People

Ali Ali is a highly acclaimed commercials director from Cairo, Egypt and the co-founder of Good People Films. He was recently named by The Gunn Report as one of the ten most awarded directors in the world, he was also selected as Jury President for Film Craft at Cannes Lions this year.

He studied Computer Engineering at the American University in Cairo, but preferring storyboards to motherboards, Ali quickly abandoned a programming career to study Art Direction at the Miami Ad School. Interestingly enough. Ali also has an MA from the esteemed San Francisco Art Institute.

Beginning his career as a junior art director with D’Arcy Bucharest, Ali moved on to build an award winning career as both art director and creative director for the likes of Leagas Delaney, JWT, Leo Burnett, and topping it off as ECD of DDB Berlin.

His directorial debut, “Never Say No to Panda,” earned him a Silver Lion at Cannes and, with over 200 million YouTube views, was named by The Guardian as “one of the most-watched viral spots of all time.” Ten years later, Ali has directed more than eighty commercials for brands such as Diesel, Google, Rolling Stone, Coca-Cola, Budweiser, and Amazon.

Among his many accolades, Ali has won over six Gold Cannes Lions in Film and Film Craft, four coveted D&AD Yellow Pencils (two for Best Direction in 2015 and 2022), and the Black Cube (Best of Show) from the Art Director’s Club, New York.

Born in Cairo but raised across the globe, his work blends local authenticity with global storytelling and a quirky sense of humor. He is currently represented by Arts & Sciences (UK), Caviar (France), Markenfilm (Germany), and Little Minx (USA).

Easily one of the most awarded creatives with countless gold and glass Cannes Lions, over ten D&AD Pencils, Black Cubes from the Art Director’s Club and a Grand Prix from the London Advertising Festival to his name, Maged is that ‘creative genius’. He just THINKS he’s a simple guy because he always orders the same item from a menu. Maged co-founded Good People along with Ali Ali and Pierre Mouarkech in 2016. When he’s not behind the camera directing, he is the acting ECD of Good People.

Always in a cap, ombré glasses and plain tee whether he’s on set or judging award shows, he likes to keep the creative juices flowing while directing for international brands like Orange, Du, Coke and Toyota to name a few. The cast of his films are always fresh and exotic faces that add an ‘aha’ factor to every frame. Probably inspired by his comic collections.

He has a fetish for bold crafting, making any raw material imbue with new meaning. You can get a glimpse of that in films like ‘Everything’ for Zain and “Back to Black’ for Pepsi.

Undeniably agency breast fed, Maged still loves to get his hands dirty in the creative process even after shifting to directing a couple years ago. His style is offbeat & unorthodox. His character is timid and ridiculously witty.

Cool fact? He loves elephants. Hence the name of his creative agency which is the birth child of his life-long-ad-affair with Ali Ali.

Unpopular opinion: he didn’t like the Joker.

Pierre began his career as a DOP in 2005 after completing his Master’s in Cinematography at Université Saint Joseph in Lebanon, in partnership with INSAS film school in Brussels.

Based in Beirut, Pierre has shot projects worldwide, primarily in the advertising industry for various international brands. Whether comedy, vignettes, real-life scenarios, raw story-telling, or stylized imagery, Pierre loves exploring different styles and genres, from music videos and short films to thought-provoking documentaries.

His collaborations with talented directors earned him numerous cinematography awards, including honors from Cannes Lions, London D&AD, Clio Awards, Dubai Lynx, and New York Festivals. Early recognized works include the Du Tuesday Telecom campaign directed by Ali Ali and the Center Point campaign directed by Maged Nassar.

In 2022, his work on Rolling Stone’s “Rockin’ Mamas,” Heineken’s “The Night Is Young,” and Kärcher were among the most awarded TV commercials in the advertising industry.

In 2023, Pierre transitioned toward feature films, collaborating closely with his longtime partner, director Ali Ali, on Smokey Eyes, a short film shot in Cairo, Egypt.

In 2024, alongside his work on major global advertising campaigns for brands like Lavazza, L’Occitane, Visa, and more, Pierre shot a pilot episode for a potential series, which could mark his first long-format project.

At the end of 2024, Pierre shot “What If They Bomb Here Tonight?”, a short film directed by Samir Syriani in Beirut. The film premiered internationally at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and has since been selected at numerous prestigious short film festivals.

With a degree in Theater, an obsession with film and an affinity for all things electronic, Khaled is our Big Kahuna when it comes to production. Though he prefers being a Big Lebowski instead.

Our Executive Producer is a jack-of-all trades and master of some. For seven years, he cut his teeth working as the agency producer for JWT, all while starring in several theater productions and a few great ads.

Khaled has done it all. Agency production, on-ground work, branded content, documentaries, shorts, music videos, editing and extensive dubbing/voice work.

Throughout his career, Khaled has produced tens of Cannes, D&AD, Lynx and Clio-winning spots.

He immediately spots the good work from the bad. And more importantly, he knows exactly what it takes to make good work great.

To you, he may just be Khaled but we call him the ‘Kal’.

The ‘O’ in Omar stands for obsessed; and there are a few things he can go on and on about. Football, marketing and food to begin with. Starting his career on the client side (or what we call the other side of the email), Omar took a leap of faith and dipped into the pool of production to challenge himself in ad world.

He’s been a proud executive producer at Good People ever since, passionately merging his love for on-ground work with his marketing mastermind. He’s helpful, kind and will always give you genuine, loving compliments that put your Grandma’s to shame.

If you’ve ever seen Kung Fu Panda, then you know Moataz. Rare, lethal, on a mission, and above all...fluffy.

Moataz started from the bottom—15 years ago in some of Egypt’s top production kitchens - and now we’re here! Known for his creative solutions—he gets it done. Beautifully. Boldly. On time. Always hands- on, always all-in.

Mizo is witty, relentless, and slightly addicted to carbs–the guy you call when you need calm under pressure, a sharp eye on set, and someone who won’t flinch when it all goes sideways.

Moataz won’t try to make you laugh, but you will anyways. Whether it’s mid-shoot or mid-crisis, his timing’s tighter than a Messi dribble in extra time (yes, he is a fan).

If there is one unsung hero in Good People… a ninja in the shadows… it must be Rolla. You probably don’t know her, but she probably knows everything about you. With a master degree in finance, 20+ years of experience in the advertising world, our COO is our most lethal weapon.

Rolla spent the predominant part of her career on the agency side before deciding to take a deeper dive into what she considers the most interesting part of advertising, The Production World! Allowing her to engage her skills in creative financial management with out of the box solutions and a pace not for the faint hearted. 

Wildly acknowledged as the office’s god-mother, only one person is allowed to call her mom. And she spends most of her non-working time with him!

Ramy didn’t plan to end up in production — he was once a client that went to set like any other client. Problem is, he never came back! He has since been a producer who’s at his sharpest when things get messy. As in REAL Messy.

Known as the ultimate “social butterfly,” Ramy thrives on on-ground hustle, making sure every moving part connects smoothly. He’s carved a niche for himself leading shoots across Saudi and most of the MENA region, where his mix of patience, precision, and people skills usually keep crews sane and clients happy.

Whether it’s wrangling timelines, navigating tricky locations, or just keeping the vibe vibbing, Ramy’s the guy you want in the trenches.

Youngest of three, lifelong rebel, and professional expert at sneaking into complicated situations basically, my parents never stood a chance. While my brothers toughened me up, I perfected the art of laughing my way through chaos (a skill that comes in handy on set).

I’m a proud food addict who firmly believes that no good production was ever run on an empty stomach. My other core values? Laugh loudly, work hard, and remember that fun is non-negotiable because let’s face it, producing is stressful enough without forgetting to enjoy the ride.

At the end of the day, I’m here for good people, good films, and maybe a good snack table.

Iman started off working on the agency show, until she decided to cross over the production world and join

Goodpeople. Iman carved her path with passion and unwavering dedication, from day one. With a knack for creating captivating campaigns, Iman thrives in the fast paced world of advertising and production.

Her career has taken her across diverse markets, including Egypt, Dubai and Saudi Arabia, providing her with

invaluable exposure and a deep understanding of the regional nuances.

Off the clock, Iman owns the dance floor, and fills every room with her infectious energy. Her love for dance brings unparalleled coolness to her work (you’ll only get a taste of it if you work with).

When the party is over, Iman works as a group account director.

Hend has worked in marketing and advertising advertising for over 15 years at agencies, production houses, media tech corporations, branding boutiques both big and small. In this time she’s grown with brands, learned from mentors, and gained work experience across pretty much every industry and every market, from the US to ASIA.

Building brands and telling stories is something that excites her. Working with people who care about the work excites her even more.

Over the years she’s spent time in every single department from account management, planning, art direction, creative, production, and business development. That’s why she has grown to lead teams, companies, agencies, and

even production sets.

So how did she get here, especially given that she has graduated with a law degree? As a kid she was obsessed with two things: movies and shows. Every Thursday and Friday she would go to the movies with her mom and brother

watching double and triple bills.

Her love for cinema translated in her endless love for telling stories- whether it’s through through commercials, with brands, through films, through programs, through shows, or through any type of marketing.

This is why she does what she does. And this is why she loves what she does. Oh, that’s being Managing Director/Hal 9000 for Good People. And sometimes, the little chef who feeds the entire office.

While most kids waited for movies to start, I was the odd one out eagerly waiting for the commercials. There was something fascinating about how a whole story could unfold in just 30 seconds. I didn’t know it then, but that obsession would one day turn into a career.

My path into the production world wasn’t exactly planned!! It was a beautiful coincidence. Spent five years on the client side, Then in 2016, life took me to Cairo, and I landed at ZANAD Animation Studio. That’s where things truly came full circle.

Since then, I’ve been immersed in the fast-paced, always evolving world of animation and production. From brainstorming wild ideas to watching them come to life frame by frame, I’ve spent nearly a decade bringing stories to screens of all sizes and loving every chaotic minute of it.

Outside of work, I’m a full-time mom of two, part-time chaos coordinator, and a strong believer that most problems can be solved over a good cup of coffee (or two).

Whether I’m managing a production timeline or school drop offs & play dates etc, life doesn’t slow down but honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Our Riyana ain't from Barbados but she's a Deutsch-speaking-Juventus-loving-theater geek that is equally good looking. She claims to be a solid baker but we haven't tasted a crumb ever since. We forgive her because she can do just about anything else as a Producer.

Took her a quick second to realize that she didn't want to pursue a career in event planning and ended up in ad world with us. With a background in film production, Riyana knows the ins and outs of the job, which helps us get in and out of a location with a great film in our hands, no body counts.

Nour started out swimming laps as a kid, maybe that’s where her love for a good challenge began. She later launched her own fashion concept store before deciding production looked like a much wilder ride. At Good People, she’s mastered the art of making things happen, from managing the madness in the office to bringing visions to life on set.

A proud mom who’s learned to juggle it all, she’s often reminded of a familiar saying: “If you want

something done, hire a mother.” Nour proves it every day- fearless, determined, and unstoppable.