Sarah Kerroumi’s trajectory reflects her ability to combine strategy, transformation, and conviction. After earning dual degrees from Al Akhawayn University and Johnson & Wales University, she built her career in strategic management and international finance before returning to Morocco in 2009 to join the Ynna group. There, she gradually took on key roles in strategic oversight, governance, and development. A turning point came in 2013 with her appointment as Secretary General. She was then tasked with structuring and modernizing the group. “At the head of 26 subsidiaries operating in five key sectors (industry, energy, chemicals, retail, and agri-food), my mission was to reorganize the holding company and its subsidiaries in order to strengthen governance, drive growth, restructure certain activities, and push forward digital transformation, with the goal of fostering a dynamic of sustainability,” recalls Sarah Kerroumi.
Durable transformation
Sarah Kerroumi has also led several high-impact initiatives within the group: gender parity policies, responsible industrial investments, a CSR strategy structured around a pioneering sustainable development charter, as well as projects for cultural and managerial transformation. She is also an active member of the Moroccan Women Directors Club (CFA), which advocates for stronger female representation within governance bodies. “It’s a cause I consider essential, both for business performance and for the societal evolution of our country,” she emphasizes.
She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from Al Akhawayn University in 2002, a program she considers decisive: “Al Akhawayn gave me much more than a diploma. It allowed me to adopt, very early on, a culture of high standards and international openness, while maintaining a local grounding and a sharp sense of responsibility. I learned to think in ecosystems, to defend convictions with rigor, and to combine strategic vision with operational agility. That integrated approach has become a major asset in my leadership journey.”
Leading with conviction
Sarah Kerroumi believes in participative management with a strong transformative dimension. For her, engaging employees around a clear vision is essential. “It creates commitment and stimulates everyone’s creativity. Kindness, transparency, active listening, and leading by example are also fundamental levers of leadership, which must be adaptive and evolving depending on the context and the goals. My role is to unite teams, create a stimulating environment, and encourage initiative,” she explains. A good leader, in her view, is also someone who helps others grow while remaining aligned with their values—even in tense moments. Three qualities have shaped her journey: the ability to think strategically, endurance in the face of complexity, and a constant demand for self-improvement. “I deeply believe that success comes from coherence between what we do, what we think, and what we embody,” she says. What drives her every day? “Contributing to a growth trajectory that is useful, inclusive, and lasting, in service of major contemporary challenges such as responsible industrialization and the development of human capital,” she concludes.
Written in French by Jankari Consulting, edited in English by Eric Nielson
