Themodernindustryisbeingunpredictable,
particularlyinthelastfewdecades,asconsumer attitudesandtechnologicaladvancementshave undergonesignificantchanges.Asaresult,CTOsnowneed tobeversatilemastersofalltrades.Theymustbeawareof themajorityofactivitiesattheircompany Therealways seemstobeacoresetofcharacteristicsthattheyallshare, despitetheshiftingexpectationsandvariousroles.
Eventhoughtheyassumealeadershipposition,aCTO mustbeanexceptionalteamplayer.Theyshouldbe constantlyseekingtheinputofeverybodyelseinvolved.It’s alsovitalthattheyactasamediatorbetweenthedifferent partsoftheirteaminordertosolveissuesandfoster cooperation.Inmanyways,theCTOactsasthebonding forcethatholdsamarketingteamtogether Theirjobisto keepeverybodyfocusedandremindthemofthebigger picture.Theyaccomplishthisbygettingalloftheteam membersonthesamepage,unitedunderasinglecohesive vision.
Weliveinaneradefinedbyrapidlychangingtechnology Socialmedia,inparticular,israrelystatic;itcanchange dramaticallyinasingleday.Giventhatthemajorityof marketingnowtakesplaceonsocialmedia,CTOsmust understandhowtoevolvewithit.
AsuccessfulCTOisalwayslookingforinnovative solutions.Theyrecognisetheimportanceofinnovationand arewillingtotakeriskstofacilitateit.Furthermore,they understandwhentoletgoofthepastandwhatthey've grownaccustomedtoinorderfortheirteamtomove forwardandexploreinnovativeapproaches.
Ittakesalotforamarketingcampaigntostandoutfromthe crowd.Beingexciting,ground-breaking,anduniqueisthe bestwaytocutthroughtheoversaturateddigitallandscape.
AgoodCTOisalwaysawareofhowthecustomeris feeling.Theyfrequentlymonitorsocialmediatogauge publicsentiment.Theyalsoserveascustomeradvocates withintheirteams,consideringhoweachdecisionmay affecttheconsumerandarguingintheirfavour.
Spotlightingsuchstauncharistocratsfromthemodern industry,InsightsSuccessfeaturessomeoftheenthralling storiesoftheTechnophileCTOsoftheYear2022.Flip throughthepagesandindulgeintheaspectsofcoherency combinedwithadistinctiveblendofmodernadvancements.
Have a Delightful Read!
ADataSuperheroChangingtheWaytheWorldManagesData Guy Adams
Brigitte Falk
by Example
impacts of the pandemic employees' lifestyle and healthcare.
AdelaMehic-Dzanic
HeadofConnectivity Service
Providers–CSP
AlbertoCondeMellado
Founderand Chairman
BenjaminBuchanan CEO
BrigitteFalk CIOandCOO
BenjaminBuchanan
ChiefExecutive
Officer
DushyantVarshney
ChiefTechnology
Officer
GuyAdams
ChiefTechnology
Officer
RajanBeera
ChiefTechnology
Officer
ShimritTzur-David
CSOandCo-founder
MavovoAG mavoco.com
GlucoVibes glucovibes.com
SBT
(SmarterBuildingTechnologies) Alliance sbt-alliance.com
Forcam forcam.com
SBTAlliance sbt-alliance.com
ArcturusTherapeutics arcturusrx.com
DataOps.live dataops.live
AdelaMehic-Dzanicisafemaletechleader,speaker,and mentor.
Albertoholdsmorethan15yearsworkingwithdataand improvingbusinessprofitability
SBTAlliancepartnerswithsmall,medium,andFortune500 customerstodesign,deploy,andsupportIoT-enabledsolutions, systems,devicesandtechnologies.
FORCAMsupportscompanieswithinnovativedigitalization solutionstosuccessfullymasterthedigitaltransformation towardstheSmartFactoryandtosolvethreekeychallengesof todayandtomorrow
Benjamintendstosellfromatechnicalperspective,beingthe industryexpertbutplacingemphasisonrelationshipbuilding andfollow-up.
Dushyantisanaccomplishedbiotechexecutivewithover25 yearsofexperienceinleadingentireproductlifecyclesof diversemodalitiesincludingmRNA,gene&cell-based therapeutics,biologics,vaccinesandsterileinjectables.
GuyispassionateaboutDataOps.Hehasspent20+years runningsoftwaredevelopmentorganizations,andnowhisfocus isbringingtheprinciplesandbusinessvaluefromDevOpsand CI/CDtodata.
Rajanisaninnovativeleaderwithaproventrackrecordin Research&Development. PallCorporation pall.com
SecretDoubleOctopus doubleoctopus.com
ShimritholdsanMScandPhDfromtheHebrewUniversityin ComputerScience.TheideabehindSecretDoubleOctopus wasdesignedduringShimrit'spost-docresearchatBenGurion University.
I'vespent20+years runningsoftware developmentorganisations andnowmyfocusis bringingtheprinciplesand businessvaluefrom DevOpsandCI/CDto data.
Guy Adams, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder DataOps.live
Thedataworldhasreachedacrunchpoint.
Continuingthetrendofthelastdecade,the requirementsfrombusinessoftheirdata(andby extensiontheirdatateams)areincreasingexponentially.It's notjustthecomplexityoftherequirementsbutthepaceof changethatcausechallenges–monthsandweeksareout andsometimesevendaysaretooslow.Simultaneously,as business,consumersandregulatorsbecomemoreaware,a robustandfullyimplementeddatagovernancestrategyisa hardrequirementtoensurethatthedataisconsistent,does notgetmisused,andistrusted.
Tocompoundallofthis,dataengineersarebetween45% and75%lessefficientthantheirsoftwarecolleaguesdueto manualprocesses,lackoforchestrationandlackof automatedtestinganddeployments. Manyoftheseproblemshavebeenseenbeforeinthe softwaredomainstarting20+yearsagoandtheninthe cloudinfrastructuredomain10+yearsago.
OnamissiontoaddresstheseissuesGuyAdams,theChief TechnologyOfficerandco-founderhasdevelopedthe world'sleadingDataOpsplatform,DataOps.live. Introduction
Guyisaself-motivatedleaderwithovertwodecadesof experience,guidingteamsthroughtheAgile/DevOps/CICD journey
LifewasallaboutDevOpsandthenCloudOpsforGuy, initiallybringinghisexpertiseofSoftwareDevOpsintothe cloudinfrastructureworld.Whenhecametothedataworld, itbroughtafeelingofdéjàvu.Thedataworldwas incrediblyadvancedinsomerespectshowever,automation, orchestrations,testing,observability,developmentpractices anddeploymenttechniqueswerestillinthedarkages!An earlydecisiontoworkwiththeworld'sleadingclouddata platform,Snowflaketurnedouttobepivotal–itsunique combinationoffeaturesunlockedkeyDataOpscapabilities andGuyhasbecomeoneofaveryelitegroupofSnowflake DataSuperheroesglobally
Aftergraduatingwithadegreeinelectricalengineering fromImperialCollege,London(wherehewasawardedthe EricLaithwaitePrizeforInnovation)andtimespentwith theRoyalAirForce,Guyfoundhiswayintoajunior networkmanagementconsultantroleatasmallcompany-
Parallel.HeworkedhiswayuptoCTO,developingthe industry'sfirstweb-basedmanagementplatformandwas partoftheteamthatmanagedtheacquisitionofthis companybyiDirect,aleadingsatellitecommunications company.HeremainedatiDirectasVPofEngineeringand overtimeaddedavarietyofotherresponsibilities, includingstartingthefirstuserexperiencedepartment withinthesatelliteindustry.
Intheearlydaysofhiscareer,Guystruggledwithbeing youngerthanmostofhispeers,butthistaughthimhowto reallyfightforcontinualprogressandagainstestablished dogma,eveninthefaceoffarmoreexperiencedpeople. Sometimesthismeantdrivingsmallbutcontinual improvements,butothertimesradicalandfundamental rethinkswererequired.
In2018,Guywasreadyforamoveintoadifferentindustry andhadfalleninlovewiththedataworld.Hejoined DatalytyxasCTOandwaspartoftheteamthatleadthe acquisitionofthiscompanybyMphasis.Thissethimona path,withhisco-foundersJustinMullen(CEO),Sam HopperandColinBradfordtochallengeawholeindustry ofthirtyyearsoflegacythinking.
TodayGuyisrecognisedasaglobalauthorityonthe principles,practices,andtechnologiesofDataOps.Hewas theoriginalarchitectoftheDataOps.liveproductandled thedefinitionofthephilosophyitselfas www.truedataops.org.Hepresentsatmanyconferences aroundtheworldeachyearandlecturesaspartofseveral
DataOps provides end to end orchestration, environment management, CI/CD and automated testing wrapped in an elegant UI.
higherdegreeprogrammes.MostrecentlyGuyco-authored theDataOpsforDummiesbook.
DataOps.livehasasimplemission–toautomatethebuild, test,deploymentandobservationofdataapplicationsand dataproductsontheSnowflakeDataCloud.Thecompany doesthisbytakingallthebestprinciples,processes,and technologicalsolutionsoftwentyyearsofDevOpsandten yearsofCloudOpsandusingthemasabaseline. DataOps.livehasthenidentifiedthechallengesuniqueto thedataworldandcreatednewsolutionsontopofthis foundation.
Thishasledtonumerousadvantagesfororganisationsfrom SMEstothelargestglobalenterprises.
Asbusinessesdemandmoreagility,companieshave reducedtimetovalueforcompletelynewinitiativesfrom sixmonthstosixweeks.Releasesthatusedtohappenonce
everythreemonthsarenowhappeningmany,manytimes perday.
Thishaspartiallybeendrivenbyahugeincreasein developer/engineerefficiency.Bydesigningandbuildinga fundamentallynewdatadeveloperexperience,Guyand DataOps.livehave,inmanycases,doubledproductivity
However,criticallyimportantfortheEnterprise,thisleapin agilityandefficiencyhasnotcomeatthecostofgood governance.Infact,projectsanddataproductsmanaged usingDataOps.livehavefarbettergovernancewith independentandconcurrentdevelopmentforanynumberof engineers,multi-stagepeerreviews,automatedtesting, completeaudithistoryforeverytypeofchangeandof coursetheabilitytorollbackontherareoccasionthata productiondeploymentdoesn'tgoquiteasplanned.
TechnologyisafundamentalenablerforDataOps.Until twotothreeyearsago,theunderlyingtechnology capabilitiessimplyweren'ttheretoallowDataOpstoexist.
InnovationsbySnowflake,suchasZeroCopyCloneand TimeTravel,havetransformedwhatispossible.Theteam atDataOps.liveisattheforefrontofleveragingtheseto create#truedataops.
Thedataandapplicationspacehasbeendividedforthelast 20+years.Databaseshelddataandapplicationsextracted thatdataanddidinterestingthings.Thatmodelhasalways createdperformanceandsecurityproblems.Developers havetobringthedatatothecodeandifthedataissensitive orlarge(andlargeherecanbePetabytesorbigger)thisis verychallenging.The'nextbigthing'ismovingthecodeto thedata.
Theabilitytocreateapplicationsusingstandard programminglanguagessuchasJavaandPythonand actuallyrunningtheseinsidetheSnowflakeCloudplatform itselfisgamechanging.Guy,histeamandindeedtheir customers,arealreadystartingtodothis,butitmeansthata DataOpsplatformneedstosupportandmanagenotjustthe databutalsoalltherequirementsoftheDevOpsand CloudOpsspaces.
Guyandhisrapidlyexpandingteamarecurrentlyfocused onmakingtheamazingDataOps.livethedefactostandard intheemergingDataOpsindustry
Outsideofwork,Guyisanavidbuilderofanything impracticalandoverengineeredfromtreehousesand
gazebostosoapboxcarsandriverrafts.Heisalsoaskiing instructor(mostlytohelpkeepupwithhistwoyoung daughterswhobothraceslalom),anaspiringwinebuff (withaloveforsouthernItalianReds)andenjoysthe challengeofcompetitivecrosswording!
Askedabouthisexperience, "Your career will never follow the path you think – looking back, my career has taken a left and right turns that I could never have predicted. If you work hard, you WILL get opportunities – the problem is that opportunities hardly ever have a big neon sign pointing to them saying -'I'm a great career opportunity.' More often than not, they look like risks, sidewise moves and sometimes even steps backward. Be open to possibilities and trust your gut and the advice of the people you have built faith in.”
Be open to possibilities and trust your gut and the advice of the people you have built faith in.
The problem is that opportunities hardly ever have a big neon sign pointing to them saying -'I'm a great career opportunity.' More often than not, they look like risks, sidewise moves and sometimes even steps backward.
Pandemicandbiologychangedinjustoneyearmore
thantechnologyinthelast10years.Allthe technologicaltoolsweretherebutmostofallbig companieswerenotusingthemproperly.Andourlifestyle changedwithit.
Today,remoteworkingorteleworkingisverynormal,as areconferences,phonecallsandotheractivitiesthatleave behindthefacetofacenecessityandlotsoftravelingand commuting.
Thistendencyhasbecomethenewrealityanditcouldbea goodstepintheshorttermintermsofefficiencyand productivity,butithasacriticalimpactonthelifestyle habitsandemployees'health.Andthemainreasonisthat wedramaticallyreduceouractivityandwebecomemore sedentary.
Thissedentarylifestyleaffectshealthbadly,anditopensthe doortofuturemetabolismdisorderssuchasmetabolic syndrome,obesity,insomniaortype2diabetes.Wesaw fromGlucovibesusersthattheglucoselevelsofsedentary peopleishigheratallthetime,bothdayandnight.
Thismeansthattheinsulinlevelsarehigher,too,andthe lackofactivitytogetherwithahighdietincarbohydrates andsaturatedfatsistheperfectstormformetabolic disorders.
Activityisthemainregulatorofourglucoselevels,andit cannotbereplacedjustbyaspecificdietorcarbohydrates limitation.Ourbodyandmetabolismiscreatedtohavean
activeprofile,ourmusclesneedtobeusedtoavoidtheir atrophy.
Dietofcoursehasadirecteffectonglucoselevelsand metabolichealth,andmetabolicGPSlikeGlucovibes allowsyoutounderstandthiseffecttogetherwithactivity andresting,thethreemainpillarsofmetabolichealth.
Itisimportanttounderstandthatanyemployeeshould introduceinhis/herschedulesomeactivityeach90or120 minutes,alittlewalkof15or20minuteshaveapositive effectonthemetabolism,andifyoutakethisshortwalk afteryourmeals,ourbodyreceivethehelpofourmuscles toregulatetheintakeofenergyandglucoseofeachmeal.
Atthesametime,itisveryimportanttobalancethe nutrientsintake,inordertoavoidaplaincarbohydratemeal andmostofall,ahighaddedsugarmeal,whichisquite commoninalotofemployeesworkingremotelyto maintaintheirattention.Infact,highcarbohydrateintake mealsgeneratereactivehypoglycemiawhichmeansafocus depreciationandnewglucosedesireorcravingspushingus tokeepeatingallthetime.
Asimplewaytoregulatethemetabolismcouldbeabalance dietinProteins,CarbohydratesandhealthyFatstogether withfoodsrichinfiber,togetherwithsomeactivityevery day(a30minuteswalkingaftermealsismoreeffectivethat gotothegymtwiceaweek),with3to5intakesperday, and7to8hoursofgoodsleepwith10to14offasting periodfromdinnertobreakfast.Anearlydinnerhelps,and somestrengthworkoutasfirst"todo"inthemorning,even
Impactonglucoselevelsofeatingthesamechocolatepuffpastryduringawalkor inthesofa(byGlucovibes)
for10to15minutesregulatesourmetabolismfromthe beginningoftheday.Ofcourse,avoidingprocessedfoods andaddedsugarfoodsisagoodchoice.
Remoteworkingreducesactivityandcouldhavefatal consequencesinanymetabolismifwedonottakeaction andbalanceourlifestyle.Earlydeathandchronicmetabolic disordersaregrowingeachyearandthepandemicwill boostthesenumbersifwedonotunderstandhowtofaceit withbetterlifestylehabits.Fortunately,technologycould helphere,too,allowingusaguidanceormetabolicGPSas Glucovibesdoestounderstandthechangeandtheimpactof ourlifestyleonourhealth.
Overtheyears,manytechnologicalinnovations quicklyrosetoprominencebutendedupfallingoff justasfast.Whathappenstothosesystems beyond?Oddsarethosesystemsnolongerwork,leaving thosebusinessesupacreekwithoutapaddle!That’swhy BenjaminBuchanan,ChiefExecutiveOfficersetsoutto createsomethingbetter,somethingsmarteratSBT (SmarterBuildingTechnologies)Alliance.
AninterviewconductedbetweenBenjaminBuchananand Insights Success identifieshisleadershipdevelopmentby fullyembracinginnovativethinkingandbuildinganall-star teamtohelpdrivetheSBTmissionforward.Belowarethe highlightsoftheinterview:
Kindlytakeusthroughyourjourneytobecominga proficienttechbusinessleader.
Frommyhumblebeginningsinthisindustryasaproject designer,Isawtheimportanceofworkinghardtobringthe customermorethanwhattheyexpectedandmakingtheir projecttrulyvaluable.Thereareplentyofexamplesof projectsbuiltwithcheapproducts,andIknewthecustomer hadleftsomuchonthetable.SoImadeitmypurposeto educatemyselfonallthetechnologyavailabletomarry themwiththecustomer’sneedsperfectly.Thistechnologyfirstapproachguidedmefromlightingintotheworldof wirelessIoTsystemsandnowisacornerstonetoSBT’s mission,bringingtruevaluethroughtechnologytoour customersandsuppliersalike.
Whatbusinessroadblocksorchallengeshaveyoufaced? Andhowdidyouovercomethem?
Aswithanybusiness,leadershipposition,orprofessional rolewithinanorganization,roadblocksandchallengesare abound–there’ssimplynowayaroundit.You’regoingto hitroadblocksandconfrontchallenges–beitcashflow, funding,sales,employeerelations,productivity,etc.The questionthenbecomes,willyoupersevere,orwillyoulet themdefeatyouandknockyoudown?Perseveranceand persistenceisthepathtosuccess,inmyopinion.
ItisonlythroughperseveranceandpersistencethatI’ve overcomebusiness(andpersonal)roadblocksand challenges.
Howdoyoudiversifyyourorganization’sofferingsto enticethetargetaudience?
SBTiscommittedtoabusinessmodelthatisproductand technologyagnostic.Thisapproachallowsourproductand IoTsolutionsteamstoengineersolutionsforclientsthat answerspecificdata-relatedquestionsabouttheirfacilities whilealsosolvingcriticalbusinesschallenges.Aone-sizefits-allapproachsimplydoesn’tworkinthesphereofIoT andtechnology-ledsolutions.Itsoundsnice,butproperIoT solutionsareanamalgamationofmanytechnologies, devicessystems,andsolutionsthat,whenpulledtogether, createtheenticingsolutionofferingthatmeetsourtarget audiences’needs.That’swhywestandoutwithourclients; wedon’ttrytosellthemsomethingtheydon’tneed.We partnerwiththemtosolvebusinessandoperational challengesanddesignamixofsolutionstoachievethat goal.
Whatculturechangedoyousuggestforcompaniesthat wanttoembracethefullpowerofAI?
ThefullpowerofAI,machinelearning,andtheInternetof Things(IoT),morebroadly,honestlydependsoneach customer’sneeds.InB2B–whichisthespherethatSBT operates–itisn’tnecessarilyaquestionofculturechange, ratherabetterunderstandingandrealizationofwhat’s possiblewhenusingtheadvancedtechnologiesofIoTto solvebusinesschallenges.Itismoreabouteducationand proofpoints.
Whatarethevitaltraitsthateverybusinessleader shouldpossess?
Leadersinanybusinesssettingshouldencompasssomeof thefollowingtraits/approaches,asI’veidentifiedinmy ownleadershipdevelopmentandsharedbymanyofmy leadershipmentorswithinthebusinesscommunity.Ichalk thesetraitsintofivevitalcharacteristicsofsuccessful leaders:
1. Effectiveleadersneedtheabilitytostreamlineandclarify thecomplex.
2. Passionateleadersmustfullyembracenewthinking–that’swhatprimesinnovation.
3. Confidentleadersmusthavebothself-assuranceand humility–theyinspire,notbelittle.
4. Compassionateleadersmustsethighstandardsbut modestytoadmitwhenwrong.
5. Responsibleleadersneedtobehonest,truthful,and transparent–that’swhatbuildstrust.
Howdoyoukeepyourselfup-to-datewiththelatest technology?
Asatechnology-forwardcompany,SBTandourteam techniciansandIoTthinkerskeepmeintheknow,along withourindustrypartnerswithwhomIcontinuallymeet. AsImentionedearlier,theSBTmodelfocusesonproduct andtechnologyagnosticism,sowe’recontinuallymeeting excitingnewtechnologycompaniesandlearninghowthey approachIoT,AI,andmachinelearning.Tome,there’sno betterwaytokeepuptodatethangettingrightinthereand beinghands-onwithinnovatorsasSBTdoeseveryday
AsImentionedearlierinthisconversation,itismyfirm beliefthatifaleadertakestoheartthefivevital characteristicsthatIreviewed,theywillsetthestageand environmentthatwillattract,retain,andencouragetech (andnon-tech)talents.It’saboutbuildinganatmosphere
thatallowsfolkstocontributeandhelpSBTdeliveronour missionandreachourvisiontotransformhowIoT products,services,andtechnologiesaredeliveredtothe marketandoptimizedbycustomers.
Whereareyoufocusingyourenergynow,andwheredo youhopetomakeanimpactnext?
Rightnow,weareinthewhirlwindthatcomeswithscaling atechnology-focusedcompany.IamkeentodriveSBT forwardtocontinuemakingtheimpactweareforour customers,industrypartners,andthefacilitymanagement spaceasawhole.Myimmediateenergyisfocusedon continuingtobuildanall-starteamofSBTteammembers whoevokeourCIVICvaluesasacompanyandas individuals.Theseinclude:
ntegrity
alue
“
SBT partners with small, medium, and Fortune 500s to create smart spaces that futureproof businesses.
AprominentpersonalityintheinternationalIT
Industry,BrigitteFalkissettingastrikinginstance ofimpactfulleadership.Brigittebrings25yearsof managementexperienceintheITindustrytothetable. Currently,sheisservingasCIOandCOOataIIoT softwarecompanyFORCAM,withastrongfocusonthe innovationenvironment,digitalization,andagileworking methods.
Brigittestartedherprofessionalcareerin1996atSAPas ProductManagerOilandGas.Duringhertenureover,she workedincorporatedevelopment,innovationmanagement andeventmanagement.In2004,shetookovertheBusiness OperationsdepartmentasMarketingDirector.Having workedforseveralyearstherewasasubstantiallearning experienceaccompaniedbymanagement&leadership techniques,innovationmethodologies,productmanagement know-how,interculturalandinterdisciplinaryteams.
AftergraduatingwithMalikMZSGExecutiveDiploma, BrigitteFalkfoundedtheSimplicityCompanytosupport consultingfirms,analystsandinvestmentbankswith strategicconsultingworldwide.In2014,shetookover globalresponsibilityforMarketing&SalesApplicationsat CelesioAG(todayMcKessonEurope).In2017,shewas appointedDivisionLeadOrganization&Informationof CRONIMETHoldingGmbH.
Brigitte'sinterdisciplinarystudiesofarts,humanities,and naturalsciences,complementedbyanopenspirit,arethe
foundationofwheresheistoday.Sheinculcatesstrategic thinkingthroughworkwithventurecapitalistinastartup environment,followedbytakingonEuropeanecommerce ITassignmentinachallengingenvironment.Her achievementshavebeenreflectedoverthelastthreeyears as“CIOoftheyear2018”(CIOMagazineGermany),“CIO oftheyear2019”(Bonhill–WomeninITAwardsEurope), and“CIOoftheDecade2020Germany”(Confare&EY).
FORCAMFORCE™isthefirstturnkeyandmanufacturerindependentITplatformfortheindustrialInternetof Things(IIoT).Thecompany'sclaimthatitdeliversresults inproductivityremainsasolidfoundationsinceits establishmentin2001.Almosttwodecadesago,FORCAM celebrateditsdebutandfirstdeploymentatMercedes-Benz. Theiconicautomobilecompanyhassincecelebratedmany accolades,includingthe“FactoryoftheYear”awardin 2007,2008,and2012.Themostrecentawardin2020isthe ManufacturingLeadershipPartnerAwardbytheNational AssociationofManufacturers.
Sincethen,thecompanyhasevolvedintoacomprehensive IIoTsolutionpartnerwithahigh-performance manufacturing4.0platformandavitalecosystem.Today, itsturnkeyandfreelyextensiblecloudplatformisusedby largeandmedium-sizedcompaniesincludingLockheed MartinAudi,BMW,BorgWarner,Daimler,KUKA,Pratt& Whitney,Schaeffler,Swarovskiandmanymore.
Brigi e Falk COO and CIO FORCAM
Today,morethan100,000machinesaremonitoredwith FORCAMtechnologyworldwide.
HavingBrigitteatthehelm,thecompanyisabouttolaunch twonewIIoTproductlinesbyintroducing“Customer centricity”asguidingprinciple.Theyarebasedon
Ÿ marketgap:connectingsupposedly“non-connectable” olderbrownfieldmachinestotheinternet(FORCAM FORCEEDGE)andleveragetheirdatapotentialand Ÿ theneedforfast,easyandlow-costconnectionof productionlinesofSMEsorsmallersubsidiariestothe internet(FORCAMFORCESaaS)
AccordingtoBrigitte,toembracefullpowerofAI, companiesmustshowopennesstowardsdisruptivebusiness modelsandtherespectivedigitaltransformationacrossall partsofthebusiness.Theyshouldunlockthehidden potentialoftheircurrentstaff,encouragethemtotakeon biggertasksbeyondtheirusuallevelofcomfort,agile principles(inspectandadapt),andtakerelated responsibility
Besides,itisalsoimportanttoattractandretaintechtalents. Shementionsthatforcompanies,ittakesaboldvision, creationofjobsforpeoplefromtechbackgroundbasedon theirambitionsandstrengths,andencompassing empowermenttoattractandretaintechtalents.
Currently,Brigitteisfocusingherenergytomarketthe FORCAMsolutionportfoliogearedtowardsreal-timedatadrivendecisionmakingontheshopfloor,gridconnectivity andmachinedatalakeofferingsasfoundation.Now,allher effortsareinthedirectiontodrivevisionandthought leadershipintheIIoTdomain.
Besides,Brigittekeepsherselfupdatedwiththelatest technologicaltrendsbyreading,meeting,talkingwithan outmostheterogeneous,interdisciplinaryaudienceand networkfromallovertheworld.Shealsokeepsopenness forinspirationsfromunusualsourcesbeyondthe mainstream.
Whenaskedaboutessentialtraitseverybusinessleader shouldpossess,Brigitteisoftheopinionthateveryleader shouldfocusonempowerment.Theyshouldalwaysput strategicthinkingandinnovationintopracticeforevery decisiontheytakeandcommunicatearelatedvisionwith everyone.Asoundleaderisonewholeadsbyexample, buildsontrust,integrity&transparency,andactively listens.
Dr. Dushyant Varshney, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer Arcturus Therapeu cs
Thepaceoftechnologicaldevelopmenttodayisfast
movingandcanimpactallareaswithinan organization.Leadersneedtobeableto appropriatelyleveragetheseadvancementswithintheirown organizationsinordertomitigatebeingoutpacedbytheir peersaswellastomeetorexceedstakeholder's expectations.Stayingaheadofdisruptivetechnologytrends, whilemaintainingnimblenesstomeetneeds,hasbecomea keycomponentforsuccessinsucharapidlyevolving industry.
Dr.DushyantVarshney,ChiefTechnologyOfficer(CTO) atArcturusTherapeutics,isonesuchleaderwhodirects theentireproductlifecycleofdiversebiotechmodalities. Withover25yearsofexperienceinglobalbio-pharma organizations,Dr.Dushyant'sbroadexpertiseincludes mRNAtherapeutics,gene&cell-basedtherapy,biologics, andvaccines.
Hehasbeenasignificantcontributorinover30product launches,over75InvestigationalNewDrugs(INDs)and BiologicalLicensingAgreements(BLAs),andPrior ApprovalSupplement(PAS)submissions,andhashelped generateover$20Billioninrevenuesatcompanies includingGilead,Pfizer,Novartis,andSanofi.
Insights Success hadtheopportunitytointerviewDr Varshney,inwhichhesharedvaluablefactsabouthis successfulinnovationsinthefieldofBiotechnologyforthe advancementofmedicine.
Below are the excerpts from the interview:
Brieflydescribeyourprofessionaljourneyupuntilnow.
FromgrapevinetomRNA,myjourneyhasbeenquite interestingandglobal.AfterlearningmybiopharmatechnologybasicsinNasik(alsoknownas,winecapital city,popularforthebestgrapesinIndia)and pharmaceuticalchemistryinMumbai(InstituteofChemical Technology),IbecameaproudHawkeyeattheUniversity ofIowaearningaPh.D.inChemistrywithafocuson supramolecularself-assemblychemistryandbiocatalysis.
Overthelast25years,Ihadthefortunetoleadglobal teamsattheTop20globalBiopharmaCompanies, includingGilead-Kite,Pfizer,Novartis,andSanofi. EarlierinmycareerintheUS,myfocuswasonlearning theentireChemistry,ManufacturingandControls(CMC) discipline.MyintroductionwasatEliLilly,Indianapolis
At Arcturus,
(duringthetimetheColtswontheSuperBowlin2006)and lateratSanofi,basedoutofNewJersey,asSeniorResearch Investigator.
Divingintolate-stagedevelopmentandcommercialization, IjoinedNovartisVaccinesandDiagnosticsinNorth Carolina,contributingtoquality,technologytransfer,and sterileoperationsofnovelcell-basedPandemicand SeasonalInfluenzaVaccines.Withtheopportunitytomake abiggerimpactinsterileinjectablesbyleading manufacturingassessmentandstrategyjoinedPfizer(New Jersey)andlegacyHospira(Chicago,Illinoisarea).I oversawglobalsiteteams,includingIndiaManufacturing andScience&Technology
Drivenbypersonalreasonstowardsfightingcancer,andto learnandmakeanimpactinthefieldofimmuno-oncology, geneandcelltherapy,IjoinedKitePharma–Gileadin SantaMonica,CaliforniaandbuiltthefirsttrulyGlobal Manufacturing,Science&Technologyorganizationfor ClinicalandCommercialCelltherapyandviralvector products.
AtArcturus,IjoinedastheChiefTechnologyOfficer (CTO),toleadandbuildtheCMC,TechnicalOperations, Supply,andQualitycapabilitiesforclinicalandcommercial developmentandtakeittothenextlevel-mRNACOVID vaccinesandinnovativetechnologyplatformpipelinefor treatingrarediseasessuchasornithinetranscarbamylase (OTC)deficiencyandcysticfibrosis.
we have built our platform technologies for developing and delivering innovative next generation of mRNA for the treatment of rare diseases and self-amplifying mRNA for preventing COVID19 and influenza.
Whatchallengesdidyoufacealongtheway?
Thebiggestchallengehasbeentorapidlylearn-buildcontributewhileembracinghighlynovelanddiverse modalitiesofbiologics,vaccines,cell,gene-edited(e.g., CRISPR),andnucleicacid-basedmodalitiesthathavebeen discoveredinthelasttwodecadesfortreatment,prevention, andpersonalizedmedicines(autologousCAR-Ts).
Certainly,Ifacedchallengesandenormousopportunitiesto leadandmotivateteamsofdifferentculture-communication stylesbasedoutoftheUS,EU,Asia-Pacific,andrecently outofVietnam&Japancollaboration,yetwithacommon goaltomakeadifferenceinpatients'andtheirfamilies' lives.
Whatsignificantimpacthaveyoubroughttothe Biotechnologyindustry?
Iamfortunateforopportunitiestobuildandleadgreat teamsgloballythatdeliveredgreatresults.Ifeelproudthat byinvestingtimeinpeoplefirstandawhole-person paradigmleadership,learnedfrommybiggestteacher StephenCovey,enabledmetolaunchmorethan30+ biopharma&biotechnology-basedproductsworldwide.
Myeffortshavehelpedreachpatientsbysupplyingmore than10billiondosesofqualitytherapeutics,vaccines,and thousandsofpersonalizedautologousCAR-Tmedicines ® ® likeYescarta andTecartus forcancerpatients.Honoredto bepartofthetechnologytransfer,manufacturing,and ® launchteamofnovelvaccineslikeFlucelvax (thefirstUS cell-basedinfluenzavaccine,Trivalent&Quadrivalent)and Pre-PandemicVaccinestockpiles(bird&swine-flu,H5N1, H3N2,H7N9).
HowdoesArcturusTherapeuticspromoteworkforce flexibility,andwhatisyourroleinit?
AtArcturusTherapeutics,althoughwearebasedoutof sunny,SanDiego.Still,wehaveaglobalfootprint encompassingtheUS,EU,andtheAsiaPacificwithour manufacturing,supplychain,andclinicaloperation workforceandpartners.
Wepromoteaflexibleworkforcebasedoutofglobal locationsandworkfromhomebasedonthebusiness capabilitysupportstructure.Ileadandcollaboratewithour HRteamtoenablesmartandflexibleworkenvironmentsto supportglobalmanufacturing,qualitycontrol,andsupply
Whatisyourtakeontechnology'simportance,andhow areyouleveragingit?
Successinthepastdecadeofcell&genetherapeutic technologyandrecentmRNA-basedCOVIDvaccine technologytofightthecoronaviruspandemicrapidlyisa trueendorsementoftechnology'simportancetosave millionsoflivesandeconomicbreakdownglobally.Ihave beenpassionateandfortunatetoleveragesuchnovel biotechnologyplatformsthathavethepotentialtotreator preventcurrentandfuturediseases.Inparticular,merging thepowerofthelatestDigitization,ArtificialIntelligence, andAutomationhasallowedmetoimagine,buildand implementplatformtechnologiesformanufacturingand supplyingmedicinesotherwiseunavailable.
AtArcturus,wehavebuiltourplatformtechnologiesfor developinganddeliveringinnovativenextgenerationof ® TM mRNAandself-amplifyingmRNA(LUNAR &STARR ) forpreventingCOVID,influenza,andtreatmentsforrare diseaseslikeOrnithineTranscarbamylase(OTC)Deficiency andCysticFibrosis,andwiththepotentialtodeliver therapeuticRNAtodiversecelltypesincludinglungand liver.
Whatwillbethenextsignificantchangeinthe Biotechnologyindustry,andhowareyoupreparingfor it?
Ithinkthebiggestchallengeandopportunityinthefuture willbetocustomdesigntechnologiesandplatformsto deliverdiverse,innovativeengineeredmodalitiesprecisely andeffectivelyinsidethecellornucleustotreatthe underlyingcauseofrarediseasesandpreventwidespread diseases.Thenextsignificantchangeinthebiotechnology industrywillbetomeetsuchloftygoals,both“in vivo and in vitro.”
Byleveragingourcurrentandfuturetoolboxofthe CRISPR,Base,Prime,etc.,edited-basedtechnologies, molecularengineering,anddiversedrugdelivery approachesbeyondourcurrentlipidnanoparticulateand viralvectortechnologies,akeyfocuswillbetoscaleup andvalidatesuchgeneticmedicineplatformsintheclinic andcommercially
Whatareyourgoalsintheupcomingfuture?
Myupcomingaspirationsandgoalsaretoleadandbuild highlycollaborativeinnovation-drivenbusinessmodels. Designandgrowthenextgenerationofgeneticmodality
platformtechnologiesbyapplyingthemostadvanceddrug delivery,AI,anddigitalsolutions.
Providerapidandcomprehensiveapproachestovalidate platformsintheclinicsforcommercializationandsupplyof quality-safe-effectivemedicinesglobally.
Whatadvicewouldyouliketogivethenextgeneration ofaspiringbusinessleaders?
Myadvicetothenextgenerationofbusinessleadersisto "Investinpeoplefirst"tomakethebestbusinessideastechnology-medicinedreamsareality.First,buildgreat
teamswithinnovationandpatientsinmind,andthen developmeaningfultherapeuticplatformtechnologiesand businessmodels.
Validateenoughtheproof-of-conceptinpreclinical/clinical,leveragefast-fail/successinvestigational approaches,andassureshort&long-termsafetyandquality ofnovelbiotechmodality-basedmedicines.
‘
Howdoesitwork?’–aseeminglyinnocentquestion
ofachildbecomestheprecursorofalifelong curiosity.Ittakesthemintodeepdivesinto esotericsubjectsfindinganswersthatleaveanunanticipated impactontheworld.
RajanBeera,theCTOofPallCorporation,hasalways beendrivenbyapowerfulcuriositytounderstand.Itled himtooptforengineeringashismajorincollege.Hisavid interestinthematerialsthatvariouselectronicsare constructedfrombroughtaboutthedevelopmentofa patentedmethodtomakesyntheticdiamondsforelectronics applications.
Rajanisaninnovativeleaderwithaproventrackrecordin Research&Development.Hehasdemonstratedsuccessful ideationofnewconceptsinproduct&processtechnology developmentandhassuccessfullyscaleduptechnologies forhigh-volumemanufacturing.Hehasachieved breakthroughimprovementsusingSixSigmamethodology, structuredproblem-solvingskills,andDanaherBusiness System(DBS)tools.Withhiswork,Rajandemonstrates expertiseintechnologystrategy,portfoliomanagement, projectmanagement,andbuildingglobalcross-functional high-performanceteams.
PallCorporationisagloballeaderinfiltration,separation, andpurification.Itusesinnovativesolutionstoensurethe purityofproducts,efficiency,andsafetyinprocessesand maximizesproductionoutputs.Palloperatesacrossabroad spectrumofindustries,includingmicroelectronics,oiland gas,chemicals,power,automotive,andgeneralindustrial.
Rajan Beera, in an exclusive interview with Insights Success, describes a career driven by curiosity, passion, and innovation. Below are the highlights:
Brieflydescribeyourprofessionaljourneyupuntilnow.
Curiositytounderstand‘howthingswork’hasalwaysbeen mypassion.Thatpropelledmyprofessionaljourney,from studyingElectronicsEngineeringduringundergradto continuingtoagraduateprogramatBirlaInstituteof Technology,India,whereIconductedresearchin optoelectronicdetectorsforfar-infraredapplications.The materialsusedtoconstructsophisticatedelectronicdevices alwaysintriguedme,whichledmetodevelopapatented methodofmakingsyntheticdiamondsforelectronics applicationsduringmyPh.D.program.
TheexposureIhadinastate-of-the-artsemiconductor fabricationfacility,High-DensityElectronicsCenter
Innovation defines our future. One doesn’t have to be a t echnologist or an R&D scientist to innovate. In my experience, the key to success is staying curious, not hesitating to challenge the status quo, and a willingness to learn at any age or stage in your career.
(HiDEC),attheUniversityof Arkansashelpedmestartmy professionalcareeratNational SemiconductorCorporation,oneof theleadingsemiconductorchip makersinthe90s,whichIfollowed toTexasInstrumentsthrough acquisition.AtNational,Ibeganasa processengineerandadvancedinmy careertoleadershippositionsin technology.In2013,IfinallyleftTI tobeginthenextadventureofmy careeratPallCorporation,whereI becametheChiefTechnologyOfficer in2021.
Whatchallengesdidyoufacealong theway?
Itwasn’teasytoconductresearchin advancedsemiconductorsinthose pre-internetdaysinIndiawhen communicationswereallthrough “snailmail.”Oneofthegreatest challengesIfacedinmycareerwas toconnectwitharesearchprogram thatwasalignedwithmypassionsin theUnitedStatessothatIcould conducthands-onsemiconductor fabricationresearch.Notonlywasit thefarthestdistanceIhadever traveledinmylife,toanentirely foreigncountry,butitwasalsoa greatfinancialburdenaswell.Iwas incrediblyfortunatethatmy professor,Dr WilliamBrown, offeredmeafull-ridescholarshipto conductresearchonmyfavorite topic.ThatgenerosityenabledmetocompletemyPh.D. andbeginthecareerIhavenow,forwhichIamforever grateful.
AnotherchallengingdecisionIhadtomakewastomove fromthecompanyIhadbuiltmycareerfor17yearsto somethingnewatPall!ButwhenIstartedworkingatPall,I immediatelyknewIhadmadetherightchoice.Ihavebeen fortunatetoworkatacompanystartedbyDr.DavidPall75 yearsago,nowpartoftheDanaherfamily,associatedwith
anamazingteamofhighlytalentedscientistsconducting cutting-edgeresearch.
Whatsignificantimpacthaveyoubroughttothe Materials&Technologyindustry?
Mypassiontobecurious,tolearn,andexplorehadnever leftmeinalltheyearsofmycareer.Understanding customers’problemsorchallengesandtheopennessto thinkoutsideoftheboxtofindasolutionbybringing
togethercompetentteamsandenablingthemtobetheirbest hasalwaysprovedaworthyendeavorforme.Asaleader,I takepleasureinempoweringteams.Beingacoachand mentorhavebeenmyfavoritepartsofmyjobatany companyIworkedfor
TellusaboutPallCorporationanditsfoundationpillar.
AtPall,wesupportdiverseindustries–forexample,in Microelectronics,ourproductsenabletheprocessingofthe finestfeaturesonasiliconwafertobuildthemostadvanced semiconductorchips(computerchips)byremoving nanometer-sizecontaminationinprocesschemicals.Our Food&Beveragebusinesssupportstheproductionofdairy products,ensurestheintegrityandflavorintensityina bottleofwine,andhelpsourcustomersimproveproduct quality,maximizeyield,reduceoperatingcostsand safeguardhealth.
Palltechnologysupportstheaerospaceindustryby protectingeverycriticalpieceoffluidequipmentonan aircraftthatrequiresfluidfiltrationandseparationand proudlystandsastheworld'slargestaerospaceanddefense filtrationcompany.Weservetheoil&gas,chemical,and powergenerationindustriesthroughourFTAPbusiness whichenablesenergytransitionfromfossilfuelsto renewableenergysourceswhileaidingthesuccessof carboncapturetechnologiesforacleanerenvironment.The primaryfocusatPallCorporationistousethepowerof sciencetodevelopsolutionsthatsolvecustomers’most challengingproblemsthroughinnovation.
Whatisyourtakeontechnology’simportance,andhow areyouleveragingit?
Wehaveastrongfoundationonthecorefundamentalsof materialsscience,andwebuildonthemforefficiency throughtheapplicationofadvancedtechnologieslike ArtificialIntelligenceandMachineLearning.Thehuman brainisunmatchedinitsinnovativepotential,butevenit canbegreatlyenhancedbycomputationalcapabilitiesand predictiveanalytics.Wedoourparttoapplysmarttools bothinR&Daswellasinmanufacturing,thatbringsus closetoenablingIndustry4.0objectives.
Whatwillbethenextsignificantchangeinthe technologicalindustry,andhowareyoupreparingfor it?
Thefutureisfullofchallenges,andwhatexcitesmeisthe scienceandtechnologywedevelopeverydaytoovercome them.Asaglobalfiltrationandseparationleader,westay connectedwithtechnologicaladvancementsinproduct developmentthroughresearchandalsofroma manufacturingperspective.Thisgenerationisheavily reliantonconnectedsolutionsenabledbyaspectslikethe InternetofThings(IoT).Abilitytopredicttheperformance ofaproductbeforeitisfabricatedthroughcomputational simulationsusingpredictiveanalyticsbecomesvery critical.AtDanaher,weprideourselvesincontinuous improvementthroughupskillingourinternaltalentand buildingafunnelwithcollaborationsinacademiaand industryconsortia.
Whatareyourgoalsintheupcomingfuture?
Wearesteadfastwithourprimaryfocusofenablingour customerstodevelopthenextgenerationtechnologiesthat produceadvancedelectronics,acleanerenvironment,safe transportation,andhealthyoptionsforfood&beverage.As afiltrationandseparationleader,westrivetopushthe boundariesofsciencetodevelopnovelmaterialsthatare optimalforeachoftheapplicationswhereourproductsare used.Wealsoassistourcustomersinpredictiveanalytics throughdigitalconnectivity
Whatadvicewouldyouliketogivethenextgeneration ofaspiringbusinessleaders?
AswesayatDanaher,“Innovationdefinesourfuture.”One doesn’thavetobeatechnologistoranR&Dscientistto innovate.Inmyexperience,thekeytosuccessisstaying curious,nothesitatingtochallengethestatusquo,and havingthewillingnesstolearnatanyageorstageinyour career.Iampassionateaboutinnovation,andthatpassion hasgottenmetowhereIamtoday Theotherpieceof adviceI’dgiveistoalwaysstaycustomerfocused.
