Chocolate to ketchup, humans drive change.
Ahmed El Gabry, with roots stretching from Egypt to boardrooms across four continents, shares his reflections on transformation, talent, and taste in supply chain leadership. The conversation moves through category changes — chocolate, ketchup, beyond — and the single constant underneath all of them: people.
Ahmed El Gabry.
Ahmed El Gabry is a global supply chain and operations executive with decades of experience across consumer goods, FMCG, and operating environments on four continents.
Derek Lutz in conversation with
Ahmed El Gabry.
Can you talk about how you moved from the Middle East to the US and your journey into supply chain?
I'm originally from Egypt and started my career there, first in finance, then moving into operations and eventually supply chain. Over the last three decades, I've worked around the globe, shifting from small businesses to large-scale organizations. Although I started in finance to better understand business, I fell in love with operations and spent the rest of my career there, including time as a general manager.
What's a moment where culture completely flipped your playbook or made you rethink your approach in supply chain?
When I moved to MARS, I came from organizations that were very KPI- and performance-driven. At Mars, I realized success was about winning hearts and minds.aligning stakeholders and moving together. That shift in culture was transformative for me.
When did you realize that supply chain could deeply impact people's lives beyond just moving product?
My first plant manager role in Egypt was pivotal. As a finance guy on the shop floor, I asked simple questions, which made people comfortable. The authenticity and commitment of the team struck me, and I saw how treating people with respect extended beyond the factory to their families and lives.
You've led a lot of transformational change. What's harder: fixing a broken supply chain or transforming a company that doesn't know it's broken?
Transforming a company unaware of its own challenges is by far harder. Clarity in strategy and purpose is essential; without that, fixing the supply chain is almost impossible.
How is shifting from chocolate to beauty different for supply chain leaders? What's the difference between working in large versus small organizations?
Personal care is far more volatile and complex than chocolate. The number of items and the uncertainty are higher. Although core supply chain skills are transferable, smaller companies force you to build capabilities and processes from scratch.unlike large companies, which have established systems.
Transformation is a hot topic. What is most overlooked in transformation programs?
The hardest part is the human transformation. Everybody says 'people first', but in practice, too few resources and attention go into truly preparing and empowering teams for change.that's why many initiatives don't stick.
What differentiates talent that thrives in supply chain from talent that burns out?
Attitude and curiosity are more important than technical ability. Success is about willingness to learn, vulnerability, collaboration, and knowing your value.but also getting well with the team and seeking help when needed.
What's the best "bad decision" you've made.one that seemed like a mistake but turned out to teach valuable lessons?
Implementing a major system across every process in an organization that wasn't ready brought immense pain but surfaced strategic challenges that needed to be addressed, triggering a deep overhaul in how the business was managed.
You've built supply chains in all sorts of places. What's the strangest or most memorable location this career has taken you?
My first plant management role took me to a tiny and remote village factory in France, total culture shock. But the most fascinating place has to be Japan. Culturally, it's unlike anywhere else I've worked.
Of all the products you've helped bring to market, which one tells your story best?
Snickers. It looks simple but is one of the most complex products, a reflection of my own international, multi-layered career.
If you could put a new factory anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Egypt for cost efficiency, China for speed, and Mexico as a mix of both. But my heart leans toward Egypt.
If we strip away titles and achievements, who is Ahmed at his core?
Wholehearted. I don't do things halfway. If I commit, it's 200%. Family, friends, integrity, and trust are fundamental, and I strive to enable those around me to do their best.