CXO Outlook – December 2022 – 10 Most Inspiring Business Leaders - 2022

Carlos Kronen, Executive Director, The Bartender Company Jaideep Chatterjee, Managing Director, msg global solutions

Jon Smedley, Co-Founder & Director, Teach Active Nicolaj Due, CEO, Danish Endurance

TAKING

CLOUD DATA SECURITY TO THE NEXT LEVEL

CEO & CO-FOUNDER. CYERA

Switzerland

Most Inspiring Business Leaders - 2022

Head of Advisory Board

Dr. Manoj Varghese, Ph.D

Managing Editor

Sarath Shyam

Consultant Editors

Dr. John Andrews

Anuja Mulmule Emma James Andrew Scott

Suchita Gonsalves

Free Subscription www.cxooutlook.com

International Representation

Americas 16192 Coastal Highway, Lewes, DE 19958, USA Europe 27, Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX, UK

Creative Consultants

Charlie Jameson Manjunath R Louis Bernard

Naomi Wilson Stanly Lui Roshni Rajagopal Sabrina Samson Keith Alexander Ajay Das Rohith Poojary Shirley David

Editorial Enquiry: admin@cxooutlook.com

Jennifer Anderson Monica Davis Suchita Sethy Siva Kumar Jessica Edword

Rachel Roy Priyanka Pandewar Anna Elza Stephen Donnell Cathy Chen

Branding & Marketing Partnerships Partnerships Enquiry: admin@cxooutlook.com

Middle East & Africa P.O. Box 48299, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai, UAE Asia-Pacific Ramanashree Arcade, 18 MG Road, Bangalore – 560001, India

CXO Outlook is a digital magazine published by Connecta Innovation Private Limited. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed in the content and pictures provided are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Connecta Innovation Private Limited or any of its members and we do not assume any responsibility. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the advertisements, its content, pictures, and all representation of warranties made in such advertisements are those of the advertisers and not of the publisher. CXO Outlook is a Free Subscription digital magazine strictly not for sale and has to be strictly for internal private use only. Publisher does not assume any responsibility arising out of anyone printing copy of this digital magazine in any format and in any country and all matters related to that.

GET THE MOBILE ISSUE

Tips to Become an Inspiring Leader!

The perspectives about how we conceive work has changed drastically over the past couple of years. Now, for many working professionals, 9 - 5 working in an office cubicle is apparently boring. Microsoft 2022 Work Trend Index says that from when to go to the office to why work in the first place, employees are defining their future, and there’s no going back - over 57 percent of employees prefer a hybrid work culture. To be successful in a modern work environment, leaders need to showcase a new set of strategies.

Adaptability plays a crucial role. The pandemic has taught us how quickly we need to change our habits and learn to live in confined spaces. In the business world, successful leaders are the ones who introduce new ideas, strategies, products, and services to serve consumers and employees better. When the pandemic hit, many companies could sustain themselves because they implemented new tools and software suites to ensure seamless transitions from in-person to virtual. Besides, leaders had to show their full potential regarding communication and collaboration, as teams worked offline and online for the exact cause. Any organization looking for improvements in its journey forward must have leaders who can model efficient communication and collaboration.

Only some people can lead companies in changing scenarios, especially when the world has become one huge market. In this issue, we have identified the 10 Most Inspiring Business Leaders - 2022 who have a proven ability to lead change, with demonstrated ability to be adaptable, agile, and innovative. They are rare to find, so has a high demand. On the cover, we feature Yotam Segev, a security expert with over 15 years of experience in offensive cybersecurity and security architecture, is the CEO and co-founder of data security company Cyera. Before founding Cyera, Yotam and his co-founder, Tamar Bar-llan, built and ran the cloud security division in the Israeli Military Intelligence’s Cyber Department. Enjoy Reading.

Sarath Shyam

Carlos Kronen, Executive Director, The Bartender Company Creating Luxury Bar Experiences

38

Jaideep Chatterjee, Managing Director, msg global solutions, India Building Winning Digital Transformation Strategies for Businesses

48

Jon Smedley, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Teach Active Making a Real Impact in the Lives of Children Around the Globe through Teach Active

60

Nicolaj Due, CEO, Danish Endurance Empowering Athletes with Sustainable, High-Endurance Sports & Outdoor Performance Gear

Dr. Theresa A. Moseley, Owner and CEO, TAM Creating Ambassadors of Peace

Ahmad Mkhallati, Senior Director, Middle East, India & Africa Operations, IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants)

LEADER’S INSIGHTS

The Measure of Leadership: Leading Change

Lawrence Chong, Group CEO, Consulus & MD, DesignFutures Venture

The Dark Side of the 21st-Century Data Rush Nabeel Mahmood, Chief Executive Officer, Mahmood

Helping Clients Achieve their Business Goals & Stand Out from the Crowd Melanie Borden, Managing Member, Melanie Borden, LLC

IN MY VIEW

THE MEASURE OF LEADERSHIP: LEADING CHANGE

Lawrence Chong, Group CEO, Consulus & MD, DesignFutures Venture

Albert Einstein once said: "'The measure of intelligence is the ability to change. In these times of pivotal change when business models are in question, when even the world order as we know it is in doubt, I would propose that "The measure of intelligence is the ability to lead change."

Ian Bremmer, the President of Eurasia and a global commentator on geopolitics, recently lamented that the crisis of our world is the

absence of leadership. I agree, and here is where we need to draw a distinction. A person may have a title and a leading role in an organization, but it does not mean they are capable of leadership. This is especially true of today; there are few precedents in many situations we face. The usual playbooks will not work. And if you have leaders who are more comfortable with being managers, are not comfortable in facing the existential truths, and being confident

If you have leaders who are more comfortable with being managers, are not comfortable in facing the existential truths, and being confident to make bold decisions, then the organization will be in trouble

Lawrence Chong serves as the Group CEO of Consulus and MD for DesignFutures Venture. A Two-time TEDx speaker, he is a regular global keynote speaker on innovation and transformation. Since 2020, he was appointed by Pope Francis to serve as a Consultor on the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue. Consulus is a global innovation by design firm serving leaders, companies, and cities in their transformation to shape a better world. Consulus is an Economy of Communion enterprise founded in Singapore in 2004, now present in 16 cities from the Americas, Asia, and Europe. A global speaker, he has spoken at conferences such as Innovation by Design, World Marketing Summit, TEDx and in 30 cities such as Sao Paolo, Melbourne on innovation, business design, and the Economy of Communion. Lawrence also serves as Managing Director for DesignFutures Venture, an investment holdings firm based out of Singapore with book-end presence in both Singapore and Sarawak, seeks to accelerate the future economy of Sarawak in partnership with the best minds and global capital of Singapore to impact a better future.

to make bold decisions, then the organization will be in trouble. From working with leaders on change and my observation, there are three measures of great leadership in leading change. If you are working with such leaders, you are in good hands.

1. Comfortable with Existential Truths

We were working on transforming a conservative national bank in the region. In a one-to-one setting with the CEO, I assessed the odds stacked against us in shaping change:

The limiting regulatory environment

A transactional culture without purpose Few prospects for additional growth

It is coupled with the reality that we are still determining his mandate, as in whether he will still have the job since the process will take much longer now. So I asked him, should we aim for a minimum change or lasting ones, given the odds? The CEO calmly admitted that while the odds are true, it is essential that the change last no matter how long it takes. Because if it succeeds, it will be an excellent example for the country that a slow, conservative bank can transform. I was so inspired by how open and honest he was, that we committed ourselves to work with him to realize the change he envisioned. Over five years, we overcame one challenge at a time, and today, that bank is a

leading institution for the nation and, indeed, an example. I learned from this experience that leaders who are comfortable with confronting existential truths are certainly those capable of shaping real change that lasts.

2. Courageous and consistent in transforming leadership ethos

In the Clementine Hall in Rome this last June, Pope Francis addressed us, the members of the Dicastery for Interreligious dialogue, where I serve as a consultor. He said, "The Apostolic Constitution Predicate Evangelium on the Roman Curia has just come into effect, and this area of its service to the Church and the world has lost none of its relevance. On the contrary, globalization and the acceleration of international communications make dialogue in general, and interreligious dialogue in particular, a crucial issue." The constitution that he cited here is a major reform of the global governance of the Catholic Church to transform its leadership ethos from that of a top-down approach towards that of dialogue. I first met Pope Francis in person in 2014, and in that meeting, he spoke about the importance of choosing to walk together as leaders and be a people of dialogue. What is inspiring is how consistent and courageous he has been in shaping a 1.3 billion-member organization worldwide. Despite the resistance and frustrations from reforming a 2000-yearold institution, he continued to soldier on. Too many people in positions of power often cite resistance or the impossibility of change to delay making real change, but Pope Francis was courageous enough to pursue it despite the opposition. His reforms in terms of structures and appointing key leaders of his organization

will have a seismic shift in the leadership ethos for years to come.

3. Confidence in communicating truth to power

Since the invasion of Russia, Ukraine's President Zelensky has demonstrated what wartime leadership is through communicating with his people and the world. Whenever there is going to be a difficult situation, he communicates as it is while showing empathy. And he ripped off the hypocrisy of global leaders whenever they fail to act. His courage in choosing to stay in Kyiv and travel to freed regions of Ukraine has engendered him close to his people. From a weak leader during peacetime, he found his element in wartime and emerged as a unifying leader who brought refreshing and direct communication with people. President Zelensky's speeches have become a moral pulpit that global companies or nations are keen to stay on the right side with Ukraine. When some global companies delayed their decision to exit the Russian market, he named them, causing many to capitulate. Contrast his action with the dismal performance of many CEOs who are retrenching staff by the thousands; they sent mixed signals, and some demonstrated no empathy; as a result, these actions are not the hallmarks of leadership, thus not reassuring to the markets.

It has been said that in a crisis, it shows up the best or the worse kind of leaders. People can sense that the situation is already bad in any given crisis. A leader can lead by facing existential truths, being prepared to reshape leadership ethos for lasting change, and communicating truth to power. In complex times like today, we need such leadership.

Yotam Segev

CEO AND CO-FOUNDER. CYERA

Yotam Segev, a security expert with over 15 years of experience in offensive cybersecurity and security architecture, is the CEO and co-founder of data security company Cyera Before founding Cyera, Yotam and his co-founder, Tamar Bar-llan, built and ran the cloud security division in the Israeli Military Intelligence’s Cyber Department. During that period, Yotam gained firsthand experience in leading teams and deploying cybersecurity technologies in the field. This led to the pair recognizing the challenges and the need for a solution to secure data in sprawling cloud environments.

Leadership-Building Experiences

Surrounded by high-performing individuals, Yotam spent his military days operating in and

With Cyera, security professionals can find and identify all of their cloud data, secure sensitive information, and ensure alignment to compliance and regulatory schemes without slowing the business down

adapting to high-pressure environments. He rose through the ranks, led teams, and ran the cloud security division with a focus on enabling individuals to achieve remarkable outcomes.

“It was in the military that I realized the true power of bottom-up initiatives to enact change, and how leaders need to remain in touch with their employees to successfully lead and inspire them to achieve their potential,” shares Yotam. Those experiences shaped him into the leader he is today. If any of his team members say that something cannot be done, Yotam partners alongside them, and pushes them to find creative solutions. He believes that any task can be accomplished, and any challenge can be conquered with hard work, focus, passion, and a healthy measure of hutzpah.

Cyera: Reshaping the Cloud Data Security Landscape

The industry’s most advanced cloud data protection platform, Cyera enables businesses to unlock the value of their data, securely. With Cyera, security professionals can find and identify all of their cloud data, secure sensitive information, ensure alignment to compliance and regulatory schemes, maintain user privacy, improve ransomware resilience, and achieve least privileged access to sensitive data, all without slowing the business down.

Growing at Lightning Speed

From the beginning, Cyera’s growth has been nothing short of extraordinary. Cyera’s journey, which began with a team of just 12, has expanded to over 60 team members between its Tel Aviv

office and the United States. “We have received over $60M in funding from elite investors like Sequoia, Accel, and Cyberstarts. We’ve also been fortunate to have many incredible F1000 customers trusting Cyera to help unlock the value of their cloud data securely,” mentions Yotam.

Customer-Centric Focus Sets Cyera Apart

While commenting on what makes Cyera unique, Yotam states, “The company-wide focus on our customers gives us an edge over others in the space.” This focus applies unilaterally across every function, action, and decision made at Cyera. As a result, customers are the heartbeat of Cyera.

Yotam feels that genuinely listening to customers keeps the team humble. Cyera

team members continually question their assumptions to fully understand what customers want and need: nothing is taken for granted. As a result, the Cyera team succeeds in delivering thorough, strong, and quick results. “Sure, sometimes we eat late dinners in the office. But the difference it makes to the end customers is completely worth it,” adds Yotam with a smile.

Overcoming Challenges

“What we are building at Cyera is not only incredibly ambitious, it's brand new,” reveals the Yotam. Cyera’s most prominent challenges include operating at the cutting edge of technology, creating a new category in data security, and building education around it. To

tackle these challenges, Yotam and his team align on Customer-Driven engineering as their core philosophy. Cyera’s product managers, engineers, and researchers listen to and understand what

their customers need and want firsthand, and then work together with those customers to deliver the best solutions. “This approach has dramatically accelerated our product market fit and narrowed our focus to better utilize our engineering efforts,” asserts Yotam.

Motivating Team Members

According to Yotam, the key to motivating his team is effective communication. Asking about their challenges, keeping them in the loop, and, most importantly, recognizing and appreciating their efforts in front of the entire team goes a long way. Moreover, as the company's CEO, Yotam ensures the alignment of his team members with Cyera’s vision so that all members work towards the same goals and remain excited and engaged throughout the journey.

The Art of Balancing Cost with ROI

In today’s cut-throat competitive landscape, business leaders must calculate the ROI when investing in new technology. “My compass, my north star is the customer,” shares Yotam. “Because that is where the R on your I comes from.” When Yotam and his team gauge a very strong customer demand, they readily invest in building the best possible solutions to solve those demands. Because both the need and the desired outcomes are clear, the investment is justified.

Racing Past the Milestones

In the last 18 months, Cyera has achieved one milestone after another. Beginning with the initial seed investment from Cyberstarts, from moving into their first offices, to experiencing their customer’s satisfaction with the initial

According to Yotam, the key to motivating his team is effective communication

version of the product, to landing an impressive Series A funding from Sequoia and Accel - Yotam couldn't be prouder of everything the Cyera team has accomplished. Each new milestone is even more meaningful after facing incredible challenges to build something new that delivers such remarkable proven value to customersall in a very short amount of time.

A Typical Day in the Life of a Leader

For Yotam, there is nothing typical about his workdays. His schedule is packed with meeting customers & teams, attending calls at every hour of the day and night, and constant travel. But Yotam thrives in high-performance

environments, enjoying every bit of the action, variety, and growth.

Future Plans

“We are building a strong, independent business. So, my focus remains on expanding the platform, delivering more value to a growing customer base, and accelerating our revenue acquisition” reveals Yotam. Since the company was founded in the post-pandemic world, its sales and go-to-market teams, along with its operations and processes, allow it to be agile, nimble, resilient, and spread worldwide. Looking forward to the future, Yotam and his team will continue focusing on Cyera’s global growth and pace.

EXPERT

OPINION

School Administrators' Challenges and Responsibilities After Virtual Learning

Dr. Theresa A. Moseley, Owner and CEO, TAM Creating Ambassadors of Peace

Dr. Theresa A. Moseley is a United States Army Veteran, United Nations Peace Ambassador, Retired Educator, Motivational Speaker, 10x-Best Selling Author, 3x International Best-Selling Author, a 3x-Award Winning Educator, and a United Nations Peace Ambassador. Dr. Moseley has been featured in several magazines, including Women of Dignity, Speakers Magazine, Tap-In, Vision and Purpose Magazine, and The Black Family and Called2Inspire Magazine. She has been featured in over 300 news articles worldwide, including CEO Weekly and Voyage ATL. Dr. Moseley was recognized as one of the Top 50 Courageous Women in Business, Leadership, and Entertainment. Dr. Moseley was awarded the Women of Heart Award in London, England for her work on world peace. Dr. Moseley will also be honored for her excellence in Entrepreneurship and Empowerment at the Women Doing It Big Gala in Scottsdale, AZ. Dr. Moseley is the owner and Chief Executive Officer of TAM Creating Ambassadors of Peace LLC.

The school administrator position has always been challenging as the standard operating principles of schools have changed from decade to decade. The current change needed after the Pandemic will be one of the most difficult transitions due to the impact COVID-19 had on families that had to have online education. Educators are finding challenges in helping students achieve their full potential after online education. There were disparities in education prior to COVID -19 by socio-economic status. During virtual learning, the gap has widened, ultimately impacting the graduation rate.

Virtual Learning Challenges

Teachers had a difficult time engaging the students online. Some teachers with various instructional strategies were able to engage the students and were successful with student-tostudent discourse. According to some teachers I met with, the number one issue was getting all the students engaged in the lesson. Responding to questions was challenging and encouraging group participation through chat was also difficult for some. Inadequate internet was a challenge, and students who were used to two school meals a day were hungry. Schools provide more than just education. Effective schools address the cognitive and affective domains of students. Schools have services to meet the basic needs of students that they could not access at home. The students with special needs that needed individualized instruction based on their Individual Education Plan (IEP) were significantly impacted.

Interpersonal Interactions

High school students missed personal connections, homecoming, prom, senior

activities, field trips, and playing team sports. This led to some depression and mental anxiety for some students. Students had to rebuild relationships with their friends, teachers, and peers after they returned to school. In some cases, violence increased in schools. Around the country, the number of student fights increased. The administrators had to deal with the inschool violence as well as the potential threat from outsider violence with a record number of school shootings for 2022. It’s important for schools to identify those students struggling

with trauma or anxiety to get them assistance before they lose control. Communicating with families is key as assisting parents with school resources and outside resources to help their children.

“For our schools to address all the needs of the students and staff after virtual learning, they need to start with assessing where every student is individually in every content area as well as implementing social-emotional learning. Determine if a learning gap exists and develop a plan to get those students back on track. “

The teachers are the unsung heroes of COVID-19. As they prepared lesson plans for their classes, many had children of their own they had to attend to

School Stakeholders Support

Teacher professional development is very key. A tool kit of instructional strategies to differentiate instruction and develop lesson plans will help meet the needs of the students on track and those that are not. School guidance counselors, school psychologists, and other community support need to support any students that exhibit signs of trauma or post-traumatic stress. It’s very important that all students are nurtured, feel safe, and know where to go to find help in schools. It’s also important not to forget the teachers. The teachers are the unsung heroes of COVID-19. As they prepared lesson plans for their classes, many had children of their own they had to attend to. After online learning parents realized the impact teachers had on their children and were more grateful for their work. In some cases, parent communication increased as the teacher had to prepare the parents to support their kids at home. On the other hand, the pandemic has led to the resignation of teachers, early retirements, and teacher shortage.

Establishing Trust

These are unprecedented times in education. School administrators must develop trust

within their school community and address all the areas of concern. This will also help them retain teachers. It’s important that they are transparent on data, safety, and the overall academic achievement of all students. Administrators need to be intentional in interacting with their staff and gathering feedback from all stakeholders in the school. Showing integrity, maintaining open communication, being consistent, and showing commitment to equity and excellence are important.

Self-Care

Finally, one of the most important things a school administrator can do is turn their attention inward and take care of themselves. The wellness of the school administrator will enable them to fully support the school community. It’s also important for the school administrator to revisit their core values and beliefs, school vision and mission, and triangulate the data for clarity and next steps. They must develop systems and structures that will help them monitor and evaluate the overall performance of the school. The affective and cognitive domains of all students must be addressed to have equity and excellence in education after COVID-19.

Website: https://vocodia.com/

Headquarters: Florida, USA

About the Company: Vocodia is poised to explode on the scene with a next-generation conversational AI that promises to disrupt the contact centre industry.

Website: https://www.bartendercompany.com/

Headquarters: California, USA

About the Company: The Bartender Company is the Bay Area's luxury provider of mixology and bartending services. It was the first company in the US to offer craft cocktails for private parties (in 2010), and continue to focus on being a leader of innovation.

CEO, Vocodia

Executive Director, The Bartender Company

Brian Podolak

Carlos Kronen

Managing Director APAC & EMEA, Park Place Technologies

Website: https://www.parkplacetechnologies.com/

Headquarters: Ohio, USA

About the Company: Park Place Technologies optimises data centre and networking Uptime and performance worldwide via a comprehensive portfolio of IT services and products.

Website: https://www.msg-global.com/

Headquarters: Bengaluru, India

About the Company: msg global solutions is a consulting, implementation, and managed services provider that helps companies improve their operational efficiency and decision-making capabilities utilizing SAP technology.

Co-Founder and Director, Teach Active

Website: https://www.teachactive.org/

Headquarters: Chester, United Kingdom

About the Company: Teach Active is a multi-award winning resource that provides schools and teachers with lesson plans and resources designed to deliver the Maths and English.

Website: https://www.veracitysolutions.com/

Headquarters: Utah, USA

About the Company: Veracity Solutions helps enterprises, especially those in highly regulated industries, with custom application development and adopting cloud-native technologies as a platform for innovation.

Chief Architect and Executive Security Director, Veracity Solutions

Managing Director, msg global solutions

Jon Smedley

Ian Shearer

Lonnie Buchanan

Jaideep Chatterjee

Website: https://danishendurance.com/

Headquarters: Hedensted Kommune, Denmark

About the Company: Danish Endurance is a global endurance & outdoor brand born of the idea that physical and mental balance builds personal endurance and greater happiness.

Website: https://www.surveysensum.com/

Headquarters: New York, USA

About the Company: SurveySensum’s AIEnabled Customer Experience Management Platform enables businesses to create efficient, innovative, and interactive surveys, send it across multiple channels to gather valuable customer feedback with a better response rate and turn these into actionable business insights.

Website: https://nexus-chili.com/

Headquarters: Dossenheim, Germany

About the Company: CHILI GmbH develops software for PACS and teleradiology and supplies them to their customers, including small, medium-sized and big hospitals, and university clinics.

Website: https://www.cyera.io/

Headquarters: California, USA

About the Company: Cyera is the data security platform that empowers security teams to manage and protect all of their company’s sensitive data.

Founding Managing Partner, NEXUS / CHILI

CEO, Danish Endurance

CEO and Founder, Cyera

Founder & CEO, SurveySensum

Dr. Uwe Engelmann

Nicolaj Due

Yotam Segev

Rajiv Lamba

CARLOS KRONEN

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE BARTENDER COMPANY

Creating Luxury Bar Experiences

In today’s world, many businesses are permeating the market, and a great leader is pivotal for an organization to thrive. Motivation, creativity, empathy, and vision are desired leadership qualities. However, a successful leader possesses all that and the ability to adapt to ever-changing environments, thereby implementing a gamut of leadership skills that can be leveraged to achieve set business goals.

One such business titan is Carlos Kronen, Executive Director of The Bartender Company and consequently of The Bartender Truck and The

Mixology Company. He briefly explains that he believes the top challenges faced as a businessman are evolving business environments that need to be tended to and retaining a high-quality workforce.

Successfully Eliminating Encountered Challenges

Having established The Bartender Company in 2010, Carlos has always focused on creating financial stability of his companies by maintaining a strong balance sheet with minimal debt. This allows the business to weather the storm easily

It's pretty common for us to teach the C-Suite executives of a Fortune 500 tech company how to stir old fashioneds and shake margaritas. If you can name a tech executive in the Bay Area, they're probably one of our clients

Carlos Kronen Executive Director, The Bartender Company

during slow periods. With academic qualifications from Stanford, with Degrees in Economics, International Relations, and a minor in German Studies, Carlos spent the next four years in banking (Private Wealth Management) at Morgan Stanley and Merril Lynch. With a majority of small businesses failing due to financial mismanagement, his background in banking permitted him to ensure the companies’ longevity by maximizing the downside protection in all the financial plans.

In addition, Carlos also designed the upper and mid-level management compensation to align itself in parallel to the revenue and profitability of the company. This approach assures any underlying

costs fall when there is less revenue. “When things go well, as is often the case (we typically grow our revenue 20 to 30 percent per year), we all win together,” reveals Carlos. For the latter, specifically retaining top-quality staff, instead of the industry's typical hourly compensation, The Bartender Company has created an eleven-part 'Living Wage Program.' “Not only do our bartenders receive hourly compensation that's above our competitors, but they also have an additional ten ways they increase their pay, leading them to be amongst the best-compensated bartenders in the country,” informs Carlos.

Expanding the Business

For over a decade, The Bartender Company has commanded quite the market presence. It was one of the first companies to offer craft cocktails, with handmade syrups and fresh-pressed farmer's market fruit, at a client’s private events. The whole concept was well received, especially as the craft cocktail culture catapulted to newer heights. This led to the company’s revenue growth at over 100 percent for multiple years. The company even received a few offers for acquisition that were politely declined as Carlos envisioned leading the company to even more success.

With a finger always at the market's pulse, in 2014, the team’s market studies suggested the ‘food truck’ movement would be the next wave in the industry. The Bartender Truck was immediately launched, albeit the licensing took two years as they were the first food truck company in California to specialize in alcoholic beverages. As a trendsetter, Carlos and his team assisted the local government officials in formulating the state regulations for food trucks. “At one point, we acted as a liaison between Alcoholic

For over a decade, The Bartender Company has commanded quite the market presence. It was one of the first companies to offer craft cocktails, with handmade syrups and fresh-pressed farmer's market fruit, at a client’s private events

Beverage Control, California Department of Housing and Community Development, and San Francisco Public Works, helping all three agree upon standards for future MFFs (mobile food facilities, aka food trucks) would be regulated. It was wild!” exclaims Carlos.

For over a decade, the organization has been a national leader in thought innovation. San Francisco and New York have traditionally been the hubs for cocktail culture in the US, and the Bartender Company and its members take pride in being the industry's West Coast innovators. This year, they launched ‘The Mixology Company,’

which specializes in interactive mixology experiences, from mixology classes to interactive private parties. “It's pretty common for us to teach the C-Suite executives of a Fortune 500 tech company how to stir old fashioneds and shake margaritas. If you can name a tech executive in the Bay Area, they're probably one of our clients,” says Carlos.

Happy Workforce Equals Company Success

A part of the success the businesses enjoy today can be attributed to their workforce. So keeping them content and weighing in their opinions and suggestions are essential. Keeping this in mind, Carlos has employed a process where after every event, every single staff is asked three questions; ‘Anything you did particularly well?’, ‘anything you should do differently?’ and lastly, ‘anything we (as a company) should do differently?’. Carlos adds, “The answers to these questions ensure that not only are we constantly thinking about technology and innovation at the upper levels of our organization, but also at the ground level, where our teammates implement those changes on a daily basis and can give live feedback on how well they're working. We focus on being an agile organization, improving a little bit with every single party.”

Getting Personal

He tells us how his personal life also played a huge role in developing the skills he possesses today. His childhood took him to extreme locations like a warzone in Nicaragua and a desolate Native American reservation in Arizona, owing to his father being a ‘Doctors without Borders’ type. Being in some of the most dangerous and destitute

San Francisco and New York have traditionally been the hubs for cocktail culture in the US, and the Bartender Company and its members take pride in being the industry's West Coast innovators

parts of the world helped Carlos develop the ability to become extremely adaptive and social. “I believe that being able to adapt quickly to new circumstances is the best skill someone can possess for creating success in the current day,” declares Carlos.

In fact, as the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic brought ruin to the world as we saw it, it also destroyed the the entire food and beverage industry. The company’s revenue was down 95 percent, a similar fate shared by its competitors. While most organizations were crippled, Carlos and his team did what they did best, innovated! The team spent a year offering "Virtual Happy Hours" over Zoom, virtually teaching clients across the country how to make cocktails in the safety of their own homes. “One source of pride for us is we didn't lose a single employee during that period, which is unheard of for a company in our industry. Fortunately, I think we're currently operating in a post-pandemic world. Our revenue

this year will be the highest in company history, and we're preparing for continued growth for many years to come,” discloses Carlos.

While some may find running the day-to-day business operations and addressing the challenges encountered a tedious task, Carlos absolutely loves working. He does not think of it as a burden or a task, so he’s never really looking for an escape, for an escape would imply being trapped. After resting and having some fun on his off days, he finds himself back in his office, continuing to push his three companies forward. Carlos says, “I'll probably never retire, just continually change what I'm learning (and how I'm growing) and ensure a work-life balance that makes me happy. I always do a few hours of work at the beginning and end of each day, even while I'm away, as I love what I do.” On days when business is a bit slow, he enjoys a good week-long vacation. Additionally, he loves to ski, scuba dive, and sail in foreign locations.

Building a Better Community Carlos wishes to foster a similar thought process in his fellow businessmen. He envisages how small businesses can be successfully rolled into larger private equity portfolios. Traditionally, in this industry, all small businesses are considered ‘lifestyle businesses,’ which was formally defined as they provide a foundation from which to enjoy a 'particular lifestyle.’ But realistically, the owner/operators work constantly and never get away. Carlos is currently trying to figure out how an investment company can successfully manage many of these companies and ensure they're all successful. This would allow lifestyle business founders to have a better potential for exits, investors to make significant profits while reducing risk, and eliminate a lot of ‘Closing After 30 Good Years’ signs.

While some may find running the day-to-day business operations and addressing the challenges encountered a tedious task, Carlos absolutely loves working

JAIDEEP CHATTERJEE

MANAGING DIRECTOR, MSG GLOBAL SOLUTIONS, INDIA

Building Winning Digital Transformation Strategies for Businesses

40 years ago, the founders of msg global wanted to name the company as ‘Munich Software Group’. However, the registrars of the companies in Germany turned them down, suggesting city names can’t be used as the company name. The founders got out of the room, discussed amongst themselves, and returned to the registrar with the new possible name, ‘msg’ (a simple acronym to the earlier name). Luckily, the idea worked, and the company registered as msg global solutions and rest as they say is history!

msg global solutions is an award-winning consulting, implementation, and managed services provider that helps companies improve operational efficiency and decision-making capabilities by utilising leading-edge technologies. It is a part of the msg group, an independent, international group of companies with more than 9,000 employees worldwide. The group of companies offers a holistic service spectrum of creative, strategic consulting and intelligent, sustainable, and value-added IT solutions. In 2009, the msg global office was established in Bangalore,

Jaideep Chatterjee is a senior IT Business leader with over 25 years of experience in business consulting, management and leadership roles

Jaideep Chatterjee Managing Director, msg global solutions, India

India. “We, at msg global solutions, India primarily serve insurers and reinsurers in all lines of business. Thanks to solution innovation and developments in digitalisation, we also touch banking, commercial food production, and other industries with our consulting services,” shares Jaideep Chatterjee, Managing Director of msg global solutions, India.

Jaideep Chatterjee is a senior IT Business leader with over 25 years of experience in business consulting, management and leadership roles. Jaideep has previously worked with several renowned MNCs across APAC, Europe, and North America. His expertise includes digital transformation and modernisation,

driving business and revenue targets, and successfully setting up global competency centres. Under Jaideep’s leadership, the team of msg global India plans and deploys various services and solutions to help large and mid-size clients succeed with business and IT strategies, including digital transformation.

What Makes msg global solutions

Unique in the IT Services & Consulting Industry?

Besides being represented in the world's most important markets, msg global solutions’ longterm partnerships are its pulling power. As a result, it derives sustainable success for the company.

Jaideep shares that sustainability - in all aspects of msg global solutions’ business activities - is a decisive and guiding value for the company.

Furthermore, msg global solutions provides services across the globe, primarily on SAP technology and other technologies like Java and C++. The company also creates industry-specific solutions marketed exclusively as SAP Solutions Extensions.As industry specialists, the team of msg global assists clients from diverse industries in identifying trends faster, increasing their productivity and preparing for digitalisation. These include Automotive, Banking, Consumer Products, Food, Healthcare, Insurance, Life Science & Chemicals, Manufacturing, Public

Sector, Telecommunications, Travel & Logistics, and Utilities.

Leading by an Example

As the Managing Director of msg global solutions, India, Jaideep is the business and administrative leader for the entire country. His key responsibilities include delivery, sales, presales, and business consulting for customers in software development, design, implementation, strategic and operational planning, knowledge management, and program management.

At msg global, he is admired for the organisation’s fast, efficient, and processoriented management. He is also a handson leader who strongly believes in working side-by-side with his team and achieving the company's goals. Moreover, he considers “giving continuous positive perceptions to my employees and erasing negative experiences” as one of his key milestones as a leader.

Jaideep Chatterjee is a hands-on leader who strongly believes in working side-byside with his team and achieving the company's goals

A Day in the Life of a Leader

Jaideep’s typical day at work is occupied with managing the operational items of running a business in India, right from the customers to the employees to the governmental work. All these stakeholders are essential to msg global solutions, so managing and balancing them daily consumes most of his day. As the MD of msg global solutions, India, his schedule is filled with meetings with prospective clients, planning future business strategies, and a lot more in between.

When it comes to dealing with stress and anxiety at the work front, Jaideep feels that organisations must treat employees with dignity and respect while challenging them to reach their full potential. In doing so, the employees will be able to achieve peak performance and accelerate the company's growth. As for unplugging from work, Jaideep enjoys listening to soulful and melodious music and having a good night’s sleep!

The Need to Keep the Human Experience as the Core Focus of Digital Transformation

Jaideep, who has been a part of the IT landscape for over two decades, opines that technology is for the people and not the other way around.

He also implies that technocrats often forget the human element and take technology to great heights without looking back to see if all this is really making the users' lives easy. Therefore, any modernisation or digital transformation must keep humans at the core of the design process.

Ongoing Projects & Future Plans

Regarding areas of interest, Jaideep loves to work on internal projects that enhance msg global solutions’ internal processes and help its employees have an easy and seamless experience within the organisation. He also looks forward to working on projects that bring automation and AI to the automobile sector. These are really what the future is made of, and msg global solutions is proud to be a part of the journey.

While discussing the company’s future roadmap, Jaideep shares that msg global solutions’ immediate plan in India is to grow its employee base and double its current strength by 2025. “We also need to grow across the country, which will happen with our new offices opening in Hyderabad and Mumbai. We are also actively looking to grow in tier two cities of India to attract and retain talent,” reveals Jaideep.

When it comes to dealing with stress and anxiety at the work front, Jaideep feels that organisations must treat employees with dignity and respect while challenging them to reach their full potential

SlimYoo slimyoo.com

LEADER’S INSIGHTS

THE DARK SIDE OF THE 21ST-CENTURY DATA RUSH

Nabeel Mahmood, Chief Executive Officer, Mahmood

Nabeel Mahmood is a Technologist, Futurist, Influencer, and a Keynote Speaker. Nabeel has 25-plus years of experience leading large-scale global technology organizations through seasons of explosive growth via M&A, global expansion, implementing new business models, and technology innovation. His areas of expertise include Big Data, Cloud, ERP, IoT, AI, ML, RPA, Mobility, and Data Centers. Nabeel is a strategic CXO identifying opportunities that are being underpinned by emerging technologies and is an advisor to CIOs, CTOs and CEOs across a number of industries. He serves on multiple boards of private and publicly traded companies.

In the 19th century, they came searching for one thing – gold. Unfortunately, the idea of striking it rich and the reality of life as a prospector were often two different things. During the 19th century, the discovery of gold in far-flung corners of the world could put a place on the map. Overnight, anonymous stretches of America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand became powerful vortexes,

sucking in thousands of fortune hunters from around the globe in a frenzy of fossicking.

The 21st century isn't any different; we are in the midst of a data rush. And while there is no one thing that everyone is searching for, the idea of finding something valuable – be it information, connections, or insights – is driving many people to scour data sets for anything that could give them an edge.

Data is only getting bigger with the rise of Ethereum, Bitcoin, Quantum, and other technologies. That trend will only continue as 5G, cloud, AI, ML, robotics, and IoT become more prevalent

Like the 19th-century gold rush, the 21stcentury data rush is driven by the potential for personal gain. But whereas gold was a finite resource that had to be mined from the ground, data is an ever-expanding commodity constantly being generated by our use of technology. And while some people are striking it rich with their findings, others struggle to make sense of it.

The amount of data being created every day is staggering and will only increase. According to a recent study, the world generates 2.5 quintillion bytes of data daily, which will only increase in the future. Data is only getting bigger with the rise of Ethereum, Bitcoin, Quantum, and other technologies. That trend will only continue as 5G, cloud, AI, ML, robotics,

and IoT become more prevalent. The amount of data being created every day is staggeringand it will only increase in the years to come. So, what does that mean for our future? Only time will tell - but one thing is sure: the world is becoming increasingly data-driven. And that's not likely to change anytime soon.

Most of this data is unstructured, making it difficult to use and analyze. Everything from social media interactions to online shopping habits is being tracked and stored. However, the vast majority of this data is unstructured, which makes it challenging to use and analyze. This is because unstructured data doesn't neatly fit into traditional databases. Instead, it exists in various formats, such as

text, images, and audio files. As a result, it can be time-consuming and expensive to turn this unstructured data into insights that businesses can use to make better decisions. Fortunately, there are many new tools and technologies that are making it easier to work with unstructured data. In particular, machine learning provides powerful new ways to extract meaning from large data sets. As these tools become more sophisticated, we will increasingly unlock the value hidden within the vast amounts of unstructured data we generate daily, and so will the bad guys.

As we become increasingly reliant on data, we must be careful not to lose sight of the importance of privacy and security.

Every day, we generate billions of bytes of information through our online interactions, GPS-enabled devices, and wearable technology. This data deluge has revolutionized how we live and work, giving unprecedented insights into our behaviour and providing new opportunities for efficiency and innovation. However, as we become increasingly reliant on data, we must be careful not to lose sight of the importance of privacy and security. After all, this data is often personal and sensitive and can be used to exploit vulnerabilities or for other nefarious purposes. That's why we must take measures to protect our data from unauthorized access or misuse. Through encryption, access controls, and other security measures, we can help ensure that our data remains private and secure for now.

The 21st-century data rush is putting a strain on our ability to process and understand information. It is also raising questions about

who owns this data, how it is being used and what impact it has on our society. In the 19th century, the gold rush led to new technologies and working methods. The data rush is doing the same – but at a much faster pace. And while there is potential for great rewards, there is also the risk of getting lost in the noise.

Our biggest concern is the potential for data breaches. When sensitive information is stolen or leaked, it can have severe consequences for individuals and businesses. Data breaches can lead to identity theft, fraud, and other crimes. They can also damage relationships and reputations. That's why protecting our data from unauthorized access, or misuse is essential. Through encryption, access controls, and other security measures, we can help ensure that our data remains private and secure.

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the cybersecurity landscape is constantly changing. However, some tips for staying ahead of hackers include staying up-to-date on the latest security threats, using strong passwords and two-factor authentication, and being careful about what information you share online. Additionally, businesses should consider investing in more sophisticated data analytics tools and techniques to help them better protect their data. Ultimately, the best defence against hackers is a combination of people, technology, and processes. By working together, we can help make the world a safer place for everyone.

The most important thing to remember regarding data security is that you are responsible for your own data. Therefore, it would be best to be careful about how you use and protect your data.

JON SMEDLEY

CO-FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR, TEACH ACTIVE

Making a Real Impact in the Lives of Children Around the Globe through Teach Active

Jon Smedley is an award-winning entrepreneur, educational consultant, and the Co-Founder & Managing Director of Teach Active. He brings over 20 years of experience in education as a senior leader, primary advisor, and PE consultant.

Currently, Jon is working with schools across the UK and internationally, promoting the rationale and benefits of an active school day and focusing on how it can be achieved through active lessons, active teaching, and learning strategies.

Answering the Career Call

Jon always wanted to become a teacher and had a real desire to work with young people to help them reach their full potential. Jon has always believed that personality and character is just as important as academic success – and he felt he had the personality and skills to be an outstanding teacher who could motivate and inspire children to be confident, determined, resilient and full of belief - ultimately developing them as a whole person ready to take on any challenge.

Jon Smedley Co-Founder & Managing Director, Teach Active

Our vision is to educate, support, and train teachers through active, creative, and inspiring lesson plans that will engage, motivate and develop the next generation

Jon attended the University of Chester and studied to become a primary school teacher. His topic for specialisation was physical education. During his teaching career Jon was blessed to work with some fantastic colleagues and work in some great schools. His love of PE and getting children active was always something he was passionate about – believing that this subject more than any other developed so many skills and attributes. Children showed their true colours, presented their true selves and learned integral values such as resilience, determination, loyalty, teamwork, social skills, winning, losing etc., through physical education.

This passion lead him to be seconded out to the Local Authority where he was presented with

Teach Active is a nationally recognised and highly acclaimed online resource which provides schools with lesson plans and resources designed to deliver the Maths and English curriculum through physically active learning

the opportunity to become the PE Advisor for 100 Local Authority primary schools. It gave him the perfect platform to showcase the importance of this subject to hundreds of teachers and, through it, also impact thousands of children. After making the most out of it, Jon returned as a Deputy Headteacher. Now, as a senior leader

with responsibility for academic achievement across the school, Jon was keen to showcase his belief that ‘active children do better’ – and as such began integrating physical activity into Maths and English lessons. “My school had some incredible results using this approach, which was cited in an Ofsted ‘Sharing of Good Practice’ paper,” mentions Jon.

A journey from Having a File of Ideas to Incepting an EdTech Company

After a while, Jon shared his file of ideas with other local schools and ran teacher training on the concept of active Maths and English lessons. Knowing the impact this could have on a bigger scale, he then spent a year developing new ideas and resources and turned his file of ideas into an online resource. Given his passion for this, and drive to succeed, Jon resigned from his Deputy

Headship role and launched Teach Active in 2015. “This was a huge step as I had a secure job, good wage, nice holidays – not to mention a wife, 2 kids, and a mortgage – but with their support and backing, I finally took the plunge,” shares Jon.

Seven years on, Teach Active ‘the on-line resource’ is now used in schools across the UK and Internationally – and is allowing thousands of teachers to deliver active Maths and English lessons each week.

How Teach Active is Raising Standards through Active Maths and English Lessons?

Teach Active is a nationally recognised and highly acclaimed online resource which provides schools with lesson plans and resources designed to deliver the Maths and English curriculum through physically active learning. It contains over 3500 active Maths and English lesson plans, giving teachers

the ideas and resources to plan and deliver outstanding lessons.

Jon spends a lot of his time travelling and working with groups of teachers – showcasing how Maths and English lessons do not have to be sedentary.

“Our vision is to educate, support, and train teachers through active, creative, and inspiring lesson plans that will engage, motivate and develop the next generation,” reveals Jon.

What Sets Teach Active Apart from Others?

The current generation of children is reportedly the least active generation that has ever lived.

Schools are under pressure to ‘do more’ and make the typical sedentary school day more active. With timetabling and timing constraints doing ‘more’ can be hard. However, with Teach Active, teachers are simply doing what they have always done (teaching English and Maths)- but are now just adding in movement – delivering lessons actively either in the classroom or taking learning in to the school hall or even outside.

In doing so children are naturally more active. Not only this but they also have a new found love and enthusiasm for maths, reading and writing. Furthermore, they achieve better, retain information better and attain better results as a direct impact of this approach.

Since its inception, Teach Active has witnessed impressive year-on-year growth.

For a self-funded EdTech business which has grown organically, this is noteworthy

Jon is keen to continue to showcase this to schools, teachers and headteachers. Not only do Teach Active have many case studies and testimonials from real life schools, they also work in partnership with Loughborough University, carrying out research and impact studies to prove this approach should be adopted by all.

Growing by Leaps and Bounds

Since its inception, Teach Active has witnessed impressive year-on-year growth. For a self-funded EdTech business which has grown organically, this is noteworthy. Additionally, when it comes to product development and improvement, Jon and his team regularly take feedback from the schools and invest in making the product better in terms of the resource and how it works and the overall platform itself. This has resulted in maintaining the highest client satisfaction and retention rates Teach Active has ever had to date.

Furthermore, Teach Active’s numerous accolades and awards, national recognition, and PR have attracted more schools to come forward. “We are now doing some exciting cluster projects with groups of schools and multi-academy trusts and through them, striving to make the maximum impact,” mentions Jon.

Making Employees Feel Included & Valued is Important

From an entrepreneur’s perspective, Jon feels it is important for the employees to feel a part of the bigger picture. Employees also want to be appreciated and valued for their contribution. They need support, trust, and feedback from their leaders so that they can improve, improvise, and deliver better results. To make this happen, leaders must take time, be open, show them where they

sit and motivate and excite them towards career progression and opportunities.

“We are an ambitious company, and I want my team members to help us achieve our goals, and in turn, I want them to know that I am here to motivate and look after them,” shares Jon. Hence, with the right set of employees, building a positive work environment becomes easy, just like Teach Active.

Tackling the Challenges

The one challenge present-day entrepreneurs encounter is trying to switch off and give time to their families. “It is very easy to think about work, the never-ending list of tasks or what you need to do next – but switching off and being ‘in the moment’ with your family is very important,” asserts Jon.

Another challenge that Jon faces is managing his time and splitting his time between speaking at events, being back at base working with the team; and also getting strategic time to consider next steps and business progression. Luckily, he has a great team!

Celebrating the Career Milestones

One of Jon's most memorable and special milestones was leaving his full-time job as a Deputy Headteacher and diving into the entrepreneurial sea. Soon after completing one year, Teach Active won the ‘Start-up of the Year’ award and ‘Business of the Year’ in 2016. As the Co-Founder & Managing Director of Teach Active, these awards were extremely special for Jon.

Later, Teach Active continued to march towards success by breaking its own records: reaching the first 500 schools, then 1000 and

so on. Likewise, victories such as forming ties with the first international school, entering into the first multi-academy trust partnership, and becoming a partner of Loughborough University were remarkable mileposts for Jon.

Day in the Life of a Leader

At work, Jon doesn’t have a fixed routine. His busy schedule and diary commitments will often shape where he needs to be and what he needs to do – a variety that Jon likes and enjoys.

A ‘typical’ week may be 50% in the office and 50% on the road - delivering keynotes and conducting workshops on the benefits of active learning – or often meeting with key partners or other businesses within the sector.

At home, life is also just as busy for Jon with two young children aged 10 and 12. “Both of my children enjoy sport so a lot of mine and my wife’s time is spent taking them to fixtures and supporting their interests”

Outside of this Jon enjoys visiting the gym and playing golf with his friends. When time allows, he and his family love to take themselves off to the beautiful village of Abersoch in North Wales where they love to spend beach days paddleboarding, surfing and playing on the beach.

Plans for an Active Future

Moving ahead, Jon is looking forward to growing and getting Teach Active integrated into all the schools within the UK. Along with his team, he is also planning to continue to develop new resources and offer free online training support for all the schools. In short, a happy school makes Jon very happy.

Ahmad Mkhallati, Senior Director, Middle East, India & Africa Operations, IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants)

As IMA’s Senior Director of Regional Partner Relations, Ahmad is responsible for managing all IMAs strategic partners, government relations and training partners in the Middle East, Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. A graduate of California State University Sacramento, major in International Business. After a very successful 10 years of working in the USA, he joined a leading Training institute – one of the largest finance and accounting training company in the Middle East as Executive Director and was instrumental in helping over 80,000 professionals learn more about their chosen profession and take step towards becoming certified professionals.

Digital transformation has drastically changed the working patterns of companies. There has been an extremely rapid increase in the use of computing power and the internet, which has enhanced the productivity of enterprises and improved the flexibility of the workforce. The ability to work from anywhere has enabled employees to stay connected and entities to collaborate globally. But while the increased use of digital enablers is enhancing the way business managers service their clients, it is at the same time posing complex challenges to core organizational processes, especially when it comes to policies and control procedures.

For one, digital transformation has brought about a complete shift in work culture, introducing the extensive use of cloud-based solutions, artificial intelligence, and the like that necessitate internal control frameworks to be flexible and adaptive. However, there is a marked resistance toward the new age of internal control that includes risk management, constant real-time monitoring, and automation. This calls for a responsive control framework and agile leadership that suits an expanding business environment. It also highlights the need for corporations to hire and retain skilled manpower to support unhindered and efficient corporate governance.

How digital transformation has impacted internal control

As per a survey titled, “Internal control and the transformation of entities,” which assessed how digital transformation has impacted internal control, at least 50% of the participants emphasized the dearth of appropriately skilled staff engaged in internal control procedures as

a major challenge. The survey conducted with 2,000 global members of ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), the Internal Audit Foundation, and IMA (Institute of Management Accountants), had some key findings. Among respondents, 41% blamed the absence of technological advances within the internal control function and 32% said that the lack of executive emphasis was responsible for affecting internal control management. The overall view of the respondents indicated that the challenges before internal control arose mostly during the pandemic which led to a turbulent economic environment causing uncertainties. It also underscored that the staff involved in managing internal control required appropriate skill sets going forward.

Inclusion of internal control early on during digital transformation is key Internal control is prime for an organization’s performance, growth, and relevance in the market. Going beyond statutory compliance requirements, it helps companies build trust, confidence, and a positive reputation in achieving strategic business results. It includes processes that finance professionals use to prevent financial fraud and transactional errors and essentially ensure that the company is operating effectively. Fundamental to effective internal control is the right blend of people, processes, technology, and data.

With accelerating technology and data adoption across industries, a broader scope of skill sets at all levels in an organization is desirable for effective internal control and in turn, achieving important objectives, especially in disruptive and uncertain times. In the ever-expanding

business environment of today, it is also a necessity for internal control frameworks to be agile and future-ready for sustainable operations with the rapid adoption of technological advancements. Also, it is crucial to include internal control frameworks and processes early on during business transformations. It would not only enhance the business, but also generate value for shareholders, especially in a multi-stakeholder organization.

Today, data comes from varied sources and is less structured, which is a major concern for organizations that are looking at data fraud and threat risks seriously. To tackle this, entities need to heavily invest in technology and data skills simultaneously, especially for those involved in internal control, and look for and organize appropriate learning opportunities in technical and interpersonal areas to support manpower across the board. They must also recognize the need for the incorporation of non-financial elements into internal control. This is because more than financial objectives, what is important to stakeholders today are disclosures that are nonfinancial such as actions connected to climate change and human capital, which broaden the scope of performance and confidence.

ESG for the highest transparency and confidence building

Once again, the survey corroborated this, showing a whopping majority (80% of participants) who voted for non-financial and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)-related disclosures for their internal control framework. ESG metrics create the highest transparency by combining the right data and disclosures resulting in clearer financial reporting and building confidence and

With accelerating technology and data adoption across industries, a broader scope of skill sets at all levels in an organization is desirable for effective internal control and in turn, achieving important objectives, especially in disruptive and uncertain times

trust. As the demands for ESG-related disclosures soar, the need for a policy on such disclosures arises, which comes under the purview of internal control.

To meet the larger internal control, objectives robust skill sets are a must. It is important for accountancy, finance, and internal audit professionals to recognize the prospects that

technology brings along that can be put into processes to improve and enhance working. These professionals should maintain their relevance through adequate qualifications and continuous learning so that they can enable the decisionmakers to meet the needs of corporate governance and guide companies and stakeholders into a new era of internal control.

NICOLAJ DUE

CEO, DANISH ENDURANCE

Empowering Athletes with Sustainable, High-Endurance Sports & Outdoor Performance Gear

From a career as a business journalist to working in Corporate America to founding a premium sports & outdoor endurance brand, Nicolaj Due’s (CEO, Danish Endurance) journey has been quite remarkable. His passion for the outdoors, pride in Danish heritage, and vision towards building and creating Danish Endurance products have made him one of the most inspiring business leaders of 2022.

“Through Danish Endurance, we want to inspire a state of mind where life in physical and mental balance is not only the key to greater personal endurance, but it's the key to happiness,” shares Nicolaj.

The Idea Behind the Inception of Danish Endurance

Beginning its journey in 2014, Danish Endurance has quite an exciting basement story. Nicolaj,

Nicolaj Due CEO, Danish Endurance

Our mission is to create the best performance socks and underwear in the world. It is an ongoing journey, we can only reach together with our customers

an all-seasons runner, while training for a marathon, used to experience cold feet and blisters due to the inferior quality of the socks. This prompted his desire to see if he could do things differently when designing endurance products for pampering the feet.

“As with all good start-ups, my brother, Christoffer and I designed our first compression sock in our basement,” reveals Nicolaj. Since then,

they’ve grown Danish Endurance into a (full) line of sports & outdoor performance gear. The dedicated brother duo is involved in every detail of the production process—from the product idea itself to its development, design, and manufacturing. Moreover, the products are developed in collaboration with Olympic and outdoor performance athletes and are fieldtested and refined for optimal performance

under extreme conditions. Likewise, Danish Endurance’s high-quality products are ethically and sustainably manufactured and are available with the most advanced features.

Putting Customers at the Heart of the Business

According to Nicolaj, the conventional fashion and apparel industry used to meet their end customers in brick-and-mortar shops, where they also received positive or negative customer feedback.

However, this was very seldom structured and rarely ended with the right decision-makers.

When it comes to Danish Endurance, the company operates online only and has a structured customer feedback strategy in place. This means that Nicolaj and his team get very strong datasets that they study and use for product improvements. Such is their dedication and commitment towards their customer feedback that one of the hiking socks (merino hiking classic sock) from Danish Endurance has been improved more than 15 times. Therefore, putting customers at the heart of the business sets Danish Endurance apart from other market competitors.

Danish Endurance is a young, highgrowth company with a flat structure and a friendly, dynamic working environment

mission is to create the best performance socks and underwear in the world,” asserts Nicolaj. “It is an ongoing journey, we can only reach

Making Profits from Day One

Since day one, Danish Endurance has had a profitable start, making its founders independent. On several occasions, Nicolaj and his brother have been tempted to fuel their growth even more, but they have resisted the offers. This is so because Nicolaj feels that one needs to build a business model that is resilient in various business environments; otherwise, it is easy to get knocked over by external impact.

“Our

together with our customers.”

Danish Endurance has a truly international team of 50 professionals from 22 different nationalities who bring innovative ideas from all over the world

Fostering Innovation Through a Diverse Workforce

Danish Endurance is a young, high-growth company with a flat structure and a friendly, dynamic working environment. It has a truly international team of 50 professionals from 22 different nationalities who bring innovative ideas from all over the world. Besides, Nicolaj also tries to inspire creative thinking in his team members and feels that the best ideas do not necessarily come from the leadership team.

Special Milestones

Leaving corporate life and taking the chance as an entrepreneur was a defining moment for Nicolaj. He admits to getting really scared at the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey but having his brother by his side gave him the much-needed comfort and confidence to keep going. Like every aspiring entrepreneur, he also experienced the turmoil and emotions of whether they will make it. Hence, it was a significant milestone for Nicolaj when they saw that Danish Endurance was gaining a lot of momentum and they had successfully created a “real” company.

Changing Directions & Being Adaptable is the Need of the Hour

For Nicolaj, the key to overcoming unexpected challenges is staying agile and staying on top of the data. Having experienced unprecedented times, the terrible war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Founder of Danish Endurance mentions that strategies and decisions made a few weeks back get knocked out by reality overnight. He has learned from such turbulent times not to be ashamed of changing direction very often. At first, it can seem very unprofessional, but it would be unwise to stick to yesterday’s strategy. Therefore,

leaders must be able to gauge the situation in front of them and be agile enough to change directions if needed.

A Day in the Life of a Leader

Nicolaj is a foresighted leader who likes to plan his day ahead. He also works best with relatively

few meetings. Calling himself an incubator or firefighter, Nicolaj prefers having enough time to dedicate his focus to attention areas. He is also extraordinarily project-oriented and likes to dive deep into areas that need special attention.

When it comes to unwinding from work, Nicolaj enjoys going out for a long run, exercising, or spending time with his family. “I also have one golden rule, which is to never think about work before going off to sleep,” reveals Nicolaj. When he was younger, he always thought about work before sleeping which adversely affected him. But now, having invested years in mastering this ritual, it works perfectly for him.

Pearls of Wisdom for the Aspiring Leaders

Nicolaj recommends that aspiring leaders never try to make everybody happy as it is an impossible

mission. One must always be true to themselves and never try to postpone unpleasant decisions for the future, as they will eventually catch up.

Roadmap for the Future

Nicolaj and his team are working towards creating a comprehensive message for their customers and defining their products' uniqueness by rightly branding the company.

Moving forward, Nicolaj feels that the year 2023 will be very challenging. Hence, the Danish Endurance team is preparing for a business climate with slow growth and a recession impact. They are also preoccupied with streamlining the business and preparing for an unpleasant storm, so they can continue to be a growing company during tricky times.

Powerful protection designed for PC gamers

HELPING CLIENTS ACHIEVE THEIR BUSINESS GOALS & STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD

Melanie Borden, Managing Member, Melanie Borden, LLC

Melanie Borden is the Managing Member at Melanie Borden, LLC. As a natural outgrowth of her work as a marketing executive, Melanie recognized the opportunities available to use online marketing strategies to build corporate and personal brands. She has successfully built her own brand and helped others to do so as well. She has been published or interviewed by Good Morning America, Daily Mail, The Epoch Times, Working Mother Media, Hip New Jersey, New York City Biz List, HeyOrca!, CBT News and more. Her expertise includes the full gamut of marketing oversight and implementation, such as budgeting, strategic use of vendors, enhancing digital footprints via social media, reputation management, online monetization, and building and managing advertising processes. At Melanie Borden, LLC, Melanie and her team’s purpose is to help their clients, who want to stand out from their competition and connect with their target audience by delivering unique value in form of digital content.

Melanie Borden, LLC offers branding and marketing consulting to help clients achieve their business goals. Melanie and her team are passionate about helping executives and businesses stand out and optimize their content by enhancing their brand awareness. They work hand in hand with their clients to turn content into a powerful channel for achieving growth and fulfilling their mission. In an exclusive interview with CXO Outlook, Melanie speaks about her foray into marketing, expert services offered by Melanie Borden, LLC, personal inspiration, and a lot more. Following are the excerpts from the interview.

My recommendations to any business owner or individual are to think about storytelling as a long-term plan and not a quick fix to get your business to drive leads

What inspired you to pursue a career in marketing? And how has your journey been so far?

I started in marketing in 2005 when I received my real estate license and started marketing myself ( pre social media) from there I developed a love for marketing. I have had my own consulting business, have worked for MarTech companies in business development, and have also worked in marketing in both automotive retail and for a tech company. I made the decision to launch my company in August of 2021. As a natural outgrowth of my work as a marketing executive, I recognized the opportunities available to use online marketing strategies to build corporate and personal brands.

How should people find their marketing influencers?

How do you know if someone really has influence?

Google is an incredible resource for anything. If an influencer is leveraging the right platforms, they will show up in the google SERP.

In today’s fast-paced world, what is the most effective way to increase a brand's online presence?

Being active on social media, specifically the social media channel where your audience is. My recommendations to any business owner or individual are to think about storytelling as a long-term plan and not a quick fix to get your business to drive leads. You can do this by coming from a place of being a trusted advisor and the subject matter expert in your

Regardless of what your goals are, at the end of the day, you need to understand where your audience is, what problem you solve for them and why they will buy from you and have the internal process to support your messaging

stories, and by teaching. You must always think “how can I help someone else, and what is in it for them to engage with my business or my brand.” I see this a lot on LinkedIn and TikTok in short form video.

Regardless of your stories, like any marketing campaign, you must have your goals mapped out in advance, and have a strategy, short and long term, that aligns with your business. For example, if you are looking to work on your business reputation online to increase customer loyalty, you must identify what you want to generate from doing this campaign. Is it only existing customer loyalty you are looking to increase, or do you want to increase sales as well? Choose the areas and channels you need the most work on, including a process, and then build a daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly strategic plan to support your goals. Regardless of what your goals are, at the end of the day, you need to understand where your audience is, what problem you solve for them and why they will buy from you and have the internal process to support your messaging. Of course, simply putting a plan down on paper solves nothing. In the implementation and management of the rollout of the strategy, that skill in the art of branding, including storytelling, becomes most significant since weekly and even daily modifications can make all the difference. The use of marketing data can also help to guide your strategy. You can still look at the data to understand if your storytelling content is resonating or not with your audience. For example, I use data analytics to measure the effectiveness of my client’s social media posts, reviewing data points to measure engagement, trends, and demographics of my client’s content.

How do you approach branding a company and its products and services?

At Melanie Borden, LLC, I used to say we are not an agency, but we are, and we get you the visibility you

desire. If you need an organic social marketing strategy, guidance with your marketing team, execution with social media, social media engagement, content, creative, social media activations for events, marketing budgets, brand development, etc., we can help you, if you are an executive or business. In fact, most of our clients are agencies and marketing tech companies who come to me for help with elevating their executive team or brand in a one-time consultation or a monthly partnership. Companies today are looking for a different effective strategy to go to market with and a fresh perspective. Everyone needs a Sherpa, or someone to guide them, and tell them what they need to do, how to do it, and to create maximum visibility efficiently.

Tell us about the individuals who have been inspirational in your personal or professional life?

My number one driver is my family. Everything I do, every decision I make, ties back to the life and wellbeing I want to provide for my daughters. Being a mom is my #1 priority over anything. I have an unbelievably supportive partner, who is an incredibly successful entrepreneur himself (and the love of my life), and we push each other to be the best versions of ourselves daily.

Being an entrepreneur is an example to all little girls and boys everywhere that no matter what ideals or gender roles you may have been brought up with, no matter what you are told you are capable of, you can change the narrative. I also find it to be incredibly motivating to control my income, which I believe many of the millennials like myself also feel.

I also want to highlight that having your own tribe, or a support system that is not only in your circle but in your corner is essential for navigating through the process of entrepreneurship.

How do you keep updated on marketing trends, tools, and techniques?

I am incredibly active on LinkedIn, which is a one-stop shop for everything.

What does the future of influencer marketing look like in your eyes?

I do not think influencers will go away, but I do see an uptick in creators as more and more individuals are working on their brand voice online.

What’s your biggest piece of advice for someone looking to work on influencer marketing?

I would suggest doing your research and looking at location tags on social sites for those who align with your company mission and your audience.

Everyone needs a Sherpa, or someone to guide them, and tell them what they need to do, how to do it, and to create maximum visibility efficiently