From the top of her small size, Leila Akli is great. Founder of the first Algerian agency specialized in digital public relations, Pi-Relations, she brings solutions to one of the main challenges of Algeria: the nation branding.
The elder of a family of six children, born of a mother and father both civil servants, Leila Akli is a pure product of the Algerian school. Unlike her parents, she graduated with a degree in International Business from the School of Higher Business Studies (HEC) and chose the less comfortable path, the private sector. Passionate about new technologies, her professional adventure began a year before she graduated in 2002. She then participated in the organization of the Siftech fair, the reference of exhibitions dedicated to new technologies in Algeria. «A real techie, I learned in large multinationals in the fields of communication»
A « geek in stiletto heels »
Curious and ambitious, Leïla got a job with the Ooredoo operator. Specialist in public relations and sponsorship, then merchandising manager, she became in 2004 one of the youngest executives of the company. Barely 25 years old, she led a multidisciplinary team of great efficiency in the realization of many challenges. In 2007, she joined Raya Algérie, the official distributor of the Nokia brand as marketing director. She then heads three departments and is a member of the management committee. In 2010, the famous communications agency Ogilvy plans to create its subsidiary in public relations (PR) in Algeria. Naturally, the company uses the skills of Leila. For three years, its mission is to set up a specialized team dedicated to PR and develop the agency’s client portfolio in this country.
This «geek in stiletto heels», as she likes to define herself, created Pi-Relations in 2013, the first Algerian company specialized in public relations. Upon its creation, she positioned the agency in digital. Success is immediate. The agency accompanies many Algerian and multinational companies. A profession dominated by the seniors and men, Leïla succeeds because her professionalism and her pugnacity to win the trust of the Algerian leaders. She thus meets with the country’s top officials, of the public and private spheres. In 2015, it launched a conference on digital transformation dubbed «The Picnic», « a space for free sharing and exchange that brought together over 500 participants operating in communication and ICT. »
« We are in 2018 and it is still difficult to start a business in Algeria. And even more for womens »
With her experience, Leïla intends to open the doors to the young people and the women of his country. Already involved in social actions, she has integrated various citizen initiatives, mainly directed towards entrepreneurship and the emancipation of Algerian women. Leïla is coach for the program Indjaz El Djazair (program in entrepreneurial apprenticeship directed towards Algerian students), godmother of start-up weekends HEC and member of the Women’s Committee of business leaders for the improvement of the climate of the business Forum.
Since 2016, Leila joined the International Women’s Entrepreneurship Day (WED) program as ambassador. « We are in 2018 and it is still difficult to start a business in Algeria. Even more for women. We must admit that the situation is improving significantly. I think that women are no less powerful than men. Despite the judgments which however persist! The Algerian woman must have confidence in her qualities and skills and undertake to overcome prejudices against her ».
Algeria, a country with many assets
« A die-hard optimist » in her own words, she believes in the future of Algeria. « I have confidence in our ability to initiate change and develop. I live change every day. I every moment see the growth of my country. Certainly, we have gone through many hardships, but today, it is a new Algeria we now have. I see in the oil crisis that we are living the opportunity to rediscover the value of work and investment. Algeria is a country of opportunities because of the diversity of the territory, its natural wealth, its young population …» she says, before adding: « With all these assets, we can only succeed and emerge to become a country leader, a territory where young people have a key role to play. Leila Akli continues: « We have the duty to build a new Algeria, to boost the national economy, to promote our image and to internationalize ourselves. The movement is on the move: many associations and organizations are working to promote this new strategy. The novelty is that young people are behind the wheel. Women too. « The Algerian woman is known for her bravery, she has proven it throughout the history of this beautiful country. The future of Algeria will be the fruit of all its components and the Algerian woman will be part of it ».