Riyad Youssef
I run AI and analytics for one of Egypt's biggest financial companies. Before that, I spent two decades in telecom, tech, and brand management. I like building things that actually get used.
About
Right now I'm building the AI and data layer for a financial services group with millions of customers. That means everything from credit risk models and customer analytics to running LLMs on local hardware because the data can't leave the building.
I've been doing some version of this for 21 years — different industries, different titles, same pattern: figure out what the business actually needs, build it, make sure people use it. I've managed teams of 300+, shipped systems that crunch 60M+ records, and somehow kept things running in production. I also built a BMW tuning shop on the side and serviced 4,000+ cars because apparently I can't stop building things.
I spent most of my career on the business side — sales, operations, brand management — so when I build something technical, I already know what the business actually needs. I don't wait to be told what to implement. I see the gap, I build the solution.
Career
The short version of a long career. Each stop taught me something different.
Contact Financial Holding
Took a blank slate and built the whole analytics function — data pipelines, risk models, AI tools for the business. We run our own LLMs on-site because the regulator won't let customer data touch the cloud. It works.
Access Import
Scaled mobile device sales to 500K+ units a year across brands like ZTE Nubia, RedMagic, and Meizu. Then drove the company's expansion into automotive — secured exclusive partnerships with two car manufacturers for the Egyptian market and represented the company at the Beijing Auto Show 2024.
MotorHeads — BMW Service & Tuning
Built a BMW specialist shop from scratch — maintenance, performance tuning, ECU remapping, engine mods. Serviced 4,000+ BMWs and grew a loyal base of enthusiasts who wanted more than a dealership could offer. Ran it alongside my day job for five years.
ABM
Built ABM's Egypt operation from nothing — just me and an empty office. Ended up overseeing 22 Apple store buildouts, managing 30+ iPros and two area managers, and reporting directly to Apple's regional teams in Dubai and London.
NOOR Telecom
Owned the sales number for the whole company. Landed clients like the New Suez Canal project, Van Oord, and The GrEEK Campus. Grew revenue by 265%, cut service delivery times by 41%, and built the B2B and B2C teams from the ground up.
LINKdotNET / Orange Egypt
Managed six teams with 300+ people through the Orange acquisition. Eliminated a two-month order backlog, optimized DSL delivery, and earned the 'Orange Change Champion' award for contributions to the transition.
Contact Financial Holding
Built the HR and org development function for the automotive arm. Implemented Six Sigma methodologies, put performance reviews and career tracks in place for the first time. A short stint but I learned a lot about how companies actually grow people.
LINKdotNET
My first real job. LINKdotNET was one of Egypt's first ISPs and I got thrown into org design and process work. Learned how to map a broken process, fix it, and convince people to actually follow the new one.
Education
Services
I don't just advise — I build. Here's what I can help with.
I'll help you pick the right models, set up the infrastructure, and get something into production. I've done this with local LLMs on locked-down networks where nothing touches the internet — so cloud or on-prem, I've got you covered.
Pulling data out of messy systems, cleaning it up, and turning it into something useful. Dashboards, customer profiles, risk scores, credit models — the stuff that makes people stop guessing and start knowing.
Most companies have processes that nobody's looked at in years. I dig into them, find where things get stuck, and fix it — sometimes with automation, sometimes just by removing a step that shouldn't have been there in the first place.
I've taken companies from spreadsheets and paper forms to proper data infrastructure. It's not glamorous work, but someone has to migrate the legacy system, train the team, and make sure everything still works on Monday morning.
Dashboards
Real Egyptian public data, turned into something you can actually explore. All built with Chart.js and plain HTML.
Contact
Got something interesting? I'm always up for a good conversation about data, AI, or building things that matter.