CV Magazine Sept. 2017

September 2017

In this issue: Genesis of the World’s First AR Headphone - Optinvent Full-Service, International Law Firm - Locke Lord LLP

Anything as a Service

Read All about It!

Freedom and Responsibility Long International, Inc. has served clients and projects located in over 45 countries spanning six continents. As the winner of the 2017 US Small Cap CEO of the Year award, we spoke to the company’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, Richard J. Long, P.E. to find out about his approach to senior leadership.

Exploit the Blockchain Adopt, Adapt and Thrive Minerva Data Advisors, LLC

Key Players in the Hybrid Hotel Market

Editor’s Note

, Welcome to the September edition of Corporate Vision, bringing you the latest news and features from across the globe.

Gracing the front cover of this month’s issue, is engineering and construction claims analysis and expert testimony, project management consulting providers, Long International, Inc. Following his success in receiving the title 2017 US Small Cap CEO of the Year award, the company’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, Richard J. Long, P.E. took time to discuss with us more about the company and his approach to senior leadership.

Founded in Berlin in 1999, MEININGER Hotels had its first property located at Meininger Street. Today, MEININGER is a key player in the hybrid hotel market, with 17 operating sites and 8,585 beds across 11 European cities. Over the past 10 years, MEININGER has grown continuously generating a revenue of approximately €70million in FY17.

Elsewhere in this issue, we discover how a new app is promising to take the stress out of the office teamaking routine has been launched for workers who have recently returned to their desks, after the summer holidays. This useful workplace app is the brainchild of Plymouth-based digital agency, Elixel and it is their first in-house development.

Here at Corporate Vision, we hope you thoroughly enjoy reading this informative issue.

Jessica Daykin, Editor Phone: +44 (0) 203 725 6842 Email: jessica.daykin@ai-globalmedia.com Website: www.corp-vis.com 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.

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Contents

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6. News 8.

Freedom and Responsibility

10. A Passion for Water 12. Read All about It! 14. Providing a Clear Idea of What

Success Looks Like 16. Key Players in the Hybrid Hotel Market 18. Full-Service, International Law Firm 20. The Best Porcelain Tiles on the Market 22. Genesis of the World’s First AR Headphone 24. Exploit the Blockchain

- Adapt, Survive and Thrive 26. Specialist Legal Services in Ukraine 28. Anything as a Service 30. The Search for Your Affordable

Dream Home Has Come to an End 32. Game-Changing Software 34. Right Solution, Right Results

CORPORATE VISION / September 2017 3

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VistaJet Leads the Future of Business Travel VistaJet, the first and only global aviation company, has officially launched VistaJet Direct, the new digital membership offering priority access to VistaJet’s one-way and empty leg flights at preferential rates.

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NEWS

, ence, including sole use of a jet, a cabin hostess trained by the British Butler Institute, catering from the world’s most renowned restaurants and a comprehensive in-flight service. Once a booking is confirmed, VistaJet guarantees aircraft availability on one of its wholly-owned fleet of over 70 identically designed aircraft, providing peace of mind to its customers.

VistaJet sets another milestone of what the future of private travel will look like, becoming the only company in its sector to offer a complete portfolio of flight solutions, with Program, On Demand and the new VistaJet Direct.

Busy schedules and last-minute decisions are part of the everyday for most business travellers.

The new digital membership is ideal for anyone looking for the unparalleled service and global reach only VistaJet can offer, without any upfront flying commitment.

VistaJet has made headlines through a series of revolutionary initiatives aimed at making flying private simpler than ever. Now the same ease of mind is offered with minimum commitment.

A yearly membership of only $10,000 will allow customers to request bookings on all available VistaJet aircraft prior to the charter market.

Unlike some of its competitors that offer seat-only booking and no guarantees, VistaJet Direct gives customers the opportunity to have the full VistaJet experi-

Through the app’s in-built geo-location services, Members will receive a push notification to their smartphone when a flight near them or from their favourite cities is available. All they must do is tap the notification and book. What’s more, the app offers real-time fixed pricing and the entire booking process can be completed in minutes. To make the booking process even more convenient, customers and their teams can request flights through smartphone app or desktop, being always up to date and controlling everything on their flight from catering to additional ground services.

Thanks to its strategic investment into innovative technology, VistaJet leads the business aviation sector with a pioneering end-to-end technology platform that makes the company the most technologically integrated company in business aviation.

Thomas Flohr, Chairman and founder said that: “The launch is all about giving our customers and all business travellers, as much flexibility and choice as possible. With the addition of VistaJet Direct, flying with us is easier than ever.

“We’re always looking for new opportunities to make travel as memorable as possible and make our customers’ flight an experience they will never forget.

VistaJet Direct is the fastest and most convenient way to fly VistaJet. Customers can now book a flight and access the full array of our services no matter where in the world they are, at a time that suits them.”

More VistaJet information and news at www.vistajet.com

New ‘Back to Work’ App Promises to Be Every Offices’ Cuppa Tea A new app promising to take the stress out of the office tea-making routine has been launched for workers who have recently returned to their desks, after the summer holidays.

Cuppa is the first app of its kind to allow multiple users to place their order on a single, collaborative list from multiple devices. Each user can start a round in the app and set their preferences for the perfect brew. Cuppa also randomly selects who will make the drinks, removing the culture of guilt around ‘whose turn is it this time’.

This useful workplace app is the brainchild of Plymouth-based digital agency Elixel and is its first inhouse development.

Elixel Managing Director, Gavin Jones, said: “We have worked with a number of national and international companies to create apps to meet their business needs, so we thought it was about time to design something for ourselves. We are all about designing solutions and a sticking point in every office is the regular task of making drinks for colleagues.

Cuppa is a simple but effective way of taking the stress out of the office drink round.”

Once people have downloaded the free Cuppa app to their smart phone they can set up their profile with their favourite choice of drink and instructions on how they like

it. Whether it’s ice tea with a slice, a latte with half a shot or black coffee strong enough to stand a spoon in, Cuppa saves their preferences or allows them to mix things up with an alternative beverage.

When someone decides it’s time for a brew, everyone on the office Cuppa group receives a notification and are given a limited amount of time to opt into the round. Once everyone’s requests are in, Cuppa chooses someone to do the honours of making the drinks.

“During testing, we have found that rather than remove social interaction while making co-workers a round of drinks it actually adds to the social experience,” explains Gavin. “People can easily opt in or out of a round and don’t feel the pressure of having to make everyone’s drinks just because they were the first to suggest putting the kettle on.”

The team at Elixel will be monitoring how people use Cuppa to see what features they can add in the future. Cuppa is a free app available to download at itscuppatime. com Find out more about Elixel at elixel.co.uk

CORPORATE VISION / September 2017 5

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Advancements in IoT Market consolidation of the Internet of Things (IoT) is imminent, due to high levels of fragmentation, in the view of Frost & Sullivan’s digital transformation team

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NEWS

, The Internet of Things (IoT) market is poised for rapid growth with the development of microelectronics, ubiquitous connectivity and cognition. Due to the abundant opportunities for vendors and service providers across all levels of the IoT ecosystem, enterprise systems integrators and platform vendors have a promising future says Frost & Sullivan.

In the consumer space, Amazon, Google, Apple, Samsung and Microsoft have intensified efforts to dominate the personal assistance race to control homes and the profitable consumer IoT and artificial intelligence sector. To succeed in a highly-fragmented market, consolidation will be essential with vendors and service providers coalescing around large enterprise platforms that provide the necessary building blocks and encourage the development of applications from smaller vendors.

devices in 2016 to over 45.31 billion devices by 2023, at a global compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.3%. In addition, the study shares an overview of the IoT landscape in the next 1218 months in terms of adoption, applications and key market players, as well as forecasts growth opportunities for vendors and service providers in different levels of it IoT ecosystem.

“Application development platforms are the engines that drive IoT growth. By tightening integration and consolidating IoT platforms, seamless solution development, costs and value for customers will be improved,” said Frost & Sullivan Internet of Things (IoT) research director, Dilip Sarangan.

Five predictions for IoT in the next 12-18 months include: •

• Frost & Sullivan’s analysis titled, Growth Opportunities for Service Providers in the Internet of Things (IoT), predicts the total number of IoT devices will grow from approximately 12.44 billion

• •

•

Transition from connected devices to the use of cognitive or predictive computing and sentient tools; Use of artificial intelligence to transform smart devices so that they react to changes in the environment without human intervention; Increased commoditisation of platforms; Boom in drone delivery and use of drones to monitor remote wildfires, cell towers and electric lines; Unsecure devices and malware escalate cyber-attacks, making IoT a national security hazard.

“While it is impossible to create standards across all the industries that are part of IoT, there is need for standardisation around how data is collected, stored and communicated across different industries and applications,” noted Sarangan. “This will provide leadership opportunities for large platform vendors.”

Growth Opportunities for Service Providers in the Internet of Things (IoT) is part of Frost & Sullivan’s Internet of Things (IoT) Universe Growth Partnership Service program. www.frost.com

Bartercard UK Sponsors Basingstoke Town FC Bartercard UK recently announced it will be sponsoring Basingstoke Town Football Club throughout the 2017/18 season.

Bartercard UK, which is a global online trading platform, has secured a year-long sponsorship deal with the Hampshire-based club.

It’s not the first time that Bartercard UK has offered its support to sports teams or clubs and being associated with community activities like this is a core feature of the brand’s ethos.

Philip Ciniglio, CEO of Bartercard UK, said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity to be able to sponsor football clubs such as Basingstoke Town FC. As well as giving our support to the team, it gives Bartercard UK the chance to showcase our brand to potential new members.

We wish all the team at Basingstoke Town the best of luck for the upcoming season.”

Bartercard UK branded hoardings will be highly visible throughout the grounds in Hampshire during the sponsorship period, providing lots of exposure for the online trading brand.

The sponsorship deal is also great news for the Hampshire football club, which has been around since 1896. Will Wilkinson, Head of Digital and Marketing at Basingstoke Town FC, explained: “We’re truly delighted to welcome Bartercard UK as a principal sponsor for the 2017/18 season. It means so much to our club to have such a great sponsor on board. Being aligned with such

a globally established company is also fantastic for our team and can help elevate our status and reputation as a football club.”

Will adds: “As our fans will know, the club is going through a transition currently with the current Chairman stepping down and stopping his financing. The club is moving to a community ownership model so saving money off the bottom line is critical for us to survive and thrive.”

The partnership sees Basingstoke Town FC become a member of the Bartercard network, with sponsorship funds being offset against services the club would have otherwise paid for in cash and is already paying dividends, with the club recently saving £1000 on insurance renewals.

Visit www.bartercard.co.uk more information.

for

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Freedom and Responsibility Since its inception in 1996, Long International, Inc. has served clients and projects located in over 45 countries spanning six continents. As the winner of the 2017 US Small Cap CEO of the Year award, we spoke to the company’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, Richard J. Long, P.E. to find out about his approach to senior leadership.

Based in the Denver, Colorado area, Long International provides engineering and construction claims analysis and expert testimony, project management consulting and insurance claims analysis to the engineering and construction industry worldwide.

Andrew Avalon, P.E., PSP, President of Long International, who has more than 30 years of engineering, construction management and claims consulting experience, praises Long for his leadership. “I have the highest respect and admiration for Richard Long,” he says. “He has been an excellent CEO and a good friend and business partner of mine.

“He has tremendous integrity and caring for the quality of our work,” Avalon says. “I think Long International has the excellent reputation that it does - because of the exceptional amount of care Richard puts into the work he performs - and the high standards he has established for the quality of our work products.”

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Long International, Richard J. Long, starts the interview by introducing the company’s work, including their

work on insurance claims, as well as their mission.

“When it comes to construction claims, we focus on schedule delay analyses, time extension determinations and assessment of responsibility for delay to the schedule of a project compared to the planned or contractual deadlines. Also, we perform calculations to determine damages or quantum aspects of a claim, including costs associated with disputed change orders, delays, loss of productivity, cumulative impacts and other types of cost overruns.

As for project management, the company analyses project management performance and standard of care by engineers, contractors and owners in their roles and responsibilities on a project.

“Concerning insurance claims, we concentrate on business interruption, advance loss of profits, delayed start-up and property loss claims. This is either for the insurance company or for the owner of a project that has been damaged by fire, an explosion, delayed delivery of essential equipment, or another covered event. We also evaluate the recoverability of cost/schedule impacts of

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code upgrades and betterments made by the owner, following an insurance event.

“The mission of the company is twofold. Firstly, it is to evaluate responsibility for engineering and construction or insurance claims.

Secondly, it is to provide project management consulting services that, through the application of sound project management and project controls practices, aim to prevent and resolve problems that negatively affect the success of engineering and construction projects.”

Richard then explains how it feels to have won the US Small Cap CEO of the Year award.

“Winning the award means a great deal to myself and Long International. Winning not only represents recognition for the dedication and hard work that went into growing the company to where it is today, but also it is a tribute to the core team of professionals who have consistently produced highquality work and given Long International an excellent reputation in the industries we serve.

“I am humbled by the recognition that the largest companies in the world come to Long International

- to provide construction claims and project management consulting services - on multibillion-dollar engineering and construction projects.”

Richard reveals how long he has been a CEO and how the company has performed since.

“I have been CEO of Long International for over 20 years.

When I started the company, I was its sole employee. Today, Long International employs a staff of 55 who are stationed in U.S. locations such as Colorado, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Arizona, Massachusetts, Kansas, Nevada, Tennessee, Utah, Oregon and Washington. Internationally, Long International has consultants located in Canada, as well as Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates and the UK, and we keep adding to the organisation each year.

“Along with growing the size of our staff, Long International has grown the size of the customer base. Today, our clients include such companies as Chevron, TOTAL, Shell, Saudi Aramco, Petrotrin, Ameron Corporation, Apache Corporation, Vale, Saulsbury Industries, Manitoba Hydro, Lower Churchill Management Corporation, SNC Lavalin, Technip, Tecnicas

Reunitas, Chubb, AIG, Stikeman Elliott, Blakes, King & Spalding, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt and White & Case.

“Long International has worked for clients and on projects in over 45 countries, six continents and throughout the United States.

The company’s revenues and profits have grown over tenfold since the first few years of our existence, a fact that attests to clients being pleased with the quality of the work we produce.”

Richard then provides a fascinating insight into his role as a CEO and what this involves, including for example any successes, methods and achievements in this vein.

“As CEO, one of my main duties is focusing on company strategy. More specifically, this involves ascertaining whether opportunities and projects will help grow the company in the right direction. This entails sound decision making - especially since Long International operates in a variety of foreign markets where there are various factors to take into consideration, such as additional legal and tax requirements for U.S.-based entities.

“If an opportunity or project does align with our overall company strategy, then it is my responsibility to ensure that resources are properly allocated.

As a CEO, I am constantly working to balance the needs of a variety of stakeholders as well, such as shareholders, employees, consultants and clients.

“As for the company’s successes, much of Long International’s work is from repeat clients. This is because Long International focuses on performing highquality work and producing first-rate work products, plus we frequently obtain repeat business. In addition, our consultants have many years of engineering, project, construction management, contract administration and project controls experience among them.

“Consequently, they have the qualifications, capability, know-how and credibility to properly analyse problems and disputes, establish cause/ effect relationships and develop defensible and persuasive opinions relative to the

responsibility for problems, as well as the resulting schedule delays and cost overruns.

“This expertise also provides our clients with the knowledge to properly manage and control the scope, quality, cost, schedule/ programme and contract administration aspects of their projects and prevent or mitigate any problems that may arise.”

Following on from this, Richard reveals his views on the essential qualities that all CEO’s should possess. He also tells us about his most significant achievements from the past calendar year as a CEO. “A CEO provides the vision for a company and sets realistic goals for growth and financial success. Additionally, a CEO today needs to have a global business strategy due to the interconnectedness among economies. From the beginning - I saw the company’s focus to be the oil and gas, petroleum refining, power, petrochemical and chemical industries and other industrial facilities because those industries are where our consultants have spent most of their careers.

“Also, I recognised that major capital expenditures in these industries were occurring outside the United States. Thus, Long International needed to have an international outreach to attract clients worldwide. Because of that vision and strategy, we have become a worldwide leader in providing construction claims experts on industrial projects.

“During 2016, Long International exceeded all prior revenue and profit achievements and obtained several new international clients that solidified our backlog for the foreseeable future. Also, I was selected as a tribunal-appointed schedule delay expert in a large International Chamber of Commerce arbitration proceeding held in London and Paris, which resulted in being subsequently selected by one of the parties as an expert on a new project located in South America.”

Richard is keen to tell us what the best thing about being a CEO is – plus any innovative business strategies that he has implemented.

g Freedom and Responsibility

“Being a CEO not only involves significant responsibility, but also it allows tremendous freedom to choose which priorities to focus on and how to structure your day at work. I also feel a great sense of satisfaction when I turn ideas for both growth and profitability into tangible results.

“When I formed Long International, I implemented a business strategy that allowed the company’s consultants to earn a significant income based on billable work paid by our clients. This model rewards our personnel, as well as shareholders and has resulted in high loyalty and low turnover. l have worked together with many of the personnel here, for over 30 years, including their tenure at Long International.

The company’s core business strategy is to continue preparing superior work products, to earn repeat business from our clients.”

Richard then tells us his hopes and plans for 2017 and beyond, as a CEO, as well as what the company has planned for the coming months.

“For the remainder of 2017 and beyond, I hope to see steady and sustainable growth overseas. In 2006, approximately 50% of the company’s work was performed for international clients. Ten years later, that number has grown to 84%. Long International hopes to grow operations in the UK, Australia, South America and the Caribbean by attracting local experts who share the company’s core values and see the benefit of working for an established international company.

“In terms of the company’s future, we plan to expand our services in international markets. While most large industrial and energy projects being built today are owned by U.S. companies, they are being constructed in places outside the U.S., where there is oil and gas. We’ve been very successful thus far, so I think that the international marketplace is going to keep growing. Hence, we plan to broaden our outreach in the international marketplace.

Richard then adds some additional thoughts, including the company’s excellent track record in publishing, as they aim to partner with world-class thoughtleaders and impart their growing expert knowledge to clients.

“We are committed to providing our clients with current project management and claims avoidance practices, as well as providing superior service. To do so, we partner with world-class thought-leaders and impart our knowledge of best practices to clients. For example, we have been actively engaged with AACE International to develop recommended practices regarding forensic schedule delay analyses.

“Additionally, in 2014, two colleagues and I co-authored a book entitled ‘Cumulative Impact and Other Disruption Claims in Construction’. The book provides an in-depth discussion of issues and methods that can be employed to successfully deal with various types of construction claims.

“Long International has also published over 58 articles on claims analysis and project management topics - a number that continues to grow. Several times a year, we publish a new article discussing current practices and procedures associated with construction claims, schedule delay analysis, project management and cost as well as schedule control.

All these articles are free to download from our company website at www.long-intl.com.”

Name: Richard J. Long, P.E. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Email: rlong@long-intl.com Web Address: www.long-intl.com Address: 5265 Skytrail Drive Littleton, Colorado 80123-1566 USA Telephone: +1 (303) 972 2443

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A Passion for Water Carollo Engineers, Inc. is an environmental engineering firm that specialises in the planning, design, and construction of water and wastewater facilities. As an exclusive winner of the Software & Technology Innovation 2017 – USA, we find out more about the firm’s work with water including its foundation in Phoenix, Arizona back in 1933.

From a single office with three engineers, Carollo has grown to more than 1000 people in 42 offices throughout the United States. Their staff includes civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, environmental, and instrumentation and control engineers, as well as scientists, planners, architects, and CAD designers. Charlie He, an Associate Vice President with Carollo in charge of its decision support system R&D team, begins by telling us about the firm’s work and their thoughts on winning the exclusive Software & Technology Innovation 2017 – USA accolade.

“At Carollo, water is our focus, our business, and our passion.

It’s all we do. And we are experts at managing the most valuable resource on earth while supporting our clients in the protection and enhancement of their water supplies. We are industry leaders in potable water supply, wastewater treatment, and storm water management strategies, as well as direct potable and indirect potable reuse technologies and practices.

“It’s a big surprise, very exciting, especially because we are not a software company. Receiving a phone call from London informing us that we won a software innovation award means a lot to me and my team. Indeed, such recognition and encouragement is one of the best testimonies of Carollo’s successful R&D program. It is a proof of our

passion and dedication to providing innovative solutions to the world’s water challenges.”

Staying on this note of optimism, Charlie then offers his thoughts on the extent to which 2016 was a year of outstanding innovations through the world of software and technology.

He also explains how software innovation has exceeded expectations, increased the possibilities of business expansion, and has improved the overall development of business operations.

“2016 was a year of outstanding innovations through the world of software and technology. Indeed, many exciting milestones were accomplished in the software and technology worlds, including rapid growth in the field of big data machine learning, cloud computing, cyber security, and rapid adoption of business intelligence platforms.

“In the water engineering related software field, we saw the development of Quantitative Microbiological Risk Assessment (QMAR) tools for direct and indirect potable reuse, reliability assessment software for water system resilience to earthquake and other natural disasters, a web portal and several web apps for distribution system water quality modelling, and integrated “One Water” management.

Carollo’s Blue Plan-it® Decision Support System integrated all these new developments in 2016, through the implementation of application service provider (ASP) technology, SQL Server,

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and Tethys web portal, the adoption of the Monte Carlo Simulator, and the creation of an innovative nonlinear solver.”

“However, the Blue Plan-it® Decision Support System has exceeded our expectations. It has enhanced Carollo’s creative problem solving capabilities by applying scenario management, genetic algorithm, full factorial solver, and Monte Carlos simulation to conventional water engineering. This contributes to business expansion, helping us to serve our municipal utility clients as well as those in the industries of power, semiconductor, textiles, mining, food and beverage, chemical, petroleum, and pharmaceuticals.”

Charlie explains that Blue Planit® Decision Support System is a fully customizable integration, simulation, and optimization model suite. He develops this interesting point in more detail.

“Using a commercially available ExtendSim® platform, BPI connects with SQL servers, Tethys Platform, web GIS, a series of external dashboards, business intelligence tools, and specialty model applications to support our clients in making decisions for complex water system challenges. Integrated with our almost 85 years of water engineering expertise, this powerful tool allows our engineers to incorporate chemistry, biology, hydraulics, treatability, regulations, equipment data, cost estimates, and financial and statistics analyses into one platform.”

Finally, Charlie brings things to a close by detailing where he sees software innovation heading in the future and the role that his firm will play in this, underlining that the 21st century is an exciting age for the software developer and that it will continue to grow rapidly in every aspect of our lives.

“At Carollo, water is all we do and now we do it online. We do it using innovative software tools such as The Blue Planit® Decision Support System.

We are committed to bridging the gap between fundamental research and practical, innovative, and reliable solutions for those we serve. We believe that creativity, science, and technology must be integrated with sound engineering to meet the complex challenges facing our industry. Challenges such as aging infrastructure, increasingly stringent water quality and discharge requirements, the movement toward sustainability, and growing water supply shortages require innovative thinking and innovative tools.

“2017 so far has been another promising year for Carollo. As for the Blue Plan-it® team, we are working on training more users, developing new features and establishing new applications.

Several new technologies that we are developing and testing include applying Monte Carlo simulation to water facility design, leveraging big data machine learning for asset management and real time process control, and integrating multiple business intelligence dashboards into our project delivery.

g A Passion for Water

“The Blue Plan-it® Decision Support System offers a wide range of tailored applications to provide a range of tailored services and products to our public and private clients throughout planning, testing, design, construction management, and operation of water systems. One Model, Many Solutions. One Model, All Project Phases.”

Company: Carollo Engineers, Inc. Name: Charlie He Title: Associate Vice President, Southwest R&D Lead, Decision Support System Lead Email: CHe@Carollo.com Web Address: www.Carollo.com Address: 4600 E Washington Street, Suite 500 Phoenix, AZ, 85233 Telephone: +1 800 523 5826

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Read All about It! 24.com is Africa’s biggest online news publisher. After their success in receiving the exclusive 2017 Most Innovative Tech Firm - South Africa award, as part of the 2017 Tech of the Year Awards, we spoke to Head of 24.com, Andreij Horn to learn more about the biggest digital news publisher in Africa.

24.com is Africa’s biggest online news publisher.

They publish news across several digital platforms including News24, Netwerk24, Fin24, Sport24, Traveller24, Wheels24, Parent24, Food24, W24 & Channel24, HuffPost South Africa, plus several apps including Bounce News Nigeria, Daily Kick, Sliced News, NetNuus, Netwerk24, News24 Edge & News24. The types of clients they work with are advertisers and agencies across all industries from financial, to retail, to FMCG. Andreij Horn, says the company’s approach to innovation in technology and commerce differs in some ways, but basically follows the same strategy – driving for measurable improvement in the metrics that measure.

“When it comes to technology, we believe that the innovation curve is steep and fast and that a company in our position should be setting the trend in rapid, small, incremental improvements to user-experience on a continuous basis. The result of these should be visible in increased dwell time that reflect our readers finding the content we produce, and platforms we deliver that on, engaging.

“At the same time, we don’t believe we should build that which we can buy. We far rather invest our engineering capacity in developing the solutions that deliver competitive advantage, than in building utility functions that can be acquired easily by our competitors.

“To make that practical: Digital publishers do not compete against each other. The real

competition is with the social and search juggernauts for revenue market share. Technology that enables publishers to modernise their apps and mobile platforms to deliver the user-experience their readers get from for instance the social platforms, will not add competitive advantage.

At best that is a qualifier to be allowed a seat at the table.

Therefore the technology must be acquired as quickly as possible and in ways that do not tie one in to a huge investment making the next round of innovation hard and expensive.

Buying it, and preferably buying it as a service, provides that kind of nimbleness.

“On the other hand, developing the capability to introduce for instance a potentially lucrative ecommerce opportunity into the business by which the large, profiled, digital audiences can be monetised in ways other than by means of advertising, represent a far more strategic and sustainable way to utilise one’s engineering capacity. This is where digital innovation really pays off.

“Both of these scenario’s – innovative publishing platforms, and effective ecommerce solutions – utilise machine learning and artificial intelligence to deliver bespoke experiences to the readers and customers, but in the first instance it makes sense to buy it in, deploy and harvest the benefits in increased user engagement fast, while in the second the strategic imperative dictates building that competitive advantage in-house.“

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Horn says digital publishers who concentrate all their efforts on being better publishers, will over time find that they have reached the point where they have captured the advertising market share as best they can, but it still doesn’t translate into a sustainable and increasingly successful commercial venture.

“We therefore apply the same thinking to commercial innovation, but with one very important difference – here the commercial partner’s strategic objective sets the agenda, and not ours. We will buy that which we need to qualify us to be considered an effective commercial channel to market, but then we will use our own engineering capacity to develop that which will make us an excellent solution provider in terms of how we partner with Brands and retailers to achieve their marketing strategies.”

Horn says in approaching technical and commercial innovation in this way, 24.com has grown both audience and revenue significantly above the industry norm in their markets and have managed to attract engineering, product, commercial and editorial talent who want to be part of a growing and innovating company.

“Thank you for selecting us as 2017’s Most Innovative Tech Firm. We appreciate the recognition and it is gratifying that those in your selection panel noticed the things we are doing in this regard.”

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Read All about It!

Sales enquiries: info@spacemail.co.za Web Address: www.thespacestation.co.za Address: 24.com and The SpaceStation Digital Media Solutions 13th Floor, Media 24, 40 Heerengracht St, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa Telephone: +27 21 406 4930

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Providing a Clear Idea of What Success Looks Like Criticaleye is the peer to peer Board Community with more than 14 years’ experience transforming executives and global leadership teams. CEO Matthew Blagg explains why leaders need a safe space to ask questions and stress test strategies in today’s fast-paced, uncertain environment.

Established in 2003, Criticaleye is a global Community of CEOs, C-suite executives and senior teams. Comprised of CEOs, CFOs Chairmen, Non-executive Directors, Managing Directors and Divisional CEOs, Criticaleye inspires leaders to succeed by providing both individuals and leadership teams with a development framework. Central to everything Criticaleye offers its Members is a core belief that great leadership is fundamental to organisational success.

The Criticaleye Community is a supportive environment, where leaders can discuss and collaborate with peers so that they make the right decisions when it matters.

“In today’s business environment where disruption, and the potential for disruption, is so prolific, one bad or misplaced decision by an organisation’s senior team could have catastrophic consequences,” says Matthew.

“Leaders need to be continually looking outside their businesses to ensure they understand the threats and opportunities, as well as how to deal with them. Here at Criticaleye we understand how

hard, personally intrusive and complex leadership roles can be. Our Community and the way we structure the support offered to each Member and leadership team, provides an opportunity to step outside the day-to-day, collaborate and share with leaders from other organisations and sectors, and, ultimately, make the right decisions having scrutinised all potential outcomes.”

a broad range of opportunities to engage with executives from outside their own networks and explore business-critical topics,” says Matthew. “Our work with individual executives, leadership teams and senior leaders across organisations, enables businesses to address both individual and collective skills and competencies, as well as providing a safe space to benchmark new strategies.

When it comes to disruption, recent research conducted by Criticaleye, at its CEO Retreat 2017, revealed that 75% of leaders are currently experiencing some degree of disruption in their industry. Worryingly, only one in four respondents said they were fully confident their senior team had the right skills and capabilities to respond to business model disruption.

Similarly, over half (58%) claimed their leadership teams are too insular and focused on the day to day, another concerning figure when we consider that disruption is potentially right round the corner and leaders need to have one eye on the external marketplace at all times.

“Here at Criticaleye we help our Members and leadership teams achieve their potential via

“For example, Criticaleye Pop-up Boards are events which enable leaders to tap into the collective expertise of our Community when they want to benchmark or stress test an idea or strategy,” he continues. “We draw together a group of individuals, a virtual Board of Directors, who have specific experience of the subject in question and can provide impartial advice so the Member can make an informed decision.

Unlike discussions within the Member’s own executive team, where internal politics or silos might prevent complete openness and honesty, participants in Criticaleye Pop-up Boards have no other agenda than to relay their own experiences and critique the idea or strategy being discussed.

The desired outcome being that participants are informed

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and inspired to go back to their organisations with a clear idea of what success looks like.”

Criticaleye has seen the impact of failure to address shortfalls in leadership and teams which take a narrow and insular approach to decision making. These organisations struggle to recruit and retain top talent, and often take a silo-based approach to leadership. Lack of collaboration and strategic focus is a downward spiral for executive teams, who need to build an effective and flexible development framework which removes them from the day-to-day challenges of running the business, gives them highlevel reference points and the opportunity to think strategically.

Ultimately, whether a firm are seeking a new CEO, looking to build a leadership DNA, an organisation going through major strategic and transformation change or an executive team which is underperforming, Criticaleye has the ability to draw together the right expertise to develop your team, inspiring leaders to succeed through collaboration, constructive challenge, mutual respect, integrity and trust amongst team members.

g Providing a Clear Idea of What Success Looks Like

Name: Matthew Blagg Email: info@criticaleye.com Web Address: www.criticaleye.com Address: Criticaleye (Europe) Ltd., 88 Kingsway, 6th Floor, London, WC2B 6AA Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7726 7832

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Key Players in the Hybrid Hotel Market MEININGER Hotels was founded in 1999 in Berlin, with its first property being located at Meininger Street. Today, MEININGER is a key player in the hybrid hotel market, with 17 operating sites and 8,585 beds across 11 European cities.

Each of the hotels has a unique design concept, offering a modern and exuberant atmosphere with a number of ancillary facilities and common areas sold on a per bed or room basis. Although the core target customers remain educational / school groups, the flexible room type structure and the model offering is increasingly appealing to families, leisure and corporate travellers who are looking for a relaxed, informal and comfortable hotel. MEININGER has grown continuously over the past 10 years, generating revenue of approximately €70million in FY17.

MEININGER is fully owned by the British tourism enterprise Holidaybreak Ltd, which is owned

by Cox & Kings Ltd and is one of the oldest and most recognised travel operators in the world, with a market leadership position in India. The strategic relationship between Holidaybreak Ltd and MEININGER, under the Cox & Kings stewardship, has been key to the success of MEININGER. “I initially joined MEININGER in April 2013, as MD and Head of Projects. This served to be great foundation for me in learning more about the industry, and getting a real understanding of

how the MEININGER concept is right for today’s urban traveller. I took over as CEO in June 2016, with my initial focus in creating a senior leadership team that would be best positioned for our extensive expansion plans.

It is a great pleasure to work with such a talented team of executives who have vast experience not only from the hospitality industry but also technology, retail and service sectors. With this diversity and strength, we are geared to take MEININGER through to its next phase and I am proud to lead a team who are more than capable of driving growth, delivering excellence and executing our strategic plans by delivering value to the organisation and most importantly, our guests.

Our team is one of the key factors to the success of our business. You have to make sure to have the right people - professionals with knowhow and the drive to succeed - as your brand ambassadors.

At MEININGER, we are developing and promoting our own employees first, before recruiting externally, as it is our current employees who know the business and live the MEININGER spirit. Talent development and acquisition is a critical component of our strategy and we have a dedicated team

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with the purpose of attracting and developing our people.

is critical in the fast-moving environment we are operating in.

We are a highly sociable team at MEININGER; we spend a lot of time together at work and we also enjoy each other’s company after hours, so we look for any opportunity to celebrate our successes, birthdays, work anniversaries and just enjoy time together where we can relax and unwind. We are also pretty competitive and a number of the team participate in several sports competitions with MEININGER as the sponsor – building that MEININGER spirit!

Born in Austria, I graduated from the Austrian Military Academy.

Very soon, my career path led me further abroad with stops in New York, London, The Hague and Vienna. For several years, I was engaged at Senior Level at a United Nations affiliated company in The Netherlands, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and have also worked in various field Missions for the UN. My time in The Netherlands, enabled me also to work as an Advisor to the Austrian Ambassador in the Netherlands.

We are keen to create a work atmosphere that is open, welcoming and offers a sense of family. Some of our staff even bring their dogs to work, including me! Coco helps me keep the stress levels low and acts as my ‘Feel Good Manager’.

I’m hoping that the environment that we’ve created together with a clear vision of the future enables all of us to achieve the best possible results.

In terms of my day, I usually start by reading the news, checking my emails and reviewing our internal reports that have come in overnight. The flat hierarchy at MEININGER and the short communications lines with our shareholders enables me to make decisions quickly, which

Additional assignments were in project consultancy and management in Europe and Asia for an Asian investment group also in the real estate area. Prior to joining MEININGER, I worked as the Executive Director for a Dutch developer in co-operation with an Asian investment group.

My responsibilities were mainly in project selection, fund raising, acquisition and project execution of residential and commercial real estate in Europe.

I am very lucky to have had such a varied and exciting career but being selected as the recipient of the CEO of the Year Award is truly an honour that gives me great confidence knowing that

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we are on the right path with MEININGER, with a fantastic future ahead of us.

Having laid the foundation for further expansion over recent years, MEININGER has a further 14 hotels in various stages of development in Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Heidelberg, Lyon, Milan, Munich, Paris, Rome, Saint Petersburg, and Zurich. Thus, MEININGER is well positioned to establish a strong presence in all key European cities. Our aim is to triple the portfolio within the next 4 years in not only Europe, but also in North America and South Asia.�

Contact: Anja Bachmann Contact Email: Anja.Bachmann@ meininger-hotels.com Company: MEININGER Hotels, Schoeneberger Strasse 15, 10963 Berlin, Germany Telephone: +49 (0)173 299 88 92 Web Address: www.meininger-hotels.com

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Full-Service, International Law Firm Tim Tingkang Xia, Ph.D. is Co-Chair of the International Transactions Practice Group for Asia at Locke Lord and a Partner in the Firm’s Atlanta office, where he devotes his practice to foreign and U.S. intellectual property matters, as well as significant international corporate matters. As winner of the exclusive 2017 Partner of the Year Award - United States, we interviewed the man himself to learn more about his own work as a legal strategist and that of the Firm itself.

Once chosen as the winner of the Client Choice Award for Intellectual Property - Patents for Georgia, Dr. Xia zealously serves his clients with a passion for devising unique solutions for their intellectual property matters.

With a reputation as an internationally known legal strategist, Dr. Xia has represented clients in significant matters involving various U.S. governmental agencies, including the Department of the Treasury, Committee on Foreign investment in the United States (CFIUS), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement (OEE), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Dr. Xia begins by giving an overview of his work in the field.

“I have counselled international clients, in particular, clients from the Great China Region (Taiwan, Hong Kong and Mainland) in the unique issues they face, in terms of entering and expanding their business in the U.S. In recent years, I spent considerable time and effort in significant matters dealing with various U.S. government agencies.

“I continue to counsel both U.S. and international clients in all phases of intellectual property law, including U.S. and foreign patents, trademark and copyright prosecution, patentability, clearance, infringements, validity, licensing, patent portfolio development and management and litigation. Additionally, I still find time to draft patent applications for my clients for their strategic inventions.

“I have also prepared and prosecuted more than 4,000 patent applications in a variety of areas, including telecommunications, optics, mechanical and electronic devices, nanotechnologies,

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liquid crystal display devices, MEMS devices, lasers, quantum spin devices, supercomputing, semiconductors, biotechnologies, medical devices, e-commerce, firmware, software, heavy machinery, toner cartridges and toners, chemical compounds as well as emerging green energy technologies.

at technology and industry associations, international forums, universities and to many other groups concerning international intellectual property protection as well as international corporation law. Dr. Xia explains more and reveals what he did before his legal career commenced.

“I also have a broad range of experience, both nationally and internationally, around intellectual property litigation, including patent, trademark, trade dress, copyright and trade secret matters. I have served as lead counsel in more than 40 cases, including ITC Section 337 investigations, in front of various federal courts, state courts and administrative tribunals around the United States.

“Prior to my legal career, I worked as a physicist specialising in supercomputing, large scale computer simulation of complex fluids, super-thin-films of polymers and Josephson junction superconducting arrays, electromagnetic properties of high Tc superconductors and the physics of granular metals. I have published my research results and discoveries in Science, Phys.

Rev. Lett., Physics Review B and other international leading academic research journals.”

Dr. Xia’s clients have ranged from individual inventors and high-tech start-ups to large international corporations — both private and public — and prestigious research universities and institutions around the world.

Dr. Xia is a frequent speaker

About the Firm Locke Lord is a full-service, international law Firm that ranks among The American Lawyer’s top law firms. Their team has earned a solid reputation in

complex litigation, regulatory and transactional work, Dr. Xia tells us.

“Our clients range from Fortune 500 and middle-market public and private companies, to startups and emerging businesses.

Through our wide-ranging international footprint, Locke Lord has received numerous industry recognitions as a clear global leader in the middle-market sector today.

“Locke Lord’s team builds collaborative relationships and crafts creative solutions to solve problems, all of which are designed and executed with long-term strategic goals in mind. Among Locke Lord’s many strong practice areas are: aviation, bankruptcy/restructuring/ insolvency, business litigation and dispute resolution, class action litigation, consumer finance, employee benefits, energy, financial services, fund formation, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, intellectual property, international, labour and employment, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, regulatory, tax, technology, venture capital and white collar criminal defence.”

In the United States, Locke Lord has an extremely well-recognised presence in Texas, the Northeast, the Midwest, the Southeast and the West Coast, in addition to

strong offices in Hong Kong and London. The Firm provides national and international clients service across a full range of practices and industries from offices in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Hartford, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Morristown, New Orleans, New York, Providence, Stamford, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and West Palm Beach.

Dr. Xia then explains the Firm’s approach to diversity and inclusion.

“We embrace multiple points of view and support local diversity committees as well as an overall Firmwide diversity committee.

Women hold positions of power in Firm management. There are three women on the Firm’s Executive Committee, including Firm Chair Jerry Clements. The Firm’s Board of Directors has 10 female members, one of whom serves as Co-Chair.

“At Locke Lord, diversity and inclusion are integral parts of our strategic plan for success.

To have a healthy, successful workplace and provide clients with the highest-quality representation, our lawyers and staff must be free to be themselves. To that end, the environment must not only be free of all forms of discrimination but also celebrate the broadest

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possible spectrum of viewpoints, perspectives and backgrounds.

“We celebrate individuality and promote discussion of diversity and inclusion. We support organisations that share our commitment to diversity and inclusion with our time and our funds. Our diversity is broadbased and stems from varying ethnicities, races, genders, sexual orientations, languages, nationalities and religions. All these factors aid us as we strive for a workplace where lawyers and staff can thrive as legal professionals.

“The Firm has looked inward at any barriers to the retention of women, diverse and LGBT lawyers. In conjunction with this process, we have participated in training and engaged in honest discourse regarding these issues.

We continue with our strong commitment to diversifying our ranks to operate a superior law firm and striving to be reflective of the communities in which we live and work.”

Dr. Xia then underlines the Firm’s approach to corporate responsibility.

“Corporate responsibility is an important part of Locke Lord’s mission, as we reach out to the communities we serve in meaningful partnerships and pro bono work. Locke Lord

demonstrates its commitment to the communities in which we work and live, through our considerable investment of time and resources, in ensuring that our business initiatives are part of creating a better world around us.

“Our lawyers and staff have given back to the communities we serve for more than a century, through charitable contributions and pro bono commitments and more recently in environmental stewardship. As part of a continued commitment to the communities in which the Firm’s lawyers work and live, Don Glendenning serves as Partner in Charge of Corporate Responsibility and Charitable Giving.

“Our Firm has a prevailing spirit of generosity that manifests itself through civic and community leadership, volunteerism and financial support. Our lawyers and staff serve on the boards of numerous education, health and welfare, arts, and children’s charitable and faith-based organisations in the United States, Europe and Asia. We are proud of all the associations we have and the commitments we make to better the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves.”

In conclusion, Locke Lord’s mission statement sets the tone: “At the end of each year, we want our Firm to be better, stronger and more highly regarded than it was at the beginning.”

Representative experience • Acting as lead counsel in several related high-profile cases, such as Ralls Corp. v. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, et al., Ralls Corporation v. Tema Energy USA Holding Corporation and United States of America v. Ralls Corporation.

• Acting as lead managing counsel for more than 40 significant multi-party, multi-venue and multi-patent litigations since 2004.

• Acting as a principal outside worldwide patent counsel for a world-class research institution by drafting, architecting and managing a portfolio with hundreds of U.S. and foreign patents and patent applications since 2002, where the related technologies are cutting-edge, multi-discipline in nature and complicated.

• Acting as lead counsel representing an international technology company for completing an OEE investigation.

Professional history • Partner, Locke Lord LLP • Partner, Morris Manning & Martin LLP; and • Partner, Merchant & Gould LLP Professional affiliations and recognitions • Recipient, the Client Choice Award for the Intellectual Properly - Patents for Georgia by Lexology (2014); • Recipient, the Contribution to the Education in Peking University Award (2013); • Listed, Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business - as a top lawyer in intellectual Property (2009 - 2014); • Listed, IAM Patent 1000 for Patent Prosecution (2013-2017); • Listed, Georgia Super Lawyers in Atlanta magazine (2007, 2010-2017); • Listed, Georgia Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite, Best Lawyers in Georgia for intellectual Property (2008, 2011-2012); • Columbia University School of Law;

- Member - Dean’s Counsel.

• The Ohio State University, College of Arts & Sciences;

- Member - Advisory Board.

Company: Locke Lord LLP • Peking University, School of Physics Name: Tim Tingkang Xia, Ph.D.

- Member – Board of Visitors.

Email: tim.xia@lockelord.com • American Physical Society; Web Address: www.lockelord.com • American Intellectual Property Law Association; Address: Terminus 200 • Georgia State Bar Association; 3333 Piedmont Road NE, Suite 200 • Executive Board of the International Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia and; Atlanta, GA 30305 USA • Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM).

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The Best Porcelain Tiles on the Market Porcel-Thin is a manufacturer of market leading thin and large format porcelain tiles, offered in a wide variety of plain, pattern, photographic and art mural styles and wood, natural stone, concrete and metallic effects. Following the firm’s success in winning the Best Porcelain Tile Manufacturer – UK award, we invited them to profile their work.

Porcel-Thin serves both the domestic market, through a network of tile and bathroom retailers, and the contract sector, which is catered for by our dedicated in-house contract specification team. We manage a wide variety of projects around the world including: small luxury housing projects and bespoke builds, retail spaces, medical facilities, leisure complexes, yachts as well as large hotels.

The firm’s overall mission is to simply produce the best porcelain tiles available on the market with a specific focus on quality, design and innovation.

To achieve this, all Porcel-Thin tiles are independently tested for quality, strength and many other parameters so that customers can be sure that Porcel-Thin tiles are of a consistently high standard.

We work closely with regular customers to understand and meet their requirements, investing heavily in technology to drive product development.

Having created a support network within the business, we help customers and tiling professionals to select the most appropriate products for their

projects and ensure best practice is followed when using PorcelThin tiles.

An all-encompassing service sets Porcel-Thin apart from competitors. Not only do we offer the highest quality thin porcelain tiles that outperform most of our competition, but we also provide training, specification advice and a wide range of technical services for retail and contract professionals. An example of this is our PTV slip resistance testing service, which enables us to specify floor tiles that meet strict health and safety guidelines and provides documentation to the contractor proving that each batch of tiles meets that criteria.

So far, 2017 has seen the brand launch new concrete and limestone effect tile collections as well as our innovative BacTech antibacterial porcelain tiles, which contain nanoparticles to give the entire tile protection against harmful bacteria.

Most recently, we have launched the Leviathan collection of giant 2.4m x 1.2m porcelain tiles, initially in a range of marble effects with plain and pattern styles to follow. We continue work on new products, manufacturing techniques and

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developing services to benefit our customers and the brand has some significant launches planned for the next 1-2 years.

Name: Ray Smith Email: info@porcel-thin.com Web Address: www.porcel-thin.com Address: Unit 17 Rotherhithe Business Estate, 214 Rotherhithe Business Est, London SE16 3EH Telephone: +44 (0)207 394 9468

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Genesis of the World’s First AR Headphone Optinvent is a wearable technology company, specialised in cutting edge head worn displays and devices. This year, they were delighted to win the 2017 Technology CEO of the Year United States accolade, after which we interviewed Kayvan Mirza to learn more about the company’s work in making augmented reality both affordable and reliable.

Optinvent is a wearable technology company. Their first product, the ‘ORA glass’ smart glasses, targets B2B customers, which is the first market to adopt this type of product. This company is making augmented reality both affordable and reliable. The ORA glass can be used on assembly lines for manufacturing, training and quality control, as well as in the field for inspection, repair and maintenance.

Their upcoming product, the ORA-X targets the B2C market.

It is the world’s first Smart AR Headphone. This is a disruptive new device, that will revolutionise the AR space as well as enable a new mobile entertainment experience, by combining mobile audio and virtual AR display.

Starting on a note of optimism, the company’s Kayvan Mirza explains how they ensure that clients always receive the best possible outcome after a sale.

“We pride ourselves in giving the customer great value for their money and as such, we provide a high level of support when they use our products. For the B2B market as an example, we

manufacture our own devices (ORA-2 smart glass), which gives us total control over the entire process and the company can also solve problems in real time.

“This is something that is much easier to do in a company that makes their own products, rather than one that outsources the manufacturing process.

Furthermore, the small and nimble team at Optinvent is always there to support the customer, in case of any problems when they use the ORA glass in their specific environment.”

Kayvan then tells us his thoughts on 2017 Technology CEO of the Year – United States and the key attributes that make him an award-winning business leader.

“It is certainly an honour to have been selected. I’m sure that during the evaluation process, there were many great candidates. It’s a great feeling to have beaten out Elon Musk and Tim Cook!

“To be successful, what’s important is perseverance, flexibility, vision and of course cash management! It’s been

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ten years since I co-founded the company with my partner, Optinvent’s CTO. During that time, there have been many twists and turns along the way.

The company has gotten so close to hitting bottom a few times and yet, we’ve had the will to survive, pivot and find new avenues.

aspect all the while keeping an eye on the schedule, the cash burn and still find time to motivate your team. This can be stressful at times but the learning experience is well worth it, success or not. It’s certainly a journey that is not for the faint of heart or for those who are easily discouraged.”

“Optinvent has stuck to our vision, but we’ve been flexible enough to fine tune that vision.

Optinvent doesn’t give up and we are in it for the long run. Plus, we’ve had to keep an eye on the bottom line and make sure our cash doesn’t run out, before the company can bring product to the market.

Working within the wider industry, Kayvan then underlines the techniques the firm employs to stay ahead of any emerging developments.

“We are constantly refining and fine tuning the company’s technology and products. It’s a never-ending cycle of continuous improvement. We benchmark versus the competition frequently, but it’s not a horse race. You must stick to your plan and go as fast as you can, within the means available.

“The main technique that we use is to put ourselves in the customers’ shoes and try to understand what they expect.

What is important to them? How will they use and interact with the product? Where are their pain points? What functionality and performance is absolutely necessary for them? You must have thorough understood of what is expected versus

“What I tend to see a lot of new start-up entrepreneurs, who think that it’s all glory and no pain. It’s not about the hype and the buzz from the press. It’s about building something new and significant with very limited resources. At the end of the day, creating new technologies and products is hard work. It’s about inventing something from scratch that hasn’t been done before and managing the few resources you have.

“One must be creative, but you also must execute on every

g Genesis of the World’s First AR Headphone

what is achievable in terms of cost, performance and user experience.”

Kayvan in closing, explains what the future holds for the future of headphones, as we listen to his concluding remarks.

“The future is the ORA-X! It is the future of headphones and a new product category. Targeting music lovers on the go, the ORA-X is a stylish headphone blending quality audio sound, an Android computer and a retractable see-through retinal projection display. The ORA-X enables a new experience in mobile entertainment. Not only can one hear music, but you can ‘see music’!

“The ORA-X will allow never seen mobile entertainment applications such as watching music videos, mobile gaming, AR, social and much more. It will take headphones to the next level! We can’t wait to release this product to the market. We are currently in a fundraising round to make it happen. The ORA-X will revolutionise the mobile audio space. It will be the true culmination of our company’s mission which is to bring AR to the masses.”

Company: Optinvent Name: Kayvan Mirza Email: kayvan.mirza@optinvent.com Web Address: www.optinvent.com Address: 14 E rue Pâtis Tatelin 35700 Rennes, France Telephone: +33 299 871 066

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Exploit the Blockchain - Adopt, Adapt and Thrive When Jamil Hasan was thirteen years old, he was seated at an awards banquet in Burlington, NJ at an old Knights of Columbus facility. When asked what, he wanted to do when he grew up, his answer was to be senior manager at a large corporation. He now owns his own practice and as such, he shares with us his story and expertise, following his receipt of the M&A Advisory New York accolade.

At my oval table was a Revolutionary War Era tablecloth and eleven others eating rubbery meatballs and drinking glasses of warm apple juice. The other children my age and I were all nominated for newspaper carrier of the year and I, like them, wanted to win.

During the meal, someone asked the question ‘What do you children want to do when you grow up?’ I vaguely remember one other boy shouting ‘astronaut!’ and the remainder of answers being equally compelling. Mine was to be a senior manager at a large corporation. Everyone appeared dumbfounded by my response.

I spent the rest of my studying years earning degrees and credentials that enabled me to be just that. And for twenty years, I was a manager in Fortune 50 companies. That is, until I was laid off this past June. Luckily, my former employer provided me with a few months of lead notice.

Because I spent so much time looking at a 20-millionfoot macro view of the world

and since getting a masters’ degree didn’t prepare me for the entrepreneurship world, starting my own practice has certainly not been an easy task.

outside of the office. And in turn, I am taking those lessons and growth opportunities, applying them in my life and becoming a better person.

I admire professionals I meet at network events and professional chapter meetings, who have built successful practices. Building my merger and acquisition practice is different, because I have never brokered a deal or provided financing. My core strengths as a professional are data analysis, technological innovation and operational efficiency. These three do not fit the traditional M&A mould, indeed they are like the Island of Misfit Toys, in the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer story.

One of my many resources I have taken on, has been hiring a professional coach. This past February, I retained not only a coach and mentor. but someone who is a genuine champion for my life. I initially thought he was going to help me to find a job, but he didn’t. What he did strongly suggest I do, is to find a job without using a resume or applying online, or even using a headhunter who would shop my experience around and lower my economic value. He asked me to use my connections to build outwardly, something that I had never done before.

My personal intellectual property, what entrepreneurs have advised I needed to have spent 10,000 hours doing in my life, I would classify as ‘overcoming adversity’. That means, basically, using all my available resources like therapists, coaches, trainers, self-help gurus, pick-up artists, mentors, educators, speakers, trainers and others who would help me in the plethora of ways I have needed help in my life

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But I started to do it and, at first, it was really challenging. I cried myself to sleep each night for about a month, but then I started to develop a greater propensity for rejection. And next, I developed the context that each person is a big deal. I began treating each person as a big deal. Then it has become easier for me to network and grow

comfortable in my relationship capabilities, which I never knew I had.

From my new strengths, I have created a Crypto War Games Event in partnership with Dr. Drew Miller in Colorado. My business’ name is Minerva Data Advisors, LLC. Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom and intelligence. And since fishermen name their boats after women, I felt comfortable naming my business after a goddess.

My goal is to someday build a 300-person organisation and offer M&A advisory services, that focus on artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and smart cities. My primary focus is offering Crypto War Games: business strategy group war games that help businesses formulate strategies using the Blockchain.

I have been asked by everyone I speak with: ‘what is a war game?’. I have been told by almost everyone, especially my Canadian entrepreneur brethren: ‘you cannot sell a war game, no one is going to buy one! Give it up!’. The only thing however,

is that I I have an incredible passion for new technology, helping to build the next global economy, and just like a friend of mine at Bitcoin, want to help make sure that everyone has access to food and water in the future with no one starving.

I do, however, empathise with their concerns. No one will attend a two-day business group war game, unless I offer a tremendous competitive advantage. I do, however. I offer a tremendous competitive advantage to those who attend, at a more than reasonable rate for the advantage that I provide to their businesses.

I’ve been mostly a loyal corporate soldier in the trenches most of my professional life. I consider myself both a grunt and a strategist, at the same time.

I enjoy chess. I used to spend hours on my computer playing Rollercoaster Tycoon games, at all hours of the night. I spend many hours in the fall playing fantasy football. And I enjoy learning new distinctions through both transformational personal growth and development work.

I also love mud. I studied geology at Virginia Tech and was fascinated by Dr. Dewey McLean’s theory on the extinction of dinosaurs being from volcanism in the Deccan Traps of India, instead of from an asteroid. In 2004, after three years struggling at a low-level accounting position, I somehow convinced myself that life wasn’t working for me.

So, I quit my job, sold everything I owned and backpacked across Southeast Asia and China for four months. I spent three weeks in Vietnam, with four days in the Mekong Delta. While in the Delta, I had the opportunity to trudge the mud, from the bottom of the Mekong River. I enjoyed it immensely.

I helped a mom-and-pop shop create clay pottery from the mud. I learned they sell these pots to companies in Thailand, that then paint the pots. In turn, the Thai companies send the painted pots to Hong Kong or Chinese companies, that place the phrase ‘Made in China’ on the pots and then sell them to the US companies. You and I buy the pots for $4,000 apiece and the Vietnamese make pennies on the dollar. Somewhere in between, the movement of the

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actual pottery in the supply chain are foreign exchange rate conversions and if the pottery gets cracked, so no one really knows where that crack occurred.

•

•

Blockchain has the ability, in the case of a breakdown in the supply chain, to be used to track any defect almost immediately through smart contracts. In its simplicity, it can be used to detect the source of a crack in pottery. In actual use cases, it can be used to determine the source of a plane crash, sunken ship, explosion at a nuclear power plant and possibly even for missile defence or to subvert radiation in ocean waters.

Since it can read and use Bitcoin and others, these cryptocurrencies can play an instrumental role in the promotion of international commerce without transaction fees, tariffs and foreign exchange costs.

Outside a purely speculative role, cryptocurrencies will be real game changers as they can be used to lower supply chain costs and improve productivity when part of your Blockchain solution.

I agree with the Goldman Sachs analysts when they say Bitcoin speculation is risky.

I hold a Masters’ degree in Finance and although I earned my degree back in 1999, I must attest what I learned in my studies, is that any speculation is risky. When used optimally and efficiently, Blockchain and Bitcoin, can both break the 11-year trend of Fortune 500 companies experiencing no organic growth. Whoever is an early adopter, will do exceptionally well and my war game events will help companies who dare to be innovative, stress test and exploit Blockchain to become industry leaders.

In my partnership with Dr. Drew Miller at Advanced Analysis Applications, I facilitate war games. I must admit, they are fun to attend, but that should not be the draw. They’re incredibly effective. That’s the draw. War games result in real action plans for your business or organisation, that come from stress testing both your ideas and strategies.

I bring a few things to the table that were not present in previous war games, which are summarised below:

•

•

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My 10,000 hours of intellectual property is on adopting, adapting and thriving.

I was bullied as a youth by other kids in my neighbourhood. Wednesday was my scheduled day to be beaten up. Kids would wait for me at the bus stop and it was my life. And I was filled with fear when growing up. Years after the bullies were physically gone, they stayed in my head for a long time. Overcoming the gap of no self-esteem, little self-confidence and believing my only purpose in life was to survive and by learning how to exploit every resource I have gained access to, I have enabled myself to create a life of abundance. I can do the same for companies and organisations.

I have an incredibly diverse career background. I’ve worked in many different roles: data analyst, technology manager, corporate intelligence analyst, operations specialist, financial reporting specialist and client service support member. I can operationalise any company and industry.

I have extensive experience leading meetings in the corporate ‘war room’. I have found the best way to design a solution to a complex problem that affects many business areas including external stakeholders is to get the major players in a room and hash it out. Play devil’s advocate. Take a critical look and solve the issue. I led numerous discussions at AIG, when building our CCAR financial projections platform, that eventually led to shareholders being paid back $25 billion over two years.

My first event (not Dr. Miller’s first event; he has led war games for many years): Exploiting the Benefits of Blockchain to Adopt, Adapt and Thrive is November 2-3 in Denver, followed by an event in New York on December 4-5 and Silicon Valley January 8-9.

I’m really excited about our first event in Colorado, as we have an amazing keynote speaker Charlie Shrem who is a Bitcoin

•

pioneer and an honourable man. After these three events, we expect to run one per month, starting the spring of 2018 and then take on other challenges as well.

I’m a certified merger and acquisition advisor and a member of the Alliance of Mergers and Acquisitions Advisors. My website is www.minervadataadvisors. us. People can register for the War Games on Drew’s site at www.advanaapp. com/Blockchain. Sign up; you will get a tonne out of attending. Or call me.

I’m happy to speak with you. And you will gain a competitive edge, by stress testing your ideas with using Blockchain.

Company: Minerva Data Advisors, LLC Name: Jamil Hasan Email: jhasan@minervadataadvisors.us Web Address: www.minervadataadvisors.us Address: Darien, CT. Telephone: 833-228-9444

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Specialist Legal Services in Ukraine Voropaev and Partners (hereinafter Voropaev and Partners Ltd.), is a boutique law company, that primarily works within the legal services market in Ukraine. We interviewed lawyer and advocate, Anna Nechai to find out more about the firm’s work, staff and the clients they serve.

Voropaev and Partners Ltd. was incorporated on 1st August 2005, after which it has been providing its clients, with top quality legal assistance. The firm’s client base consists of both international and local business representatives.

Lawyer and advocate, Anna Nechai provides a short overview of the firm’s scope of legal work and the type of clients they serve.

services professionally, but to continuously update the client and provide them with feedback.

So, that is why we take an individual approach, as we like to ensure that the client feels comfortable at all times.”

Even so, there are some preliminary measures the firm undertakes, prior to accepting a new client, namely that Voropaev and Partners Ltd verifies: • •

“We provide legal services to clients in many areas of law, including corporate, tax, real estate, copyright and media law, construction and land law, company and contract law, estate and family law, as well as representation in courts.

“Among our major clients, is the largest vertically integrated mining and metallurgical holding company in Ukraine, one of the largest financial and industrial groups in Ukraine, as well as the largest private firm carrying out business in the country’s energy sector.

“We follow the principle that each client we serve is unique.

Certainly, the human factor plays significant role in all our client relationships. It is relevant not only to provide legal

•

A potential conflict of interest; Trustworthiness and legality of fund sources, via their KYC procedure and; International sanctions, if any are imposed.

At Voropaev and Partners Ltd., they have highly skilled specialists on their team. Their advocates, possess a deep level of knowledge and have enormous practical experience in the arena of law, as well as an understanding of the clients’ specific business spheres.

“This gives us opportunity to propose both full-fledged legal assistance and efficient, in support of different complex deals. Each client we serve is always accompanied by two substitutional lawyers.

“Our firm works with one of three in Ukraine certificated

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trust and estate practitioners, whose experience and skills allows our firm to assist clients in arranging the management of business in different jurisdictions, efficiently. We also assist with the protection of our clients’ assets worldwide, estate planning, as well as rendering wide range of services from the making of wills and establishment of trusts and foundations, right up to complicated schemes of inheritance of property, including those located abroad.

“As a professional firm, in addition to providing traditional legal services, we also provide clients with the services of independent representatives in the governing bodies of holding companies.

“In addition, Voropaev and Partners Ltd. maintains close contacts with lawyers from Czech Republic, Cyprus, Slovakia, Switzerland, Great Britain, the Netherlands, the USA and other countries, so that we can react promptly and attract the assistance of foreign colleagues when the protection of our clients’ interests demands so.

“We consider our developed partnership with companies rendering professional administration services in different jurisdictions, to be an advantage for us. This certainly

gives our clients the opportunity to create efficient structures of management within their business, and to extend it into different jurisdictions.

“At present, Ukraine is experiencing volatile political and economic conditions, which are not getting any better owing to the present conflict in the east of the country. Those conditions have certainly affected the demands of our clients, during the last two years. The issue of keeping both their personal and business assets protected - against possible illegal encroachment - has become the most acute problem of our clients. Also, the demand from our clients for the establishment of trusts and foundations outside Ukraine, has increased.

“However, due to our regional peculiarities, our clients are generally distrustful towards foreign professional providers practicing in this sphere, especially where the peculiarities of trust and foundation structures are both concerned. Where our firm steps in, is to assist in the creation of such structures, which correspond exactly to the interests of the client concerned.

So, our experts assist, to co-ordinate the management of these aforementioned structures.”

g Specialist Legal Services in Ukraine

The firm’s specialists always work as the team. Anna tells us that any internal competition or competing for the business of a client, are far from welcome at Voropaev & Partners Ltd. “Our lawyers are experts in different branches of law, indeed they possess various skills as well as both seasoned professional and life experience.

It is only the exchange of this knowledge, professional skills and experience that can provide a high professional level of legal services, always providing a qualitative result, as the client expects.

“Any aspiration to education and self-development are strongly

supported at our firm. Indeed, we encourage the employees themselves to make decisions on what to study and which skills to develop, rather than the management doing so on their behalf. At that, we believe that the employees define the areas in which they wish to develop, which of course will ultimately benefit the firm and contribute towards the provision of legal services to our clients.

“That is why when we are seeking new staff, so when we do this we pay attention to not only to knowledge and skills, but also to both human characteristics and life experience.”

In closing, Anna tells us that Voropaev & Partners Ltd. are planning to enter markets abroad and to therefore provide legal services in jurisdictions such as Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

She then outlines some of the wider industry challenges they are facing.

“We consider that tax legislation and the taxation scheme here, will change in the future. Such changes, we believe, will be substantial. In the Ukraine, the number of people requiring assistance in relations with the tax authorities, completing tax returns and reports will increase.

Soon, the general submission of tax returns will be introduced, which will lead to an increased

demand for legal assistance, where tax issues in this country are concerned.”

Name: Anna Nechai Email: anna.nechai@voropaevltd.com.ua Web Address: voropaevltd.com.ua/en/ Address: 3А Desiatynna St, Kyiv, 01001 Ukraine Telephone: +38 445017773, +38 0939815988

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Anything as a Service Sagari are market leaders in providing cloud computing and virtualisation. The firm is delighted to win the Most Innovative Tech Firm 2017 – UK accolade, within the 2017 Tech of the Year Awards. We spoke to the founder, Steven John to learn more about the firm’s costeffective and scalable solution.

Sagari is an outsourced IT provider, specialising in providing cloud services, IT strategy, security and compliance, working with B2B in the financial industry and businesses that require specialist security and compliance requirements.

Sagari founder, Steven John sets the scene for us, by detailing the firm’s services and why quality management is a key principle for them. He also explains the firm’s philosophy when it comes to approaching the customer.

“Sagari help business identify the solutions and services needed by delivering short and longterm IT strategies that focus on the core areas of support, security and compliance. We can then add value to identify key drivers for the business, such as workflow automation, knowledge management, IT efficiencies and business intelligence. Sagari will build this into a roadmap, so customers can understand this by assigning resource, budgets and timeframes to facilitate each requirement. This helps the customer to dedicate time and plan effectively.

“Quality management is a key principle in our business, which is why we are an ISO 9001

accredited firm. Sagari process and automate as far as possible, so we can ensure a consistently high level of service from on-boarding, through to the dayto-day running of the services provided, which is regularly reviewed.

“We changed our approach for undertaking new clients and projects, by looking at what the customer wants to achieve longterm, as part of their IT strategy.

Understanding the customer better and working with them a lot closer in general, was a key driver for undertaking a new project, because the customer trusted Sagari to take over more responsibility and were assigned more opportunities as a result.”

Sagari used to outsource their support services to an external supplier, to provide the services they offered, Steven tells us. He goes on to develop this point in his own words, as well as outlining some of the firm’s key qualities.

“The firm knew we had to bring this all in-house, to bring things up to a quality standard we were happy with and to take back a lot more control to grow the business in the direction Sagari wanted to. This has been an incredibly complex, time-consuming and expensive

28 CORPORATE VISION / September 2017

task, but knew we would reap the rewards once this was back with Sagari. Now, we have far more flexibility and can provide the level of customer care and service excellence that the customers expect.

These changes have affected the business, due to a lot of investment in moving to a fully hosted model, but now have addressed many of these issues and feel we are cutting-edge and current in our service offerings.

“Sagari possess some key qualities, which we feel make us very successful. We brought in our roadmaps, which have become fundamental in cementing and building the firm’s business relationship to define trust, adding value, setting expectations and delivering exemplary service. Together with Sagari’s superior support and quality controls, we have retained and grown our business through this success.”

“There are many changes happening, such as ‘anything as a service’, artificial intelligence and business learning. What we offered six months ago, is already out-of-date. Furthermore, with the ever-increasing complexities of compliance, such as ISO requirements and now the new GDPR regulation, customers want IT providers to understand and help with these issues. Customers expect their IT systems to just work and are more interested in seeing value for resolving bigger issues, through technology.”

Steven then directs our thoughts to the today tech business, which is certainly a vastly changing industry.

“If you stay static for too long, then customers will leave and you won’t be competitive for attracting new business. Sagari feel the industry has moved away from purely hosted solutions, such as hosted desktops and are opting for hybrid solutions which provides improved benefits in business continuity, more opportunity for innovation, scalability, risk management and secure systems to name a few.

Sagari have recognised that they need to change their business quickly, to attempt to stay one step ahead, Steven adds. In closing, he expands on this important point, before detailing the firm’s aspirations for the future.

“We are beginning to invest more in researching emerging trends and technologies, so Sagari can be planning our own IT strategy.

Sagari are heavily moving more and more into cyber security

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Anything as a Service

products and services, as cyberattacks are a growing threat, so will the protection methods for customers so they are confident in our ability to protect them.

“Sagari are also investing more time into ‘anything as a service’ offerings, so our customers can rent anything they want for as little or if they want. This is very much a growing trend, that will translate into services we expect to be offer.”

“Sagari’s future aspirations is to become a leader in IT compliance and cyber security, whilst looking to further add to our portfolio in the trends of ‘anything as a service’, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI).”

Name: Steven John Email: info@sagari.co.uk Web Address: www.sagari.co.uk Address: Basepoint, Little High Street, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5EG UK Telephone: +44 (0)1273 855765

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The Search for Your Affordable Dream Home Has Come to an End VIP Homes provides homes with many unique floorplans and the ability to enable clients to customize the layout they have always wanted. People’s home will be unique to their tastes and styles. From luxurious finishes to wheelchair accessible areas, the firm’s ability to adapt a client’s home to their needs will make this the last home they will ever buy. We spoke to Evelyn Petersen, to discuss her firm’s winning of the Large Cap Elite Awards - 2017 Large Cap CEO of the Year and discuss more about the company.

VIP offers a variety of products and services, quality construction, energy efficiency, and design flexibility which makes VIP homes Arizona’s premiere semi-custom builder. Evelyn starts out by telling us how it feels to win this award within her jurisdiction, attributing the hard work of her firm and the feedback it receives from clients, allowing staff and Evelyn to improve their work.

“Firstly, it is a great honor to win this award. Most of all, we appreciate the feedback that lets us know we are on the right track with our mission and company goals. We are striving daily to be one of the top builders in Arizona and for the last 28 years, our hard work and never quit attitude has served us well. VIP was one of a handful out of hundreds of midsized builders who made it

through the most difficult market drops in nearly a century of track-able Real Estate history and came out on top with excellent credit and no foreclosed property or bankruptcies.”

on a personal level allows us to manage expectations and costs at the onset of construction. This ensures a smooth project from start to finish and a very satisfied, happy customer.”

Part of being a successful company is ensuring that customers and clients receive the best possible service and that the outcome of the project satisfies both the company and the client. Evelyn tells us how VIP approaches new projects, highlighting the fact that they try to align their goals with those of their client.

Regarding how the company reaches goals, Evelyn sets out the firm’s overall mission, listing what steps the team and their staff take in order to reach their goals. Looking to provide superior buildings, the firm takes great pleasure in being part of the community and providing it with quality homes.

“When undertaking new projects, VIP prefers to get involved with our clients and projects as early as possible to ensure we are aligned with a common vision and common goal. Our necessary preconstruction meetings combined with getting to know our customer

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“Fundamentally, our mission is to provide the Phoenix market with superior buildings on a residential as well as a commercial level. We are community minded and take great satisfaction from our ability to furnish many dozens of small business owners and hundreds of laborers a means of utilizing their

skills in an industry they also take pride in.

“Providing great customer service, we are able to continue to accomplish this goal because we excel at guiding our customers through the building process in an accurate and fair manner, while nurturing each relationship with the many people we are working for and with. Our experience has shown that with few exceptions each project results in a repeat client or referral. Our attention to detail and extensive experience when designing and building a custom home or large commercial building allows us to rely on our customer’s reviews, and keeps us listed as a top builder in Arizona.”

Successful business comes from attracting the best clients. To do this, the firm must make itself the best possible option for clients, distinguishing itself from its

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The Search for Your Affordable Dream Home Has Come to an End

competitors. The firm builds with the climate in mind, and provides their customers with lower energy bills, and comfortable homes as an end-product.

“Included options in our custom homes are typically considered an upgrade for our competitors.

This value is recognized and appreciated by our customers and even though they can continue to upgrade, it’s not necessary to achieve quality in every aspect of the construction. In addition, our buildings are constructed with Arizona’s climate in mind.

Every home we build as well as multifamily projects under our ownership are designed and constructed to exceed local energy code criteria by 50%. This provides our customers with lower energy bills, a more comfortable home and an end-product that is good for the environment. Our attention to detail and builtin quality control procedures guarantees an efficient and beautiful home every time. With our in-house design team, drafting team, lending department, and sales teams all under one roof, we can take our customers vision from start to finish. The customizing of a large project is a relatively seamless and simple experience for our customers.”

Working within the industry, Evelyn explains what techniques are employed to stay ahead of any emerging developments.

Thanks to its high-Energy star rating, Evelyn tells us that the company is continually updated by the power industry, which keeps them abreast of the latest products and procedures.

“Always looking to learn, VIP is never satisfied with past performance if it can be improved upon. With so many of the aspects of development, design, lending, construction, and sales under our roof, we enjoy volume discounts from most venders and are able to keep constant communication with our clients as the process moves forward. We attend trade shows and training seminars to keep our attention on market trends which helps us stay abreast of new trends and implement the latest design, methods and technology that keep us fresh and aware of the public’s expectations.”

Regarding the internal culture in the company, Evelyn comments on what she does to ensure all staff are equipped to provide

clients with the best possible service. Noting the family atmosphere and friendly working environment, the company also employs a stringent hiring structure, recruiting the very best employees and making sure they are the right fit for the company.

must adhere to company policies on a daily basis. We quote a part of our Mission Statement:

“VIP ownership has always strived to create a family type of atmosphere in our building environment. VIP strives to hire the very best employees and quickly evaluates their ability to blend into the co-operative and trusting relationships we have already built. Most of our staff have been here for 10 years with a large number nearing 20 or more years. We would like to have this be a work home for the best in the business that truly love their job and wouldn’t want to work anywhere else. This commitment to a common cause and loyalty to the company is exhibited in what the company produces. Keeping a friendly, productive work environment has proven to be essential in having a very low turnover and keeping productivity high. All of our employees understand that they

•

• • •

•

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• •

Deal honestly with all parties Promise only what they can deliver Only promise what they are authorized to promise Hold self and others accountable Only enter into agreements that benefit both parties – never hurt anyone Prioritize warranty issues and complete them to the customer’s satisfaction promptly Be courteous at all times Accept responsibility for our actions and if something goes wrong, make it right”

Looking ahead, Evelyn predicts what the future holds for the firm.

She tells us about VIP’s future plans, looking to grow and expand into new markets. The company is well placed to build on its current success as Evelyn points out, particularly with VIP’s ‘Build on your own land’ option.

VIP is constantly growing and

expanding into new markets.

We currently have homes and subdivisions in; Phoenix, Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Buckeye, Queen Creek, and Scottsdale. We also build custom homes on customer owned lots.

Our “Build on your own Land” option has become very popular and allows us to build a custom home anywhere.

Companies: VIP Homes and VIP Commercial Builders AZ Contact: Evelyn Petersen Contact Email: evelyn@viphomes.com Contact Email: evelyn@vipcommercialbuilders.com Address: 3048 E. Baseline Rd, Suite #102 Mesa, Arizona 85204, USA Phone: 001 480-892-1654 Website: www.VIPHomes.com

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Game-Changing Software Xero provides online accounting software for over one million small businesses and their accountants, across all sectors. We spoke to director of financial web & ecosystem, Edward Berks to find out more about the company and their thoughts on winning the Best FinTech Software Development Company 2017 accolade.

“The team at Xero is delighted to have been awarded the Best FinTech Software Development Company 2017 accolade. In the 10 years since it was founded, Xero has transformed the way small businesses and accountants operate, helping them work smarter and faster in the cloud.

As such, they are thrilled to have been recognised for their services

by Corporate Vision.”

Director of financial web & ecosystem, Edward Berks explains more about winning this prestigious award and tells us about the Xero’s collaborative approach. He also introduces the company’s work in providing online accounting software and their impressive growth, as the interview kicks off.

“We work hard to provide a pure cloud model for over one million small businesses and their accountants. This is changing the game for customers - by being able to access their financial data anywhere, anytime and on any device - they can take control of their cashflow and run their business more strategically.

Xero’s collaborative approach, through our add-on community has also changed things for the

small business and accounting community, giving customers a huge range of innovative cloudbased B2B apps that help them to make the art of doing business that much easier.

“Xero provides online accounting software for over one million small businesses and their accountants, across all sectors. Combining real-time connectivity, with easyto-use software tools and apps, Xero uses the cloud to give users instant access to up-to-the-minute data. Users can access their financial data anywhere, anytime and since launching, popularity in the small business and accounting communities has seen Xero become the UK’s leading online accounting software for small businesses.

businesses and accountants, to help them thrive. Our software simplifies - automates and streamlines the tasks that small business owners dread, saving time for accountants and giving business owners the time back to concentrate on the reason why they started their business in the first place - which is very rarely because they love doing their finances!

Edward then reveals the company’s overall mission and what differentiates them from their competitors.

“Xero was the first technology provider to incorporate bank feeds into its software platform and continues to deliver user-friendly interfaces and features, that help users to work both smarter and faster. A key part of our platform is its Xero Add-on community, a thriving technology ecosystem, that gives software developers fast access to small businesses and owners and directors of those small companies a huge choice of innovative cloud-based B2B apps.

“In the last year, this application community grew significantly.

Now there are well over 500 certified add-on solutions from all over the world – comprising everything from CRM systems to point of sale and inventory management – integrating directly with Xero.”

“The company’s mission is to provide beautiful accounting and payroll software for small

Edward then provides a fascinating overview of the wider technology industry in the UK,

“Most recently, we announced that Xero will surpass 200 staff and £25 million revenues in the UK and that we’ve expanded our Milton Keynes HQ, to accommodate 100 new sales and customer experience staff.”

32 CORPORATE VISION / September 2017

including any specific challenges or outside influences affecting it.

“Building in the cloud takes huge investment and, as such, Xero has taken 10 years and over $200 million to build the functionality for its platforms. Adding to the high cost market, the competition in fintech is notoriously high. To fight the competitive nature of fintech, we pride ourselves on continually upgrading our platform throughout the year.

“Very few vendors offer as much flexibility and transparency as we do, as upgrades are taken care of and available the next time a customer logs in anywhere in the world. The Xero roadmap for development is planned in response to user requests and emerging trends, such as the adoption of all things mobile, banking as well as US payroll.

Accounting partners are also consulted in advance on features specific to them.

“Another challenge when building a fintech platform, is realising the wide array of tools needed by an SME. This means we could have never stopped at simply building accounting tools - we went on to develop business tools that larger enterprises take for granted. To do so, we created a small business network

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that other software companies could access, so that they and their customers, could integrate with Xero. Now accountants, bookkeepers and small businesses can access valuable extra business tools online. They include reporting, forecasting, inventory, ecommerce and retail point-of-sale software.

“The network has grown hugely, home to more than 500 integrators, all connecting to Xero.

More than a quarter of our one million subscribers use an add-on application and small businesses are now connecting with each other. Spotlight Reporting, for example, is bringing its reporting dashboard to others in the Xero network and the network is fostering connections with the big banks that are integrated with Xero online. For instance, Spotlight’s bank-friendly business reports are making it easier for small businesses to secure loans – and bringing the banks valuable new customers.

“This is a new market opportunity that has been created by the Xero network. The banks want

to lend to small business but first need the kind of simplebut-sophisticated, real-time, transparent business reports Xero and its partners can provide.”

On how to ensure that all staff are equipped to provide the best possible service to clients, Edward explains the company’s approach in this vein.

“Our mission is to deliver fast, accurate and human solutions to our customers, whilst providing the best possible experience so users are left feeling delighted.

We help customers take ownership of their business, by providing human support for our beautiful accounting software.

We aim to consistently go above and beyond the standard industry level of support, to ensure customers are not just supported, but are delighted with an overall experience.

“We’re also always building our resources to support users.

Whether it’s Xero Business Essentials videos, community, help centre or the skills of our team – the company’s objective

Game-Changing Software

is to get your question answered with the best contextually rich information that we can provide.”

Concerning the technology industry, Edward is keen to shed light on such developments and how the company will adapt around these.

existing password and a second, unique code randomly generated by the Google Authenticator app on their smartphone, each time they log in. As hackers become more sophisticated, it’s vital that we keep one step ahead and ensure the software we provide for our customers is watertight as much as possible.”

“Machine learning and artificial intelligence is in its earliest, most basic stage now and the opportunities for this technology to develop is huge. This kind of technology will only be more deeply integrated into society as time goes on and in fintech, this is already being seen in chatbots and natural voice agents, to name but a few.

“With this explosion of development in tech, will come more improved security disciplines too, and as such our software developers work tirelessly to ensure that our platform is as secure as it can be.

Two-step authentication is one of the new ways we tackle this, by verifying the identity of a customer logging into the Xero dashboard by requiring them to use their

Name: Edward Berks, Director of Financial Web & Ecosystem Email: edward.berks@xero.com Web Address: www.xero.com/uk Address: 172-176 King’s Cross Rd, Kings Cross, London, WC1X 9DH UK

CORPORATE VISION / September 2017 33

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Right Solution, Right Results Over the past seven years, Exceedra has built a solid global reputation as the go‐to software vendor to drive trade promotional effectiveness, sales and profitability for consumer goods manufacturers. Following the company’s success in achieving the ‘Best Revenue Management Systems Provider – UK’ accolade, we invited co-founder, Richard Nicholas to turn the spotlight on their work around consumer goods commercial planning.

The Exceedra solution is focused on the needs of consumer goods companies to help them improve margin through optimisation of promotions and develop enhanced pricing strategies (revenue management).

Additionally, it supports full integration of the financial and supply chain planning processes.

The solution is designed to support both large and small organisations. Exceedra has an excellent and growing customer base globally including: ACH Foods, Bayer Consumer Health, Birds Eye, McKee, Organix, Perrigo, Pladis, Taylors of Harrogate, Tyrrells Crisps and Weetabix. All of them have all seen significant benefit through using Exceedra Promotional Planning and Insight Solutions, enabling more meaningful, accurate discussions with their retailers supported by fact-based analytics.

Exceedra are delighted to receive the Technology Innovator Awards 2017- Best Revenue Management Systems Provider - UK. This award recognises the focus and investment that Exceedra have made around this ‘on- trend’ topic, following the success of the inaugural ‘Consumer Goods Revenue Management Forum’ in June 2016.

With over 80 attendees and speakers from; pladis UK, Vimto, Kerry Foods, Hain Daniels, Simon-Kucher and Strategy &, the forum provided a day dedicated to discussing the role price and promotion play in driving profitable growth. The feedback we received was extremely positive, with delegates describing the event as “a very enjoyable day with thought provoking content and great presentations.”

focused the company on Revenue Management and Integrated Business Planning for consumer goods companies.

The management invested in developing a new SaaS Platform and expanded the service and support team to be more focused on business value creation.

Key focus areas for business improvement by our Clients and prospects are •

Topics discussed on the day included: •

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•

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How revenue management and trade promotion management techniques and solutions have improved gross margins; The challenges of implementing revenue management and solutions to improve effectiveness and efficiency; How leading companies are tackling the commercial challenges through better revenue management and; The importance of revenue management to true integrated business planning.

Exceedra has a history of working with consumer goods companies dating back to 1986.

In 2010, a new management team was established and

34 CORPORATE VISION / September 2017

• •

Improving margins from Trade and Revenue Management Capability.

Improve – 1 to 5% Improving forecast accuracy – 2 to 20% Improving Visibility of and confidence in the forecast and the assumptions behind the numbers.

Exceedra offers a more comprehensive and robust solution than our competitors, in that we offer it in a single and easy to use package, in which sales people want to plan and make meaningful decisions. The company is regularly selected over major global players including SAP, Oracle and Accenture – fine testimony to the fact that we are ‘disrupting’ the market, and were acknowledged earlier this year as ‘the real challenger’ by a global dairy company.

Exceedra pride ourselves on the company’s recruitment policies.

We are able to attract consultants with the correct mix of specialist commercial planning skills and first-class developers, who buy into our overall vision.

The company wants to be the best solution provider in the trade promotion arena. We offer a ‘career open to talent’ and provide individuals with the opportunity to lead from an early stage in their career. We recruit from within wherever possible and offer a full mentoring/coaching programme for all employees.

We have a ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality and encourage social activity as part of overall team building. Exceedra believes that we are a very ‘open’ company and genuinely encourage employees to share their views with both peers and management alike.

Exceedra believes that we have now delivered the appropriate level of disruption, to demonstrate that we must be doing something right. We are now included in the RFI/RFP process for most companies as standard. The company know we have a solution that delivers – we have many customer references that endorse that position. The company’s goal now is to extend our presence to be a truly global player.

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The last word goes to our co-founder, Richard Nicholas, who comments:

Contact details:

“We have always put the customer at the heart of the business. We believe that enterprise solutions should be simple to use, while still delivering differentiating business capabilities that drive overall business improvement.�

Company: Exceedra Name: Richard Nicholas Web Address: www.exceedra.com Address: Southbank House Black Prince Road London, SE1 7SJ UK Telephone: +44 (0)844 556 1242

CORPORATE VISION / September 2017 35

, Winners’ Directory Corporate Excellence Awards of 2017

Company: Hansen Law Offices Title: Leader for Bankruptcy Law in 2017 – Iowa Company: Hawthorn International Title: Best Bespoke Clothing Manufacturer 2017 Company: iBreathe Ltd Title: The UK’s Leading E-Cigarette Brand 2017 Company: Bathan AG Title: The Leading Supplier of Ceramic Lubricants 2017 - Switzerland Company: DPMG Corp.

Title: Excellence in Business Development 2017 - California Company: Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office Title: Best for Government Law 2017 - Idaho

36 CORPORATE VISION / September 2017

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