CXO Outlook – May 2023 – 10 Most Inspiring Business Leaders – 2023

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Navigating the Challenges of Business Leadership in 2023

As the business landscape evolves at an unprecedented pace, leaders find themselves confronted with a myriad of challenges in 2023. These obstacles require a unique set of skills, resilience, and adaptability to steer organizations toward success. In this era of uncertainty, leaders must rise above the turbulence and embrace innovation, all while balancing the needs of their stakeholders.

Moreover, leaders must navigate the complexities of a globalized economy. International trade tensions, geopolitical shifts, and regulatory changes pose significant challenges to

businesses operating across borders. Effective leaders in 2023 must possess a deep understanding of diverse markets, cultural nuances, and geopolitical dynamics to navigate this complex terrain successfully.

By embracing innovation, leveraging technology,

fostering sustainability, and championing inclusivity, leaders can navigate these obstacles and lead their organizations to success. In this issue, we have featured

10 Most Inspiring Business Leaders - 2023 whose stories would serve as a reminder that with determination and resilience, we can overcome any challenge and shape a brighter future for our organizations and society as a whole. On the cover, we feature Dean Hoke, CoFounder and Managing Director of Edu Alliance Group, who has written an insightful article explaining successful strategies for us universities to recruit international students. Enjoy Reading.

Sarath Shyam

SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES FOR US UNIVERSITIES TO RECRUIT INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Cedric Picaud, President & Chief Executive Officer, CRYOPDP

On a Mission to Improve the Health of People Around the World 50

Kevin MacRitchie, Chief Executive Officer, Tactical Rehabilitation Inc

Serving Military Veterans with BattleTested, Service-Ready Healthcare Solutions

Tetsuo Kurita, Managing Partner, One Asia Lawyers Group Transforming the Legal Industry Landscape Across Asia

Dr. Gustavo Sosa, Founder & CEO, INBIOAR

58

72

Why Most Journey Maps are a Dead End (And How to Fix It)

Nate

We’re All Clamoring for More,

That Betrays What We Have

Rob

Matteo Mezzanott, Head of Communications, Citibeats, Spain

Citibeats: A Human-Centered Technology

Brown, Co-Founder, CX Accelerator

Whitfield, CEO, Ferrazzi Greenlight

But

Dean Hoke

Co-Founder and Managing Director, Edu Alliance Group

SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES FOR US UNIVERSITIES TO RECRUIT INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Dean Hoke is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Edu Alliance Group and, in July 2023, will be President and CEO of the American Association of University Administrators. Dean has decades of progressively responsible and visionary leadership roles in higher education, communications & online learning. He has led numerous initiatives that have created innovation & positive change in the higher education & non-profit sector. Dean is a member of the Franklin University School of Education Advisory Board and the Advisory Board of Higher Education Digest.

Dean began his career in 1975 with Bellarmine University, working in various roles, including Admissions and External Relations. In 1983 he entered the broadcasting field, serving as a senior executive for Public Broadcasting System. In 1998 he co-founded The Connected Learning Network, a full-service online learning company, and in 2009 moved to the United Arab Emirates, serving in senior positions at Higher Colleges of Technology & Khalifa University before co-founding Edu Alliance in 2014. Hoke participates in numerous consulting projects in the fields of international education, branding, business intelligence, and online learning. He is an active speaker and writer in the field of international higher education and distance learning. Dean has presented and written on the field of leadership, higher education, and distance learning throughout the world. Hoke has a B.A. from Urbana University, an M.S. from the University of Louisville, and a Certificate in Executive Management from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School. Dean resides in Bloomington, Indiana.

After a significant reduction in international students studying in the US, colleges, and universities are finally returning to their pre-covid levels. The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) February 2023 reports 1,118,417 international students are enrolled in educational facilities in the US. Of those 1.12 million, 995,151 are enrolled in either Associate, Bachelor, Master, or Ph.D. programs.

While this is encouraging, the competition to recruit students has intensified. It is not only US schools that are recruiting with renewed vigor. It’s also universities outside the US, with the support of their home countries, recruiting international students. Nations such as Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Russia, Australia, Canada, Europe, and others see international students as desirable to recruit and offer work visas upon graduation.

Why are American Universities the leading destination for international students?

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reports that 5.6 million students are enrolled in higher education institutions outside their home country. They also project that, with demographic changes, the international student population is likely to reach eight million by 2025. Today, America is the market leader, with approximately 18% of all international students.

A study in 2021 by the Global Alliance for International Student Advancement (GAISA) surveyed 134 international students attending US universities, of which 70% were undergraduate students & 30% were graduate students. They were asked the following question:

Prior to enrolling, which of the following factors most motivated you to pursue your education in the United States? Please select up to 3 options.

Furthermore, according to SEVIS, in reporting 2021 enrollment data, nearly 90% of international students are enrolled in just 500 schools. Of the 500, the top 25 schools have almost 300,000 students (about 30%) of degree-enrolled international students.

What Type of Institutions Enroll International Students?

Many US colleges and universities look at the growing number of students worldwide and see this as supplementing the declining numbers of traditional US students going from high school to college. The competition in the United States to attract international students is intense, with 6,310 F1-certified post-secondary institutions eligible to accept international students.

The data from the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) shows that during 2020-21 international students attend the following types of US institutions:

How do international students pay for college?

The cost of higher education in the United States public and private institutions is expensive compared to other countries. The US, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand public universities charge twice the amount in what they charge in-state or national students. In 2023 average tuition for international students ranges from $28,000 for state schools to $38,000 for private schools. It costs $15,000 to $20,000 for other expenses, such as housing, food, books, and additional day-to-day costs. The annual Institute of International Education (IIE) report on international students attending US higher

education institutions presents how these students pay for their education.

What Majors Are Most Popular?

The GAISA study and other surveys show that the academic quality of the institution and the majors offered are crucial decision points. The vast majority of international students in undergraduate and graduate programs have a specific major or discipline in mind. They traditionally focus on their future job opportunities once they complete their education, whether they return home or stay in the United States.

Ten ways your institution can increase its international enrollment.

There are several standard recruitment and marketing strategies most if not all, universities use. Examples are advertising on social

The cost of higher education in the United States public and private institutions is expensive compared to other countries

media—particular websites, college fairs, etc. The ten points below are other items you should consider.

Have members of your senior administration visited countries your institution is targeting? Have they met private and public high schools and toured universities in those countries to develop potential partnerships and joint support? Have you visited with your alums in the region, spoken at a conference in a targeted country, or visited federal or regional officials? If this hasn’t occurred recently, the institution leadership has no vested interest in expanding opportunities in these nations. It’s one thing for a faculty member or an admission officer to say we should put more resources

into our international recruiting efforts. Still, it’s a tough sell if the top leadership has not visited the area.

Understand who you are and how you communicate it to the student. Too many schools try with international students to compete with elite schools or rank one institution.

Present Your Specific Strengths. Everybody claims to have excellent faculty, a wonderful campus, and a charming community. Present specifics that exemplify your strengths. For example, My University has, 75% of its graduates who obtained advanced degrees. Do not state generalities when you present your school to the international community.

STEMS majors are continuing to grow rapidly, according to SEVIS. In their February 2023 report, over 25% of the international students are in STEMS majors.

Do you have a highly recognized degree or a niche program that can be targeted toward a small group of international students?

If you have excellent graduation and employment rates for your international students, make sure it’s known.

What is the percentage of your students who go to graduate school?

The international community has growing concerns about safety and the wide availability of weapons in America. While you as an institution can do only so much, you can present the facts of the city and your campus on the safety issue. Most people believe the campus will be safe but are much less confident if the surrounding area

is. International students and their families need to be confident that their children will live in a safe environment. They want to live and experience the region, not be fearful, and stay on campus.

Who are your alums, both in the US and internationally? What are they doing after graduation? Can they serve as Ambassadors?

Do you offer competitive financial aid/ scholarship support for international students?

Do you have support from your hometown location? Has the mayor/city manager, the Chamber of Commerce, actively supported your efforts by going on an international trip?

International students and their families need to be confident that their children will live in a safe environment. They want to live and experience the region, not be fearful, and stay on campus

Leading Efforts Towards Building a Modern & Safer Agriculture Industry

Dr. Gustavo Sosa, Founder & CEO, INBIOAR

According to you, how has the agricultural industry, being the oldest and traditional industry, evolved over the last five years? What role has technology played in its rapid transformation?

I think that one of the most dynamic sectors was the crop protection in the biological area.

Synthetic or traditional chemicals are not being developed or not released in the market. The GMO released are resistant against the very well-known old chemicals. But the biologicals are really playing a role in the new model of the agriculture where the environment and the safer food production is a very important task.

Gustavo is a Forest Engineer from the National University of Santiago del Estero and has a Ph. D. in biochemistry from the National University of Rosario. He is an entrepreneur in biological sciences and Ag-technology. After his postdoctoral studies in The Ohio State University, he started different companies in Argentina with the support of investors from the US and Argentina. He has led INBIOAR since its foundation in 2010 with capital partners. He teaches plant biochemistry at the University of El Salvador, and he has been a tutor of MS. and Ph. D. students. He is a consultant and mentor of technological Startups.

In an exclusive interview with CXO Outlook Magazine, Dr. Gustavo Sosa shares his insights on the global trends taking place in the crop protection industry, the mission and vision of INBIOAR, pearls of wisdom for the aspiring AgTech leaders, and a lot more. Following are the excerpts from the interview.

New small companies and spin off are rising bringing specific know how to use those chemicals that the academic sector has in the papers or are developing new crop protection compounds from different sources, like plants and fungus

Perhaps in the past to kill the pest was the primary objective. But now on that bases of the previous agriculture we are thinking in safer and cleaner agriculture using natural-biological products.

Biotechnology is helping to develop new product in a faster way that we never imagine. New small companies and spin off are rising bringing specific know how to use those chemicals that the academic sector has in the papers or are developing new crop protection compounds from different sources, like plants and fungus.

Please share your insights on the global trends in the crop protection industry. What does its future look like to you?

The environment is part of the economic equation. We can’t diminish the capacity of the environment to produce. If we contaminated the whole area (the environment) that is the area we use to produce food, the contamination of the fresh vegetables is a consequence of the work in the field. What is bad in relation with the synthetic chemicals? It is the degradation time. What do we expect from a biological? Well, the answer is very simple: it has not sense that a weed once killed has still the herbicide applied in the soil for many months until it is not detected. Once the weed is killed the herbicide must disappears from the soil.

It means that the toxicity of both synthetic and biological are equal now to kill the weed. But the time in the environment is different once the effect to kill the weed was done.

I think a safer, cleaner, and environmentally friendly agriculture is possible. That the biologicals coming in the following years will help us to change the model from the synthetic

crop protection to the biological crop protection. But at the same time, we must think in a whole, not in a particular concept. As I mentioned the synthetic chemicals were good to kill pest, but the contamination was a non-desirable secondary effect. We now ask to the control of pest not only to kill the weeds, but also to care the environment while the food is cleaner. It would seem possible to do that. But again, secondary effects will rise, and we have to be aware of them.

Dr. Sosa, please tell us about your professional/personal background. I am originally a forest engineer so that the environment in my ideas is always there. My major was plant physiology. I later did my Ph. D. in plant biochemistry and molecular biology. My post doc was in cell physiology and regulation of the gene expression. That background allowed me to think in startups and find my way to consolidate my company.

What is INBIOAR, its mission and vision?

INBIOAR has the chance to be a player in the global crop protection industry bringing new

As a scientist I had to acquire a new language to speak with investors and businesspersons from the industry. It was amazing to transform a biological concept in a business opportunity that need funds to be a company later

The great leader is measured by the great team. The team is the goal of any modern leader, not the leader. In the actual companies I think in a leader in a secondary roll. The core is the team

natural chemicals to control pests. We work in the direction to obtain natural products for a safer agriculture. We are an R&D company; we do not produce. We are always talking with the global industry to transfer our technology to them. Today, we are in the process of transfer

four prototypes that we have. Three prototypes are herbicides, and one is an elicitor-fungicide.

In what ways is INBIOAR revolutionizing the crop care industry?

We face a very well know concept that plants kill plants. In many natural areas is possible to see how good some species make boundaries so that other species cannot use the same soil. That is very well know from the first men in the agriculture in Egypt. What we did was to standardize a method to screen the flora in the field finding plants “fighting” for the space. We later support the field work with the lab work selecting the best plant extracts with the best ability to kill weeds at the lowest concentration.

We are today 12 years old so that we have defined our method very well. That know how allowed us to offer our capacity to other companies and to apply our method in other new regions. At the end we have a method that is addressed to find plants as a factories of natural crop protection active ingredients.

As the Founder & CEO of a biotechnological R&D company, what type of challenges do you face and how do you overcome them?

Never a good idea, no matter how good it is, is welcome. Never. Thus, the first challenge is to find the financial support for a project and translate the biological concepts in business and later to share this business with the investor sector. As a scientist I had to acquire a new language to speak with investors and businesspersons from the industry. It was amazing to transform a biological concept in a business opportunity that need funds to be a company later. That process was very unique for me, and I gain a lot of experience in different areas far from my lab bench. The way to overcome it was very easy: never give up.

You teach plant biochemistry at Salvador University in Buenos Aires. What fascinates you the most about this subject?

I focus to teach behind the books. That means that my lessons are about the academic topic and about for what it is taught. What is the sense a student must learn about that topic. For what he or she is taken the lesson. I used to say I teach applied plant biochemistry, not just plant biochemistry to

students of agronomy. The idea is welcome by my students and many of them visit my lab as visiting students. I have then the beautiful chance to learn from them and I invite them to do the Ph. D. in my company. I enjoy a lot seeing how good scientist they became.

In your experience, what do you think makes a great leader?

Listen to others. Today’s leaders are “team assistants”. My idea of a leader is a person that makes the team goals are always reachable. It starts from the beginning finding the right person to do the right work. The second level of complexity is that between them exist a good environment to work. I save that problem asking to all of us to participate in the interview of someone new. Beside that we have the chance to work with a potential candidate before someone is joining us. The great leader is measured by the great team. The team is the goal of any modern leader, not the leader. In the actual companies I think in a leader in a secondary roll. The core is the team.

Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you.

We are a 12-year-old company so that there are many memorable moments. But all are related with the team. The moment that a student tells you that he or she likes to join to your team I find that moment as memorable. The first student I offered the position to work with me from where we grow and still is here in my lab was a memorable moment. Because the people is who make de difference and work in

a team like INBIOAR is makes memorable a lot of things. My investors: any time I have asked them a hand to save something I received two hands. If both hands were not enough, then they found ways to help with other hands. I work in a privileged company that I built thanks to many other persons who believed in the project. What can be more memorable than this?

Who is the one person you look up to and why?

We focus on self-motivated persons, with great humor sense, smart as many others, persons who never give up. Persons to whom a mistake make them laugh of themselves and not turn angry. Anytime we interview someone we focus on that characteristic. Creativity comes from those places. Discipline, academic outstanding, excellence are the bases, but it is not only the bases, we need more in a small company where there is not room for mistakes if you plan to keep happy your investors.

Being someone that knows the ag-tech industry very well, what would you say to aspirants who are considering a move into this industry?

The industry is growing and is a very modern industry. In the following decades will be new challenges and new developments. I will ask them to find the new doors to be opened for new global business. To keep them wheeling is another issue but start the new business at global level is the work for the new guys in the business.

MOST INSPIRING BUSINESS LEADERS

Website: https://www.cryopdp.com/

Headquarters: Roissy Charles de Gaulle cedex, France

About the Company: CRYOPDP boasts over 25 years of experience catering to the Life Sciences and Healthcare industries. Their expertise lies in delivering personalized turnkey global transport solutions for time-critical and temperature-sensitive shipments. From packaging and pick-pack kit preparation to employing specialized couriers, CRYOPDP covers the entire healthcare temperature-controlled supply chain.

Website: https://mola.tv/

Headquarters: Jakarta, Indonesia

About the Company: Owned and operated by Polytron, a subsidiary of Djarum Group, Mola (formerly Mola TV) is an Indonesian subscription video on-demand and over-the-top streaming service. Based in Jakarta, Mola provides live and on-demand broadcasting of various sports events, including the Premier League in Indonesia and Timor Leste. Additionally, it offers a diverse collection of films, television series, and original content for on-demand streaming.

President & Chief Executive Officer, CRYOPDP

Chief Technology & Operations Officer, Mola

Cedric Picaud CP Lee

Website: https://amiriwealth.com/

Headquarters: Edmonton, Canada

About the Company: AMIRI Wealth Management is a trusted financial solutions firm that prioritizes reliability, credibility, and reputation. With esteemed affiliates known for their exceptional corporate governance, we ensure the highest standards of service. Privacy and confidentiality are paramount to us, safeguarding the interests of our valued clients.

Website: https://www.axonjay.ai/

Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium

About the Company: AxonJay harnesses Darwin's evolutionary theory of natural selection within its cutting-edge Self-Machine-Learning Platform™ (Self-ML). By learning and reinforcing relevant information while allowing less relevant data to fade, the platform draws inspiration from Earth's 4.5-billion-year-old evolutionary algorithm.

Website: https://tacticalrehabdme.com/

Headquarters: Florida, USA

About the Company: Tactical Rehabilitation is a full-service DME company with a mission to support the ones who have served our country. They are committed to delivering the highest quality products and service to active duty service members, veterans, and their families. With products that have been tested in battle by deployed service members worldwide, their offerings are reliable and proven.

Website: https://www.remofirst.com/

Headquarters: California, USA

About the Company: Founded in 2021, Remofirst is a company that enables employers to embrace a boundary-free approach to accessing talent, empowering employees to seize opportunities regardless of geographical location. From Mumbai to Mountain View to Malta and beyond, Remofirst advocates for remote-first work environments from the outset.

Chief Executive Officer, Tactical Rehabilitation Inc

President & CEO, AMIRI Wealth Management Inc.

Co-Founder & CEO, Remofirst

CEO, AxonJay

Kevin MacRitchie

Iqbal Amiri Nurasyl Serik

Jean-Philippe

Website: https://www.unzer.com/en/

Headquarters: Vienna, Austria

About the Company: Unzer is a payment solutions provider that aims to simplify the payment process for merchants. Their platform seamlessly accepts, processes, and settles payments across various channels, devices, and markets. By consolidating payment data, Unzer enables merchants to make informed decisions more efficiently.

Website: https://oneasia.legal/en/info

Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan

About the Company: One Asia Lawyers is a specialized network of independent law firms dedicated to delivering seamless and comprehensive legal advice to Japanese clients. With in-depth knowledge of the intricate and diverse legal systems across ASEAN countries, their member firms possess extensive experience in various legal fields, including mergers and acquisitions, finance, real estate, and employment.

Website: https://tinnajackson.com/

Headquarters: Washington DC, USA

About the Company: Jackson Consulting Group is a trusted partner in leadership development, providing practical strategies and solutions for individuals, teams, and companies. Their mission is to help clients reach their highest potential through self-awareness, inspirational motivation, and transformational leadership, creating a world where personal and professional goals are confidently achieved.

Website: https://bflgroup.ae/

Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

About the Company: Founded in 1996 by Toufic Kreidieh and Yasser Beydoun, BFL Group is an international discount retailer headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Since its establishment, the company has expanded across Europe and the Middle East, operating numerous stores in major cities. BFL Group's first store was launched in 2006, following the establishment of its headquarters in Dubai in 2000.

Founder and Principal, Jackson Consulting Group

Commercial DirectorHead of Business Development, Unzer

Executive Chairman of the Board and Group CEO, BFL Group

Managing Partner, One Asia Lawyers

Tinna Jackson

Panagiotis Kriaris

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Want to Sell or find Investor for your Business?

BUSINESS LEADERS 2023

Cedric Picaud

PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CRYOPDP

ON A MISSION TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD

Cedric Picaud’s career has been within the life sciences logistics space. It started at the age of 22 when he created his own logistics company to finance his Master's in Management. Mr. Picaud recounts, “I did a Master's in Management between 1994-1998. This was a very intense period, as I was managing my own company from Monday to Wednesday, which meant I only had three days to concentrate on one week of work. From Thursday to Saturday, I studied and prepared my Master's thesis, concentrating on one week of full studies in

three days.” Hard work never fails to pay off.

Mr. Picaud joined DHL, a global leader in the logistics industry, where he spent approximately 14 years holding several management positions. One of which was leading DHL’s life sciences vertical across 33 countries.

Today, Mr. Picaud is CEO of CRYOPDP, a leading provider of innovative temperaturecontrolled logistics and supply chain solutions for clinical research and cell and gene therapy markets. "Joining CRYOPDP as a CEO allowed me to lead an entire team to a final destination - to save the lives of our patients.

CEDRIC PICAUD

PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CRYOPDP

To serve the life science industry's global needs, CRYOPDP has 35 facilities across 16 countries and a broader network that spans more than 135 countries

It gave me the opportunity to set up a global business, with top quality and with a full team of experts, people willing to give a bit more to improve our results and reinforce our position in the market," shares Mr. Picaud. CRYOPDP is an experienced provider serving the Life Sciences

and Healthcare industries, supplying tailor-made turnkey global transport solutions for high-value, time-critical and temperature-sensitive shipments. It covers the entire healthcare temperaturecontrolled supply chain: packaging, pick-pack kit preparation and specialist couriers.

An Essential Partner for Pharma Industry

Globalisation and open economies have helped pharmaceutical companies to constantly move their manufacturing facilities to new and different locations to reduce production costs. Mr. Picaud believes, “The pharmaceutical industry has been evolving in many ways over the past 50 years, and one of the most notable is its globalisation. Innovative drug products are being developed worldwide and are marketed and sold to a much larger proportion of the global population. The clinical trial industry is globalising alongside its big sister pharma, and both sectors need global logistics partners that can serve their growing and evolving demands.” CRYOPDP is wellpositioned to meet the Pharma and Biotech industries’ market needs.

“Our biggest challenge is to be at the forefront of customer satisfaction. We need to be able to meet our customers’ pace and to be able to satisfy

their needs regarding new solutions, new services, and new protocols. With its constant change, discoveries and new therapies implementation, we need to be able to fulfil them and meet their requirements,” Mr. Picaud pinpoints. CRYOPDP has achieved customer satisfaction by being up-to-date with new trends and working methods. Mr. Picaud says, “We cannot be stuck with old habits. We need to be able to find alternatives and not be afraid of leaving our comfort zone. Only then we will be able to achieve any kind of progression. So, we read, explore, investigate, train our people, and try to have the best of the best with us. This way, we can embrace challenges and overcome them.”

Mr. Picaud and CRYOPDP team leave no room for error regarding challenges and dealing with patients' lives. They offer quality service by ensuring that life-saving goods are distributed on time, within the correct specifications, and at

a strategic international partnership network

the right temperature. In fact, providing the same service quality globally is critical for the pharma market, and CRYOPDP is up to the task. To serve the life science industry's global needs, CRYOPDP has 35 facilities across 16 countries and a broader network that spans more than 135 countries. Mr. Picaud shares, “CRYOPDP’s genesis was always linked to the science and healthcare industries, with a strong focus on saving the lives of our patients.”

Passion and dedication are at the heart of everything that CRYOPDP does. The company vigorously promotes a multifunctional, crosstrained team with

Pharmaceutical companies focus on improving and saving patients' lives, with innovative and effective drug therapies adapted to patients' needs. “We have different participants here. Pharma and Biopharma are critical, and research labs are also essential, but patients are always at the heart of the process. Relying on temperature-controlled supply chain & logistics companies is a must. Without logistics and supply chain services, we couldn't complete the chain of value,” states Mr. Picaud. CRYOPDP provides temperaturecontrolled logistics and supply chain solutions to clinical research and Cell and Gene communities. Mr. Picaud adds, “In the end, we are all working towards the same objective, saving lives.”

On a Mission to Save Lives

Passion and dedication are at the heart of everything CRYOPDP does. The company vigorously promotes a multifunctional, crosstrained team with a strategic international partnership network. Mr. Picaud asserts, “When we think about CRYOPDP, our mission, and how we live it, is the initial differentiator. We have our mission, and we truly live upon this belief of having the patient at the heart of what we do. And, of course, we want to ensure that our customers can reach their goals, which is why we are a customercentric organisation.”

CRYOPDP offers tailor-made and addedvalue solutions to its clients, always considering their needs and being able to meet the most critical demands at a global level. Moreover, the company aims to ease customers' concerns regarding geographical issues, complexities, and regulatory constraints in different environments. CRYOPDP also acts as an

Flexibility and reliability are built, managed and monitored together at CRYOPDP, supported by team Picaud’ s strong expertise and passion for their mission and the patients

essential advisory service for organisations that need a dedicated logistics department.

“At CRYOPDP, our team is dedicated and ensures that the entire supply chain is fully processoptimised and well-supported by a worldwide network. And without a doubt, this is a strong differentiator - our people," Mr. Picaud states.

CRYOPDP’s specialists understand the need of

operational and technical requirements to ensure that the client’s shipment is transported in line with their needs and quality obligations, enabling them to deliver them in perfect conditions without delay.

Mr. Picaud claims, “We understand our customers. We know what we need to do to be successful. They do whatever is necessary to achieve it as the reliability of our service in all aspects: operations,

customer service, and information is a key pillar of our day-to-day activity." In a nutshell, flexibility and reliability are built, managed and monitored together at CRYOPDP, supported by team Picaud’s strong expertise and passion for their mission and the patients.

With so many pharmaceuticals crisscrossing the globe, the demand for creating and implementing new services from CRYOPDP

has been growing annually. For instance, 70% of CRYOPDP’s cell and gene therapy business is in the US, growing by around 35% annually. “This is one of the specific niches CRYOPDP can support globally," pinpoints Mr. Picaud. Besides, the past two years exemplify how the healthcare industry sometimes has to provide quick answers to unexpected challenges. During the pandemic, CRYOPDP, as an expert in temperature-controlled

logistics, had to respond in record time by offering direct-to-patient (DtP) services to maintain critical clinical trials.

“This has been our role as a company that supports the health industry and cares about its patients. We will always adjust, adapt and create services according to the needs of our customers, partners, and patients,” says Mr. Picaud. Last year, CRYOPDP expanded its operations in two new countries, opened 12 new logistics centres in the world and increased the number of customers by 27%. “Even in a year that had several crises that are still on, we grew. Furthermore, we are embracing a new journey - the sustainable journey, and we believe that this will change the rules of the game in our industry,” adds Mr. Picaud.

The Game Changer

In 2017, Mr. Picaud and his team at CRYOPDP got an exciting and challenging project. A customer requested them to manage the logistics of its susceptible biological samples across approximately 15 countries in Asia. The dynamics of the logistics within these countries, such as Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines, were highly complex. To support this request, we built an entire logistics solution consisting of a uniform and dedicated platform serving all 15 countries.

It took eight months for Mr. Picaud’s team to create a platform solution. In the end, CRYOPDP managed the logistics of over 8000 biological samples each month across 15 countries from start to finish. This included everything, from the kit preparation to the logistics to getting the materials to the patient site.

Mr. Picaud says, “It was a great success. It also gave us the knowledge to start replicating this success story and best practices with other customers and other geographies. It allowed us

Today, sustainability is an ongoing, toppriority project for CRYOPDP.

The company is analysing, setting, and implementing new processes to improve its carbon footprint

to learn as a company and as professionals.”

Mr. Picaud believes that we reach the most critical outcome when we take some risks and explore new ways of doing things. He adds, “The possibility and the certainty of being able to do such a challenging project were enough to give us the confidence, the know-how, and the willingness to keep improving and do more for the company, customers, and patients.”

As a leader who has created countless success stories, Mr. Picaud’s biggest contribution to

CRYOPDP is his mindset - why are we here and for what we work every day - creating a sense of purpose for what the company aims to do. “I think I have brought a sense of diversity,” says Mr. Picaud, “The more people open their minds to diversity, the more it will enable them and others to step out of their comfort zone and embrace different perspectives, different visions, and different ways of approaching the day-to-day.” At CRYOPDP, Mr. Picaud’s executive committee team comprises people from different backgrounds. He adds, “You cannot imagine how rich and interesting the outcome of our discussions are.”

However, one of the most sensitive topics Mr. Picaud has to deal with daily is sustainability. He says, “We are now implementing and setting new processes to neutralise and reduce our carbon footprint. I believe that we work to save lives, but this needs to be done from a 360º perspective, not only has a direct outcome for our business. And this is one of my personal goals as the CEO of CRYOPDP.”

A Lifelong Learner’s Life as a Leader

Mr. Picaud is a passionate learner. Due to that, he completed his MBA in 2012, almost 12 years after doing his Master's in Management.

Mr. Picaud then did a Certificate in Strategy at HEC Paris in 2016 and a specific program in innovation in 2021 at INSEAD Paris. Both were done outside his working hours, during the evening and weekends. He says, “We cannot progress without learning new things. We need to keep up with new tendencies and ideas to apply them in real life and in our work. That is why I tend to keep up with new trends.”

As the CEO of a multinational company experiencing double-digit growth each year, Mr. Picaud’s workdays are incredibly demanding.

CRYOPDP’s expanding global footprint means dealing with multiple time zones, which can be challenging. So, Mr. Picaud typically begins his days around 7:00 or 8:00 am with his APAC colleagues and ends around 7:00 or 8:00 pm with his US colleagues. He relies on military-like discipline to manage this hectic schedule and prioritises his tasks carefully. However, despite the work pressures, he finds time to care for himself through sports and mindfulness practices. Mr. Picaud runs thrice weekly for 45 minutes and spends 30 minutes each day meditating.

Mr. Picaud says, “Two things are nonnegotiable for a high focus and productivity as a CEO of a multinational company, passion for the purpose and the militarylike discipline. Passion is the fuel, and discipline keeps you on the right path. I am passionate about working for a better world. It drives me.”

A big fan of the Servant Leadership concept, Mr. Picaud is passionate about working with and for others. He explains, “A CEO must have an unselfish mindset to foster leadership in others and a clear passion for achieving success for the company and its employees by putting them first. Regarding discipline and in a more practical way, I always try to clarify the goal with the biggest business impact I can work for in 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 1 year. It helps to build a specific action plan to reach those goals.”

The Learnings and the Way Forward

As a leader, Mr. Picaud believes you need to guide your organisation, define a clear

mission and vision for your team, and make it live daily. The second aspect is the service mindset. He explains, “As a CEO and leader, you are at the service of your employees, shareholders, customers, and many others. You need to support and contribute to creating value every single day at your organisation.”

Mr. Picaud's advice for business executives carving a top management space is clear. He says, “As a strong leader, you must define the company's mission and your team’s mission. You should often question — even possibly redefine — the "why" of your business. What is the business' contribution to the world? The "why" should be the reason your employees are inspired to spend time, energy and sometimes even sacrifice themselves for your business.” At CRYOPDP, Mr. Picaud and his team strive to improve the health of people around the world. He adds, “This is why my team is dedicated and passionate about their work.”

Today, sustainability is an ongoing, top-priority project for CRYOPDP. The company is analysing, setting, and implementing new processes to improve its carbon footprint. With a structured action plan, CRYOPDP believes it can make a difference in the next couple of years. “We are currently neutralising our carbon emissions through afforestation and carbon avoidance projects, but this is only the first step. We have much to cover, to help us get a more sustainable future. In parallel, I am encouraging my teams in each country to participate in social initiatives in their own countries,” concludes Mr. Picaud.

Embracing the Third Generation of Legal Tech: The Importance of Professionalizing and Specializing in the Industry

Helena Hallgarn, Co-Founder, Virtual Intelligence VQ

Working with legal tech since the 1990s, it has been exciting to see the growing enthusiasm for legal tech in recent years. Legal tech enthusiasts can be found everywhere, from conferences and webinars to new roles in legal companies and law firms investing in tech tools and incubators.

However, as the legal tech industry has evolved, so too has the approach to it. We

have moved from a focus on making lawyers use legal tech to a phase where tech can replace some of the tasks traditionally done by lawyers. Now, it seems we are moving into the third generation of legal tech, where the focus is shifting to the outcome, the customer and the legal issues that need to be solved.

In order to fully embrace this third phase and develop valuable and easy-to-use solutions, we in the legal community need to professionalize

We have moved from a focus on making lawyers use legal tech to a phase where tech can replace some of the tasks traditionally done by lawyers

Helena Hallgarn is one of the pioneers in legal tech in Scandinavia. She founded Virtual Intelligence VQ 2010 together with her colleague Ann Björk, after working in law firms for 16 years (at Mannheimer Swartling, Vinge and Gernandt & Danielsson. At Virtual Intelligence VQ she has been able to combine her legal knowledge with IT skills to develop innovative IT tools for the legal sector. Their most well-established tool VQ Legal has, for example, truly changed the way company registration matters are being managed and is being used by nine of the ten biggest law firms in Sweden and many more. She is also Ambassador of ELTA (European Legal Tech Association) in Sweden and co-founder of the legal think-tank Changing Legal and the Legal Standards Monitor.

the approach to legal tech, deepen our knowledge and collaborate further in order to leverage advanced technology to support new, innovative solutions.

One of the challenges facing the legal tech industry is a lack of understanding of the different skills and competencies needed to successfully implement technology solutions. Many legal tech events and conferences try to cover a very wide range of topics, from different technologies to software implementation to IT law, which can make it difficult for professionals

to understand what to focus on. There is a great difference between describing digitalization ideas and implementing solutions that truly supports a change in the management of a specific legal task.

This lack of understanding of the different skills sets might be one factor that has resulted in so many failed projects. Law firms have invested in projects that don't actually change the way legal work is done, and legal tech solutions have not been implemented to fit into the natural daily work for lawyers. General

counsels are also struggling in their mission to digitalize their legal work. According to a survey, 77% of their IT projects fail.

Could it be the approach to tech and tech competence that is the problem? Lawyers in general are considered as highly competent people who generates great income. Therefore, we have had the old traditional view dividing the people of a law firm as “lawyers and non-lawyers” based on who are profitable and gaining income and those who are only support personnel. This was also a

problem that was stressed in the Litera report “The Changing Lawyer” 2022: “One of the single biggest barriers to integration is the term ‘non-lawyer’”.

We don’t have a very long tradition of appreciating other competences beyond legal expertise within the legal sector. For example, management skills have traditionally been overlooked within law firms, with senior partners often tasked with managing the firm in addition to their normal legal practice. This is also true for technology skills, with lawyers sometimes initiating tech projects without a deep understanding of the technology and the issues involved.

Therefore, to move towards the third generation of legal tech, where the focus is on solving legal issues and improving the customer experience, it's important to professionalize our approach to legal tech and to better understand the different competencies needed in different phases of a digitalization project.

One common misconception is that all lawyers should learn more about technology in order to change the legal sector. But there is a difference between learning to use a tool and learning how to build new, better tools. Lawyers should learn to use available tools as efficiently as possible to best support their clients, but they don't necessarily need to have a deep understanding of how those tools were built or how the underlying technology works.

Instead of expecting all lawyers to become experts in legal tech, we should define different areas and different professionals within the field. With a focus on more technologyoriented knowledge, I believe it is possible to identify at least three different tracks of skills

With the realization of the need for more specialized competence in legal tech project, and the need to involve “nonlawyers” with deep technology skills, there will probably arise a better understanding of the need for collaboration to be able to manage such projects

for lawyers: legal tech strategists, legal tech lawyers, and legal tech project managers. Legal tech strategist are high-level professionals who can initiate change and inspire organizations to start projects. They should have general knowledge about digitalization and management, as well as strong communication skills. Legal tech lawyers, on the other hand, should be more practically involved in legal tech projects, working closely with the business to ensure that solutions are tailored to their needs. They should have general IT understanding and the ability to build a business case for new solutions. They could also be responsible for the implementation phase of projects, showcasing new solutions to the business and optimizing legal processes. It is in this role much more technology knowledge is needed and there ought to be several alternative roles in this field, with a possibility to specialize on some specific type of technology platform, further knowledge on legal processer or better knowledge on how to build efficient business cases within the legal area. The role as a “Legal Knowledge Engineer”, that was presented several years ago by

Richard Susskind in his well-known books about the future legal profession, is another role available for a legal tech lawyer. That could be a lawyer focusing on building efficient document packages on a document assembly solution, to really include legal logic build and create documents adapted for the specific matter.

Finally, a legal tech project manager should have project management skills and the ability to collaborate with both lawyers and IT professionals to deliver successful projects.

With the realization of the need for more specialized competence in legal tech project, and the need to involve “non-lawyers” with deep technology skills, there will probably arise a better understanding of the need for collaboration to be able to manage such projects. In order to develop valuable and user-friendly solutions in legal tech, we need to foster a collaborative atmosphere that brings together different competencies.

This way we can also initiate solutions that truly focuses on the outcome, on the customer and the legal issues that need to be solved, i.e. the third generation of legal tech.

Instead of expecting all lawyers to become experts in legal tech, we should define different areas and different professionals within the field

Kevin MacRitchie

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, TACTICAL REHABILITATION INC

SERVING MILITARY VETERANS WITH BATTLE-TESTED, SERVICE-READY HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS

The Durable Medical Equipment (DME) market is a rapidly growing segment of the healthcare industry that includes a wide range of medical devices and equipment designed to aid in treating, monitoring, and caring for patients with chronic or long-term medical conditions. With an aging population and an increasing prevalence of chronic illnesses, the demand for durable medical equipment is expected to grow in the coming years, making this a promising area for healthcare providers, manufacturers, and investors alike. Established in 2013, Tactical

Rehabilitation is a full-service DME company whose mission is to serve those who serve their country. The company was founded by its current Chairman of the Board of Directors, David Marr, to create a better healthcare solution through quality products and services and better-trained team members to solve the lack of quality care available at the time. Tactical Rehabilitation has since continued to partner with the best providers in the industry, bringing the best medical solutions to its core competencies, which center around an approximately 68% of the military injury base and medical needs.

Kevin MacRitchie CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, TACTICAL REHABILITATION INC

Chief Financial Officer and Chief Legal Officer, Tactical Rehabilitation

Mr. Kevin MacRitchie, Chief Executive Officer of Tactical Rehabilitation Inc, says, “We have our long-standing definition of “Battle Tested” for our products, which originated with several of our products being sent overseas into battle zones. Those same patients and soldiers returning to us have expressed how well those products served them on the battlefield, keeping them healthy and "service-ready" to complete their mission. Since then, we have developed extremely high standards to ensure new products we make available reach this same level of "battle-tested" before we launch them for our patients to rely on.” With a team of experienced professionals and a commitment to exceptional customer service, Tactical Rehabilitation has become a trusted prover of medical equipment for active duty, veterans, and their families across the US. The company's dedication to innovation and technology ensures that its products are of the highest quality, positively impacting the lives of those who have served their country.

Leading a Team of Young and Desirable Leaders

“We are a young company made up of young and desirable leaders who simply have a mission to serve the world’s greatest heroes with the best quality healthcare in the business. Our patients are the service men and women of the US Military who deserve respect and honor for their sacrifice and the best possible healthcare during and following their active service years,” shares Mr. MacRitchie. Tactical Rehabilitation’s team comprises people who believe in this mission and work with Mr. MacRitchie to serve the greater good and create sustainable business practices. He adds, “My only real responsibility

Karen Lyons,

is to set lofty yet achievable goals with my Senior Leadership Team and motivate and inspire our team through our quality patient care objectives. I attain these goals through efficient processes that maximize our patient time.” With dedication and hard work, Mr. MacRitchie ensures Tactical Rehabilitation maintains its’ number one position in quality care, services, and partnerships, so the company can continue to be a leader and provide the best services to its patients and the best education to the doctors its serves for the next multiple generations.

“Our key is knowing our core competencies and serving others through our strengths. We partner like no other with an incredible focus on positive mutual outcomes to bring the best solutions to the doctors who care for these patients and ultimately need solutions that, in many cases, only we can provide,” pinpoints Mr. MacRitchie. Tactical Rehabilitation has exclusive products with strict adherence to

serving the US Military. Unlike its competition, many higher-paying civilian patients do not distract Tactical Rehabilitation from serving those in uniform. Mr. MacRitchie adds, “No one else can say that. According to those charged with overseeing the network of providers, we see our patients 58 days sooner on average than our competition.” Tactical Rehabilitation’s average time from authorization to patient contact is less than 48 hours.

Tactical Rehabilitation utilizes technology like a 3D rendering of custom orthotics sent directly to the manufacturing floor for initial 3D printing to improve scheduling, productivity, reporting, and more.

"We value technology as our "Silent Partner" in accelerating the best possible healthcare for all needing our services,” says Mr. MacRitchie. Tactical Rehabilitation has continued to grow and expand at the request of the doctors it serves. It is indeed an organic growth, and the rate at

With a team of experienced professionals and a commitment to exceptional customer service, Tactical Rehabilitation has become a trusted provider of durable medical equipment for veterans across the US

which the company is requested to serve new biases is incredible. Mr. MacRitchie explains, “We value our strategic growth initiatives, which add to our rapid growth around the globe. Ensuring the team is right on the edge of readiness and sustaining our incredible awardwinning "Tactical Experience" as the best in the industry everywhere will always continue as one of our crucial goals.”

A Tactical Leader Displaying Empathy and Enthusiasm

Mr. MacRitchie is an Information Systems and Operations Management learning prodigy in formal and life skills education. The combined education and life skills mean Mr. MacRitchie always seeks the most efficient way of doing things. It helps Tactical Rehabilitation in many ways. For instance, Mr. MacRitchie seeks, as

Tactical Rehabilitation’s team comprises people who believe in this mission and work with Mr. MacRitchie to serve the greater good and create sustainable business practices

a team with the Leadership Board, new ways to get to markets faster through a far more productive and less costly method of operating the business. He says, “As we focus on the needs of the military, we must bring the best quality healthcare at the cost of business lower than our competitors allowing us to do more.”

At Tactical Rehabilitation, Mr. MacRitchie has the best team in the industry, and he believes

they can get significantly

better. In fact, there will always be patients who need the best quality care to be service-ready and serve their country with honor. Mr. MacRitchie shares, “My workday is the best. I wake up knowing I get to serve the world’s greatest heroes in the US Military that protect our freedoms and life as we know it.” Mr. MacRitchie’s day involves partnering internally and externally to create

new solutions and solve problems where his team members need advice. He adds, “I relish that our company focuses on team and family as a part of our service to others. If there is a better life, someone would have to convince me of it because I am certain my team and I here at Tactical Rehabilitation are living it through honorable service to others.”

Developing people and ensuring their success has always been Mr. MacRitchie’s greatest achievement. He says, “We should all be working ourselves out of our current role through developing great leaders that will follow on and take us further as a team, business, friends, partnerships, and we should make it worthwhile and fun. That does not mean it should not be hard, nor that we won't have some setbacks or role changes to be placed in the best possible path for success as an individual and a team.” Mr. MacRitchie’s goal is to help new leaders see the mountain they want to be on top of and realize what it means, expand responsibility and accountability, serve

Mr. MacRitchie’s goal is to help new leaders see the mountain they want to be on top of and realize what it means, expand responsibility and accountability, serve all others first around the clock, and love it for the betterment of the team

all others first around the clock, and love it for the betterment of the team.

Mr. MacRitchie believes there is no better way to motivate people than to have fun. At Tactical Rehabilitation, he encourages fun and localized involvement in the community where their patients live and work. “We also believe in consistent processes, incentivizing team members for better education, incentivizing team members to meet their KPI, and encouraging them to become leaders within our company. At no time is anyone limited in their roles; rather, everyone has the opportunity, through hard work, achieving goals, and expanding their skills, to grow into new roles that benefit our patients, our team, and our company,” explains Mr. MacRitchie.

An Influential Leader

Mr. MacRitchie has had great and horrible bosses and has learned equally from both. His life experiences have been filled with countless learning opportunities, all of which he has taken every chance to educate himself from as a part of them. “My personal life has been filled with so many great chances to get to know or chance meet with people over dinner or an event. I have gotten to know these big stars and well-known names like Robert Redford, General Colin Powell, Admiral Archie Clemens, General Hugh Shelton, Jack Welch, Jay Leno, Richard Branson, and so many more. They have really taught me that a genuine interest in getting to know and listen to the people you are with, a genuine caring for others, and setting a genuine tough set of goals and standards are crucial to being a successful leader and empowering people to feel great about achieving tough goals together as a team,” pinpoints Mr. MacRitchie.

Influenced by the great leaders he met over the years, Mr. MacRitchie has tried to make people feel valued in their roles. He has worked hard to ensure every person in his life who works for him knows he cares. “I always ensure that people who work with me understand the importance of living a full and valued life or delivering a great solution as a part of a team, knowing how each role fits within the company, and being the best that we can all be together at any moment and over the long-haul of time.”

The Way Forward

The pandemic has had a significant financial impact on DME manufacturers, with many experiencing revenue and profits declining due to decreased demand for non-essential equipment, increased costs of raw materials and shipping, and disruptions to their operations. However, Tactical Rehabilitation grew the fastest during the pandemic. When others shut their doors, Tactical Rehabilitation stayed open, opened four new locations around the country, and began its added focus internationally.

“Patients still needed healthcare, maybe more than ever. Our doctors and bases recognized we were there with them and will always be," says Mr. MacRitchie. The proactive support offered by Mr. MacRitchie and his team stands as a testament, among so many things, that Tactical Rehabilitation has always been available for its patients and will be for generations to come.

“We are always expanding and continue to do so in new solutions, markets, products, and technologies. We will never stop, even if that means going to the Moon and maybe Mars. Where there is a need, we will be there,” concludes Mr. MacRitchie.

Citibeats: A Human-Centered Technology

Matteo Mezzanott, Head of Communications, Citibeats, Spain

Technology and the Human Factor

When we think about technology, almost immediately images of computers, smartphones, social media platforms, smart devices, etc. come into our minds. Because this is what we perceive, today, as technology. But technology did not always look like today: if you think about it, in a certain way, also the wheel, when it was invented represented a huge technological discovery and today, we take it for granted as the most obvious thing.

If we go back in time and consider some of the major technological discoveries, we would see how technology and its impact and role in the evolution of humanity have changed a lot according to the historical period.

The telephone (1876), the light bulb (1880), the television (1927), the personal computer (the 1970s), the Internet (1973), the web browser

(1994), the social media (2004) up until the smartphone (2007), etc. are considered among the most important technologies developed in the last 200 years (more or less).

Technology has been defined in multiple ways, for instance it is defined as “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry”, as “the application of knowledge for achieving practical goals in a reproducible way”, or as “the machinery and equipment developed from the application of scientific knowledge”. Even more interesting is this definition: “Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life or, as it is sometimes phrased, to the change and manipulation of the human environment.” Surprisingly enough, this last definition is the only one that openly and explicitly brings the human factor into the equation.

With over 15 years of a professional career in different industries, from education to publishing, from cloud computing to data centers, and an MA in Linguistics and Translation, Matteo Mezzanotte is Head of Communications at Citibeats, the leading worldwide ethical AI platform for social understanding. He strongly believes that our progress as a society will only be complete when we all move at the same pace and, to that end, he has joined Citibeats to bring the storytelling about the positive social impact of technology to the next level.

Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life or, as it is sometimes phrased, to the change and manipulation of the human environment

Can we have technology without humans? No. (Let’s leave Hollywood’s blockbusters aside.)

Is technology designed by humans for humans? Yes. (As above.)

Is technology something for all humans? Not necessarily.

Is technology designed and perceived as “the application of scientific knowledge” for the benefit of all humans? No.

Well, here it seems we are facing a conundrum.

Giving a Voice to All Citizens

All of you, readers of this article, are citizens. You have clear your rights and responsibilities and I am pretty sure that at least once in your life, you felt disappointed with decisions that were taken by someone else. And this might have happened at any level: in your job, in your city, or in your country. Maybe you felt ignored, and that your opinions and ideas, and needs were not taken into account. That is not a nice feeling, right? Being cut out of the decisionmaking process.

Leaving citizens (even some of them) out of the decision-making process is something that decision-makers cannot afford. It is counterproductive, unpopular, inefficient from a financial perspective, and, especially, extremely unfair and undemocratic.

In 2023, citizens are mainly (but only) expressing their opinions online. Just think that when you have finished reading this article, there will be millions and millions of new tweets on Twitter, posts on Facebook and LinkedIn, and photos on Instagram (just to name some of the most famous social media channels).

The problem decision-makers are facing is that, even if they want to listen to their citizens,

Technologists have a moral duty, to help society evolve, and to make that possible it is essential to define an ethical framework within which technology must operate

it is practically, humanly impossible. The humongous quantity of data created by people on a daily basis is that huge that no human brain can process it. It has been recently discovered that more than 90% of online data was generated just in the past few years (and, as said above, the Internet was invented in 1987). To make it more complex, 80% of that new data is unstructured: heterogeneous in channels and topics, and expressed in different languages and jargon. In a nutshell, it is a lot of data that cannot be used and cannot be understood easily. Think of it as online “dust” that remains there, that is piling up, idly and that no one is even paying attention to.

A lot of people talking without a clear final receiver generates a communication breakdown: misinformation, frustration, gaps between citizens, institutions and organizations, and, ultimately, a pervasive lack of trust that runs throughout society.

Technology is a marvellous thing, brings people together, and connects individuals from any remote location on this planet (and also off this planet). Technology would be even more marvellous if all citizens could enjoy its benefits, especially today, in the so-called digitalized era.

It is essential to give a voice to all citizens and understand their needs, opinions, and concerns. This is the only way to make technology a marvel for all humans. Now, is it a dream? No, it is not. At Citibeats, we are precisely working toward that goal.

A Fairer Technology

Technologists have a moral duty, to help society evolve, and to make that possible it is essential to define an ethical framework within which technology must operate.

Citibeats, awarded by the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer is the only worldwide company complaint with the EU AI Act about transparency and trustworthiness in AI. It was founded to leverage citizens' voices, to support decision-makers detect and understand societal changes in real time, to interpret citizens’ real needs, opinions, and concerns, and thus enable them to make betterinformed and faster decisions.

We have an ethical approach to technology, guaranteeing the protection of the users, their privacy, and anonymity; detecting and reducing bias to offer a representation of the whole population; focusing on use cases with a positive impact on society. Our ethical commitment is also confirmed by the implementation of the fAIr LAC ethical self-assessment tool.

Society is constantly changing and decisionmakers, relying on survey methods, cannot interpret citizens’ fastly evolving narratives. Citibeats gives decision-makers a tool enabling them to include, in their decision-making process, the voice of citizens. Of all citizens, even those usually underrepresented or that do not have direct access to the Internet.

To that end, we have recently launched an initiative called Ethical AI Community. The mission of the community is to help decisionmakers “make better decisions based on unbiased data [and for that to happen, it has been created] a framework (Reponseable. aiTM) for ethical and socially sustainable artificial intelligence applications that address these challenges and emphasize common principles such as transparency, citizen-first, comprehensibility, non-discrimination, and human dignity”.

Embedding the voices of all citizens in the decision-making process

Citibeats is just one of the many companies working for social good. And I believe that we will see more and more companies like us, that stands as a bridge between citizens, on one side, and decision-makers, on the other.

Just to give you an example of how we interpret technology for social good, we have just promoted a new initiative to support the populations of Turkey and Syria hit by one of the most devastating earthquakes in modern times. Citibeats is offering free access to its platform to all organizations, private or

public, that are working to help the Turkish and the Syrian people.

Citibeats is a company for profit, but it is also something more. Citibeats is the first piece of a technological and social mosaic that, far from being a utopia, has the responsibility of bringing humanity back into decision-making on key global challenges like sustainability, health, gender equality, and social risks, among others. The goal of Citibeats is to create a fairer, smarter, more representative, and inclusive society and positively impact decisions, investment and policy-making.

We have an ethical approach to technology, guaranteeing the protection of the users, their privacy, and anonymity; detecting and reducing bias to offer a representation of the whole population; focusing on use cases with a positive impact on society

MOST INSPIRING BUSINESS LEADERS 2023

Tetsuo Kurita TRANSFORMING THE LEGAL INDUSTRY LANDSCAPE ACROSS ASIA

MANAGING PARTNER, ONE ASIA LAWYERS GROUP

Tetsuo Kurita is the Managing Partner at One Asia Lawyers Group. Currently based in Singapore, he specializes in all cross-border legal transactions, including M&A and international trade disputes. Tetsuo has held several prestigious leadership roles and responsibilities throughout his impressive career. These include being admitted as a solicitor in the state of New York USA and attorney at laws in Japan; legal advisor of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,

Transport and Tourism in Japan for Construction Company Foreign Expansion; lawyer in charge of small-to-medium enterprises foreign venture support at Japan Federation of Bar Association; special professor at Hitotsubashi University and Kobe University; Users Council Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC); and acted as a business development support adviser in Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, Japan (SME Support, Japan).

TETSUO KURITA MANAGING PARTNER, ONE ASIA LAWYERS GROUP

Apart from these leadership experiences, Tetsuo became the first qualified Japanese lawyer to advise Singapore commercial law (Foreign Practitioner Certificate for Foreign Lawyer to Practise both Singapore Law and Foreign Law in Singapore (Section 36B)) in 2014. He is also the first Japanese lawyer to become a case managing officer at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), dealing with many cross-border dispute resolution issues.

Academic Background & Professional Experience

Coming from a humble background, Tetsuo’s journey to becoming a lawyer and, later, a managing partner at one of the leading law firms across Asia is indeed a testament to his hard work, determination, and passion. Tetsuo’s father was born in China in 1945 when World War II had just ended. While growing up, Tetsuo’s grandfather and parents

used to have a dialogue with him about doing business across Asia and not confining himself to Japan. In addition to having the desire to conduct business overseas, especially across Asia, he was also passionate about empowering people through his skills, knowledge, and experience and, ultimately, bringing a positive change in the society. Therefore, becoming a lawyer was a career calling for him.

In 2003, Tetsuo graduated from the Tokyo University Law School. Looking back, Tetsuo shares that it was very difficult to pass the bar exam in Japan as the passing rate was around 2% then. This resulted in a minimal number of business lawyers, which was not enough. Determined and focused as he was, he took the bar exam while he was studying at the university and passed with flying colours.

Shortly after, Tetsuo began his career at the Mori Hamada Matsumoto Law Firm in Japan. After completing around seven successful years at the law firm, he decided to further his studies overseas in Switzerland and the USA. He pursued LLM from the University of Virginia. He later became a partner in one of Singapore’s top law firms, Rajah & Tann, followed by heading the Asian operations for Baker & McKenzie.

Having previously worked at some of the leading law firms for numerous years, Tetsuo identified a missing gap in the legal industry. He wanted to establish a global firm with reasonable size and costs to help clients invest across Asia. One Asia Lawyers Group is the realization of his dream.

One Asia Lawyers: Efficient Solutions in a Unified Legal Platform

One Asia Lawyers is a network of independent law firms created expressly to provide seamless, comprehensive legal advice for Japanese clients. Moreover, its member firms combine years of Southeast Asian legal experience in virtually all specialties of the law, from mergers/ acquisitions to finance, real estate, and employment statutes. With its member firms in each ASEAN country and Japan, One Asia Lawyers provides an accessible and efficient service throughout the region.

What Makes One Asia Lawyers Unique Among the Global Law Firms?

“What makes us unique is our diverse connection in the world as we have offices and member firms in 17 countries,” states Tetsuo. “One Asia Lawyers’ international legal network was created to support our clients’ endeavours to expand in the ASEAN market by focusing on superb

advice, speedily delivered with affordable fees from each member firm.”

Likewise, One Asia Lawyers passionately supports the international growth of the Japanese legal sector, conducts seminars, assists lawyers in obtaining the necessary foreign qualifications, and recognizes the future by offering legal internships.

Overcoming Challenges that Come with the Leadership Role

Since One Asia Lawyers has offices across diverse countries, Tetsuo needs help communicating and maintaining unity among the members. He feels that even though they conduct online meetings and stay digitally connected, it is different from connecting with people on a one-to-one basis. Therefore, One Asia Lawyers organizes a yearly physical tour (Group Trip) to connect and bond with other group members.

Keeping Team Members Motivated & Inspired

To achieve exceptional results, leaders should constantly think about how they can motivate and inspire their teams. At One Asia Lawyers, Tetsuo believes in sharing the company’s vision with his team members and setting clear goals for them that lead to increased productivity. He also believes in the power of effective communication between and across teams, appreciating and recognizing team efforts, offering upskilling, growth, and development opportunities, and giving constructive feedback at regular intervals. These efforts not only contribute to increased employee satisfaction and employee engagement but also to company loyalty.

One Asia Lawyers' international legal network was created to support our clients' endeavours to expand in the ASEAN market by focusing on superb advice, speedily delivered with affordable fees from each member firm.

Work Routine of a Successful Leader

For Tetsuo, most of his weekdays are spent working. His schedule is packed with back-toback meetings with teams, colleagues, clients, stakeholders etc. The weekends, however, allow him to relax, unwind, gaze at nature, pursue personal interests, and spend time with loved ones.

Pandemic Opening Doors to New Opportunities

Tetsuo shares that the legal industry has become more efficient and productive after the global pandemic, as lawyers can now easily complete M&A and conduct arbitration hearings online. Likewise, hiring lawyers from overseas and working online remotely has become feasible. Conclusively, the pandemic has opened doors to new opportunities for businesses across the world.

Nomination by Various Award

One Asia Lawyers Group, Singapore office (Focus Law Asia LLC) has gotten various legal awards, for example recognized as “Firm to watch” on Dispute Resolution (Local Firms) in 2023, recognised as “Firm to watch” on Shipping (Local Firms) in 2023, recognised by

Asian Legal Business as one of Asia’s fastestgrowing firms 2022 and also listed as one of the “Top 10 Employment Law Firms in APAC recognition 2023 by APAC.”

Expansion in South Asia and Middle East and Roadmap to an Exciting Future

As the Managing Partner, Tetsuo looks forward to increasing One Asia Lawyers’ team in Japan and Singapore to around 100 lawyers in the next ten years. Moreover, One Asia Lawyers is already marking its footprints across Asia. Last year, the law firm opened its 4th branch in Japan, Kyoto, and sometimes next year, it plans to open a new group firm in Nagoya, Japan.

Led by Tetsuo, One Asia Lawyers, decided to expand its operation in South Asia especially in India as numbers of Japanese companies and global companies are expanding their operations in India due to conflict between China and USA. In addition, One Asia Lawyers will open Dubai office this year as various fintech companies are expanding its businesses in Middle East.

Going ahead, with Tetsuo’s passion, One Asia Lawyers plans to become a truly international firm for businesses in Japan and beyond and be recognized as the top law firm in dispute resolution and M&A across Asia.

Why Most Journey Maps are a Dead End (And How to Fix It)

Nate Brown, Co-Founder, CX Accelerator

Ah the journey map. The magical “ace up the sleeve” of nearly every CX professional. It’s become nearly synonymous with the work of Customer Experience like rebooting a machine for an IT person.

The inconvenient truth is that for all the journey maps I’ve witnessed, precious few have made a meaningful difference inside of the company. It’s yet another resource lost to email trash cans and forgotten office filing cabinets. The journey map becomes a map to nowhere…an experience dead end.

And if the journey map fails, guess what else people will lose confidence in? That’s right… the overall Customer Experience initiative.

This is a steep price to pay. Credibility is so crucial in this work that is dependent on our ability to earn supporters across the business.

If we are going to invest the time, energy, and resources to do a map, we need to know how to stick the landing.

This article will briefly explore when is the right time to do a journey map, pitfalls to avoid, and ways to make the process meaningful for all stakeholders. If you are wondering what a journey map is and what the foundational elements are I’d highly suggest this piece to get you going.

To Map or Not to Map

“There is no map to human behavior” - Bjork

What is it we are looking to achieve with a journey map? This is an extremely important question to ask. And sadly, one that does not get asked enough.

If we do not begin this process with a clear outcome in mind, it’s extremely likely we will

Nate Brown is a perpetual student of the world’s greatest experiences and the people who create them. Having spent the first decade of this career managing a complex technical support environment for Occupational Health and eLearning software, Nate transitioned to Customer Experience in 2015. After authoring The Ultimate CX Primer, Brown was dubbed the “CX Influencer of the Year” by CloudCherry in 2019, and a top global CX thought leader by ICMI, Exceeders, Netomi, Martech and many more. Nate also co-created CX Accelerator, a first-class, nonprofit community to help Customer Experience professionals grow and succeed in every stage of their career journey.

What is it we are looking to achieve with a journey map?

This is an extremely important question to ask. And sadly, one that does not get asked enough

not achieve one. If done really well, there are a number of wonderful things that can happen as a result of a journey map. Here are three of my favorite possible outcomes:

● Connecting every employee, regardless of where they fit in the company, to a specific customer journey.

● Revealing the true nature and complexity of the customer’s experience through THEIR

lens…not the lens of the business we typically see through.

● Illuminating critical friction points and “moments of truth” that have a tremendous impact on the overall journey.

If you are hoping to use a journey map as part of a larger strategy to awaken a customer-centric culture, you are probably on the right track.

There are many situations where a journey map is NOT the best fit. These include:

● When executives just want to see a diagram of the journey through their own lens and in their terminology, not that of the customer.

● When the business is trying to visualize the relationship between various internal components, such as technology, process and people. Check out a “Service Blueprint” for this need.

● You’ve got 2,000 post-it notes and two hours to kill during an executive offsite. The only “lasting” impact of this activity would likely be sticky residue on the walls.

Bottom line: The journey map CAN BE a highly valuable education piece, accelerating a customer-centric mindset across the business. It also can be (and sadly usually is) a total waste of time. How can we tip the scales in our favor to make this a meaningful activity?

Here are a few things you SHOULD do:

Have a very specific and well-defined customer persona ready to map. If you try to merge different personas together, the map becomes unintelligible.

Use REAL customer data. If you are slapping assumptions from executives on to sticky notes you are not journey mapping. You are hypothesizing. There is a time and place for

So much good will come from identifying and addressing these VoC gaps. And one such relevant outcome will be having the insights you need to do true journey maps indefinitely into the future

a “hypothesis map” to awaken curiosity…but it’s far better to actually have data across the customer journey BEFORE you try to map it.

What you may be seeing is that there are many critical steps that come before a journey map. Namely a strong “Voice of Customer” engine (to use a Jeanne Bliss term) and well-defined customer personas. So often organizations short-cut these steps and end up with a map to nowhere.

In these situations, I’ve started doing something I call a “listening path map.” This is a perfect primer to a true journey map, and an extremely helpful exercise in-and-of itself.

The primary goal of the listening path map is to clearly show the current gaps in the Voice of Customer engine. This is done by selecting a customer persona, identifying all the major milestones in that customer's journey, and listing under each milestone the structured and unstructured listening paths. Every time I’ve done this exercise, it’s revealed several major oversights in the design of the Voice of Customer program.

So much good will come from identifying and addressing these VoC gaps. And one such relevant outcome will be having the insights you need to do true journey maps indefinitely into the future.

In my opinion, the absolute biggest DO THIS is premediating a creative way to bring the journey map to the people it’s meant to serve…your employees.

One of my favorite examples of this comes from a software organization I used to work inside of. There was a new piece of technology that was released that somehow

had garnered a negative reputation with many of the employees. Naturally, this perception was spilling over into customers…which was the last thing we needed.

I decided to probe deeper and start asking employees where their perspective was coming from. What I found is that few of them had ever even logged in! It was a bunch of “he said, she said” rumor mill. As childish as this sounds, water cooler talk should NEVER be underestimated. Countless multi-million dollar ideas have crashed and burned in the fires of internal chit-chat. But how to reverse the trend?

Enter the journey map, wrapped in a clever hands-on scenario. We actually simulated a “workplace incident” that involved the KoolAid Man bursting through the wall. Our employees came in that day to an “urgent communication” in which they had to login to the new software and perform a role similar to that of our customer. Successful compilation of this task earned them entry into a free lunch, in which we also presented the journey map! It was a huge hit and went a long way in improving both internal and external knowledge of the technology.

I’d go as far to say that the way the journey map is introduced to your employees is as important as the map itself. Think of a great way to BREAK the mental pattern your employees are in. We want them to really consider what life is like as a customer, and the role they play in that relationship. Make the map jump off the page in an unforgettable way!

I hope this piece will help you to avoid the dreaded “journey map dead end” that has befallen so many. Don’t hesitate to reach out if I can be a resource during your next map quest!

We’re All Clamoring for More, But That Betrays What We Have

Rob Whitfield, CEO, Ferrazzi Greenlight

Abraham Maslow famously said, “Man is a perpetually wanting animal.” This doesn’t just apply in our personal lives, but in our work lives too. Having coached hundreds of executive and leadership teams around the world, I consistently hear requests and demands to secure more people, more budget, more resources, and more time.

Oftentimes, executives and leaders start with that focus on needing more before considering what they have and whether they are using it well. Indeed, optimizing for what we have is typically so far down our ‘to do’ lists, that we’d rather fight to get more than seek to be better with what we have.

Times are changing now and as the global economic outlook continues to look less and less appealing, organizations are cutting roles, reducing headcount, slashing budgets, and so

on, meaning that our ever-increasing targets must be realized with less and less.

But let’s pause for a moment. We’re missing something here. Our relentless pursuit for more betrays what we have; we have hardworking teams who, during the pandemic, found ways to be revolutionary and agile in what and how they were able to deliver regardless of what was happening around them. We have this powerhouse in our teams, and I’ve seen even most amazing leaders take them for granted. While that’s a separate topic for another time, the point here is that we aren’t making the most of the strength and abilities that lie nascent around us. In all honesty, our research shows that we’re losing up to 50% of the outcomes that are possible for us to achieve from our teams due to a lack of teaming competencies.

Rob is an International Behavior Change Specialist, Certified NLP Trainer, and Executive Coach. He has spent more than 20 years in consulting with the specific intent of helping clients deliver a return on investment from behavior change in the workplace. Rob’s passion is to help individuals, teams, and organizations reach their highest goals. Rob’s experience of igniting and driving to sustainable transformation in organizations across the world delivers practical advice that can drive to human behavior change in complex strategic, technology, and process environments in diverse sectors. A speaker, experience designer, and writer with a proven track record in driving complex customercentric transformation in multiple industries, Rob is a strong, motivational leader who is able to connect people to ideas and inspire them to think critically and differently. He holds them accountable to take actions that will lead to new behaviors and 10X results.

In all honesty, our research shows that we’re losing up to 50% of the outcomes that are possible for us to achieve from our teams due to a lack of teaming competencies

As we grow in our roles, we shift through learning specific, technical competencies and often learn leadership competencies while we ascend through the organizational ranks. Most companies fail to help their executives, leaders, and teams understand and apply teaming competencies, which means we are effectively working with individuals doing their own thing and not harnessing the exceptional power of the interdependencies between members of teams, and further, across teams.

By embracing teaming competencies, we can elevate our performance, we can accelerate our results, we can do more with less, and all while making it easier to do so. The challenge most teams face is that they are not good at optimizing what they have now, and we’ve facilitated and coached some of the world’s best brands, startups, and non-profit organizations to embrace what they have and unleash their true potential.

Imagine if we could get 50% more from what we already have without making people work harder - indeed, they’d have to work differently but it would get them where they want to go - or beyond - faster and more joyfully. Wouldn’t that be amazing? And the best news, is that it is entirely possible!

For accelerated and elevated outcomes, get in touch or take our free team diagnostic to benchmark how your team is doing compared to our decades of research in thousands of teams. With solutions for every budget and our clear guarantee, you have nothing to lose and significant results to gain.

Most companies fail to help their executives, leaders, and teams understand and apply teaming competencies, which means we are effectively working with individuals doing their own thing and not harnessing the exceptional power of the interdependencies between members of teams, and further, across teams