12 Azza Fahmy
Egyptian Jewelry
Maha ElShinnawy and Mauro F. Guillén
In Egypt, women were not meant to become apprentices in jewelry making, let alone designers and entrepreneurs. Azza Fahmy defied the odds and launched a high-end line of jewelry inspired by local traditions. Her initial success made it possible to expand the business, add new product lines, establish a large factory, and even pursue foreign sales. Rapid growth, however, led to inefficiencies and organizational troubles, which she sought to overcome by appointing an outsider as general manager, who failed to resolve the problems. The founder then delegated day-to-day management to one of her two daughters, while the other assisted with design. Their challenge was to ensure orderly ...
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