Digital First Magazine – July 2023 – 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders – 2023

Most Inspiring Women Leaders-2023

Managing Editor

Sarath Shyam

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Dr. John Andrews

Emma James

Andrew Scott

Sabrina Samson

Naomi Wilson

Stanly Lui

Steve Hope

Keith Alexander

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Charlie Jameson

Louis Bernard

Shirley David

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Charting New Frontiers: Stories of Inspiring Women Leaders - 2023

women leaders have demonstrated unwavering determination, breaking through societal norms and outdated stereotypes to make their voices heard and their visions realized.

Their struggles and triumphs testify to their fortitude and perseverance, inspiring generations of young women to dream big and believe in their potential. These trailblazers have proven that gender is not a limitation to success but rather an asset that brings unique perspectives, empathy, and collaboration to the forefront of decision-making.

In the realm of business and technology, the importance of women leaders cannot be overstated. As we progress into the 21st century, women’s empowerment in leadership roles has become not just a goal but a necessity for driving innovation and fostering diversity in corporate landscapes. In this issue, we celebrate the indomitable spirit and resilience of women leaders who have shattered glass ceilings and blazed a trail of success in their respective fields.

The journey to the top for women in business and technology has been anything but easy. Historically, they have faced countless barriers and biases, often having to prove their capabilities repeatedly, navigating through a male-dominated terrain that favored tradition over change. Despite these challenges,

We proudly present the stories of “10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders - 2023” in the following pages. Each of these exceptional women has a compelling narrative to share, one that encapsulates the essence of their journey and the impact of their leadership on their organizations and industries.

We feature Katrin-Cécile Ziegler, a German tech expert, international keynote speaker, and environmental economist, on the cover. She has served as a lecturer, tech journalist, and advisory board member, focusing on sustainability and digital innovation. With numerous media awards and as a sought-after international influencer, she inspires and empowers others in the tech industry.

To our readers, we invite you to immerse yourselves in the journeys of these inspiring women leaders. May their experiences ignite the flames of ambition, purpose, and determination within you, inspiring you to chart your own course and embrace the challenges that lie ahead. Enjoy Reading.

Sarath Shyam

EXPERT OPINION

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64

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Lana Tockus, Founder, MagniLearn

Our Teachers Today

Jenny Tan, Head, Group Internal Audit, CapitaLand Investment Group & President, ISACA Singapore Chapter, Singapore

Transformation: An Opportunity or Nightmare to Risk Management

Susanne Tedrick, Cloud Computing Technical Trainer, Microsoft

the Cloud Computing Skills Gap: Six Recommendations for Leader

KATRIN-CÉCILE ZIEGLER

INFLUENCING POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE TECH WORLD

Katrin-Cécile Ziegler is a German tech expert, international keynote speaker, and environmental economist. She has served as a lecturer, tech journalist, and advisory board member, with a focus on sustainability and digital innovation. With numerous media awards and as a sought-after international influencer, she inspires and empowers others in the tech industry.

On LinkedIn, Katrin Ziegler boasts a following of over 20k, and her influence extends internationally as she is sought after for collaborations with major tech brands. Katrin is a strong advocate for digital ethics and has delivered a compelling TED Talk on brain-computer interfaces. Her dedication to responsible technology and thought-provoking insights have made her a respected figure in the industry and media/TV.

Recently, in an exclusive interview with Digital First Magazine, Katrin shared her insights on the key digital transformation trends to watch out for, career trajectory, most challenging aspect of her role as an international tech influencer and content creator, secret mantra behind her success, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.

Keynote Speaker, Digital Expert, Advisory Board Member & Tech Influencer

According to you, which are the three significant digital transformation trends to keep an eye on in 2023? These are 3 trends that are new to many but will have a long-term significant impact on our future: Sustainability, Digital Products (every data is product) and generative AI. The important thing is that we should no longer view any trend in isolation from one another. They are also interrelated and should be delivered together.

Katrin, please take us through your professional journey. How has been your experience as a keynote speaker, lecturer, tech journalist and tech influencer and what are the major takeaways from each of the roles?

Being a lecturer for tech-trends and digital ethics has been both rewarding and challenging. It has given me the chance to educate and empower students by sharing my expertise and experience. I have had the privilege of teaching various technologyrelated subjects, and witnessing the growth and enthusiasm of my students has been incredibly gratifying. One major takeaway from this role is the importance of adaptability and continuous learning, as technology is

BUT CREATING SUCH “SIMPLE” CONTENT IS VERY TIME CONSUMING AND CHALLENGING. IT REQUIRES TIME MANAGEMENT TO ACCOMPLISH ALONGSIDE MY OTHER JOBS, MANAGING MULTIPLE PROJECTS AND MEETING DEADLINES

constantly evolving. This is also where I leave my bubble, because the young students’ way of thinking and questions change over time and also provide me with valuable impulses.

Keynote speaking is an incredibly fulfilling experience for me. I also love being on stage. It allows me to share my knowledge, insights, and passion for technology with

diverse audiences. The opportunity to address large gatherings and industry conferences has given me a platform to inspire and motivate others, especially women, to pursue careers in tech. The major takeaway from this role is the power of communication and the ability to influence positive change through impactful speeches.

As a tech journalist and international tech influencer, I have the opportunity to stay at the forefront of the latest trends, innovations, and breakthroughs in the tech industry. This role allows me to delve deep into research, interview international high-level industry experts, and

create insightful content that informs and engages readers. The major takeaway from this role is the ability to distill complex information into accessible content that educates and empowers readers. It has taught me the power of storytelling, visual communication, and building

a personal brand. One other major takeaway from this role is the importance of consistently producing high-quality content that adds value and resonates with the target audience. I have more than 20k followers on LinkedIn and have already done very exciting collaborations with more than 20 brands, including very big tech companies like IBM or INTEL.

What would you say are the most challenging aspects of your job as a tech influencer and content creator?

The tech industry can be very complex and technical, especially when it comes to topics like artificial intelligence or cybersecurity. Simplifying complex concepts and making them accessible to a broad audience is a challenge. This requires storytelling and simple, understandable language without buzzwords. I enjoy that. I would prefer that even a child understands my content.

TECH IS NOT THE SOLE SOLUTION, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO THINK AND DELIVER TOGETHER ABOUT TWO OF OUR GREATEST HUMAN CHALLENGES

- THE CLIMATE CRISIS AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

AN IMPORTANT BOOSTER FOR MY SUCCESSES HAS UNDOUBTEDLY ALSO BEEN MY REACH. SOCIAL MEDIA HAS ENABLED ME TO ACCOMPLISH A LOT

But creating such “simple” content is very time consuming and challenging. It requires time management to accomplish alongside my other jobs, managing multiple projects and meeting deadlines.

The pressure is also getting stronger as the battle for attention on platforms like LinkedIn increases and there are also online trolls. Here, it’s just as important to take care of your own mental health. Enjoying content creation and interacting with my community should always come first.

Being a tech influencer and content creator is also incredibly rewarding. I get to share my values with others, inspire them, alleviate their fears and educate them. I think we should all become influencers in the sense that we want to help shape our future and take up our own space to influence. It’s definitely a big responsibility, too.

As keynote speaker at the TEDx Conference, you shed light on the topic, “How Mind-Reading Tech conquers your brain”. What made you choose this topic?

I wanted to address the fascinating yet controversial advancements in brain-computer-interfaces, a field of neurotechnology. I believe it’s crucial to bring attention to the potential opportunities and risks that arise from mind-reading technologies. On one hand, such technologies hold the promise of revolutionizing healthcare, communication, and education, offering incredible possibilities for individuals with disabilities and unlocking new frontiers of human potential. On the other hand, there are concerns regarding privacy, security, and ethical implications surrounding the invasive nature of these technologies. By shedding light on both the chances and risks, I aimed to spark a thought-provoking dialogue, foster awareness, and encourage responsible development and deployment of neurotechnologies. It is essential for society to navigate this field with caution. Hence, as a member of the International Neuroethics Society, I advocate for the development of neurorights that safeguard us against misuse and promote ethical applications. For me, BrainComputer Interfaces (BCIs) are one of the most fascinating technologies, and their development is much further along than many people realize.

Tell us about your guiding principles and some of the initiatives taken by you as a digital expert and environmental economist.

I firmly believe in the power of technology to address environmental challenges. Tech is not the sole solution, but I believe that we need to think and deliver together about two

of our greatest human challenges - the climate crisis and digital transformation. As a digital expert, I strongly advocate for the adoption of sustainable practices in the technology industry. That´s why I am proud to serve as an advisory board member at the largest European Climate Innovation Foundation of Stuttgart. We support initiatives and startups in the field of greentech and other innovations. Our board comprises a diverse group of experts, which I appreciate because it allows us to integrate and consider multiple perspectives.

The concept of the circular economy, which aims to minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency, is also close to my heart. That’s why I volunteered as a juror for the international “Green Alley Award.” We use it to promote startups that find innovative approaches.

On the other hand, we face another problem for global implementation, which is digital inclusion. Inclusion and accessibility are crucial aspects of the digital world. As the German ambassador for the European Digital Society, I am committed to bridging the digital divide and ensuring that everyone has equal access to technology and digital opportunities. We still have a long way to go here. Women are particularly often disadvantaged here. I have been a mentor for many years and want to encourage young women, especially in a digital world that offers so many opportunities.

You have been a recipient of numerous media awards and accolades over the years. What is the secret mantra behind your success?

I

am grateful for all the opportunities I have had. A key factor that has always empowered

IF YOU CAN’T FIND PROFESSIONAL ROLE MODELS, SEEK OUT INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE A STRONG BELIEF IN THEMSELVES AND LET THEIR CONFIDENCE INSPIRE YOU. YOU WILL FIND YOUR WAY

myself: I accept every interesting challenge, no matter how difficult it sounds, and grow from it. I never say no. It sounds simple, but it’s a contract I have made with myself. Doubts are always a part of the journey; in fact, they are crucial. Doubts can drive us to uncover the truth. I don’t let my doubts defeat me; instead, I explore them. And often, I discover that the fears accompanying certain doubts were unnecessary. This realization builds long-term courage.

An important booster for my successes has undoubtedly also been my reach. Social media has enabled me to accomplish a lot. I was able to establish a personal brand and build a strong network early on. I highly recommend young people to start building a network and leverage its power for their own growth.

Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life? Certainly, my parents played a significant role in shaping my journey. My late father was a feminist who always encouraged and supported me. My mother is a creative artist who constantly reinvents herself. Both of them have been a great source of inspiration. However, when it comes to venturing into the tech world, I had to find my own path. I didn’t have many female role models in this field, so I had to take some detours to find my place. From that, I gained a lot of valuable experience. It may sound cliché, but the most important thing is still believing in oneself. If you can’t find professional role models,

seek out individuals who have a strong belief in themselves and let their confidence inspire you. You will find your way.

What is your biggest goal? Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?

In 5 years? It’s fascinating that I`ve never seriously pondered the question to myself. Not making concrete plans has worked for me, allowing me to recognize opportunities and explore new paths. I understand that it may be a matter of personal preference. Being a multitasker and needing change and variety to be happy aligns well with my approach. Remaining open to possibilities seems to be my overarching plan.

However, it’s natural to have wishes or goals as well. I aspire to find the time and opportunity to inspire even more people internationally with my keynotes from various backgrounds around the world.

Expanding my reach and making a positive impact on a broader scale is an aspiration worth pursuing.

What piece of advice would you give to aspiring female professionals? Find an inner circle of other professionals whom you can trust and with whom you can openly discuss your insecurities and doubts. You’ll discover that we all face these struggles. It will provide you with strength, make certain obstacles appear smaller, and help you find support. While you can make progress on your own, you won’t go far without a network. Build trust in yourself and others, for it is crucial. Everything else can be learned. I tried it out myself.

Effectively Collaborating with Partners & Teams to Achieve Business Goals

Sherifa Hady, Vice President Channel EMEA, Aruba

According to you, what are the most impactful changes that have occurred in the IT industry in the last decade and where is it heading towards now?

In the last decade, the IT industry has undergone significant changes, most notably a digital revolution. Today, we find ourselves in the digital revolution where data and technology play a vital role in shaping the strategies and progress of entire companies.

Companies like Uber and Airbnb, for example, have disrupted traditional industries by acting as intermediaries enabled by technology. This is a digital revolution where IT plays a huge role in advancing companies and providing them with a competitive edge. The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the importance of IT in supporting critical industries such as education and healthcare.

IT has thus become integral to organizational strategies, and I believe that it will continue to

The future of the IT industry is now centered around asa-service, and consumption models, where companies can choose not to have the infrastructure in their data centers and avoid training technical staff

Sherifa Hady joined Aruba from HPE in November 2019 as the Channel Sales Director for the EMEA Region and was promoted to Aruba Vice President Channel Sales EMEA 12 months into her role. In this position, she leads the Aruba channel sales organization and is responsible for driving the indirect business which comprises of distribution and channel partners across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. She brought a wealth of sales, marketing, and category experience with her to Aruba having previously held a number of senior positions including one year as Interim Managing Director for HPE in South Africa before accepting the position as Aruba Channel Sales Director for EMEA.

Born in the UK, Sherifa has lived in Dubai for the past 26 years where her career has taken her from strength to strength within the IT industry. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and Communications from Ain Shams University, Egypt and is married with two children.

InanexclusiveinterviewwithDigitalFirst Magazine, Ms. Sherifa Hady talks about the significant changes that have occurred in the IT industry and its future. She also shares her professional background, key roles and responsibilities at Aruba, the secretmantrabehindhersuccessfulcareer, and a lot more. Following are the excerpts from the interview.

remain paramount. However, there has been a shift in the way our customers are consuming IT. Much like electricity, users want to turn it on and off, consuming as much (or as little) as needed. As a result, consumption models or “as-a-service” offerings are becoming

The future of the IT industry is now centered around as-a-service, and consumption models, where companies can choose not to have the infrastructure in their data centers and avoid training technical staff. Instead, they can outsource these tasks to a company that can handle everything on their behalf, freeing up their resources to focus on more important areas of their business.

Are there any important projects that Aruba will be working on for the region in the coming future?

While we cannot disclose the specific projects, we are currently working on, we can say that we have a very strong presence in various sectors, including hospitality, healthcare, retail, education, and industrial sectors. Additionally, we have significant involvement in projects related to smart cities and buildings, working closely with companies to help them achieve their sustainability goals.

Can you tell us about your professional background and areas of interest?

increasingly popular. The cloud has played a significant role in this shift, impacting the IT industry in numerous ways. One of the key decisions companies now face is whether to keep their data on-premises, off-premises, or as a hybrid model.

As a teenager, I always dreamed of inventing something that could change the world and have a positive impact on people and humanity. This is what led me to pursue a career in engineering. I have been fortunate to work for a company that shares my passion for technology and strives to advance the way we work and live.

Looking back, I am proud to say that I have achieved my goal and that I have now been working in the IT industry for 27 years. It’s been a rewarding journey, and I am grateful for

It’s been a rewarding journey, and I am grateful for the opportunities that have allowed me to make a meaningful contribution to the world

the opportunities that have allowed me to make a meaningful contribution to the world.

What are some of the challenges that you faced in your career? Do you have some examples to share and advice to women entrepreneurs on overcoming them?

This is an essential topic and one very close to my heart. When I spent five grueling years studying engineering, and I say grueling because I didn’t know Arabic very well having been born in the UK. I had to learn Arabic while I was studying engineering in Egypt, which was quite challenging. After five years of hard work, I was ready to enter the workforce and make a positive impact. However, two multinational companies rejected hiring me solely because I was a woman.

One of them cited late hours, and they didn’t feel it was inappropriate for me to work shifts that started or ended at 3 am. The other, an oil and gas company, did not allow women to work on oil rigs at that time. This experience shocked me – I never imagined my gender would be a limiting factor in my job search. This is why I believe that women should be given a fair chance and equal opportunity in the workforce, not an advantage, but a level playing field. Empowering women has always been a cause close to my heart.

I also believe that the older generation of women need to voice their career aspirations and what they want in their professional lives. In my experience, when comparing men and women in my team, I have observed that men tend to put their hands up and express their interest in job opportunities. They will say “I am passionate about this role, and I can do

it” even if they are not fully qualified for it. Women, on the other hand, tend to be more reserved and cautious, wanting to ensure they are 120% ready before expressing their interest.

You are also a member of HPE’s inclusion and diversity ambassador programme and passionate about empowering women in the workforce. What do diversity, equity, and inclusivity mean to you & why are they important?

Inclusion and diversity are two distinct concepts. Inclusion means that everyone is accepted and valued, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, skin color, and gender. It is essential to ensure that everyone is understood and accepted, regardless of their background.

At our company, we prioritize inclusion and conduct training sessions on empathy for leaders and employees. We focus on how we can create a more inclusive work environment and encourage leaders to implement inclusion as one of four main leadership goals throughout the year. We measure our progress toward these goals, which demonstrate our commitment to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone is treated with respect and has the opportunity to thrive.

What is your advice to women entrepreneurs?

Don’t give up. Women should always be bold, confident, and feisty. I know a lot of entrepreneurs that have, like in any business, experienced ups and downs throughout their careers. It’s not easy to practice what you preach, and, unfortunately, we still see that

male entrepreneurs have more success than female entrepreneurs. Women should remember, confidence in any business setting is paramount.

What are the aims and ideals that guide you as an individual and a professional?

I am a strong and avid believer in treating others as you wish to be treated. So, as a manager, I try not to micromanage but rather focus on results because questions such as ‘What time did you leave?’ ‘What time did you start?’ ‘What time did you end your day?’ are not constructive. As a leader, it’s always vital to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and try to understand what’s best for them. I am also a strong believer in God, and that your efforts toward others will be rewarded.

What’s a leadership lesson that you’ve learned that’s unique to being a female leader?

I’ve attended a lot of meetings where I have been the only woman in the room. Rather than feeling disadvantaged by my difference, I flip the narrative and see my opinion as essential, since I am the only one of my kind in the room. I believe that I have a rightful and important seat at the table. In many cases, women always sit at the back because they feel that they shouldn’t be at the table. I have a different perspective as a female, and I believe I am here because I’ve earned it.

I also remember once asking a colleague for feedback, who commented that sometimes I came across as a little bit aggressive, and on occasion demanding. My first thought was yes, Sherifa, you need to tone it down. But the next day I thought to myself that if I am not demanding and aggressive, people will walk all

over me, and I will not get what I want. So, I also believe that sometimes you have to come across as demanding as a leader.

Being a successful industry leader with more than two decades of experience, what is the secret sauce behind your success?

I believe that being sincere, honest, and having integrity is vital. When my father passed away, I saw the legacy that he left behind. All of us will pass on one day, and how we impact people’s lives will be part of our legacy. Today I am proud that people who have left the company still call me after five and six years for career advice because they know that I will be sincere.

I also think work should be fun. I can be demanding but at the same time, we need to laugh and have fun. And I’m also always very vocal about what I am going to do next, and I make sure that my manager knows what I want to do next and that he or she needs to support me in that.

Finally, I would say networking is key. And this doesn’t only mean meeting people and having a drink with them, but rather building relationships with people that you admire and respect and keeping in contact with them.

What advice would you give to women who want to pursue a tech career?

Nothing can stop you. I think a lot of women, especially in this field, believe that they can’t have a career. I think that’s wrong, especially now, because there’s a lot of focus on giving women better chances in the IT industry. I always say as women, we are CEOs of our families, and if we can be the CEO of our family, why can’t we be the CEO of a company?

I think it’s important that all of us continue to make sure that everyone understands that it is possible. A few years ago, I had done a presentation at a technology college in Dubai and the students especially the girls in the session were motivated and eager to learn more when they saw me, a woman demonstrating and leading the tech forum. I think what we need more is for the world to see and understand that a woman can have a career, succeed, and have fun.

What key opportunities do you see for channel partners in the next five years?

Channel partners today are faced with a golden opportunity. If we look at channel

partners from 10 years ago, they will take the products from the distributor and sell them to the customer, or you might have an advanced partner, that will take the product from the distributor, add some services, bundle it together, and then provide it to the customer. Usually, it was the vendor who was in control, and the vendor was the ecosystem that every partner wanted to be a part of.

Today, channel partners are the ones driving the discussion, whether digital transformation, clouds, applications, or consumption models. The channel partners are in a very strong place today - they just need to decide what role they want to play, and what kind of a partner they want to be.

As a leader, it’s always vital to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and try to understand what’s best for them

Your Next Mission (Critical) with a Purpose

Carrie Goetz, CTO, StrategITcom, Author, International Keynote Speaker, Global Tech Writer & Podcast Host

Over the years, I have worked with transitioning military folks, their spouses, and most recently, children to introduce them to the mission-critical industry. Most recently, at an event in San Diego with about 350 registered transitioning veterans. Working with veterans throughout the years, some admit they transitioned well; some say they did everything wrong. One thing is sure; a few things will be different in the private sector. Many companies are competing for military talent. But few industries offer the

depth and breadth of the data center industry. This industry currently has 300,000 open jobs that must be filled by 2025. While this is spectacular from an opportunity perspective, it’s only spectacular to those who know about the industry and its jobs. Quite frankly, that is the reason I wrote my book. Unfortunately, awareness of the data center industry, how they work, and where the jobs are is lacking.

I view diversity as fingerprints. Forget identity diversity; people are people. Any two people of any demographic will have unique needs concerning technology. Data centers and the mission-critical industry provide the

While the internet, social media, and communications offer great promise, they can be dangerous in equal measure. We need guardians in and of technology, too. We need protectors. It’s a noble purpose

Carrie Goetz, Principal/CTO, StrategITcom, and Amazon best-selling author of “Jumpstart Your Career in Data Centers Featuring Careers for Women, Trades, and Vets in Tech and Data Centers,” personifies over 40 years of global experience designing, running, and auditing, data centers, IT departments, and intelligent buildings. She is an international keynote speaker published in 69 countries in over 250 publications. She holds an honorary doctorate in Mission Critical Operations, RCDD/NTS, PSP, CNID, CDCP, CSM-Agile, and AWS CCP and is a Master Infrastructure Mason with 40+ certifications throughout her career. A member of Women Leading Technology Sorority. She champions STEM education through outreach projects and her podcast series.

heartbeat and resources for technology. Every single known digitally documented thing resides in at least one data center. As data centers contain our information, it makes sense that the industry talent should be comprised of various fingerprints to keep tech in check and ensure that it continues to meet our needs, not the other way around. While the internet, social media, and communications offer great promise, they can be dangerous in equal measure. We need guardians in and of technology, too. We need protectors. It’s a noble purpose.

It is rare for someone to seek out a job in the industry because of a college degree. In fact, most people my age fell into the industry as it didn’t exist in its current form. A significant number of people today still fall into the industry. Curricula haven’t kept

Ongoing logistics, operations, cybersecurity, coding, physical security, rack and stack, cabling talent, etc., continue to maintain the ecosystem environment

up with the rapidly changing needs of data centers. Technology moves at the speed of life, college courses, not so much. We cannot have successful technology without guardians, innovation, and people from all backgrounds to watch the playground, so to speak.

While the industry is dubbed missioncritical, not all jobs work in the chaos of a mission-critical environment. But some certainly do. So, the first plan to transition into the industry is to sort out what you want to do in the private sector. Of course, part of that decision is how comfortable you are “being on your toes.” Indeed, many data center jobs will have some stress; not all will. So let’s discuss some of the sectors of the data center ecosystem.

To get started, the site selection process involves needs analysis, sustainability,

site selection, real estate, power contract negotiations, telecommunications negotiations, and community liaisons. Then there are contract negotiations, legal, and construction project managers. After site selection, the construction phase kicks in. Every single construction specialty and trade is used somewhere throughout the process. Not only is talent in demand for physical construction, but every component of that construction needs sales reps, marketing, accounting, presales engineers, logistics, raw materials help, etc. The latter jobs will be outside the daily chaos for those wanting a more chill career.

Once construction completes, each data center company will have a staff of sales (colocation), whitespace fit-out, cabling installers, electricians, floor installers, cabinet installers, and, let’s not forget, all of

the active equipment within those cabinets. These jobs can be a direct fit for those in IT in the military. HVAC/Boiler technicians will find themselves ideally skilled for facility cooling/heat rejection needs. If one prefers oversight, all data centers need operations personnel responsible for maintaining power, cooling, weight, and asset management across the white space. Ongoing logistics, operations, cybersecurity, coding, physical security, rack and stack, cabling talent, etc., continue to maintain the ecosystem environment.

While the above is a good snapshot of jobs in the industry, let’s move on to the discussion of skills. Many of the skills you learned in the military are parallel to jobs needed within the data center industry. In fact, your spouses are also in high demand. Several companies are vying for your talent. Let’s look at some ways to help you in your new career.

First, the art of salary negotiation will be a new concept. But don’t sell yourself short. Do your due diligence and look at competing salaries through some research. One thing very different from military progression is that the private sector doesn’t work the same way. Negotiate the highest salary you can, within reason. All of your future raises will be based on a percentage of base pay. Bonuses are excellent but are usually outside of

raise negotiations. Some recruiters specialize in military placements. Don’t feel you must move to find a job in this industry. The jobs are EVERYWHERE. Some major data center hubs in the US have higher concentrations of jobs.

Thinking well on your feet, navigating crises, travel confidence, foreign languages, project management, root cause analysis, and procurement/logistics are all great for military training. For those of you trained in cybersecurity, physical security, construction, logistics, telecom, leadership, and the like, your skills directly transfer. The easiest way to figure out where you want to be in the industry is to learn about it, ask questions of others, and be adaptable to change. There are many veterans in the industry. Even more, people are willing to help you sort out your journey, and many employers want you!

The best thing to remember is that this industry is one of the most extended ongoing apprenticeships in history. Technology changes so fast; we all learn from each other. We innovate together. We operate as a team. We are the protectors of the bit, commanders of the byte, and guardians of the digital realm. Won’t you join us? If you need help getting started, check out iMasons.org, OVERWATCH Mission Critical, Salute Mission Critical, or reach out on LinkedIn. I’m happy to help. #thankyouforyourservice

Thinking well on your feet, navigating crises, travel confidence, foreign languages, project management, root cause analysis, and procurement/logistics are all great for military training

MOST INSPIRING WOMEN LEADERS 2023

Jennifer Flynn

Kate Harry Shipham

Founder and President, The Balance Maven Principal, KHS People LLC

Website: https://www.thebalancemaven.com/

Location: Colorado, USA

About the Company: The Balance Maven® is a business and lifestyle company that offers intuitive and strategic guidance to spiritually aligned, servicebased business owners.

Website: http://www.khspeople.com/

Headquarters: Illinois, USA

About the Company: KHS People LLC is an executive search firm exclusively focused on connecting business development and marketing professionals with professional services firms.

Lana Tockus

Madison Bronson

Founder, MagniLearn CEO, MADISON.the brand

Website: https://www.magnilearn.com/

Location: Jerusalem, Israel

About the Company: Based on more than 12 years of research, MagniLearn is an Education as a Service (EaaS) company whose mission is to revolutionize learning efficiency and provide data-driven, efficient, personalized and precise instruction to all, based on a Personal Knowledge Model that Magnilearn builds automatically for each student.

Website: https://www.madisonthebrand.com/

Location: South Carolina, USA

About the Company: MADISON. the brand is a full-service marketing, branding, and digital communications firm that delivers measurable results and embraces creative media.

Website: https://www.blacksmithkyc.com/

Location Singapore, Singapore

About the Company: Blacksmith is a single platform to digitally manage your KYC requirements, connect to the data sources you know and trust, generate tailored KYC files on your clients and quickly implement regulatory changes in your processes.

Sallyann Della Casa

Website: https://www.gleac.com/

Location Dubai, UAE

About the Company: Gleac empowers learning and innovation with industry experts through real-time access to expert answers on their APP, engaging LIVE TALK SHOWS, and immersive 5-hour sessions with top-notch NFTS.

COO, Blacksmith KYC

Chief Identity Hacker, Gleac

Patrycja Wisniewska

Dr. Sina Wulfmeyer

Chief Data Officer & Head Financial Services, Unique

Susan Walsh

Founder & MD, The Classification Guru

Website: https://www.theclassificationguru.com/

Website: https://www.unique.ch/

Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland

About the Company: Unique records client conversations and leverages state-of-the-art AI language models like GPT to analyze them in over 12 languages to deliver data-driven insights and assistance to client-facing teams that adds to their decision-making and helps them win more clients.

Location: Guildford, United Kingdom

About the Company: The Classification Guru is driven by an immense passion for delivering clients with precise and meaningful data. With a decade of experience, they possess the unique ability to process information faster and with unparalleled accuracy compared to those who only infrequently analyze their data.

Victoria Tomlinson Xoliswa Mahlangu

Founder & Chief Executive, Next-Up

Head of Digital Learning and Technology, Sifiso Learning Group

Website: https://www.next-up.com/

Location: North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

About the Company: Making the most of ‘unretirement’ Next-Up supports employers with a range of services for directors, partners and employees to help them understand the impact of retirement on mental health and create a plan to use their skills and experience in new ways to ensure wellbeing.

Website: http://www.sifiso.com/

Headquarters: Gauteng, South Africa

About the Company: The Sifiso Learning Group (Pty) Ltd provides newage African students with an education system that matches their potential.

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Jennifer Flynn

Founder and President, The Balance Maven® Building a Passion-Based Business with Soul

Jennifer Flynn is the Founder and President of The Balance Maven®, a business and lifestyle company that offers intuitive and strategic guidance to spiritually aligned, service-based business owners. Her company serves those who have woken up to their soul’s ambition and seek to expand a business that stokes their passion and operates as a vehicle for the impact they want to create and a life they love to live.

Jennifer’s journey began with being her own leader, as she realized that you have to know and lead yourself before you can lead others.

Her career started in consulting as a coach under another leader’s umbrella, which solidified for her the difference she wanted to make and who she wanted to make it for. “I am deeply passionate about entrepreneurship. I believe that a business can be a vehicle for an individual to answer their soul’s calling and create a life they love living,” shares Jennifer.

Finding the Balance

Jennifer initially struggled with the concept of niching down while pursuing her coaching certification. However, she realized that her

Jennifer Flynn, Founder and President, The Balance Maven®

own struggles with balance in her personal and professional life were a leading edge for her coaching. After asking the universe for input, the name “The Balance Maven®” came to her, and it felt like the essence of the work she would do.

The company has evolved to focus on finding balance in various areas of life, including business, personal life, masculine and feminine energy, spirituality and more. The journey has not always been easy, but it has cultivated a deep faith and trust in herself. Overall, Jennifer strives to help her clients find balance in their own soulful essence and create a vehicle by

which they can make it real and feel fully and unapologetically expressed.

Jennifer soaked up all she could from those she was blessed to work with and set out on her own to have the ultimate freedom in creativity, collaboration, and income by allowing her passions and soul’s calling to lead the way. She listened deeply, got clear, and acted even through fear. Over the last decade, she is always in the process of pivoting toward her greatest calling.

“Several years ago, I rebranded my business to really showcase my particular talents and skills and what aspects my clients had come

to love most. It allowed the most authentic version of myself to come forth regarding my intuitive gifts,” says Jennifer. As the Founder and President of The Balance Maven®, Jennifer is committed to providing her clients with the guidance and support they need to achieve success in their personal and professional lives while staying true to their spiritual alignment. Her work is a testament to her commitment to helping others live their best lives while making a positive impact on the world.

Helping Entrepreneurs to Find the Purpose

Jennifer’s work is all about helping entrepreneurs achieve personal and professional fulfillment. Her goal is to help them ‘have their cake and eat it too’, by living a life both IN purpose and ON purpose. “I help entrepreneurs tap into their unique soul’s ambition and purpose and build a business that is a vehicle for their unique expression. It allows the entrepreneur to be fully evoked and alive while also manifesting a business that aligns with their values and mission,” explains Jennifer.

Jennifer understands that building a successful business is not only about making money or achieving status but about creating a life of purpose and fulfillment. By focusing on the individual’s unique gifts and passions, Jennifer helps her clients create a business that is truly aligned with their divine purpose. She provides them with the guidance and support they need to navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship while staying true to their spiritual alignment.

To determine the coaching needs of clients, Jennifer hosts a complimentary call to connect and understand their needs. Her signature

program includes a private intensive session where she outlines the path for their business, followed by a 12-month experience that provides a blend of 1:1 support, educational retreats, and group mastermind.

Today, The Balance Maven® offers a range of programs and experiences such as Alchemy of Soul™, Alchemy of Sales™, and Find Your Fulcrum™, which help clients find their vision, create a heart-centered sales process, and live in purpose on purpose while aligning their business with their unique calling. The company aims to stand out from the crowd by providing bespoke programming that caters to each client’s unique needs and focus on both personal and professional fulfillment.

At The Balance Maven®, all clients sign a participation agreement to maintain the community’s integrity and confidentiality. Alongside a strong support system within the community, Jennifer provides a judgment-free safe space for clients to develop and listen for their own internal wisdom and help them create a container for their greatest impact and ensure that they stay aligned with their passions and interests. This ensures that as business owners they feel fully empowered. She explains, “I meet all of my clients where they are and create strategies that reflect what resonates with their natural gifts, talents, and working style and ensure that we never use a cookie-cutter approach or try to force them into boxes based on ‘shoulds’ or what the outside world may dictate as ‘best business practices’. We find what works for each individual and their unique needs and goals so that they always feel like they are being pulled forward by inspired action versus feeling like they are pushing a boulder up a hill.”

The Balance Maven® has shown consistent growth over the years, with new members who are the right fit for the community joining yearround. “As the owner of the company, I prioritize providing high-touch service to our clients and keeping our numbers intimate to ensure that everyone feels seen, heard, and supported. I am highly selective about the clients we work with to maintain a safe and sacred space for our community of like-minded and advancing thought-leading peers, to ensure success of not only the individuals but the tribe as a whole” shares Jennifer.

However, as a coach, much like those she serves, Jennifer is not a stranger to the various challenges, including balancing her commitment to her clients and family with her aspirations for her own company’s growth. One of the main challenges she is always highly aware of and committed to is staying true to her values while also meeting the diverse needs of her clients. To overcome these challenges, Jennifer focuses on continuous self-reflection, growth, and mentorship.

By focusing on the individual’s unique gifts and passions, Jennifer helps her clients create a business that is truly aligned with their purpose

Redefining the Future

Jennifer believes that there is significant power in feminine energy, and she acknowledges the risk of falling victim to gender competition. She encourages individuals to embrace their most authentic selves, turn down the volume of the outside world and to listen for the small but powerful voice of their inner wisdom, trusting that they will be guided to the right path. “We all need to remember, it’s not those who are qualified who get called, but those who are called who become qualified. Every day and in every way, we are being invited to that qualification process. Opportunities arise when we tune in to that inner voice and follow through by following the breadcrumbs, even if it means taking risks or doing it scared. We also need both masculine and feminine energy in a dynamic state of partnership. The world needs all of our unique talent and abilities. It needs our balance,” pinpoints Jennifer.

Currently, Jennifer offers a range of online programming and events to serve her clients. In the future, she plans to expand with more live/virtual and in-person events and programming that will help entrepreneurs navigate the challenges and stages of building a soul and passion-led business while staying aligned with their soul’s ambition. “The programs will focus not only on practical strategies but also on the inner dialogue and experience necessary for building a business that reflects the entrepreneur’s most authentic self,” shares Jennifer.

Jennifer aims to help her clients build a business that is in harmony with their innermost values and passions. Her commitment to helping entrepreneurs achieve personal and professional fulfillment is truly inspiring. Through her work with The Balance Maven®, she is making a positive impact on the world by empowering others to live their best lives and make a difference in their communities.

Leadership in an Age of Friction, Constraints and CHATGPT

Sallyann Della Casa, Chief Identity Hacker, GLEAC

Let’s not pretend. Leadership is really difficult.

Every single day leading my startup, I do wake up going what the heck did I get myself into! And I have a feeling many C-suite executives of the world’s biggest companies also all secretly feel this way.

And given the rapid pace of change in our world today, leadership is especially challenging. Just consider the past three months. If we and our grandkids are still alive by then, we will all remember our lives before and

after ChatGPT and ideally live to tell our grandchildren about it.

Let’s look at how ChatGPT, conflict, and limitations affect leadership:

1. Friction. The difficulties encountered when attempting to adopt novel concepts, procedures, or technologies are referred to as friction.

A variety of factors can cause friction, such as market rivalry, regulatory barriers, and employee resistance.

Only leaders who can foresee and prepare for potential obstacles are those who can successfully manage conflict

Sallyann Della Casa launched the world’s first utility NFT, a marketplace tokenizing industry experts time and wisdom in October 2022. She is one of the 4% of women globally who has a patent-pending method to signal and train agents in human ingenuity and wisdom. In 2016, she served as the only female at a C-suite level at Careemtohelpstabilizetheworkforce and shape its organizational culture. GLEAC her Web 2.0 platform, which co-pilots your learning, innovation and problem solving with industry experts, powered Expo 2020 Skills of the Future Pavilion, up-skills African youth on the YOMA UNICEF Platform and also empowers learners on the JIO platform across India. She also has a weekly NFT column and a Metaverse Podcast Business School on Spotify.

Imagine you lead Twitter and knew the sale to Elon Musk would cause mass friction not only for employees, but also for investors, partners, customers, and a variety of other stakeholders.

Where normally a variety of factors can cause friction, such as market rivalry, regulatory barriers, and employee resistance, in this instance you had one personality…the Buyer who was the root of all the friction.

How would you have handled it?

Only leaders who can foresee and prepare for potential obstacles are those who can successfully manage conflict. Additionally, they are adept at pitching their mission and winning over stakeholders. Additionally, they are prepared to change their approaches when necessary to get around challenges. Additionally, they are also adept at pitching their mission and winning over stakeholders

and prepared to change their approaches when necessary to get around challenges.

2. Constraints. These can come in many ways, such as a lack of resources, time, or expertise making it difficult to accomplish the intended results. Or is this always the case?

Let’s use Brazil as an illustration of a country that made use of constraints as an advantage. They created a miniature version of the football pitch because there wasn’t enough room or equipment for football players. This pushed the players to improve and become more precise in their play. Since this restriction was kept and still exists today to create better soccer players, the intended result was not only achieved but is also visible at every World Cup ever played.

However, due to the limitation constraints impose on a leader’s capacity to move and make decisions, they can be difficult for a leader to manage. Leaders may be compelled to

And without any doubt, if a leader doesn’t live up to expectations or produce the desired outcomes within the set constraints, there is a risk to their credibility and image

give some goals more priority than others or to make challenging trade-offs between opposing priorities, which can make it challenging for them to develop and implement effective strategies. Constraints causes stress.

And without any doubt, if a leader doesn’t live up to expectations or produce the desired outcomes within the set constraints, there is a risk to their credibility and image. The ability of the leader to lead and make wise choices may be damaged as a result.

Overall, dealing with constraints can be difficult because it forces leaders to manage stakeholder expectations, balance conflicting goals, and come up with creative solutions while working with limited resources and time.

3. Chat GPT. Using the GPT-3.5 architecture, OpenAI taught the ChatGPT language model. The way that leaders approach decisionmaking, problem-solving, and creativity may be completely altered by ChatGPT.

There is not a single aware executive today who is considering how this will affect the company’s operations, skills, and a variety of other factors. Like how cell phones completely altered our lives when they entered our lives, this is the game-changer for the entire globe.

Even though ChatGPT has received a lot of negative press, when used properly, it can assist leadership. during a period of strife and ambiguity. Using ChatGPT, leaders can:

● Produce observations and suggestions based on sizable data sets.

● Spot potential dangers and opportunities, empowering leaders to take wise choices.

● Facilitate conversation and teamwork as well.

● Be a tool that managers can use to organize online meetings and brainstorming sessions.

● Help team members to communicate and cooperate from anywhere in the world. However, Leaders must understand the technology’s constraints and make the best use of it striking an equilibrium between ChatGPT’s advantages and the requirement for human intuition, empathy, and creativity.

In conclusion, the most trusted tool in a time of uncertainty can be a leader’s intuition.

The capacity of a leader to act quickly and wisely on impulses or “gut feelings” is known as intuition. It is a sort of implicit understanding that comes from thought, experience, and observation.

This happened to me recently is deciding to tokenize human wisdom using NFT technology + industry experts time timecapsuling it on blockchain. Nothing said it was an actual bad move sine it had ever done it before. But realistically, the ideal WEB 2.0 Buyer profile, corporates such as hedge funds or consultant who make up 70% of the Buyer profile of expert’s time are not yet in the NFT space buying anything really.

A leader’s intuition is frequently influenced by their prior experiences, education, and values, allowing them to recognize patterns swiftly, foresee difficulties, and make decisions with confidence. Their capacity to read nonverbal signals and pick up on subtle nuances, as well as their emotional intelligence, which enables them to comprehend and sympathize with others, also have an impact.

I guess only time will tell if I made the right move as the leader of GLEAC.

Digital Transformation: An Opportunity or Nightmare to Risk Management

Jenny Tan, Head, Group Internal Audit, CapitaLand Investment Group & President, ISACA Singapore Chapter, Singapore

Digitalisation or Digital Transformation has been the buzz word in the corporate world nowadays to catch up with business evolution, with the hope of gaining business advantage if the transformation is successful. There is nothing wrong with embracing transformation. However, there is something wrong when such initiatives are not handled right and fit, and not handled from a good strategic perspective but wanted something of a quick fix.

While more people are starting to understand what digital transformation and digitalisation entail, there are still common misunderstanding

of these two terminologies, and they are often used interchangeably. I often stress to my audience that understanding the definition of any terminology is very important as it sets context to applying the right knowledge treatment and to enable clear execution to avoid unnecessary resources (including costs).

Researchers characterise “digital transformation” as a major organisational change driven by or enabled by digital technology, altering how business is conducted. Whereas “digitalisation” is about leveraging digital technology to change socio-technical structures (Karen Osmundsen et al, 2018). If there is no organisational change and no social-technical

Personally, I belief that “Digital Transformation” or “Digitalisation” can be the right moment, right opportunity to enhance an organisation’s risk management processes

Jenny is currently leading a global internal audit practice, including IT audit, with a global real estate cum fund management MNC. Outside of work, she volunteers heavily in the technology community space where she actively promotes technology (including cyber) awareness and adoption to both the business and IT professionals and organisations. She is currently the President of ISACA SG Chapter. She is the winner in 2022 Top Woman in Security (SG & Asean), 2022 Women Program of the Year Award (Asia), 2021 Women in IT Outstanding Contribution Award (Asia) and 2021 SG 100 Women in Tech recipient. She has also received the Top 20 Cybersecurity Women in Singapore, 2020 award.

structures change, then this initiative is only “digitisation”. Socio-technical structures can be explained in two parts i.e. “socio” refers to the social (human interactions, relationships, norms, etc.) and “technical” refers to technology, tasks, routines, etc. aspects of the structure. (Karen Osmundsen et al, 2018). Hence, “digitalisation” is a subset of “digital transformation”.

As understood from the above-mentioned, when an organisation undergoes either digitalisation or digital transformation, structural changes happen. When there are such changes, processes change and hence, existing risks may change, and new risks introduced. During such times, a progovernance organisation will consider this as an opportune time to fix their risk management

processes to enable better risk resilience position. Ordinarily, other organisations would just let the project teams run on their own and risk considerations are often the last priority given conventionally, business users treat risk management as efficiency roadblocks.

Personally, I belief that “Digital Transformation” or “Digitalisation” can be the right moment, right opportunity to enhance an organisation’s risk management processes. The following are some key reasons why I belief so:

● There is a budget! Yes! It is rarely that an organisation will set aside a huge budget to implement a project. With a good budget, many considerations can be included, including risk management. There can be a risk pillar in the project where risk specialist (in-house or externally engaged) can be involved and to participate in the end-to-end project.

● Mindset shift! Surprisingly, people suddenly become very open-minded when embarking on transformation project. The key stakeholders tend to be willing to accept new ideas to ensure their project is a success and hence willing to apply different “lenses” to view risk and risk management. This is a good time that the risk specialist can advocate the changes needed, especially when the existing risks have changed their forms and take the opportunity to re-perform a risk assessment exercise, including business continuity planning (“BCP”) exercise.

Note that risk assessment exercise measures business risks when the business is on-going. BCP exercise measures business risks when the business is down and undergoing recovery. Both exercises look at

risks from different angles and cannot be undermined. Covid, pandemic BCP risk, has taught many organisations a good lesson that their recovery processes are inadequate. Most, if not all, controls mitigating the identified risks have not been effective as most risks did not benefit from deep thoughts at the point of BCP risk assessment and BCP procedures design. A very typical example of both enterprise risk versus BCP risk is backup control. Enterprise risk identified that backup control is essential to mitigate the risk of data loss and business operations continuity. The backup control follows the backup policy of say weekly backup frequency. In a BCP exercise, the same system owner assessed that the function can only afford to lose data of up to 3 days. But the backup policy and backup control indicated 7 days. So there is a gap here. Many IT and Business Owners did not realise that they have not considered risk and control design from an integrated risk approach. To be fair, while enterprise risk management and BCP are overlapped, you need different skillsets to conduct both exercises. Hence, the control gap example cited is a common finding.

● Resilience is the new risk focus! Most organisations have experienced Covid and hence will better appreciate the importance of being resilient. Resilience involves an organisation to be independently selfsufficient and agile, but it also means the supply chain of an organisation has to be as strong too. With digital transformation or digitalisation, organisations have to be very sensitive towards its assets (information and physical) protection strategies. Hence,

physical and information security (including technology risk management) will gain attention from the Board when they consider their risk responsibilities.

On one hand I do belief that the opportunity to enhance risk management is great and is available, but on the other hand, I am also aware that most organisations are not handling the “digital transformation” or “digitalisation” right and hence making them a nightmare to risk management. The following are some key issues I see that led to the “nightmares”:

● Data owners misunderstood their risk responsibilities. Most of such projects ended with cloud solutions. Data owners thought that since they outsourced their function, processing capability and data storage, they are not responsible for anything that may happen to their data &/or their cloud service providers (“CSPs”). And this is often a nightmare because Information Technology (“IT”) and Information Security (“IS”) departments are not informed and not involved in this business project.

● Data ownership and data governance. In a digital ecosystem, data is mobile and fluid. It may reside in many applications that may be controllable or not. The understanding and appreciation of data governance risks are usually not mature or inadequate. Hence, data governance is often not part of such project consideration and is often a afterimplementation consideration. There are many regulatory risk implications, reputational and technology risk implications in digital transformation or digitalisation projects. When there is no data ownership identified, no one will take responsibility.

● Cybersecurity risks. You need to leverage on technology to achieve your digitalisation

goals. You may deploy emerging technologies too. Hence, new risks from cyber are introduced. From my experience, inventorising the projects and their respective components (both hardware and software) are common gaps that hinder cybersecurity controls to be timely and accurately implemented. In addition, cybersecurity talent gap is high and hence organisation may not be able to address these risks timely.

Research by Martens et al, 2022 has also indicated that Digitalisation and Digital Transformation are double-edged sword to risk management and governance approaches. There have been studies that indicated despite the popularity and familiarity of digitalisation and digital transformation projects, many such project failed. They failed because they did not understand the business problems well, they undermine the influence of corporate culture, they set wrong KPIs, they did not cost the project right and poor leadership. Ali Alkhafaji, 2021. All these failure indicators touched on many risks associated with such projects and leaning them more towards risk management nightmares.

In conclusion, I personally feel that we should not be discouraged with the failures. Transformation is a journey. Let the failures be our lessons learnt and avoid repeating them in your (next) transformation project. Risk professionals should seize the opportunity to capitalise on such projects to promote good risk management practice and not take a back seat. Everyone should understand that collaboration is important in risk management as regardless which role you are holding on to now, everyone has risk responsibility, and everyone’s common goal is to ensure the interest of the company is looked after.

Madison Bronson

CEO of MADISON.the brand

Empowering Women in Business through Passion and Perseverance

Madison Bronson, the CEO of MADISON.the brand, has emerged as one of the most inspiring businesswomen of our time. Her journey leading a successful digital marketing agency is a testament to her determination, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit. She has always been fueled by the inspiring work ethic instilled in her during her upbringing. Reflecting on her childhood, she attributes her drive to her parents’ dedication, who worked tirelessly to provide for their family. “Growing up, I witnessed my parents’ unwavering commitment and dedication. Their hard work and sacrifices have been a

tremendous inspiration for me in my career journey,” shares Bronson.

One person who played a pivotal role in shaping Madison’s ambition was her grandmother, Pat Hanson. Despite a challenging childhood in Chicago, Pat never let her circumstances hinder her dreams and aspirations. Madison holds her grandmother in high regard, describing her as the epitome of intelligence, daring, and passion. “My grandmother, Pat Hanson, was my biggest role model. Her resilience and determination have always motivated me to strive for success,” Madison affirms.

Madison’s journey as an entrepreneur began after she graduated from Clemson University in December 2019. However, the timing was challenging, as

Madison Bronson, CEO

MADISON.the brand

the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the United States in 2020. The job market was uncertain, with many companies freezing hiring or laying off staff. Madison recalls the difficulties she faced during that time, stating, “I remember going to interviews and the company loving me, then being unable to hire me due to the uncertainty that the company will even make it out of COVID.”

However, Madison saw an opportunity within the crisis. She recognized the significant impact the pandemic had on the digital marketing space. With lockdowns, social distancing measures, and restrictions on physical businesses, consumers turned to online channels for their shopping, entertainment, and communication needs. This shift created a higher demand for digital marketing strategies. “The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique opportunity for me to tap into the growing importance of digital marketing. I saw the shift in consumer behavior and the need for businesses to establish a strong online presence,” Madison explains.

Driven by her passion for helping businesses adapt and succeed in the digital realm, MADISON.the brand was founded. The agency focused on revolutionizing the way small businesses marketed themselves by leveraging social media marketing, influencer collaborations, and content creation. Madison and her team worked

Today, MADISON.the brand stands as a leading force in the digital marketing landscape thanks to Madison Bronson’s visionary leadership and dedication

diligently to empower companies to effectively engage with their target audience.

Furthermore, Madison recognized the importance of data and analytics during the pandemic. In a time of rapidly changing consumer behaviors and preferences, businesses need valuable insights to make informed decisions and optimize their marketing efforts. MADISON.the brand became a trusted partner for businesses, providing them with data-driven strategies. “Data and analytics became paramount during the pandemic. By providing businesses with valuable insights, we helped them make informed decisions and optimize their marketing efforts,” Madison emphasizes.

Today, MADISON.the brand stands as a leading force in the digital marketing landscape thanks to Madison Bronson’s visionary leadership and dedication. Her agency helps companies create a digital empire, enabling them to reach

their target audience, promote their offerings effectively, and contribute to their long-term success. Madison’s journey serves as a reminder that with determination, perseverance, and the ability to seize opportunities, one can overcome challenges and achieve greatness.

Key Offerings

Madison Bronson, the passionate and driven CEO of MADISON.the Brand, firmly believes in empowering businesses to thrive in the dynamic marketing landscape. With a genuine commitment to their success, she states, “My passion lies in helping businesses thrive and succeed in the ever-changing landscape of marketing. At MADISON.the Brand, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive services that empower businesses to reach their goals and connect with their target audience effectively.”

Understanding the importance of branding as a holistic experience, Madison emphasizes that it goes beyond visual elements. She expresses, “Branding is more than just a logo or a visual identity. It’s about creating an emotional connection with customers. We work closely with businesses to develop a brand that truly resonates with their audience and sets them apart in the market.”

Recognizing the significance of digital marketing in today’s landscape, Madison underscores the agency’s focus on helping businesses navigate the digital realm. She highlights their approach, saying, “In the digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial. Our digital marketing services are designed to help businesses navigate the digital landscape, engage with customers, and drive growth. We leverage data and insights to create strategies that deliver results.”

While the digital realm has evolved, Madison understands that traditional advertising remains a powerful tool. With a blend of creativity and expertise, she explains, “Traditional advertising still plays a significant role in reaching and connecting with audiences. We combine our creativity and expertise to design compelling campaigns that capture attention and drive engagement across various traditional channels.”

MADISON.the Brand’s commitment to exceptional design and user experience is driven by Madison’s belief in the power of great design to enhance marketing efforts. She expresses, “Our team is dedicated to crafting visually appealing designs and user-friendly websites that leave a lasting impression. We believe that great design goes hand in hand with effective marketing, and we strive to create experiences that truly resonate with customers.”

MADISON. the Brand’s commitment to exceptional design and user experience is driven by Madison’s belief in the power of great design to enhance marketing efforts

Data-driven decision making is a core principle at MADISON.the Brand. Madison underscores the importance of analytics and reporting, stating, “Data is the key to unlocking marketing success. Our analytics and reporting services provide businesses with valuable insights and actionable data. We believe in the power of data-driven decision making to optimize strategies and achieve tangible results.”

Ultimately, Madison’s vision for MADISON. the Brand is rooted in long-term success for their clients. She concludes, “At MADISON.the Brand, our ultimate goal is to empower businesses to achieve long-term success. We are committed to delivering exceptional services that drive growth, boost profitability, and make a real impact in our clients’ journeys.”

An Ever Expanding Clientele

MADISON.the Brand’s dedication to delivering exceptional marketing services has led to an expanding clientele. Among their notable clients is KD Trial Lawyers, one of South Carolina’s largest litigation firms specializing in personal injury, workers’ compensation, family law, probate, and criminal defense cases. The agency has been instrumental in the rebranding of KD Trail Lawyers and social media marketing for the firm.

Big Balls Ranch is a family owned and operated bison ranch in Cleveland, South Carolina. MADISON.the Brand has successfully created an e-commerce storefront for their apparel and products and designs all graphics and logos for the ranch and apparel.

Another esteemed client is Lee Law Offices, which practices personal injury, workers’ compensation, and social security cases in both North Carolina and South Carolina. MADISON.

the Brand has worked closely with Lee Law

Offices to enhance their marketing strategies and drive growth in their target markets.

Professional Engineering Associates, a rapidly growing design engineering firm in the Eastern United States, has also entrusted MADISON.the Brand with their marketing efforts. The agency has played a pivotal role in raising the firm’s visibility and attracting new clients.

Vistrue, an industry-leading software company in the Telecom and Asset Management sector, has benefited from MADISON.the Brand’s expertise in reaching their target audience. With over 33,000 users and an impressive $42 billion dollars in inventory managed through their software, Vistrue has seen significant success in their marketing initiatives under MADISON.the Brand’s guidance.

Additionally, MADISON.the Brand represents the KILO-9 Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing critical lifesaving treatment to injured K9s in the field. Through their marketing efforts, the agency helps raise awareness and support for the foundation’s mission, ensuring that law enforcement officers receive the necessary training to save the lives of these essential canine companions.

Reflecting on the diverse range of industries she has had the opportunity to work with, Madison expresses her enthusiasm, stating, “One of my most favorite parts of following my dream has been all of the opportunities that I have been given and the relationships that I have made with companies that I do marketing for has been so rewarding because I get to have a closer look at numerous industries and be able to successfully market them. I never know what I will get into next, and that is the fun part for me.”

Through their work with these prominent clients and more, MADISON.the Brand continues to make a significant impact in

helping businesses across various industries thrive and achieve their marketing goals.

Engaging Employees

“Driving employee engagement is a key priority for us at MADISON.the Brand,” says Madison. “We recently welcomed Rylee Tate as our Design Director, and we’re excited to have her bring her expertise and skills to our team. Rylee’s background in social media, branding, and graphic design, along with her certification in Google Analytics and Ads, adds tremendous value to our agency.”

Madison emphasizes the importance of open and transparent communication within the company. “We believe in establishing strong channels of communication by regularly sharing updates, news, and important information with our employees,” she explains. “We encourage a two-way dialogue that involves active listening and provides opportunities for our team members to express their ideas, concerns, and feedback.”

Setting clear and meaningful goals for employees is a core aspect of MADISON.the Brand’s approach. Madison elaborates, “We ensure that our employees understand what is expected of them and align their individual goals with our organization’s objectives. This creates a sense of purpose and direction, allowing our team members to see the impact of their contributions on our overall success.”

Feedback and recognition are integral to keeping employees motivated and focused on their goals. Madison believes in providing regular feedback and recognition to her team. “We believe in acknowledging achievements, providing constructive feedback, and recognizing the efforts of our employees,” she states. “This not only boosts morale but also encourages continuous growth and development within our team.”

Through their commitment to employee engagement, MADISON.the Brand creates a work

As the CEO of MADISON.the Brand, Madison’s path to success has been marked by hard work, resilience, and an unyielding determination to make a difference

environment where employees feel valued and empowered. Madison shares, “Our focus on open communication, meaningful goal setting, and regular feedback and recognition cultivates a positive and productive work environment, enabling our team to thrive and contribute their best to our company’s success.”

A Journey Fueled by Passion and Perseverance

As the CEO of MADISON.the Brand, Madison’s path to success has been marked by hard work, resilience, and an unyielding determination to make a difference. Reflecting on her journey, Madison shares, “I believe in the power of building a strong professional network. It’s about investing time and effort in connecting with mentors, sponsors, and peers who can guide and support you along the way. Networking opens doors to valuable opportunities and helps you grow both personally and professionally.”

Drawing from her own experiences, Madison emphasizes the importance of confidence in leadership roles. She advises, “Cultivating confidence in your abilities and knowledge is crucial. Be assertive in expressing your ideas, opinions, and aspirations. Your voice matters, so speak up in meetings, contribute your unique perspectives, and actively participate in discussions. Believe in your value and communicate it effectively.”

Taking calculated risks and embracing challenges have been integral to Madison’s growth. She encourages others by saying, “Don’t shy away from challenging assignments or opportunities outside of your comfort zone. These are chances for personal and professional growth. Adaptability in the face of change and uncertainty is key. Take

those calculated risks and seize the opportunities that come your way.”

Recognizing the power of collaboration and support among women, Madison highlights the importance of fostering a network of solidarity. She emphasizes, “It’s crucial to create a supportive environment where women uplift and empower each other. Collaborate, mentor, and sponsor fellow women in your organization and industry. Together, we can break barriers and advance women in leadership roles.”

For Madison, continuous learning is an essential aspect of leadership. She advises, “Never stop learning and stay curious. Seek out opportunities to grow, stay updated on industry trends, and develop new skills. Embrace a lifelong learning mindset that keeps you adaptable, innovative, and ahead of the curve in your field.”

As Madison’s journey continues, she remains grounded in her values and committed to her goals. She encourages individuals to embrace their uniqueness, stating, “Each person’s journey is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to success. Stay true to your values, persistently pursue your goals, and celebrate your achievements along the way. Support other women on their paths to leadership success as well.”

Madison Bronson’s story exemplifies the power of passion, perseverance, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Her words of wisdom and experiences serve as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs and businesswomen, encouraging them to forge their own paths and make a lasting impact in the business world.

With her unwavering dedication, Madison continues to redefine success and empower others to follow their dreams.

Bridging the Cloud Computing Skills Gap: Six Recommendations for Leader

Susanne Tedrick, Cloud Computing Technical Trainer, Microsoft

Roads are likely to buckle and fail if they cannot handle a growing number of motorists. In online terms, more and more remote IT workers, fueled by the global pandemic, are finding they lack in-house skills to handle more than half of their current operational tasks. Even more important, this deficiency is making it difficult for employers to build and maintain resilient and secure clouds and other technological services. Here’s what business leaders, C-suite executives, and HR, can do to bridge this gap and keep their own “roads” from buckling and failing. Recommendations for employers include:

Involve multiple stakeholders in discussions. Establish a cross-section of finance, HR, and other departments (In addition to IT) in cloud and other technological discussions. This not only ensures that critical decisions are not being made in a silo, but representation from different departments can also help identify where skills gaps exist, and in turn help organizations develop a strategy for addressing them. This can particularly be useful in terms of cost and attracting and retaining IT talent. Attract and retain IT talent by understanding the organizational values that are most important to them.

Fair compensation, work-life balance, and organizational and job stability are cited by IT workers as the leading corporate traits they seek when hunting for a new job

Susanne Tedrick currently works as a cloud computing technical trainer at Microsoft. In her work, Susanne delivers skills-based, outcome-driven training on the Azure platform for some of Microsoft’s leading enterprise clients. Susanne is a Microsoft Certified Educator, Trainer and Azure Solutions Architect.Sheiscommittedtoincreasing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the tech industry. She is the co-author of Innovating for Diversity: Lessons fromTopCompaniesthatareDisrupting Old Practices to Achieve Inclusivity, Equity and Business Success (Wiley, 2023) author of the critically acclaimed Women of Color in Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the Next Generation of Technology Innovators (Wiley, 2020).

Allow employees the opportunity to leverage their learnings in their day to day wherever possible, including conducting presentations to colleagues on what they’ve learned

This point is crucial since IT employees, especially those in infrastructure and operations (I&O), are more likely to be job hunting than non-IT staff. Employers can help buck this trend by recognizing what IT candidates look for most.

● Fair compensation, work-life balance, and organizational and job stability are cited by IT workers as the leading corporate traits they seek when hunting for a new job. And yet, Gartner analysts state that HR and others in the C-suite tend to focus on the technical aspects of the job — technical skills, vendor knowledge, and specific technologies —even though they are not the factors candidates look at most. “There is a clear need for I&O leaders to proactively assess the underlying needs of their personnel as a continual management practice

to avoid early and frequent turnover,” states Mark Margevicius, VP analyst at Gartner.

● Manager quality and work-life balance were among the top factors that caused IT employees to be dissatisfied with their previous organization. Recognizing and addressing these needs will also help employers attract and retain IT candidates.

Make sure employees have sufficient time to study.

It may not be enough to retain IT talent if employers don’t provide the time for them to expand their knowledge. Designating and protecting study time is paramount for skill development. There will be times when study time is not possible, but it is vital for business leaders to instill the importance of job-relevant training and make it a priority. Without emphasis from leadership, time-crunched employees may worry that studying will keep them from completing their regular work.

Find out what specific skills IT employees are lacking.

IT leaders responding to the Gartner study said they are particularly deficient in the areas of security, networking, compliance, and devops (a hybrid of development and operational skills). Cloud development is another concern. More than half of respondents to the Gartner survey felt they won’t meet their company’s cloud adoption goals this year due to the scarcity of in-house skills and experience. Take the time to do an internal skills assessment of your current staff. This can be done through surveys or even through informal talks.

Leverage free or low-cost training opportunities.

Enhancing security, networking, and other jobrelevant technological learning does not need to be an expensive or an entirely formal endeavor. In fact, many major platforms offer free training resources, including best practices and assistance in preparing for formal certifications.

Emphasize experiential learning.

Experiential learning reaps the most benefits from training because it reinforces subject matter. As noted, major cloud platform providers offer free credits or discounted pricing so newer learners can obtain experience with their offerings. Allow employees the opportunity to leverage their learnings in their day to day wherever possible, including conducting presentations to colleagues on what they’ve learned.

In conclusion, it’s crucial that HR and C-suite executives develop a better cross section in developing technology strategies, not only cost but also in terms of attracting and retaining IT talent.

Business leaders also need to empower managers and supervisors so that, with the exception of mitigating work circumstances, employee study time for enhancing IT and other job-relevant skills is protected.

Training time needs to be an organizational must-have and not a “niceto-have” when other work is done. Better understanding IT needs, and prioritizing training will go a long way toward addressing the skills gap that currently exists and, in turn, benefit the company as a whole.

Emerging AI Technologies are the Digital Heroes We Need to Support Our Teachers Today

Lana Tockus, Founder, MagniLearn

The fundamental role of AI in education has come into focus in recent times, as many schools and other academic institutions have come to understand its meaningful effects on student achievement. Many educational technology platforms powered by AI are finally beginning to fulfill their tremendous promise to improve educational systems.

Artificial intelligence offers educators the opportunity to rethink many aspects of education and adapt to a new, more innovative reality in classrooms. However, the adoption of AI in education has faced some resistance.

Even now, discussions often center around how AI is used by students, rather than its ability to aid teachers. While these devices and platforms help make students’ lives easier, the question many educators around the globe are considering is, “How can AI be used to support teachers?” Many educators question whether it holds any benefit for teachers at all.

AI’s role isn’t to replace teachers, but rather assist them in helping students reach their full potential. AI is best used as a supplemental tool to help increase teachers’ efficiency. Intelligent tutoring solutions, such as AI chatbots and tutors, as well as tutoring software, provide individualized feedback

Intelligent tutoring solutions, such as AI chatbots and tutors, as well as tutoring software, provide individualized feedback and teaching recommendations

Lana Tockus is the founder of MagniLearn, an Education as a Service (EaaS) startup which provides a personalized, AI-Based, Data-Driven Lifelong Learning Platform. Using novel AI, Natural Language Processing, neuroscience, and cognitive principles, MagniLearn delivers superior and faster learning for everyone, everywhere. Lana has more than 10 years of experience in the EdTech field. She holds a B.Sc. in Mathematics & Computer Science, M.Sc. in Computer Science, and Ph.D. in Science Education, all from the Hebrew University. In 2018, Lana Co-Founded Bilanga, a company in the field of Educational Technology.

and teaching recommendations. They cannot, however, take the position of teachers because they are unable to impart knowledge in the same manner as humans. Rather, they are best used in blended learning environments. Teachers continue to play a profound role in education using AI, but the way they teach is shifting.

According to a new Smoothwall report, 49% of teachers feel more efficient when using technology to plan and deliver lessons.[] AI assists teachers by optimizing the learning environment, enhancing communication, and improving the effectiveness and caliber of lesson design. With class sizes continuing to increase, teachers often have less one-on-one time to spend with students. For instructors overlooking large classrooms, AI provides valuable insights about overall and individual student challenges and feedback about the effectiveness of various teaching methods.

Teachers also face ongoing pressure regarding the need to provide a more personalized curriculum to suit each student’s individual needs. Although there has been a massive shift in the conversation about the importance of personalized learning as we study the complex needs of students, many schools have not tried utilizing AI to achieve personalized learning, nor have they made efforts to integrate it into their curriculum. Without AI, the dream of an effective individualized learning system is unrealistic. AI Technology creates an opportunity for teachers to provide personalized instruction to heterogeneous groups with less effort.

By analyzing student performance data, AI algorithms identify gaps in knowledge and recommend personalized learning paths.

Teachers have always felt that they spend too much time doing things that are not the most important use of their time. Covid just exacerbated the existing situation

This saves teachers time and helps students learn at their own pace and in a way that suits their learning style. As a result, incorporating specific AI-based individualized learning activities for students could have a groundbreaking impact on their retention of knowledge and graduation rates as well as reduce teachers’ workloads, making them feel more successful and supported in their teaching efforts.

With AI innovation accelerating and the job market constantly changing, teachers are also struggling to find relevant content to teach. Many learning institutions continue to utilize traditional education methods while expecting teachers to show students how to evolve and rapidly develop new skills to keep pace with the rapid advancement of technology. It is clear that the education industry must provide teachers and classrooms with the proper tools in order to keep up with the evolving needs of the global workforce.

Passionate teachers are tired of the lack of support and resources provided by their schools. Educators have felt overworked and underappreciated for some time now. The Guardian recently reported that 44% of teachers in England plan on quitting in the next five years due to their increasing workload.[] An alarming number of teachers have been leaving their profession due to burnout and many teacher staffing crises are being reported globally. Many argue that the unprecedented turbulence was caused by COVID, but the teacher crisis predated COVID. Teachers have always felt that they spend too much time doing things that are not the most important use of their time. Covid just exacerbated the existing situation.

McKinsey & Company reported that teachers spend about 20% to 40% of their time on activities that can easily be automated by AI. Teachers have a plethora of tasks to manage, including teaching and other administrative and organizational tasks. They evaluate tests, grade homework, complete exhausting amounts of paperwork, write progress reports, organize and manage lesson materials and resources, and more. The result?

Teachers spend more time sitting at a desk overwhelmed with non-teaching activities than engaging with their students.

While grading, scheduling, lesson preparation, and other tasks are important for a classroom to run smoothly, they detract from a teacher’s main goal: to educate. However, with the help of AI tools and solutions, educators can automate manual processes within a matter of seconds, giving teachers more time to concentrate on teaching key competencies.

To keep up with the extraordinary changes in education that lie ahead, Holon IQ reports that the world needs to add an average of 1.5 million new teachers every year in order to reach a required total of 100 million.[Intelligent tutoring solutions, such as AI chatbots and tutors, as well as tutoring software, provide individualized feedback and teaching recommendations.

Teachers have always felt that they spend too much time doing things that are not the most important use of their time. Covid just exacerbated the existing situation.

It’s time to embrace AI technology’s revolutionary role in education and to equip teachers with the proper AI tools to help

teachers prioritize classroom activities.] AI technology is the remedy for teacher shortages and has the power to decrease the teacher dropout trend by allowing teachers to focus on their original motivation for entering the profession – to educate students by personally interacting with them on a dayto-day basis in the classroom. By enabling teachers to concentrate more on the social aspects of learning, AI helps them regain the kind of influence they originally sought in teaching. As a result, education will become a more desirable profession, attracting a larger number of more qualified entrants.

While AI has been in the education technology space for some time, its adoption in schools has been slow. However, COVID and generative AI technologies have accelerated its acceptance. Today, AI has achieved recognition as it revolutionizes education and the role of teachers at a surprising pace for those who have adopted it. Mangrove Capital Partners predicts that spending on digital education will double in the next five years. Educators can no longer ignore the AI phenomenon and its evergrowing presence. It’s time to embrace AI

technology’s revolutionary role in education and to equip teachers with the proper AI tools to help teachers prioritize classroom activities. Let technology do what technology is good at, leaving teachers time to excel in their proper roles.

Teachers are the most fundamental ingredient for delivering education, and aiding their success should be a top priority. Institutions that fail to implement AI technology to help teachers are predicted to fall behind their institutional peers. This is a crucial time for educators to self-reflect and ask themselves: Are we maximizing the use of tools around us to support our teachers and make sure education is adapting optimally for the future? If we take the time to evaluate the process of education and our teachers’ current needs, we will succeed in recognizing that the key to the future of tomorrow’s education is utilizing the proper AI tools and digital learning solutions to rapidly scale and enrich the process of learning. It’s time to put an end to short-term solutions and shift our focus to the long-term. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in education always pays the highest returns.”

It’s time to embrace AI technology’s revolutionary role in education and to equip teachers with the proper AI tools to help teachers prioritize classroom activities