Meet Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun, Morocco’s Most Powerful Woman who Conquered Patriarchy

Being successful in business seems like a given for a child born with a silver spoon in her mouth, especially the one whose parent already built a business empire. But in reality, it’s not as simple and Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun is proof that it takes a lot of dedication, hard work, perseverance and developing a thick skin.

Born in Casablanca, Morocco on November 14, 1962, Miriem is the Chief Executive Officer of Les Eaux Minérale d’Oulmès (English: Oulmès Mineral Waters). The company is the flagship arm of the Holmarcom Group, a Morrocan conglomerate founded by her father, Abdelkader Bensalah in 1956.

Growing up in an entrepreneurial environment with her father and uncles certainly unleashed the business spirit in her but she had to work twice as hard to earn a seat at the table, which was dominated and controlled by men.

Morocco being a country where patriarchy reigned supreme, backed by an inheritance law that gives men the rights to take the chunk regardless of the position they hold in the family, Miriem fought against these ideologies and gave her country-women a voice.

As the eldest of five children, she took control of the larger part of her father’s million-dollar company as against their societal norm of letting her younger brothers take the lead. Over 25 years later, Miriem has proven that women are more than qualified to take on leadership roles in the corporate and political space. As of 2018, the company had 2000 employees and recorded $200 million in annual revenue.

She is married to Jamal Chaqroun and blessed with three children. Miriem is also an avid lover and rider of bikes, particularly the Harley-Davidson brand.

Described by the Moroccan media as the ‘symbol of female quiet power’, Miriem has shattered the glass ceiling, clearing the path for more women to climb the corporate ladder and change the narrative…

EDITOR’S NOTE: Read the entire piece here. It’s on page 72 of our ’50 Most Influential Women in Business’ edition.