In an exclusive interview with HN, Christine Assouad, CEO of Dunkin Donuts Lebanon and Semsom, tells us about her passion for mentoring, her relentless positivity and drive for continuous growth.

As a female entrepreneur, with more than 20 years’ experience in the hospitality sector, Assouad is a fervent believer that with passion and dedication comes great prosperity.

Armed with her savoir-faire, positive personality and the belief that the hospitality industry is a life choice that one needs to fall in love with, she has made it her mission and purpose in life to be a catalyst of growth for the younger generation. Indeed, she has mentored more than 30 mentees (mostly women) over the past decade.

Most recently, Assouad saw the COVID-19 lockdown as an opportunity to launch her latest endeavor @TheCatalystofGrowth, a YouTube mentorship program that subscribers can follow from the comfort of their home.

@TheCatalystofGrowth is attributed to Assouad’s growth mindset and her desire to see how people and businesses can evolve, be creative and find opportunities during crises. Her target is young entrepreneurs/managers looking to sharpen their skills.

The YouTube channel is divided into four segments:

1. Insights: Short 2 to 5-minute videos covering specific topics such as crisis management, hiring, culture, etc.
2. Q&As:Videos covering specific topics and answering the audience’s questions.
3. Interviews: Spotlighting prominent CEOs to inspire subscribers to think outside the box and help them grow their businesses.
4. Behind the scenes: Offering viewers an insight into executive programs, conferences, factories, etc.

Assouad explains, “When someone is launching a start-up or growing a business, everything seems complicated. I am trying to explain complicated concepts in simple, easy terms.”

In the eye of the COVID-19 storm, Dunkin Donuts celebrated its anniversary with a very positive slogan “22 years of happiness,” and a hashtag that captures its spirit #SpreadingHappiness. “We believe in taking the positive side of things. For example, when it comes to social distancing, we have big smiles on our masks, the pictures of our team members for people to recognize them, mannequins at empty tables and such,” Assouad says.

Assouad’s plans do not stop there; she has many projects in the pipeline: new Dunkin Donuts partnerships, the expansion of Semsom (in RAK, Dubai and Cairo) and the development of Catalyst of Growth.

catalystofgrowth.com

@thecatalystofgrowth