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The Future Belongs to Leaders Who Listen — Sherif M. El Sherif, Managing Director, Olayan Group
In this episode, Ashish Tulsian sits down with Sherif M., MD at Olayan Group, to explore his three-decade journey building iconic brands like KFC, Wimpy, and Burger King. Sherif shares powerful lessons on people-first leadership, scaling culture across 40,000+ employees, and staying relevant to Gen Z and Gen Alpha through gaming, delivery, and local innovation.
Sherif M. El Sherif
Managing Director, Olayan Group
Sherif M. El Sherif is a seasoned F&B leader and managing director at Olayan Group, where he oversees powerhouse brands like Burger King, Texas Chicken, and Buffalo Wild Wings across the Middle East. With over three decades in the industry, including 25 transformative years at Americana, Sherif is renowned for his people-first leadership, strategic vision, and ability to blend culture with operational excellence to build enduring, future-ready restaurant brands.
In this episode, Ashish Tulsian sits down with Sherif M., Managing Director at Olayan Group, to unpack his extraordinary 30-year journey shaping some of the world’s most iconic restaurant brands from Wimpy and KFC at Americana to Burger King, Texas Chicken, and Buffalo Wild Wings today.
Sherif shares powerful lessons from 25 transformative years at Americana, where a people-first culture, with employees prioritized above shareholders, has built a fiercely loyal workforce and achieved industry-leading success. He opens up about leadership philosophies, scaling compassion across 40,000+ employees, and why “do right by people and run the business with discipline” remains his guiding principle.
The conversation dives deep into the future of the food industry, from winning over Gen Z and Gen Alpha through gaming, delivery, and localized menus to balancing empathy with execution in a fast-changing world. Along the way, Sherif reveals personal stories, leadership insights, and bold ideas that continue to shape the next era of global restaurant brands.