246 - Alain Bejjani on Leading Through Disruption, AI, and the New Realities

Most leadership models assume tomorrow will look like today.

But what happens when war, a pandemic, economic shocks, or AI reshape your market overnight?

In this episode, Andrea Petrone sits down with Alain Bejjani, former CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Group, investor, Shark Tank Lebanon panelist, and author of *NEXT: Leading Through the New Realities*.

Alain led a 50,000-person, multi-billion-dollar group across the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia through a pandemic, oil price collapse, and regional conflict without abandoning his core leadership principles.

They explore why resilience must be built before a crisis, why AI is changing growth and headcount, and why disruption is not the opposite of direction.Key Takeaways:

Why efficiency breaks under disruption, and why redundancy and resilience matter

The COVID decision Alain made as CEO, and how it built long-term trust

What AI means for teams, roles, and headcount

How leaders can help people find purpose as AI reshapes work and identity

Why disruption is exposing a leadership gap

What Western leadership can learn from Japan’s school system

How leaders can define a North Star in turbulent times