“To stop moving forward is to begin to die.”
Samer Samaha has been at the helm of sales management for the Maghreb and West Africa at Givaudan, the world leader in flavours and fragrances, for almost a year now. At 35, this sales director drives twelve countries through a portfolio of more than 150 customers. Originally from Lebanon, the young executive arrived in Morocco in 2015 to achieve new feats. He was then Managing Director of Orkila Maroc, a multinational specialising in the distribution of chemicals and raw materials, and already had some ten years’ experience in various fields to his credit.
Adaptability as a watchword
“I have built up experience in several fields; I don’t limit myself to my field of study. Every experience is an opportunity to learn!” Indeed, it was at AstraZeneca, a major pharmaceutical group, that the doctor of pharmacy began his career. After working for five years on products for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and depression, he moved to the group’s oncology department. Then, in January 2011, he joined the Lebanese management of MetLife, the world leader in life and medical insurance. “A whole other world”, which led him to manage large teams. With this company, he obtained his MBA in insurance. And after five years, he was appointed Managing Director of Orkila Maroc and moved to Casablanca, before joining Givaudan three years later. His professional motto: “never limit yourself to a single profession”.
Novelty as a driving force
Today, within Givaudan’s Flavours division, Mr Samaha serves major industrial groups. His mission: to manage the region’s teams and targets in terms of sales, positioning, new customers, profitability… In this shifting market, Samer Samaha makes adaptability his watchword: “People’s tastes are increasingly complex; every day there are new trends and new challenges, linked in particular to countries’ regulations […] We have to be ready for all these changes!”. From yoghurt to stock cubes, by way of juices or biscuits, the flavours developed by the Swiss giant are present in most of the industrial products we consume. “It is a very original field that touches our senses. Flavours can be smelt and tasted; they are part of everyone’s daily life.” Passionate about interaction, Mr Samaha enjoys this hectic daily routine: “there’s a lot going on: between customer visits, tastings, travel… You’re never bored!”.
Surgery: a childhood dream
Travel has always been part of Mr Samaha’s life. Born in Kobayat, a village in northern Lebanon known for its mountains and greenery, to a father who was director of Cooperatives in the civil service and a stay-at-home mother, he left Lebanon to settle in Liberia with his family when he was only two years old. “Then there was the war; we had to flee the country with my parents and my grandparents, who had settled there.” Two years later, his family settled in Beirut. He went to school at Notre-Dame de Jamhour and had a clear inclination for science subjects. His dream: to become a surgeon. But, lacking the means, he had to set his dream aside. And so, with his baccalaureate in his pocket, this top-of-the-class student was admitted directly to Saint-Joseph University, where he earned his doctorate in pharmacy.
The horizon as the only limit
When he is not on a business trip, Samer Samaha visits his family in Beirut and Dubai. But he uses his holidays above all to discover the rest of the world. “I love travelling, discovering new countries, and above all their gastronomy. Local cuisines fascinate me!” Having toured Europe, Mr Samaha has set himself new destinations as a goal: “Cuba, Brazil, China or Japan”. Ambitious and persevering, the young Lebanese is constantly setting off to discover new horizons. “I am always looking to grow, to move forward. To stop moving forward is to begin to die. You have to fight to achieve your goals!” His motto: “You only live once”, or in French, “on ne vit qu’une fois”. “You never know when you will go. You have to make the most of life, of every second!”