FAQ.