[Interview] Walid Amer, Partner & Senior Associate, Elevate Business Consulting, Egypt

Walid Amer is an experienced Certified Management Accountant with proven leadership expertise in assisting others in understanding the instrumental role finance data plays in improving business processes. He is a partner at Elevate Business Consulting.

Could you introduce your company?

Elevate is a boutique business consulting firm that provides Management Consulting and services for startups, existing businesses and government organizations across the MENA region. Our head office is in Cairo, Egypt, with two branches in Dubai and New York.

When was Elevate Consulting founded and by who?

We started operations in 2016, the company then founded and funded by Mr. Mohamed Selim, who is currently its Chairman. Myself and Menna El Alfy are partners in the business.

Please shed light on what exactly your services entail.

We provide a wide range of customized and fully integrated solutions in several areas of practice including but not limited to;

• Feasibility studies and business modeling where we conduct market research and set benchmarks that affect the project, design the financial model, project road map and define main risks.

• Sales and Marketing Consulting. We work on developing the sales and marketing capabilities of our clients and help them set their strategic objectives to reach their full potential.

• Change management which entails predicting, measuring and managing risks associated with change management to gradually and systematically enable efficiency during uncertainty.

• Financial Restructuring & Corporate Reorganizations. Here, we advise companies on financial restructuring and guide on preparation or scrutiny of the company’s ownership and control, with the objective of increasing the value of the firm. We also provide valuation of company assets in short and long term to assess viability of restructuring and project management for the process.

• Turnaround business solutions services in order to provide innovative approaches and versatile solutions to optimize use of resources. Our diverse team uses local and global knowledge to help our clients deliver strategies that are tailor-made to suit their businesses and turn ambition to success.

Who are your clients?

Our clients are mainly Micro Small and Medium sized Enterprises (MSMEs). This is because after a couple of years , MSMEs suffer alot during their operations and get stuck in the areas of business management. During this period, management consulting expertise is paramount to keep their businesses on the go and that is where Elevate comes in. Startups are our other main focus clientele. It is our passion to advise and mentor startups and see them realize their potential.

What are the Unique Selling Points of Elevate Consulting?

In a highly competitive market with hundreds of business consulting firms in the field, Elevate delivers its mandate purely based on its core values which are: Integrity, Engagement, Commitment, Comprehensive Approach, Excellence and Credibility.
True to say that these values have given us an edge in the market and been quite instrumental in our company growth. We intend to continue upholding them religiously.

How has the Egyptian startup industry benefitted from your services since 2016 when you started operating?

Elevate Business Consulting has succeeded in creating a number of success stories. Since inception, we are pleased to have walked hand-in-hand with our clients till they reached their goals satisfactorily. We like to be part of their business story, its a win-win at the end of the day.

We also created PMO offices (Project Management office) within our clients’ orgainzations to make sure the implementation of Elevate output has been achieved and with the required quality.
Furthermore, we provide our clients with a special after-sales service where we keep communication lines open even after the completion of each project, for any inquiries and consultations regarding the implemented consulting mandates. We are really proud that our clients consider us a partner of success.

What are the growth plans of Elevate Business Consulting?

Elevate is looking to extend operations into the East African region in the near future, as well as grow our market in the MENA region. Penetrating other African markets has been our longterm plan since we got started; we are firm believers in the potential on this continent and what the startups and industries have to offer the world.

What does the company need to grow and prosper?

There’s much to do still. We are working on efficient affiliations that can maximize benefits for our clients and help us expand in different areas. We also need to partner in business events that increase the awareness of business management and its effect on operations effciency.
Elevate has global clients and we intend to act as a focal point of intersection between our existing global clients and our potential Africa clients, for mutual benefits.

In what direction will Elevate Consulting be going in 2020?

African expansion is a priority. After a number of economic researches submitted by our experts we will start taking effective actions regarding our presence in Africa next year. Of course getting new projects in the MENA region will continue to be an important part of business in order to keep our sustainblity in the region.
We are also sourcing new partnerships and affiliations, specifically in new countries that can work according to Elevate’s business standards.

What is the latest news from the company?

In September 2019, Elevate business consulting was the main sponsor in “Beyond Outer Space” an event hosted by Lavington SDA church in Kempinski Villa Rose, Nairobi, Kenya. The event was an opportunity for entrepreneurs to interact with acadmeic industry leaders to learn more about the future of Business in Africa.

www.elevateconsultation.com

walid.amer@elevateconsultation.com

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[Interview] Walid Amer, Partner & Senior Associate, Elevate Business Consulting, Egypt

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