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• Case | HBS Case Collection | November 2019

  Edita: Making Choices in Uncertain Times

  Caroline M. Elkins, Juan Alcacer, Alpana Thapar and Youssef Abdel Aal

  After 15 years of steady growth and expansion, Edita, a leading Egyptian snack producer, faced a series of challenges in the wake of the Arab Spring. In January 2011, the Egyptian Revolution sparked political and economic turmoil that reflected the waves of protest and violence already spreading throughout North Africa and parts of the Middle East. Hani Berzi, CEO of Edita, managed to navigate the company through this period, though the severe devaluation of the Egyptian pound in November 2016 meant yet another period of crisis for the country’s economy and, with it, the snack food industry. Hani was faced with a series of hard decisions that would determine Edita’s future. He held a crisis management meeting with his executive team and on the agenda were two key decisions. Should they increase their prices as a short-term strategy to survive the turbulent period at the risk of losing market share? Should Edita aim to diversify risk by tapping into underserved rural areas in Egypt or rather by expanding its presence in regional markets? Or, should the company adopt some combination of both strategies, or neither, and instead devise another course for addressing the crisis?

  Keywords: Decision Making; Developing Countries and Economies; Economy; Business or Company Management; Price; Crisis Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Distribution; Risk and Uncertainty; Business Strategy; Expansion; Currency; Food and Beverage Industry; Egypt; Africa; Middle East;

  Citation:

  Elkins, Caroline M., Juan Alcacer, Alpana Thapar, and Youssef Abdel Aal. " Edita: Making Choices in Uncertain Times." Harvard Business School Case 320-026, November 2019.  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | October 2019

  Agility Africa

  Juan Alcacer, Caroline M. Elkins and Esel Çekin

  This case illustrates the challenge and opportunities that firms face when developing and executing new business models in high-risk, low-infrastructure, low-trust countries. It features a global logistics group, Agility, that aimed to become the leader in supplying innovative solutions that provide the backbone to growing consumer markets across Africa. Agility’s objective was to fill the institutional voids in the warehousing and logistics space that prevented multi-nationals and local firms from successfully operating at a level similar to Western countries and other emerging markets. After proof-of-concept success in Ghana’s free zone, Agility faced the challenge of expanding its business model across a diverse continent of 54 countries. Agility Africa’s CEO, Geoffrey White, needed to plot the way forward. Should he set a high entry barrier by building several warehouse parks in one of Africa’s economic regions? Or, should he expand across the continent with one facility in each of the large and growing countries? If the decision was to pursue regional expansion, should he try to open one park per country—even in small ones—or build satellite developments in secondary cities where Agility already had facilities? He also needed to consider the pace of phasing in each park and the possibility of developing multiple parks in existing locations. With the world’s fastest growing middle-class population and an internet revolution poised to spur the growth of consumer products and industrialization, Africa was considered by many as the world’s leading and largely untapped, emerging market. White needed to make difficult and nuanced decisions that took account of the continent’s many differences, as well as business similarities.

  Keywords: Strategy; Business Model; Innovation and Invention; Expansion; Emerging Markets; Decision Choices and Conditions; Real Estate Industry; Distribution Industry; Africa;

  Citation:

  Alcacer, Juan, Caroline M. Elkins, and Esel Çekin. "Agility Africa." Harvard Business School Case 720-357, October 2019.  View Details

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• Supplement | HBS Case Collection | April 2019

  OTE: Managing in Times of National Crisis (B)

  Juan Alcacer and Emer Moloney

  During the period 2011-2016, CEO and Chairman of Greek telecommunications company OTE Michael Tsamaz guided the company through a much needed transformation with a multi-pronged strategy.

  Keywords: Leading Change; Transformation; Strategy; Telecommunications Industry; Service Industry; Technology Industry;

  Citation:

  Alcacer, Juan, and Emer Moloney. "OTE: Managing in Times of National Crisis (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 719-505, April 2019.  View Details

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