At work with Mehdi Manaa

03/02/2025 Interview
profile picture of Mehdi Manaa

Mehdi Manaa

Buna

Chief Executive Officer

Mehdi Manaa is Chief Executive Officer of Buna, the Arab regional payments clearing and settlement organization. In an engaging conversation with Boris Plantier from Qorus, he shares some glimpses of his work environment, daily routine and secrets to success, as well as his life outside the office.  

 

Please tell us a little bit about your background.

I have had a very consistent career, all of it spent managing transformative changes to financial market infrastructures (FMIs).

It is worth noting that all these initiatives had in common the objective of supporting integration between either different organizations or different countries and regions. That started with Relit Grande Vitesse (RGV), which aimed at integrating securities settlement between Banque de France and the French securities depository – Sicovam at that time – and over the years has increasingly taken the dimension of regional financial integration, with all the initiatives that I drove at the European Central Bank (ECB) and with Buna today.

What does your workplace look like?

There are many things in common between my current workplace at Buna and the previous one at the ECB.

First, a perfectly clean desk at all times, including mailboxes. Second, the dynamic with my team. I always aim at implementing an environment that allows quick and efficient decision making. That requires an open-door policy and constant interaction with the team, so that decisions that can be taken in a few minutes do not consume more than that. The workplace is designed to support that, with teams located close to each other and people moving around to jump into discussions whenever required, align views, take decisions and start implementing.

Last but not least, a very nice view, with a contrast between modern skyscrapers on one side and green nature with an abundance of water on the other side. It was the Main River in Frankfurt, and it is the Arabian Gulf in Abu Dhabi.

Could you describe your usual working day?

It starts before leaving home: I take a few minutes to sketch the full day and anticipate the main events, surprises, good and bad news, difficult situations to handle, opportunities to take… That allows me to keep control and stay a little step ahead in most circumstances, and it always makes the working day more fruitful and more enjoyable. 

Once I reach the workplace, if I am not busy with long meetings and committees – and as the result of the open-door approach – most of my day will consist of successive, more or less short discussions with the team to provide guidance, drive quick decisions, or brainstorm around innovative ideas.

Finally, I close the working day with a quick look at what is planned for the next one, so that the cycle can start again smoothly the next morning.  

What is your favorite food?

I am at the same time very open and very picky about food. I could enjoy almost everything and from all origins, from the basic sandwich to the most elaborate recipe, but only if it is prepared with passion and good quality ingredients.

When I am cooking, everything starts with selecting good fresh ingredients, driven by the inspiration to combine them and accentuate their taste.  

What do you do when you need a break from work?

I have too many hobbies: sport, reading, music, movies, cooking, travelling… I also like spending time with my family, but I do not have such a segregation between work, family, and personal hobbies. I do not take a break from one to enjoy the other. They constantly coexist, complementing and enriching each other rather than competing for space and time. 

What is the key to building a successful team?

The first and most important aspect in my view is to give a purpose to the team and then to lead by example and to push structures and individuals continuously out of their comfort zone. 

Diversity and complementarity are also critical to form a successful team, in addition to selecting the team members based on their ability to adapt and evolve and not only their initial skills.


There is a saying that we learn more from failure than success. Tell me about one of your failures and what you have learned from it.

The main lesson learned from all my failures is that nothing should make failure a definite state. 

If we look at things objectively, as human beings and as organizations, we face multiple failures and make several errors and mistakes daily. Fortunately, they are not all very serious. 

What makes the difference is not to fail less but rather our ability to face and treat failures appropriately. This is inextricably tied up with the journey to success.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to succeed in financial services?

It will largely depend on what success means for that person, but aligning what we say with what we think and what we do will always help a lot.

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