The 10 Most Admired CEOs To Watch 2018 August2018

BillConner President&CEO

Exponential Leaders: Redening Business as a Catalyst

Thepaceoftechnologicalchangeisacceleratingatanexponentialrate.Ontheotherhand,the

globaleconomyismoreinter-connectedandmorecompetitivethaneverbefore.Complex, volatile,andfar-reachingthreatsareassociatedwiththesecurityofpopulationsandpeaceful nationsacrosstheearth.Insuchanenvironment,therearerobustleaders–onewhoarecommittedto convertthebusinesschallengesintoexceptionalopportunitiesanddisruptthemankindateverylevel. Theleaderofanyorganizationshouldnotsingle-handedlysetthedirectionofthecompany,theworkforce alsomatterswhenitcomestodecision-making.Theworldhasenteredintoanewepoch,wherethe employeesdon’tleavethejobs,theyleavetheirbosses.Leaderswhoarededicatedtocreateaframework whichencouragestheemployeestomeetthedauntingchallengesofthe21stcenturycansuccessfullyfill thegapsofemployee-bossrelationship.Arelationshipthatcanreshapethevariousaspectsofthebusiness worldandcraftapathwayforcivilization.

Passionissendinghumanstoorbitandbeyondthehorizons,toMarsandeventhestars.Thepassionate playersandCEOsaresettinghighexpectationsforthemselves–notjustintermsofvisualizationand skills,butinhowtheyexpressappreciationandrepresentcivility.Theyhavethesparkwhichcanignitethe fireofmotivationintheaspiringtech-enthusiastsandpathseekers,andupholdtheircompany'scorevalues ineveryfacetoftheirlives.

Theplanetiswitnessingtheadventoffrontrunnerswhounderstandhowtheirwordsandactionsinfluence notjustthecultureinsidetheircompanies,butthepublic'sbroadertrustincomplexitiesofthemarkets, sharedprogress,andopportunitiesforall.Theyareembracingchangesandgoinganextramilewitha philosophytotransformtheenvironmentforbetter Theyareintroducingawholenewchapterof revolutionwhichwouldcreateaone-of-its-kindhistory.

While2017wasanenthusiasticyearfortheestablishedaswellastheemergingCEOs,2018isayear wheretheywilltaketheglobebeyondthesuccesshorizons.Lookingtowardsabrightandinnovative future,wepresentyouourspecialissuehighlighting“The10MostAdmiredCEOsToWatchin 2018”Inthisissuewewillhelpyoutowalkthroughalistofoutstandingleaderswhohave benchmarkedtheirexistencewithinnovativeservices.Keepingupthesheerpacewiththe developmentsintechnology,theyhavepavedacreativepathwayintheirdomainaswellasthe marketplace.

OntheCoveroftheissue,wehavefeatured Bill Conner: A Vanguard of Transformational Technology Shifts.Heisasuccess-drivenpersona,withacareerspanningmorethan30yearsacross high-techindustries.Billhasbeeninstrumentalinexecutinganaggressivestrategytoachievemarket leadershipacrossavarietyofmeasuresandtakesgreatpleasureinworkingwiththeindustry'smost talentedcybersecurityexperts.

Alongwithsuchaninsightfulcoverstory,wehavecoveredupotherfascinatingstoriesofremarkable businesspersonalitieslike Cindy Jutras: Technocrat with Curated Business Acumen, Doug Bartek: A Technology Pioneer Revolutionizing Enterprise Communications, Meir Givon: A Creative and Intuitive Business Expert, Raj Vattikuti: A Technology Visionary and Acclaimed Business Leader, Vaios Vaitsis: The Clairvoyant, Fabricating the Vital Needs of the Customer Experience Optimization,and Venkata Narayanan: Connecting Dots of the Analytics Ecosystem.

Whileflippingthepages,takeanotenottomissoutarticlesmasterlycraftedbyourin-houseeditors. Thearticle Female Entrepreneurs Contributing to Future Economic Growth fromFuturistic Approachputsthelimelightonthecontributionofthewomeninglobaleconomicrevolution. Turningsomemorepageswillhelpyoufind AI Impacting the New-Age Business Leadership and Workforce fromTechTalkand The Journey to Self-Discovery fromEditor’sDesk.More interestingly,thiseditionalsocomesupwithanextraordinaryarticle Develop Your Innovation Culture for a Future-ready Organization craftedbyawell-knownindustryexpert.

Lookingattheemergingopportunitiesandthegrowingpossibilities,thisissueofourswillhelpyou understandtheroleofCEOsinthisindustryandtheircontributionintransformingtheworldfor better

Let’s start reading!

Rahul Niraj

Inlife,athreadisafragiledreamandtheopeningof theneedleisthewindowofopportunity.Onewhohas theflairtosetthethreadintheneedlewillsuccessfully stitchtheattireofsuccess.Creatingawardrobeof milestonesinatech-enabledworldisn’tsomethingthatcan beachievedovernight.

Onesuchsuccess-drivenpersona,withacareerspanning morethan30yearsacrosshigh-techindustries,isBill Conner.Withabachelor’sinmechanicalengineeringfrom PrincetonUniversityandMBAfromtheWhartonSchoolof theUniversityofPennsylvania,Billisacorporateturnaroundexpertandgloballeaderinsecurity,dataand infrastructure.SomeofBill’snotablemilestonesinclude takingNortelintoenterprisedatanetworkingwiththe$9 billion(USD)acquisitionofBayNetworksandlater spinningoutEntrust,aleaderinidentity-basedsecurity technology

BillpositionedEntrusttobeacquiredbyprivateequity leaderThomaBravoin2009.Afterbeingthepresidentand CEOofEntrustforalmost13years,theteamstrivedhardto sellthecompanyfor6.5timesThomaBravo’soriginal investment.In2016,BilljoinedSonicWallasthe PresidentandCEO.

CEO’sTakeonCurrentScenario “In a constantly evolving cybersecurity landscape, it is critical for SonicWall to deliver cutting-edge solutions to combat the growing number of attacks,” statesBill.Inthe firstsixmonthsof2018,SonicWallCaptureLabsthreat researchersrecorded5.99billionmalwareattacks. Ransomwareattacksalsosurgedto181.5millionin2018, markinga229percentincreaseoverthesametimeperiod in2017.Also,69.7percentofwebsessionswereencrypted bySSL/TLSstandards,leadingcybercriminalstohide maliciouspayloadsinencryptedtraffic.Thistrendledto encryptedattacksincreasing275percentcomparedtothe “

sametimein2017.Further,SonicWall’spatent-pending TM Real-TimeDeepMemoryInspection(RTDMI ) technologystoppedmorethan12,300never-seen-before cyberattacksandmalwarevariantssuchasthosefoundin PDFs,MicrosoftOfficedocuments,andchip-basedattacks suchasMeltdown,SpectreandForeshadow

SteeredbyBill,SonicWall'sautomated,real-timebreach detectionandpreventionplatformprotectscustomersand mitigatesadvancedattacks,includingransomware,zerodayattacksandotherunknownthreats.

AboutSonicWall

SonicWallhasbeenfightingthecybercriminalindustryfor over26yearsdefendingsmall,medium-sizebusinessesand enterprisesworldwide.BackedbyresearchfromSonicWall CaptureLabsandtheformidableresourcesofover26,000 loyalchannelpartnersaroundtheglobe,SonicWall’s award-winning,real-timebreachdetectionandprevention solutionssecuremorethanamillionbusinessandmobile networksandtheiremails,applicationsanddata.This combinationofproductsandpartnershasenabledan automatedreal-timebreachdetectionandprevention solutiontunedtothespecificneedsofmorethan500,000 organizationsinover200countriesandterritories.

BillleadsSonicWalltodeliverbest-in-classsolutions, including:

Capture Cloud Platform – DeliversSonicWall'scomplete portfoliowithintelligenceincludingCaptureLabsThreat Network,reporting,analytics,visibilityfromtheCapture SecurityCenterandadvancedthreatpreventionbyCapture ATPsandbox.

Capture Security Center —Helpsformthefoundationfora unifiedsecuritygovernance,complianceandrisk managementstrategy.Byestablishingaholistic,connected

Innovate more, Fear less “

approachtosecurityorchestration,CaptureSecurityCenter canfederatealloperationalaspectsoftheSonicWall securityecosystem.

Next-Generation Firewalls – Availableashardwareor virtualappliances,SonicWallfirewallsdelivernetwork security,controlandvisibilityforsmall-tomedium-sized businesses,mid-tierenterprises,datacentersandservice providers.

Capture Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) – Thiscloud sandboxserviceisdesignedtodiscoverandstopunknown, zero-dayattacks.CaptureATPincludesReal-TimeDeep MemoryInspection(RTDMI)tohelpcustomersidentify andmitigateinsidiousmemory-basedthreats,future Meltdown,SpectreandForeshadowexploits,aswellas maliciousPDFsandOfficefiles.

Capture Client – Anendpointprotectionsolutionthat appliesadvancedthreatprotectiontechniques,suchas machinelearningandsystemrollback.

Web Application Firewall (WAF) – Designedwithadvanced websecuritytoolsandservicestokeepdataunexposedand webpropertiessafeandundisruptedinpeakperformance.

Secure Mobile Access (SMA) Appliances - Aunifiedsecure accessgatewaythatenablesorganizationtoprovide anytime,anywhereandanydeviceaccesstoany application.SMAdeliversagranularaccesscontrolpolicy engine,context-awaredeviceauthorization,applicationlevelVPNandadvancedauthenticationwithsinglesign-on toenableorganizationstomovetothecloudwithease,and embraceBYODandmobilityinahybridITenvironment.

Email Security - Tobetterprotectcommunications, SonicWallEmailSecurityscansawiderangeofemail attachmenttypesandanalyzestheminthecloud-based, multi-engineCaptureATPsandboxtoblocksuspicious

attachmentsuntiltheyarereviewedbyanauthorized administrator.

MeettheSupportiveLeader

Billtakesgreatpleasureinworkingwiththeindustry’s mosttalentedcybersecurityexperts.Thisempowershimto designandbuildreal-worldsolutionsthatprotectusers fromtoday’smostadvancedcyberattacks.ThisinspiresBill topushstandardsandempowerorganizationsinthecyber armsrace.

DrivingSonicWallinanever-evolvingthreatlandscape, Billconsistentlyfacesamyriadofcomplexitiesfromevery angle,particularlyastheorganizationpositionsitselfahead ofmoderncybercriminals. “This is a daunting task, but it’s the name of our game. And we’re good at it,” says Bill.

Billhasbeeninstrumentalinexecutinganaggressive strategytoachievemarketleadershipacrossavarietyof measures.Hisimpetusesonthefollowingkeyfactorsthat madeSonicWallanindependentcompanyandaleaderin themarketinclude:

Channel Development -ThishelpedSonicWalltodistribute itssolutionsexclusivelythroughchannelpartners, launchingthesuccessfulSecureFirstPartnerProgram, whichhasgrowntoinexcessof26,000committedpartners worldwide.

Partner Enablement -Tosupportthesuccessofthechannel partners,thecompanyintroducedSonicWallUniversityin April2017.Itoffersfreeon-demandtrainingtomake onboardingeasierandhelppartnersquicklycapitalizeon customeropportunitiesandincreaserevenue.

Product Innovation -OverthelastninemonthsSonicWall hasdelivered24newandupdatedproductsalongwith160 millionlinesofcode.

We deliver superior real-time network protection for today and tomorrow “ “

HavingawordwithBillregardingthesuccessofSonicWall,hesaid “Our leadership team works hard to ensure that vision becomes reality. We’re committed to stretching goals and providing the support, innovation and enablement our customers and partners deserve and expect.”

IlluminatingtheYoungMinds

Fortheyounggenerationdesiringtobeasuccessfulentrepreneur,Billasserts, “Discover what you’re truly passionate about and — what’s equally important — learn what you don’t like and why. Build a foundation of knowledge that starts at the very base of the industry you're interested, no matter what it may be.”

FutureVisualizations

Billbelievescybersecurity’svaluepropositionwilldependupontheorganization’swayofprotectingitsassets, notbyavendorsolvingitthoroughly.Oncecompaniesproperlysegmentnetworksandbeginprotectingthem differently,therewillbeasignificantchangeseenwithinthemarket.Headds, “I also believe cloud and mobile technology will play a significant role in how business and security will evolve. While their benefits are gamechanging, from a security perspective it introduces an entirely new set of risks.”

Totackletheseadvancedrisks,bothtraditionalandemergingsecuritytechnologiesneedtowithstandmarket complexities.Technologyisdrivingnewarchitecturesthatbringunforeseensecurityandprivacyissues. Acknowledgingthatsecurityandprivacyissuesarefinallybeingexposedandtalkedaboutbygovernments, businessesandindividuals,Billemphasizesthattheworldwillwitnessmorepowerfulcybersecuritysolutions inthefuture.

We’re committed to delivering cost-effective solutions that help you stay one step ahead of cybercriminals “

“

Management Brief CompanyName

Altimerik altimerik.com

BigTappAnalytics bigtappanalytics.com

GIVSolutions giv-solutions.com

RajVattikuti Founder&Chairman

Altimetrikcatalyzestechnologytransformationforglobal enterprises,whiledrivingagility,velocityandprecision.

VenkataNarayanan,L Founder&CEO

MeirGivon Founder&CEO

MediaSmack mediasmack.com

MintJutras mintjutras.com

NTTi3 ntti3.com

PEIBrewingCompany peibrewingcompany.com

ZachThompso CEO

BigTappfocusesonprovidingBigData&Analyticssolutions tothecompanies.

GIVSolutionsprovidesworld-classcutting-edgeenterprise managementsoftwaresolutionsandservices.

MediaSmackspecializeincreatingbeautiful,compelling websitesandmarketingstrategiesforbusinessesthatrangefrom start-upstolargecompanies.

CindyJutras President

NinaSimosko CEO

JeffSquiress President

MintJutrasisanindependentresearchandadvisoryfirmthat specializesinanalyzingthebusinessimpactofenterprise applications.

NTTi3istheSiliconValley-basedinnovationcenterforNTT Group,oneoftheworld’slargestICTcompanies.

PEIBrewingCompanybrewanddistributetheGahanlineof handcraftedalesalongwithBeachChairLager,thefirstbeerto becannedinAtlanticCanada.

SonicWall sonicwall.com

TangoNetworks tango-networks.com

ValidataGroup validata-software.com

BillConner President&CEO

DouglasBartek Co-founder, President&CEO

SonicWallcybersecurityproductsprotectorganizationsfrom today’smostinsidiousthreatsincludingransomware,encrypted malware,mobilethreatsandemail-borneattacks.

TangoNetworksdeliversinnovativeenterprisemobile communicationssolutions.

VaiosVaitsis Founder&CEO

ValidataGroupisaleaderintheEnterpriseSoftwaremarketfor DevOpsandContinuousTestingforTemenosCoreBanking.

About the Author

Natalie Turner is a Keynote speaker and Author of the book Yes, You Can Innovate. Discover your innovation strengths and develop your creative potential which was selected as book of the month in both the UK and Singapore earlier this year. She is the Founder and CEO of The Entheo Network, a global innovation company and has exemplary expertise in the eld of marketing, business strategy, and leadership development. Under her leadership, the company provides a suite of innovative products and services to help individuals and organizations create new sources of value whilst building innovation skills, capabilities and culture. She is also the inventor of the 6 ‘I’s® Innovation which measures innovation strengths of individuals and teams to unlock the innovation culture in an organization. www.6-i-innovation.com.

Develop Your INNOVATION CULTURE for a FUTURE-READY Organisation

Asthedigitallandscapecontinuestochangeatarapidpace,

dismantlinganddisruptingthewaythatwedobusiness,howcan weensurethatourleadershipandorganisationalthinkingevolves atthesamerate?TheCEOisultimatelyresponsibleforthesuccessor failureofthecompanythattheylead,which,intoday’sworld,means ensuringanorganisationcanadapttothisfastrateofchange.Todothis, leadersneedtoknowhowtoinnovatewithagilityandspeed.Thismeans, onthegroundduringday-to-daywork,thateachemployeehasaclear understandingofhowtheycontributetocreatingvalueoutofnewideas andacommonlanguagetoenablethemtoworktogether AsaCEO,part ofyourroleistofosteracultureofinnovationthatcanharnesstheoften disparateskillsandmindsetsrequiredtosuccessfullyinnovate.Thekeyis tounderstandthatinnovationisajourney,whichincludesspottingtrends anddiscontinuitiesandgeneratingnewideas,throughtoinvestingand implementingthoseideasthatcanpotentiallyhavethemostimpact.The skillistoknowhowtomatchpeople’sstrengthstotherightpart.

Howdoemployeescurrentlyreacttoinnovationconversations?

Often,thefirstpeopletoembraceinnovationtendtoloveideasandcan identifytrends,patternsandopportunities.Theyarecuriousandfitthe classicstereotypeofcreativity–playful,open-mindedandattractedto

Natalie Turner

Founder & CEO

Leader’s Voice

novelty.Innovation,trulydeepandsustainableinnovation, combinesbothcreativityanddiscipline,whicharecurious bedfellows.Itisaconsideredprocessthatrequiresaraftof differentskillsandwaysofthinking,combinedtowards creatingacommonoutcome.Infact,theinnovationjourney ismorelikeacyclethatcanstartatanypoint,notjustinthe playfulandcuriousspaces.

Thereareprobablymanyemployeesinyourorganisation whodonotidentifywiththissenseofcuriosity,orthink thattheyhavelightbulbmoments,butwhoarenonetheless crucialtothesuccessofinnovationasanoutcome.Youwill notembedanagileinnovationculturewithoutshowing employeesofallstripesandskillsetswheretheyfitin.The innovationcultureneedsacommonframeworkand language.Withinthissharedunderstanding,differentstyles aremorelikelytointeractwith,andappreciate,the contributionofothers.Creatingthebestenvironmentfor eachstageofthejourney,sothatpeopleareempoweredto contributetheirstrengthswillimprovethelikelihoodof success.

Understandingtheinnovationjourney

StartwithaligningteamsaroundPURPOSE,whatarethey tryingtoachieveandwhy?Thenmovetohowtheycan identifyopportunitiesthroughunderstandingtrendsand patterns,oftenrelatedtochangesinhumanbehaviour Then movetothecreativespacewherepeopleigniteideas, throughpracticessuchasbrainstormingandvalue propositiondesign.Afteryouhaveanarrayofideas,submit themtoanalysisandexperimentation,separatingthegood onesfromthebad,investigatingwhethertheyareuseful, notjustnovel.Theinterrelationshipbetweenthesethree spacesisoftenwhereyouseedesignthinkingprocessesin action.Now,ifyouhaveafewreallygoodideasthathavea highchanceofworking,starttothinkthroughhowtobest makethemwork.Ifnot,revisittheoriginal-identified opportunityorgeneratealternativeideasandsolutions. Whenreadyforinvestment,innovationleadershipisreally critical.Thisisoftenthegraveyardofideas. Here demonstratecourage;assignresources,whetheritispeople, timeormoney.Onceideasarefunded,findpeoplewhoare greatatimplementationandgettingthingsdone.Oncethe ideaisstartingtogettractionandhaveanimpact,harness theskillsofimprovementandoptimisationtoscaleand leveragetheideasintootherareasofopportunity. Therearenostraightroads.Thisiswhyinnovatingisoften sodifficult.Notonlyareyoutryingtodosomethingnew,

youhavetoharnessdiversitytowardsanoftenunknown outcome.Creatingthebestenvironmentforeachstageof thejourney,sothatpeopleareempoweredtocontribute theirstrengths,willhelptocreateasuccessfuloutcome. Thismeansteachingpeoplewhentocontributeandwhento passthebatonontosomeoneelse.Thisistrue collaboration,anchoredinaclearpurposethatisfocusedon thesuccessoftheidea.

Giveeachofyouremployeesaproactiveroleinthe innovationjourney

Culturecouldbetermed“howwedothingsaroundhere” andpartofwhatcontributestowardsthisishowleadersact andbehavetowardsthepeoplethattheymanageandlead. Evenmoresowhenitcomestoinnovating.Ifpeople understandtheircontribution,theywillhavetheconfidence andcouragetostartthinkingofthemselvesasinnovators. Theywillalsounderstandwhentheywillhavethemost impact.Theinnovationjourneyneedsadifferentcultureat differentpoints;aculturethatallowsforideastobe generatedisnotthesameasoneneededtoinvestigatethose ideas.

InnovationandtheCEO

Leadbyexample.Understandthepartoftheinnovation journeythatyouarebestat,andbeawareofthebiasthat youwillhavebecauseofthat. Increasetheawarenessof yourselfandothers,sothatyoucanempowereveryoneto cultivateenvironmentsthatallowtheirstrengthstoflourish. Ensurethateveryskillsetanditscontributiontoinnovation isrespectedandrewarded.Thiscanonlybedoneby understandingthewholeoftheinnovationjourney,end-toend.Diversityiskey,ifyouhavealotofpeoplewhoare goodatgeneratingideas,youmayendupwithverylittle thatactuallygetsdone.Ifyouhavealotofpeoplewhoare goodatimplementation,youmayendupdealingwith today’sworkverywell,butnothavethecultureofa future-readyorganisationthatcanadapttofast-paced changetomorrow. Inempoweringyourleadersand employeestodeveloptheircreativepotential,inthe broadestsenseoftheword,innovationwillstarttoseep throughthewholeofyourorganisation,embeddinga culturethatwillincreasethelikelihoodofyoucreating impactfulvalueoutofnewideas.

CINDYJUTRAS

A TECHNOCRAT WITH CURATED BUSINESS ACUMEN

Womenhavecomealong wayinovercoming barriersandtransforming theworldforbetter Theyarecreating ahallmarkoftheirpersonainall aspectsofmind,thoughts,rightsand decisionsbytrampingbeyondthe limitationsofsocialandfamilylife. Suchfemalesaremakingstrongmoves inallbusinesssectorsincludingthe mostintricateandchallengingworldof entrepreneurship.

Onesuchepitomeofwomen empowermentisCindyJutras,whois anacclaimedexpertinanalyzingthe impactofenterpriseapplicationson businessperformance.

AftercompletingherMastersin AppliedSciencefromBoston UniversityandBAfromMerrimack Collegeinmathematics,Cindystarted hercareerasaprogrammer/analystin 1975.Afterworkinginamidsize manufacturingcompanyforovertwo years,shedecidedtoworkwiththe softwarecompaniesthemselves.

Spendingabriefstintofalmostthirty years,atcompaniesthatproducedand soldenterpriseapplications,Cindy exploredeverythingfromdesigning andwritingcode,product management,marketing,pre-salesand consulting,topricing,licensingand alliancemanagement.Shethen reinventedherselfasanindustry analyst,coveringthesoftwaresheonce

designed,wrote,marketedand managed.Beingaseasonedsoftware andbusinessprofessionalwithover fortyyearsofcorporateexperience, Cindyfoundedthetechnologyresearch andadvisoryfirm-MintJutrasin 2011.

AbouttheVibrantVeteran

Havingdeepdomainexperiencein manufacturing,supplychain, enterpriseperformanceandfinancial management,CindyisthePresidentat MintJutras.Shehasbeeninstrumental increatinganichebyenhancingthe businessoutcomes3xanddrivingthe companybeyondsuccesshorizons. Underherleadership,MintJutras specializesinanalyzingthebusiness impactofenterpriseapplications. Havingyearsoftechnologyexperience andfreshprimaryresearch,Cindy states, “We offer actionable insights on how to make software investments pay dividends. We deliver this insight through content such as published reports, blog posts, speaking engagements and advisory services.” Furthersheadded, “We write and speak to business decision-makers, but our customers are the solution providers of enterprise applications.”

Cindy'ssupporthasassistedthe companyindevelopingsignature productswhichhaveunlockedthe doorstoitssuccess.Sheisthedriving forceincontinuouslyevolvingthese productsandservices,acknowledging

thegrowthandchangesinitsclients’ businesses.

Beingthebackboneofthecompany, Cindybelievesherprimeachievement isinbuildingareputationasanexpert inherfield,atrustedadvisor,and sourceofpositiveinfluence.Sheisan articulateandcompellingspeakerwith anabilitytoconveypotentially complexconceptswithbrevityand clarity.Shehasalsoauthored numerousmagazinearticles,hundreds ofresearchdocuments,andabookon ERP Optimization.

President’sTakeontheChanging IndustryScenario

Drivenbyherpassiontoproduce somethingtangible,Cindyasserts, “I live in the world of technology, and that world is experiencing change at a pace we never could have imagined when I first started out. Keeping abreast of that change is a challenge, but it is also exciting.” Shebelieves thattechnologyimpactseverybusiness leader.Currently,thereisa fundamentalneedforeducating businessleadersaboutthedeveloping technologyinordertoencouragetheir aptitudeandinclinationtoleverageit toimprovetheirbusinesses.

TheFrameworkofInspiration

Cindy’ssourceofinspirationandrole modelwasherfather Acknowledging himasthefuelforignitingtheflames ofmotivationinher,Cindystates, “He

infused in me the belief that I could be anything I wanted to be.” Sheadds “He was, and I am, what most people today would call a maker.” Watchingherfatherplantingagarden, buildingtheirhome,someofthefurnitureinit,stirred Cindywithenthusiasmandinspiredinherthedesireto producesomethingtangible,asagardener,acrafter,awriter oranartist.Thisphilosophyperfectlyhighlightsher professionallife,whethersheisdevelopinghersurveys, writings,andcommunicationsormentoringtheemerging professionals.

SomeSpeedbreakersontheWay

Everyanalystandanalystfirmoperatesunderadifferent businessmodel.Cindyfacedseveralchallengesonherway toachievemilestones.Whileservingthevendorcommunity, herbiggestchallengewastomeetthechangingneedsofthe communityandwithstandthecomplexitiesoftheindustry. CindyisonamissiontoestablishMintJutrasasaunique brandwithhersheerdetermination,uniquewritingand speakingstyle,andtheinsightsderivedfromquantifiable data.

AdvicetotheBuddingEntrepreneurs

Cindy’sadvicetoyoungentrepreneurs:looktostarta businessyouaregoingtoenjoybuilding.Don’tsentence yourselftoalifeofdrudgery.Beclearindefiningthe business,developingabusinessmodel.Holdtruetothat foundation,butalsoevolvewithit. “Be willing and able to take risks and be willing to have a new idea or product offering fail. Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” she emphasized.

AimingforaMuchBrighterFuture

Currently,beingthePresidentatMintJutras,Cindybelieves thatsheisinthetwilightofhercareer.Sheisevolvingwith thechangingtimeswithamissiontocontinuouslylearn, grow,andtransformtheworldintoabetterplaceinthenear future.Cindyassuresthatthecompanyhasabrightfuture andisconsistentlygrowingitsinfluenceinthemarket throughproductsandservicesthatcontinuetoimproveand advance.

“

Cindy Jutras President

Weaimtoaddvalue forourclients. Thisisthekeyto oursustainable success,rather thanconcentrating ongeneratingrevenues

The Journey The Journey

Self-Discovery Self-Discovery to to

Entrepreneurssetuptheirnewventureswithanewanduniquevision,goal, anditsfuture.Theseentrepreneursfacemanychallengesoverthecourse oftheirjourney.However,financialchallengeisthemostpainfulonesthey havetoface.Makingalistofallthefinancialchallengescanaidabusinessanda newstartingplayerinattainingsustainabilityandeconomicstability

TheSmallBusinessAssociationestimatesthataroundforty-fourpercentof startupsandsmallbusinesssurviveatleastforfouryearsonly.Otherscitethat poor capital management, overspending,andthe lack of reserve funds aresomeof thecommonreasonsbehindabusinessclosure.Allthesethreetermscomeunder thefinancesofacompany.

From Editor’s Desk

Onewaytoaddressthefinancialproblemsistousethe4Rformulai.e. Review, Revamp, Research, and Rewrite the company’sbusinessplans.Byusingthisformula,theycantakeactionagainstthethingsthatarenotworkingout.

WorkingCapitalIssue

Startupshavetowaitfortheirbigclientstopayupsothattheycanmanagetheirexpenses.Entrepreneursmustsaveat leasttheexpensesofsixmonthsasitsworkingcapital,whichcanhelptheminengagingnewcustomersandcreatea productivebusinesspipeline.Playerscanalsoavoidinadequateworkingcapitalbycutting-costsuptotwentypercent andsetthecutoutastheworkingcapital.Forthestartupsthatareyettomakeprofits,shouldmakesurethattheyare adequatelyfinancedbeforetakinganyharshdecision,whichcanaffecttheirsurvivalintheindustry

Non-consistentCashFlowIssue

Mostoftheproject-basedbusinessreliesontheircashflow,whichfurtherreliesontheflowoftheprojectandthe servicesrendered.Itisthereforeimportantforthecompanytohaveagoodbusinessteamreadytoconnectnewand reliableclientsandprojects.Forthecompanythatdoesnotrelyonthecashflow,mustconstructaflowofconsistent cashflowatthepropertime.Iftheclientisunavailabletopayon-time,thebusinessesshouldthinknewermethodsof clientengagement.Theyshouldbepatientandmakedecisionsthatwouldhelpthemwhiledealingwiththeclientsin thefuture.

Anotherwayofimprovingthecashflowistogetadownpaymentfortheproductandtheservicesprovided.Thisdown paymentwillaidthecompaniesincoveringtheexpensesassociatedwiththeprojectsalesandprofitmargins.Firmscan alsosetadayintheweektogothroughtheaccounts,payables,andchecks.

BookkeepingIssue

Corporationscanhireorganizedbookkeepers,whichcansavealotoftime.Iftheycannotfindone,theycangivethis responsibilitytooneofitsteammember Thefirmcanimprovebydistinguishingthediscretionandnon-discretion spending.Theseincluderent,officeoverhead,inventorypurchases,andwages.Thecompaniescanevensavefurtherby polishingtheiroverallmarketingplans.Identifyingandcreatingalargerclientelethatcandevelopmarketingstrategies canhelpinpromotingtheserviceandproducts.Firmsmustsetgoalsandexpectationsformarketinginitiativesand developthetoolstoimprovetherevenueoutcomes.

WrongPredictionsandRevenueIssue

Businessesonaday-to-daybasishavetopredictthecompany’srevenues.Thisiseventruerforthebusinessesthatare dynamicinnature.Mostofthepredictionscanbemeasuredonamonth-to-monthbasis.Althoughalotoffactorsthat aredependentupontherevenueprediction,butmostlyitrelyontherelevancyofthebusiness.Byforeseeingaccurately, thefirmscangenerategoodrevenuethatiscrucialforthecashflowstatements.Bypayingattentiontotheseasoned fluctuationsandaffectedtimelines,theycanpredicttherevenuesaccurately

HiringIssue

Hiringagoodstaffisnotaneasytask.Adecisionlikeover-hiringcancreateadditionalcostsforthecompanyin contractsandlong-termemployeeliabilities.Theemployerisresponsibleforitsemployeesandtheyhavetoprovide themwiththeemployeebenefitsthatincreasethecosts.Thekeysolutionliesinhiringtheterm-basedemployees, freelancers,andindependentcontractorsastheywillprovideservicesonlyforthetimeworkedandemployerdonot havetoaddpayrollcostsinpayingthem.Theseindependentcontractorsarepaidonlyfortheirtimespentonthework. Dependinguponthejob,firmscaneasilyfindoutthatwhethertheseareperfectforthejobornot.Inreturn,thesecan absorbthework-relatedwagesandcanaddthebenefitofcosts.

Ineliminatingtheconundrums,themind-poweranddescision-makingoftheentrepreneursisimportant.Theycanseek loansandgrantswhicharespecificallytailoredtowardsboostingthecompany'sfinances.Evensomeofthevendors allowthecompanytooffertheirassistanceandcanrefinethebusinessdebts.Theplayersshouldnothasteinmakinga decision.Theyshouldbethoughtfulandintellectualfordecidingtheexpenses.Itisimportantforthemtothink strategically Theyshouldbeawareoftheirdecisionsandshouldseekguidanceindecision-makingandinexpenses.

DOUG BARTEK

A TECHNOLOGY PIONEER REVOLUTIONIZING ENTERPRISE COMMUNICATIONS

Startingasuccessfulcompanyisa majorbusinessaccomplishment, amarkofadistinguishedcareer. Startingmultiplesuccessfulcompanies andleadingthevanguardofdisruptive technicalinnovationisanevenrarer trackrecordofachievement.

That’sthetrackrecordthatserial entrepreneurDougBartekcontinuesto buildon.He’sdistinguishedhimselfin arangeoftechnologymarketsleading multiplestartupsandbreakthrough ventures,includingshepherdinga companythroughasuccessfulInitial PublicOffering.

Throughouthisfourdecadesasa businessexecutive,Dougbuilthis reputationasarecognizedleaderby spearheadingmorethan20successful companysales,acquisitions,mergers, andfinancingsofhigh-techfirms.

Intheearly1990s,Dougservedas presidentandCEOofastartupcalled Acumos,whichmadeinnovative computergraphicchips.In1992, AcumoswasacquiredbyCirrusLogic andDougbecamepresidentofa divisionatthecompany.Hemultiplied thedivision’srevenuebyafactorof tenoverfiveyearstomakeitthe company’smostprofitablegroup.

Dougreturnedtothestart-upworldin 1996byestablishingcommunications semiconductormakerMicrotune, whichheeventuallyledtoasuccessful IPO.

Doug’scurrentventureisbuiltonhis visionofenablingcompaniestotake advantageofevolvingmobile technologies.In2005,heandAndrew

Silverco-foundedTangoNetworks,the firmDougleadstodayaspresidentand CEO.

HallmarksofLeadership

Supplementingandfosteringhis businessworldachievements,Doug's educationfurtherillustrateshisfocus onsuccess. Hecompletedhis ElectricalEngineeringundergraduate degreeattheUniversityofTexas, Austin,summacumlaude.Heearneda MasterofEngineering&Computer SciencedegreeandaMasterof BusinessAdministrationdegreefrom ArizonaStateUniversity

Overtheyears,Doughasbeen recognizedbythebusinesscommunity withahostofawardsanddesignations spotlightinghisbusinesssuccessand entrepreneurialfocus,including Tech Titans CEO of the Year, NRCC BusinessMan of the Year, and E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year

AboutTangoNetworks

Doug'scurrentcompany,Tango Networks,empowersenterprisesto maximizethereach,impact,andvalue oftheircommunicationssystemsby extendingandintegratingthemwith anymobiledevice.Thecompany excelsatofferingproductsandservices for mobile unified communications, enterprise text messaging, compliant mobile communications, mobile integration with CRM, and phone usage restrictions for company drivers TangoNetworksrecentlylaunchedits Kinetic Cloud service inEuropeand theAmericas,enablingthesesolutions tobeeasilyadoptedbycustomersvia thecloud.

UnderDoug’sleadership,Tango Networkshaswonnumerousindustry awardsforinnovationandlanded majorcontractswithTier1mobile serviceprovidersandenterprises. Doug’spassionforinnovationhasled thecompanytodeliverdozensof groundbreakingtechnical advancements,withthecompany recentlyreceivingits60thissued patentonthetechnologyunderlyingits mobilitysolutions.

SparkingaRevolution

Mobiletechnologyistransformingthe worldofcommunications.Butmost enterpriseshavenotbeenabletotake fulladvantageofthistechnologyfor theiremployees.

Theproblemisthatmobile communicationsservicesavailableto enterprisesareessentiallythesame onesdesignedforandsoldto consumers.Thefeaturesareverybasic andnotbusinessstandard.The communicationsthemselvescannotbe directlycontrolledbyenterprise InformationTechnologystaff.

Butenterprisesaredemandingchange. Theywanttocontrolthefeaturesand costsofmobilecommunicationsjustas theydotodaywithlandline communications,ensuringqualityand complyingwithregulatory requirements.

Doug’spassionforinnovationis sparkingarevolutioninenterprise mobilecommunicationstomeetthese needs.

“Our Kinetic Communications technology turns mobile phones into

extensions of a company’s communications systems,” he explains WithTangoNetworks’solutions,ITdepartments cancontrolemployees’communicationsonmobilesjustlike theywereusingtraditionaldeskphones.Theycanrecordcalls withthesamerecordingtoolsusedforlandlines.Theresultis thatanenterprisecanharnessmobiletechnologytomake employeeshighlyefficient,responsiveandproductivewithout sacrificingcontrol.Inthisway,Doug’scompanyis fundamentallychanginghowenterprisesoperate,atrendthat someindustryobservershavedescribedasthenewgeneration ofcommunicationsorthe“SecondWave”ofmobility

TheChallengeofInnovation

“Innovation drives me, but innovation is hard,” saysDoug.

Anybodycanseeaproblemanddreamofpotentialsolutions. ButDougrecognizedthatturningsuchdreamsintoreality requiresapracticalunderstandingofhowtechnologyis actuallyadoptedandusedbycustomers.Agoodexampleis howDoug’scompanyhastransformedtheuseofanother company’sproductcalled“Jabber.”Aproductfrom networkinggiantCiscoNetworks,Jabberisaninternal enterprisecommunicationstoolusedbyemployeesfor sendingmessagestooneanotherandcollaboratingon projects.

ButDougandhisTangoNetworksteamrecognizedthatthe toolcouldbeevenmoreusefulifitcouldenableemployeesto communicatewithpeopleoutsidethecompanywhoarenot usingJabber.

Ininvestigatingthisopportunity,Dougandhisteamlearned thatcustomerswereexcitedtouseJabberinthisnewway TheTangoNetworks’technologyteaminventedawayfor Jabber’sinternalmessagestobeturnedintomobilenetwork messages.NowaJabberusercouldsendandreceivetext messagesfromtheirbusinessnumberandcommunicatewith anyoneonamobilephone.

Theresultisarevolutionarynewwayforcompaniesto communicate,usingtextmessagingfrombusinessnumbersto interactwithcustomers,partnersandothersintheoutside world.

AdviceforBuddingEntrepreneurs

“Embrace innovation and follow your vision,” Dougsays. “But don’t overlook the opportunities that can appear right under your nose.”

FutureOutlook

Dougbelievesthattheworldisusheringinaneweraof mobilitythatputsanenterprise’sITmanagersdirectlyin controlofemployees’mobilebusinesscommunications. “I expect that this will be the norm industry-wide in the next five years.”

Douglas J. Bartek Co-founder, President & CEO

TangoNetworks optimizesmobile communications for themodernenterprise

MEIR GIVON

A CREATIVE AND INTUITIVE BUSINESS EXPERT

Onehastocreatehisown innovativepathwaysinorder toshineandimprintthe successontheglobe.Bringing-in somethingsimultaneouslyintelligent andendearingbysurpassingthe portrayalofchallengesiswhatmakesa leaderextraordinary

Onesuchadmiredpersona empoweringteamsandprofessionalsto stormforwardwithhisleadershipand futuristicvisionisMeirGivon.Since childhood,hehasbeenpassionate aboutcreatingvalueandinnovation. “Challengesmotivatedmefromthe start,throughmyyouthandasagrown uppersonbygrowingmyownfamily andprofessionalteams,upto becomingamatureleader”saysMeir.

TheEntrepreneurialVoyage Meirhascompletedhisgraduationand mastersinInformationSystemsatthe Technon-TechnologyInstituteof Israel.Hehasalsoacquiredan additionalmaster’sdegreein Entrepreneurship&Innovation(MEI). Hispassionfordeliveringsolutionsto complexproblemshelpedhimtofuel distinctiveportfoliosatvarious renownedorganizations.Meirhasleft acleartrailofinnovation,leadingthe R&DinthefieldofIT,Organizational andEngineeringsoftwaresolutionsfor morethanthirtyyears,twelveyearsin theIsraeliNavyITCorganization. Withhisconstanteffortsand dedicationforsevenyears,healso becameapartnerandleadingsenior VPatEndan-anITSolutionssoftware house.

Throughoutthisjourney,Meirwas

successfulineducatinghundredsof fineexperts,madesomeexit opportunitieswhilecreatinggreat valueandhelpedtheseorganizationsto attainprofitableoutcomes.Meir idolizeshisbrotherDanandoneofhis commandersastheprimerolemodels forovercomingthehurdlesofhis entrepreneurialjourney.Hebelievesin takinginspirationfromeveryperson aroundhimandcherishesevery momentinhisownprofessionalway. Identifyingandinnovatingcuttingedgerequiredsolutionstoglobally spreadchallengesandrequirements encouragedMeirtobecomethe Founder&CEOatGIVSolutionsin 2001.

HewasinvitedbytheTelAviv Universityfortwoyearsasanexternal lecturerinthetopicofERPsystems andactedforseveralyearsasa MemberofthejudgesofIsraelIT AWARDSnationalcompetition.He alsogotthehonorofbeingalecturerat internationalforumsinEAM,SMART CITY,China,Europe,theUS,and Israel.Apartfromthis,Meirwasalsoa memberoftheSteeringCommittees, HostandFacilitatorofprofessional conferences.

AboutGIV “Itisnotbychancethatthehidden meaningofthecompany’snameis-to GIVe.Westrivetoinnovateallthe time.WeareanInnovative organizationcreatingSolutions.”says Meir

WithIsraelasitsHQandacenterof R&D,GIVprovidesexcellent organizationalleadership,consulting

andtechnologicalsolutionsto enterpriseskeepingparatthelatestIT technology. IthasofficesinNorth America,China,andSouthAmerica,as wellasstrategicpartnershipsabroad. Quoting“win-winwinbetweenthe Companyentity,theTeam,andthe Customer”Meirasserts,“Forlong termsustainablecompany,allthethree sidesmustexistordertohave everlastingandprosperingBusiness High-Techorganization.”

Thecompanyconsistentlystriveshard tocreateanddeliveraunique experiencetothecustomerthroughits value-addedservices.Underthe leadershipofMeir,GIVoffers organizationsaplatformtoprogress, achievemilestonesandalsomanage thein-housechanges.Itspecializesin managingOrganizationalbusiness processes,projectmanagement, strategicconsultingmethodologies, changemanagementinorganizations whileintroducingdisruptive technologiesandbusinessprocesses change,Implementingandassimilating IT-basedmanagementsolutionsona varietyoftopics.

Additionally,thecompanyalsooffers smartcitymanagementsystems(GIVCITY™),Smartsolutionforeducation, trainingorganizations(GIVCAMPUS™),roads(GIV-RMS™) bridgesandstructures(GIV-BMS™)asystemthatmeetstherigorous standardsinIsraelandworldwide, Railwayandmetroinfrastructure lifecyclemanagement(GIV-RAIL™). Also,GIVisaprestigiouslyawarded goldpartnerofInfor,chosenaspartner oftheyearforthreeyearsofthelast six.

Withseventeenyearsofsheerdetermination,Meirhasbeen instrumentalinencouraginghisteamofprofessionalsand assistingGIVtoreachamulti-annualaverageoftwodigits growthperannum.Hisexperience,patienceandvisiontogo anextramileforthecustomershavemadehimandthe companyexceptional.

Meir’sextraordinaryskillshavehelpedthecompanyto establishprosperinglinesofconsultingandsolutions.He helpedGIVtoachieveseveralmilestonesincluding:

•StrategicConsultingandProjectManagement-Computer ManagementandEAM.

•LaunchofPLMPharma

•TheInforRepresentationAgreementinIsraelonthe INFOREAMsystemandimplementationwassigned

•Developmentof“IntelligentRoad&Bridge”R&D programs

•Signinganagreementwiththelargestwatercorporationin thecountry,witha19yearshorizon.

AColleague’sVoice

AddressingMeirhiscolleagueasserts,“GIVisledbyaman whoredefinestheconceptofinnovationeveryday.Hehas theabilitytoseepeopleindepthandbreadth,tofind inspirationinthemandtoapplyitinallofhisactions.His lifeisdividedintoinnumerablefractionsandparts,eachof themfillsadifferentneedforhim,andtheyallcombinein ordertocreate,initiate,innovate,inventanddream.”

EnlighteningtheYoungEntrepreneurs

Meirbelievesthatrightprocessesalongwithsmartdecisionmakingwillsurelytaketheyoungsterstonewersuccess heights.Hesuggeststheaspiringandyoungmindstocreate ahighgroundwhichwillhelpthemtowithstandthemarket complexities.“Donotbeafraidtoaimhighinyourvision anddreams-itisthemainthingaboutbeingan Entrepreneur,butmakesurethattheimplementationofthe dreamshouldbedonealwayswithonefootontheground givingthechancetotheotherreachfaronyourrighttrack” headded.

FuturisticVision

Withavisiontoengraveaglobalfootprintinthenear future,Meirasserts,“Wewillkeepgivingthebestsolutions andservices,leadingthecompanytonewgoalswhile sustaininginnovation,recruitingnew,talented,passionate, andmotivatedemployeestojoinGIVfamily,creatingnew generationsofhighlevelexperts,consultants,andservice providers.”

Meir Givon Founder & CEO

Today,AIisonacreative

pathwaywithitsapplications goingbeyondthehorizons. Independentresearchhasstatedthatit istakingitsfootstepstothebusiness worldandinfluencingtheworkforce.It isimpactingthenew-agebusiness leadersandunlockingdiscoveriesthat businesseshaven’tyetconceived.Its successfulhelptoautomateprocesses suchasadministrativetaskssuggests thatitwon’tbelongbeforeAIwill

playaproactiveroleinthebusinessoperations.This integrationofartificialintelligenceinbusinessoperationsis generatingaplatformforhumanempowerment.This platformisprovidingthebusinessleaderswithtools necessarytoautomateredundanttasks,spotpatternswithin newandexistingdataanduncoverimportantinsightsthat havethepotentialtomakelivesbetter

StrategicAdvantagesacrossIndustries

InthefaceofAI,businessleadershipisundergoinga giganticshiftandadoptingcocktailofskills.Accordingto anindependentglobalsurveyonartificialintelligence, majorityoftheorganizationsandbusinessleadersare deployingAItechnologytoautomateandmakethebusiness processesmoreefficient.Leveragingartificialintelligence technologieschieflyforbusinessprocessautomation,is oftenviewedasagoodstartingpointasitcandeliverrapid improvements.Thechiefexecutiveshavemonitoredand reportedtangiblebenefitsfromtheartificialintelligence applicationsintheircompanies.

Theindustriesandtheemergingleadersareobtaining advantagestosecurityandprivacy,deployingAI technologiesinorganization’sdata.Asaresult,continued investmentinthedatamanagementisseenacrossdifferent industrialsectors.Theintroductionofartificialintelligence inthebusinessesisprovidingthenew-ageentrepreneurs withimprovedprocessperformance,productivitygainsdue toITtimespentonhighervalue,improvedsecurity, complianceandriskmanagement,andincreasedmarket share.Italsopowerstheenterpriseswithimproved employeeretention.

IntegrationofAIintoWorkforce

ThedeploymentofAItechnologyintheorganizationsis significantlygoingbeyondtheaccuracyandproductivityof comparablehumanactivitywhichundoubtedlystatesthat theAIisalreadymatchinghumancapabilitiesincertain areas.BusinessleadersaregettingwellawareofAI’s potentialandaremonitoringoperationstosupporttheir personnel.Theyareleveragingartificialintelligenceto augmentexistinghumanskillsandmakeemployeesbetter intheirwork.Theyarealsofocusingonemployeetraining tohelpthemdevelopadaptableskillsforthefuture. Besides,smartalgorithmsaredecisive,unwavering,and informedwhichwouldinmanywayscreateveryeffective workforceandleaders.

AIisblurringthedividinglinebetweenemployersand machines,therebysupportingthenew-ageentrepreneurs. Theseentrepreneursarebuildingtrainingdatathat demonstratesthemachinestobesmarterandinturn, machinesareprogressivelyabletosupportelementsof workforceintelligenceandlearnmoreabouttheworkforce

experience.Significantly,AIisaboutenablingmachinesto augmentandcomplementpersonnelfunctions.Thebusiness leadersaremovingtowardsthesymbiosisofthetwo.With theimplementationofartificialintelligence,theemployers candesignbusinessprocessesthatmakethebestuseof resources.Thiswillhelpempowerthebusinessleadersand theirorganization’semployeestoworksmarterandmore productively AIcreatesawayofoperationalexcellencefor theworkforceandmakesthemagiler.Itdevelops responsiveskillsinthebusinessleadersmakingthemfirm forthecomplexitiesofthebusinessmarket.

EmbracingGreaterPresenceofAITechnology

AIisintegratingintomoreoperationswithinenterprises, whichisredefiningthefundamentalconceptsofleadership acrossseverallevels.Theselevelsincludetheoverall strategy,customerexperience,leveragingtechnologyand humancapital.Recognizingthisrevolutionaryshiftinthe leadership,fouroutoffivechief-levelofficialsidentified thattheirfuturebusinessstrategieswillbeinformed throughopportunitiesofferedbyartificialintelligence technology

Significantly,theseofficialsareconfidentthatthe organizations’executivepersonnelhavetheabilitytoadapt theleadershipskillsasAItechnologiesareadoptedwithin thebusinesses.Alongwithastrongbeliefinleadership strength,theysurveyedstronglyandagreedthatartificial intelligencewillbenefittheorganizationsatalllevels.They haveapprovedtotheideathatAItechnologywillimprove theleadershipskillsandboosttheinvestmentareasin employeetraining,recruitment,buildingnewsolutions basedondata,modernizingtechnologyandnewdigital servicesandsolutions.Theseinvestmentareaswilldevelop apositivevisionintheleadersandupsurgetransparency intothebusinessoperations.

LookingintotheFuture

Manyenterprisesacrossallthesectorswillwitnessthe benefitsofartificialintelligenceinthecomingfuture.It wouldbecomethemainstreamamongstthenew-age businessentrepreneursandmorecompaniesareplanningto investintheAItechnology.ThisincreaseinthescaleofAI willbethedrivingforceoffuturebusinessrevolutionand tangiblybenefitthebusinessleaders.Itwouldhelpthe businessleaderstouncovernewopportunitiesandheadoff potentialrisks.Theartificialintelligencetechnologyis changingtheideaoftraining–asone-time-initiative. The futurewithAIwillmotivatetheorganizationstoadopta cultureoflifelonglearningandfacilitateopportunitiesfor stafftocontinuouslydevelopnewskills.Also,business leadershavetoevolvetheirskillstogainadeeper understandingofthetechnologiesthathavetheabilityto drivetheirbusinessforwardintheyearstocome.

RAJ VATTIKUTI

A TECHNOLOGY VISIONARY AND ACCLAIMED BUSINESS LEADER

Technologicalchangesarethe

biggest,mostdisruptiveforces thathavebeenchallenging mankindfordecades.Bringingan intelligentandendearing entrepreneurshipintothisportrayalof atech-enabledworldisnotaneasy task.Onehastoberemarkably resilientinordertopaintthesuccess canvasinaninspiringway

RajB.Vattikutiisonesuch committedphilanthropistandserial entrepreneur,aimingtocreate organizationsthatcansteertheworld towardsasustainablefuturewherethe end-userismoreempowered.

Raj’sentrepreneurialjourneybeganin 1985withthefoundingofCovansys Corp.-initiallynamedasComplete BusinessSolutionsInc.Heled Covansystobecomeoneoftheleading softwareservicesproviderglobally.It wasacquiredbyComputerScience Corporationin2007.Meantime,Raj alsofoundedtheVattikutiFoundation, Synova,Inc.,DavintaTechnologies, VattikutiTechnologies,andVattikuti Ventures.

Afterseedingastringofsuccessful enterprises,RajVattikutifounded Altimetrikin2012,withavisionto createaglobalorganizationthat catalysesdigitalandtechnological transformationbycontinuously

investingintalent,platforms,and capabilities.

AboutAltimetrik

“Wefundamentallybelievethatour customersknowtheirbusinessand theircustomersthebest,soweactas thecatalysttothemtodeliversolutions andfunctionalityataspeedtheydidn't thinkwaspossible,”,saysRaj.

RajfoundedAltimetrikwithavisionto challengetheconventionalITindustry Unlikethetraditionalplayersthatsell projects,outsourcing,andtimeand materialresources,Altimetrikworks onNewThinkingthatdrives innovationwithitsclientsbybuilding DigitalProductsthatleadtonew revenuecreationopportunities,and alsoenablesuperiormargingeneration. Theseproductsarereliable,scalable andcomewithaccountability-led,riskbasedengagementmodels.This increasesAltimetrik’sstakeinthe customer’sbusinesssuccess.Raj propoundedanecosystemcomprising people,unifiedteams,pathwaysand platformsthat,whencombined,helps customersseeandfeelanew,more productive(andenergized)wayof working.

HeadquarteredinSouthfield, Michigan,Altimetrikhasofficesinthe USA(Southfield,Princeton&San Francisco),India(Bengaluru,Chennai,

Pune&Mumbai),Uruguay (Montevideo),andSingapore. Currently,hissheerdeterminationhas alliedAltimetrikwiththebiggest playersinthefinancial,manufacturing, healthcare,andautomobiledomainsto engageintransformationalprogramsin theirorganizations.

TheArdentLeadership Rajisthekeydriver,aidingAltimetrik tosuccessfullypropoundanecosystem thataddressesthethreemainfacetsof transformation– talent, culture and technology.Thisecosystemnamed Playgroundcreatesaninfluxof superiortalentthatembodiesDigital Culture,andworksasunifiedteams withsharedoutcomes.ThePlayground methodologycombinespeople, pathwaysandplatforms,makingthe perfectuseoftechnologythrough DevOps,Agile,SCRUMandother advancedprocessestodeliversolutions tocustomerswithspeed,precisionand agility

Withaphilosophytotransformthe wayorganizationsapproachIT,Raj stated, “We want to create an IT environment that is highly collaborative, innovative and effective. This will not only help the businesses to focus on what they do best but also constantly advance their customer experience.”

AComprehensiveVision

RajhassetthefoundationofAltimetrikwithavisionto enhancetheroleoftechnologyvendorstostrategicpartners whocanenvisiontheroadmapfororganizationstoachieve theirtransformationobjectives.Asapartofthis synthesizingend-usercentricityintotheirDNAisan imperative.Heisconsistentlystrivinghardtomakebusiness modelsandprocessesmoresimplifiedandstraightforward. Bycontextualizingthisapproachineveryaspect,Raj proclaimsthat “People will be able to live better lives, do better work, and achieve more value in everything they do.”

BeingthefounderofAltimetrik,Rajdedicateshissuccessto hisemployees.Hebelievesthatprofitablebusiness outcomesemergefromtheinspirationhegetsfromhis employees.Heencourageseveryengineerinthecompanyto developandapplyaproductmindsetinwhateverrolethey areinto.Hefurtheradds, “The most inspiring moment, the greatest motivation happens when I see my employees achieve a solution that is truly transforming and futureready.”

IlluminatingtheYoungMinds Rajsuggestsbuddingentrepreneurstofocusonbuilding effectivebusinessmodelsandinnovatingpathwaystouplift itsscale.Ratherthanfocusingonmakingmoney,he encouragesnewentrepreneurstoprioritizeemployee engagementsthatbringinacultureofcollaborationandlead tobiggeroutcomes.Hisadvicetotheyoungmindsisto buildawork-culture,wheretheemployeescanseek opportunitiestotransformthemselves. “This will also develop a consultative strategy not just in technology transformation but in the area of transformation that will be truly seminal including talent and people,” addedRaj.

PlansfortheFuture Addressinghisemployees,Rajstates, “I want to see Altimetrik helping at least 50 organizations go through their transformation journeys in the near future. That to me will be the greatest achievement.”

Heaimstoachievethisbyhoningandnurturingmillennial talenttoachievetheirfullpotential.WithAltimetrik,heis planningtohelporganizationsevolvetoatrulydigital cultureandcultivatepathwaysandplatformsforthe organizationsthatcanmatchwiththespeed,freedom,and intelligenceofthenextgeneration.

Weacceleratedigital missionsthrough technologyplatforms

Raj

Vattikuti Founder & CEO, Altimetrik

VAIOS VAITSIS

THE CLAIRVOYANT, FABRICATING THE VITAL NEEDS OF THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE OPTIMISATION

Whenonestudiesgreat entrepreneurs,thereare individualtraitsthatwill standout;however,therearefewtraits thatarecommonamongstmost.These traitssometimesareagiftand sometimesattained,butinboththe cases,observingtheneedofindustryis mandatorytosucceedin entrepreneurship.VaiosVaitsis,the FounderandCEO,ofValidata observedsuchindustryneedsand establishedaplatformthatcatersone ofakindanduniqueservices.

TheCommencementofthePlatform Vaiospossessesprofoundknowledge indatalifecyclemanagement,project intelligence,andtestanalytics software.Heacquiredtheseskillsby developingsoftwareforcompanies throughthedevelopmentofglobal partnershipsandchannelsales.Priorto Validata,hewastheFounder, President,andCEOoftwosuccessful startups,wherehewasresponsiblefor developingchannelsales&franchising alongsidewithtalentacquisitionand teambuilding.

StrengthofVaiosliesinhisabilityto observetheneedsofclientsandthe industry.Hehastheabilitytoadaptto unpredictablecircumstancesanda uniqueunderstandingofmarket accelerators.Leveragingextensive knowledgeandexperienceofthe applicationlifecyclemanagement (ALM)overthreedecades,hesawthe needforthemodel-driven,integrated ALMsolutioncoupledwiththe automatedtestingcapabilities.Based onhisunderstandingandvision,he

establishedValidatain2004.With thirtyyearsofexperienceinthetwo startupsoftwareindustries,andunique expertiseinthefieldofsoftwaretest automation,heisaprogressive entrepreneurinthesoftwareindustry

Validata-PlatformfortheOpen Enterprise

Vaios’svisionwastomakethemost mature,easy-to-useplatformforthe softwareindustry.Envisioningthis vision,Validata,ascript-less,no-code platform,radicallyacceleratesthe deliveryofdigitaltesting.Itispowered bytheindustry-leadingmodel-based testautomation,agiletestdata management,provisioning,service virtualization,andmanymoreservices. Theplatformoffersauniqueapproach, focusedonlyonthethingthatmatters: The End User.Itvalidates,predictsand monitorstheuserexperienceboth beforeandaftereachrelease,across themultiplechannelsofengagement focusingontestingthetrue,end-to-end userjourney

Itisaplatformthatprovidesunified DevOpsandContinuousTesting.This platformiscapableofintegratingitself withbothopensourceandcommercial softwaresuchasHPQC,CAclarity, AtlassianJiraetc.whiledeliveringa ‘single version of the truth’ acrossall theprojects.ItenhancesDevOps pipelines,linkingbusiness, development,andoperationsenabling fasterproductdeliverywithvisibility ensuringoptimaldigitalexperienceand delightingcustomersbymeetingtheir goals.Afterobservingthesoftware future,VaiosmadesuretointegrateAI,

machinelearningwithValidatato makeitmoreintelligent,andbeableto automaticallysearchforbugswhich furtherincreasetheuserexperience withbetterqualityalongsidewiththe increasedproductivityandlowercosts.

“Packaged applicaons like core banking systems are the core of crical business processes and intelligent test automaon is now a crical business requirement to unlock and accelerate digital transformaon,” says Vaios

“We have reached a crical point where everything that companies did before is no longer enough. The rise of Digital Technologies, web and mobile apps is changing the behaviour of banks with a dramac change idenfied in end customer experiences, operaonal processes, and business models for engagement.”

In this digital applicaon economy where most of the tesng today sll being manual or semi-automated, Validata’s breakthrough technology enables QA and DevOps teams deliver quality at speed and increase test coverage and scalability in a way that manual tesng or tradional scripng could never have done before.

EmbracingChallengesasan Opportunity

Vaiosstartedhisjourneyinthemarket thathadlessknowledgeabout automation.Theinitialestablishment ofhisbusinessdidnotgohand-in-hand withinvestors.Industry’ssceptical natureabouttheventureofworldof roboticsandautomationkeptthese

investorsonhold.Bankswerereluctantininitiatinga culturalshiftandembracingachange.Theywerealso reluctantinadoptingnewtechnologiesandwaysof providingservices,especiallytothenewcompanies.Atthe sametime,Vaiosalsohadtocompetewiththeestablished technologygiants.However,heembracedthesechallenges andhissuccessandthecompany’sgrowthsuccessfully provescompany’searlycriticswrong.

ObservingtheIndustryNeeds

Thesoftwaretestingindustrywaslackinginnovationinthe lastdecade.Organizationswereadoptingimmature solutionswhichwerelimitedinintegrationcapabilities, end-to-endtestingcoverage,andpreventingfastROI.This situationresultedinanincreaseintheoverallcostof ownership.Consequently,testautomationwasfailing becauseitwasexpensivetomaintainandwithstandthe manufacturingprocess.

Vaiosperceivedthat,ifasoftwarevendorcouldproduce repeatabletestingassets,itwouldeliminatetheadditional costsoftheautomationscriptmaintenancewhicharea resource-intensiveandexpensiveeverytimeanapplication undergoesachange.Clientswillbeabletoadopttest automationasastrategiclong-termsolutionandbenefit fromlowercostsandfasterROI.

AUniquePhilosophy

ValidataandVaios,bothareallaboutcustomersatisfaction andtrytogetthemselvesinthecustomer’sshoestogain competitiveedge.Vaiossays‘“how we have always done it’mentality will only hold you back ”.

WhiledescribingValidata’svision,Vaiossays“We drive innovation. We hire smart, innovative people with a track record of doing smart work. There is no room for primadonnas. We all strive to remain humble and deliver great work that makes us proud”.

Self-MotivationistheRealKeytowardsSuccess

Vaiosalwaystriestoleadcompanywithhisenthusiasmand passion.Hethinksthat“the real motivation comes from inside and feeling passionate about what you do”. Accordingtohimthisisthemostprominentwaytohold therootsofsuccess.

PrimingtheCompanyfortheFuture

Thecompanylooksfurthertoinvestinrecruitingnew peopleandopeningnewofficesacrossAsiaandtheUSto supporttheirrapidlyevolvingclientbase.Vaiossees Validataevenfurtheronitscurrentwaytoconsolidateits positionasagloballeader.Heknows,tostayontop,he needstostayaheadofalltechnologicaltrendsand continuouslyturnideasintoinnovations.

Vaios Vaitsis Founder & CEO

FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS

Contributing to FUTURE ECONOMIC GROWTH

Futuristic Approach

Entrepreneurshipisvastlygrowingandisa transformingtrendofthe21stcentury.Female entrepreneursarebeingthehelpinghandofthis arisingalteration.Currently,theyareworkinginalmostall sectorsoftheworld.Theyarenowrunningindependent occupationsandenterpriseswiththeirleadership capabilitiesandareintroducingaglobaleconomic revolution.Theyarediscoveringmoreandmoreideasto generateself-employmentandincome.Theyhavestarted recognizingthebusinessopportunitiesaroundthemby crossingeachandeveryobstacleandhurdletoattain stabilityandgiverisetothefutureeconomicgrowth.

MotivationPlaysanEssentialRole

Properguidanceandinspirationisneededforcastinga femaleintoasuccessfulentrepreneur.Economic developmentcanbeeasilyattainedbyengagingtheminthe startuplandscape.Prominentmeasuresshouldbetakento motivatethemaboutthegrowingenterpriseopportunities. Financialindependenceandworkplaceflexibilitywith properassistancevitallyhelpsthemtonurtureinallaspects tobecomesuccessfulentrepreneurandrunanenterprise. Theyneedtobeencouragedineachandeverymannerto choosetheirfieldofinterestandprofession.Economic developmentcanbeachievedwhentheystarttorecognize theirweaknessesandremainfirminthedynamicbusiness environment.

ChallengestoOvercome

Itisnoteasyforawomantobeasuccessfulentrepreneur Shehastopassseveraltestsandovercomeadiverserange ofchallengesincludinglackofeducation,limitedmobility, andbalancingwork-lifeetc.Theycancomeupwithflying colorsifprovidedwiththeopportunitiesthatcanturnthem intoadynamicleaderwithexpertskillsandcapabilities influencingthemtoasuccessfulbusinessentrepreneur Also,thegovernmentshouldvigorouslypromotetheir educationsettingsandnetworkingopportunitiestocreatea secureenvironmentforthem.Theycanbethecatalystby dictatingplans,actions,andthedecisionsthatleadto economicdevelopment.

EliminatingGenderDiscrimination

Womenarecategorizedtobemoreinferiortomen.This inequalityisthebarrierformostofthewomenwhowantto beindependentandseektheirgoalsandprofession. Shoulder-to-shoulderoperationsbetweenthefemalesand themaleswillhelptheeconomytodevelopprudentially. Genderinequalityshouldberemovedtoattainthestable economicpractices.Womenshouldbeseenequaltomenin allthesectorstodevelopglobally.Morewomenengagedin businesseswillbenefitthedecision-makingcapabilitiesof

thebusinessesandtheenterprises.Genderinequality removalwillbuildatransparentsocio-economic environmentwhichwillchangethefaceoftheeconomic development.

TechnologyReshapingBusinessesLedbyWomen

Thegrowthineconomyistheedgewheretechnological influencearises.Thistechnologyhelpsafemale entrepreneurtoconnecttotheprospectivemarketswith theirrespectiveservicesandproductstherebyleadingtothe economicgrowth.Theycanacquirenewandinnovative skillsetsandimplementthemintheirfirm.Technology enablesabusinesswomantoattainmuchbettercustomer connectandsatisfaction.Theworkplaceandenterprisecan bemoresecureforawomanentrepreneurbythisuseof technology.Theintegrationof,ideasledbyfemale entrepreneursandtheinvolvementoftechnologycanlead tothegrowthofeconomy Technologyisbridgingthegap betweenthebusinessesandthefemales.

NecessityofWorkingCapital

Accesstofinanceisthebiggestbarrierforawomantostart abusinessorenterpriseandisalsonecessaryforthe economicdevelopmentoftheenterpriseandtheworld. Properfinancecansurelyprovidethemwithstablecapital operationsandfunctions.Thegovernmentshouldtake necessarymeasurestofundthebusinessesledbythem. Thiscanhelpthemtodeveloptheirsenseoftrustinthe monetaryandmakethemsteadyinthefieldoffinanceand managingcapital.Economicdevelopmentcanbe empoweredbythisfinancialhelpprovidedtothefemales. Theycanseektheirgoalsandsuccessfullysupportthe economythroughthisfunding.Financewillhelpthemto raisetheirearnings,managethemoneyandhelpthemto buildastableincomeplanrespectively

Womenentrepreneurswillsurelybethepillarofthe economicgrowthandlong-termdevelopmentofnationsin thecomingfuture.Besides,theircontributioninthe differentsectorsintermsofthegrowingagriculturaland othergloballaborforceinthecomingyearswillbemajor Theywouldmakebetterdecisionsandplanacourseof actionforeconomicgrowthandglobaldevelopmentby workingintheprivateaswellasthegovernmentsectors. Theywillmajorlyservetheirshareinthefutureeconomic growthandmotivatethefuturegenerations.Women employmentrateswillcertainlybenefittheglobalGDPto growintheemergingdecade.Theywouldsurelybethe catalystfortheeconomicgrowthanddevelopmentthereby helpingtherootsofdifferentsectorsofthesocio-economic environmenttodevelopintheupcomingfuture.

VENKATA NARAYANAN

CONNECTING DOTS OF THE ANALYTICS ECOSYSTEM

Inthisfastpacedtech-world, innovativethinkingandswift movesarethetraitstoselfdiscovery.Successcomestothosewho createtheirownbenchmarkin presenceoftheestablishedmarket players.Onesuchtrailblazerfocusing ongeneratingmeasurablebusiness valuefromdataisVenkata Narayanan.Heisaseasoned entrepreneurhavinginnovative prowessandbroadexperiencein deliveringBusinessIntelligence& Analyticssolutionsforstrategicand tacticalapplications.

Apartfromseminarcircuits,Venkata hasdedicatedtheinitialdaysofhis careertopreachingandbuilding systemsthatleveragedataandprovide competitiveadvantagetothe organizations.Avitalstarttohis journeyincludesalongstintatInstitute ofSystemsSciences,National UniversityofSingapore(NUS)where hewasanadjunctfaculty.Hecontinues histeachingactivitiesasAdjunct FacultyinSingaporeManagement University(SMU)since2012. Acknowledginghisteaching experience,Venkataasserts, “I find these teaching experiences a two-way street – interacting with students is rewarding with different perspectives brought by them. I probably learn as much, if not more, than what I am able to share my experiences with them!”

InIndia,afterhavinganexperienceat Wiprofrom1984to1991,Venkata movedtoMiddleEast(Muscatin Oman)inordertoworkwithaprivate airline.Withapassiontodosomething onhisown,hecametoSingaporeand launchedhisfirststartupKnowledge

Dynamicsin1997.Wherein,he workedwithavisiontoprovide ‘BusinessClass’experienceat‘Club Class’pricinginthecontextof leveragingdataforcompetitive advantage.

KnowledgeDynamicsacquisitionby anNYSElistedGlobalITmajorin 2005broughthimbacktocorporate lifewhereheheldvariousportfoliosin thedomainofBusinessIntelligence andAnalytics.Hislastroleinvolved incubatingemergingtechnologieslike CloudandMobility Witnessingan inflectionpointinenterpriseadoption ofCloudledVenkatatobethe FounderandCEOofBigTappPte Ltdin2013withavisiontoprovide global-best-in-classanalyticssolution ataffordablepricepointsleveraging Cloud.Today,histhirtyyearsof phenomenalexperienceinthefieldof managementandconsultinghelpedthe companytoestablishitselfasa trustworthybrandamongsttheexisting players.

AboutBigTapp BigTappisatechnologycompany generatingvaluethroughBig InFo ActiV platformandproviding affordableBigData&Analytics solutionstocompaniesirrespectiveof thescaleandsize.ThisAI-based platformidentifiescustomerintentby processingtransactions&interactions. Addingmoreinsightstotheintent, BigTappenumeratescustomerprofiles bydeterminingpersonalattributes, relationships,lifeevents,sentiments andbuzz.Assuch,thecompany leveragesthecustomerinsights throughaKnowledgeGraphand deliverseffectivemarketingsolutions

tothedigitalenterprises.Theplatform isalsousedtocustomizethecustomer experiencebasedondatadriven insights.

Thecompany’sbusinessmodel compriseslicensesaleofitsproducts andassociatedservicesusing Analytics.Hehasbeeninstrumentalin embracingeverysingleopportunity andhelpingBigTapptogrowata steadyrateofmorethantwentypercent year-over-yearintermsofrevenue. Also,hisdeterminationandconstant effortshasassistedthecompanyin achievingseveralmilestonesincluding therecognitionofitsIPandbusiness modelamongstthe world’s 50 most innovative tech startups byTieCon SiliconValleyin2017.

TheDynamicTechie

Intheinitialyearsofentrepreneurship, VenkatawasinspiredbyRichard Branson,thebusinessmagnateand founderofVirgingroupwhichhelped himtodelivervalueataffordableprice. Ontheotherhand,healsodiscovered theefficientuseofcapitalby idealizing-renownede-commerce baron-JeffBezos,CEOatAmazon.

Vastlyexperiencedbyagebutyoungat histhoughtsisthebestwaytodescribe Venkata.Hisleadershipskillshelped himinsupportingvariousmanagement rolesincludingtheSeniorVice President&HeadofStrategic InitiativesinTechMahindra.He consistentlyworkshardwithanaimto democratizeanalyticsandmakeit availabletolargecorporatesaswellas theSMEs.

Overtheyears,VenkatahashelpedBigTappinovercoming variouschallengesanddeliverbest-in-classproductsand services.Heplayedavitalroleincatchingthewavesof businessanalyticsandcrossingthehurdlesofsecuredcloud anddata.Beingthedrivingforcebehindcompany’ssuccess, hestates, “Mitigating these challenges often involves education and consulting on best practices. Some examples of knowledge & skills we need to pick outside our core competency are: Contract Law, PDPA Act and Customer Communication Management.”

ExploringthePhilosophy

Venkataconsidersanalyticsindustryasfastapproaching peakofoverinflatedexpectations.Hebelievesthatwhile machinelearningandAIareplayinganactiverolein developinginnovativesolutions,unrealisticexpectationson theoutcomesarefrequent.Heexpectsa‘correction’soon followedbymorerealisticexpectationsonwhatcanbe achievedusingAnalytics.

IgnitingtheFlamesofEntrepreneurship

Venkatabelievesthattheyoungstersshouldfocuson keepingthecostslowwhileprovidingascalablesolutionto arealprobleminordertowithstandthemarketcomplexities andattainprofitableoutcomes.Healsobelievesthat pivotingbasedonmarketreactionratherthanholdingonto initialvisionisnecessaryforanindividualtonavigatethe cornerstonesoftheentrepreneurialvoyageandthestartup enterprise.Heproclaims “Entrepreneurship is a rocket science – similar to a rocket that needs an engine to move it from one orbit to another, you need an engine to move the startup from one orbit to another higher orbit! That engine could be new market, new product, new people or new investor etc.” Hefurtheradded,“Often the engine that propels a rocket to the next orbit is jettisoned once the rocket moves to the next orbit. Similar thing can happen in your entrepreneurship journey At one point in time – even you (the founder) may no longer be relevant. The venture may require someone with a different set of skills to take it to the next level – that’s the time for you to cut the umbilical cord and exit.”

GrowthPlans

FocusingproactivelyinASEANandIndia,Venkataisallset toexpanditshorizonsintheUS.TheseUSengagements wouldgrowefficientlyinthefutureduetothefocusedsales &marketingeffortsofVenkataandhisteamof professionals.Hisfurtherplanistocontinueinvestingin buildingmorecapabilitiestotheproductsandincrease supportformorenon-englishlanguages.

Venkata Narayanan Founder & CEO