LofleadershipcanbeobservedinthewayshowAlexander,Napoleon,GeorgeWashington, MahatmaGandhi,NelsonMandela,andmanyothers,ledtheirfollowers.Initially,aleaderwas perceivedofanauthoritativeimage.However,throughthecourseoftime,thetermleadershiphasbeen branchedintodifferentstylesbutpertainstothepureformoftheprocessesandoutcomesinvolvedwithin it.
eadershipinitspureformistheactofleadingasetoffollowersforacollectivepurpose.Instances
thDwightD.Eisenhower,the34 UnitedStatesPresidentsays, “The supreme quality of leadership is unquestionable integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.” Theverityoftheselinesisevidentinthecontemporaryeraof ingenioustechnologiesandbusinessmodelsacrosstheglobe.
Beit,anauthoritarianorfree-reigningstyleofleadership,onecansafelyassertthatwithoutleadership,an organizationwouldbedirectionless,theworkforcewouldbepowerless,andgoalsandambitionswouldbe pointless.Thenatureofaleaderisasubtleblendofethics,integrity,ambition,determinationand persistence.Thesetraitsbuildupaleader’sinfluenceandreputationwithintheorganizationaswellasthe watchingworld.
Funnelingdownthevitalityofleadershipintoanorganization,theroleofaleaderisplayedbyaCEO. Rightfromtheliftingofcurtainstotheclimaxoftheplay,aCEOavidlyperformsthepartsofa protagonist,leadingtheorganizationtogloriousheights.Initiatingventures,delegatingtasksandtheir
appropriateexecution,interactiveparticipation,deliveringqualityoutcomes,relentlesslyrecognizing andappreciatingcollectiveand/orindividualefforts,aresomeoftheprimedutiesofaCEO.
Hence,herein,InsightsSuccesshascuratedalistof“The20MostInspiringCEOstoWatch, 2018,”whoareexcellingtheirrolesandresponsibilitiesofleadingorganizationsthathave ceaselesslyadvocatedtheingenuityintechnologicalinnovationandinprovidingbest-in-class servicesglobally.
OurCoverStoryfeaturesMatthewTelesca,whohasspearheadedMGNLogistics,Inc.tobeoneof theUSA’sfastest-growinglogisticsandtransportationcompanies.Thecompanyhasventuredseveral prolificandnoveltransportationmoduleswhichinclude,predictivepricing,extensiveKPIcharting, andintelligenttransportationrouting,allunderMatthew’stransformationalleadership.
Matthewcomprehendsthatthepathwhereinoneismetamorphosedfromafollowerintoaleaderis largelyaidedbygrit,disciplineandtheabilitytocontinuallygrindthroughgoodandbadtimesto succeed.Heelaborates, “You need to be the first one in the office, the last one to leave, and you need to be willing to do what everyone else only talks about doing. If you are willing to do this, then and only then, you will have one of the necessary building blocks to creating a successful business.”
AssertinguponhisroleasaCEOandtheessenceofanyorganization’ssuccess,Matthewstates, “The ability to delegate is one the biggest challenge for any Founder and CEO. The business is like your baby, you’ve committed absolutely everything to it, and once it starts to grow, if you’re not able to let go and delegate, you will end up with stifling growth.”
Also,makesuretoscrollthroughthearticleswrittenbyourin-houseeditorialteamandCXO standpointsofsomeoftheleadingindustryexpertstohaveabrieftasteofthesector Let’s start reading!
Abhishaj Sajeev
It was curiosity that always pushed me beyond what most other kids my age were interested in.
Successstoriesarealwaysinspiring.Why?Because everyonewantstoliveasimilarstory;everyone wantstosucceed.Butwhenanindividualachieves successstartingfromthebottom,thatiswhenaninspiring story,becomesanawe-inspiringstory.Thosewhobuild theirownsuccessoutofnothing,arethosethatsuccessfully navigatetheirwayaroundlife’schallenges,without stopping.Theyfall,sometimesormaybeoften,veryhard, buttheygetuptostubbornlymoveon.It’sthatself-belief, passionanddeterminationthatkeepstheballrolling.A perfectexampleofanindividualstartingfromlittleand creatingtheirownsuccessisMatthewTelesca,Founder andCEOofoneofthecountry’sfastest-growinglogistics andtransportationcompaniesintheUnitedStates,MGN Logistics,Inc.
Matthew,theyoungestoffivechildren,wasborntoavery modestlow-incomefamily,inasmallfarmingcommunity inPennsylvania.Hisparentswerefirstgeneration immigrantsfromEurope.Matthew’smotherwasahome makerandhisfatherownedasmallupholsterybusiness.As achildgrowingup,hewasoftengivenhisolderbrother’s
hand-me-downclothesforthenewschoolyear.Andwhile thefamilyneverstruggledtoeat,smallconveniencesor luxurieswerefewandfarin-between,andnevertakenfor granted.Allhissiblings,includinghimself,wouldworkin hisfather’ssmallfamilyrunshop,takingturnstoassist theirfather.
Herecalls, “In middle school, my class had around 800 students and the vast majority were pretty well-off financially. In fact, out of the entire class only a handful of us received free lunches because our families couldn’t afford to pay for them. I remember being so embarrassed and self-conscience about it. I was always attempting to hide my free lunch card,” Telesca chuckles. “It was something that impacted me very early on and created an incredible desire and unstoppable determination to find a way to succeed. I ended up being the kid with a lemonade stand, the kid who sold trading cards, the kid who was always looking to make a few dollars, whenever and wherever I could. I would come up with the craziest ideas, but nothing would stop me from trying.”
AccordingtoTelesca,itwashisunendingdetermination andself-belief,alongwithcuriositythatalwayskepthim aheadofthecurve.Oneincidentthatperfectlyillustrates thisasachildishisexperienceofinvestinginstocks.At just12yearsofage,andhavingsaved$500fromworking withhisfather,Matthewconvincedhisfathertoopena brokerageaccountinhisname,sohecouldtradestocksand commodities.Imaginea12-year-oldmakingreal investmentsinthestockmarket.Usingtheschool’spay phone,hewouldcallhisstockbrokertocheckonhis investmentsandgetlivemarketupdatesbetweenclasses.
Hereflects, “I was always curious and always interested in learning new things; how something worked, how it was made. I loved the idea of using my intelligence to create opportunity.” Telescaremembersbeinganavidreader. “Even today, I am constantly reading industry related articles and magazines and always attempting to keep my creative juices flowing.” Hewouldenjoyreadingbooks withtopicslikebusiness,investingorcomputers.
Afterfinishinghighschool,topayforhiscontinuing academicstudiesandassistwithfamilybills,Matthewtook ajobatalocaldoormanufacturerloadingandunloading trucks.Thecompany’smanagementteamimmediately noticedhisworkethicandresponsibleattitude;anddecided totrainhimdirectlyunderthewarehousemanager.With thistraining,helearnedthebasicsofinventorycontroland supplychainmanagement.Intriguedbywhathewas learningonthejob,andrecognizingnumerous inefficienciesintheshippingprocess,heswitchedhis academicfocustoconcentrateonlogistics.Matthewstarted takingcourses,readingandstudyingatnight,while workingatthewarehouseduringtheday.
Telescawouldfrequentlyfillinforthewarehousemanager whileoutonvacation.Duringoneoftheseroutinetimes,he wasaskedtoarrangeanddispatchthecompany’sdaily shipments.Thecompany’sshippingprocessentailed contactingoneofthreecarriers.Thefirst,wasapreferred carrierandtheleastexpensive,thesecondandthirdwere progressivelycostlierandonlyusedwhennecessary.Onthe veryfirstdayofhisnewresponsibility,Telescafound himselfinasituationforwhichhewasn’tprepared-none ofthethreecarrierswereavailable. “The year was 1998, Google didn’t exist, and in fact the whole idea of online search at that time was, not just extremely novice, but exceptionally limited. The entire internet was relatively new and very few companies had meaningful websites. So, I did
One of the things I learned very early on was that if I wanted to make any money, I would need to work for it.
what everyone did back then, I started looking through the yellow pages or the phonebook for trucking companies.”, recallsTelesca Afterseveralhoursof“smiling and dialing” phonenumbers,heultimatelyfoundalocalcarrierthat wouldperformthedeliveriesand,actually,endedupbeing substantiallycheaper.ThatwasTelesca’s‘Aha’moment. Havingfirsthandexperiencewiththeinefficiencyofnot onlyfindingtrucks,butthenalsogettingpricequotes,he envisionedawaytoimprovethisprocessanddecidedto jumpinbothfeetfirst.
Armedwithalittleknowledgeofprogrammingandan intriguingidea,Telescacontactedafriendfromcollegewho wasworkingatAmericaOnline(AOL)asaprogrammer. Tenmonths,countlesssleeplessnights,andtwohundred andfiftythousandlinesofcodelater,Telesca’snewly formedcompany,MGNLogistics,Inc.,launcheda revolutionarynewwebsitecalledlogisticsquote.cominthe springof2000.Itwasoneofthefirstonlinetransportation brokeragewebsites,andallowedcustomerstoeasilysetup accounts,searchcarriers,rateshipments,createshipping documentsandtracktheirfreightonline.Afterextremely
rapidgrowthandsuccess,thesitewassoldtoaprivate equitygroupin2004.Threeyearslater,afterhisnoncompeteclausehadexpired,Telescastarted,whatwould endupbeingnumerousacquisitionsofbrick-and-mortar freightbrokerageshecouldefficientlymodernizeand integrateon-linewithhisnewlydevelopedFreight TransportationManagementSystem(TMS). Thefirstof theseacquisitionsoccurredin2007andwasafreight managementcompanybasedoutsideofBoston, Massachusetts.Thiswouldbethestartofanever-ending questforexcellenceandtheconstantpursuitofnewly reimaginedtechnologythatwouldagainendupdisrupting thetransportationspace.
Asanearlyadopterofweb-basedtechnology,MGN continuedtofocusoncuttingedgetechnologyand developedseveralindustry-firstcreativetransportation moduleswhichincludeprojectslikepredictivepricing, extensiveKPIchartingandintelligenttransportationrouting thathasoutpacedallmajorplayersinthespace.
I believe one of the most important characteristics of a successful CEO is to be an effective communicator.
By2013,thecompanyhadopenedanofficeinOrlandoand anotherintheDominicanRepublictohandleit’sgrowing internationalbusiness.In2014,havingbeenheavily concentratedonfreightmanagementandLTL,thecompany expandeditsexpertiseandacquiredatruckloadbrokerage inNewJersey.Thefollowingyear,itmadeanotherstrategic acquisitionofatech-savvyMidwest-basedbrokeragewitha uniqueproprietarytruckloadpricingapp.Today,the companyhas6locationsspanningPennsylvania,New Jersey,Massachusetts,Florida,Michiganandthe DominicanRepublic.Whilethecompanyprovidesservices asatraditionalfreightbroker,itsfocusandspecializationis asafull-servicefreightmanagementpartner.It’scloudbasedproprietaryTMScanefficientlyintegrateanentire supplychainrangingfromthatofalargemulti-national corporationtosmallhome-runbusiness.Thesoftwarecan beutilizedasafullyindependentstand-aloneprogramora well-integratedbolt-onapparatus.
MGN’ssuiteofservicesincludepriceandservice optimization,contractnegotiation,carrierroutingandedispatching,alongwithfullyautomateddocumentation creation,pre-andpost-audit,freightpayment,andan extensivesuiteofinteractivebusinessintelligencereports, justtomentionafewhighlights.Theplatformnotonly providessophisticatedtransportationtechnologybutalso connectseachcustomertoadedicatedgroupofseasoned logisticsmanagerswhoassistincoordinating,executing andtrackingallshipments.Theprocessisenhancedwith integratedeGPSmonitoringoftruckloadshipments,in additiontoliveLTL,rail,ocean,airandparcelupdates.For thosecompanieslookingforastandaloneorfullyintegrated solutiontoeitherreplaceorsupporttheirexistinglogistics department,MGN’sproprietaryTMSishardtobeat.Their dedicatedtechnologystaffmakesintegrationsimpleand incrediblyaffordable.
InnovationandImplementation
Telescanotesthatthetransportation space,likesomanyotherindustries, continuestobedisruptedbynewand compellingtechnologies,somethinghe isintimatelyfamiliarwith.Inaddition, newentrantstotheindustrysuchas UberFreightandAmazonpushthe envelopeofanalreadycrowdedspace. Telescaisconvincedtheracetothetop willbewonbysmaller,moreadaptive andspecializedcompaniesratherthan industrygiantsthathebelievesaretoo bloatedtoimplementgenuine disruptivechange. “At times, it’s a little funny reading or listening to folks outside my space talk about the new entrants like Uber Freight or Amazon, as if they are introducing something genuinely disruptive or new. I guess for those not intimately familiar with logistics and the technology in the space already, those ideas seem innovative, but rest assured, there are dozens of companies that have been doing the same thing or similar for quite some time. Sure, just for their sheer size, financial fortitude and name-sake they will gain market share, but I often chuckle at all the hype.
As the CEO and visionary of the company, I am excited to see not only the changes in the transportation space, but even more excited to be an integral part of those changes.
greaterchancetocontinuedominating itsnichemarket.
Trust me, I’m one of the first to be excited when I see or hear something truly innovative. It’s been a life’s passion to try to be one of those industry innovators, so I applaud when I see something worthwhile.”
“My belief is that the market players who are able to efficiently deploy continuous technological improvements, while at the same time effectively execute their strategy, will have the best chances of real success,” Telescaexclaims.MGNLogisticshasa focused,craftedstrategydesignedto lookaheadandbeinnovative.It doesn’trelysolelyonitsCEOtolead innovation,butratherempowerseach andeveryemployeetoparticipateand revelincreativityandinnovative thinking.Itisforthesereasonsthat Telescafeelsthatthecompanyhasa
Whenasked, “The ability to delegate is one the biggest challenge for any Founder and CEO,” saysTelesca. “The business is like your baby, you’ve committed absolutely everything to it, and once it starts to grow, if you’re not able to let go and delegate, you will end up stifling growth.”
Telescastartedhiscompanyinthe bedroomofhisparent’shomeand single-handedlywrangledeveryrole fromidea,todevelopmentto programmingandvendorrelationships, tosalesandinvoicingandbilling, trackingandtracing;literally everything!So,whenthebusiness startedtogrow,itwasverydifficultto letgoanddelegateresponsibilities.It required,notonlytrust,butevenmore importantly,acceptanceoftheideathat ataskcouldbeaccomplished effectivelyinmorethanjustoneway. “Myway”wasnotthe only way, Telescarecalls.Ashelearnedthis lesson,hefocusedmoreonmanaging
thedesiredresultsandlessonmicromanaginghispeople.Thisallowedhis employeestotakeownershipandspark anever-endingprocessof improvement.
TheMantraofSuccess Everyonewantstobesuccessfuland yet,forthemajority,successisvery elusive.Telescafeelsanentrepreneur needsgrit,disciplineandtheabilityto keepgrindingthroughgoodandbad timestosucceed.Headvisesbudding entrepreneurstobepreparedtowork aboveandbeyondeveryoneelse.He elaborates, “You need to be the first one in the office, the last one to leave, and you need to be willing to do what everyone else only talks about doing. If you are willing to do this, then and only then, you will have one of the necessary building blocks to creating a successful business.”
Amajorchallengefacingthe transportationindustryistheneedfor trustinsomanysupplychain transactions.Brokersmusttrustthata
I was always curious and always interested in learning new things; how something worked, how it was made. I loved the idea of using my intelligence to create opportunity.
carrieriswhotheysaytheyare, carriersmusttrusttheywillgetpaid, shippersmusttrustthatacarrierwill notdouble-brokeraload,andthelist goeson.Telesca,onceagain,is pushinghisinnovativevisionforthe futureoflogistics.Hebelievesthe applicationofblock-chaintechnology inthelogisticsspacecouldprovetobe transformational.Fromitsinceptionas anearlyinternetsolution,toitsrealtimetruckloadpricingapp,tothe sector’sfirstblock-chainenhanced TMS,MGNLogisticshasalwaysbeen onthecuttingedgeofthesetypesof transformationalchanges.Asthe visionaryandprimaryadvocateofthe platform,MatthewTelescaenvisions himselfhelpingtocatalyzethese changes.Hesuccessfullybuiltandsold hisfirstlogisticscompanybytheage of32.Henowleadsthegrowthofhis
currentcompany,MGNLogistics, whichhasbeennamedoneof America’sFastestGrowingPrivate Companiesby INC Magazine,four yearsinrow,mostrecentlyin2017. TelescabelievesMGNwillreach$100 millioninannualrevenuewithinafew years,andallwithoutanyoutside investors.“At this point, I feel we are really just hitting our prime. I’m past the point of foolish startup mistakes as a CEO, I’ve learned hard lessons from the past and I’ve surrounded myself with a knowledgeable and experienced executive team that has my complete and full confidence. I believe we are ready to see growth accelerate even faster. The ultimate demonstration of this belief is the fact I’ve turned down numerous offers from outside investors and companies to acquire MGN. Some of those offers were quite tempting to be honest, but I think it’s just a little too early. I still want to see this growth thru.”
CetromInformation TechnologyInc. cetrom.net
ChristopherStark Founder&CEO GaryB.Smith CEO Ciena ciena.com
CetromInformationTechnology,Inc.providescloudcomputing solutionsandinformationtechnology(IT)servicesfor managingnetworksandITresources.
CienaanetworkstrategyandtechnologycompanyNetworkSolutionsforOpticalTransportandSwitching, CarrierEthernet,DataandBroadbandNetworks.
eMDs e-mds.com
EngiLifeSciences engilifesciences.com
Exusia exusia.com inet-logistics inet-logistics.com
KaviGlobal kaviglobal.com KlickEx klickex.co Media33 media33.com.au
MGNLogistics mgnlogistics.com
DerekA.Pickell CEO
GregoryW.Pierce CEO
TrevorSilver CEO
OswaldWerle CEO VijithaKaduwela CEO&Founder
Robertbell
CEO&Founder
MichaelLambert ManagingDirector
eMDsisaleadingproviderofhealthysolutionsforhealthy patientsandhealthyproviders.
EngiLifeSciencesisaconsultingfirmandprovidesservices acrossthehealthcarevaluechain.
Exusiaisaglobaltechnologyconsultingcompanythat empowersitsclientstogainacompetitiveedgebyaccelerating businessobjectivesandprovidingsolutionsindata managementandanalytics.
inet-logisticsdevelopscloud-basedTransportation ManagementSystemsformanaging,controlling,andoptimizing transportationprocessesinreal-timeforcustomersworldwide.
KaviGlobalisapure-playdataanalyticscompanyoffering consulting,softwareandsolutions.Itpartnerswithclientsto accelerateandscaleanalytics.
KlickExisapaymentsinfrastructureplatformfocusedon reducingsettlementrisksforCentralBanksandproviding cross-bordertransferservicesdedicatedtofinancialinclusion.
Media33isafullservice,innovativemedia communicationsfirm.
MatthewTelesca President&CEO
MGNLogisticsisoneofthefirstcompaniesinthe transportationspacetoprovideITsolutionsforthefreight managementandtransportationindustry.
David
Nectarisasoftwarecompanyspecializinginmonitoringand diagnosticsoftwaresolutionsfortheUnified Communicationsmarket.
CompleteXRM,Inc.providesamyriadofproductivity
forindividualsandforbusinesses.
simpleshowistheleadingprofessionalexplainervideo
Karsten
Daniel
creatinggoodeffectiveexplanationsperfectly tailoredtothetargetaudience.
Switchfly,Inc.developsandprovidesaSoftware-as-aServiceplatformfortravele-commerce,loyalty,and ancillaryexperiencesforairlines,hotels,onlinetravel agencies,andfinancialservicecompanies.
TechsolCorporationisanicheInformationTechnology
providerforglobalpharmaceuticaland lifesciencescompanies.
TeligentIPisleadingcommunicationserviceprovider.Itoffers
rangeofcommunicationservicesspanningfromenhanced
Centers,hostedIPPBX,IPTrunking,toSkypeforbusiness.
RinaldiGrouplicensedgeneralcontractorisaisafullserviceconstructionmanagementfirm.
UrbanCropSolutionsdesigns,buildsandengineersturnkey
customerstogrowtheircropsindoors,
oftheoutdoorclimateandseasons.
VerseOneoffers
technologyplatforms,digital,andcreative
socialhousing,healthcare,localgovernment,and broadercommercialsectors.
VILIKEisFinlandbasedStartupCompany.Itdevelopsdigital
for
exercise(PE)education,gamification,scientific
andsolutionstoactivatepreschoolchildren’sgrowth.
IwasataneventinSanFranciscoin2014,whenI heardapieceofadvicethatstuckinmymindever since.Atthetime,whenIconsideredtheadvice,I reallywasn’tsurewhetherIwasactuallyfollowingit. However,sincethen,Ihavecometounderstandthe significanceofit.Thespeakersaid,inrelationto choosingwhatyouworkon:
“If you’re going to climb a mountain, make sure it’s the right one”
Youspendmuchofthebestpartofyourearlylifetrying tounderstandyourselfwellenoughtofindtheright mountainforyou.Youlookforindicators;subjectsyou likeatschool,mentorswhoseadviceparticularly resonates,whichexamsyoudowellin,theclubsyou joinatuniversity,thecareerpathsofthosemoresenior thanyouinourfirstjob.Butit’shard–Irarelycome acrosspeoplewhoreallyhavetheconvictionto absolutelyknowtheirmountaintoclimbthrough forwardlookingindicatorsalone.
Istartedmycareerasanengineer.Ijoinedaworld leadingEngineeringandProjectManagementcompany whichtookmetoprojectsinLondon,theUSandthe MiddleEast.Iworkedonsomeofthelargestandmost cuttingedgemega-projectsintheworld.Iquickly becameacharteredcivilengineerandprojectmanager anditseemedlikeIwasdestinedforalongand successfulcareerintheindustry.However,Iwasn’t happy.Despitealltheindicatorspointinginapositive direction,Iknewsomethingwasn’tright.
ItwasthenthatIgotacallfrommybrother,toaskfor helponalittleprojecthewasworkingonwithsome
teacherfriendsofhis.Fastforwardacoupleofyearsand IhadlefttheMiddleEast,leftmycareer,andfoundeda companycalledPobblethatwouldgoontochangethe livesofthousandsofchildrenallovertheworld.
Now,everyindicatorwouldhavetoldmethatthiswasa risky,evencrazythingtodo!Infact,thenext6years thatboughtmetonow,havebeenthemostwonderful, painful,challenging,andrewardingyearsofmylife. Entrepreneurshipistrulyarollercoasterride!WhenI reflectonthatdecisionpoint6yearsagothough,it wouldhavebeenimpossibletohaverationallydecided toleaveeverythingandstartonanewpath–Ijustknew inmygutthatIhadtodoit!
4yearsonIlookbackonthatpieceofadviceandrealise thatIdidpicktherightmountaintoclimb.Andthere’s oneindicatorthatIseeaboveallelsethatconvincesme thatthisisthecase.ThefactthatIdidn’tgiveup.When youareworkingonsomethingthattrulyalignswithyour passion,everychallengeisjustthenextonetoovercome asyouprogressalongyourjourneytoachievingyour mission,givingupjustisn’tanoption!
I’moftenaskedaboutthesecrettosuccessful entrepreneurshipandIsaytwothings;focusand resilience.Whenyouaredoingsomethingthatyoulove andthatyoubelievein,nomatterwhatthechallenge, youkeepgoingandmakeithappen.Youkeepgoing, whenotherswouldjustgiveup.Also,despiteallthe chaosandchallenge,youfindthewaytofocusontaking thenextbeststepforwardinaseaofuncertainty.When youhavetheclarityofknowingwhereyouaregoingon yourjourneyyouareabletofocusontherightthings. WhenImeetwithnewideasandstartups,it’srelatively
easytoverifythemarket,theneedandthesolution–but muchmoreimportantinmyopinionisthereasonforthe foundingteamtobedoingwhattheyaredoing.Ifthis projectalignswiththeirlife’smission,their“mountain”, thennomatterhowhardthechallengeis,theywillfinda waytocreatethebestpathforward.Maybethey’llfail forthemanyotherreasonsthatstartupsfail,butthey havethebestchanceiftheyhavethatpersonal commitmentandpassiontoachievesuccess.
Pobblehaswonmanyawards,gainedsignificant investment,andcontinuestoattractfantasticpartners. However,attheendofthedayallthesethingsarebyproductsofonething;everymemberofouramazing teamhasanincrediblystrongbeliefinourmissionandis passionateaboutgivingteacherstoolsthatwillmake theirlifeeasierandinspireandengagetheirchildrento makewritingridiculouslyexcitingfortheminschool!
Withoutthispassionandourcommitmenttoclimbour mountain,noneofthisimpactorachievementwouldbe possible.
Jon Smith is Founder and CEO of award winning edtech venture Pobble. Pobble is used by tens of thousands of teachers each day to nd the best teaching resources, give pupils a global audience for their work, and to assess writing.
Pobble has global acclaim, gaining endorsements from famous authors such as Michael Morpurgo, partnerships with organisations like the BBC, OUP and Microsoft, and investment from some the world’s most prolic education focussed angel investors.
After graduating with a Masters in Engineering Science from Trinity College, Oxford, Jon because a chartered Civil Engineer and Project Manager. Jon started Pobble with his brother and two other teachers in their spare time. They then went on to incubate Pobble whilst Jon studied for his MBA at London Business School. The fth co-founder (technical) joined Pobble from Jon’s stream at London Business School.
ACEOissomeonewhoisconsideredthemotor behindthesuccessofacompany.Thepioneering individualalsoshouldersresponsibilitiesduring unexpecteddownturns.HencetheroleofaCEOinany organizationismuchmorecomplicatedthananyonemight imagine.Heorshemusthaveanunwaveringbeliefintheir vision,anabilitytohiretherighttalent,andbring-forwarda positiveandinspiringapproachthatenablesanadmirable environmentintheorganization.Gainingthesequalities andcreatingateamthatsharesthesamevisionisnotacake walk.Veryfewindividualshavebeenabletorightfully claimthesequalities.Theirastonishingleadershiphas allowedorganizationstotastesuccessatagloballevel.One primeexampleofsuchleadershipisFounderandCEOof VerseOneGroup,AlanNeilson
VerseOneisaleadingcompanythatofferswebtechnology platforms,digital,andcreativeservicestothesocial housing,healthcare,localgovernment,andbroader commercialsectors. VerseOnebelievesthateffectiveand intelligentmanagingandsharingofbusinesscontentcreates uniquecompetitiveadvantagesandrealreturnon investment.Thus,itemphasizesprovidinghighlypersonalized,functional,andbeautifully-crafteddigital transformationsolutions.VerseOne’sdigitalportfolioof servicesandtechnologyplatformspowermorethan200 websites,intranets,secureportals,andstakeholder managementsolutions.Theprimereasonbehindits admirablesuccessisthecustomercentricstrategyand visionaryapproachofitsCEO,AlanNeilson.Asthe ExecutiveChairmanofVerseOne,Alanformulatesand executesawiderangeofinnovativestrategies. Alan’s leadershiphasallowedVerseOnetodelivercustomercentricandvalueformoneysolutionssinceitsinceptionin 2004.
Alanoriginallyaspiredtobecomeamedic,buthewas fascinatedbytheinfluenceofcomputing.Herecallsthat, duringhiscollegeyears,veryfewpeoplehadanaccessto
computer,includingFortune500companyemployees.Due tothelackofaccess,AlanhadtotimesharealargeIBM mainframecomputerduringhisstudies.Healsoreadan articleatthetimeaboutBillGates’sMicrosoftandits endeavorstobringcomputingpowertothemassmarket. ThesetwothingsenticedAlantoreadmoreaboutcomputer powerandexploreitscapabilities.WithaBScinComputer Studies,AlanhasbroadexperienceintheITindustry spanninga30-yearcareer.DuringthistimeAlanhasheld technical,support,sales,marketing,andgeneral managementroles.
Today,AlanisthefounderofVerseOneGroup.Inaddition tohisinvolvementwithVerseOne,Alanactsadirector, adviserandinvestorforanumberofotherearly-stageIT andtechnologycompanies.
PriortothatAlanwastheCEOandoneofthefounding directorsofroyalbluetechnologiesplc,awhollyowned subsidiaryofroyalbluegroupplc.Hegrewthecompany
fromasmallstart-uptoagloballyrecognized successfulsoftwareserviceprovider.Duringhis15 yearsatroyalbluehegainedexperienceofcorporate finance,duediligence,andacquisitionsaspartofthe company’sgrowth.
Almosteverystart-upfacessomechallengesin generatingrevenueandcreatingabrandname,and VerseOneandroyalbluearenodifferent.Although royalblueanditsembryonicbusinessprovidingsoftware wererelativelynewinthemarket,Alanmanagedtobid alongsidethemuchmoreestablishedplayersofthelargest bluechiporganizationsinthesector.Itwastoughfor collaboratorstotrustsolutionsprovidedbyanewly establishedsmallstart-up.Thispromptedthecompanyto makeaminimumtwelvemonthbindingagreementwitha keycollaboratingorganization,offeringthemashareofthe IPandthededicatedservicesofkeydevelopers.This approachtoimplementationenabledroyalbluetoprovide extremelyreliablesoftwaresolutionsthatrevolutionizedthe in-housesystemsofitscustomers. Alanmentions, “We did a great job of convincing them that we had the talent, the knowledge, and the desire to deliver the solution they were looking for and at a more commercially attractive rate than our larger competitors.”
Alanalso advisesbuddingentrepreneurstodevelopkey entrepreneurialtraitslikeavisiontounderstandtheir productanditsfuturecapabilities,goodlisteningand communicationskills,andacharismaticcharacter.These characteristicshelpedAlantothrivewithinthecompetitive ITsector.Heasserts,“If you really believe in your vision and feel it would make a significant difference to the market sector you have in mind, don’t give up and keep searching and pushing forward.” Inadditiontothis,Alanalso emphasizesemployingtherightprocessesandtalentin
ordertoquicklyadapttocustomerneedsandexecute strategicplans.
VerseOneprovidesoneofthebestdigitaltransformation solutionsacrosstheUK.Theempoweringaspectbehind thiscommendablesuccessisVerseOne’scommitmenttothe customerexperience.Explaininghisdisruptiveapproach, Alansays,“a business idea looking for a solution is much less likely to succeed than a business idea that is either addressing an existing need or improving on how it’s being addressed.” Sinceitsinception,VerseOnehasfocusedon providingeasilyadaptableandcompletelyreliableweb solutions.Thecompanyevaluateslatestproducts,best practicemethods,anddesigntrendstoensureitsofferings remaincutting-edge.VerseOneunderstandstheimportance oforganizationalcontentandinvestsheavilytoprovide securesoftwaresolutionstoitsclients.Itsabilitiesto transformbusinesscontenthavebeenacknowledgedby variousgloballeaders,andtheprimecatalyst,AlanNeilson, envisionsmoreextensibleandfuture-proofedproductand serviceofferings.
Travelisanexperiencethatetchesnewchaptersin ourlives.Studiesrevealthatin2017,globalair trafficpassengernumbersincreasedby7.5 percentovertheprecedingyear.In2018,itisprojectedto growbyanother6percent.Thejeopardyisthatonly seasonedinvestorscanunderstandandexplorethetrue marketpotential.
That’soneofthereasonsthetraveltechSwitchflyisso impressiveandwhySwitchfly’sCEO,DanielFarraris excitedtobeatthehelmofacompanyaddressinga marketsegmentestimatedtobevaluedat$1.5trillionand growingbetween5and6percenteveryyear.
DanielholdsaBachelor’sdegreeinEngineeringanda Master’sinBusinessAdministration.Overthelast20-odd years,hiscareerhasbeenfocusedonmanufacturing, technology,financialservices,andhigh-techstart-ups.
“My primary goals have evolved over time, developing building blocks that marry the connection between business technologies and finance. This has allowed me the privilege of leading various businesses throughout my career,” revealsDaniel.
SwitchflyisaB2Benterprisesoftwarecompanythatis redefiningthesearchandbookingsegmentinairtravel, hotels,ground,packages,loyaltyprogramsandother travel-relatedareas.Withmorethan350,000connections in120countriesandcontentineverylanguageandevery currency,Switchflyisdrivingresultsforcustomers rangingfromAmericanAirlinestoAmericanExpressto Grouponandisredefiningtheentiretraveltechstack alongtheway.
Thecompanyisonthepodiumasoneofthemost successfulandvaluableprivatetraveltechnology companiesontheplanet.Morethanthat,with2ofthe3 worldhotelgroups,5ofthe10worldairlinesand3ofthe
Daniel Farrar CEO
3globalcreditcardpaymentnetworks,Switchflyis leadingthenextgreatadvanceintraveltechthatpromises toleapfrogtoday’sglobaltravelsearchandbooking infrastructure.
InDaniel’sopinion,careersaremanagedanddeveloped withalonger-termplaninmind.Throughouthisown career,hehascloselyconsideredeverynextstepandrole withrespecttothechallenges,thepotentialtolearnnew things,andpersonalorprofessionalopportunities availabletohim.Allofthatagainstabackdropof everchangingtechnologiesemerginginbusiness.
Hesays, “The pivotal moment in my career was my first large-scale global P&L with General Electric. It was my first P&L, it was a turnaround situation, and we had a very successful outcome.”
WhenaskedwhatqualitiesagoodCEOmustpossess, Danielrevealsthathedoesn’tbelievethatthereisone mostimportantcharacteristic.
HebelievesthateveryCEOmusthavemanyarrowsinhis orherquivertoaddressthevariousaspectsofbusiness, organizationalchallenges,marketplacedynamics,and overallprofessionaldevelopmentforthemselvesandtheir employees.
Someofthosecharacteristics,innoparticularorder, shouldincludeexcellentcommunicationskills,integrity, analyticalandstructuringabilities,metricsorientation, thoughtfulcoaching,andmentoringatalllevelsofthe company.
“CEOs and business leaders must have a firm grasp not only on their own business but also on emerging technologies, and strike a fine balance of the application of resources, organizational agility, and serving the everchanging demands of customers,”explainsDaniel.
DanielFarrarisaresult-oriented,courageoustrailblazer whoactswithspeedforimpactandisalwayschallenging
thestatusquo.Tohim,leadershipisnotalwaysabout successes;itisaboutfailuresandwhatonelearnsfrom them.Hebelievesthatunderstandingthelessoninthe failurewillallowonetosucceedmoretimesthanfail.
Headds, “There are many stories I can tell about my failures, including one that is relatively recent. After raising substantial funds for a very specific product, we determined through further analysis that the product would not fit the market requirements. This was not only disappointing to investors but also required a recalibration of the product line’s business trajectory. That setback allowed me to refocus our product efforts to a new and larger market, which drove significantly more business growth for the company in a new sector.”
Throughhislifeandbusinessexperiences,Danielhas learnedtomakethebestmovestowinthegame.He suggeststhatbuddingentrepreneurs “sit down, write out all the things that you love to do and want to do and want to be involved in.”
Danielencouragesthemtofirstdeterminewhattheirideal businesslookslikeandchasethatdreamrelentlesslyand rebelliously.
“As a budding entrepreneur, you don’t have far to fall; there are no big, padded IRAs and stock options that must be preserved, no house, no car payments, the list goes on… Chase your dream, do what you love and it’s no longer “work”, it’s fun,” headds.
Theverticalindustriesarebecomingenabledby technologyandneweconomicmodelssuchasthesharing economy,cloud-basedinformation,andcrypto blockchain.Peoplearebecominglessmaterialistic,more focusedonexperiences,andthedesiretoshare,connect, andparticipateincommunities.
“My job as a CEO providing technology is to foresee how it can enable the changing requirements of our society and the consumers who are using that technology to enrich their lives,” Danielsays.
InadditiontorunningKenjaasCEO,Ihavethe fortuneofteachingMBAstudentsparttimeon Leadership,Marketing,andStrategy.Formyclasses andasaCEO,Ithinkthemostimportantplacetostartis withthe“Why”-whatisyourPurposeasanLeaderand asaCompany.
Asaleader,thefirstplacetostartiswithyourself. If youcannotleadyourselfthenhowcanyouleadothers? ThefirstthingtoknowaboutaleaderistheirPassion andtheValuesthatledthemtoputimportanceonthose passions.WithanunderstandingofPassion,peoplecan developtheirLife’sPurpose.PurposeisyourNorthStar, itisyourunwaveringunchanginggoalwhichyourdaily actionswillleadyouto.UponsettingyourownPurpose, youwillneedaPlantotakeconcretestepstowardsthe Purpose,Partnerstobenefitandtohelpyouachieve yourPurpose,andfinallyPersistencetohelpyouwith theverydifficulttaskofstayingfocusedonyour Purpose.
Passion,Purpose,Plan,Partners,andPersistenceare the“5PsofLife”-aworkshopthatIdowithstudentsto helpthemfigureouttheirLife’sPurpose.95%ofpeople donothaveaconcretePurposeinlife-theyletevents
anddailyto-dosdeterminetheiractivities. Idonotthink thatPurposeissomethingthatcanbediscoveredinaday -oftenitwilltaketimetothinkaboutthisandreflecton it.Thepointoftheexerciseissimplytobeginthevery importantself-dialoguetogettoyourLifePurpose.It doesnotmatterhowfastyougoifyouhavenotfigured outwhatdirectionyouwanttorunfirst.
InKenja,everypersoninourcompanyknowsthat althoughIhadClevelexperienceincompanieslike Vodafone,VerizonWireless,andFidelityInvestments,I havealwayshadadreamtofoundadifferentkindof company-onethatvaluedInnovationandIdeasover PoliticsandtheprimaryfocusonQuarterlyProfits.My passionisforsolvingproblemsininnovativewaysand forimplementingverydifficultprojects.
IwasfortunatethatIstartedwithgoodco-founders, peoplethatsharedmyvisionandcouldcontribute complementaryskills.Theplanisusuallyanatural outcomeofastrongpurposeandPersistenceisusually achievedbyknowingwhatworksforyouonadaily basis.FormePersistenceisreinforcedbyrefusingto considerareturntolargecompanyexecutivejobsandby dailyuseofthe“Pomodoro”technique.(using30 minutesintervaloffocusedeffortfollowedbyashort break)
JustaswithIndividualLeaders,acompanywillneedto developitsownclearPurpose.AClearPurposegives motivationtopeople,claritytostrategy,andaclear brandingforMarketing.
Ifwearehonestwithmostcompanies,thePurposeeasily devolvesintomeetingtheMonthlyorYearlyTargets. ThePurposeisnotmerelytheresultofyouractions-the PurposedescribesWHYyouarepursuingyourgoals. TheClearPurposeislivedbycompanymemberssoit becomesareflectionofwhypeoplejoinandstaywith yourcompany.
CompanyStrategyisstronglyguidedbyPurpose. ThingsthatleadyouofftheStrategicPatharerejected andyoucanfindfurthervalueanddifferentiationinthe areaofyourchosencompetition.Smallchangesinyour Purposedrivesbigresultsinthemarketplace.Although FacebookandMySpacearebothSocialNetworks, Facebook’sfocusonconnectingyourfriendsresultedin manysmallinnovationsthatMySpacewiththeirfocus oncreatingcoolpersonalspacesdidnot.
IfyouareclearonyourPurpose,thentheBrandisnota justasloganonaTVCommercial.Itislivedby
employees,reflectedinyourproductsandservices,and feltbyyourcustomers.Itisfarmoreenduringthanany singlecampaignmessageorevenabusinessplanfora year.
Kenja’spurposeistoRevolutionizethewaythatmidto largecompaniescollaboratetogetworkdonethrough software.Inthebeginningitwasdifficultsincelarger companiestendtobuyfromotherlargercompaniesbut wehavenowachievedsomethingnoteasilycopied. After7yearsinBusiness,wenowhavelarger organizationslikeMitsuiandCompany,Randstad,and JICA(theJapanesePeaceCorp)andmanymidsized companiesusingus.Ifwehadstartedwithconsumers andsmallcompaniesonly,thenthefunctionality, security,andeasetouse(forolderemployeesaswell) wouldbefardifferent.
StartingwithPurposeisnotalwaystheeasyorobvious choice.Therearemanyobstaclesinthewayanditistoo easyjusttofocusonProfitorKPIsofthecompany. However,afocusonPurposewillautomaticallykeep EmployeeEngagement,Strategy,andyourBrandingon track.
Morethanadesignation, leadershipisamoral responsibilitythat makes things happen.Anoteworthy exampleofsuchaleadershipis DavidGiangano,CEOatNectar, whotransformedhisdreaminto reality.
Davidbelievesthathislifeissimilar tothemovie, ‘Brooklyn’.Hewas raisedalongwithhissisterina workingclassfamilywhichbelieved youprovidedforyourfamilyby workinghardandtaking responsibilityforyourownactions. Hisfamilyvaluesalsotaughthimto pursuehisdreamswithpassionand achievingthemthrough perseverance.
Davidalwaysmaintainedakeen interestinstudyingmath,scienceand music.Hisoriginalplanwastomake acareerinmusicandheevenwona musicscholarshiptoaprestigious college.Thencameaturningpointin hislife.Afterhewonthescholarship, hisfathersathimdownandsaid “David, you need a steady career which pays the bills and takes care of your family. Remember no one can ever take away your love for music.”
Thereafter,hedecidedtopursuea majorinelectricalengineeringand
paidhiswaythroughcollegeplaying musicatweddings,barmitzvahs, partiesandclubs.Davidultimately sethissightsonbecomingan entrepreneur.Today,hehasachieved hisentrepreneurialdream,butalso takesthetimetocherishhisloveof musicbyplayingjazzonthepiano.
DavidCo-foundedNectarin2006to bring“straighttalk”totheworldof UnifiedCommunicationsby simplifyingthemanagementand monitoringofanotherwisecomplex process.Nectarisasoftware
companyspecializinginmonitoring anddiagnosticsolutionsforthe UnifiedCommunicationsmarket.It servesawiderangeofcustomers includingmanagedserviceproviders, systemintegrators,andenterprises thatspanallverticalmarkets globally.
UnifiedCommunicationsisthe integrationofreal-time communicationandcollaboration servicessuchasinstantmessaging, presenceinformation,telephony, videoconferencing,desktopsharing, datasharing,callcontrolandspeech recognition.Nectar’sflagship product,theUnified CommunicationsManagement Platform(UCMP)hasrevolutionized thewayinwhichcontactcenters, enterprisebusinessesandservice providersmanagetheirUCvoice, videoandcollaborationapplications, systemsandnetworks.Uniqueinits vendor-agnosticapproach,Nectar offersacomprehensive,multiplatformUCsolutionsupporting Cisco,SkypeforBusiness,and AvayaUCenvironments.
Aftercompletinghiseducationin electricalengineering,Davidstarted workingintheAerospaceindustry.
Never give up, never let pride cloud your decisions and surround yourself with the best talent you can afford.
However,thejobonlytemperedhisambitionofowningabusiness ofhisownsomeday.
Hedidquitewellwiththeaerospacefirm,risingthroughthe engineeringranksinhis10yearsthereuntilwhichtimethefirmwas acquired.Aswithmanyacquisitions,theneworganizationcan,in theend,lookmuchdifferent.ItwasinthatmomentthatDavid decidedthathehaddevotedenoughofhisearlycareertocorporate lifeanditwastimetopursuehisdreamofbeinganentrepreneur. ThedreambeganwhenDavidcreatedhisownconsultingpractice.
Davidhasalwaysmaintainedapositiveapproachtolifeand business,eveninthefaceofadversity.Oneexample,isatimewhen Davidelectedtowalkawayfromalargeopportunitywithatop globalorganizationbecauseitwasapoordealfinanciallyforNectar. ManyonDavid’steam,includinghisboard,questionedhisdecision.
However,Davidhadapositivebeliefinhiscompanyandthe superiortechnologytheycoulddeliverandtrulybelievedtheclient wouldalsocometounderstandthatandreturntothenegotiation
table.Itwasabiggambleandcarriedtherisk ofendinghiscareer.Fortunately,theclient camebackandontermsthatsuitedeveryonein theroom.Thatdecisioninstilledapositiveselfbeliefintheentireorganization.
Basedonsuchnumerousexperiences,David hasafewwordsofadviceforupcoming entrepreneurs.Hesays, “Be positive and never give up on hitting the targets. Do not waffle, but check the ego at the door and be nimble. If you made the wrong decision then admit it, deal with it and course correct swiftly and always inspect what you expect.” Headds, “Never give up, never let pride cloud your decisions and surround yourself with the best talent you can afford.”
Asaleaderofafast-growingcompany,hiring andattractingthebesttalentavailableinthe markethasbeenagreatchallengeforDavid. Davidalsobelieves,forCEOs,involvingthat talenttoworkasacohesiveteam,with everyonerowinginthesamedirection,iseven morechallenging.Tocopewithit, compensationpackagesmustbehighly attractivetohiretoptalentevenatasmall company.AccordingtoDavid,managingthat talentwithoutdestroyingtheegosofstrong mindedsuccessfulexecutivesisacareful balancingartthatalsorequiresexcellentpeople skills.
AccordingtoDavid,theupcomingfuturewill bedynamicforITcompanies.Heseesan opportunityonthehorizonofrobustgrowth andfulfillingopportunities.Hesaid, “As we continue to grow as an organization, I see myself as the captain of a fast-moving ship that’s heading in the right direction. Always staying mindful of the climate and keeping a close eye on any approaching storms that may require course corrections along the way, so we reach our ultimate destination.”
David Giangano CEO NectarAfamousFrenchaviatorand author,AntoinedeSaint Exupéryoncewrote“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”As thequotedepicts,it’snotjustenough foracaptaintobeanidealizer,itis equallyimportanttobuildacommitted teamwhichsharesthesame aspirations.
Businessleadersarenodifferentthan theshipcaptain.Theymusthavean abilitytoinspireagreatteamof individualswhocanrelentlesslywork totransformaleader’svisioninto reality.Onesuchexampleofan astonishingbusinesspersonaandteam leaderistheFounderandCEOof TeligentIP,GregNielsen
HeadquarteredinTexas,TeligentIPis oneoftheleadingcommunication serviceprovidersaroundtheworld. Thecompanyhasrecentlyinnovated someuniquemessagingand collaborationproducts.Itoffersawiderangeofcommunicationservices, includingenhancedCallCenters, hostedIPPBX,IPTrunking,and SkypeforBusinesses.Asatrailblazer atTeligentIP,GregNielsenleadsthe
innovationatthecompanyby emphasizingthecreationofacorporate environmentwhereeveryonefromthe smallestteammemberupto managementwins.
Hementions,“My dad was an entrepreneur, and I always remembered watching him as he carefully managed his business.”ItwasGreg’sfatherRon whotaughthimandhisbrothersabout someoftheessentialvaluestofollow asanentrepreneur.Irrespectiveof whethertheylistenedtohiswordsor not,hisfatherusedtoconveyhis thoughtswhiledrivingandwatching TV.HisfatheralwaysencouragedGreg andhisbrotherstohelphimworkon someofhisprojects.Thesememories instilledinGreganintenseneedtotry toliveuptosomeofthevalueshis fatherpossessed.
SteppingintotheShoesofGreat Legacy
Gregwasfortunatetohavebeenborn intoafamilythatspenttheirlivesand sweattobesuccessfulentrepreneurs.
DuringhiscollegedaysGregwas fascinatedbytelecommunications.He foresawthesectortoberelevantto almosteveryaspectofbusiness.When theTelecomActof1996waspassed andopenedupaboomingindustryof competitivecommunications companies.ThisfurtherpeakedGreg’s interest,andenticedhimtotryhishand intheemergingtelecomarena. Consequently,hedecidedtodiginand learnasmuchashecould,andhe startedworkingwithsomeofthebest companiesduringthatera.
A Telecom Trailblazer Making a Difference with Collaborative Communication Services
If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.
“ “
Thereisalwayssomeunforeseen obstaclethatchallengesan entrepreneurorCEOtothecore. Sometimesanindividualmightfeel lonelyaftermakingan uncompromisingdecision.Itcanfeel asifwhiletrailblazing,you’re choppingawaythebranchesofan undiscoveredjungle,andquestionsof self-doubtcanemergeregardingthe valueofyourexistenceandifyouare evenmovingintherightdirection.But accordingtoGreg,commitment coupledwithmentalandemotional toughnessisoneoftheessential qualitiesthathelpaleadertoconquer theseobstacles.
Gregasserts,“I don’t think the challenge is as much about being innovative. You either are or you aren’t. The real challenge is in the perception of innovation because of all the noise in the marketplace.”Bynoise Gregmeansoveruseofdigital advertisingandothermarketing methods.Accordingtohim,such methodsquicklymakeasplashand confusethemarketwithaflashy productthatdoesn’treallyhavemuch
depthorscalability.The “instageneration”iseasilyfooledinto believinginsuchproductsattimes. Thus,Gregmentions,thebiggest challengefortrueinnovatorsisin piercingthroughallthedigitaland marketingnoisetodemonstrateand showtherelevanceofyourinnovation.
Gregismorethanjustanentrepreneur, heisaninfluentialone.Headvises otherbuddingentrepreneurstofirst focusonbuildingsmallproductsor companiesinsteadofchasingafteran extensivedevelopmentand engineeringproject,whichcanquickly consumesignificantamountoftime andmoney.Buildingabigcompanyor projectisatiringprocess.Ittakesway toomuchtime,alwaysmorethan expected.Itcanleadtoinvestorand employeeexhaustionandultimately startstoaffectproductqualityorit evenbecomesirrelevantbythetimeits completed.Hence,Gregrecommends buildingabasicusableproductfirst thenbuildinguponitstepbystepso thatyoucaneasilyensurethatyouare gettingreal-timefeedbackfromthe marketandthatithasthepotentialto sell.
AccordingtoGreg,thebiggestkeyto successthatwillgetyouthrough roadblocksandchallengesofrunninga companyiswhoyouworkwith. Throughouthistimeasan entrepreneur,hehasworkedwithteam membersacrossthespectrumat variouscompanies.Poorquality, incompatibilityandlackofloyalty fromteammemberswillalwaysleadto failure.Hiscurrentco-foundersand teammembersarelikeastrongfamily thatchallengeseachother,butstilllove andrespectoneanotherdespite differences.Thus,hisadvicefor emergingentrepreneursistosurround themselveswithpeoplewhoshare commongoalsandwillstickwitheach otherthroughthickandthin.
Thereisasubstantialchangeinthe waymillennialsandourcurrent generationcommunicatesand collaborates.Greg’scompany envisionscashing-intheopportunity andhasalreadystartedinnovating toolsandproductstocontinuestaying aheadofthecurve.Itsnewmessage andcollaborationserviceisjustthe beginning.
Leadershipisaboutusingthe powerofapositionto empoweragroupofpeople inordertoattainacommongoal.A leader’staskistoimplementthe plansthatusuallylookgoodon paper,throughadelegatedteam,ina specifictimewithanongoing motion.She/hemayusethe traditionalmethodormaythinkout ofthebox.Itdependsontheleader ashowtodoit;theultimatemotive istogetthejobdone.Although,each andeveryindividualhasadifferent approachonleadership,somemight sayitisaboutsettingexamples, somemightsayitisaboutsharing theauthority;whatmattersis,taking therightdecisionwhenitismost needed.
Leadershipvariesfromone organizationtoanother.An organizationisadynamicbodyand
createsnewprobabilitieseverynow andthen.Andwithnew probabilities,comenewchallenges. Although,itisimpossibleto overcomeeverychallenge,the businessenvironmenthasadopted certain leadership styles forthe efficiencyofbusiness:
ParticipativeLeadershipisthe processofsharingauthoritywiththe workforceinordertogetoptimum efficiency.Theteam,aftergetting accesstocertainpowers,works responsiblytoaccomplishthegoals setbyitsleader.Theshared leadershipalsohelpsincaseofany requirementofchange,asthe employeesadaptquicklyinsuch environment.Incidentally,thisstyle ofleadershipfitsbestinascenario whenthereisalimitationoftime.
Atransformationalleaderinspires theteamthrougheffective communicationandanintellectual environment.However,these individualsrequiremoredetail orientedmanagerstosuccessfully implementtheirstrategies. TransformationalLeadershipis consideredamongthemosteffective employeesoftheorganization.One oftheexamplesofthistypeof leadershipiswhenaleaderis assignedonahigherlevelfor effectiveenvironment.
Thetransactionalleadership,asthe namesuggests,enablestheleaderto incentivizetheteamcorresponding totheirperformance.Theteamgets rewardedwhenitattainsthegoals andtheLeaderhasthepowerto reviewtheresultsandact
accordinglywhentheteamfailsto dothesame.Thegoalsandthe strategytoattainthemaredecided bytheleaderandtheteamitself.
Situationalleadershipisatheorythat thebestleaderwilladapttothe requiredleadershipstyleaccording toneedofthehour.ASituational leadermayadoptdemocraticstyle whilediscussionbusinesswith seniorexecutive,butmayswitchto transactionalatthetimeofteam review.Howevereveryindividual hasanaturalstyleofleadershipand itmaybedifficulttoswitchrolesata certainpointoftime.
Thereisanoldproverbthatsays, “Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man to Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime.”
Soisthecasewithleadership.One ofthebasicqualitiesofaLeaderis topassontheleadershipskills. Followingaresomeofthequalities ofagoodleader:
Ÿ CommunicationSkills Communicationisthebasic requirementforefficiencyina business.Asthelevelofhierarchy elevates,therequirementof communicationgrows.Especially, whenitcomestoleadership,thereis noscopeforlackofcommunication.
ALeaderwhofailstodevelopthis skillislookedupasincompetent, becauseitishisjobtosendthe messageloudandclear.Although,it isalsoimportanttolistenasitisan integralpartofcommunication.
C.S.Lewissaid, “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” Beitgivingcredittoone oftheteammembersorbeit admittingamistake,aleaderwears integrityasabadgeofhonor.They dowhatisright,nomatterwhat.
Asmentionedearlier,Leadershipis aboutusingthepowerofone’s positiontoempoweragroupof peopleinordertoattainacommon goal.Agoodleadershareshis authoritywiththeteaminorderto getthejobdone.Bydoingthis,he showsconfidenceintheteamand obligedbythegesture,theteam workswithfullenthusiasmto accomplishthegoal.
Thereisriskindecisiontomaking. Greatleaderstakegreatdecisions whenthestakeishighanditisthe successofthosedecisionsthatmake themgreat.Toaddup,agoodleader takesrightdecisionattherighttime.
Inconclusion,agoodleadercanbe definedbythedynamicsofhisstyle inleadership,thevaluesthathe bringstotheorganization,the methodsheusestomakethebestof theresources,andthekindof decisionhemakesinthegiven situations.Attheenditisaboutthe attitudeofanindividualtobringthe changeforgood.
transformingtheirprocessestoa compliantstateandalsohelpin remediationofvariousareasofthe qualitysystems.
Whenitcomestoqualityandbusiness performance,theorganizationfocuses onmanufacturing,product development,informationtechnology, qualitysystems,andhowthese processescanintegratetoofferend-toendvisibility,helpingorganizations identifyopportunities.
Aopportunities and crafts pioneering works of art out of them isthedefinitionofaCEO.A beaconofinspiration,anamicable coworker,andtheenthusiasmtobethe torch-bearerofanorganization’s vision,aretheevidenttraitsofa completeleader.Similarly,Gregory W.Pierce,theCEOof EngiLifeSciences,hasbeena frontrunnerindevelopingsolutions thatallowMedicalDevice, PharmaceuticalandBiotechnology Manufacturerstoefficientlybring compliantandhigh-qualityproductsto market.
n individual who realizes
ManagementandanA.S.inMedical LabTechnology.
AnIndustryPioneer EngiLifeSciencesisaconsultingfirm andprovidesservicesacrossthe healthcarevaluechain.Thecompany’s consultingsolutionsarefunneled towardsQualitySystems,Product Development,Manufacturing, InformationTechnology,Regulatory Compliance,SoftwareCompliance, SoftwareTechnology,Computer SystemsValidation,andQuality& BusinessPerformance.Itoffersan arrayofservicesthataretargetedat increasingthebottomlineforan organization.
DrawingInspiration Gregory’sCareerstartedintheUnited StatesAirForceworkingwithinthe militaryhospitalsasaMedical LaboratoryTechnologistandthen transitionedtoworkinginResearch andDevelopmentforamajorMedical DeviceManufacturer;inthe developmentoftechnologywhichfalls inthecategoryofDigitalHealth,and laterinworkingforcorporateAmerica inthedevelopmentofnewtechnology medicalproducts.
Duringhis28yearsofexperience,he hasworkedacrosstheHealthcare ValueChainwithhighprofile companiessuchasEthiconEndoSurgery,AbbottLaboratories,Cardinal Health,andtheUnitedStatesAir Force.Hecontinuallyinnovatesand customizesvalueaddedsolutionsfor ProductDevelopment,Supplier Management,Manufacturing,Quality Systems,RegulatoryCompliance,and InformationTechnology.
Heavidlyparticipatesonindustry initiativescollaboratingwithFDA, IndustryRepresentativesand UniversitiesonArtificialIntelligence, andProductQualityMetricswithinthe HealthcareIndustry.Hisextensiveand comprehensiveeducational backgroundincludesanM.S.in ComputerScience/DistributedSystems aswellasanMBAinComputer Resources/InformationManagement.
HealsoholdsaB.A.inOrganizational
OneofthevisionsofEngiLifeSciences istobeatransformationalagentinthe lifesciencesindustry,bringingmore innovativeapproachestoorganizations andimpactingtheinternalprocesses.It helpsorganizationsinkeeppacewith therapidlychangingregulatory ecosystemandbecomemoreagileso astoattunefastertotheexternal conditionsinthemarket.
Thecompany’smissionistotransform theHealthcareValuechainbycreating end-to-endvisibility,drivingthe highest-levelproductqualityand improvingbusinessperformanceto stimulateinnovation,ultimately helpingsavemorepatientlives.
Inthequalitysystemsarea, EngiLifeScienceshelpswithprocess improvementincludingcompliance. Addressingtheregulatoryconcerns andissues,weassistourclientsin
“The pivotal point for me was when I decided to start my own company helping companies in the medical device, pharmaceutical and Biotechnology industry,” states Gregory.
Overthelast28years,Gregoryhas observedthatcorporatecultureisthe greatestbarrierforinnovation.He asserts “Corporate Culture has become one of those buzz words that is apparently very difficult to attain, yet of primary importance to succeed. I believe that cultural change starts by changing current behaviors.”
HealsoaddsthatforanyCEO, breakingtheparadigm,‘that’stheway wehavealwaysdoneit,’whichreveals thattraditionalworkmethodswhich adduptothechallengesinvolvedin thedesignation.Accordingtohim, takinganopenandhonestviewabout operationalprocessesandinvolving everyoneineliminatingallnon-valueaddedstepsinthoseprocesseswhile
reinforcingandcreatingvalue-addedactivities,canaid CEOsinworkingefficiently.
Gregorycomments, “Allowing ‘common sense’ practices to drive our behavior and involving the organization in that change, develops a culture of ownership and accountability which opens the door to innovation and increased visibility.”
ForGregory,strivingtoprovidehighestqualityofservice forhisclientshasbeenthebiggestchallenge.Herecallsa significantprojectwhichinvolvedhelpingaclientin remediatingQualitysystemforSoftwareValidationfrom ProductDevelopment,ManufacturingandITEnterprisein additiontoremediatingallthesoftwaresystemswhichhad regulatoryimplications.Theprogramhadaggressive timelineswithatremendouseffortrequiredinashort amountoftime. “This program was one of those when looking at it appears to be impossible to meet the time commitments,” statesGregory.
“However, working with the team and watching them grind through all the challenges one by one, and when we all met
the time lines and quality required to pass the horizontal and vertical audits first time really, drove positive feeling in accomplishing something that almost looked impossible within the constraints we had,” headdswhileexpressing hiscontentmenttowardstheeffortsofhisteam.
BeholdingaTriumphantFuture AccordingtoGregory,technologyanddigitalhealthis expandingatanacceleratedrate,includingtheuseof artificialintelligenceandothertechnologysolutionsto bringvaluetothehealthcare.WithEngiLifeSciences’ relevancetothisexpansion,heasserts,“Forustobean acceleratorinthehealthcarevaluechain,bringingmore innovativeapproachestoorganizations,andimpacting internalprocessesresultinginagilityandinnovationis necessary.”
Gregory’sadvicestheaspiringCEOsbystating, “The keys are Focus and Persistence, never give up, no matter how difficult it becomes to pursue your dreams.”
How we see success depends on how one defines it. It is about how we can make a difference to humanity in a posi ve way. It is about making a difference and the value that we can add.
— Gregory W. Pierce CEO EngiLifeSciences
Technologicalinnovationstaketimetoenterthe growingmarket.Foranentrepreneur,monitoring andprovidingthebestuserexperienceisaquest thatcan’tbeachievedovernight.Openconservationsabout settinggoalsanddefiningtimelinesfortheproduct development,pavesacreativewaytowardssuccess. Besides,learning,adapting,andimprovingarethekeysfor becomingasuccessfulCEOofanorganization.
Onesuchagilepersonality,havingafocusedvisionto achievehisgoalsisKarstenBoehrs Whilehelpinghis childreninstudies,Karstenrealizedthateducationand learningprocessesarecontinuallywitnessingchanges.His son’spassionforgainingknowledgethroughonlinevideos inspiredKarstentremendously.Thisadventoftechnology intheeducationsectoranditsrapiddigitaltransformation motivatedhimtobecomeaCo-investorandCEOof simpleshow
Karstenstartedhiscareerworkinginthelogisticsandsales industry.Hehasanexcellentexperienceofworkingat managementpositionswithvariousmultinationals includingAxelSpringerandOttoGroupforovertwo
decades.Now,inhisroleatsimpleshowhisfocusisonthe strategicexpansionofthecompany’smarketposition throughinternationalizationandfocusedtechnology development.
Aboutsimpleshow simpleshowistheleadingprofessionalexplainervideo productionwithseveralthousandsofvideosproducedinthe globalmarket.Thecompanywithitsproductionteam deliversservicesessentialincreatingvideosandinteractive eLearningcoursesforcorporatecustomersinavarietyof differentstylesandformats.Withthemissiontoprovide simpleandeffectiveexplanationsforeveryoneandanytime, thecompanyisdevelopingintelligentsolutionsforwide targetgroups,suchastheonlineDIYvideomaker mysimpleshow.com
mysimpleshow.comoffersbusinessandenterpriseplans withpremiumfeaturesdirectedacrossallsmall-scaleand large-scalecompanies.Theintelligencebehindthe applicationincludestextinputsrunningthroughasemantic analysis,anaturallanguageprocessingstack,andan integratedworldknowledgedatabasetoproduceiconic
visuals.Thesearethenarrangedandanimatedbyan intelligentlayoutalgorithmresultinginavideo,whichthe usercanindividualize,download,andshare.
Withofficesintencountries,thecompanybuildsona universalandscientificallyprovenmethodologythatblends simplemessageswithvisualsthatstayinmind.Under Karsten’sguidanceallofthecompany’sofferingsfollow thisapproach,focusingonfivefundamentalelements:
Context— Aneffectiveexplanation,looksatthetopicfrom thetargetgroup’sperspective,providingacontextthe audiencecanreferto.
Simplification— Aneffectiveexplanationfocusesonthe essentials.Thisentailsreducingthetopictoitscore messagesandsimplifyingthelanguage.
Storytelling— Aneffectiveexplanationisembeddedina story,asstorieshelptocreateidentificationandareeasyto remember.
Visualization— Aneffectiveexplanationusesthepowerof visuals.
Multisensory— Aneffectiveexplanationstimulatedseveral senses.
Karsten’sloveforthesportsmadehimanenthusiastic cyclistasitcombinesallthequalitiesandvaluesmandatory forunderstandingtherolesofaCEO.Hebelieves,thekey enablersforhisachievementsarepassion,perseverance, strategicthinking,smartlyadaptingwithchanges,constant learningandimprovement.Withthevisionthatthepeople arethemostvaluableresourcesofacompanyhestates “I always try and develop my corporate family to be the best they can be.”
Anexampleofhisleadershipstylethatfocuseson empoweringothers,KarstenrecalledameetinginNew York,wherehewasreallyimpressedmeetingayoung freelancecreativewriter.Hekeptsupportinghim throughouttheyearsthatmadethewriteraconfidentanda trusteddecision-maker.Todaytheformerconceptwriter co-leadsthecompany’s50peopleoperationsintheUS.
Besides,leadingandnurturingasmartandloyalteam,he states “We have so much potential to seize opportunities, tackle challenges, and grow our business.”
UndertheleadershipofKarsten,histeamhascreatedan onlinebrowser-basedtool ‘mysimpleshow’.Thistoolallows itsuserstocreatetheirownsimpleexplainervideos, transformingthewaypeoplecommunicate.Thecompany hasintegratedAIintothistool,whichisreferredtoasits ‘Explainer Engine’
Karsten’sentrepreneurialvisionistochangetheworldfor thebetter.Withsimpleshowhisideaistorevolutionize communicationandlearningthroughsimpleandaccessible resources.
Karsten’sideaofcreatinglearningandcommunication resourcesischangingday-by-daywiththegrowing digitalization.simpleshowisinvestingtimeandresources intocreatingamazingtools,products,andcontentresources tocatalyzetothisevolvingchange.Theyareconstantly improvingmysimpleshow.comasasoftwareproductand establishingbrandawarenesstobethego-toDIYexplainer videocreationtool.
Karsten’sadvicetonew-ageentrepreneursistostay focused.Definingthegoalswithagilitywillhelpthemto achievemilestones.Inadditiontoproduceabusiness model,headds, “Decide how your product and methodology will stand out from your competitors and make those distinctions your unique selling points.”
hepaceandscaleof
Ttechnologicalchangeis fundamentallyalteringhow valueiscreatedanddistributedinthe world.Executivesinestablished companiesacrossallindustriesare underincreasingpressuretoreinvent theirbusinessestostayrelevantinthe faceofstiffcompetitionfromdigital natives.Whiletherelationshipbetween incumbentsandinsurgentsisoften portrayedinadversarialterms,thereis enormousscopeformutuallybeneficial partnerships.DigitalTransformation
requireschangestokeyenablersorthe istallationofnewones–bigdataand analytics,ITsystems,operating models,people,andorganisational culture.Whiledigitaltransformations areobviouslyabouttechnologyand processes,technologyoftenturnsout toberelativelyeasytogetright.The changestohowpeopleworkaremore difficulttogetright.Howcanindustry incumbentsanddisruptorswork togethertoleveragedigitalenablersto becomemoreinnovativeand adaptable?Howdoesthisaffectan
innovativestart-upattemptingtolead transformationactivitiesinthedigital world?
Thinkingabouthowfartheworldhas progressedinrecentyearswithrespect tothedigitisationofeveryfacetofour lives-infinancialservices, manufacturing,travel,securitychangehasbeenextremelyrapidand profound.Thirtyyearsagotherewere nomobilephones,nodrones,no autonomousvehiclesorcomplex roboticmanufacturingequipment.Yet,
Rob Leslie, Founder and CEO, Sedicii. He is a successful entrepreneur, a true visionary who delivers business results by taking opportunities, chances and risks when required. He has a solid track record of building and leading teams to positive results. An engineer by background Rob has a serious interest in identity, trust and security. Rob lived and worked for almost twenty years in Japan where he held senior management / director level positions with Datacraft Japan, PTS Ltd., eSafe Japan and Dell Japan where he was part of the initial management team that launched Dell into the Japanese market. Rob is also co-founder of Global Business Register which specializes in identity and compliance solutions for companies with AML & KYC regulatory needs.
wehaveembraced thementhusiastically inourpersonallives.So whythendowefindithard toacceptthesechangeswhen itaffectsourbusinesslives?
Organisationstendtowardastatus quo;inertiaprovidesacapacitytoresist change.Staffsaresobusywiththeir regulardailygrindthatexperimentationand “thinkingoutsidethebox”becomesthe exceptionratherthanthenorm.Ofcoursethere willbepocketsofinnovationbutitisgenerally localisedratherthanbeingculturallypervasiveacross theorganisation.Activelylookingatwaystoimprove andmovetothenextlevelacrosstheenterprisetendstobe drivenbyatop-downinitiatedfocus.
Itiswhensmallpocketsofexperimentationleadtomore formalisedexperimentationthatactivitybecomes intentionalandtheinitiativesbecomemoreaudacious.The excitementofpossibilitybecomingrealitythentakeshold. Formalisationleadstostrategyandquickly,ornotso quickly,theideaformalisesintoastrategicgoal.This evolutionthenbecomesthenorm.Theadoptionofchange canbecomesystemic.
Sediciiisapioneerinthespaceofidentityverification systemswhereitusesapatentedzeroknowledgeproof (ZKP),cryptographicprotocol,tohelppeopleand businessesprovetheiridentitiesinafullyprivacy preservingfashion.SowheredoesSediciifitintothenew worldorderthatisournewdigitalrealityandevenmore importantlywhydoesitmatter?
“90%ofCEO’sbelievethedigitaleconomywillimpact theirindustry,butlessthan15%areexecutingonadigital strategy”accordingtoM.I.T.’sSloanSchoolandCap Gemini.Forme,thisisfundamentalanditdrivesmy thinkingonhowtomakethedigitalworldworkforboth businessandtheconsumer.Havinganethicalbusinessthat providesaserviceinwhichallpartiesinthetransaction chainbenefitistheobjective;thebusinessbecomes compliant,moreefficient,ethicalandprofitableandthe consumerhasconfidencethattheyarebeingtreatedfairly, thattheyarebeingappropriatelyrewardedfortheirloyalty andthattheirassetsandpersonaldataaresecure.
Consideringdigitaltransformationisattheheartof everythingSediciidoes,itmeansweareonaconstant
journeytodefineapathwaytothenextpointinour developmentjourney.Weareconstantlythinkinghardabout howwecanleveragenewtechnologies,likeblockchainand cryptocurrency,toapplythemtoourworkwithdigital identity.FromthisworkKriptanwasborn.
So,whatisKriptan?TheKriptanNetworkisaglobal identitynetworkwhichenablesreal-timeidentity verificationsfromtrustedidentityproviders(governments, banks,telco’s,utilities)ensuringthatbusinessescanreact quicklytonewinformationabouttheircustomerswhileat thesametimeprovidingthehighestpossiblelevelsof privacy.DataisneverexchangedorcopiedovertheKriptan networkunlessthecustomerexpresslyconsents.Payment forthesetransactionsismadethroughtheuseofanew digitalassetthatisrecordedonanewstyleofblockchain. Thismakesthetransactionfastbecauseitisexecutedvia smartcontracts;itislowcostbecausethereareno middlemen,itishighlysecurebecauseofits implementationusingdistributedledgertechnologyandit complieswithexistingregulatorystandardsforKYCand AML.
WiththenewGeneralDataProtectionRegulationcoming thintoforceonthe25 May2018,thiskindoflateralthinking providedawayforustocreateaservicethatbusinessesare goingtoneedtoovercomemanyoftheinherentchallenges thattheyareshortlygoingtoface.
Wearemovingintoapost-truthworldwherethetruthwill behardtodiscern;whereeithertrustordistrustwillbethe basisofhowweinteractwitheachotherandwhere everythingweoncebelievedtobecorrectwillbe challengedonadailybasis.Giventhisiswhereourworldis goingwehavemadetheKriptannetworksoitwilldeliver morethanjustaservice.Wewantourcustomerstoseeitas anarbiteroftrustandasourceoftruthwhichbecomesan intrinsicpartoftheirdailylives.WewantKriptanto becomeindispensableasitrespondstothechallengesthat willoccuroverthemonthsandyearsahead.
So,inthewordsofSteveJobs,Co-Founder,former Chairman&CEO,AppleInc. “Let’s go invent tomorrow instead of worrying about what happened yesterday.” That’showweseetheworld.
Callitaquirkofbehaviororcallitanobsession, KeithNorrisisa“measurer”—hestrivestodefine thecurrentreality,andthenfindawaytoimprove onit.Thisdrivetocontinuouslyimprovehashelpedhim competeasatriathlete,hockeyplayer,asanentrepreneur.
Keithisanadvocateofcontinuousimprovement, progressivegoalplanning,aleaderintheCultureof Productivitytribe,anauthor,alifelongentrepreneur,anda proudhusbandandfather.
Hehasovertwodecadesofentrepreneurial,sales, operations,andmanagerialexperienceinthestartup environment—extendingtosoftware,recruiting,event production,sales,marketing,realestate,business development,andprojectmanagement.
KeithistheCEOofCompleteXRM,whichownsand operatesseveralCRM,ERP,strategicplanning,and productivitysoftwareandSaaSofferings,including: PlanPlusOnline,PocketInformant,KPIFire,EBSuite,and CRMRealEstate—helpingorganizationsandindividuals aligntheirpurposeandactivities.
“When you can connect what you do all day with why you do it, you generate positive energy, focus, and determination in your personal life and in your organization,”saidKeith.
Thisalignmentofpurposeandworkresultsina“cultureof productivity.”Cultureevolveswhenagroupofpeople gathertogether—soitmakessensethataculturewould developintheworkplace.
Apositivecompanyculturesupportswork-lifeintegration andmotivatesandempowersemployees.Anegative companyculture,oftenresultinhigh-turnover,low-quality work,andincreasedstress.Companycultureshouldn’t evolveonitsown—smartcompaniesinvestinbuildinga cultureofproductivity.
CompleteXRMhelpsorganizationsthrivebyincreasing alignmentbetweenthethreecoreexpressionsofculture: whatwethink,whatwesay,andwhatwedo.
“You can’t generate and sustain a culture of growth and productivity without developing leaders and leadership,” Keithsaid.
“Forexample,everynewemployeeisthemostimportant employees.Eachpersonaddstothecultureintheirown way.It’snotimportantthateveryone’sthesame,butthe recipeandcombinationofpeopleiscriticaltosuccess.”
“AtCompleteXRM,wespendourtimeenvisioningand creatingproductivitytoolsandsubscriptionsoftwarefor individualleadersandtheirentireorganizations.But withoutthefoundationoflowtechpersonal-management andproductivityskills,thesehigh-techtoolsseem burdensome.Asaresult,wenotonlyofferadvanced productivitytoolswealsoworktoinstillthelow-tech principlesofleadership,time-andself-management, businessprocesses,andcontinuousimprovement.That’s wheretofindyourrealculture.”
It’sthedrivetohelpcreateculturesofproductivitythathas motivatedCompleteXRMtoacquirecompaniessuchas PlanPlusOnline,PocketInformant,andKPIFire.
KeithreceivedaBachelor’sfromWeberStateinBusiness AdministrationwithMarketingemphasis,andalsoanMBA fromWeberStateUniversitywherehewasawardedthe GoddardScholardesignation.Keithwasawardedthe HonorsatEntranceScholarshipoutofhighschoolfor exceptionalGPAandACTtestscores.Healsowasawarded withtheGoddardScholardesignationintheMBAprogram, adesignationreservedforthetop10%oftheGraduating MBAclass.
AcademicallyKeithgraduatedhighschoolwithanear perfectgradepointaverage,andwasinthe99%percentile fortheACTanationaltestadministeredtoallhighschool seniors.ThisacademicachievementearnedhimtheHonors atEntranceScholarshipattheUniversityofUtah.Keith transferredtoWeberStateUniversityinhis2ndyearto pursueanotherloveofhis,Hockeywherehegraduatedwith aBSinBusinessAdministration/Marketing.After10years inprofessionalfields,Keithwentbacktoschoolandonce againexcelledacademically.Firstearningascoreonthe GraduateSchoolentranceexamthatearnedhima scholarshiptoWeberStateUniversity,andupongraduating hewasnamedasaGoddardScholar,adesignationreserved forthetop10%ofthegraduatingclass.
Intherealestateindustry,Keithwonnumerousannual awardsfromColdwellBanker,includingtheprestigious PresidentialEliteandTop1%Producerawards.
PlanPlusOnline
PlanPlusoriginallystartedasadigitalversionofthe FranklinCoveyPlannerin1995whenitreplacedwhatwas
thenknownasAscendSoftware.PlanPlusevolved throughvariousplatformsincludingPlanPlusfor Windows,PlanPlusforOutlook,andPlanPlus Online.
Overtheyears,hundredsofthousandsofpeople haveusedvariousversionsofPlanPlusplanning softwaretoincreasetheirindividuallevelsofeffectiveness.
In2007,FranklinCoveyandCompleteXRMpartneredto createPlanPlusOnline,thefirstversionofPlanPlustobe availableonthecloud.Later,CompleteXRMacquiredthe exclusiverightstothePlanPlusOnlinesoftwarebusiness fromFranklinCoveyandcurrentlyoperatesPlanPlusOnline asaseparatecompany.
PlanPlusOnline(planplusonline.com),whichisbasedon FranklinCoveymethodology,allowsyoutosetandtrack goals,prioritize,andmanageprojectsinaproactive environmentinordertohelpyouachievesuccess—andhad beenusedsuccessfullybyover15millionpeople.
PlanPlusOnlineoffersEssentials—aproductivitysystem forindividualleaders,andProfessionalandBusinessfor salesprofessionalsandsmalltomedium-sized businesses—includingtheonlyCRMthat’sCultureCentric,meaningit’stheonlyCRMforcompanieswho’re determinedtomakecompanycultureapriorityasthey grow.
In2016KeithbroughtFanaticSoftware—creatorsof PocketInformant—intotheCompleteXRMfold.
Laterthatyear,PocketInformantwhatchosenastheBest Business&ProductivityApp.Previously,MacWorldchose Informant2.0as“BestofShow”in2011,andin2015as theBestCalendarAppforiPhoneandiPad.
PocketInformant(pocketinformant.com)hasbeenaleader andinnovatorinthemobileCalendar/Task/Personal organizerspaceforalmost20years.Ithasbeenaleading apponnumerousplatformsfromwindowsmobile,android, andIOS.
Sinceitscreationin1997,PocketInformanthasbeenone oftheall-timebest-sellingiTunesproductivityapps.
NewesttotheCompleteXRMstableisKPIFire (kpifire.com).WhilebothPlanPlusOnlineandPocket Informantofferanemphasisonplanningexcellence,KPI Firefocusesonthemeasurementandexecutionofplanned strategiesbyengagingandaligningworkersaround organizationalgoalsandcontinuousimprovement.
KPIFireoffersorganizationsavisualwaytoplanand monitortheirprogressonthepathofcontinuous improvementandisrootedintheprinciplesofLeanSixSigma.
Whetheryou’reanindividualleaderoranorganizational leader,thetoolsofferedbyCompleteXRMhelpyou identifyandintentionallychoosehowyouwillspendyour time,energy,andfocus.Becausethetoolshelpyoufirst identifyyourmissionandvalues,thenyourchoicesarea powerfulreflectionofwhoyoutrulyareandwhatyoutruly believe.
Whilegoalscanbeatremendousassettoanypersonor organization,poorlydefinedgoalshavethepotentialto destroyprogress,killmotivation,andcreateattitudesand culturethatareworsethantheywouldbeifthegoalhad neverbeenset.
Whengoalsarepoorlydefinedorambiguous,theyareoften viewedasirrelevant,andthereisfrequentlyageneral feelingofapathyaboutthem.Accordingly,thegoal planningprocesscancometoanabruptendbeforeitreally evenbegins.
Companieswithgoodstrategyexecutioncanaccomplish virtuallyanyobjectivetheysetaplantowardandcanlead theirindustriesinfinancialperformance,customer satisfaction,productquality,andemployeeengagement.
Youcanbecreativeinanything-inmath, science,engineering,andphilosophy-asmuch asyoucaninmusicorinpaintingorindance.” -SirKennethRobinson,author,speakerand educationalist.
Creativityisanessentialpartinallareasofhumanlife. Science,Arts,Math,Technology,Cuisine,Education, Familylife,Politics,Business....Younameit.Inmany fields,thatroleisundervaluedyetvery,veryimportant;a balancedcombinationofcreativityandacademicsor entrepreneurialtasksenablesustobeinnovativeand encouragestolearnanddonewthings.Manycompanies areprovidingweb-basedservices,applications,solutions andgamestoboostthelearner’sorcustomersinterest. Onlyimaginationisthelimitofhowwecanharnessthe possibilitiesoftechnologybyremainingtruetoour nature.Technologyisagoodservantyetabadmaster.
Ineducation,teachersarekeentoaddnewtechnologies alongpedagogicalmethodstolearningprocess.Andyes, Childrenasmostadultsaswell,havemoreinterestin gamebasedlearningthantraditionalclassroomstudiesin school.Inmodernclassrooms,gamificationand technologycanbeusedtoenhancestudentengagement, participationandskyrockettheresearchtodimensions. Evendefinitionofclassroomcanreachtotallynew spacesthataren’tlimitedtoschoolbuildingsanymore. ForthatVILIKEwasfoundedbyKirsiEkberg Companyhasbeendevelopingdigitaltoolforpreschool educationtosupportchildren’skineticlearningskills growthandelevateevolutionofeducationwith technologyandgamification.Solutionisforparents, schoolsandeducationalinstitutes.
KirsiisalsoworkingforDutchExplect.comwhichwas foundedin2015byBartandMartijndeRuiter.Explect isaforwardingcompanythatprovidesdigitalplatform forinternationaltradetohelpSME’stoexportand importtheirproductsglobally.Apartfromthis,sheis workingwithMoiko.fi,aFinnishdesigncompany producingreflectiveaccessories.Kirsiisalsopartof Mymeeko.com,acompanydesigningandproducing electrickickbikes.
KirsiEkbergisamother,anentrepreneur,andpassionate towardssportsandarts.Shestudiedphysicaleducation andartmanagementandplayedvarioussportsincluding soccerformorethanadecade.Sporteducationstudies wasthestartingpointwhichleadhertothepathof startupentrepreneur.
Sheplayedtheroleofsinglemotherbeautifullyand witnessedthegrowthofchildreninherlifeandwithher work.ShealsostudiedICTandsoftwaredevelopment thatgiveherbetterunderstandingontechnologiesand softwarewhichcanbeusedinnew-ageeducation.
Itallstartedoutfromherinteresttohavedigitaltoolto supportworkwithchildren’sphysicalexercise(P.E.) education.Shebelievesthatphysicalactivityandartare asimportantasacademicsforchildren.Kirsiwas inspiredbyArjaSääkslahti,Ph.D.inPhysicalEducation fromFacultyofSportandHealthScienceinUniversity ofJyväskylä:InherlectureshetoldaboutAPM inventory,amethodtoassesspre-schoolchildren’s perceptualandbasicmotorskills.Arjaalsotoldher
abouttheimpactofphysicalactivitiesi.e.,themorechildrenmove, thebettertheycanperceivetheirbodies.ThiswasthetimeKirsi decidedtofigureouthowtodigitalisethistool.
Initially,shelearnedaboutalgorithms,howtheanalysisneedstobe codedandwayssoftwaredevelopmentalonggamificationcanbe utilized.Alongtheway,anotherchallengealongbigmistakeatthe backendofthefirstversion,wasandisthemoney.Sheranoutof savingstofinalisetoproductandiswalkinginsocalled“valleyof death”.Butstillaftertheobstacles,sheisbeingencouragedbythe peoplearoundandthatfaithkeepshertrustingonintuition.Withthat support,thestrongdeterminationstaysaliveandkeepsherthriving forwardtoaccomplishthedesiredgoals.Alsogrittolearnnewthings andseeingthegoldenlininginverystormcloudhelpsKirsito overcomethehusslesandhurdles,everyday.
“Bethechangeyouwishtoseeintheworld“quotationby MahatmaGandhiissomethingthatkeepshermotivatedto achievehergoals.AccordingtoKirsi,itisvitaltokeepyour feetontheground,heartwiththepeopleandheadcreatively opentothefuture.Togoforwardinbusinessbygenerating growthwiththepaceofpeopleareevenmoreimportantthan money.Truesuccessismadebyandwiththepeople.Always giveprioritytowell-beingofonemakingthevisionhappen andtakecareofyourselfalongothers.Ifyouwishtomakeyour visioncometrue,youneedtobehandsonpartofthe changeandtrulyworkforit.
ForVILIKE.fi,sheisraisingseedcapitalforfurther developments,sheishelpingExplectwithGrowth Hacking.ForMoiko.fiandMymeeko.com,shewill startinternationalsalesandMarketingtogrowthe companiesglobally.Shehasdreamsformore innovativeproductsforglobalmarkets.Kirsiwill continuedoingwhatshehasbeendoingwiththe additionofgettingbacktodevelopmentsideand finalisingtheproductsforlaunch.
Follow your heart and never give up on your dreams, real success can only be achieved by following your heart.Kirsi Ekberg Founder & CEO Vilike it.”
Itwaswhilepursuinganelectivecoursewithexisting entrepreneurs,whenMaartenhadthechanceto developabusinessplan;aplanthatwentontochange hislifeforever.
“At that time, I had limited knowledge about plant science, but the idea of indoor vertical farming was already on my mind and intrigued me a lot,” herecalls.
Withtime,Maartengotacquaintedwiththeconceptofplant science.Heusedtospendhistimevalidatingvarious hypotheseswiththegroupofentrepreneurs,whomhe mentionstobe “a tough crowd.”
WhilemanyopposedMaarten’sidea,onesurprisingly showedinterestandjoinedhands.ItwasFredericBulcaen, aserialentrepreneurandmanagingdirectorofTyphoon,a Belgiancleantechcompany.Togetherwithhim,Maarten adaptedthemodelwhichtheyhadenvisionedandtheidea ofUrbanCropSolutionscameintoexistence.
Today,MaartenVandecruys,theCEOandCo-founderof UrbanCropSolutions,hasledhiscompanytowards successtomakeamarkintheemergingurbanfarming industry.
Duringhiseducationaltenure,Maartenhasenjoyedabroad economicbackground.Hestartedoffwithadegreein marketingandfolloweditupwithadegreeinbusiness administration.MaartenlateronpursuedGeneral ManagementfromtheVlerickBusinessSchool.Speaking abouthisshiftintoplantscience,Maartenasserts “It seemed important to me to have a broad background, so after my studies I continued educating myself in plant biology and machine building.”
Eversincehewasakid,Maartenwasalwaysonthelookout forinnovativesolutionsforalldayproblems,whichcould decreasehisdependencyonothers.Later,Maartenswitched gearsintocreatingsolutionsthatonlyboastaneconomical
value,butalsoholdsthecapabilitytoimpactthesociety andtheenvironment.Thisledtotheeventualformationof UrbanCropSolutions.
UrbanCropSolutionsisatotalsolutionsproviderinthe indoorverticalfarmingindustry,withoneimportantgoalto itsname: tackling the challenges our planet is facing by optimizing supply chains around the globe.
LedbyMaartenandFrederic,thecompanydesigns,builds andengineersturnkeysolutionstoallowitscustomersto growtheircropsindoors,independentoftheoutdoor climateandseasons.Ontopofthis,thein-houseteamof plantscientistsatUrbanCropSolutionsinvestigatesthe mostoptimalparametersforaplanttogrow,calledplant recipes. “This enables us to allow everyone to become a farmer by a mere touch of a button.”
Asatotalsolutionprovider,therelationshipofthecompany withitscustomersdoesn’tendafterithassoldthesystem, ratheritkeepsonsupportingthemwithmaintenance,spare parts,distributionofconsumables,andbiological consultancy.
Theinitialperiodofthecompanysawitdevelopavisionof beingafullyautomatedplantgrowingsolutionprovider acrosstheglobe.Butinordertodevelopthissuccessfully, UrbanCropSolutionsneededalotofknow-howonbotha plant-biologicallevelandanengineeringlevel.
“Luckily, a lot of know-how on both items exists in Belgium. We have a lot of agricultural research institutions, worldleading universities and international renowned automation experts. So we started asking questions to all of these parties, but always received the same answer: too ambitious, not realistic, etc,” Maartenrecalls.
Soonthecompanymetanexperienceprototypeengineerin thefoodsector.Hewasinlovewiththeprojectandhis
profilewastheonewhichthecompanyneededatthattime. Maartenandhisteamspentweeksexplaininghimtheplant biologicallevelaspectsamachineneededtobeabletodeal withandwhattheexpectationswere.Thenwewentbackto thosepartiesandwewereabletoconvinceatleastsometo startworkingwithus.Maartencontinuessaying “I have to admit, sometimes everything you present can be great and well thought off, but it also matters who presents it and how it is perceived by the other party. If that one person wasn’t honest to us, it would have taken us probably way longer to realize we had perception against us to have the ability to realize our ambition.”
Bykeepingonaskingquestions,UrbanCropSolutionshas beenabletorealizeandkeepaliveitsinitialdreamofbeing aninternationalcompany.
StartSmallandThinkBig Maartenadvicesemergingentrepreneursandleaders, “Try to find a niche market with global relevance so it has the opportunity to scale quickly. And make sure it is relevant by looking further than the economic impact of your idea, but also the impact on society and environment if you want to build a real brand name.”
AstheCEOoftheburgeoningcompany,Maartenhasbeen abletobuildanenvironmentwhichpromotescreativityand generatesnewideas.Hefirmlybelievesthatthebiggest dangerforacompanyisstagnationinideaandcreativity, andtotacklethesamehehasbuiltaculturethat consistentlystrivestobring-forwardinnovation.
Maarten Vandecruys CEO & Co-founder Urban Crop SolutionsLeadershipisnotaboutatitleoradesignation.It’s aboutimpact,influenceandinspiration.Impact involvesgettingresults,influenceisabout spreadingyourpassion,andyouhavetoinspireteam-mates andcustomers.Thefamousworldleadersarearmedwith suchempoweringtraits.Theirunwaveringpassionand compassionateleadershipisamajordrivingforcebehind thesuccessofanyorganization.Onesuchhumbleand passionateleaderistheManagingDirectorofMedia33, MichaelLambert
Media33isabespokemediabuying/communications agency,thatspecializesinprovidingclientswithhighlevel adviceandexpertise,todeliversoundbusinessgrowth. Withsoundstrategicandresponsiblerecommendations,the companybestowsitsclientswithcost-effectivewaysof advertisingwhichassurestheclientsthattheirinvestment works,priortoblowingitallinonehit.AsaManaging DirectorofMedia33,Michaelnegotiatesannualdeals acrossallmediaplatformsanddeliverssupremesuccess withhispreciseleadingprecisions.
Michaelbeganworkinginthemediaindustryin1998. Sincethenhehasbeenextensivelycontributinginthis innovativeandforwardthinkingindustry.Hementionsthat, duringhisexploringperiod,themediaorganizations emphasizedonanindividual’scapabilitytoworkhardanda willingnesstolearn;theacademicqualificationswerenot consideredasamajorpart.Therewerenotmanyschoolsor collegesthattaughtmedia.Hence,whateverhelearnedin thatperiod,helearnedthroughguidingpersonasandhis ownexperiences.Whileexplainingabouthisinitialphase inmediaindustryMichaelasserts,“It can be an extremely
hard slog in the early days in this industry, long hours for not a huge amount of reward, but if you can stick at it and ride the good times and bad, it’s extremely fulfilling and an industry I feel privileged to be part of.”
Michaelwasdeeplyinfluencedbysomeofhismentorsthat playedavitalpartinshapinghiscareer.Heardently mentions,BobBaddock.Bobwasextremelyexperienced andhadbeenintheindustrysinceitsinceptionbackinthe 70’swithHaroldMitchell.MichaelmetBobatMitchell& Partnersandstartedworkingforhimattheageof30.Itwas BobwhoencouragedMichaelandguidedhimthroughthis period.Insteadofbeingloudandflashyandplaying politicalgames,Bobpreferredbeinghumble,honestand hardworking.ThisadviceresonatedwithMichael throughouthiscareerandmadeasignificantimpactoneach ofhisprofessionaldecisions.
Trust,HonestyandIntegrityarethecorevaluesatMedia33. Thesevalueshaveformedapositiveworkenvironmentand anon-hierarchicalapproachintheorganizationwhich accommodatesinoverpoweringeveryroadblock.Michael believesroadblocksandchallengesinfiltratebusinesses whenvaluesarenotmatched,orteammembersdon’tagree withthem.
Thus,hiscompanyallowsitsemployeestocreatetheirown happyandcomfortabledaytodayenvironmentthatenables themtotaketheirownleadership.AsamanagingDirector, Michaelfocuseshiseffortstobuildsuchenvironmentsand believessuchingenuitiesdeliversaddedproductivitythat can’tbeunderestimated.
Michaelhasbeeninthemediaindustryfornearlytwo decades.Hehashelpedseveralorganizationsaroundthe globewithexcellentoutcomes.Hestrivestoprovidehis clientswithahighlevelofexpertiseandqualitative campaignsirrespectiveofshape,sizeandadvertising budgetortheirorganization.Michael’sprofessional astutenessisbespokeninthemediaindustry.
Michaeladvisesadvertisingindustryenthusiasttostay passionateaboutwhattheydo.Heasserts,“The number one characteristic that everyone should have in life, not just CEO’s at work, is to be passionate about what you do. Without passion, you have nothing.It should be the cornerstone of everything that you do, or care about.”He believesthepassionisthingthatenrichesindividual’s abilitytodotheirbestworkandfuelsthemtofindselffulfillment.
Healsoemphasizesonhavinganunwaveringtrustonwhat youbelieve.Hementions “If you feel you’ve found a niche,
go hard at it. Go hard at it with your heart, if you do and you’re truly passionate about it, the finances will follow and sort themselves out.” Additionallyheopposestheattitude tofollowthelawofaverages.Heclaimsthatanyonewho goesouttomakemillions,asthekeyobjective,failsmost ofthetimeastheindividualparticularlyfocusesonthe bankbalance.Hefeelssuchapproachconstraintsthemfrom themakingthedecisionstheytrulybelievein.
MichaeltruststhereisafruitfulfutureaheadforMedia33. Whileexpressingaboutthefutureperspectives,hestates “We can plan for the future, but at the end of the day, you need to be adaptable to change and if that means revising plans to be innovative and managing growth responsibly, it needs to be done.” Hehasmadesomeastonishingplans forthenext6-12months,butheemphasizesthatMedia33 isextremelyconsiderateofrevisingplansanddirection everyoneortwomonths.Hebeliefsare,thatthatiswhat keepsactivepeopleengagedandhelpstheminbeing creative.
We all leave footprints in the sands of time, some the mark of a heel, others the mark of a great soul. The quality of effort is vital.
— Michael Lambert Managing Director
Media 33
egendsneverneedanintroduction.Theytendtobe
Lvictoriousdespiteoftheiruneventfulhistories.They sticktocaptivatingtraitssuchasDiscipline, determinationandself-beliefwhichhelpthemaccomplish wondersinthelongrun.OnesuchexampleofanextraordinarypersonisElonMusk,aSouthAfricanBusiness Magnate,Investorandanengineer.
Muskisthefounder,CEO,andchiefarchitectofSpaceX; co-founder,CEO,andproductdesignerofTeslaInc.;and co-founderandCEOofNeuralink.AsofFebruary2018,he isthe53rd-richestpersonintheworldandhasanetworth of$20.8billion,whichisfarmorethanthenetGDPof Greecetakenintoconsideration.
Whileeachentrepreneurpossessesauniquesetoftraitsthat makeshim/hersuccessful,thisTechfounderhasafewtraits muchdifferentfromanyotherordinaryCEO,whichhas allowedhimtobuildsomeoftheworld’smostrespected andinnovativeorganizations.Muskoncequoted,“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.”
Let’shavealookonthesepersonalityattributesand characteristicsthatmakehimacontenderforthemost innovativeintellectualentrepreneurofthecenturyalive.
ElonMuskisahard-workinginnovator,workingforabout 100hoursaweek,andhasbeenproductivesincemany years.Hemayevenbeconsideredasthehardestworking employeeofthecompany,settingstandardsforhis colleaguestofollowandimplement.Sincethefieldofwork liesinsidehisradiusofinterests,heenjoysittoevery momentandbitwhenitcomestolearningandexecution.
Foundingastart-upinvolvesagreatdealofuncertaintyand risk.Astudyfoundthatafter10yearsofbeinginbusiness, 96percentofthestart-upsfail.Goingbythestatistics, Muskmusthavefacedthesameoddsagainsthim,whenhe haddecidedtoleaveanotherwisecomfortablelifetostarta riskyanduncertainbusinessventure.
Forinstance,MusklefthisPhDprogramatStanford UniversitytofindacompanycalledZip2withhisbrotherin theyear1995.Later,thecompanywassoldtoCompaq computers,profitingMuskabitover$20million.
Followingthis,Muskonceagaintookagreatriskby investingmillionsofdollarstofoundacompanycalled X.com,oneoftheworld'sfirstonlinebanks.
Anastoundingandless-knownfactaboutElonMuskisthat heisself-taughtinprogrammingandinmanyadvanced levelsubjects.Hereadandunderstoodavarietyofbooks, whichhelpedhimgainendlessandpersistentknowledge andunderstanddiverseconcepts.
Thebestpieceofadviceonlearningandimplementationis toconstantlythinkabouthowthingscouldbedoneina bettermannerandquestionselftoseektheanswers.
Itisofprimeimportancetorecognizethepresentsymbolor otherwise‘statusquo’inthemarketasanorganizationand re-positionaccordingly.Musksolicitsconstantfeedbackof thecompaniesandexecutes‘self-analysis’. Heinduces effortsanddivergentstrategiestoimprovecustomer feedbacksandstrivestowardsperfectionism.
Forexample,heseeksouthiscritics andtriestoconversewiththem.This habitofself-reflectionatregularand considerableperiodsispivotalforany entrepreneurororganizationtosucceed inthelongrun.
Verticalintegrationisastrategywhere anorganizationorafirmacquires businessoperationswithinthesame productvertical.BothTeslaand SpaceXembracethisconcept.For example,Teslanotonlyproduces electriccars;theyalsogeneratepublic awarenessabouttheircarsviaTesla showroomsacrossvariouscountries. AndSpaceXdoesnotonlyhavethe primarygoalofrocketpropulsions; theydeveloptheirownrocket architectureaswell.
FaithinSelfandtheFoundingTeam Muskundoubtedlypossessesa profoundbeliefinhisowncapabilities
aswellasthepotential-seekingfactor ofitsfoundingteam.Hedoesnot hesitatetogambleonlargescaleunless heisgenuinelyawareoftheexpected end-results.
Itisequallyessentialtomaintain clarityofdoubtinanylargescale organization.Underhissupervision, Muskencouragesincreatingapositive andcomprehensiveenvironmentacross hisfirms.
PreferringtoStandOutFromthe Crowd Muskelectstobringupinnovationat everylevelofhisunderstanding.He tendstoimparttheoreticalknowledge atthebaselevel,applyingchangesand executingthesameonthepractical level.Hereliesmoreontransitional aspectssuchasresearchand development,therebyincreasingthe probabilityofground-breaking inventions.
TeslaMotors,afarheadedfirmheaded byElonMusk,isanti-ordinary.Its compellingmarketplacehasbecomea one-stopdestinationforpotential buyerswheretheycaninteractabout productspecifications.Theyalsohave videotestimonialsthatfaroutperform inthesales-dominatedindustry.
ThereisnoambiguitythatMusk,by far,hasbeenapillarofinspirationfor buddingentrepreneursandinvestors becauseofhisprolificandoptimistic approachtowardslife
AllthesetraitspossessedbyMusk,in somemannerortheother,coincide withmostofyourhabits.Theonly thingthatstandsasapotentialbarrier betweenthesetwoisidentifyingyour strengthsandworkingonthemona continualbasis.Goon,applythese traitsintoyourdailylife,andyoumay becomethenextbigCEOtheworldis inneedoftoday!
Trustformsthebasisofallrelationshipsand interactions;itisjustasimportantinprofessional relationshipsasitisinpersonalones.Asenseof trustisoneofthekeyfactorsthataffectemployee performanceinanyorganization.
Companiesthatfosterstrongworkplacetrustarebetterable toweathercompetitioninthemarketaswellasdifficult timeswithintheorganization.However,ithastobe cultivatedbymanagersandleaders,notfromwordsbut throughconsistent,long-termactionsandpolicies.
inet-logisticspersonifiesthismentality.ItsCEO,Oswald Werlecreditstrustwithfuelingthecompany’ssuccess. Oswaldstrivestocreateapositivecorporateenvironment andhasbeeninstrumentalinleadingthecompanytoits currentpositionasamarketleader.
Everygreatvisionaryhasanurgetodosomethingthatwill maketheworldabetterplace.
Fromanearlyage,Oswaldhadavisiontocontributetothe fieldoflogistics.Hesays,“I am not an IT guy, I am sort of a management guy who dreamed of contributing to the dynamic field of logistics where everything changes, every minute.”
HefirstworkedasChiefInformationOfficer(CIO)forabig Europeanlogisticsprovider,wherehiscontributionswere highly-appreciatedbyindustryleaders.However,Oswald hadbiggerplans.
Hehadakeeninterestinlogistics,transportationandthe truckingbusiness,anddecidedtopursuethisfurtherwith Master’sdegreesfromboththeUniversityofSwitzerland andBerkeley.AtBerkeley,helearnedaboutinternet capabilitiesandthebenefitsofnetworkcollaboration.This knowledgeledhimtousethesenewtechnologiesto optimizethetransportationbusinesses.Andin1999,he foundedinet-logisticstopersuewhathedesired.
inet-logistics:CreatingaCollaborativeWorld inet-logisticsistheleadingEuropeanproviderofSoftwareas-a-Service(SaaS)cloud-basedsolutionsfor TransportationManagement,FreightCostManagement, ContainerManagement,andTransportationAnalytics. Today,thecompanyisoneoftheTop5providersof transportationmanagementsystems(TMS)worldwide.
TheinetTMSconnectsglobalmulti-modetransport networksontheinboundandoutboundlevels.Itssoftware hasbeenproventoreducetransportcostsbyanaverageof 20percentbynetworkingallparticipantsinthesupply chainonaweb-basedplatforminrealtime.inet’smodular
logisticssoftwarecanalsonaturallybeextendedatany time.Theplatformplans,manages,andoptimizesall transportmanagementprocessesonastable,efficientand sustainablebasis.
Theirapproachletsclientsincreasetransportcapacity utilizationandreducetheircarbonfootprint.Itstransport managementsoftwarecanbeusedfornationaland internationaltransport,courierandexpressdeliveries,cross docking,multi-modetransport(air,sea,land),fulltruck loadsandlesstruckloads,andsupportscombinationsof fullandemptyloadflows.
Withover9,000transportpartnersandmorethan11,000 suppliers,theinetTMSisoneofthebiggesttechnicallyintegratedsupplychainnetworksintheworld.
Thecompany’sinnovativeframework,reliableservicesand itsremarkablesuccessisanexampleofOswald’sabilityto transformhisvisionintoreality.
Oswaldadvisesbuddingentrepreneurstohaveastrong beliefintheiridea.
Heexplainsthatnoteveryoneiscapableofhavingagreat ideaandthatnoteveryideaisgreat.Hestronglybelievesin
theSteveJobsthoughttostayhungryandstayfoolish. Hence,hementionsifsomeonehasagreatideaanda strongbeliefthattheycanmaketheirideaareality,thenthe individualmustgivehimself–andhisidea–achance.
Oswaldacknowledgesthattherewillbehardtimesbutsays thatself-beliefandthejoyaboutintermediatesuccessis absolutelycrucial.Healsosuggestsforminganadaptive teamwhichsharesthesamevisionandwillworkhardto realizeit.Hisownjourneyistheperfectexampleofgoaldrivenprogress.
Today,inetisagloballeaderintransportationmanagement andhasofficesinEurope,theU.S.andtheAsia-Pacific.
Oswaldenvisionsanopenmindedcultureandwantsto empower,associatedorganizationsandclientswithtrust. Throughthistrust-fueledenvironmentandcomprehensive strategies,Oswaldexpectstodeliverexcellentsolutionsto theglobaltransportationmarketandcontributetomaking theworldabetterplace.
If you have a great idea, you’ll have to go for it. You must be 100% committed to your vision.
Leadershipisthetimelesspracticeofguiding othersinthepursuitofacommongoal, outcome,ordesiredconclusion.Thetraitsofa leaderareofparamountimportanceinaCEO;the ChiefExecutiveOfficershoulderstheresponsibilityof leadingthecompany,itsdevelopment,andthe executionofitslong-termobjectives.
RobertBell,CEOofKlickExpersonifiesthese qualitiesandhasusedthemtotakethisrelatively youngcompanytounprecedentedheightsofsuccess.
KlickExprovidespaymentsinfrastructureandRobert believesthat,withtherightapproach,thefinancial industrycanitselfcontributetofinancialinclusion.
RobertgrewupinthePacificIslands,NewZealand, andAustralia.Ontheouterislands,hewasexposedto manysightsandsoundsthatmostofuswillnever personallyexperienceorevensee,includingfarmlife andbartereconomies.
Seeingfirst-handthedifferenceinpeople’slives technologyandinfrastructurecanmakeinstilledin
Robertadesiretodosomethingmeaningfulthatwouldbenefit people,nomatterwheretheylived.Hechosebanking.
Hisgoalwastobuildadiversifiedbusinessthatservedits customerswhilealsobuildingcommunities,andtobepartofan organizationthatinspiredotherstodothesame.
PriortobecomingCEO,Robertmanagedthenon-Pacific Businesses,includingtheUS,Australia,Asia,andEurope.Today, heisaninternationalaward-winningfinancialinnovator,an experiencedbusinessleaderwithprovenexpertiseintheenergy, technology,trade,cybersecurity,economics,banking,anddigital financialinfrastructuresectors.
RobertholdsdegreesinbothFinanceandEconomics,isa graduateofStanfordUniversity’sAdvancedFinancial& QuantitativeEngineeringprogram,andstudiedCyberSecurity, PolicyandNetworkResiliencyatM.I.T.
Robertguidesregulatorypolicyformationandnational regulatoryoperations.Heisregularlyinvitedtospeakasan expertondigitalfinancialsecurity,internationalpayments exchangeandfinancialinclusionatworldforums,includingthe G20,UnitedNations,CommonwealthHeadsofGovernment, InternationalMonetaryFund,WorldBank,andAsian DevelopmentBank.
Robert was twice the NZ Hi-Tech Young Achiever of the Year (2012, 2013), twice listed in the Top Banking Executives to Watch (2013, 2014) by Bank Innovation Magazine, and in 2017 received a New Zealander of the Year Medal for services to local communities.
TheideaofKlickExcamefroma myriadexperiencesandindividual burstsofinspiration.Oneearly momentwaswhenRobertwasat HSBC;herealizedthatbanksdon’t slowdownpaymentsonpurpose-they dothebesttheycan.Thisrealization openedanentirelynewroadof innovationforhim.
RobertquicklyrealizedthattheHoly Grailofrealtimepaymentsystemsand inter-operabilitywascloseathand. Thisvisioncametolifewhenone eveningRobertwalkedoutofhis TradingDeskjobintoaWorldBank forumonInfrastructure.His conversationwithseniorexecutivesat theforumledtothefoundationof KlickEx.
Thatwasin2006.Today,KlickEx managesitsbattle-hardenedsuiteof toolsfromheadquarterslocatedin Auckland’sCBD.Thesetoolsenable economiestoworkmoreclosely together.Itenablescommerceata lowercost,withhighercompliance confidencethananywhereelseinthe world.
Theygreatlysimplifyandaccelerate thetransferoffinancesbetweenbank accountsandfuelmobilemoney systemsacrossthePacific.
Nomatterhowbigorsmallacompany is,therewillalwaysberoadblockson thepathtosuccess.HowaCEO confrontsthesechallengesandkeeps histeamworkingtowardstheendgoal isthetrueessenceofhisleadership.
FinTechisoneofthemostinnovative sectorsintheworldandeveryCEOis
challengedbyVC-fundeddiscountson existingproducts.Andmakingmoney isthenewnovelty.However,KlickEx tooisleadingthatrace,takingbasic bankingfeestozero,aswellasbeing oneofthemostprofitablebusinessesin thesector.
WhenRobertfirststarted,nobodywith asalaryover$50kthoughthehada viableniche.Then,noonethoughtthat theywillsurvivecompetition.And eventhen,nobodyimaginedtheir companywillbethebiggest.Butthat’s becausenobodylistenstotheir customerslikeKlickExdoes.Soitis importantforCEOstokeepyourteam focusedoncustomersandnotonfads.
WhenRobert’sideastartedtogain traction,thecommonperceptionwas thathiscompanywouldnotbeableto standuptothebigplayers.When KlickExdidthat,too,theydoubtedit couldbecometheleadingplayeritself. Now,ithas.
Ateveryjuncture,itwasRobert’s commitmenttohiscustomersthat
madethedifference.Heattributesthis stunningseriesofsuccessestohis team’sadoptionofhisphilosophyto maintainfocusoncustomers,notfads.
EverybodylikestohaveaCEOthat empowersandpushesthemtoachieve morethanwhattheythoughttheywere capableof.Infact,mostpeoplehave noideawhattheyaretrulycapableof untiltheyhavebeenpushed.
AsaCEOyouhavetotreadthatline carefullybecauseyoucan’tdrive peoplefasterthattheycango,but peoplealsogetfrustratediftheydon’t getdrivenasfastastheycouldbe. Managingtheteamdynamics,and keepingtheteamfocusedonthe customerissuchanart.
“Know that the journey is going to be harder and longer than you expect. You are probably going to be the most excited person you know about your product, for a very long time. Make sure you’re ready, and your family is too,”addsRobert.
Therearemanyelementsofthe bankinguserexperiencethatcanbe improved;thesectorisstillrunningon thefundamentaltheorythathasexisted forabout400years.Platformslike KlickExareprovingthatthereis anotherway…butchangeisagradual process.
Onthebankingtechnologyfront, KlickExhasalreadybeenonthe cuttingedgeforoveradecade.Ithas implementedthefirstgenuine DLT/BlockchainservicewithIBM. Thecompanyhasalsohadreal-time, mobile,NFC,andbiometriclead paymentsthroughoutthisdecade.
Thestrengthoftheindustryisnot measuredbytherateofchangewhen timesaregoodbutbyitssteadfastness whentimesareuncertain.WithRobert Bellatthelead,KlickExhas maintaineditsinnovationandgrowth throughthehardtimes,aswell.
I’m here because I believe the money industry can really help people if done well.
Justtwoyearsago,InnovizTechnologieswascreated bythesharedvisionoffourco-founderswho identifiedahugeandimportantproblemthatwe believedcouldonlybesolvedbythebestengineersinthe world.Weknewthatthe“solution”waslessofanend-point andmoreofanongoingprocess,butwetookonthe challengeanyway,withthebeliefthatwehadtheingenuity andperseverancetogetthejobdone.Today,thecompany hasover150employees,we’vereceived$82millionin funding,andwejustannouncedamajordesignwininthe autonomousvehicleindustry--withBMWselectingour LiDARtechnologyandcomputervisionsoftwareforseries productionofitsautonomousvehicles.
Somuchhashappenedsoquicklythatit’ssometimes difficulttostepbackandsoakitallin.Butinthoserare momentswhenIfindthechancetoreflectonthelasttwo years,Irealizethattheseedsofcultureweplantedearlyon reapedrewardsthathavepaidtremendousdividendsover time.
TechCEOs--andstartupCEOsinparticular--facea torrentofchallengesthatleadersofmoreestablished companiesdonot.Thingstendtomovesofastintheworld oftechnologythatyousometimesdon’tevenrealizethe magnitudeofyourdecisionsuntilmonths,orevenyears, later.Iwasveryfortunatetohaveexcellentmentorsanda stellarteamaroundme,buteventhenIhadtolearnsome lessonsthehardway.
Sotohelpothertechnologyleadersintheirjourneys,here arethe9mostvaluablelessonsI’velearnedaboutbeingthe CEOofafast-movingtechnologycompany.Iskippedthe obviousonesofchoosingtherightpartners,investorsand market.
1.Ready,Set,Go.Timeisthemostexpensiveresource. Beforeyourunintoexecution,spendenoughtimetomake sureyouarereallysolvingtheproblem.Gooddecisionsare rightdecisionsmadeearlier.
2.Empoweryouremployeesandmanagementteam Giveyouremployeesthepowertofollowthecareer trajectorythatisdeartotheirhearts,makingthemfeel fulfilledprofessionally.Dothisonethingandyouare guaranteedtogetthebesteffortandoutputfromevery singlepersonwhoworksforthecompany.Empoweryour managerstomakedifficultbutimportantdecisionsontheir own.Whenyouonlyhiretoptalentpeople,youdon’tneed tomanagethem--justmakesuretheyarealignedwithyour expectations.
3.Takerisks--andmanagethem.Astheheadofastartup company,Ihaveanobligationtotakerisksinordertoaim highandachieveourambitiousgoals.Buttakingrisksis theeasypart.Anystartupcantakerisks.Successfulstartups alsolearntomanagethoserisksthroughadeliberate processthatincludesawellthought-outcontingencyplan.
4.Encouragerespectfuldebate.Debateisnecessaryto findtheanswersmoststartupsseek,butitmustbedoneina waythateachpartyshowsgreatrespectfortheotherside andactuallylistenstowhattheyhavetosay.Thisstartsby definingacultureinwhichpeoplearen’tafraidtospeak theirminds.
5.Refusetofail.Oneofthemostcommonsayingsaround ourofficeis“Failureisn’tanoption.”Weruninto“deadends”fromtimetotime,butIbelievethatwhatweare doingismissioncriticaltoautonomousdriving.IfLiDARs don’tgettotherequiredstandardsofperformance,safety, reliabilityandcost,therewon’tbeautonomouscarsatmass production.Webelievethatourteamisakeyenablerto achievingmasscommercialization,sowearecharging aheadwhilerefusingtofail.
6.InvestinHR.Beforeyouhaveaproduct,theonlything youhavearepeople.Youremployeesarethereasonto believethatyourcustomersmightthinkyoucanachieve yourvision.Yourteamisthefaceofthecompany,soit’s importanttoinvestinyourHumanResourcesand
Omer Keilaf has spent over 19 years driving cutting edge technologies from inception to commercialization. Before founding Innoviz, Omer led the system and product definition e orts at ConsumerPhysics, building the world’s first handheld molecular sensor for mobile devices. Previous roles include leading the system architecture and engineering teams at bTendo (acquired by ST Micro) and Anobit (acquired by Apple). Omer spent 7 years in the elite technological unit of the Intelligence Corps of the Israel Defense Forces, where he served in leading and critical roles involving large scale technological systems. He holds a BSc and MSc in Electrical Engineering and an MBA, all from Tel Aviv University.
Recruitingdepartmentssothattheycanhelpyoufindthe besttalentavailable.HRisthebridgebetweentheneedsof thecompanyandpeopleanditneedstomakesurethatthe equityofgoodisalwaysleftlargeenoughforanytough timesthatmaycomeup.
7.Keepyoureyesontheroadahead.Itiseasytoget boggeddownintheday-to-dayoperationsofrunninga startup.ButagoodCEOmustalwayslooktothefutureand envisionwherethecompanywillbeayearortwo(orfiveor ten)fromnow.Ifyourcompanyhasreacheditsgoalbefore yousetanew,highergoal,itmeansyoudidn’tmanage correctly.Trueinnovationisonlyachievedbycontinually raisingthebartoachievetheimpossible.
8.Leadbyexample.Howmanytimeshasthisadvicebeen proffered?That’sbecauseitisperhapsthemostimportant thingaleadercando.Yourowndeedsmanifestthework culture.Ifyouwanttocreateacultureofrespect,curiosity, perseverance,trustandteamwork,youmustembracethese qualitiesyourself.
9.Aimhigh,butexpectlows.Therewillprobably numerousoccasionsduringthelifespanofyourcompany thatyouthinktoyourself,“There’snowayout,it’sover.”If youdon’thitthatpoint,youareprobablyaimingtoolow.So it’simportanttosetyoursightshigh,andjustexpectthatin ordertogetthere,you’llhavetogetthroughsomelow points,buthavethetrustandbeliefthatyouwillprevail.
TechCEO’shavetheirworkcutoutforthem.Nothing comeseasy,andtherewillmostassuredlybemisstepsalong theway.Butbyfollowingtheseninerules,theirchancesof successbecomemuchbrighter.
TheLifeSciencesindustryisconstantlychallenged withnewtechnologytrends.Evolvingtechnology advancementssuchaselectronicmedicalrecords, wearablehealthcaredevices,next-generationsequencing, breakthroughsingenomics,immunotherapy,anduseof real-worldevidence(RWE)anddataanalyticshaveprimed thelifesciencessectorfordisruption.Eachyear,these advancementsbringchangesandchallengestotheLife Sciencesindustry.
Overthelastdecade,theinterestofnewtechnology companiesinthissectorhasshiftedtowardsfuturistic technologicaladvancements.Someofthecompanieshave focusedonthetechnologicaladoptionsandhavedeveloped someimpeccableproductsandservicesfortheLifeScience industry.Thesecompanieshavemanagedtoexcitethe marketwiththeirnotableproducts,andshownanimmense growthwithinthefivetotenyearsoftheirinception. TechsolCorporationisoneofthem.
TechsolCorporationhasbeensuccessfullyaddressingkey biopharmaindustrychallengesthroughitsintegratedcloudbased,fullymanagedsolutions,sinceitsinceptionin2010. Today,thecompanyisamarketleaderinprovidinghighly configurable,process-orientedtechnologysolutionsfor digitallytransformingpharmaceuticalbusinessoperations acrossmedicalinformation,medicalaffairs,clinical development,anddrugsafety.Thechiefmotoristbehind Techsol’sremarkablesuccessisitsFounderandCEO SatyaSSSagi.Hisresourcefulinsightsandcompassionate leadershiphasbeenthedrivingfactorbehindtheformation ofanextraordinaryplatform.
AVisionarywithUniqueEducationBackground SagifoundedTechsolCorporationwithavisiontoaddress someofthespecificcustomerchallengesthathe experiencedduringhispreviouspositionsatenterprise softwarecompaniessuchasOracleHealthSciences.Hehas abiotechnologyandpharmacyeducationbackgroundwith traininginsoftwaredevelopment.Duetothisunique
combinationofeducationandskills,hehashad opportunitiestoworkonandmanagesomeoftheindustry leading,regulatorycompliantenterprisesoftwareplatforms intheareasofclinicaldevelopment,drugsafetyand medicalaffairs.Thisuniqueblendofeducationand experiencecompelledSagitodevelopanall-in-onesolution platformforthebiopharmaandmedicaldeviceindustry. Truetohisvision,SagiformedTechsolCorporation.
Growingunderthisastuteleadership,TechsolCorporation specializesinofferingcloud-based,informationtechnology servicesandinnovativesoftwaresolutionstoglobal pharmaceutical,lifesciences,andhealthcarecompanies.Its domain-specificbusinesssolutionsarefocusedon establishingcross-platformintegrations,businessprocess automation,facilitatingstakeholdercollaboration,riskbasedvalidation,andprovidingoperationalinsightswith advanceddataanalytics.
Asatrustedtechnologypartner,thecompanycontinuously engageswithindustryleadingcompanies includingOracle andVeevatoprovidestrategicconsultingservicesfor solutionsimplementation,systemsvalidationandcrossplatformintegrations.Whileexplainingaboutthe perceptionofthesolutions,Sagimentions,“We constantly are expanding our solution portfolio to extend the depth and breadth of coverage in the existing process areas and in new process areas with our automation enabled, process driven, advanced data sciences and analytics based solutions.”
Successasanentrepreneurisdeterminedbymanytraits. Theabilityofanindividualtocommunicateisamajorone ofthem.Anindividualcanbethebestatwhathe/shedoes, butiftheyarenotcommunicatingeffectivelywithclients, staffandthemarketitbecomeshardforthemtobuilda
teamthatcantransfertheirvisionintoreality.Havingbetter communicationskillssimplyallowindividualstodevelop exceptionalpeopleandpublicrelationmanagementskills. Entrepreneursmusthavepeoplemanagementskillsto enablethemtosharetheirvisioneffectivelyandtohelp themtocreateapositiveenvironmentinthecompany. AccordingtoSagi,anentrepreneurshouldpossesshigh Integrity,moral-uprightnessandmusthaveexceptional peoplemanagementskills.Sagiclaimsitistheseskillsthat haveplayedavitalroleinmakinghimasuccessful entrepreneur.
TherearemultiplechallengesCEOsfacetoday. Effectively managingrapidadvancementsintechnologyandthe changesassociatedwiththem,isoneofthemainchallenges facedbytechcompanyCEOs.Duetothischallenge, our technologyhasundergoneconsiderablechanges overthe last twotothreeyears.Asaresult,balancingexisting investmentsandresourcepooltoaddresslegacy,current andfuturemarketneedshasbecomeabigchallengeinthe fast-pacedmedicalindustry.
Sagiadvicesbuddingentrepreneurstofocusonbuilding strongrelationshipswithpeopleinvolvedinrunning businesssuchascustomers,colleaguesandpartners.He statesbusinessrunonpeopleandentrepreneursmusthave exceptionalpeopleandpublicrelationmanagementskillsto overcomechallengesandmotivatepeople.
Asatechcompany,itispivotalforTechsolCorporationto adoptandutilizenewertechnologytoaddressandimprove thewayitdeliversitssolutionstoday.Thecompanyhas provenitselfoverthepastfewyearsinadoptingand successfullydeliveringsolutionsonthecloud.Sagiis currentlyutilizingtechnologieslikeanalytics/insightsusing datascienceprinciplesand artificialintelligencetoexplore andproposeproof-of-concept,projectstohiscustomersin theareasofsignalmanagement,real-worldevidence, automationetc.TechsolCorporationhaswitnessedfruitful benefitsofthisadoption.Hence,Sagienvisionsaccelerating Techsol’sprogressbyexploringanddeployingmoreof suchtechnologicaladvancementprojects.
I see a bigger picture in whatever I do. As a person, I constantly motivate myself and people around me to reach mutual objectives and goals.
Leadershipisnevereasy;good
leadershipisevenmore difficult.Thebestleadersare oftenthosebornwithinherentqualities whicharethenmoldedovertimeto helpthemfulfiltheirtruepotential. Candor,knowledge,skill,andvision, combinedwiththeabilitytorelateto peopleasindividualsallowagood leadertoguidetheirorganization effectivelythroughhighsandlows.
Thatishowpeoplewhoknowhim describethe CEO ofKaviGlobal, VijithaKaduwela.Leadingfromthe forefrontofbusinessgrowth,Mr. Kaduwelaregularlyconsultswith businessleadersandindustryanalysts ontopicsincludingdigital transformation,dataanalyticsstrategy, systemssolutionsforIoT,BigData, MachnineLearningandAI.
Mr.Kaduwelaisan11-yearGE veteranandhepioneeredtheawardwinningBusinessAnalyticsprogramat GECapital.Underhisleadership,the divisionwashonoredwiththe prestigiousTDWIEnterprise Intelligenceawardin2008.Italsowon theSASInnovationAwardin2007. PriortoGE,Mr.Kaduwelaservedin theR&DGroupatUnitedAirlines.
Mr.Kaduwelawasbornandraisedin SriLankaandreceivedascholarshipto attendcollegeintheformerUSSR.He holdsaBachelor’sdegreeinElectrical EngineeringfromtheGeorgian PolytechnicInstituteinTbilisi, Georgia,andaMaster’sdegreein SystemsEngineeringfromthe UniversityofArizona.Hedroppedout ofthePhDprogramtostarthis corporatecareer.
DuringhiscorporatecareerMr. Kaduwelabecamepainfullyawarehow inefficientthedataanalyticsfunction aspracticedinlargeorganizations.It wasveryheavywithinefficientmanual processesthatarebothexpensiveand risky.Hevoicedhisfrustrationstothe leadershipandalsotovendorsbutthey wereallnotmotivatedtodisruptingthe statusquo.Mr.Kaduweladecidedto addresstheseinefficienciesdirectly, andleftbehindhiscorporatecareerand foundedKaviGlobal.Several membersofhisformercorporateteams followedhimtoformthecoreteamat thenewcompany.
Foundedin2008,KaviGlobalisa boutiquebusinessanalyticssolutions companyheadquarteredinBarrington,
Illinois.Theirsolutionsautomatethe data-drivendecision-makingprocesses thatenableclientstobemore productive,profitableandcompetitive.
ThevalueKaduvwela’scompany bringsincludesbusinessand technologyexpertise,solutions deliveryexperienceandaproven processframeworkforsuccessful implementations.KaviGlobal’s comprehensiveserviceofferingalso includesconsultingandsupport servicesacrossseveralindustryleadingandopen-sourcetechnologies.
ThepivotalmomentwaswhenMr. Kaduwela’sfrustrationovercorporate inefficiencymettherealizationthatit waspossibletoaddressthat inefficiencytoaccelerateandscale analytics.AIandAnalyticscanbe appliedinprettymucheveryfield. As agrowingenterprisethat acknowledgesthisparadigm,theyhave clientsindiversefieldssuchas Industrial,Manufacturing, Transportation,HealthcareandHigher Education.“Howanalyticscanhelpthe worldisquiterewarding”says Kaduwela.
Rightfromthebeginning,KaviGlobal teamdecidedtoinvestinR&Dand
createdKaviLabs.Theideaisto enableclientsbringtheirowndata andhelpthemdevelopanalytical solutions.
KaviGlobalhasaccesstovendor softwareandopensource emergingtechnologies.Itprovides skilleddataengineersanddata scientists.Thecompanymentions InnovationLabasagreatresource foritsemployeesandits customersloveit.Thelabhelps themreducecostsandrisks tremendously.Noothercompany oftheirsizehasaccesstosucha luxury.
Thecompany’sflagshipsoftware, Plexa isdesignedtoimprovetheefficiencyofthedata analyticsdeliveryprocess,toreducerisksandhasother benefitsaswell.Theyhavedevelopedauniquecapabilityto developAIandBigDataAnalyticssolutionsleveraginga graphicalandlogicalinterfacethatistechnology-agnostic.
Theyalsohaveanintelligentenginethatcancreatecode andrunitinmultipletechnologies,therebyblendingthe bestofhumanandmachinecapabilities.
Thesesolutionsresultinahugereductioninlabor requirementswhilemitigatingsolutionobsolescenceand skillobsolescencerisksthatplaguetheindustry. Thecompany’sfocusnowisonshowingtheworldthat thereisabetterway.Indoingso,theyhaveunlockedablue oceanstrategyfordataanalytics.Theblueoceanstrategy referstohowacompanycandifferentiateitselfbycreating anewmarketinsteadofcompetinginabloodyor“red” ocean.Thisstrategicmovehascreatedaleapinvaluefor theKaviGlobalandtheirclientswhileunlockingnew demandandmakingthecompetitionirrelevant.
ABetterTomorrow Vijithaasserts,“In our space, the previous generation of technologies had a long run of over 30 years. Not the case anymore. The pace of change is accelerating. The technology obsolescence and the resultant skill obsolescence are happening at a much faster rate now. The way to catalyze the change is to innovate and find ways to mitigate those risks.”
Vijitha Kaduwela CEO & Founder Kavi Global
Anongoingchallengeformany industriesisthehighvolumeof datareceived,andthe insurancemarketisnoexception. Thousandsofspreadsheetsare beingpresentedeachmonth, containinginformationonpremiums written,premiumspaid,andclaimsmade. Eachspreadsheetcancontainthousandsofrows ofdatawithmultiplecolumns,soasingledocument couldcontainmillionsofindividualcellsofdata.CEOs acrosstheinsuranceindustryarethereforefacedwiththe bigchallengeofmanagingandhandlingvastamountsof information.
In2010,mybrotherRichardandIlaunchedVIPRto developsoftwaresolutionsfortheinsuranceindustry, havingrecognisedamassiveopportunitytohelpinsurers gettogripswiththeirdatamanagementproblems.Atthat timetheindustrywasreliantonage-oldmanualprocesses anditwasclearthatmanuallycheckingandorganising massdatawasbecomingvirtuallyimpossible.Theindustry wasstandingstillandneededtoembracethedigital revolutioninordertospeedupprocesses,standardiseand improvetheaccuracyofdata,aswellasproducereportsfor regulationsthatwereonthehorizon.
Whilstyouwouldthinktheindustrywouldwelcomenew technologicalsolutionswithopenarms,thiswaseasiersaid thandone.OurchallengewastryingtogetCEOswhohad usedthesameprocessesfordecadestoagreetochange,and investinnewtechnology-notaneasytask.However,the valueofourproductsandthebenefitstheycouldbringwas easytounderstand,andalthoughittooktime,theyarenow widelyusedbytheindustry.Thisincludesourbest-selling datamanagementsoftware,Intrali.Itisoneofthemost extensiveself-administeredbordereauxmanagement
solutionsintheLondonMarketandiscurrentlyusedby over30clients.
AfewyearsagoTheLondonMarketGroup(LMG), releaseditsLondonMattersreportwhichhighlighted challengeswithintheindustry,particularlyitsdiminishing sharewithemergingmarkets.Inresponsetothereportand inordertoimprovebusinesswithLondon,theLondon MarketGrouphasbeenonamissiontomakeLondonan easierplacetodobusinesswith.Thisplacesahuge emphasisonmodernisationandnewtechnologytoimprove thewaybusinessisprocessedinLondon.Althoughthis spurredtheindustrytoembracetechnology,themarketis stillslowtochange.MoreCEOsneedtorealisethe potentialandpickuppace.CostlyITfailuresinthepast cannotbeallowedtostiflefutureinnovationandshouldnot beusedasanexcuseforinertia.
Muchofoursuccesshasbeendowntorecommendations fromclientsbutalsothefactthatourbusinessmodelis centredaroundthem.Theyarewhatdriveourinnovation andopportunitiesforproductdevelopment.Thisiswhat makesusdisruptiveintheindustry.Althoughweoffer‘out ofthebox’solutions,oursoftwaresystemsaretailoredfor eachclientbasedontheirneeds.Welistentothemand forgestrongrelationshipsfromtheveryfirstmeeting.We gettoknowwhattheydo,theirprocesses,theirstruggles andbuildsolutionsbasedaroundthisinformation.Forus thecustomerisnumberone.
Collaboratetoinnovate Innovationcancomefromcollaborationandshouldbe consideredbyCEOsasanadvantagetogetaheadofthe competition.Forexample,werecentlylaunchedan industry-firstsolution,inpartnershipwithACORD SolutionsGroup,Inc(ASG).ASGprovidesfullscale
automationservicesandsolutionsfortheglobal insuranceindustry.Togetherwelaunchedan automated‘UStoLondon’dataexchange betweenglobalManagingGeneralAgentsand Londoncarriers,whichenablesstraight-through processingofbordereauxdata.
Inanageofmodernisationintheinsurance industry,muchofthemarketismovingaway frommanualpracticesandembracingthe benefitsofstandards-drivenautomation. However,untilnow,therehavebeennomajor advancesinstraight-throughbordereaux processingbetweentheUSandLondonmarkets. Thisinitiativeisamajorstepforwardforthe marketwhichwillhugelybenefittheglobal industry.
Asdataaccelerates,moreproductsandsolutions arebeingbroughttothemarket,whichmeans morecompetition.Itmaybeachallengebutwe seethisasanadvantage.Weanalysethemarket andcreateproductsthataretheverybestandare tailoredforwhatourcustomersneedinorderto thrive.UnfortunatelytheITindustryislittered withproductsthatoftendonotachievewhat theypromiseandaresimplyjustnotfitfor purpose.Ourproductsaredesignedtomakethe complicatedsimple,allowingtheindustryto effectivelyimproveprocessesandunderstand theirbusinessbetter.
Asnewtechnologyinnovationscometothe markettodealwithdata,newtrendswillbecome apparentintheinsuranceindustry-it’s happeningandwillcontinuetodoso.CEOs shouldn’tavoidtheinevitableotherwisethereis agoodchanceoffailure.Tosurvive,see innovationsascatalysts,adoptnewtechnology andchangeinordertospurgrowthandcreate fasterprocesses,betterbusinesspracticesand increaserevenue.Ifyoudon’tdoitthenyour competitorwillgaintheedgetheyneedtoget ahead.Ensureyourbusinessstrategyislooking forwardratherthanfocusingonthe‘hereand now’andplanaccordinglybeforenew innovationstakeoverandyoumissoutinthe blinkofaneye.
in the insurance market working as a Lloyd's broker for over 20 years, including 15 years with Marsh. He has also launched and built several successful companies including, in conjunction with his brother, the rst personal nance comparison site to launch in the UK –moneynet.co.uk. Currently, Bob looks after the overall strategy for VIPR ensuring the team implement it successfully. He also oversees sales and spends time visiting both existing and potential clients, as well as promoting VIPR at industry events across the world.
VIPR delivers a modern, comprehensive suite of dedicated software solutions – providing end-to-end management for the insurance market. Its IT solutions are sophisticated but easy to use, designed to make the complicated simple.
Because VIPR focuses entirely on delegated authority business, working with VIPR means you will be working with experts that navigate the insurance industry like no other. Service is central to its ethos; VIPR pride themselves on maintaining and delivering excellent customer service.
Bob Brown CEO VIPR
