Carol Milan, President and Managing Director of Henkel Egypt&nbsp;was NileFM's guest at the "CEO Women" Conference, and she shared her insights on leadership, breaking barriers, and empowering the next generation of women in business.
Carol is a seasoned business leader with over 25 years of experience in local and international markets. She holds a diploma in Business from the Lebanon University of Economics and two master's degrees from ESCP France. She started her career with Henkel in 1996 and began as General Manager of Henkel Lebanon in 2004. In June 2022, Carol became President and Managing Director of Henkel Egypt and Chairman of Henkel Lebanon.
How you would define empowering women in 2024?
In 2024, I think we've come a long way. In my 25 years of experience, I think at the beginning, I had to pick the jobs that would work for me, pick the environment that would be okay for me. But I learned along the way that a lot of men are really creating the right environment for women to flourish. If they didn&rsquo;t, I would have never reached where I am today.
I think I was very lucky to have a lot of men in my life who played a very positive role, starting with my father, who was a big advocate for women reaching out, growing, and studying. In fact, his one condition before I got married was that I complete my education properly and work. My husband continued that support, believing in me in an incredible way, sometimes with ambition for me that was even bigger than my own.
At work, I was blessed to meet many male bosses who saw something in me and pushed me forward. I was determined, resilient, and hardworking; it didn&rsquo;t come just because I'm a woman and they wanted to support me. They saw something in me and supported that. If they had decided to put up barriers, I would not be here today.
So, it&rsquo;s up to us to grow, and there will be many people supporting us. Of course, there were men who were conservative and, at a certain point, did not believe in me, but let's be honest&mdash;there were also women who didn&rsquo;t believe in me. So, let&rsquo;s not stay stuck in the stereotype of "men vs. women."
Luckily, young women today are in a much more advanced environment where they can flourish faster, with policies and strategies that support them. In my time, the support came from individuals themselves, but now there are established structures to help. So, I think we&rsquo;re only advancing in that, and it&rsquo;s up to women to have confidence, and trust, and to work very hard if they choose to build a strong career.
How have you been able to establish your success while breaking barriers from both genders?
There are barriers much stronger than gender when you want to succeed in a significant role.
Gender was one of the challenges, but not the only or the most important one. I was blessed with a good environment, but there are no barriers that can&rsquo;t be crossed if you put your heart and mind to it.
I&rsquo;ve faced a lot of challenges in my life, living in Lebanon, and the Levant, this is an area that has a lot of economic instability, political instability, and security issues, these challenges are much stronger than gender. But you deal with that with faith, by proving to people that you're making it, that you're able to take those challenges and turn them into opportunities, and to reach where you want to reach.&nbsp;
For young entrepreneurs striving to achieve something in any field, what&rsquo;s one piece of advice you would give them for success?
Believe in yourself, keep dreaming, and stretch your dreams, but remember that nothing comes easy. You have to work hard, trust yourself, and never give up.
You&rsquo;ll face many difficulties, and no hill is the biggest one; each hill prepares you for the next. Keep your energy and continue growing.
I&rsquo;d like to end with one quote, if I may, from a children&rsquo;s movie that is inspiring: "Have courage and be kind." This advice is for everyone, men and women.
Have courage because the world requires it, but be kind, as kindness is what helps you grow and positively impact the people and businesses around you.

Carol Milan, President And Managing Director Of Henkel Egypt On Gender Challenges, Breaking Barriers And Creating Opportunities For Young Women In Business

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