The Most Inspiring Women Leaders To Watch Out For 2023

From Editor’ s Desk

Oneofthemostcrucialleadershiptraitsthatsetsexceptionalleadersapart

fromaverageonesisthecapacitytoinspire.Therearemanywonderful employers,butveryfewleadersareabletoinfusetheiractsandbehaviors withenergy,passion,andconnection.Alongwithacrystal-clearvision,mission, anddedicationtoethicsthatdirectsthemineverythingtheydotoimprovethe world.

FeaturingforCIOWomenMagazine’sthisissueofTheMostInspiringWomen LeaderstoWatchOutFor2023isGhaidaaHetou,aleadershelpingorganizations succeedintheMENAregion.

“AtiStrategicwehaveoveradecadeexperienceinprovidingpoliticalriskanalysis andcorporateintelligence.Ourservicesareofferedtointernationalcorporations whoareinterestedintheMENAmarket.Ihaveabachelor’sdegreeinEconomics, twomasters,oneinEconomicsandoneinGlobalAffairs,andaPhDinPolitical SciencespecializinginMENA.Iteachpoliticalriskanalysistomasterstudentsat RutgersUniversityintheUnitedStates.Ispeakthreelanguagesfluently,English, ArabicandGerman.iStrategicassociatesspeakinadditiontoArabic:Farsi, Hebrew,Kurdish,Turkish,andFrench.iStrategicassociatesarelocatedinMENA andspecializeindataanalysis,OSINT,andriskassessment.”,saysGhaidaa.

“The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.”

—Padmasree Warrior, CEO & founder of Fable

Shalmali W. halmaliS

This list is NOT a ranking. The companies on listed in magazine serve different aspects of the market, making ranking them in any order except revenue impossible and unfair. We try to bring a perfect platform for business organization to showcase their valued products/ services.

PR News Section

Chesterfield,Missouri—BethDonaldson,CEO+FounderofskinBeMedSpaanaward winningmedicalspabasedinSt.Louis,hasbeennamed

selectedasthetopinspiringwomaninleadershiptowatchoutforin2023byCIOWomen Magazine.

CIOWomenMagazineisabusinessmagazinethatmainlyfocusesonemergingbusiness leaderstheirjourney,viewsoncurrenteconomicstatesandallotherrelevantsubjectsthat refertothebusinessworld.Therespectedindustrypublicationannounceditsannuallistof “MostInspiringWomenLeaderstoWatchOutForin2023”init’sJanuaryissuenaming Ms.Donaldsonasthemostinfluentialwomaninleadership,avisionary,trailblazerand creatorwhoiswellrespectedintheaestheticindustry.

“Iamextremelyhumbledandpleasedtoreceivethisaward.It’sanabsolutehonorofgreat magnitude.Igotintotheaestheticandwellnessspacenearly20yearsagobecausethat’smy passion;tochangelives.Somewherealongthewaytheideaofcombiningtheartofaesthetics withthescienceofwellnesscametomindandIknewitwasmypurposesoIdecidedtomake mydreamandvisionareality.Iamnotonlypassionateabout

makinganimpactinourclientslives,butalsomyteam.Irealizedleadershipisjustnot aboutbeingabossorinnovatingthings,it’sabouttheimpactIhaveonmyteam,the opportunitiesIofferandthecontributionImaketotheworldasawhole.Thisawardisa greatremindertokeepgoing,keeppushingboundariesandkeepstrivingtoleavetheworld abetterplace,”saidBethDonaldsonFounder+CEO.

“ThisremarkablerecognitionisareflectionofBeth’sworkethicandwhosheistous.Itis verywelldeserved.HavingBethasourleaderisanhonor.Sheisatestamenttothetruthand impactthatwomencanbringabouttochangetheworld.Shecontinually encouragesandinspiresustobeourbestselves,worksmartandhardtogetwhatyouwant inlife,setandexceedgoalsandmakeanimpactwhereverwecan.Thishasbroughtalotof positivedifferencesinourlivesinhugeways.It’sveryimportanttobe ledbysomeonewhowalkstheirtalkandalsoprovidesyouwithnumerousopportunitiesfor growth,andsheisjustthat.”elicitedBeth’semployeesandmentees.

FollowBethDonaldsononInstagram,LinkedIn+Listentoherpodcast,Hustle+Hearton Spotify,AppleandAudible.Youwon’twanttomissrawconversationsandsometoughlove thatissuretohelpyoualignwithyourcallingfromBeth,otherentrepreneursandindustry leadersalike.

E N T S

The Many First Women

Princess Diana - A Humanitarian, and the Queen of Hearts

Monuments

Merlion - The Mascot Of Singapore

The Many First Women

A Humanitarian, and the Queen of Hearts

ThePrincessofWales, Diana

FrancesSpencerwasbornon 1July1961.Shewasoneof themembersoftheBritishroyal family.Dianawasinthelimelightnot becauseshebelongedtotheroyal familybutbecauseonereasonforher popularitywashersocialworkand gooddeedsforpeople.Herpersonal lifegotmanyupsanddownsyetthe ladyisaninspirationformany womenoutthere.Dianawasthefirst wifeofKingCharlesIIIandthe motherofPrincesWilliamandHarry Herleadershipandmystiquemade heraglobalsymbolandgainedher persistingvogueaswellasanalmost unparalleledpublicsurvey.

AlthoughDianawasinaroyal family,shewasfascinatedbythe people'sproblemsandwasconcerned aboutthemsinceshewasveryyoung. Thesensitiveprincesstowardsthe citizensmadeherworkmorefor theminthefuture.In1981,while workingasakindergartenteacher's assistant,shegotengagedtothe PrinceofWales,theeldestsonof QueenElizabethII.In9181,the grandweddingtookplaceatStPaul's CathedralandmadeherPrincessof Wales,aroleinwhichshewasover excitedlyacceptedbythepublic.

EarlyLife

DianaFrancesSpencerwasbornto BritishnobilityatSandringham estate,Norfolk.TheSpencerfamily wascloselyrelatedtotheBritish royalfamilyformanygenerations. On30August1961,Dianawas baptizedatSt.MaryMagdalene Church,Sandringham.Dianagrewup inParkHouse,situatedonthe Sandringhamestate.Thefamily rentedthehousefromitsowner, QueenElizabethII,whomDiana usedtocall"AuntLilibet"fromher childhood.

Dianawasatasmallagewhenher parentsgotseparatedbytaking divorced.Dianalivedwithherfather Dianamentionedherchildhoodasnot beinggoodorstablelikeothersdueto thedisputeswithherparentsbutinher teenageDianaruledovermanyhearts withhergooddeeds.Shecametobe knownasLadyDianaafterherfather tookoverthetitleofEarlSpencerin 1975.Atwhichpointherfathermoved theentirefamilyfromParkHouseto Althorp,theSpencerseatin Northamptonshire.

TheirinitialschoolingofDianatook placeatherownhouseunderthe guidanceandsupervisionofGertrude Allen,hergoverness.Later,shebegan herfurthereducationatSilfieldPrivate SchoolinKing'sLynn,Norfolk.She movedtoRiddlesworthHallSchool nearThetfordwhenshewas9years old.Asachild,shewasnotinterested inacademicsandfailedrepeatedly.She leftschoolwhenshewasalmost16. Thoughshewasnotinterestedin academics,shewasaperfectpianist andgotseveralextracurriculartalents likeswimming,divingandalsostudied balletandtapdance.Thiselaboration ofDianaclearly[pointstowardsher loveandpassionforMusicandDance.

Duringhercollegedays,shelivedin Londonwithherschoolfriendsinher mother'sflat.Duringthosedaysshe learnedadvancedcooking.Alsotook somelow-payingjobsasadance instructor,andapreschoolassistant, andalsoactedasahostessatparties.

Socialwork&Patronage

DuringaPremierofNewfoundland, BrianPeckfordIn1983,Princess Dianaconfessedthatitwastoughfor heraftermarriagetohandlethe pressureofaPrincessyetshegrewup strongandmaturedandgotusedtothe conversationswithpeopleandtheir problems.Duringthattimeshewas

expectedtogivevisitsregularlyto hospitals,schools,andotherfacilities. Fromthemid-1980s,shebecame increasinglyassociatedwithnumerous charities.Shecarriedout191official engagementsin1988and397in1991. Shegraduallydevelopedaninterestin socialworkandhelpingoutotherswith theirproblems.Herintenseinterestin theworkhelpedoutseveralpatients andstudentsinthehealthcaresector andeducationsector,andinvolvement, includingAIDSandleprosy.In recognitionofhereffectasa philanthropist,StephenLee,directorof theUKInstituteofCharityFundraising Managers,said"Heroveralleffecton charityisprobablymoresignificant thananyotherperson'sinthe20th century."

Dianacontributedtocharitiesand groupsthathelpedtheelderly,young people,drugusers,andthehomeless. Shehadtheprivilegeofservingasthe hospital'spresidentstartingin1989. ShealsodonatedtotheNaturalHistory MuseumandservedastheRoyal AcademyofMusic'spresident.Diana servedaspresidentofBarnardo's,a charitableorganizationthatDr. ThomasJohnBarnardoestablishedin 1866tosafeguardvulnerablechildren andyoungadults.In1988,shebecame amemberoftheBritishRedCrossand hassincehelpedtheorganization's effortsinplacesincludingAustralia andCanada.

ThehighesthonorthattheCityof Londoncanbestowuponsomeonewas giventoDianain1987whenshe receivedtheHonoraryFreedomofthe CityofLondon.Shetraveledto MoscowinJune1995.Shevisiteda children'shospitalthatshehad previouslyhelpedbydonatingmedical supplies.Shewasawardedthe InternationalLeonardoPrizein Moscow,whichispresentedto"the mosteminentpatronsandindividuals

inthearts,medicine,andsports."Diana washonoredinNewYorkCityin December1995astheUnitedCerebral PalsyHumanitarianoftheYearforher charitablework.Shereceivedagold prizeinOctober1996forherwork withtheelderlyatahealthcare conferencehostedbythe PioManzù CentreinRimini,Italy.

Sheannouncedherresignationfrom morethan100organizationstheday followingherdivorceandjustsixwere stilllistedaspatronages:Centrepoint, EnglishNationalBallet,GreatOrmond StreetHospital,TheLeprosyMission, NationalAIDSTrust,andRoyal MarsdenHospital.Althoughshewas nolongeridentifiedasapatron,she continuedtocooperatewiththeBritish RedCrossAnti-PersonnelLandMines Camp.

DianaacceptedRichard Attenborough'sinvitationtoopenthe RichardAttenboroughCentrefor DisabilityandtheArtsinLeicesterin May1997.Someofhergownsand suitswereofferedforsaleatChristie's auctionhousesinLondonandNew YorkinJune1997,athersonWilliam's recommendation,andtheearnings fromthesesalesweregivento charitableorganizations.Herlast publicappearancewasonJuly21, 1997,whenshewenttoLondon's NorthwickParkHospital.Thedayafter shereturnedfromParis,onSeptember 4,1997,shewassupposedtoattenda fundraiserattheOsteopathicCenter forChildren.TheglobaliconPrinces ofWalesdiedinacaraccidentwithher companionDodiFayedandherdriver HenriPaulon31stAug1997.

GHAIDAA

HETOU

Helping Companies Succeed in the MENA region.

TheMiddleEastandNorthAfrica region(MENA)isrichand complex,withvarious investmentopportunitiesandthe potentialforstrongerandfastergrowth despitebeingimpactedbyeconomicand politicalchanllenges.Thisvastregion connectsthreecontinentsAsia,Europe andAfrica.Afavourablegeographic locationwithaccesstosizablemarkets,a youngeducated population,andcompetitiveadvantages inlogisticsandanumberofindustries, includingmanufacturing,renewable energy,andtourism,arealladvantages thattheregionenjoys.

Enablingcorporationstoenterthe MENAmarketsuccessfullyandsustain theiroperationsinthehostcountrytakes apersonofimmenseknowledgeand determination.FeaturingforCIO Women’sspecialeditionisonesuch leaderwhoishelpingcompaniesprosper intheMENAregion.

Inthisinterview,letusknowmoreabout herjourney

Whatinspiredyoutodirectyour journeyinthisparticularfield?

Iwasalwaysfascinatedbythe intersectionofpolitics,economicsand securityintheMiddleEastandNorth Africaregion(MENA).WhileMENAis richwithanexceptionalhistoryand culture,italsosuffersfromuneven politicalandeconomicinstability The geopoliticsofMENA,it’sgeographic locationlinkingthreecontinents,makes itindispensableandcrucialforthe globalenergymarket,maritimetrade andinternationalcommerce.Hence, understandingthepolitical contextofahostcountryinMENAis quintessentialforinternational corporations,governments,andNGOs. Illuminatingpoliticalriskreduces uncertaintyandenablescorporationsto dealwithcontingenciesastheydevelop, wellbeforepotentialharmmaterializes.

Pleasewalkusthroughyour professionalandacademic background.

AtiStrategicwehaveoveradecade experienceinprovidingpoliticalrisk analysisandcorporateintelligence. Ourservicesareofferedto internationalcorporationswhoare interestedintheMENAmarket.Ihave abachelor’sdegreeinEconomics,two masters,oneinEconomicsandonein GlobalAffairs,andaPhDinPolitical SciencespecializinginMENA.Iteach politicalriskanalysistomaster studentsatRutgersUniversityinthe UnitedStates.Ispeakthreelanguages fluently,English,ArabicandGerman. iStrategicassociatesspeakinaddition toArabic:Farsi,Hebrew,Kurdish, Turkish,andFrench.iStrategic associatesarelocatedinMENAand specializeindataanalysis,OSINT, andriskassessment.

Withtheyearsofexpertise,you bringtothetable,whatareyour futureplans?

Futureplansincludeexpandingour servicestoSouthAsiaandincluding affiliatesproficientintheculture, socio-economics,politics,and languagesofthatimportantregion. TheproximitytoMENA,inaddition togreatpowercompetitionbetween ChinaandtheUnitedStates,makes SouthAsiaanindispensablepartofthe geopoliticalpuzzlethatwillshapethe worldofinternationaltradeandFDI foryearstocome.

Awordforthebudding entrepreneurs?

Believeinyourideaandbringpeople onboardwhounderstandyourvision andareabletohelpsteertheship forward.

Ifyourlifestorywasabook,what woulditbecalled,andwhy?

IwouldcallitClarity.Clarityof purposeandclarityofprioritiesreally comeswithyearsofexperience.Ithink clarityisthejoyousfruitofwisdom. Bothclarityandwisdomareideals worthstrivingfor.

Howhasyoureducationhelpedyou toshapeyourenterprise?

Educationiskey.Itiskeyto understandingandconnecting. Understandinghowtheworldworks fromaneconomicandpoliticalangle createdformeacomprehensiveand nuancedrealizationthateverythingis connected.Aneconomicdisruptionfor examplewillinvariablyhavepolitical andsocialrippleeffectsandviceversa. Anypoliticaloreconomicdisruption haditsearlierwarningsigns,and ContextIntelligenceisaboutcatching thewarningsignsthathavethe potentialofbecomingharmfultothe operationalenvironmentfor corporations.ContextIntelligenceis whatwedoatiStrategic.

Howhaveyourpersonallife experiencesinfluencedthe entrepreneurinyou?

Ihadthegoodfortuneoflivingin manypartsoftheworld,intheMiddle East,EuropeandtheUnitedStatesfor extendedperiodsoftime,inadditionto travelingallovertheworld.I accumulateddeepappreciationfor differentculturesandtheuniquesense ofnationalidentityIencounteredin differentcountries.Movingfromone placetoanotheramplifiesthebuilder inyou.Youareconsistentlyinthe modeofbuildingnewrelations, earningrespectandforgingapath forward.Buildingandcreating something,acompanyforexample,is anaturalextensionofthisdisposition.

Lookingback,whatadvicewould yougivetoyouryoungerself?

I’mtheoldestoffive,sonaturallyI shoulderedmoreresponsibilities,and withtakingonresponsibilitiesata youngagecomesaheightenedselfawarenesstodothingsright.Iwould tellmyyoungerselftobekinderto self,andknowthattimeisagreatally.

Whatwastheoneadvicethathas hadanimpactonyourleadership?

Thereisalwaysspaceformore kindnessbutthereiszerospacefor incompetence.

Whenwasthecompanyincepted?

iStrategicwasfoundedinOctober 2013.

Whatwasthevisionofyour companywhenyoustarted?

Tosupportandadviseinternational corporationsastheyapproachthe MENAmarket.Politicalriskanalysis intherespectiveMENAcountry reducesuncertaintyandincreases corporatecapabilitytoanticipate,plan, manage,anddealwithfuture developments.Thelong-termsuccess andsustainableoperationsand expansionswithinMENAdependson understandingthefuturetrajectoryof thepoliticalenvironment,thatiswhy politicalriskanalysisandcontext intelligenceisacrucialpartofseizing opportunitiesandsustainingoperations intheMENAregion.

Whatistherangeofyourservices?

Servicesweofferincludeprivateonsiteconsultations,riskassessment reports,executiveoutlookseminars, training,riskmonitoringandrisk management.Buildingsustained presenceandgrowinginanewhost

countryisnotaminortask.Webuild relationsandhelpcorporationsbuild theirlong-termrelationsintheMENA region.

WhatarethemainissuesinMENA forcorporationsatthemoment?

Thelegalandregulatoryenvironment isdevelopingandchanginginmany MENAcountries,henceconsistent monitoringandupdatingisvital.In additiontopoliticalinstabilityand spill-overeffectsfromcountriesgoing throughcivilwar Thereisincreased interestthepotentialofinfrastructure expansionsacrosstheregionaspartof localized2030/2050visionsandits integrationinChina’sBRI.Gulf countriesandEgyptmadesignificant advancementsinthisregard.

WhathaschangedintheMENA regioninthepast10years?

Therewasandisunevenpolitical turmoilinsomepartsofMENAand thereisontheotherhandsignificant

economicdevelopmentinsomeMENA countriesthatisrivalingtheeconomic environmentandlivingstandardsof advancednations.Thisregionisvery diverse,withamplepotentialandripe opportunities.Farfrombeingboundby theoil-defenseindustrynexus,this regionisexpandingintherenewable energymarket,digitizinggovernance, anddevelopingitsinfrastructure.Not tomentionthatpartoftheChina-US rivalrywillplayoutinMENAwith directandindirectimplicationsfor internationalcorporations.

Whatisthereasonbehindyour company’slong-standingsuccess?

Deliveringvalueandexceeding expectationswithintegrity

Post-pandemic,howhastheeraof entrepreneurshipchanged?

Ihavealwaysembracedvirtual communicationandremotework,in additiontoface-facemeetings.I believethatthevirtualspaceisan integralpartoffuturecorporateculture

andisheretostay.Thatshifttovirtual communicationalsoopenedthespace forentrepreneursallovertheworld andaffordedthemaccesstofunding andmarketvenuesthatweredeemed exclusiveorfarawaybefore.Thepostpandemicerademocratizedaccessand fundingformanyentrepreneurs.I understandthatthisdoesnotapply acrosstheboard,butforcertain segmentsofpreviouslymarginalized creativecommunities,theprominence ofvirtualcommunicationmadea qualitativedifference.

12 Best Business Communica

Communication Trends for 2023

1.Videoconferencing

Whilevideoconferencinghasbeenaroundsincethe1980s, newtechnologieshavechangedhowteamsworktogether Video-enabledphones,tablets,andappsallowemployees andmanagementtoscreen-share,conductpresentations,and communicateinrealtime.

Web-basedvideoconferencingserviceshavealsomadeit easierforteamstomeetinvirtualrooms,whichhasgreatly improvedcollaborationefforts.Mostvideoconferencing solutionsalsocomebundledwithonlinecollaborationtools suchasdocumentsharing,textchat,andscreensharingin BusinessCommunicationTrends.

2.Cloud-basedapps

Bystoringcompanydatainthecloud,yourorganizationcan accessanything,anywhere.Cloud-basedservicesandapps arealsoaccessibleonmobiledevices—makingithighly convenientwhencollaboratingonprojectsand communicatingwithyourteam.Withreal-timeediting capabilitiesandotheradvancedsharingoptions,many BusinessCommunicationTrendsareoptingforcloud intranetsoftwareduetoitsflexibility.

3.ChatServices

Chatservicesareanimmediateanddirectwaytocollaborate withteammemberswithoutthecomplicatedemailthreads. Younotonlygettheinformationyouneedfasterbutcanalso usearangeofmediatypesincludingvideoandvideo conferencing.Withtherightintranetplatform,youcanalso integratechatintoyourdigitalworkplaceorinBusiness CommunicationTrends.(Forinstance,here’showAxero’s Slackintranetintegrationworks.Manymodernintranet solutionsalsocomewiththeirbuilt-inchatfeatures—like Axero—soyoucaneliminateonelessplatform.Intranetchat isreal-timewhileremainingunobtrusive.

4.InfographicsandImages

It’snosecret:contentwithinfographicsandimagesreceives higherengagementthanplaintext.Withthisrealization, BusinessCommunicationTrendsareequippedwithasuiteof WYSIWYGpublishingtoolstomakecontentengaging, beautiful,andstandouttoyouremployees.

Thesetoolsempoweryoutoincludeinfographics,bright images,andvisualsthatconveyyourmessageina compellingandengagingway Theyarealsoveryeffectivein

explainingaprocesstoemployees,andtherearemanytools andappsavailablethatcanhelpyoudesignandcreatethem foralowcost.

Ÿ BusinessCommunicationTrends

Ÿ OnlineCollaborationTools

Ÿ Cloud-BasedApps

PhonesWillContinueToBeTheMainBusiness CommunicationToolGoingInto2023.

Thevastmajorityofbusinessesarenowusingpersonalcell phonesastheirprimarytoolsforcommunicationwithboth co-workersandclients.EvenBusinessCommunication Trendsthatdon’tnecessarilyusephonesastheirprimary channelarestillgoingtocontinuetousecellphonesasan importanttool.

Althoughmostpeoplestillpreferin-personconversationsas opposedtophonecalls,there’snodenyingthatphone conversationsaregoingtocontinuetocompetewithinpersontalksastheprimarymodeofcommunicationbetween consumersandBusinessCommunicationTrendsintheyears ahead.

5.CompanySizeIsn’tAFactorWhenItComesToPhone UsagePercentage

Nomatterhowmanyemployeesworkatanyparticular BusinessCommunicationTrends,theoverallusageof phonesisrelativelythesameregardlessofacompany’ssize. Thisessentiallymeansthatphonesarestillprimarybusiness communicationtools,nomatterhowbigorsmallan organizationis.

6.EmployeesAreIncreasinglyPreferringPhoneCalls ForInternal&ExternalCommunications

AnothergrowingBusinessCommunicationTrends,going into2023involvestheproclivityofprofessionalstoward phoneconversations.Thisisdirectlyrelatedtotheboomof remoteworkersinrecentyears,butnextyearwillprove oncemorethatpeopleareexcitedbytheideaofliving wherevertheywantandbeingabletoeasilycommunicate withco-workersandclientsviatheirpersonaldevices.

However,it’sstilllikelythatinternalgroupconversations willcontinuetobeonZoomorothervideo-conferencing softwareprograms.Thisisbecausemostemployersand businessleadersprefertobeinpersonwhenspeakingwith groups,butevenbusinessleadersarebeginningtoprefer

phonecallswhenspeakingwithindividualemployees.

7.Cloud-BasedPhoneSystemsWillContinueToClose TheGapWithTraditionalSystems

Althoughtraditionalbusinessphonesystemsstillholdthe majoritywhenitcomestowhatbusinessesareutilizingthese days,there’sagrowingnumberofcompaniesthataremaking theswitchtointermediacloudsolutions.

Asmorecompaniesmaketheswitchtoremoteworkingvia theCloud,themorelikelywe’llseeanadoptiongapbeclosed betweentheseinnovativecommunicationsolutionsandwhat businesseshaverelieduponfordecades.

8.OverallBusinessPhoneSystemUsageIsExpectedTo ExponentiallyIncrease

Mostcompaniesareexpectingtousetheirphonesevenmore in2023thantheydidin2022,aswellasoverthenextseveral yearsintothefuture.Prettymuchnooneexpectstobeusing theirphoneslessinthefuture,soitgoestoshowthatBusiness CommunicationTrendsareonlygoingtogetmoreexciting andtech-savvy!

9.MostBusinessesWillPreferMulti-DevicePhone SolutionsWithFlexibility

Oneofthebiggestthingsthatbusinessleadersandemployees wantfromtheirBusinessCommunicationTrendsphone systemisflexibility,whichdirectlycorrelatestomost businesseswantingtobeabletoutilizemultipledevicesper person.Oneofthefeaturesthataregoingtogrowalotin 2023isbeingabletoreceiveandsendSMSmessagesand businesscallsviaapersonalcomputer,becausethisismaking everydayworklifealotmoreconvenientformillionsof people.Andasbusinesscommunicationsolutionscontinueto becomemorestreamlined,morecompanieswillincorporate thesefeatures.

10.TheVastMajorityofBusinessesPlanOnIncreasing TheirSMSUsage

Whetherit’sforcommunicatingmarketingmessageswith customersorspeakingwithco-workers,SMStextmessages arenowthego-tooptionforalotofbusinesses.Most BusinessCommunicationTrendsstillutilizedifferent strategiesmoreoftenthantext,butthetrendtowardSMSis onlygoingtocontinuetogrowin2023.

SMShasalsobecomemorepopularamongstlargerbusinesses

whentheywanttosendoutcompany-widemessages,and thisisbecomingamoreeffectivecommunicationstrategy ascomparedtocompanye-mailsandnewsletters.

DataTalkIsHereToHelpBringYourCompanySuccess Into2023!

DataTalkhasbeenaroundsince1963,sowe’veseen countlessBusinessCommunicationTrendscomeandgo overthedecades.Butwe’vealsoneverseensuchrapid changesinourindustryaswehaveinrecentyears,andour expertsareheretohelpensurethatyourcompanyremains onthecuttingedge.

11.Accelerateddigitaltransformation

In2023,weseethecontinuationofinnovationsand developmentsintransformativetechnologiessuchas artificialintelligence(AI),theinternetofthings(IoT), virtualandaugmentedreality(VR/AR),cloudcomputing, blockchain,andsuper-fastnetworkprotocolslike5G. What’smore,thesetransformationaldigitaltechnologiesdo notexistinisolationfromeachother,andwewillseethe boundariesbetweenthemblurring.Newsolutionsfor augmentedworking,hybridandremoteworking,Business CommunicationTrendsdecision-making,andautomationof manual,routine,andcreativeworkloadscombinethese technologiesinwaysthatenablethemtoenhanceeach other

Thisbringsuscloserthanevertothepointwhereweare abletocreate“intelligententerprises”wheresystemsand processessupporteachothertocompletemenialand mundanetasksinthemostefficientwaypossible.

12.Immersivecustomerexperience

In2023,customerscraveexperienceaboveallelse.That doesn’tnecessarilymeanthatpricepointandqualitytakea backseat,though.Bothplayapart,tosomeextent,inthe wayweexperiencetheprocessofchoosing,purchasing, andenjoyingthegoodsandserviceswespendourmoney on.

Therolethattechnologyplayshere,traditionally,hasbeen tostreamlineprocessesandremovethehasslefromthelife oftheconsumer.Thinkrecommendationenginesthathelp uschoosewhattobuyoronlinecustomerserviceportals thatdealwithproblemsandafter-salessupport.Thesewill stillplayakeyrolein2023,butthegamehasevolved,with thisyear’skeywordsbeingimmersionandinteractivity

Merlion

The Mascot of Singapore

Merlion

TheMerlionmascotofSingaporeisan exceptionalstructurewithhalfbodyof aLionandhalfofthefishmakingit uniqueanditshugesizemakesit mesmerizing.Themythological monsterknownastheMerlionwas createdbyadesignerinthe1960s.So let'sstartwiththeLionsection.A Malayprinceissaidtohavebeen shipwreckedonTemasekIsland,which isnowSingapore,accordingtoanold tradition.

In1964,FraserBurner,adesigner, createdaconstructionthatcombined theshapeofalion'sheadwiththatofa fish,creatingauniqueandcaptivating structure.Afterthat,thecity'siconic buildingwasbuilt,makingitsmascot, theMerlion,famousallovertheworld. Themetropolisconsistsofatotalof6 merlionswithdifferentlocations aroundthemetropolis.Theoriginal Merlionstructure,whichstands8.6 meterstall,spitswaterfromitsmouth. Sincethen,a2-meter-tallMerlioncub

hasjoineditandiscurrentlypresent adjacenttotheoriginalmonument.

AbouttheMerlionAdesignerinthe1960sconjuredup themythicalcreatureknownasthe Merlion.

TTherefore,let'sbeginwiththeLion portion.Anoldlegendclaimsa Malayprincewasshipwreckedon TemasekIslandwhichistoday's Singapore.Heandhiscrewthought theyhadseenalion,sothey appropriatelynamedtheisland Singapura,whichmeansLionCityin Sanskrit.Thereisstilldebateover whetherornottheanimalwasalion. Exceptforthezoo,therehavenever beenanyreportsoflionsonthe island.

TheMerlionconsistsofhalfbodyof alionandtheremaininghalfofa fish.TheMerinthemerliondenotes afishingvillagefromthehistoryof themetropolis.Inthe1960s,the metropolisneededalogoiconforthe tourismboardofthemetropolis.A designernamedFraserBurnercame upwithamergedstructureofthe headofthelionandthetaleoffish makingitamesmerizingand exceptionalstructurelikeMerlionin 1964.Thereafterthemetropolisgot itsiconicstructuremakingthecity renownedworldwidewithitsmascot Merlion.

TheerectionoftheMerlionstatue wasofficiatedbyPrimeMinisterLee KuanYewonSeptember15,1972. AttheextremityoftheFormer MerlionPark,atthemouthofthe SingaporeRiver,theoriginalMerlion statueoncestoodwiththeAnderson Bridgeinthebackground.Thestatue anditscubweremovedtothecurrent MerlionPark,whichfacesMarina Bay,in2002.There,theynowstand onarecentlyreclaimedpointinfront ofTheFullertonHotel.

OriginalandrelocationoftheStatue

TheerectionoftheMerlionstatuewas officiatedbyPrimeMinisterLeeKuan YewonSeptember15,1972.VicechancellorKwanSaiKheongofthe UniversityofSingapore conceptualizedit,andLimNangSeng, aSingaporeansculptor,builtitbetween November1971andAugust1972.Its heightis8.6meters,anditsweightis 70tonnes.Theapproximateproject costswere$165,000.

TheconstructionoftheEsplanade Bridgegotcompletedin1997,and althoughtheconstructionwasreadyit blockedtheviewsofMerlionfromthe MarinaBaywaterfront.Bythattime, theSingaporeRiver'sentrywasno longerattheMerlion'soriginal location.Thus,thestatueanditscub weremoved120metersin2002tothe currentMerlionPark,whichfaces MarinaBay,wheretheynowstandon arecentlyreclaimedpointinfrontof TheFullertonHotel.

Thehistoricrelocationtookplace betweenApril23andApril25,2002. Onebarge,twoDEMAGAC1600S craneswithacombinedliftingcapacity of5000tonnes,20engineers,and personnelonsitewereallnecessaryfor thecarefullyorganizedjourney The completestatuewasloadedontoa barge,whichwasthendriventothe newlocationforinstallationatthe currentMerlionPark,closetothe mouthoftheSingaporeRiver.The statue,whichwastootalltopass underneaththeEsplanadeBridge,had tobecarriedoffthebarge,overthe bridge,andbackontothebargeduring thevoyage.

OnSeptember15,2002,precisely30 yearsafteritwasformallyintroduced, then-SeniorMinisterLeeKuanYew traveledbacktoSingaporetoformally welcometheMerliononcemore,this

timeinitsnewlocation.Visitorscan nowposeforpictureswiththe Merlionfromthefrontortheside, withthenewcityskylineservingas thebackdrop,thankstoaviewing deckthatspanstheSingaporeRiver Theartworkwaspositionedtoface East,whichisconsideredtobethe mostauspiciousorientation.After beingmoved,themonumentstarted spewingwateragainafterceasingto dosoinitsprevioussitein1998due toabrokenwaterpump.Anewtwounitwaterpumpsystemwithunits thatalternatelyoperatehasbeen installedontheMerlion,ensuringthat thereisalwaysabackup.

Significanceofthemonument-

ThenationalanimalofSingaporeis theMerlion.Itisshownasa legendaryanimalwithalion'shead andafish'sbody.Itisfrequently utilizedtorepresentboththecitystateanditspeopleinsportsteams, advertising,branding,tourism,andas anationalpersonificationsinceithas astrongsymbolicmeaningfor SingaporeandSingaporeansasa whole.

StructureofTheMerlion

The8.6-meter-talloriginalMerlion structureshootswateroutofits mouth.AMerlioncub,whichisnow thereandissituatednexttothe originalmonumentandisjust2 meterstall,hassincejoinedit.AwellknowntouristlandmarkofSingapore istheMerlion,locatedinMerlion Parknotfarfromthecitycenter.

MerlioninArt&Culture-

TheMerlionisfeaturedinmanyfilms mostlyinHollywoodandBollywood filmsincludingtheotherSingapore heritages.Thefilmswhichincluded Merlioninitwereasfollows:

Ÿ Inthe2018filmCrazyRichAsians, whichisbasedonKevinKwan's bookofthesamename,the Merlionmakesanappearance.

Ÿ The2019animefilmDetective Conan:TheFistofBlueSapphire featurestheMerliononmany occasions.

Ÿ Ananimatedcharacterfrom Singaporewithadesignobviously inspiredbytheMerlioncanbeseen inthe2021filmMyHero Academia:WorldHeroes'Mission. Hecanspithigh-pressurewaterout ofhismouth,justlikethemain Merlionstatue,thankstohisquirk (superpower).Hisname,BigRed Dot,isaplayonthemoniker "LittleRedDot"givento Singapore.

Thetelevisionsectorandwebseries alsoincludedMerlioninit.Various shotsandaspectsofthemerlionwere showninthevariousseries.Theseries wasnamely.

Ÿ TheMerlion(Japanese:)madean appearanceinepisodes18and24 ofthewell-knownanimeCowboy Bebop,providingSingaporean amnesiacbountyhunterFaye Valentinewithaclueastohertrue ancestry.

Ÿ Inthe2005animeKaras,Hajime Sat's,(SatHajime)areimaginingof Shinjukuprominentlyfeaturedthe Merlion.

Ÿ Episode11oftheJapaneselight novelSeitokainoIchizonfeatures theMerlion.

Ÿ Thefirstspecialepisodeofthe mangaHidamariSketchfeatures theMerlion.

Ÿ InEpisode10ofHidamariSketch X:"Hoshimittsu,"thefemale landlordislookingforan apartmentkeywhentheMerlion comes.

Ÿ WhenKyokoHoshinonoticed ChizuruIkedadroolingin

YuruYuri'seighthepisode,she exclaimed,"TheMerlion!"

TheliteraturealsodescribesMerlionin averyamazingwaybyplayingwith thewordsanddescribingthebeautyof theexceptionalstructureofthe Merlion.

Ÿ Withthepublicationofhispoem "UlyssesbytheMerlion"in1979, EdwinThumboosolidifiedthe Merlion'splaceasaniconic representationofSingapore.Future generationsofSingaporeanpoets havestruggledwiththesymbolof theMerlion,frequentlytakingan ironical,critical,orevenhostile stand-andpointingoutits artificialityandtherefusalof ordinarySingaporeanstoaccepta touristattractionastheirnational icon.ThisisduetoThumboo's statusasSingapore'sunofficialpoet laureateandthenationalistic mythmakingqualitiesofhispoetry. Thepoem"attractedsignificant attentionamongsucceedingpoets, whohaveallfeltcompelledto writetheirownMerlion(orantiMerlion)poems,illustratingtheir anxietyofinfluence,aswellasthe continuinglocalfascinationwith thedialecticbetweenapublicanda privaterole,"accordingtotheNew YorkTimes.

Ÿ InGweeLiSui'sMythoftheStone in1993,thefirstfull-lengthgraphic bookpublishedinSingapore, merlionsasaspeciesweremade-up characters.Theywereportrayedas serene,sageanimalsthatstoodup forrightandeventuallydefeated theterribleKraken.Intheearly 1990s,Gweehelpedtofurther popularisetheiconoclastic depictionofthespittingMerlion.It resurfacedsubsequentlyinhis poetrycollectionWhoWantsto BuyaBookofPoems