The Guest –Ali Elgamal, EVP and CTO at Tamara
In this episode, we’re joined by Ali Elgamal, EVP and CTO at Tamara, one of Saudi Arabia’s three fintech unicorns and a market leader in the buy now, pay later (BNPL) space. Ali takes us through his journey that led to Tamara, sharing his leadership philosophy, strategies for building top tech talent, and insights into navigating BNPL in a regulated environment.
Ali dives into his approach to hiring top tech talent, fostering a product engineering mindset, and navigating leadership in different regional cultures. He also offers his vision for the transformative role of AI in the future of fintech.
Some highlights of this episode include:
- Career journey and experience
- Hypergrowth challenges and lessons learned
- Leadership and talent strategy
- Cultural and regional differences in tech
- AI and the future of software development
Q: There is a balance to hiring great people and keeping them motivated, isn’t there?
“Yes, absolutely. Talent attraction strategies need to be both realistic and tailored. What works in one region may not work in another — I saw this clearly when comparing Southeast Asia with the GCC. But one thing is universal: great talent wants to be challenged. That starts from the very first interview. Strong engineers evaluate you as much as you evaluate them — if your technical assessment is deep and rigorous, they know they’ll be joining a high-caliber team.
We’ve even had cases where candidates didn’t pass but later messaged me saying they enjoyed the process, recognized their gaps, and wanted to reapply. Clear feedback, whether positive or negative, is crucial. It shows respect and strengthens your reputation as an employer.
Once engineers join, the focus shifts to motivation. Builders by nature want to create, so the key is channeling that energy into projects that truly matter to the business. Give them autonomy, opportunities to learn and develop, and room to grow. Especially now, with AI taking care of repetitive tasks, the real value comes from solving complex, meaningful problems — and that’s what keeps top talent engaged.”
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