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Ahmed Abdel-Latif
MEA Digital Infrastructure Expert | Telco Wholesale Transformation Advocate | Carrier Services Chief Executive | B2B Growth Architect | Emerging Markets Strategist ● Ex-Verizon ● Ex-Etisalat ● Ex-GCX ● Ex-Batelco
Ahmed Abdel-Latif is a highly experienced international telecoms, technology, and digital infrastructure expert with a unique set of skills in corporate development and governance, international expansion and regulatory engagement, partnerships, and strategic business development across South Asia, the Middle East, Levant, and Africa. With a Master of Business Administration in Globalization and distinction from Maastricht School of Management, a Master of Science in Computer Science cum laude from the University of Louisville, and a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications and Electronics Engineering from Ain Shams University with a Very Good (Cumulative) rating, he has built a successful career in executive leadership roles within the international wholesale, digital infrastructure services, cloud IaaS, and B2B technology services sectors.
Previously, Abdel-Latif served as the Former Group Chief Wholesale Officer and Vice President for various esteemed organizations, including Batelco, Global Cloud Xchange, Etisalat, and more. As a Senior Advisor at Available, Abdel-Latif leads the International Carrier Services and B2B Digital Infrastructure department. He is highly skilled in managing Digital Transformation initiatives with measurable deliverables and targeting high-growth niche markets with strategic development programs. In his previous roles, Abdel-Latif was instrumental in building revenue pipelines, developing vision for future growth, leveraged strategic infrastructure investments for cross-border regional competitive advantages, and more.
With a dedication to transparent corporate governance and proactive risk management, Abdel-Latif is committed to delivering excellence in execution and closing mega deals repeatedly. His areas of interest include building profitable recurring revenues from infrastructure assets within B2B markets, driving cost optimization through consolidation and integration in group operating environments, and ensuring transparent corporate governance and proactive risk management.
Highlights
Here are the key takeaways from my FDC Summit panel discussion on May 21st (titled "𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴"):
◉ Sustainability is not a fuzzy concept to talk about at cocktail parties. For Egyptian Digital Infrastructure investors, it is a core enabling principle and can be an important contributor to a project's success.
◉ While the environment is the ultimate goal, sustainability is really about cold hard cash. The link between the two is finally becoming well-understood and so the next step the industry is struggling with is to have sustainability baked into all corners of the Egyptian digital ecosystem.
◉ There are two ways in which an Egyptian Data Center (the cornerstone of a modern digital ecosystem) can extract financial synergies from adopting a solid sustainable management framework:
♜ 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘀: This vertical mechanism is actioned between a DC operator and the environmental regulatory authorities, where the savings in CO2 emissions that the DC achieves (through better cooling water circulation, more efficient waste management, and electric energy conservation) can result in lowering their carbon footprint and hence, they will need to buy less and less carbon credits to keep their DC running. This is a cost-saving that is dependent on the regulators' strategy & environmental roadmap.
♞ 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀: This horizontal mechanism is actioned on a Private-to-Private basis between the DC operator and other entities in the economy that contribute to carbon capture & storage activities (mainly biologically via forestry projects, but geological sequestration is another option). These carbon offset certificates can be traded between participants in the digital economy to lower overall emissions.
◉ Egyptian DC operators need to start plugging themselves into the global carbon trading industry & platforms, as their local activities can be traded internationally and secure US$ revenues from peers in other markets or international environmental organizations.
◉ There are gaps in the environmental management & carbon trading value chain for new entities to fill, like inspection professionals, certification agencies, carbon trade experts, and so on. Each one of those segments is a value-add to the Egyptian economy.
◉ The Egyptian Capital Market Regulator (FRA) took a bold step forward with the issuance of a landmark decree in January capturing the rules governing the trading of voluntary carbon offset certificates. Now all industry stakeholders have to build on that and develop plans to leverage this regulatory framework; with an eye on international partnerships.
There is a lot of work to be done on the sustainability front and Egypt - being a large emerging market - has tremendous growth potential.
Onwards & upwards, Egypt!
#FDC2024 #FDCSummit #Egypt #Ecosystem #Technology #Sustainability #CanWeGetSeriousNow
My thoughts on the strategic standing of Egypt's Digital Ecosystem.
The motivation behind this effort is the gap in published information on this topic. I was inspired to put this together by recent discussions I was privileged to have with key stakeholders at a recent industry event.
There is never going to be a consensus on any SWOT analysis, and this one is no exception. Egypt has such a complex economy and so many stakeholders, that a comprehensive digital ecosystem analysis can be only properly covered within a book or a PhD thesis, not an article.
Still one must try.
I am comfortable with this analysis and feel it provides a good starting point to a wider discussion on this worthy endeavor.
#Egypt #DigitalInfrastructure #Ecosystem #Technology #Innovation #Strategy #MEA #CanWeGetSeriousNow
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Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
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Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Mesh is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Mesh as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Mesh offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
Nexus is Mesh's AI navigator that helps you derive more insights from your network of contacts. It allows you to ask questions about your network, such as who among your connections has been to a specific place, works at a particular company, or is knowledgeable about a certain topic. Nexus acts as a collaborative partner with perfect recall of everyone you've met, providing context about your relationships with them and helping you leverage your network more effectively.
Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
Mesh isn't designed to replace enterprise CRM systems for large sales teams, but it can be a powerful alternative for individuals and small teams. Many people use Mesh instead of Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive. Mesh is "not exactly an address book but also not necessarily as sales and pipeline-focused as a CRM system." The founders refer to their app as a "home for your people," carving out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. For solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams focused on relationship quality rather than sales pipelines, Mesh can absolutely serve as your primary relationship management tool.
Mesh is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
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User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.