Shrutika Khedekar
n the initial years of life, endless stories of valor,
I communities, and folklore have connected everyone to the past. But the question of what created these beautiful victories emerged later while discovering the depth of the world. While passing by various historical bibliographies, the common answer found was – A Leader.
Addressed by unique names in various civilizations around the world, Leaders have been a path-guider for a wide array of demography, ushering a wave of change and reforms that ensures to bless the world with an Enriched Life—a life that is witnessed to be better than yesterday.
Flipping the pages to contemporary times, these steps of transformation are being painted by business leaders – the CEOs, whose reflections can be witnessed in the multifold progress instilled in the dynamics of society, economy, polity, ecology, or major corporate policies.
The role of a Chief Executive Officer has been central in empowering any industry, creating a never-imagined cooperative era that is not only empowered but also development-driven. In the organizational formulae of adding creativity to this mixture, global C-level executives are actively infusing the marvels of emerging technology to simplify lives. Well, what could have been the other reason for us to sit and communicate thoughts and opinions with a single electronic touch?
YES! That is the power CEOs are branching out to the global citizenry, crafting an era of enhanced consumermanufacturer relations.
But this is just a dot in the entire pages of their innovative and business-transforming stories. Their leadership lifetime has been woven with colorful beads of experiences and creations that were at times either warm or at times from the palette of cool colors.
To be a medium to share their wisdom and their life musings, we at Insights Success came up with our latest edition, “CEO’s Transforming Business Through Innovations,” which will serve you a one-stop inspiring read about the journey, life lessons, inventions and discoveries, and much more of the CEOs around the world, that will quench the questions of your curious souls asking, “How a leader is made and how are they transforming the globe?”
Dive in to begin the journey into their magically empowered worlds! While you delve deeper into the edition, enjoy the surprise of mind-boggling articles scripted by our in-house editorial team.
I hope you have an insightful read!
-Drishti Gaikwad
,CEO's not only empower corporate entrepreneurship but also impart values, behaviors and attitudes to closely manage growth.
Kazana Group kazanagroup.com
Alexandra Gonzalez
Savvy Marketers savvy-marketers.com
Addis Alemayehou struck through the entrepreneurial battlefield to promote pioneering innovation which is bridging the gap between innovative ideas and strategic partnerships.
Since founding Savvy Marketers in 2012, Alexandra Gonzalez has been a leader in providing strategic guidance to Chairmen, Presidents, and CEO’s on topics that include Strategic Planning, Category Expansion and New Product Innovation.
Brian Goudie CEO Denise Sangster CEO
Influencer Active, Inc. influencer-active.com
The Founder and CEO of Influencer Active, Inc.—Anthony J James is known to be the transformative wheel behind the world’s first Business Influencer Marketplace.
Brian Goudie strengthens company’s leadership, bringing decades of innovation and experience to increase the trust and efficiency of the payments industry.
Hilbrich
Global Touch, Inc. globaltouch.com GPFI Group gpfigroup.com
Denise Sangster is an expert with knowing how to “unleash” the power of partner ecosystems, accelerating IT companypartner success, and establishing predictability of growth, revenue, profitability and value between IT companies.
Making a difference is what drives me, and being committed to healthcare, positively impacting people's lives, keeps me going.
Lutz Hilbrich
The formula for an organization's growth can differ from leader to leader, but the one thing that remains common in all of them is their enthusiasm to collaborate with people. Once the leader has established a teamwork spirit within his/her people, then ideas for growth and innovations can flow smoothly within the organization without hesitation.
Every other company, as we all know, is undergoing a transformation majorly aided by technology. Biopharmaceutical companies are no exception. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to the demand for developing strong and sustaining medicinal solutions. It has placed enormous responsibility on the leaders of biopharmaceutical companies to manufacture and develop ground-breaking solutions for new and old diseases.
As the leader of two biopharmaceutical enterprises, Lutz Hilbrich believes in fulfilling these responsibilities through effective collaboration with his people. Being the CEO of ProBioGen and MiGenTra, he aims to develop innovative solutions for today's and tomorrow's diseases with the collective efforts of the entire teams.
ProBioGen is a renowned Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and technology provider. It develops and manufactures unique and individualized biopharmaceutical drug candidates reliably and rapidly. Its innovative technologies can elevate clients' products to the highest yield, potency, quality, and safety levels.
Without further ado, let's get to know more interesting insights about Lutz Hilbrich and how he effectively keeps ProBioGen on the growth track.
Since joining ProBioGen in June 2020, Lutz has focused first and foremost on what he considers the company's biggest asset – its people. He believes that “success is not a one-person show.” This is why he has an open-door policy and has kept aside a two-hour timeslot every Monday morning for anyone in the company for feedback, to ask for advice, or just to chat.
As the CEO of ProBioGen and its subsidiary MiGenTra, Lutz notes that he has to travel frequently and also has to take care of many other responsibilities. Due to this, he mentions that the time he can reserve for the interactions is
becoming infrequent, but still, he manages to facilitate as many interactions as possible.
Furthermore, on creating a strong team, he says, “We aim to hire and retain dedicated employees, whom we call 'ProBioGeniuses,' as they are crucial to our productivity and success.”
Lutz has constantly been working on growing the company. In the past two years, the firm has accelerated its path of expanding capacity and diversifying. Mid 2021, ProBioGen incorporated its subsidiary MiGenTra, which develops biosimilars, vaccines, and cell and gene therapies for the Middle East and African continent.
“Together, we aim to transform the lives of millions in urgent medical need with modern biological medicines at affordable prices,” quotes Lutz.
As the CEO of both MiGenTra and ProBioGen, Lutz focuses on carrying out the responsibilities with “honor and humility.”
ProBioGen is a biopharmaceutical enterprise in Berlin that operates globally and has 28 years of experience. The company has a staff of over 250 at its three locations in Berlin.
The company started in 1994 with just four people as a production partner for diagnostic antibodies. "We have experienced steady growth by increasing capacity as well as diversifying our business segments," says Lutz.
Today, ProBioGen is not only a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) but also a technology provider. It partners with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to develop and manufacture biopharmaceutical active ingredients and vaccines for medicines. “We engineer cell lines, develop optimal processes and technologies, and ensure consistent and controlled quality standards ,” highlights Lutz.
The company uses proprietary technologies to optimize biopharmaceutical manufacturing and analysis. It also offers process development services and manufacturing technologies for viral vaccines.
Speaking about the ambitions of ProBioGen, Lutz says, “Our vision is that in the future, no one will have to fear
Together, we aim to transform the lives of millions in urgent medical need with modern biological medicines at affordable prices.
getting sick. We can achieve this by helping today develop tomorrow's medicines— also for diseases that are not yet curable.”
He adds, “We aim to accomplish this with knowledge and technologies based on our core values: innovation, passion, partnership, solutions, and being fearless.”
ProBioGen is an innovative Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization, not a classic Contract Manufacturing company. Speaking about its specialized offerings, the CEO says, “Our strong scientific foundation enables us to combine intelligent and modular services with innovative platform technologies. This allows us to offer clients individualized and unique solutions, unlike the competition.”
®
ProBioGen's proprietary technologies, like GlymaxX, fucose-targeted glycoengineering used to make antibodies against cancer and infectious diseases more potent and ®DirectedLuck Transposase, an efficient gene delivery system to increase production levels of desired proteins, resulting in better outcomes for its clients. “Our patent portfolio is continuously expanding. This is what makes a difference in the value proposition,” denotes Lutz.
ProBioGen has faced various challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company had to ensure stable supply chains and the availability of consumables and was physically cut off from some overseas customers. “To overcome this, we – and by that, I mean every employee –have had to remain flexible and agile,” says Lutz.
“Together with the executive team, I am aiming to give our employees a sense of security at all times. This is an indispensable foundation to face future challenges as well.”
Modern technological inventions are making it possible for every industry to take its operations to the next level. Speaking about how today's advanced technology can enhance the pharmaceutical industry's functions, Lutz emphasizes, “There are many problems that require new solutions. This is true in medicine and R&D, but also in how existing medicines and vaccines are distributed around the world. Advanced technologies can help the health industry tackle these problems .”
Furthermore, he notes that “At ProBioGen, we continuously develop and expand our innovative and advanced technology portfolio. We embrace technologies that benefit our customers, and ultimately, the patients we all serve.”
“In ProBioGen, we see a company that values scientific contribution and enables high-quality drug development for customers, which ultimately benefits the patients we all serve."
- Senior Director, Biologics Development, Celgene Corporation
"In the midst of an escalating pandemic, ProBioGen successfully managed safety, staffing, and procurement to maintain aggressive timelines for Pionyr's two first-in-class TME-directed fucosylated monoclonal antibodies."
- Senior Vice President, Technical Operations, Pionyr Immunotherapeutics, Inc.
"Because of ProBioGen's continuous support and always providing valuable information not only on technical challenges but also urgent issues associated with the project, our teams were able to bring a product from their facility into the clinic as scheduled within several months here in Japan.”
- Director, Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls Development, Chiome Bioscience Inc.
Satisfaction is the foundation for higher productivity. I have lived this throughout my entire life: as a student, scientist, medical doctor, and now as CEO.
field
(2019)
People are an invaluable asset for any company. Building a team of experts needs time, patience, and, most importantly, an ability to recognize the potential of each one. Speaking about the executive team at ProBioGen, Lutz says, “Our executive team's strength comes from working together to realize our mission.”
ProBioGen's talented executive team includes Dr. Gabriele Schneider, Chief Business Officer; Andrea Hauptmann, Chief Financial Officer; Dr. René Brecht, Chief Operations Officer; Dr. Volker Sandig, Chief Scientific Officer; Dr. Marco Riedel, Senior Vice President, Head of Digital Transformation; and Susanne Kaestner, Senior Vice President, Quality.
“Some have been with ProBioGen for over 20 years, others joined more recently, and all add invaluable knowledge and experience to our team,” adds the CEO.
Guidance from the wise can be worth gold to many entrepreneurs looking to follow the right direction and save time and resources. We asked Lutz, what would be his advice to budding entrepreneurs, to which he replied, “ Focus on the basis of success: people. By creating a work environment that values our employees' well-being at work and home, we foster a culture that emphasizes our biggest asset: my colleagues.”
He further adds, “Satisfaction is the foundation for higher productivity. I have lived this throughout my entire life: as a student, scientist, medical doctor, and now as CEO. ”
Speaking about his own motivation to enter the healthcare industry, he says, “Healthcare is not a privilege nor an entitlement. It is a human right. I went to medical school because I believed I could help people directly. Going into biotech has scaled up the impact of the work I was able to do as a practicing physician.”
In addition, he says, “As a CEO, I can contribute to finding solutions that affect the lives of millions of people. This is very rewarding and humbling. I would hope budding entrepreneurs share this same sense of mission – helping to turn health as a human right into a reality. ”
ProBioGen's future is bright. Its customer base is growing. Sharing further details about what plans are in place at the company to expand its scale, Lutz reveals, “We are extending our capacities and are diversifying, for example, by expanding our viral vector and vaccine business unit and services. Our contribution to breakthrough therapies helps address unmet medical needs.”
Lutz feels “deeply unhappy” about the number of unmet medical needs around the world, the inequitable distribution of basic medicines, and, as we painfully witness every day, COVID-19 vaccines, particularly on the African continent.
With our subsidiary MiGenTra, we are developing biosimilars, vaccines, and cell and gene therapies for the Middle East and African continent. This continent is especially overlooked and underserved,” quotes Lutz.
Our work is fully aligned with our vision that no one should fear getting sick, no matter where they live,” concludes Lutz.
Our work is fully aligned with our vision that no one should fear getting sick, no matter where they live.
Many people aim to have a personality that other people look up to in tough times, but only a few people possess the quality and ability to live this dream. These people change the face of the world by standing against the odds.
But nobody is born a leader.
Then how does one inherit leadership skills?
A true leader is always chosen when the time gets tough, and the situation becomes impossible. In such dark times, a leader becomes the light that directs the path of the people from the impossible toward the pool of possibilities.
It is extremely common for leaders to adapt to changes and come forth with unique and effective solutions. They understand the importance of developments and never fail to walk with these advancements.
In the modern technological era, leaders have set their eyes on the developments and innovations that the world is going through. They understand the need for these changes and implement them in their business culture. So, when the tough time comes, they could be prepared for the worst situation and work toward flipping the circumstances upside down and enhancing the way of their workflow.
What are these creative leadership skills?
Follow the light to discover the path.
Leaders indeed possess a very observant nature. This particular trait alone can boost their chances of identifying possibilities that others fail to notice.
The tiniest of mistakes can create a negative impact on the entire process, while taking slow but accurate measures can help them effectively achieve their goals.
Ineffectiveness is born when there is no attention paid to the details while performing the tasks and responsibilities. Employees’ irresponsible behavior and lack of seriousness in their work can potentially damage the company’s reputation.
This defectiveness can cause a loss of time and resources. Therefore, innovative leaders tend to complete the task at hand correctly and rightfully by having a comprehensive view of the entire project. They remain focused, timedriven, and task-oriented throughout the process.
Leaders are alone but never lonely. The power of their people keeps them strong and rigid. These people are unified by their leader’s unbiased business acumen. Creative insights are received when people from different experiences, backgrounds, and knowledge work collectively with a common goal to achieve to take the organization to a greater level.
This has changed the perception of many leaders and they have started preferring a collaborative environment instead of harmony. They support the arguments and opinions of the employees and find a way to produce ideal solutions for every obstacle that the project may encounter during the process.
A leader in innovation is aware that extraordinary achievements are necessary for creativity. This explains why management that uses innovative leadership goes beyond tactics that are frequently and commonly used.
They go beyond expected bounds and inspire their team members to pursue bold ideas. They encourage their staff members to think creatively and out of the box and provide them the space to properly debate ideas for development, ensuring to make they feel equal.
Since this style of leadership places a strong emphasis on innovation, managers encourage their staff members to express their creativity by launching idea challenges and
other contests that could inspire collaboration and innovative thinking amongst all levels of employees.
Leaders are willing with an open mind to explore new ideas that team members come up with in greater detail to determine their viability and the best way to implement them. Additionally, they offer honest, detailed, and useful comments to enhance the ideas provided.
They are open to hearing genuine thoughts in exchange. They are aware that accepting criticism is a necessary step in resolving problems and other difficulties that can delay a company’s ability to innovate in the upcoming future.
They think that teamwork is very important, that the opinions of the employees’ matter, and that offering and receiving feedback is a key factor in the long-term success of the company. It also ensures that the employees feel included in the process and decision.
Leaders encourage creativity and are aware that it also carries several threats. Business executives that want to boost innovation performance are high-risk takers.
They carefully and thoroughly examine every angle that could be present in a given circumstance. They are aware that advancement entails dangers, but they also think that these risks might be opportunities to gain more knowledge about the topics they have chosen.
Above all, they are fully aware of the potential dangers associated with implementing a novel concept. These innovators have, however, previously considered every potential hurdle and are ready to deal with it all.
Leaders are the first to bring changes and development to everything. Their ideas and views are different, unique, and directed toward the point. They can recognize the employee’s talents and provide them with the perfect opportunity to showcase their skills.
-Harshal Wahane
In this immersive world, globalization has disrupted the entire business atmosphere. Inculcating this view, disruption’s outcome, in a way, benefits the masses in the business culture. This adaption of perception in a business evaluates progression to the expected transformation.
From the socio-cultural point of view, the setting in which business ideas come through but does not emerge from a similar division of the community. However, the ideation to create a disrupting business anticipates a financial base and inbuilt strengthening combat while uprising in a specific sector.
Exemplifying such entrepreneurial zeal is the Kazana Group that aims to create economic success by assisting African businesses in making significant improvements and resolving crucial issues in the lives of global communities.
While forging the industrial village, Addis Alemayehou, the Chairman, struck through the entrepreneurial battlefield to promote pioneering innovation which is bridging the gap between innovative ideas and strategic partnerships and is inducing a successful platform in the business setting, worldwide.
How could one venture this universal effect?
Let’s find out through this Interview:
Addis, kindly tell our readers about yourself and your professional journey so far. What was your inspiration to step into your current profession?
My name is Addis Alemayehou. I am the chairman of Kazana Group, an investment holding group with a
portfolio of 19 companies and counting, all over Africa, operating in various sectors. I’ve always had an urge to be a problem solver. Where everyone else saw a problem, I saw an opportunity. Thus, I started my first greenfield start-up, Afro FM, when I observed a need for an all-English media platform where expats in Ethiopia could consume information and entertainment. Ever since then, I have established and/or invested in over 19 companies that solved some problem or addressed a certain need in their own ways.
Tell us about Kazana Group, its mission, and its vision. What role did you play in furthering its development and outreach?
Kazana Group is a holding company working towards building Africa’s future one start-up at a time. Our mission is to promote economic prosperity by supporting companies in Africa that make impactful changes and solve critical problems in the lives of communities around them. We offer a flexible structure for growth for these companies through the commitment of capital resources and the facilitation of strategic partnerships. I sit on the board of the group, among other amazing business people I call partners, ensuring that we work towards our goals, taking it one day at a time.
Please brief us about the industries and sectors in which Kazana Group’s companies are operating. And how are they helping to build Africa’s future?
Kazana Group currently holds an extensive portfolio of 19 companies and counting, operating in a diverse array of industries and sectors, notably in Marketing, Advertisement, Fintech, Telecom, Manufacturing, Logistics, Technologies, Investment Management & Advisory, and Entertainment, and many more. Each portfolio under our company helps build the future of Africa by contributing to the continent’s economy through the creation of jobs, improvement of local innovation and productivity, and introducing innovative products, methods, and production processes to the market.
In your opinion, what impact is technology having on African businesses? And how is your group adopting advanced technological solutions to enhance the overall business operations?
Technology allows Africa to leapfrog to new ways of operation without having to go through a learning curve. Imagine, we went from having almost no phones direct to mobile technology. Technology is a critical driver for enhancing workers’ productivity and easing a company’s operations. Our group is always seeking and working with the best talent in Ethiopia and the region to support disruption in various industries. Technology is at the core of everything that we do.
What are the biggest challenges you have faced and the most important lessons you have learned in your career so far? What are the types of challenges that you still face to this day?
Most of the biggest challenges I have faced in the past are due to bad partnerships. There’s no way to get around that. Partnerships are like marriages; thus, you don’t know what you are getting into until you get into it, unfortunately. Bad partnerships are still the cause for some of the challenges I face to this day.
In your view, what are the common challenges faced by African entrepreneurs? And what steps or actions do you suggest to tackle them?
There are a lot of challenges. The lack of adequate infrastructure is one example. Lack of an enabling environment, as well as financial support, is another. We cannot do much with the lack of infrastructure since that is
usually a heavy-duty investment that takes years to mature, leaving us with the only option of doing what we can with what we have. We can’t wait for the Governments to catch up, so we are forced to be creative and innovative to deliver what our clients need. Another challenge is around policies. In regards to that, we as the group are at the forefront of pushing and working together with various governments through multiple policy consultations to help with the government’s efforts to change and adapt to a modern and enabling environment. We believe this will empower the next generation of entrepreneurs in Africa.
What, according to you, are the most important traits of successful leaders today? And what are the leadership tips or advice you would like to share with budding entrepreneurs?
The most important trait of successful leaders today would be listening. I believe that you have to be open to adapting to new technology and ideas. You also should be able to understand and respect that Africa is a young population, and therefore, new ways of thinking is the way to the future.
Where do you see yourself in the future? Also, how do you envision scaling Kazana Group’s operations and outreach in the coming years?
We are currently working on raising a fund from our Diaspora families and friends residing in all parts of the world to invest in start-ups in Ethiopia and the region. We feel the Horn of Africa region has largely been ignored thus far by Tech investors. Therefore, we are focusing our energy and resources on actively supporting our regional start-ups. However, within the coming few years, we see our group active beyond the East/Horn region. We would like to expand our operations to cover the majority of the continent with the mission of unlocking Africa’s potential one start-up at a time. As for myself, I will be mentoring and getting my replacement ready to take over the group and take it to new heights.
I scouted to get inculcated, there is a very intrinsic element of human intelligence that even algorithmmediated intelligence is not capable of catching hold of.
n an age where everything is taught, and every skill is
disruptive growth strategies. I have also received a LinkedIn Power Profile and LinkedIn Top Voice.
To the above-ideated maze, one term suffices and ends the discussion—Innovation.
It is said that innovation is a confluence of intelligence, creativity, and far-sighted vision.
" But how do these three magical virtues collide and reach its deserving destiny?" might be the question for many.
To answer this complicated riddle, we have one of the astounding CEO who has not only exemplified technology leadership but also is a great example of, "Creativity is intelligence having fun."
As the Founder and CEO of Influencer Active, Inc. Anthony J James is known to be the transformative wheel behind the world's first Business Influencer Marketplace.
Let's slide into the interview and learn more about Anthony and the lessons he learned during his entrepreneurial journey.
Below are the interview highlights.
Anthony, kindly tell our readers about yourself and your professional journey so far.
I am an innovative and creative, technology-driven business solutions leader with a strong focus on idea generation, commercialization, and growth. My experience in the digital innovation field spans over a quarter of a century for global marketing agencies, technology companies, startups, and management consulting firms.
I have received industry recognition from LinkedIn as the most influential thought leader in the Asia-Pacific region for my work in innovation, consumer engagement, and
I have deep Asia Pacific and global experience and have unique insights into digital platforms, solutions, future technologies, and strategies that engage consumers and solve big business problems across markets and cultures. I speak as a thought leader and technology evangelist to business leaders around the world.
What was your inspiration to step into the advertising services industry?
Actually, I was headhunted! However, the transition was a very natural one. I started my career as a graphic designer in the film and television industry, so it was almost a return to my roots. In the corporate world, I led with a creative lens, not one that necessarily worked for a "suite and tie world".
The move back onto the agency side allowed me to help agencies extend beyond the pure advertising offerings and helping compete against the large corporates, who have been encroaching into their accounts for many years. I was inspired to blend my experience and knowledge of the digital tech world, to commercialize existing creative solutions and look for new growth opportunities for the agency.
Tell us about InfluencerActive, its mission, and its vision. What role did you play in founding and growth? I am the Founder and CEO of InfluencerActive is my latest and very exciting start-up. It's the world's first business influencer marketplace, featuring more than 200 hypernetworked, leading business influencers for B2B and B2C brands. These influencers are spread across 15 countries in the U.S., Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Europe. The marketplace offers a combined first-level reach of over 22 million people and a network reach of more than 250 million people, numbers that are growing daily as more influencers join the platform. I and currently the Founder and main driver of the growth of the marketplace.
I believe innovation is more about business solutions than the next cool thing.
Anthony J James Founder & CEO
The model is unlike anything else out there…no subscriptions, no hidden fees, no briefs! Brands can engage a business influencer who works in their industry and is already to connected to the audiences' brands want to access.
Please tell us about the various sectors InfluencerActive provides its advertising services to and how it adapts to the clients' diverse marketing requirements. InfluencerActive is changing the influencer marketing game for brands, particularly with small businesses and mediumsized enterprises. Our focus is on curating a cadre of 'hypernetworked' business people – real professionals who have a vested interest in their professional network and the ability to generate very high levels of engagement. As a digital marketplace, we have global scope, and our influencers have worldwide reach through their networks of influence. In general, our customers don't engage our influencers for their local expertise but for their regional and international scale, as well as the voice or the authority and authenticity they have in their industry.
The marketplace makes it easy for marketing leaders, brands, and agencies to work with business influencers, giving them a direct line of communication and a simple process for integrating them into a campaign to increase awareness and impact. With the InfluencerActive marketplace, B2B and B2C marketers can quickly book an influencer, send the desired media and messaging, and see their content pushed live by the influencer within a matter of hours.
How do you ensure innovation within Influencer Active? I believe innovation is more about business solutions than the next "cool thing." It's about deeply understanding the business problem clients face and then applying properly practiced creativity, a little rule breaking, and collaboration, to deliver solutions that solve the problem, have a positive impact on the brand and drives real growth. Innovation should be transformative and build new connections.
We always ask five questions to ensure innovation flows through our organisation:
Does the idea change the way we do business?
Does it change the way we communicate with customers?
Does it respond to changes in consumer/business behaviour?
Will its development inspire people to talk about it?
Ÿ Is it genuinely new, and not just a new costume for old products and practice?
The final big filter is am I SO EXCITED about the innovation that I spend all my spare time thinking about it! I think if you can answer YES to all of these questions then you have a really innovative idea…in fact I want to know what it is!
In your opinion, how is today's advanced technology enabling the advertising industry to better serve its clients? Also, in what ways is technology assisting your agency in bringing out innovative business solutions in the market?
Advertising today just doesn't offer the same value as it once did. Sponsored posts simply take the old 'interruption marketing' model and apply it to digital feeds. But people don't want to be interrupted! They want context, a story, entertainment, and trust. Technology combined with real businesspeople is well-positioned to do just that, and our marketplace is the ideal vehicle for making that happen. We put the solution into the hands of the business owner, we put them in control, and now they can cut through the channel noise and marketing challenges of a fragmented media world.
As an experienced leader, what advice would you like to give to aspiring entrepreneurs and enthusiasts who wish to venture into the advertising industry? Two simple rules. One, learn to see just over the horizon.
I'm not a Futurist; I don't look 20 to 30 years into the future. My skill is to be looking at ideas and concepts that are going to become mainstream within 2 to 3 years. This is where clients need to be focused. If they are not starting to build and implement solutions using those technologies now then they will be irrelevant.
Second, there are no rules. You need to keep your eyes and mind completely open. Imagination and creativity can never be limited or overused. In my role, I get to use these things every day.
Where do you see yourself in the future? Also, how do you envision scaling your business operations and outreach in the coming years?
I'm always looking for the next big thing. The new idea. The idea that makes me say...WOW!! This is my excitement, this is my passion, and every day is the new next.
he world consists of billions of people who follow
Tdifferent cultures and beliefs. People have been living diversified life for ages. This has given birth to various norms of society that one has to follow; bringing changes into these things has been difficult as the sentiments of the people are attached to their practices.
But, with the changing world, the mindset of the people has seen a shift in the ways they think. Humans are now opening up to adapt and accept different cultures and norms of society.
The shift that the advancing world has brought has also changed the face of the business world. Organizations not only want to transform the institute but also want to bring a transformation in the culture. For such changes, many organizations have started certain practices to be followed by the employees.
The term ‘equality’ has been an important aspect of the modern era. The organizational culture has been transformed by the ethics of organizational inclusivity. Organizations have started following the ethics of inclusivity, and there has been a justified role of technology in its success.
What is the role of technology in organizational inclusivity? Let’s find out.
Justification comes with a touch of openness and privacy.
Likewise, the addition of open and private communication in the organizational culture justifies inclusiveness, security, and efficiency.
Open and centralized channels are the best pick for the enhancement of interaction among the teams and also ensure the interaction of employees in different positions. Measures as such make the employees feel important and included in the decisions made by the organization.
But privacy holds equal importance to openness.
The duo that open and private communication channels make provides the employees a perfect stage to express and pinpoint their concerns. It ensures the security of any employee to confidently speak against discrimination in the organization.
The must-win factors of an organization are its employee’s well-being and confidence. Unfairly managed inclusive and diversified practices create a negative environment that becomes the root cause of lacking productivity. This unattentive behavior later results in the dissatisfaction of the employees on a large scale and slowly generates trouble in employee retention.
For the eradication of these situations, technology fills the gap between the diversified culture. It facilitates enhanced employee training and connectivity, diminishing the bias and introducing employee support channels for the appropriate management of inclusion and diversity.
Facilities like these, in a collective manner, contribute toward the overall well-being of the employees, establishing a secure and safe working space for them.
A good working space is alwayss built by good employee recruitment. The process of recruitment always demands
effort and time for any business, but it is also the first and foremost step in building a better inclusive environment for the employees. The correct type of technology can work like a charm for the employees through an optimistic recruitment and onboarding process.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are technologies that can be immediately immersed in a digital environment and can modify the whole process of how companies take interview candidates, handle onboarding, job training, and the ways they conduct ongoing employee development programs. The VR or AR training will specifically help a person with a disability to practice interaction with the other employees in a safe environment.
Optimistic interactions and initiatives to keep the office environment safe and sound in the initial stage of a professional’s journey establish the business’s inclusive culture. Moreover, the advancing technology helps in the efficient tracking of employee achievements, encouraging them to demonstrate their abilities and skills without the discrimination of their background when applying for a promotion or a new role.
For the eradication of bias and favoritism from the decision-making process, technology-based shift management is helpful and handy. Employees get the opportunity to swap or apply for shifts without the help of
manual coordination by the manager. The availability of the shifts will be offered based on their skill-set and title. This ensures an increase in equal access to changes for frontline workers.
There is a possibility of a final review by the manager, but each step of the entire process is easily auditable and documented.
The advancing technologies are defeating diversity and enhancing inclusion practices in the business environment. Centralized communication channels also provide an easy and handy shift-swapping process between the employees, which improves employee flexibility and lowers the risk of understaffing. Employees also get the chance to provide their availability which makes the scheduling process more accessible and more convenient.
Lastly, the usage of new technology has brought benefits to employees and businesses. It ensures improvements in the work environment and plays a vital role in the establishment of a confident workforce. All the negative factors can be diminished, and all the processes can be carried forward based on skills and abilities.
-Harshal Wahane
Scouting challenges and turning them into opportunities is rooted in every successful leader and African Countries, Dr. Mko Balogun is a perfect example of resilient leadership. He is not only pioneering the industry but also innovating new opportunities and is facilitating the world with a one of its own kind leadership that has never been witnessed ever before.
Global Property & Facilities International Ltd (GPFI), Dr. Mko enables the client to ease their job by assisting them to attain their business goals with expertise and market experience.
As the Group CEO of the company, he drives the company to top the leaderboard in the African Continent.
In an endeavor to scout real estate leaders, we crossed our paths with Dr. Balogun and had an interactive interview, where he expressed and shared his entrepreneurial journey that changed his life and simultaneously transformed the lives of many!
Let's slide into the interview:
Sir, kindly tell our readers about yourself and your professional journey so far.
I was born 55yrs ago in Ibadan, to the late Dr. AbdulGhaniy Kola Balogun (GKB) and Alh Memunat Balogun, went to various primary and secondary schools in Ibadan and Akure, attended Teachers college at Ilesa and remedial school in Ibadan before heading to the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering (Automotive Engineering).
Before going to university, I had worked as a school registrar, administrator, sports administrator/event planner, political mobilizer, and administrator.
After my university education, I joined CFAO-NMI as Technical Adviser, during the introduction of Peugeot 306 & 406 into the Nigerian market and later General Motors as Production, then Marketing, and After Sales Manager. I left GM for Bemil Security where we pioneered Armoured Vehicle assembly in Nigeria in 2004; subsequently, I left for Leventis Motors, where we introduced Benz B-Class and Volkswagen Trucks.
I left Leventis for Mr. Biggs where I was responsible initially for Project Management and later facilities management for our then over 700 shops across Nigeria and Ghana (2); I joined UBA after my MBA on the invitation of then CEO of the bank and left for MM2 Airport where I had the pleasure of working with one of the best people to work for in Nigeria.
In 2008, after graduating from LBS in 2006 and registering the company, Domme FM Ltd, we went live with our business, it is worthy of note that the idea of setting up the company was started initially as our MBA Project. In 2012 we signed a merger agreement with the then WSP FMC to be part of the company, and I became the CEO on March 1, 2012. In 2014, we changed the company name to Global Property & Facilities International Ltd (GPFI), which currently operates in 10 African countries.
That is the short story of my journey.
What was the inspiration that prompted you to venture into the real estate services space?
While doing my Executive MBA I was working at Mr. Biggs and saw a lot of challenges and opportunities in the space, I and some of my classmates then agreed to work together on our final year project on setting up a Real Estate Services Company (FM Company) and run it after school, which was exactly what we did and we are still doing.
Tell us more about GPFI Group. As a Group MD/CEO, how have you helped your company to improve its operations and outreach?
GPFI is an integrated RE Services company and a pioneer in the industry. Our goal as a business is to enable our clients to achieve their business goals, using our knowledge, expertise, experience, and partners while at the same time ensuring that all our stakeholders are getting value for their association with the company.
To do that, we focus on open communication with our clients to understand their needs and develop solutions to support them. Innovation and technology are critical tools while focusing on developing our team is a major requirement for us.
Over the years, we have learned from our clients, learned from our challenges, learned from our partners, and leveraged new ideas and new ways to continually improve our offering and service delivery. We will continue to do the same.
As the Group CEO, my job is simple – like a chef, identifying and using the best ingredients to create a perfect dish, working with our board and management, my job is to drive the businesses in the direction that will make us no.1
in our industry in Africa. them. Improving myself, finding the right people, right markets, right partners, and working with the right client will enable the achievement of our business goals.
We are also focused on social impact, with our TechE program (a program designed to help young Nigerians and later Africans become Technical Entrepreneurs); our participation in the UN Water Mandate (a sub-set of UN Global Compact Grou); our subjecting our business to global best practice through ISO Certification and ECOVADIS, our active participation in the industry not only in Nigeria but also in Africa, promotion of capacity for professionals in the industry through promoting the ProFM Credentials Program (all FMs in GPFI are ProFM Certified) and we have enabled more than 40 others across Africa to enroll or certified.
What were the major challenges you faced throughout your professional journey, and how have they enabled you to become a better leader?
No challenges, really, for me, all my journey was guided by God and my desire to excel, so learning was my greatest tool. Moving jobs, industries, and specialties was not so difficult. I just have to be determined, learn new ways, and even go out of my way to learn more than is required.
We focus on open communica on with our clients to understand their needs and develop solu ons to support them. Innova on and technology are cri cal tools, while focusing on developing our team is a major requirement for us.Dr. Mko Balogun | CEO Global Property & Facilities International Ltd
Career Councelling session with JS3 students of Comprehensive High School, Oke Ado, Ibadan and announcement of scholarship for best gradua ng student.
Please tell us about the DMB Foundation. What inspired you to establish it?
As far back as when I was in UBA, 2006 when I walk around Marina in the morning when I resume or going to some of our buildings, I saw a lot of young boys sleeping in front of shops, mostly between 8 and 15yrs old, I made up my mind I was going to do my best to support youths. I had seen similar things with Almajeri when I was serving in Kano, my initial plan was to do a youth empowerment program, but as time went by, I saw that I might not be able to make the desired impact, so I decided to focus on
women– Scholarships and Women Enterprise Fund, family support and some level of general intervention for people who are in need. So far, we have had seven scholars and eight women entrepreneurs we have supported and will continue to support.Our 2 Programs are:
One full scholarship every year to a JSS3 female graduating student to the university level.
Women Enterprise fund – to support small business owners to upscale in the form of grants and interest-free loans
We have a board comprising of highly placed Nigerians and we launched the foundation 5yrs ago on my 50th Birthday, 10yrs after initially planned.
As a successful real estate leader, tell us your opinion on the impact of modern technology on the real estate sector. Also, expand on the way technology is being utilized at GPFI Group to enhance its operations and solutions.
Technology in RE has come to stay and is not new; it's been with us for some time its only now more necessary to drive efficiencies and improve service delivery. For us at GPFI is part of our service offering – we use technology in operations, process, administration, building management, technical management.
As an experienced real estate leader, what advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who wish to venture into the same industry?
You have to understand the industry and, determine your area of focus, develop your offering to focus on that area.
Where do you see yourself in the future? Also, how do you envision scaling your company's operations and outreach in the coming years?
The company is already scaling – we are focused on Africa and want to be the biggest and most successful RE Services company in Africa, and probably consider the Middle East and Europe. For me, continue to contribute to the growth of the industry in Africa.
Mirabell Mayack
Director, Governmental Affairs and Strategic Sales
One of the most diverse continents in the world is Africa. It is home to nearly 2000 languages with French being the official language of many countries and the de facto language in few. Although the popularity of the language is large, it gets difficult to connect with people due to a lack of understanding of the culture. To flourish as a business with the Sub Saharan French Speaking community, Africa requires a deep knowledge of the local markets.
And, even with a lot of opportunities, these markets remain hard to reach from outside requiring powerful facts, analytics, and insight. This can only be provided by someone who knows it best.
As a French African connected to the business world—Mirabell Mayack understood the gap providing opportunities and needs of the market. Mirabell Mayack, Senior Director, Governmental Affairs and Strategic Sales established African Investment Intelligence with the grail to provide the investors with expert opinion giving them an edge to invest and immerse with confidence in Sub Saharan French Speaking Africa.
In an interview with Mirabell, we had an opportunity to know more about her, her journey, and her company.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Please shed some light on your leadership journey in the consulting and investment space.
We are not consultants; our customers are. However, doing business between two different worlds often means being a cultural translator and cultural consultant talking to either side. My leadership journey started with the aim to change a few points of view in the "doing business with Africa" landscape that I thought was wrong. It was a deep wish to change the perception that Europe had of Africa. It was also a wish of mine to change the institutional setting of consultants in Germany, allowing people from the diaspora to sit at that very same table that is usually occupied by ex-pats.
What was the inspiration that prompted you to venture into the consulting and investment niche?
I was born into "doing business with Africa." My parents run an import-export company. I followed their footsteps and ventured out into investigations supplying our customers with valuable insights into Frenchspeaking Africa.
Being the Managing Director at African Investment Intelligence, how do you envision growing your network operation and providing your clients with powerful analytics, facts, investigated insights, and expertise.
I am a woman, and networking comes naturally to me...as I like to think. Not only is one of the pillars of the company the networking opportunities that we take very seriously, but there is a strong emphasis on the
who you are . You might not win everyone over, but some customers will like what you bring to the table. Focus on these and make them your network and base. These are your best asset and brand ambassadors. Just be persistent and consecutive. I don't know if I am a grand success, but I am a tough cookie, and I do not give up.
Can you please share with us your initial professional experiences and what were the learning that made you ramp up your growth curve?
I was born into a family setting within a company. My parents often discussed business matters around common family areas and activities. Business in the family meant helping out, traveling with my parents, and playing in the backyards of companies where my parents had meetings. These were my initial professional experiences that have been my life learning. My father's courage to open a company in a small German town, my mother's openmindedness to just follow her husband to Cameroon, and my family's faith in life are my ongoing growth curve's spine. The challenges along the way are my growth curve.
As a successful leader in the consulting and investment space, what is your opinion on the future of investigative research and investment for businesses, which is currently grabbing the global spotlight?
onversation rate from such contacts. Becoming
cmore digital and breaking down the process to access our intelligence is another way forward that I am working on. We also organized impactful think tanks that allow us to constantly grow the network and create long-lasting bonds to our network.
Initiating your career as an Investment Consultant, what were the challenges youfaced, and enlist us the professional hacks that helped you become the grand success that you are today?
What I find difficult to this day in Europe is the fact that being a real expert is hard to push on the agenda. Doing business with Africa has often got to do with being open minded. The UK market holds very good and authentic experts that can give realistic feedback.
Looking at Germany the consulting business evolves around state state-funded advisories dominating the market with their expat-ise. The challenges were two different kettle of fish for me. My hacks are simple. Be
The future of investment for the investment business of all sorts (consultancy, advisory, financial deals advisory, private equity, etc.) will grow, and hopefully doing international business will become normal. Therefore, we need more transparency. In the future, someone in a remote German town will invest in a business in Timbuktu or in Douala because there will hopefully be enough transparency and intelligence available to make informed decisions. Africa is 54 countries with millions of ethnic groups, customs, and cultures. When it comes to research and investigative research, Africa is the future.
Please give your valuable input about the investment and consulting industry for budding entrepreneurs.
Consultancy is a great business sector, especially in Africa. It is one with much growth opportunities. For a budding entrepreneur, it is a great business sector. It will be great to see more African entrepreneurs in the investment sector such as African financial boutique advisory and African private equity companies.
