Dr Nihal El Daly | Managing director
Axellerus Consultants

Key areas of expertise Nihal is an accomplished business leader and advisor who was a member of the  Unilever Board for NAMET RUB (North Africa, Middle East, Turkey and Russia, +30 countries, c. USD 4Bn Revenue) for over 5 years of her +20 years career with the company. She was also part of the Global Personal Care Leadership Team for Unilever where she set global priorities and strategies to future-proof the category, building sustainable competitive advantage and setting the growth agenda. Nihal was appointed as the first female, Middle Eastern Vice President in North Africa for Unilever, where she led the Diversity agenda for NAME, advocating the “Business Case for Gender Diversity”.   As Managing Director of Axellerus Consultants, she continues to advise Boards in multiple industries on Strategy, Organizational Transformation, and Diversity and is an Advisor for the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) where she has supported initiatives including the launch of new companies and the re-branding/restructuring of going concerns. Nihal also currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board of the College of Business Administration at the American University of the Emirates, where she supports the Emiratization agenda by helping to develop competitive and future-ready local talent. Nihal is a Guest-Lecturer for The London Business School Executive MBA and a published author.   Key Enablers Nihal is a multi-cultural polyglot with a cosmopolitan education, including schooling in France and India. She is an avid, life-long learner who has degrees from the American University in Cairo (BA and MBA with Highest Honours), and a Doctorate degree from the Netherlands focused on the Sources of Sustainable Competitive Advantage. With a strong growth and resilience mindset, Nihal has successfully navigated businesses through very turbulent circumstances and adverse market conditions such as the Egyptian revolution, the Turkish hyper-inflation and the Russia-Crimea crisis where her portfolios continued to thrive despite the challenges. Nihal has been commended on her “Clarity of Thinking” which enables her to guide Board discussions to stay focused on key priorities and address points of contention positively and productively. Nihal has received multiple awards for her leadership and achievements in Unilever. She is an active Rotarian and a member of the Dubai Business Women Council (Dubai Chamber of Commerce).