From Cairo to Kingdom Impact: Shereen Shaker on Faith, Leadership, and Living Your Calling
What if your faith wasn’t something you turned on and off — but something you carried into every meeting, project, and hard conversation at work?
Shereen Shaker, Vice President for Management and Operations at the American University in Cairo, is not just a senior executive overseeing 800 staff across two campuses — she’s a living example of integrated faith in action.
🎙️ In a recent episode of the Intersection Podcast, Shereen shared how she brings purpose, dignity, and Kingdom values into one of the most complex workplaces in Egypt.
“You Can’t Fake Real Love.”
That’s the phrase Shereen dropped halfway through her story — and it stuck with us.
Over 30 years in the global corporate and academic world (from P&G to IBM to higher education), Shereen’s leadership journey has been marked not just by excellence — but by compassion.
“People get it. You can’t fake real love. If you treat them with dignity and compassion, it shows. If you don’t, that shows too.”
In a time where leadership often leans on performance over people, her message cuts deep.
One Life. One Calling. One Kingdom.
Too many professionals live a “split life” — one version of themselves at church, another in the office.
Shereen challenges that.
“It’s not Sunday at church and then weekdays at work. It’s one life. Faith should live in everything we do.”
This resonates deeply with CPG’s core message: Discipleship doesn’t stop at the sanctuary. It moves through the boardroom, classroom, studio, and street.
At CPG, we’ve seen hundreds of workplace leaders transformed through our Leadership Circle, just like Shereen. Together, we are equipping Christians to live their calling in every sphere — not someday, but today.
When Leadership Is Hard (And God Still Shows Up)
Shereen’s honesty was refreshing. She told the story of a professional relationship that started with conflict, power struggles, and frustration.
Three years later, it’s one of her most trusted partnerships.
And her secret?
Perseverance, prayer, and choosing daily to love.
“I work with a team that includes Christians and Muslims. When you live differently, they notice. When you love without agenda, it opens hearts.”
Her leadership didn’t just win respect — it modeled Kingdom culture in action.
What Is
Shalom
at Work?
One of the most powerful moments came when Shereen described how she applies the biblical vision of shalom to her job:
“Shalom is when you bring beauty, order, and abundance out of chaos. That’s what God did in creation — and that’s what we’re called to do in our workplaces.”
At CPG, we couldn’t agree more.
We believe the workplace is a mission field — and our mission is to raise up leaders who carry shalom into every sphere: education, business, government, media, family, and more.
The Leadership Circle: Not Just a Course — A Movement
Shereen and her team have now run 6 Arabic-language Leadership Circle cohorts, reaching over 100 professionals across Egypt. Many of these leaders are now changing culture from the inside out — not by preaching, but by practicing servant leadership and wisdom.
“Every time we run a cohort, we see lives change. The principles click. Minds are renewed. Leaders emerge.”
She’s right. The Leadership Circle isn’t theory. It’s discipleship for the modern world.
The Book That’s Sparking a Revolution
Recently, Shereen helped translate and distribute CPG’s book, “The Intersection: Faith, Work, and Life” into Arabic — the first translation of many to come.
And here’s the truth: this small book is igniting big conversations.
Across retreats, coffee tables, and Zoom calls, professionals are discovering they were never meant to separate faith and work. They’re waking up to the call: You were made for more than a paycheck.
Final Word: A Call to Purpose
“You don’t go to work just to put food on the table. God places us in positions to bring restoration — to be culture makers, not just consumers.”
This is the kind of leadership our world needs. The kind the Kingdom is calling for. And it starts with people like Shereen — and maybe, with people like you.
Want to live your calling?
🌍 Join a Leadership Circle cohort
📚 Read The Intersection: Faith, Work, and Life
🎧 Subscribe to the Intersection Podcast
Because God cares not just about redeeming souls — but also about restoring His creation. And your work is part of that plan.