Egyptian Reem Asaad, Vice President of Cisco in Middle East and Africa (MEA) was ranked at 39 among Forbes’ top 100 most powerful businesswomen in 2023.

Asaad is the first Female and Arab Vice President at Cisco Middle East, Turkey, and Africa with over 25 years of experience, and responsible for overseeing the work of 2,500 employees and contractors across 74 countries.

The businesswoman has participated in COP27 by sharing her insights on how technology can be used to ensure a green future, as she is a leading one of the most important companies in the field of technology and digital communications.

In March 2021, Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology has appointed Asaad to be a part of the Egyptian Board of Directors for the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA).

Asaad graduated from the University of Houston with a bachelor’s degree in business Administration with a GPA of 3.98 in 1993. She started her career as a technical consultant for 11 years in American International Group (VALIC) shortly after her graduation.

She moved to Egypt in 2005 to work in Raya Data Center for 15 years, becoming a CEO in 2012. In 2017, not only was she a CEO in Raya Data Center, but she also became a Board Member in the company.

In 2020 she moved to United Arab Emirates (UAE) to be the Vice President of Cisco in the Middle East and Africa; she has had her position there for 3 years now.

Reem Asaad