Edition May 2025
Most INSPIRATIONAL BUSINESS LEADERS REVAMPING THE FUTURE, 2025
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President
Kiwi Beach Resorts & Top2Go
Building Bridges Through Global Hospitality
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Inanagewherethehospitalityindustryisrapidlyevolving—caught betweenAI-drivenefficiencyandthetimelessartofhuman connection—fewleadershavemasteredthebalancequitelikeFouad Hassoun.
Asweunveilthismonth’scoverstory,wearehonoredtospotlightaman whosejourneytranscendsbordersandindustries.Fromfoundingoneof Egypt’smostprominenttourcompaniesinthe1980stobuildinga hospitalityempirethatstretchesacrossEurope,Africa,andtheMiddle East,FouadHassounismorethanasuccessfulentrepreneur—he’sa storyteller,astrategist,andastewardofculturalconnection.
WhatstruckusmostduringourconversationswithFouadwasnotjustthe scaleofhisachievements,butthephilosophythatunderpinsthem. Whetherit’sempoweringlocalteams,embracingsustainability,or leveragingtechnologytoenrich—notreplace—theguestexperience,his approachisbothfuture-forwardanddeeplyhuman.
Thisstoryisnotjustaboutluxuryresortsorwell-runcruiselines.It’s aboutwhathappenswhenvisionmeetsintegrity,wheninnovationis guidedbyempathy,andwhensuccessismeasuredbyimpact,notjust revenue.
Wehopethisfeaturenotonlyinformsbutinspires.Becauseleaderslike Fouadremindusthatthetrueessenceofentrepreneurshipliesincreating meaningfulexperiences—forcustomers,teams,andcommunitiesalike.
ONTENT S T ABLE OF
20. 26. 38. 08.
Fouad Hassoun - President Kiwi Beach Resorts & Top2Go
Beyond Business: How SelfInvestment Fuels Entrepreneurial Greatness
Greg Wydmanski - Founder and owner, 77 Aviation
Unleashing the Future: How Emerging Technologies Are Transforming the World
Cover Story
Cover Story
For Fouad Hassoun, hospitality is more than a business—it’s a lifelong calling. A pioneer who began shaping the travel industry from Cairo in the 1980s, Fouad has grown into one of the most respected voices in international tourism. With over four decades of leadership, he now commands a diversified empire that spans hotels, resorts, Nile cruises, restaurants, buses, yachts, and digital tourism platforms.
Today, as President of Kiwi Beach Resorts srl and Top2Go srl, Fouad operates out of Sicily, Italy, but his influence spans continents—from North Africa to the Mediterranean and beyond. His business legacy is rooted in deep market insight, cultural understanding, and a constant drive to improve the guest experience.
Yetamidalltheinnovation,heremainsgrounded.“Successisn’tmeasuredbyhowfar yougo,”hereflects.“It’sbyhowmanylivesyouupliftalongtheway.”
FouadHassoun’sjourneyisablueprintforaspiringentrepreneurs—provingthatwith vision,adaptability,andpurpose,bordersdisappearandbrandsbecomelegacies.His companiesdon’tjusttakepeopleplaces—theyconnectcultures,sparkjoy,andbuilda betterworldthroughtravel.
5.FinancialLiteracy:TheEntrepreneur's UltimateAdvantage
Manybusinessesfailnotbecauseofalackof greatideasbutduetopoorfinancial management.Understandingmoney—howto earn,save,andinvestit—determineslong-term sustainability.
WhyEntrepreneursMustMasterFinancial Literacy
● Helpsinmakinginformedinvestment andbudgetingdecisions.
● Reducestheriskoffinancial mismanagementandbankruptcy
● Enhanceswealth-buildingstrategiesfor personalandbusinessgrowth.
Self-InvestmentinFinancialGrowth:
✔Workwithfinancialmentorsoradvisors.
✔Readbooksonwealth-buildingand businessfinance.
✔Learnaboutinvestmentstrategiesto diversifyincomestreams.
6.PersonalBranding:PositioningYourself asanAuthority
Entrepreneurswhoinvestintheirpersonal brandscreatelastingcredibilityandinfluence. Whetherthroughsocialmedia,public speaking,orthoughtleadership,astrong personalbrandsetsindustryleadersapart.
Benefits
● Attractsinvestors,clients,andtop talent.
● Positionsyouasanindustryauthority.
● Buildstrustandlong-terminfluence.
StepstoBuildaStrongPersonalBrand:
✔Sharevaluableinsightsthroughblogs, videos,orpodcasts.
✔Engagewithaudiencesonsocialmediaand professionalplatforms.
✔Speakatevents,webinars,andconferences.
FinalThoughts:Self-InvestmentistheUltimate CompetitiveEdge
Entrepreneurialtriumphisn'tjustaboutbusiness growth—it'saboutpersonalevolution.Themost successfulleadersunderstandthatself-investmentis notaluxurybutanecessity.Bydevelopingastrong mindset,prioritizinglearning,maintainingwellbeing,expandingnetworks,masteringfinances,and buildingapowerfulbrand,youpositionyourselffor long-termsuccess.
TakeActionToday:
● Identifyoneareawhereyouneedtoinvestin yourself.
● Setmeasurablegoalsforpersonaland professionalgrowth.
● Committodailyhabitsthatfuelcontinuous improvement.
Yourbusinesscanonlygrowasmuchas you do.So, investinyourself—becausewhenyouthrive, everythingaroundyouflourishes.
Thefounderandownerof77Aviation,GregWydmanskihadneverdreamedthathewouldgetinto privateaviation.HehadanunlikelyjourneyintotheindustryHefellintothiseliteworldby circumstanceandmadesomethingoutofit,withoutanypreconceivedlifelongdreamorchildhood passion.Privateaviationinourmindconnotesexoticandhigh-class,whereluxurymergeswith premiumhumanengineering.
GregWydmanskiintheaviation,January2012.Hewasneverreallyintoplanes.Greglosthisjobatthe PolishbankinNovember2011.Hebeganapplyingforotherjobsinfinance,buttheoneshewanted werenotthere.Hewasrecruitedoutofcollegetoworkfortheprivatejetbusiness.Atfirst,hehadno interestbecauseheknewnothingofprivatejets.Buthewoundupgoingintoaviationinsteadafter meetingwiththecompany'smanagementseveraltimes.Thatdecisionwasthecatalystforawonderful adventurethatultimatelyledtothecreationof77Aviation.
Greg Wydmanski Founder and owner
Itwasinmid-2019whenGregturnedcoatto begin77Aviation,seeingclarityaroundthe necessityofleadershipthatiscongruentwith personalvalues.Hebelievesincreatinga placewithotherpeoplethatyouwanttobe, learnthereandhavesomethingmoreontopof work.In2018,amanagementrestructuringset thestageforhimtoexithisformercompany, withthatnewleadershiprefusingtorecognize anyoftheeffortshewasleadingupinternally abouttheexceptionalworkbeingdonebyhis thenteam.Hewantedtomakeaspacewhere hecouldleadwithvaluesoftrust,engagement, responsibility,andempathy.Fast-forwardto July2020,whenhisnon-competeclause finallyended,Gregputtogetherachartersales teamforanoperatorinAustriaandofficially setoffonhisown—establishing77Aviation fromnothingbuttheprincipleshebuiltit upon.
ThemessagingaroundGreg'sleadership philosophywassimpleandoutlined.Thereare fourareasinwhichheisthoughtofasa leader:people,process,training,and motivation.Everydimensionisfundamentalto histeam'ssuccessand,therefore,theoverall performanceofhiscompany.Forstarters, hiringpeoplewithappropriatevalues,skills, andexperienceiscritical.It'snotjustabout
findingsomeonewhocandothejobforGreg—itis alsoimportanttofindsomebodythatfitsinwith theircompany’sethos.Establishingclearprocesses ensuresthateveryoneknowswhattheyare supposedtodoaccordingtotheirrespectiverole andresponsibilities(andthelimitsofthis).This visibilityaidsinbuildinganefficientteam.
AnotherfoundationofGreg'sleadershipistraining. Oneofhistopprioritiesistoequiphimselfandthe teamheleadswithknowledgeaswellasenabling themintermsoftheskillsetsrequiredtoexecute theirtasks.However,aboveallthat,Greggoes throughmotivation.Hehasastrongbeliefin providingallnecessarytoolstohisteamalongwith removinganyconstraintthatmightbeanobstacle totheirperformance.
Solongashisteamdoesn'tfeeltheneedtocallhim withregularity,thenGregknowshe'sdoneagood job.Frequentcallsmeansomewherethereisa gap—whetherit’sinhiring,procedures,training,or tools.Gregwillknowheisleadingwellifthe phoneisn'tringingandresultsarebeingachieved. However,hedoeskeephisdooropentoaddress challenges,standupfortheteamwhennecessary, andshowappreciationfortheirwell-intentioned work.Hehasfaithinenablingeachofhisteam memberstoberesponsibleforwhattheydoand nurturesasenseofownershipandaccountability witheverymovethathetakes.
Trust is one of the most important things in business and life. Greg feels that when one gives his word, he should keep it. Greg isn't concerned if the promise is not fulfilled, provided an effort was made and thereby grounds to offer more help in those areas.
Yet if someone drops the ball and starts pointing fingers, it tells Greg that they do not value what he does. That is when a change must be made, in that person either or his place at the company. Mistakes are just part of the learning process as per Greg, and it is in how they deal with them that will decide whether or not history will repeat.
This notion of trust expands from Greg's team to his customers and business partners. In the highly competitive realm of aviation, where so many promises are made only to be broken soon after signing on that dotted line; Greg is one man with a rep for never promising anything he cannot deliver. His blunt approach has cost him at times, with clients tripped up by other glowing offers. he has at least garnered a good measure of industry respect and trust over the long haul. He contends that keeping one's end of a promise, even at the cost of immediate profits, is central to creating long-term partnerships.
Greg has faced challenges in the aviation industry. In 2015, the Russian market, which made up 60% of Greg's charter business, faced turmoil due to political reasons. Instead of giving up, Greg visited clients more often and changed his approach to meet their needs. This paid off, and despite the shrinking market, Greg's team captured a larger share, ending the year with strong results.
In 2017, Greg had to deal with internal team issues when one member started undermining others. This was difficult because the person was favored by the company's owner. Despite potential issues, Greg confronted the problem and successfully removed the toxic individual from the team, preserving its integrity.
These experiences show Greg's commitment to his values and his willingness to make tough decisions when necessary. He knows that a strong team and positive work environment are crucial in the aviation industry.
Greghasbigplansfor77Aviation.He wantstoexpandandeventuallystarthis ownprivatejetairline.Healreadyhasthe experience,knowledge,andteaminplace, butheneedsthemoneytomakeithappen. Gregiswillingtoworkwithotherswho sharehisdreamandarereadytoinvestin privateaviation'sfuture.
Gregalsowantstoleavealastinglegacy intheaviationindustry.Hehopesthatone ofhisdaughters,especiallyJulia,who alreadyworksinchartersales,will continuehiswork.Gregwantstopasson hisleadershipstyleoftrust,engagement, andfairnesssothathisvalueswillguide 77Aviationforyearstocome.
GregWydmanskididn'tplantoworkin aviation,butheendedupstarting77 Aviation.Hisstoryshowshowresilience, integrity,andleadershipwithstrongvalues canleadtosuccess.He'snotjustbuilding asuccessfulbusiness;he'screatingaplace wherepeoplecandowell,trustis important,andchallengesarefacedwith determinationandstrategicthinking.
AsGregkeepsworkinginprivate aviation,hisdedicationtohisteam, clients,andprincipleswillhelp77 Aviationreachnewheightsandleavea lastingimpactontheindustryandits workers.
