Clémence Vidal De La Blache, country head at the French Development Agency: Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is French Development Agency country head Clémence Vidal De La Blache (LinkedIn). Edited excerpts from our conversation:

I’m Clémence Vidal De La Blache, and I'm the Egypt country head of the French Development Agency (AFD), the development arm of the French government. We're a bilateral development finance institution. We finance sustainable development projects in over 100 countries. We've been present in Egypt since 2008 and we have a mandate to support projects that pursue the sustainable development goals (SDGs), that are aligned with the Egyptian government’s development priorities, such as Vision 2030, and that contribute to our bilateral objectives like climate action.

I head a team of 20 people here, which is a relatively large office across our network. AFD has financed EUR 3.1 bn worth of investments in Egypt since 2008, and our portfolio has doubled over the past five years, which speaks to the developmental needs and the infrastructure finance needs in Egypt, but also speaks to the quality of the partners and projects here. I'm in charge of the strategic direction of AFD Egypt, and responsible for delivering the objectives that the Egyptian and French governments have set for us. Last June, we launched our new country strategy until 2025 with the Ministry of International Cooperation, which sets a very clear roadmap for us.

We have an objective of EUR 200-250 mn worth of development finance per year across four main priority investment areas: Clean energy and supporting Egypt's energy transition; Transport; Natural resources, such as water, sanitation and basic services; and sustainable finance. In addition to that, we also have a very important presence in social sectors such as health, social protection and education.

I'm also responsible for representing AFD to all of our clients, including the Egyptian government, public banks, public corporations, and the development community, such as UN agencies or the European Union, as well as contributing to the policy conversation surrounding the sectors and firms in which we are working. This includes French and Egyptian businesses, initiatives we fund, the French business community, and non-governmental organizations. One of the exciting aspects of this profession is the wide range of stakeholders.

I just arrived in September so I'm still building up a routine. I have my family here with me and a baby daughter who likes to wake up very early. So one of my joys is to start the day early and to spend quality time with her between 6-7.30am, just watching her explore the world. It's really thrilling to see her personality blossom. Then I like to walk to work, and to change routes every morning and explore the beautiful buildings on the island of Zamalek, and look for different coffee shops every day. I'm in the office by 8 am, and the workday begins. There’s usually a mix of internal and external meetings. Sundays, for example, are typically reserved for internal meetings and planning for the coming week's priorities. I read Enterprise, then a variety of Egyptian and international newspapers. And I read the New York Times religiously.

What I love about this job is that we're at the intersection of policy and action. We wear both hats, the financier and the technical partner. So that means we’re very actively involved in the design of the project, the policy and also the action. No two days are alike, and the ecosystem of stakeholders with whom we deal is incredibly diverse.

Professionally, I manage my agenda very carefully. Every Thursday evening, I review the next week's plan, and then every evening before I leave, I make sure I'm clear about the next day's schedule, and that it's matched with the priorities that evolve quite rapidly in the week. The one constant in my day is my quality morning time with my daughter, because I'm not always sure I can get home in time to put her to sleep.

I stay focused by drinking lots of coffee. More seriously, I aspire to run on a regular basis in order to stay focused and sharp. I usually try to do one race a year to have a training objective. That serves as a stress reliever and as a way for me to stay focused. This year, I have enrolled for a run at the pyramids in early December, which I’m excited for.

In terms of winding down, I love to discover the cities that I live in, especially such a fascinating city like Cairo. I'm a big history nerd, and a big fan of culture. It's one of the joys of the kind of work that I do where you're regularly posted abroad — the possibility of delving into new cultures. Over the past four or five weekends, I've managed to make some time for guided tours: to discover the pyramids in Giza, Islamic Cairo, and I went on a guided tour of El Moez Street which I loved. I really look forward to being able to explore that part of Cairo’s history and civilization. I also love to dive, and it’s something I’m really looking forward to doing while in Egypt. I’ve done over 100 dives, and am certified to go up to 60 meters. I find it deeply meditative and relaxing, and am itching to discover all the superb diving spots this country has to offer.

I just finished reading Cairo: The City Victorious, which is like a biography of Cairo by Max Rodenbeck. It's a wonderful introduction for an outsider to the long history of Cairo, from someone who's lived in the city for a very long time, and the writing is excellent. Really recommended. I also just bought David Sims’ book, Understanding Cairo. He is an economist and an urban planner, and it's an analysis of urban projects in Cairo.

I come with a perspective that I'm here for a limited time. I already knew from the day that I arrived that I only have four years here. So both professionally and personally it means that there's an intensity to the experience. It's something that I think about quite often. And Ireally have it as a driver. It means literally making the most of every day and every week. To make an impact on the portfolio, to explore new sectors of collaboration, to steer projects. There's a sense of urgency. And I mean that in the best way possible. Despite the fact that our projects take years to be financed and to be implemented. So it's finding that right balance of maintaining a strong sense of urgency and a call to action, while keeping your focus on the medium and long term.