From basketball pro to Managing Director
Inside Komax
Imed Guesmi, Managing Director North Africa, is not just a charismatic personality and a powerful manager. He is also a former professional basketball player and member of the Tunisian national team. We caught up with him to find out how his sports career has impacted on his professional life and what is pivotal for him in his role.
If you ask him what he likes most about the wire processing industry, it's definitely the daily challenges. Technical, but also operational ones. When it comes to what fascinates him about the Komax world, it's the people, the international exchanges, the close cooperation and the solidarity with one another. He is Imed Guesmi. Born in 1980, father of two children and Managing Director North Africa since August 2024, based in Sousse, the third largest city in Tunisia. In his role, he is responsible for the strong positioning of Komax Tunisia, but ‘I also support the Komax Maroc team and, together with my colleagues, ensure that we strengthen our market position in North Africa to be even closer to our local customers.
Imed Guesmi, whether with Komax Tunisia or Komax Maroc, is unlikely to run out of work for the time being. The North African automotive market is booming. More than 260 companies in the automotive industry have now set up shop in Morocco, with the Maghreb state producing around 47% of all vehicles manufactured in Africa in 2024 according to the S&P LV Production Forecast 06-01-2025. “That's exactly what fascinates me,” he reveals. “Being successful through hard work in a challenging time.”
Discipline pays off
Imed Guesmi learned early on that hard work leads to success. And that it takes commitment, tenacity, perseverance, self-discipline, good organization and a pinch of methodology. “I started playing basketball in 1992, when I was eleven, and was promoted to the Tunisian national team just two years later,” he recalls. “In 1996, I was signed by a famous club in Tunis, La Goulette, with whom I achieved numerous successes in the following years. Among other things, I won the national championship, the Tunisian Cup and the Arab national championship."
From 2000 to 2004, Imed Guesmi studied mechanical engineering at El Manar University in Tunis. Combined with daily training sessions and numerous absences due to traveling and national team games. “That was a tough time,” he admits. But the discipline learned in elite sport also proved to be extremely helpful in his career: Immediately after completing his studies, he found a job as Maintenance Manager, later became Technical Manager and was promoted to Sales Director in 2017. He joined the Komax Group in 2021 and became Managing Director of Komax Maroc in Mohammedia in 2023. Today and after several years in Morocco, he works from his home country of Tunisia again.
Participative leadership culture for the benefit of all
Imed Guesmi is known as an open, respectful and determined person. Which is no coincidence. “The most important thing for me within a team is a healthy atmosphere based on trust,” he explains. “It's important to me to maintain a culture in which all employees take personal responsibility, strive for continuous improvement and can freely contribute their ideas for solutions. If problems arise, we discuss all suggestions in an open forum and make decisions for the benefit of the customers and the company.” As Managing Director, he always tells his colleagues that he is here to support them, not to control them. “I cultivate a participative management culture and do not decide over the heads of colleagues, customers or partners.” Which is why he always ensures clear, open and transparent communication when it comes to business relationships.
Sousse: WirePro Expo in May
Imed Guesmi's basketball career came to an end in 2010 due to a knee injury and the need to focus on work at that time. But he still plays basketball today. “As a hobby and mostly with my two boys,” he says. He also holds a second academic degree as a professional basketball coach and could return to his old life at any time. With emphasis on could, because he is very satisfied with his career within the wire processing industry so far “and my colleagues within the Komax Group are like a second family to me, which I wouldn't want to miss”.
Of course, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to ask how tall Imed Guesmi is. “1.96 meters,” he replied, visibly relieved that we refrained from making any further comments about his height and returned our focus to the essentials. “Like the upcoming WirePro Expo from Komax Tunisia, for example, which will take place in Sousse from May 5 to 9,” he concludes with a spirited smile.
Contact
Imed Guesmi joined Komax in 2021 and is Managing Director North Africa since 2024. He holds a degree in electromechanics from the University of Tunis and provides over 20 years of experience in the wire processing industry.