CEO Monthly September 2017

ce

monthly

Also in this issue:

Making Your Money Move - Ria Financial

Exciting Times for Cancer Research

Supporting Dynamic SME’s in Qatar We invite the firm’s CEO, Mr Abdulaziz Bin Nasser Alkhalifa to profile the bank’s history and what it focuses on today Transforming Career Exporting Excellence -Kaizen Switchgear Growth & IT Project Products (India) Performance- Quickstart

September 2017

Welcome to the September edition of CEO Monthly Magazine, bringing you the latest news and updates from across the globe, spanning every major industry and sector.

,

On the 28th September, Chevron Corporation announced that its Board of Directors elected Michael K. Wirth, chairman of the board and chief executive officer, effective 1st February 2018. Wirth joined Chevron in 1982 as a design engineer. Since that time, he advanced through a number of engineering, construction and operations positions, proving himself a leader ideally suited to lead Chevron.

In this issue, we discover how Quickstart is the first to launch and help organizations transforms IT project performance and career growth, through cognitive learning platform and multi-mode training. Quickstart CEO, Ed Sattar takes time to reveal more about the company and his approach to leadership.

Continuing with the theme of success, leading national professional employer organisation (PEO) and HR outsourcing provider, G&A Partners was recently named the recipient of the multiple awards in the second annual Stevie Awards for Great Employers.

Elsewhere in this edition, we learn more about how Qatar Development Bank (QDB), a fully owned government financial entity set up by an Emiri Decree, to invest in and develop local industries by supporting small and medium enterprises (SME’s) in Qatar. The firm’s CEO, Mr Abdulaziz Bin Nasser Alkhalifato profiles the bank’s history and what it focuses on today.

Here at CEO Monthly, we sincerely hope you enjoy reading this insightful issue and look forward to hearing from you.

Jessie Daykin - Editor AI Global Media, Ltd. (AI) takes reasonable measures to ensure the quality of the information on this web site. However, AI will not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, correctness or completeness of any information that is available through this web site. If errors are brought to our attention, we will try to correct them.

The information available through the website and our partner publications is for your general information and use and is not intended to address any particular finance or investment requirements. In particular, the information does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by us or any of our partner publications and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making or refraining from making any investment or financial decisions.

Appropriate independent advice should be obtained before making any such decision. Any arrangement made between you and any third party named in the site is at your sole risk and responsibility.

2 CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017

Contents 4. Exciting Times for Cancer Research 6. Supporting Dynamic SME’s in Qatar 8. Exporting Excellence 9. Transforming Career Growth & IT Project Performance 10. Improving Life-Long Health Trajectory 12. Fighting Fear With Fairness 13. Safety First 14. Making Your Money Move 16. Latest On Gender Pay Gap Shows Bad News for Female Leaders 18. New Leader in Breast Health for TransMed7 20. Cint Appoints Chief Operations and Chief Innovation Officers 22. Safety First 24. Dynamic Improvement 26. Thought Leader’s “Profound” Book Equips Readers to Thrive in Evolving Leadership Paradigm 28. Launch of FundKeeper 30. Environmental Leaders to Gather at World Forum on Natural Capital

CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017 3

1709CEO1

Exciting Times for Cancer Research Tolero Pharmaceuticals is a clinical–stage biopharmaceutical company with a single-minded purpose, to alleviate human suffering through the development of meaningful medicines, to treat both cancer and other serious human diseases. To mark their inclusion in the Global CEO Top 100, we interviewed the company’s founder and CEO, David Bearss to find out why it is such an exciting time to be a part of cancer drug development.

Tolero Pharmaceuticals is a research-based company, who seek opportunities to develop new drugs for high unmet medical needs, to benefit patients with serious diseases. Founder and CEO, David Bearss is eager to explain the science that drives the company’s work and to provide an insight into his own role there, which he has held since 2011.

“We work to understand the science driving these conditions and we can translate that biology into new medicines. We work closely with colleagues’ at large cancer research centres around the world. We test and evaluate the safety and efficiency of new drugs that we discover, to ensure that we are always meeting the needs of our patients.

“I am the founder and CEO of Tolero Pharmaceuticals and I have had this role since the company was founded, so it has been exciting for me to be involved from the very beginning with our programmes. I have served in leadership roles, in both the academic setting and in the pharmaceutical industry, prior to founding Tolero.

“I am a scientist by training and as such, that keeps me grounded and focused on our core principles, which is that good science makes good medicines and good

medicines, make good business.

My experience has helped to lead the scientific process of a developing a pharmaceutical company.

“It is an honour to be recognised by our inclusion in the Global CEO Top 100. We have worked hard to build Tolero Pharmaceuticals and we are committed to making meaningful medicines for patients.”

Following on from this, David explains the company’s strong team and why it is such an exciting time to be involved with cancer drug development.

“We have built a solid core management team of expert scientists, managers and experienced advisors—including key leaders in academia and business. The expertise and diversity of our team has enabled us to develop promising assets, that offer both new and unique ways to treat people with serious diseases.

“It’s really an exciting time in cancer drug development. During the past five years, we have seen over 20 new drugs approved for cancer patients. I don’t think we have seen a more productive time in the history of cancer research.

“Some of the challenges we face are: How do we sustain new meaningful medicines to the patient? Who will pay for

4 CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017

the high cost of new drugs?

We are committed to look for more affordable ways to bring the best medicine possible to patients. There has never been a better time for discovery of new medicines and we are committed to our core that good science makes good medicines and good medicines are good business.”

Hence, I have changed the way I work, to allow new team members to come in and help pick up and expand the foundational aspect of the business, which I spent many years building.”

As the CEO, David feels it is his job to ensure everyone can do their job effectively, by removing the obstacles that get in the team’s way. He explains this interesting point to us in his own words.

“We have just gone through an acquisition and we are excited to see all the new projects and drugs go to the stage of clinical trials in patients, who need new medicines. It is a very exciting time in the history of the company and we are working hard to push these new medicines forward.

“I work hard to identify the challenges that face our team and try to eliminate them, so that everyone can be effective in their specific role. It is very important when you manage highly trained physicians and scientists, to keep them focused on the real challenges, which are the diseases we are trying to treat. I try to inspire them to see the potential of projects and how to realise that.

“Being the founder of the company, I have seen it grow from its dawn up to being acquired by a larger business. I have worn so many hats during the start-up company phase until now and as such, I have learned to adapt to the changing environment, as we have grown. We are now in a transition phase, where we are hiring new talented professional to fill the roles I had previously taken.

Looking ahead, David reveals the exciting future in store for Tolero Pharmaceuticals.

“I am excited to oversee the rapid growth phase we are presently in.

We will be able to move one or more products to the final stage of clinical testing during the next two to three years, so for me to see a drug come from the discovery stage, all the way to approval would an exciting accomplishment for me personally.”

Company: Tolero Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Name: David Bearss Email: dbearss@toleropharma.com Web Address: www.toleropharma.com Address: 2975 Executive Parkway Suite # 320, Lehi, UT 84043 USA Telephone: +1 801 285 6003

ce

monthly

Subscribe to CEO MONTHLY Subscribe here www.ceo-monthly.com/subscribe

,

GCE17047

Supporting Dynamic SME’s in Qatar Qatar Development Bank (QDB) is a fully owned government financial entity set up by an Emiri Decree, to invest in and develop local industries by supporting small and medium enterprises (SME’s) in Qatar. Following their success in achieving the Banking CEO of the Year - Middle East & Best Financial Services Institution – Qatar accolade, we invited the firm’s CEO, Mr Abdulaziz Bin Nasser Alkhalifa to profile the bank’s history and what it focuses on today.

The establishment of the Qatar Industrial Development Bank in 1997 (QIDB) reflects the farsighted vision of H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Emir, to diversify the Qatari economy by promoting private sector projects.

The firm’s CEO, Mr Abdulaziz Bin Nasser Alkhalifa tells us about the bank’s innovative approach to their work, something of their background, as well as their present-day focus.

“Over the years, we have provided competitive project financing facilities. Our innovative approaches have allowed us to identify promising investment opportunities for Qatari investors.

This, in turn, has significantly contributed towards a dynamic and productive private sector in Qatar. Today, QDB continues to play a vital role in the development of many leading projects in Qatar. We take pride in our position as a pro-active partner for the on-going economic growth and development of the State of Qatar.

to grow Qatar’s private sector and diversify its economy. His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Emir, identified these as vital tasks in developing Qatar into a modern state. Since our establishment in 1997, we have been at the forefront of these efforts. We have worked with thousands of Qatari entrepreneurs and enterprises.

We have provided investment and guidance to brand-new start-ups and well-established corporations.

And we have built a reputation for identifying promising investment opportunities.

“Our focus is on growing small and medium enterprises in key sectors by offering several services through a single window to support their expected growth.

Through smart, targeted financing products and advisory support services, QDB is nurturing a sound and sustainable knowledge-based economy for Qatar.”

QDB focuses on accelerating the development and diversification of the economy of Qatar in line with the ’Qatar National Vision for the Year 2030’, Abdulaziz tells us.

“Qatar Development Bank (QDB) was founded by Emiri Decree

6 CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017

“To achieve this goal, the bank invests in the private sector by supporting local entrepreneurs, as well as providing housing and development related initiatives on behalf of the government of Qatar. We focus on the following sectors that may potentially have positive impact on the social and economic standard of living in Qatar, leading an important role in their development: industrial; medical care; education; tourism; agricultural; livestock; fishing and services.

“Eligible companies with projects in these sectors can apply directly to the bank for project funding. ‎Projects showing added value to the economy of Qatar will be considered favourably. ‎Facility terms and conditions vary from sector to sector. QDB will carry out the usual measures of inspecting the creditworthiness of each applicant. ‎We provide both traditional and Islamic financing services. Eligibility to apply for direct loans from QDB varies between sectors and project dimensions.”

QDB’s board of directors is primarily responsible for the development and implementation

of sound and ethical governance practices, across the enterprise, Abdulaziz adds. He concludes by telling us more about the bank’s staff and the vital role they play.

“It is the board’s primary duty to ensure that principles of corporate governance, both as described by relevant laws and regulations and those voluntarily adopted by the bank are diligently followed and complied with.

“The bank’s board of directors is nominated by HH the Emir of Qatar and consists of representatives from key stakeholder government departments and ministries. The members are eminent people with vast experience and are the key torch bearers of government’s strategy in developing the non-oil sectors of the Qatari economy.

“Our board is active and meets frequently during the year to review the Bank’s policies and practices and to decide on critical matters affecting the strategy and operations of the bank. The present board consists of seven members and is chaired by H.E. Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud AlThani.”

g Supporting Dynamic SME’s in Qatar Comment from the CEO Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Abdulaziz Bin Nasser Al-Khalifa provides some additional comments, telling us that today, the country is in commercial over-drive. He goes on to expand this point and shares with us the bank’s success over the years, as well as the difference they are making to SMEs in the region.

Company: Qatar Development Bank (QDB) Name: Abdulaziz Bin Nasser Alkhalifa Email: info@qdb.qa Web Address: www.qdb.qa Address: Head Office PO Box 22789, Grand Hamad Street, Doha, Qatar Telephone: +974 4430 00 00

“This is apparent in the continuous growth in all sectors of the economy. This comes because of the government’s prudence to improve the economy and its keenness to have the State of Qatar hold the top world rankings in various fields, in line with its long history and the achievements of its founders. Qatar is experiencing a boom in infrastructure projects, as well as the implementation of several other ambitious projects to prepare Qatar to become a global centre, with all the capabilities and requirements needed to host world events. The Football World Cup 2022 is the best proof of the implementation of Qatar Vision 2030 and as such, there is ambition amongst all Qataris to maximise these unique opportunities.

“To that purpose, QDB has been very successful in recent years, driving growth in diverse sectors of the economy. From providing finance for projects of national interest, to supporting the private sector with value-added services, our bank has become a powerful catalyst for socio-economic development. Positive byproducts of this strategy, include the empowerment of the Qatari workforce, an improvement in living standards and a raft of exciting investment opportunities for Qatari businesses.

“We have also made great strides in identifying the challenges that face our young and growing private sector.

We have studied the needs and listened to the wishes of both the Qatari entrepreneur and business owner. We have reflected on our own realities at the bank and identified the gaps in our offering. QDB has always been firmly committed to creating an economy that is sustainable, diversified and competitive, with dynamic and successful SMEs at the core. Today, we are better equipped than ever to play our central role in this task, setting an example for the region and for the world.”

CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017 7

,

1709CE03

Exporting Excellence Kaizen Switchgear Products is involved in the manufacturing of Epoxy Moulded components, and provides one of the most extensive product portfolios for managing the Electrical Power system used in Power generation, Power Distribution and Transmission. We spoke with V. Arvind to find out more about the company and his own success, being named as one of the top 100 Global CEO’s.

Kaizen Switchgear Products’ overall goal is to provide products of uncompromising quality and uncommon capabilities by working with customers seeking to create new products and applications for the Electrical Sector. Mr. Arvind talks us through his previous roles and how he became to achieve his position as CEO of Kaizen Switchgear Products (India), which helps to explain his goal.

“Beginning my career, I started out as a Customer Support Engineer with Twin Engineers Pvt/Ltd (Pune, India), manufacturers of Automatic Epoxy Dispensing machines, with a role of developing Management Information systems on market segments & product segments for operations. Thereon, I moved to Synthesis Winding Technologies Pvt. Ltd (Bangalore, India), as Head of Business development, responsible for evolving strategies and deriving methodologies for enhancing customer satisfaction Indices.

“During the formative stages of my professional career, I have only built around the belief, before trying to understand business, to understand customers. We tend to overlook our customers because we don’t have a clear definition on this aspect. Most founders are on the look-out for such people and this is where one needs to keep an eye out, and possibly the ability to almost

match-up to the Founder in passion is the key – leading me to the role of a CEO with my current Organisation – Kaizen Switchgear Products since year 2008.”

Mr. Arvind explains his and the company’s approach when undertaking a new project. It is important to ensure right from the start of the project that the outcome meets the needs of everyone involved, and he believes that the secret to success is doing common things uncommonly well.

“The starting point of any corporate value of any concern is the products’ quality - a quality that the customers take for granted. The secret of success is to do the common things uncommonly well. Innovation is at the heart of everything we do.

If we are not innovative, then we are not relevant and if we are not relevant, then we are not successful.

“Secondly, for any project to be successful, I think time management is very important.

Every now and again a crisis will pop-up, but you have to spend time with what is important and delegate everything else-which means you also need to make sure those around you have the power to take those decisions from you.”

Mr. Arvind tells us how it feels to be selected in the 2017 Global CEO Top 100, before going on to discuss his leadership style

8 CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017

and how he ensures everyone in his organisation understands his vision and works towards it.

“Having recently being conferred in April 2017 as CEO of the month by UK based magazine – Corporate Vision, and now being selected in the 2017 Global CEO Top 100 is an incredible honour.

However, very few things in life are entirely the work of one person and this is no exception. I would like to take this opportunity to also thank my colleagues (past and present) to the enormous contribution, without which my recognition would not have been possible and this award is as much for them as it is for me.”

“This award in particular, also tells us a lot about our industry too and as long as there are awards instituted as this one around, we have little need to worry about the future of our Industry.

“Surrounding yourself with personnel who have varying strengths, attributes and workstyles is what makes a company prepare for the long run. Focus is building a team which is more holistic that will also think out of the box and stay ahead of the innovation curve.”

There are many challenges and opportunities which any CEO would face, and we asked Mr. Arvind what challenges he has faced and how they may have affected his role and the decisions he makes.

“First and foremost, the company must be an achiever.

It must constantly endeavour for excellence in all parameters that distinguish itself from the rest. It must use manufacturing excellence as a means of beating the competition and must have achieved distinctly higher levels of performance, than the Industry average.

“Being world class is all about being as good as any competitor in the world, and just a little bit better, quicker or more responsive than the rest.”

Regarding his future aspirations for the business, Mr. Arvind talks about investing in new sustainable enterprises and anticipate how the Kaizen’s investments may directly impact people over a period of five to seven years.

“Ultimately, we want to invest in sustainable enterprises that have social impact-so for us social impact is more important than the financial returns. We would like to see how our investments over a period of five to seven years can directly impact people.”

,

1709CE05

Transforming Career Growth & IT Project Performance

Quickstart is the first to launch and help organizations transforms IT project performance and career growth, through cognitive learning platform and multi-mode training. To celebrate their inclusion in our Global CEO Top 100 series, we interviewed CEO, Ed Sattar, to learn more about the company and his approach to leadership.

Quick start is an IT skills learning marketplace, that optimises project performance and career growth, by personalizing learning experience through online IT course subscriptions, instructor lead training, high impact mentoring and hands-on lab experience. These are used in the areas of application development, data science, cloud computing, DevOps (‘development’ and ‘operations’), IT operations and information security training.

Customers range from Fortune 500 (B2B) to individual (B2C).

The company’s CEO, Ed Sattar talks us his previous roles and how he attained the position of CEO. “I am a serial high tech entrepreneur. I started my hightech career in 1997. Since then, I have started and funded several companies and led through successful exits of couple of e-business companies. I funded and started 360training in 1999, an e-learning market place in the compliance certification training space. I funded 360factors, a governance risk and compliance software company, based on artificial intelligence. I am also a limited partner in a VC company, Moneta Ventures.

“Most recently, I acquired Quickstart.com, which was a traditional IT skills training company for 30 years. Since then, it has transformed into a

game-changing cognitive learning platform company, dedicated to servicing the IT community.”

Ed then tells us more about the company itself and its all-important ongoing strategy.

“IT skills training and certification is a huge market, $5 billion global industry today. However, training and learning providers have not kept up with the needs of a modern learner. The rules of a modern learner are changing in how people learn, retain and implement. People are tired of solely IT instructor led, or just online IT training. Furthermore, there is an unstructured learning that is being consumed by employees through means such as blogs or YouTube, activities which are not being tracked or given credit to the learner. I believe that all these challenges are creating a skillset mismatch and for organization to calculate ROI on learning & development dollars spent.

“Over the past 19 years, we’ve observed how the digital landscape is changing how the modern learner engages with content. How a student learns information, retains it and then applies it is drastically different today, then it was even a few years ago. So, we’ve created a unique, proprietary instructional delivery methodology, called QS Learn and embedded it into a cognitive learning platform, called CLIPP.

“The CLIPP platform offers self-paced online IT courses and virtual instructor led courses in a library format, with hands-on labs to simulate real life problems.

We’re offering instructor and peer-to-peer (P2P) mentoring, created psychometrically based assessments to measure the retention of vital information, to grow the student’s skill set and ultimately validate their expertise.

“Finally, CLIPP platform enables a learner to enter in their desired learning objectives and immediately assemble their own course, with content from multiple sources such as YouTube, ted. com, blogs, ebooks, their desktops and even their LMS. QuickStart believes strongly in personalizing IT training, so that we can convert it into a high-impact learning experience as well as building high performance technology teams and careers.”

As the CEO, Ed then shares with us his leadership style, including how he ensure that everyone in the company understands his vision and works towards it.

“Getting the entire company aligned with the vision, strategy and converting them into executable goals, KPI’s as well as prioritising projects and tasks towards those goals is one of the hardest aspects of my job, but it is also the role of a CEO today.

headed up. When I am leading a start-up company with employees numbering less than 50 - then I use both leadership styles transformation and transactional.

If I was forced to map out a percentage for both, then I would say that 40% is transformation and 60% is transactional.

“When I am leading a midsize company, of around 400 people, the leadership style is 70% transformational and 30% participative, with the latter being more democratic in its nature. The area where I invest more of my time, concerns vision, strategy development, culture, execution, people development as well as process, by which people can prioritise.”

Ed then reveals his future aspirations regarding leading QuickStart, including his own career as a seasoned CEO. “I would like to see Quickstart to dominate the IT skills cognitive learning space, where we can provide customised and personalised IT learning experience and increase project performance, by developing project requirements for IT executives using artificial intelligence.

“I would like to continue the path of building companies and building people. In addition, I would like to leverage artificial intelligence to create an online high school programme and offer it for free at a global level, once I retire.”

“My leadership style has varied, per the size of the company I have

CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017 9

,

1709CE04

Improving Life-Long Health Trajectory The mission of Evolve BioSystems, Inc. is to bring to market the next generation of sciencedriven, microbiome-modifying products to establish, restore, and maintain a healthy gut microbiome and to improve life-long health trajectory. As part of our Global CEO Top 100 series, we enjoyed an interview with former CEO, and now Chairman David Kyle to learn more about the company and man behind it.

The initial focus of Evolve BioSystems is on products to establish and maintain the healthy gut microbiome - in new-born infants. They have an e-commerce platform, with a consumer-directed home use product for newborns and a hospital-based neonatal ICU product.

CEO, David Kyle took us through his previous roles and how he came to achieve his current position. He also revealed his passionate approach, when it comes to working with his staff.

“In 1985, I founded Martek Biosciences, another company in the infant nutrition area. At Martek, we conceived of adding DHA and ARA to all infant formulas and developed a unique process to produce designer oils highly enriched in DHA and ARA. Before Martek was acquired in 2011 by DSM for a value of $1.2 billion, we provided these oils to every major infant formula company in the world and Martek’s DHA and ARA has improved the quality of life for hundreds of millions of new babies worldwide. Because of this ground-breaking early work, I was inducted into the US Space Technology Hall of Fame in 2009.”

“I have always been passionate about the work I do and I try to infuse that passion to everyone in the company. First and foremost, I surround myself with top talent and then simply allow them to do what they do best, while I concentrate on focus, motivation, and removing obstacles. A primary goal for me is to find that highly talented and experienced person that I can nurture, teach, and motivate to the point that I can turn over the CEO position to them and be confident that I have left the company in good hands.”

David then reveals to us the company’s ongoing strategy in some detail.

“The gut microbiome of most babies born today in developed nations around the world is different from what it was just 50 years ago, due to the unintended consequences of C-section births, replacement of breast milk with infant formula and the extensive, generational use of antibiotics.

Our business model is simply to give mothers a product that will return their baby’s gut microflora (the infant gut microbiome) to its natural and historical status, as opposed to the present day dysbiosis expressed in over 90% of babies born today in the Europe and the USA.”

10 CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017

On the challenges and opportunities he has faced during his time at Evolve Biosystems, David is keen to explain these in more detail including how they have affected his current job role.

“I have been in leadership roles with two companies bringing disruptive products or technology into an established industry. The first one, Martek Biosciences, successfully passed the $1 billion valuation hurdle before being acquired by a global major. The second one, Evolve Biosystems, is on the same path, but at a much more rapid trajectory.”

“Although success is greatly rewarded in disruptive approaches, the existing infrastructure of most industries is not very accepting of deviations from the status quo.

Consequently, you must work harder, smarter, and with the understanding that changing the minds of established career scientists and business leaders is not easy.”

“For the first few years, you will be bombarded with negativity by the established norms and the enhanced hurdles seem unfair. But I have learned that perseverance and gentle persuasion to change, are essential to succeeding in

bringing a disruptive technology to the market.”

The fascinating insights so far, conclude as David explains his future aspirations regarding Evolve BioSystems, Inc. “Presently, I am fully engaged in bringing a new concept of nutrition and disease prevention to the world. I believe that the maldevelopment of the immune system and metabolic set points, due to a disruption in the microbiome in the first few months of life, may be the primary cause for the global pandemic of autoimmune disorders and obesity. It is a bold speculation, based mostly on correlational evidence and a belief that nature does not make many mistakes.”

“But if we are right in this speculation that the reestablishment of the natural infant gut microbiome early in life returns the prevalence of food allergies, asthma, Type I Diabetes, Celiac Disease and obesity to levels found 50-60 years ago, this could have one of the greatest impacts on worldwide public health since the development of vaccines. My future aspiration is to determine if this is true and to make it happen both quickly and safely, and thereby start to improve the

g Improving Life-Long Health Trajectory

lifelong health trajectories of all babies worldwide.”

“My immediate plans are to continue to provide global leadership to the company, as Chairman of the Board. We need to gather more believers in our mission from both the private and public sectors and this requires driving of the operational activities of the company to success, as well as turning the resources of the world to help us with our inspirational mission of a world without disease.”

Company: Evolve Biosystems Inc Name: David J. Kyle Email: info@evolvebiosystems.com Web Address: www.evolvebiosystems.com Address: 2121 2nd St. Suite B107, Davis, CA 95618 USA Telephone: +1 530 747 2012

CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017 11

,

1709CE08

Fighting Fear With Fairness A niche City law firm based in Moorgate, London, Cavendish Employment Law Limited aims to be the stand out law practice in the area, providing clients with the utmost quality of service. Caroline Walker describes how it feels to have been named in the CEO of the Year Awards 2017 and also named Most Outstanding in Legal Services 2017, as well as detailing the type of services the firm offers.

Established in 2009 by Caroline Walker, Cavendish Employment Law has recently launched an office in Malaga, Spain. Dealing mostly with senior employees and some who work at board level, most of the clients of the firm have a background in either finance or education.

Something which helped Caroline develop into a successful and respected CEO was her training as a young lawyer. Starting out at Andrew Wills and Company, Caroline became a partner upon qualifying and launched Wills Walker. Moving on, Caroline joined Sheridans to head up the Employment Department before heading up and launching the Employment Department at Sprechier Grier in 2005.

Within an ever evolving industry such as law, a person with Caroline’s experience will have overseen many changes since the start of her career. Caroline does explain that there have been some positives, notably an increase in compensation for unfair dismissal, but more could still be done to protect employees.

“Interestingly, I have always seen employment law as a constantly evolving area and I feel it is important for the business to review

the needs of the clients on an ongoing basis. Since I started my career as a trainee in 1998, there have been significant changes.

At that time, compensation was limited in unfair dismissal cases to £12,000. Whilst there have been many positive changes, the current cap on unfair dismissal of approximately £80,000 still operates unfairly for senior and highly paid employees. As a result, we have had recent success in High Court claims in respect of bonus and commission claims, to ensure that justice is obtained for those individuals.”

Following on from unfair dismissal claims, Caroline mentions what she would like to see change with regard to employment law. Using past cases as an example, she discusses how employees need more protection, although she is understanding of some businesses needing to be able to dismiss people.

“There is obviously a need to balance the interests of businesses against those of the employees, however I believe much more can be done to protect employees. For instance, there is no protection from unfair dismissal until you have been employed for two years. I remember when this was just one year and, although an employer needs some flexibility to dismiss someone, 12 months

12 CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017

is usually sufficient to assess their suitability to the role and the business generally. Similarly, the cap on breach of contract claims of £25,000 in the Employment Tribunal claims works against many of our clients. Although we have built a reputation with successful outcomes for substantial bonuses with High Court actions, these are more expensive and time consuming than the Tribunal.

The recent change of removing the unlawful Tribunal fees was a positive step and should prevent many from being deterred from seeking justice, whilst maintaining the balance of avoiding claims with no merit with the option of imposing cost orders against them.”

Attributing her passion and thirst for justice to her success, Caroline clearly believes that everyone should be treated fairly. This is integral when running a law firm, and helps Caroline and Cavendish Law to stand out amongst other similar firms. Alongside the mission to secure justice for clients, Caroline signs off by acknowledging that all staff at the firm work together in order to secure the best result for the client, and Caroline cannot emphasise enough how proud she is of her team.

“Driven by the need to secure justice for my clients, I believe that this is behind the success of Cavendish Employment Law. To

lose your job or be discriminated against can be detrimental to your life in ways that it is difficult to imagine. There is the obvious loss of income, but also individuals can suffer from mental health issues, loss of confidence and devastating damage to a career they have spent years to build. It is important therefore that they have support at this time and are given the ability to secure justice that enables them to move on.”

“Ultimately, it is essential at Cavendish Employment Law that the lawyers all share the same values and ethos. This is a very carefully selected team and I believe it is crucial to the overall success of Cavendish. We have an excellent team, some of whom I have worked with for many years now and they bring skills and experience that is hard to find elsewhere.”

Contact: Caroline Walker Contact Email: cwalker@cavendishlaw.co.uk Address: 101 Finsbury Pavement, Moorgate, London, EC2A 1LS, UK Phone: 0207 167 4800 Web Address: www.cavendishlaw.co.uk

,

Safety First PG&E’s President and COO Nick Stavropoulos named to National Safety Council’s Board of Directors.

Nick Stavropoulos, President and Chief Operating Officer of Pacific Gas and Electric Company, has been appointed to the National Safety Council’s Board of Directors.

PG&E Corporation is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California.

The nation’s leading safety advocate for more than 100 years, the National Safety Council (NSC) is a nonprofit organization of more than 55,000 members with the mission to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy.

“Our newest board members, including Nick, are true safety leaders who are passionate advocates and among the most dedicated professionals in the industry today,” said Deborah A.P. Hersman, President and CEO of the National Safety Council. “I look forward to working with Nick to advance our mission of ending preventable deaths in our lifetime.”

“The mission of ending preventable deaths in our lifetime drives me both professionally and personally.

There is no more important goal that we can achieve than having our family, friends and co-workers return home safely to their families every single day. I am truly honored

to join the NSC’s Board and look forward to helping the organization and industry raise the bar on safety,” said Stavropoulos.

Stavropoulos has more than 35 years of experience in the U.S. and international energy industry.

He oversees a diverse workforce of employees across electric, gas, power generation and nuclear

operations as well as corporate support functions. He began working for PG&E in 2011 to lead the multibillion-dollar recovery and restoration effort to enhance the safety of the company’s natural gas system after the 2010 gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno, Calif.

Stavropoulos is a passionate advocate for workplace safety and

improving safety culture. Under his leadership, PG&E’s gas business has earned or qualified for several international safety certifications including ISO 55000; PAS 55001; API RP 1173; and RC 14001.

Stavropoulos is also a frequent keynote speaker at national and international conferences on leadership and safety culture.

CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017 13

,

1709CE08

Making Your Money Move Ria Financial is a recognized financial service leader and leading specialist in international transfers. Having recently received the title, Most Outstanding Women in Business, we invited recipient, Marcela Gonzalez, Managing Director of Ria Financial Services UK and Ireland, to talk us through her role and how she works to drive the firm towards continued success.

Since its inception in 1987, Ria has provided fast, reliable and secure money transfer services using state-of-the-art technology, and today the firm is the third largest money transfer company in the world and a subsidiary of Euronet Worldwide Inc. Marcela, who has worked with the company since 2005, discusses the firm’s service offering in greater detail.

“Traditionally, at Ria our primary offering has been money transfer services, but we are also seeing strong growth in our currency exchange services in the UK, especially. The person-to-person money transfers that Ria makes on behalf of its clients are called remittances and are largely cashbased. Each year, more than $575 billion dollars moves around the world through companies like ours, primarily destined for developing countries and economies.

“Our customers are predominantly people that have migrated abroad and need to send money back home to their loved ones. In the UK, it is primarily the Asian, Eastern European and Latin American communities that patronize our services, although there are plenty of European expats living abroad that also use our services to send money. Remittances go toward basic living costs, as well as things

like education, medical expenses, savings and investment. They are facilitated through our network of more than 324,000 locations in 144 countries and territories. So far, Ria has been helping people send money to their loved ones in a fast, secure and economical way for 30 years.”

Operating in such a diverse, competitive market, means that companies have to differentiate themselves and mark themselves out as the best possible option for their clients. What sets Ria apart, according to Marcela, is its dedication to supporting its clients and providing them with the very highest standard of support and service.

“Fundamentally, Ria exists thanks to the dreams of those that left their home in search of something more for themselves and their families.

Many of those people are women that come to the UK to work – and we work for them, providing a service that’s fast, secure and affordable every time. It’s humbling to be a part of their journey and it’s a pleasure to see a smile on the faces of those that trust us to deliver their hard-earned money to their loved ones.”

To ensure that she supports this dynamic and innovative company, Marcela draws on her vast experience in the money transfer

14 CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017

market. She details her previous roles and how the impact they have on her current position.

“Before Ria, I also worked in the money transfer industry in Colombia, which is where I am originally from. My background has been focused mostly toward business administration, operations, financial analysis and new business. I have witnessed the evolution of this industry from manual journal entries and settlements, to the sophisticated digital systems in place today. As a leader, I’m constantly learning and evolving, most recently completing a Diploma in Company Direction through the Institute of Directors (IOD) – which has been useful for my duties as a board member for both Euronet Payment Services as well as HIFX. “In my current role as Managing Director of Ria in the UK and Ireland, I oversee the whole business in both countries and, along with finance, a very important part of my role is ensuring we are enforcing our high compliance standards. This includes maintaining an open dialogue with the regulator and our business partners.”

As a woman working in a male dominated market, Marcela has overcome many challenges on her road to success. Having recently

been successfully selected as part CEO Monthly’s, Most Outstanding Women in Business, Marcela offers advice to anyone looking to emulate her achievements and make a name for themselves in this vibrant and ever evolving industry.

“My advice to anyone looking to make a difference in the money transfer market is to never stop learning. Keep educating yourself in both a formal and informal capacity. The world is changing and it’s important to remain curious by refreshing skills and learning new ones. Staying up-to-date with current news and trends is also important. Finally, do not be discouraged or lose confidence in the face of male dominance. You are more powerful than you realise.

“Knowledge is not gender-based, so it is important for women to raise their voices and use assertiveness to gain the respect of fellow colleagues. My advice is that women study and hone their skills of persuasion and negotiation in order to get what they need. These skills have helped me to overcome various challenges.

“Overall, I firmly believe that a certain level of respect comes with experience and the actions and decisions you make. Unfortunately, there are some environments where women and not encouraged to raise their voices. For both

g

genders, the fear of being ridiculed in a ‘public’ way or by saying something silly is an unpleasant prospect. Being secure in who you are as a person and trusting yourself contributes to your personal success story. My advice is to be discerning in the corporate environment. Stepping on top of other people – and other women – does not help anyone.”

Moving forward, the future looks bright for Ria, as the company looks to build upon its current success and provide new and innovative ways for clients to transfer their money, as Marcela explains.

“Looking ahead, there are many exciting opportunities for Ria over the coming months. The newest,

live project that we have in the UK, is our partnership with Asda.

We already have a partnership with Walmart in the US to power their white-label domestic money transfer service, Walmart 2 Walmart Powered by Ria. “In the UK, we have also launched a similar service, for international and domestic online money transfers. The service, Asda Money Transfer Powered by Ria went live in April and we are rolling the service out in selected Asda stores across the country, this year. As well as this, we expect to launch more digital products in the UK in the coming months. All of these projects promise to keep us busy and provide many great chances to further grow and succeed.”

Making Your Money Move

With regards to her own career, Marcela has many invigorating plans to grow and prosper, as she proudly concludes.

“Personally, my primary goal is to make Ria number one in the UK market. I will achieve this by continuing to develop and implement strategies that drive growth, and by recruiting more top talent to support Ria in the execution of these plans.

Alongside this, I am also committed to creating an environment of tolerance and gender equality.

As part of this, I would like to see more female participation at senior levels. Companies need to be more flexible, especially when it comes to working women with young families. As well as this, I would like to see companies providing more

opportunities for women to prove themselves.

“Finally, I would like to see Ria’s brand become more recognisable in the UK market and become a top of mind reference for money transfer and currency exchange.

This will be an exhilarating challenge which I am looking forward to overcoming.”

Company: Ria Financial Contact: Marcela Gonzalez Address: 75 Baker Street, London, W1U 6RE, UK Phone: 0845 600 8537 Website: www.riafinancial.com

CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017 15

,

Latest On Gender Pay Gap Shows Bad News for Female Leaders New research reveals the gender pay gap now stands at 26.8% for UK managers - an average £11,606 per year, and the gap increases to £34,144 for director-level positions.

New ways of measuring how much men and women are paid under farreaching Government reporting requirements have revealed that the gender pay gap for the UK’s 3.3m managers is nearly £3,000 bigger than previously understood.

According to analysis of managers’ salaries conducted by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and XpertHR, the gender pay gap as calculated under the new regulations stands at 26.8 per cent, with male managers on average out-earning female peers by £11,606 a year. This includes salary and bonuses, as well as perks such as car allowance and commission.

Previous analyses of the pay gap based on managers’ basic salaries had put the gap at 23.1 per cent last year, or £8,964. Even without applying the new calculations, this year’s data show that this basic salary gap is, if anything, slightly worse at 23.6 per cent, or £9,326.

Under the Government’s reporting regulations that came into effect

in April 2017, large employers (more than 250 employees) must now publicly disclose the size of their gender pay gap. As of 22nd September, just 77 out of the 7,850 UK companies to which the new law applies have fulfilled their obligations.

reporting regulations more than ever before. Yet, less than one per cent of companies have reported so far. Time for more companies to step up and put plans in place to fix this issue. It’s essential if UK companies are to survive and thrive in the post-Brexit world.”

This is the first time that pay gap data, compiled by XpertHR, has been published taking into account the new rules. This is based on analysis of salary data of 118,385 managers from 423 organisations over the past year.

The findings today also reveal that women are far more likely to fill junior management positions than men (66 per cent vs 34 per cent), and men much more likely to occupy senior positions (26 per cent of director-level roles occupied by women, 74 per cent by men). Yet, even for those women who do progress to more senior roles, the pay gap begins to widen considerably: at directorlevel positions, it rises to £34,144, with men earning an average of £175,673 and women £141,529.

CMI’s chief executive Ann Francke commented on the latest findings.

“Too many businesses are like ‘glass pyramids’ with women holding the majority of lower-paid junior roles and far fewer reaching the top. We now see those extra perks of senior management roles are creating a gender pay gap wider than previously understood.

The picture is worst at the top, with male CEOs cashing-in bonuses six times larger than female counterparts’.

“Our data show we need the Government’s gender pay gap

16 CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017

Bonus payments are also exacerbating the problem, with the gender bonus gap across all managers standing at 46.9 per cent. This increases considerably at C-suite level, where the average bonus for a male CEO is £89,230 compared to £14,945 for a woman – an 83 per cent bonus pay gap.

This year’s analysis suggests that while pay rises are picking up for both men and women, the benefits are going disproportionately to men. Male directors picked up a 5.8 per cent increase in pay and bonuses, compared to 3.7 per cent for women (compared to 2.6 per cent and 2.4 per cent respectively last year). For managers, men outpaced women by 3.7 per cent to 3.5 per cent (when they each took home 2.4 per cent increases the year before). That means a realterms widening of the gender pay gap for many managers.

XpertHR Content Director Mark Crail added his comment on the findings and how they impact on businesses.

“We have always known that the gender pay gap appears to widen with seniority. But the results we are publishing today enable us to quantify the gap using a large volume of reliable, checked and verified pay data, drawn directly from employer payroll systems.

Some people have tried to explain the gender pay gap away as being the result of different working hours or individual career choices.

g Latest On Gender Pay Gap Shows Bad News for Female Leaders

But when the analysis is based on the pay of more than 100,000 individuals in well over 400 organisations, it is clear that the pay gap is a very real fact of life for UK managers.”

Pressure has been building on companies to not only follow the new regulations in disclosing gender pay, but also to publish an action plan detailing the practical steps they are proposing to close the gap.

According to research published last year by management consultants McKinsey, closing the gender pay gap would add up to

£150bn a year to the UK economy by 2025. But analysis by CMI show the scale of the challenge: with the economy needing 1.9m new managers by 2024, 1.5m would have to be women in order to achieve balance.

Previous research from CMI in January revealed that four out of five managers had witnessed some form of gender discrimination in the workplace, suggesting a wider cultural shift needs to take place if the gender pay gap is to be closed. To help tackle these issues, CMI last year created CMI Women, a network that aims to achieve gender parity across the UK’s management population by 2024, and to help employers unlock more value in the UK’s workforce to address the productivity gap.

CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017 17

,

New Leader in Breast Health for TransMed7 TransMed7, LLC, a medical and technology based organization focused on the highly efficient development of innovative, minimally invasive medical devices aimed at providing new solutions for doctors and their patients, announces breast health chair appointment.

TransMed7, LLC, has announced the appointment of Richard E. Fine, MD, as Chair, Breast Health Team and Member, Executive Team of TransMed7’s Clinical and Scientific Advisory Board (CSAB).

“We are honored to have Dr. Fine as Chair of the distinguished leaders in our Breast Health Team.

He brings to our organization more than 20 years’ experience as a nationally recognized pioneer in breast care,” said Eugene H. Vetter, TransMed7’s Co-Founder and CEO. “In his new role, he will be responsible for helping TransMed7 and particularly, our Breast Health Team, achieve their goal of developing critically needed, minimally-invasive medical technologies and getting them into the hands of clinicians for the benefit of their patients as rapidly as possible, with particular emphasis on launching Concorde™, our new platform technology for stereotactic and MRI based biopsy procedures, and Martinet™, our novel minimal access device for complete removal of target tissue.”

Since 2012, Dr. Fine has been the Director of Education and Research at the Margaret West Comprehensive Breast Center. In

addition, he is the Program Director, West Cancer Center Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship and Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Medicine. Dr. Fine holds or has held several positions of national prominence in breast care including Presidency of the American Society of Breast Surgeons from 2003-2004, Chairman of the Board of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, Chairman of the Board of the American Society of Breast Surgeons Foundation, Co-Chair of the American College of Surgeons National Ultrasound Faculty Breast Imaging Module, and Board Member of the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) and the National Consortium of Breast Centers (NCBC).

Dr. Fine received his undergraduate degree in Chemistry at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, in 1979 and his MD at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, in 1983. He subsequently performed his Surgery Residency at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center from 1983-1988 in association with noted breast care

18 CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017

pioneers, Dr. Steven G. Economou and Dr. Kambiz Dowlatshahi.

Dr. Fine has received numerous awards including the American Medical Association Physicians Recognition Award, 1991-2010, and most recently recognition as a “Top Doctor” in Memphis Magazine, 2014-2017.

A highly sought-after educator and acknowledged thought leader in the use of ultrasound and image-guided technology, Dr. Fine has published numerous articles and written several book chapters related to stereotactic and ultrasound core needle breast biopsy. He continues as a member of several breast research endeavors including the Scientific Advisory Board for the IceCure™ Medical IceSense3 Cryotherapy for Breast Cancer Trial and multiple clinical studies on Image-guided Breast Biopsy Technology. Dr. Fine has served on numerous advisory panels for both established and start-up organizations in developing and bringing to market new technology in the breast space. “I am delighted to be part of the talented team of committed clinicians, scientists, and engineers at TransMed7, all dedicated to provide difference making minimal access medical technology for

patients with breast disease,” says Dr. Fine.

According to Dr. James W. Vetter, TransMed7 Co-Founder and Chairman, “Dr. Fine is a true innovator in the diagnosis and treatment of breast diseases. In addition to being one of the first surgeons in the country to perform stereotactic-guided needle core biopsy, he has since remained on the forefront of education and technology development in the field of image-guided, minimal access breast intervention.”

As such, the new appointment looks set to provide many great opportunities for TransMed7.

With particular expertise in both oncologic and cardiovascular disease, TransMed7 and its team of clinicians, scientists, and engineers have developed a portfolio of nextgeneration platform devices that are expected to be market leaders in their targeted fields of medicine.

TransMed7 accomplishes this through application of a wholly new approach in its business plan and structure, enabling these new transformational technologies from rapid development through commercial manufacturing or where appropriate, handoff to our Strategic Partners.

g New Leader in Breast Health for TransMed7

CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017 19

,

Cint Appoints Chief Operations and Chief Innovation Officers Four key appointments solidify Cint globally, strengthen its Silicon Valley footprint and further establish the company in EMEA and APAC Cint, the world’s Insight Exchange, has announced four key appointments, including a chief operations officer, chief innovation officer and raising two regional executive vice presidents onto the Cint leadership team. This momentum further establishes Cint as an international company with strong strategies in the Americas, APAC and EMEA. Richard Thornton, current Deputy CEO, will now take on the responsibility of chief operations officer, in a newly created role. With Cint’s international push, Thornton remains vital in designing upcoming initiatives, implementing all business operations and ensuring each region works toward the same unified strategy – to support the growing demand for first-party consumer data around the world.

The new role sees Thornton move back to London having spent the last year in San Francisco and an early priority is to accelerate Cint’s growing enterprise software licensing business.

“Richard, one of the most skilled and respected names in our industry, will help the regions coordinate and serve our global customer base even better than

we do today,” said Morten Strand, CEO, Cint. “Strengthening a fast-growing company with an increasingly global user base will be key to pushing our business to new levels. I know no one better than Richard to drive, motivate and share skills across our three, well managed regions.”

Celebrates company-wide innovation Oscar Carlsson has been appointed to chief innovation officer and will relocate to San Francisco.

Cint recognizes the vital need for continued innovation, both at a company and industry level.

With this newly created position, Carlsson will help Cint formalize and encourage ongoing innovation, something that is a part of the company’s DNA, but is increasingly important to drive change and transformation in the industry and stay ahead of its competition. In Silicon Valley, Carlsson will help Cint to continue to bring its clients on a digital transformation journey in a collaborative way by finding new innovative partners and products that will continue to grow its clients business.

“Oscar not only generates new ideas, but he also recognizes innovation in others,” said Strand.

“With Oscar’s incredible knowledge

20 CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017

of Cint, our technology, people and our existing and future client needs, we could not have found a better person to take the relay baton from Richard and bring it into a successful future.”

Solidifies regional management Joining Cint’s management team and Jake Wolff, the regional executive vice president of the Americas, are Cint’s other two regional EVPs: Greg Dunbar whom lead the company’s EMEA presence and James Rogers in APAC. This move solidifies Cint’s global growth strategy and gives the three regions a direct voice in the setting and future direction for the business, transitioning it further as a true international company.

This ongoing momentum comes in the wake of Cint’s recent milestone regarding its ever-growing network of contactable consumers from its platform, having reached 40 million people globally, up from 19 million just six months ago. While many programmatic solutions help companies understand the “what” and “where” of a target audience, Cint’s self-declared data can help with the “who” and the “why” to create more meaningful engaging sponsored experiences.

g Cint Appoints Chief Operations and Chief Innovation Officers

CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017 21

,

Alexa Goes Corporate Codecademy and Amazon launch beginner coding courses for Alexa, as free online lessons teach anyone how to develop custom skills for the voice service Codecademy, the largest platform teaching people technology skills to advance their careers, today announced it has collaborated with Amazon to launch courses for Alexa. The new, free series of courses teaches even beginners how to build their own Alexa capabilities, known as Alexa skills, for the voice service.

The courses were co-created

by Codecademy and Amazon to provide an online learning experience about Alexa skillbuilding, allowing Codecademy’s interactive learning platform to guide users to a meaningful result: an Alexa skill they can use on their own device. The courses are also accessible to beginners with no prior coding experience.

The new suite of four courses, include: • Build Your First Alexa Skill: Learn how to create a voiceuser interface using the Alexa Skills Kit. The result is a simple “Hello Codecademy” Alexa skill that you can engage with on your own Alexa-powered device.

•

Create Your Lambda Function: Learn how to use Amazon Web Services (AWS) to host a Lambda function that generates a response to an Alexa device.

•

Get User Input (Coming Soon): Use custom and builtin slots to allow your skill to get input from users.

•

Add Persistence to Your Skill (Coming Soon): Persist your session attributes using DynamoDB throughout and across sessions.

After completing the courses, learners will be able to build an advanced Alexa skill that quizzes them about programming languages using the code they built. This outcome proves a working knowledge of creating custom Voice User Interfaces, scripting Lambda functions, and integrating databases such as DynamoDB. These skills give learners a comprehensive understanding for developing a custom Alexa skill-valuable experience for the current job market that can be applied to working with many other AI and VUI applications.

“You don’t need to be an expert in natural language understanding or speech recognition to build great voice experiences for Alexa,” said Rob Pulciani, Director, Amazon Alexa. “We’re excited to be working with Codecademy to make building Alexa skills even more accessible through their interactive learning platform.”

22 CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017

“Working closely with Amazon to develop these courses allows us to create in-depth, meaningful education with immediate results,” said Zach Sims, co-founder and CEO of Codecademy. “We’re making sure everyone has the opportunity to learn how to develop for industry-leading technologies like Amazon Alexa, and also build their knowledge base with valuable experience that can advance their careers.”

Codecademy makes it easy for anyone to learn technology skills through an accessible, engaging and flexible online learning experience. The company has more than 45 million learners globally and features hundreds of hours of paid and free content for people to learn how to code, making it the largest platform teaching people technology skills to advance their careers.

Codecademy has raised a total of $43 million from investors including Union Square Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Index Ventures, Thrive Capital, Naspers, Yuri Milner and Richard Branson, most recently raising its $30 million Series C in July 2016. These latest offerings ensure that CEOs and their staff can rest assured that they are prepared to work with the technology of the future.

g

Alexa Goes Corporate

CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017 23

,

Dynamic Improvement Fixfast, one of Europe’s leading specialist building component manufacturers, has selected FastClose to get the most out of their Epicor ERP system.

One of Europe’s leading specialist building component manufacturers, Fixfast has selected FastClose to get the most out of their Epicor ERP system.

Using FastClose, an Accounting Intelligence software company, financial reporting for Product Profitability by Customer has been massively improved, which has led to significant improvements in the analysis of margins.

Ken Lynes, CEO of Fixfast, read an article from FastClose discussing how one of Epicor’s best accounting features – dynamic segments – was rarely used by companies, so he called in Nick Gomersall of FastClose to dig deeper.

After an initial meeting and demo explaining how Epicor’s dynamic segments (automated postings of account code segments) plus FastClose could generate highvalue management information out of Epicor’s ERP, Ken tied in Clear Business Outcome (CBO), an Epicor business partner, to arrange a joint meeting to set up the extra segments.

Russell Howden, Fixfast’s finance controller, explained further, “We were surprised that we were not told about dynamic segments in our initial training from Epicor.

We implemented four standard

segments in our chart of accounts, even though Epicor can have up to 20.

“When FastClose came down to see us, they explained what dynamic segments were and how they could be automatically populated by updating the posting rules. We were impressed by the potential benefits as you can get detailed product profitability by customer, with no additional work, once the posting rules for AR and Cost of Sales are updated.

“We worked with CBO and FastClose to add two dynamic segments to our general ledger, and change the necessary Epicor posting rules. We gained everything that FastClose promised.

“If it was not for FastClose, we would still be struggling to report on our gross margin by product and customer. We are now publishing these reports for management and the sales and marketing teams using FastClose; and we can drill right down to the sales and purchase orders when margins go awry to explain any variances.”

Nick Gomersall, CEO at FastClose, explained, “The reason why dynamic segments are not pushed is that, with standard Epicor, their tools have no easy way to take advantage or report on them.

So they are just ignored and

24 CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017

accountants have to dive into other tables and try to pull some sensible information out in other ways – which is hard and often highly time-consuming to do.

“FastClose is a multi-dimensional reporting and enquiry tool that makes rolling up various segment balances, and drilling on these numbers to the detailed transaction, a simple thing to do. This is challenging in standard Epicor as the more segments which get used, the more complex it becomes for getting at balances across segments.

Russell Howden concluded, “We have solved a specific problem with FastClose but we bought a site license for all of their modules as we want to drill from the GL to the other sub ledgers. Over time we plan to use the additional modules for better management information across the whole ERP system.

With FastClose, I am building my management reporting system myself and not having to rely on our IT function to create new reports and dashboards.”

Nick Gomersall added, “Fixfast is a great company to work with, and we take their suggestions and improvements to the product onboard. We look forward to working with them to deliver real time operational information across the whole of Epicor’s ERP system.”

g Dynamic Improvement

CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017 25

,

Thought Leader’s “Profound” Book Equips Readers to Thrive in Evolving Leadership Paradigm Based on cutting-edge research, work experience and the wisdom of Sebastian Salicru, ‘Leadership Results: How to create adaptive leaders and high-performing organisations for an uncertain world’ gives readers the understanding to embrace the myriad of leadership challenges organisations face today. With contributions from over two dozen leaders from around the world, Salicru ensures readers and their organisations are aware of the boldness, mindset, adaptability and skills required to excel in an environment defined by turbulence and volatility.

Having coached hundreds of leaders and businesses, as well as presented at conferences around the world, Sebastian Salicru knows first-hand that leadership has no concrete definition. In fact, leaders are now challenged more than ever as a new paradigm shrouds them – forcing them to sink or swim.

At the end of the day, it comes down leaders’ ability to evaluate, adapt and buck the trend of widelyadopted cultures that are actually doing more damage than most will admit. In his new book, Salicru equips the brave to fight back and thrive with gusto.

Synopsis of ‘Leadership Results: How to create adaptive leaders

and high-performing organisations for an uncertain world’: A model for developing the leaders and delivering the leadership results the world needs.

Leadership Results explores the fall of traditional leadership thinking and the struggling multibillion dollar leadership development industry that is failing to deliver results, and explains the mindset, skills, ways of being and methods that will get results in this new context and evolving paradigm. The Leadership Results model is practical and predictive, providing a way forward for companies seeking to build sustainable leadership capacity, develop individual leaders, boost employee engagement and deliver breakthrough results through shared and collective

26 CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017

leadership. Actionable steps guide the reader through the process of evolving leadership culture to see increased productivity, growth opportunities and ensured profitability borne from a culture of trust, collaboration, fairness and a commitment to innovation and real prosperity. Expert analysis debunks pervasive myths and assumptions surrounding leadership, employee engagement, and talent development, while demystifying the role technology plays in innovation and progress.

Leaders, coaches, trainers, OD practitioners, change agents, and students will find insightful guidance, thought–provoking discussion and illustrative case studies that will help them:

•

Rethink leadership to make a stronger impact

•

Stop making the same mistakes and start forging a new path forward

•

Develop themselves as adaptive and authentic leaders

•

Take bold action to change the status quo

•

Marry strategic and innovation leadership into a force for real change

•

Boost employee engagement across their organisation

•

Build organisation-wide leadership capability that delivers real business results

From Presidents, Prime Ministers and other heads of state on

g

Thought Leader’s “Profound” Book Equips Readers to Thrive in Evolving Leadership Paradigm

down, all levels of leadership are experiencing a rapid loss of trust and confidence and the glaring absence of results that follows.

Unethical business practices are costing more than 5% of the global GDP every year; citizens around the world have lost faith in the public and private sectors; and only 13% of employees are engaged at work. Clearly, there is a severe lack of effective leadership. Leadership Results provides a practical way forward through this global quagmire, with a clear, actionable model for leadership that works.

“Despite billions being spent collectively on global leadership

efforts, the failure rate still remains embarrassingly high,” admits the author, who was privileged to have the book’s foreword provided by Marshall Goldsmith, author of ‘Triggers’. “I see it happen all too often and, while I don’t have all of the answers, I have developed a proven methodology for any leader and their organisation to adapt to the times – significantly increasing their chances of survival. The good news is that they can move forward, and I’ll show them how.”

“The book has a unique format – bringing together over 25 stories and case studies, with each chapter sharing a short

fable-style story, and ending with a list of questions that will push and challenge readers not only to provide answers, but improve themselves in the process. There really isn’t anything else like it on the market.”

Unsurprisingly, reviews have been glowing. For example, Professor of Leadership, Barry Z. Posner PhD, comments, “Sebastian Salicru has written a delightful book, full of inspiration and practical advice.

He appreciates that you can’t be a leader without any followers, and properly asserts that the heart of leadership is the relationship between those who lead and

those who would willingly follow.

I loved the examples and stories, which make the book come alive, and valued the well–documented research to support his insights.”

Korn Ferry CEO, Kevin Cashman, adds, “Turning uncertainty to deeper understanding and ambiguity to agility are two big challenges of leadership today.

Sebastian’s book, Leadership Results, gives you the profound and pragmatic tools to meet these challenges.”

CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017 27

,

Launch of FundKeeper Envision Financial Systems, Inc. and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, announced on the 28th September the launch of FundKeeper, a new mutual fund account servicing platform.

On the 28th September, premier provider of realtime mutual fund recordkeeping technology and outsource solutions, Envision Financial Systems, Inc. and providers of single-source solutions to support a variety of investment strategies and products, announced the launch of FundKeeper, a new mutual fund account servicing platform. The first FundKeeper clients are CUSO Financial Services, L.P. (CFS) and Sorrento Pacific Financial, LLC (SPF), sister broker-dealers and Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) with more than 500 registered representatives nationwide. CFS/SPF went live with the FundKeeper platform in August, having fully integrated FundKeeper into their existing systems.

FundKeeper brings financial intermediaries a new approach to supporting mutual-fund-only investor accounts. Traditionally, intermediaries have held these accounts directly with mutual fund families—and suffered business inefficiencies and lack of control.

Or, they’ve been forced to “go to traditional brokerage” with accounts unsuited to conventional brokerage fees and complexity. FundKeeper is an alternative to both these options. FundKeeper provides access to more than 16,000 funds with a largely ‘all electronic’ mutual fund experience allowing financial intermediary firms to enhance up

front compliance and eliminate the need for back end consolidation of their clients’ mutual fund holdings.

This can help them comply with the Department of Labor (DOL) Fiduciary Rule and help increase customer satisfaction. Benefits of FundKeeper include: •

A single mutual fund experience for clients and reps across management companies: one web and mobile interface and consolidated statements.

•

Financial intermediary firms enhance controls with the ability to select the funds their representatives have access to, set up parameters to determine investor suitability, leverage automated breakpoint calculations, and gain easy access to position and activity data.

•

A lower cost solution for mutual fund only investors that eliminates unneeded wire house brokerage system capabilities and associated brokerage fees.

•

•

Better economics for the intermediary firm by streamlining mutual fund processing and support.

Integration with intermediaries’ existing software to provide a rep and client experience to mitigate operational change associated with introducing new offerings.

28 CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017

•

Dramatically reduced dependency on mail and physical checks through modern, electronic alternatives.

“We are delighted to expand our offerings to the financial intermediary market to help brokerdealers and RIAs better serve mutual fund investors, simplify account openings and streamline shareholder servicing,” said Ian Martin, Executive Vice President at U.S. Bancorp Fund Services.

Brian Jones, Executive Vice President of Envision, said, “By combining Quasar Distributors mutual fund trading, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services back office operations, and Envision’s PowerAgent technology, the collaboration between our firms can transform intermediaries’ ability to support the mutual fund only investor. Our goal with FundKeeper has been to solve the longstanding business problems faced by many financial intermediaries as they struggle with hassle, expense, or both when managing mutual fund accounts.”

“We’re proud to be the first firm to customize and integrate FundKeeper into our existing systems because it is an efficient, cost-saving option that is both advisor and client friendly. Our investment programs appreciate that it’s an easy, transparent, and compliant platform for processing

and managing their clients’ mutual fund accounts,” said Valorie Seyfert, President and CEO of CFS/SPF. “Recently, we launched our customized version, which we branded as fundVISION™, and have already gotten some great feedback on the new process.

It helps our representatives better serve their clients—while eliminating many all-too-familiar aggravations from account opening and management.”

g Launch of FundKeeper

CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017 29

,

Environmental Leaders to Gather at World Forum on Natural Capital The programme for the third World Forum on Natural Capital, taking place in Edinburgh in a few weeks’ time, has been launched, and the speakers once again include high-level representatives from a broad spectrum of government, business and civil society and will bring together hundreds of decision-makers from across the globe.

This year marks the third time, since 2013’s inaugural World Forum, that Edinburgh will host the bi-annual event. The last one, held in 2015, welcomed 600 business leaders, government representatives and environmental experts from 45 countries.

Natural capital can be defined as the world’s stocks of natural assets which include geology, soil, air, water and all living things. It is from this natural capital that humans derive a wide range of services, often called ecosystem services, which make human life possible.

More than 40 speakers confirmed so far for the 2017 World Forum, including former Vice-minister of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Zhang XinSheng, who is now President of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and a member of the China Government Council for International Cooperation on

Environment; Mary Kitutu, Minister of State for Environment in the Ugandan Government; Philippe Joubert, CEO of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership’s Earth on Board programme and Chair of the Prince of Wales Corporate Leader’s Group on Climate Change; Pushpam Kumar, Chief Economist at UN Environment; Peter Bakker, President & CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development; Gretchen Daily, Bing Professor of Environmental Services at Stanford University; and Richard Mattison, Chief Executive of Trucost, now a part of S&P Dow Jones Indices, which was established to provide the data, tools and insights needed by companies, investors and policy makers to deliver the transition to a low carbon, resource efficient economy.

The 2017 World Forum will take place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on 27-28 November and focus

30 CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017

on mainstreaming natural capital considerations into decisionmaking. The theme for the event is Better Decisions for a Better World. The event is once again being organised in association with UN Environment; World Business Council for Sustainable Development; International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the Natural Capital Coalition, with the addition this year of the Green Economy Coalition. The event is organised by the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

A growing body of evidence, including analysis of S&P 500 companies, suggests that companies which build natural capital and sustainability into their strategies are outperforming their competitors. With growing environmental pressures and global political change, the topic has never been more important.

The World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Report for 2017 gives more prominence to environmental concerns than ever before with

all five risks in the environmental category being assessed as above average for both impact and likelihood. Additionally, the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2017 Evidence Report (and Scotland-specific summary) identifies significant threats to our natural capital and the goods and services it provides, from timber, food and clean water to pollination, carbon storage and the cultural benefits of landscapes and wildlife.

Jonny Hughes, Programme Director for the World Forum said: “Once again, we’re delighted to welcome a diverse range of leading international figures to address the forum. With the focus firmly on the challenges of managing the world’s natural assets sustainably in the 21st century, the dialogue between government, the private sector and civil society is vital.

“We hope to inspire dynamic and productive discussions between speakers and delegates at this year’s event, where we will be

g

Environmental Leaders to Gather at World Forum on Natural Capital

exploring how applying the principles of natural capital can improve decision-making within business, government and finance, both in terms of the benefits to the bottom line and the achievement of wider social, economic and environmental goals.�

CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2017 31