Nora Toma: Connecting Financial Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Economic Opportunity

The ability to create lasting economic impact often depends on connecting three elements: financial discipline, institutional strategy and opportunities for people to participate in economic growth.

For Nora Toma, this connection has shaped more than 25 years of leadership across finance, investment, entrepreneurship and economic development.

Today, as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Education for Employment-Egypt (EFE-Egypt), Toma brings extensive private-sector experience into an organisation focused on preparing young people for employment. Alongside her executive responsibilities, she contributes to Egypt’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through investment networks, mentorship and strategic advisory.

From Financial Expertise to Executive Leadership

Toma’s career began in business coordination and financial advisory before developing into senior responsibilities across auditing, corporate finance and organisational management.

During more than a decade at Wadid Rizkalla & Co., she progressed from staff auditor to Audit and Communication Manager, gaining experience in financial reporting, due diligence, valuations, mergers and acquisitions, and management advisory.

These foundations became particularly valuable as her career moved towards executive finance.

At Wadi Degla Holding, she served as Chief Financial Officer for Africa, overseeing financial and risk management across subsidiaries during their early development stages. Her responsibilities extended into investment activities, operational strategy and preparing businesses for potential transactions.

She also served as CFO of Carma Group, where her responsibilities expanded beyond finance to include supply chain management and operational leadership during a corporate turnaround period.

Financial leadership creates greater value when it moves beyond reporting performance to shaping the decisions that determine it.

Bringing Commercial Discipline to Social Impact

In May 2019, Toma joined Education for Employment-Egypt as Deputy CEO, marking an important chapter in her professional journey.

EFE-Egypt works through partnerships with employers to equip unemployed and underserved young people with technical and workplace skills, helping connect training with employment opportunities.

Toma’s responsibilities encompass organisational strategy, finance, strategic partnerships, donor relations and executive leadership.

The position draws upon her experience in both commercial and development environments, where financial sustainability, effective partnerships and measurable outcomes are essential.

Her earlier work with Save the Children International, managing finance, grants and donor relationships, also contributed to her understanding of the operational requirements of development organisations.

For Toma, the connection between business strategy and social impact is particularly relevant. Employment initiatives require more than good intentions. They depend on sustainable organisational structures, employer engagement and the ability to translate resources into practical opportunities.

Expanding Access to Entrepreneurship and Investment

Beyond her executive position, Toma has maintained a strong commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and emerging businesses.

She is a Co-Founder and Founding Board Member of Tiye Angels, recognised in her professional profile as Egypt’s first women’s angel investor network. She previously served as its Founding Chair of the Board.

She is also a Founding Member of the Women Entrepreneurs Network in Egypt.

Through these initiatives and her wider advisory work, Toma has supported entrepreneurs in areas including investment readiness, financial planning, fundraising and business strategy.

Her involvement reflects an understanding that entrepreneurship requires more than an innovative idea. Founders also need access to financial knowledge, networks, investment opportunities and informed guidance.

Access to capital matters, but the ability to prepare entrepreneurs to use that capital effectively is equally important.

Leadership Across Business and Development

One of the defining characteristics of Toma’s professional journey is her ability to operate across different sectors without losing the financial and strategic foundations of her work.

Her experience includes corporate advisory, private equity, technology, financial governance and international development. She has worked with businesses at different stages of growth, from early-stage ventures to organisations undergoing restructuring.

This breadth has shaped a leadership perspective that connects commercial performance, organisational sustainability and long-term economic participation.

Her academic development includes a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Cairo University, strategic management studies at Copenhagen Business School and a Master’s degree in International Finance from Rome Business School.

She is also a certified corporate director, bringing governance expertise to her work with organisations and entrepreneurial networks.

Creating Opportunities Beyond the Executive Office

Toma’s professional contribution extends beyond the organisations she directly manages.

Through EFE-Egypt, her work supports the institutional partnerships required to connect young people with employment. Through Tiye Angels and the Women Entrepreneurs Network, she contributes to an environment where entrepreneurs can access guidance, investment knowledge and professional networks.

These activities address different stages of economic participation, from helping individuals enter the workforce to supporting founders as they develop businesses.

Sustainable economic progress depends on creating opportunities for people to develop skills, build enterprises and participate meaningfully in growth.

Recognition by Women CEO Network

Nora Toma’s career illustrates how financial expertise can develop into broader executive and institutional leadership.

From corporate advisory and investment management to organisational turnaround, entrepreneurship and employment development, her professional journey has consistently connected financial discipline with opportunities for growth.

As Deputy CEO of Education for Employment-Egypt, she applies that experience to an organisation focused on improving employment opportunities for young people, while her involvement in entrepreneurial networks extends her contribution to emerging businesses and investors.

For Women CEO Network, Toma represents leadership defined by the ability to connect business knowledge with economic opportunity, strengthening organisations while supporting the people and entrepreneurs who contribute to their future.