About Coxswains

Synchronising success since the Nile.

A Cairo-based consultancy and holding company — AI-powered, human-driven — steering ambitious ventures across three industries from one disciplined seat.

Our Story

In rowing — a sport first practised by the Ancient Egyptians along the Nile — the coxswain is the backbone behind any crew's success. Issuing the instructions that harmonise the energies of every rower, they synchronise the collective effort into one beat: a journey that is both faster and smoother.

We took the name because we operate the same way. Coxswains is a consultancy and holding company that owns and runs ventures across three industries — Marketing & Media, Hospitality & Entertainment, and Energy & Industry. We don't chase synergy slides; we carry the risk, hold the equity, and steer.

Human judgment sets the course; AI keeps every stroke in time. That blend — an operator's instinct sharpened by data — is how we turn ambition into momentum for the partners who row with us.

What we believe

How the crew rows.

The ambition, from our executive handbook: to become the region's leading operator at the intersection of marketing, hospitality and strategic trade — connecting ambition with action.

Operators, not advisors

We hold equity and carry the risk. Every venture is one we run, not one we consult on.

AI-powered, human-driven

Models surface the signal; our people make the call — technology with a hand on the tiller.

Measured in outcomes

Every play is built and judged against real return. No vanity metrics, no theatre.

Cross-vertical edge

Marketing, hospitality and energy under one roof — each one sharpens the others.

The Board

The hands on the rudder.

Dr. Hussein El Ghazzawy

Chairman

LinkedIn ↗

35+ years at Schlumberger — Managing Director (Yemen), CEO & Managing Director (UAE), and Vice President & Managing Director for Egypt & the East Mediterranean. M.Sc. Petroleum Science, Ain Shams University. Chairman of Exelore Group FZCO.

Youssef El Ghazzawy

Chief Executive Officer & Founder

LinkedIn ↗

Founder of Cassette and the group's owned-brand portfolio. Google-, Meta- and LinkedIn-certified digital strategist; B.A. Political Science, AUC. Leads strategy and operations across all three verticals.

Aya El Ghazzawy

Vice-Chairman & Chief Strategy Officer

A pioneer in MENA's digital marketing scene; previously headed digital teams at Danish dairy conglomerate Arla and tech-giant Huawei.

The Operating Team

The engine room.

Ibrahim El Sharkawi

Chief Operating Officer

Drives operational excellence across all business lines, ensuring seamless execution. Based in Dubai.

Mohamed El Ghazzawy

Director — Energy & Industry

B.Sc. Petroleum & Energy Engineering, AUC. ExxonMobil into-plane operations at Cairo International; Society of Petroleum Engineers member since 2015.

Hesham Samir Abdelrahman

Chief Financial Officer

Twenty-two years in corporate finance — sixteen at Schlumberger as Finance Center Manager across Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Sudan. US GAAP & IFRS. Manages the group's cash flow, P&L and budgeting.