The 30 Most Innovative CEOs To Watch 2017

Editor’s Note

Creativity, an Essential Vocabulary in a CEO’s Dictionary

Creativity - A Wild Mind and a Disciplined Eye.

Whenyoustrollintocreativeworkenvironment–youcanfeelit.Thereisabuzznoticeableall around;thespacesareoftenenergeticallyunconventional,andpeopleareenthusiasticandlockedin. Somemaydeducethatpurchasingelegantlydesignedfurnitureandorganizinganeasygoingdresscodeconstitutesas‘creativity.’Thinkoncemore.

Allcompanieshaveinnovativepeopleandtheyoughttobeencouraged.Bethatasitmay,thereisan imperativerefinementbetweenrespectingtheincidentalout-of-the-boxideaandcultivatingcreativity asawaytodealwithworkingtogether.Promotingacultureofcreativityrequiressharpeningthe abilitiesofperceptionanddevelopment—forthemostpartthepurviewofartistsanddesigners— allthroughyourorganizationandadjustingcoresystemstostrengthenthecreativeprocedure.

Tobefair,creativityflourishesinanenvironmentthatencouragesdisciplinedchaos.Itbeginswith yourimagination;lookingatthingsorsituationsfromdifferentangles;gettingridofyourbiased blindersandbeingopentoanarrayofnewopportunities.Allthenecessarytoolsneededfor observation.

Theobservationprocessculminatestothephaseofinvention.Inventionstemsfroman unconcealedgroupofideas.Thisisthepartofchaosthatcomesundertheterm‘disciplined chaos.’ACEOwithcreativecapabilitywillcausehisideastorunalongtheopenfields,across multipledirections;sowingtheseedsofinnovationalongtheway

PickanysuccessfulortrailblazingCEOsfromthepastorpresent,youwouldfindthatthereis consistentthemeexistingbetweenallofthem–Creativity.Itisthatdistinctivequalitythat allowsCEOstotakerisks;thatenablesonetoact;itiswhatempowersotherstobreakpastthe establishedpatternsandlookatthingsfromadifferentangle.Tosumitup,tosurviveinthisday andageofcut-throatcompetitionwherethedifferencemakerisinnovation,aCEOneedstobe creativeandlethismindrunalongtheopenfield.

Hence,herein,InsightsSuccesshascuratedalistof“The30MostInnovativeCEOsTo Watch,2017,”whoarewavingtheircreativewandtobring-forwardthemostinnovativeand disruptivesolutiontotheindustryandleavingabenchmarkofleadershipforemergingCEOsto followsuit.

OurCoverStoryfeaturesRobvanEgmond,whohasledQuintiqtobeanindustryleaderin planningandoptimizingtheworld’ssupplychains.Thecompanysolvessomeoftheworld’s biggestandmostcomplexplanningpuzzlesunderRob’sableleadership.

Hementionsthatoneofthethingsthatmadehimsuccessful,whichalsohappenstobeakey valueofQuintiq,isthefreedomtopursuewhatyoubelievetobetherightsolution,without continuouslyaskingforpermission.Ashesays, “It might go wrong, but you need to keep moving forward.” ThisstrategyhasproventoworkwellforRob.

AsforhisroleasaCEO,Robrightlypointsout “One of the most exciting things about being CEO is being able to dream about the future.”

Also,makesuretoscrollthroughthearticleswrittenbyourin-houseeditorialteamandCXO Standpoint’sofsomeoftheleadingindustryexpertstohaveabrieftasteofthesector. Let’s Start Reading!

Sourav Mukherjee

Rob van Egmond CEO Quintiq

One of the most exciting things about being CEO is being able to dream about the future. ”

Fromahistoricalviewpoint,a leaderhasalwaysbeen representedassomeonein commandorinauthority;onewho issueddirectivesandenforcedtheir executionfromapresidingposition,all thewhiledispensingwisdom,rewards anddiscipline.Butadvancingyears coupledwithevolvingtechnologies andideology,haschangedthis perceptionofaleader,fromabusiness perspective.Today,leadershiprevolves aroundatimelesspracticeofguiding otherstowardsthepursuitofa commongoal,outcomeoradesired conclusion.Onesuchpositionorrole, whereleadershipisofparamount importance,isthatofaCEO.The ChiefExecutiveOfficershouldersthe responsibilityofleadingthe developmentandexecutingthelongtermobjectivesofacompany

Withanunfalteringdriveforsuccess, RobvanEgmondisonesuch individualwhoisleadingthewayfor hiscompanytostandtallamongits contemporaries.Hisinherentpassion fortechnologyandthepowerofITled himtobecometheCEOofQuintiq, whichstrivestosolvesomeofthe world’sbiggestandmostcomplex planningpuzzles.

Anearlyintroductiontotechnology Growingup,Rob’sinterestfor technologyandanythingrelatedtoit stemmedfromanofficecomputerhis fatherbroughthome.Thecomputer camewithamanualthatexplainedall therulesoftheprogramminglanguage BASIC.Hestartedgoingthroughthe entiremanualanddevelopedan extraordinaryinterestforthepowerof technology.Soonafter,attheageof 10,hewasabletoprogramandrebuild Pacmanonthatverysameoffice computer.Thusbeganalifetimeof programming,evenwritingprograms forhisteachersinschooltousefor courses.

Usingtechnologytosolveproblems

Whenitcametimetofurtherhis education,Robwasundecidedabout whichfieldofstudytoenter After meetingwiththeDeanandexpressing thedesiretotakeonthemost challengingcoursestheuniversityhad tooffer,Robwasleftwithachoice betweentheoreticalphysicsand operationsresearch.Robchose operationsresearch,whichhe describesasusingtechnologytosolve problems,andthechoicewouldprove topresenthimcountlesschallenges andopportunitiesthroughouthis career.

Upnext,Robworkedinemergency services,wherehedevelopedsoftware tohelpemergencyservicedepartments todispatchtherightambulancesand therightpolicevehicles. “It was basically an assignment puzzle.” Rob followedupthatpositionbyjoining Quintiqwherehiscareerhasexpanded overthepast15years.

Thestartofanewjourney AfterbeingintroducedtoQuintiq duringitsstartupyears,Robmetwith itsleadersandfoundersandrealized thatthevisionanddirectionofthe companyalignedwithhisstrengths andpassionforsolvingpuzzlesusing technology.Rob’sfirstprojectasa QuintiqspecialistwaswithJandeRijk Logistics,whichremainsoneof Quintiq’slongtimecustomers.

Throughouthisjourneyatthe company,Rob’sfocuswasonmaking sophisticatedtechnologiesusefultothe businessworld.Hewasinstrumentalin closingkeydeals,openingnewmarket opportunities,andidentifyingvaluable growthforitsclients.In2015,Victor Allis,afounderandCEOofQuintiqat thetime,namedRobashissuccessor.

LifeafterUniversity StraightoutofUniversity,Robtooka positionthatrequiredhimtouse mathematicstosolvepuzzlesinthe advertisingmarket.Hecreated softwaretoassesshowmanypeople wouldseeanadvertisement,ifitwas placedbetweentwospecifictelevision programs,orifitwasplacedintoa magazine.Robwholeheartedlyused hisprogrammingskillstoanalyze advertisingplacements.Aftersome time,hewasreadyforhisnext challenge.

TalkingabouthisjourneyatQuintiq, Robmentions, “It has been very interesting watching the expansion of the diversity of markets and I enjoy meeting with companies around the globe and working towards solving their puzzles and helping them achieve their goals.” Robhasarmedhimself withthevision,strategyand managementteamtoleadQuintiqasit continuestogrowinanever-changing market.

Don’twaitforsomeoneelse’s permission Roblikestoimparthisphilosophyof askingforforgivenessinsteadoffor permissionwhenfacedwithchallenges anddifficultdecisions. “What that

I think for me, the most important trait a leader must have is honesty. But I also think it is important for a leader to have an unrelenting drive to make their company the best.

really means to me is that you must take initiative. Do what you feel is right.”

Hementionsthatoneofthethingsthat madehimsuccessful,whichalso happenstobeakeyvalueofQuintiq, isthefreedomtopursuewhatyou believetobetherightsolution,without continuouslyaskingforpermission.As hesays, “It might go wrong, but you need to keep moving forward.” This strategyhasproventoworkwellfor Rob.

Quintiq–Transformingsupply chainplanningandoptimization

Sinceitsinception,Quintiqhassetthe standardsintheareaofsupplychain planningandoptimization.The companyhasreshapedtheparadigmby providingsoftwarethatisa100%fitto acustomer’sneeds.Usersofother solutionshavehadtomakedowithan 80%fitwhichrequireduserstoadjust theirprocessestothesoftware,instead oftheotherwayaround. Quintiq’sfirst customerisstillusingthesoftwareas

aremorethan95%ofallcustomers.Thisstandsasa testamenttotheflexibilityofthesoftware.

LeveragingtheflexibilityofQuintiq BeingtheCEOofagrowingcompanyinanever-changing industryisachallengethatRobrelishes.Robfeelsthat whatmakeshimuniqueandsuccessfulinhiscurrentroleis hiswide-arrayofinterestsandhisinnatecuriosity.Many CEOsonlyfocusononeortwoindustries.Becauseofthe flexibilityofQuintiq’ssoftwareandthediversityofits clientbase,Robhastheopportunitytomeetwith companiesacrossawidespectrumofindustries. “In a month, I can have meetings with a steel company talking about hot charging, a protein processing company focusing on demand forecasting and carcass optimization, an airline for crew planning, an oil refinery for pipeline scheduling or a retailer trying to optimize their back haul opportunities,” hepointsout, “And I can say with confidence that Quintiq is the tool to solve all of their puzzles, no matter the complexities.”

thatoneofthemostpressingchallengesforaCEOis “Balancing innovation, empowerment and risk taking, with growth targets and regulatory requirements and reporting. “I have a core belief that taking risks, along with making some mistakes is necessary for innovation so I prioritize keeping this all in balance.”

ChangeisGood! Thereisoftenanaturaltendencyamongpeopletothinkof changeasbad.Tothecontrary,Robthinksofchangeas somethinggood,meaningchangelikeanewmarket,anew organizationalstructure,orasenseofnewleadership.“Of course too much is too much, but generally change is good.”

Overthelast20yearsofQuintiq’sexistence,therehasbeen asignificantchangeintermsofdemandandrising individualismofconsumers,whichRobexplainsas “…they want more of their product at their convenience and in their specifications.” Thishasputasignificantstrainon companiestobemoreagile,reactive,andtohavealarger setofSKUs,whileatthesametimereducingcosts.For Quintiq,theprevalenceofchangehasbeennothingless thangreat.“We have not been challenged by the change in consumer behavior. We have actually embraced that. This change that has happened over the last 20 years is precisely what our software is designed to address.”

Theroadahead

Learningaboutdifferentindustries,whatmakeseach companyunique,andthespecificsoftheirplanning puzzles,nevergetsoldforRob. “I guess it is that same curiosity that made me investigate my dad’s computer when I was eight and has defined my direction ever since,” he adds.

QualitiesandchallengesofaCEO Robbelievesthatthemostimportantcharacteristicforany CEOistheirunfalteringdriveforsuccesscoupledwiththe abilitytolistentoothers.Inregardstochallenges,hestates

“I think we are on a path, I would say, to become the number one supply chain planning and optimization brand in the world. We set that as a goal and I see the momentum carrying through in 2018,” Robmentions.Today,the marketisever-changingandcomplex,andQuintiqisready totakeonthechallenge.Inthecomingyears,withthe burgeoningsupportfromitsparentcompany,Dassault Systèmes,Quintiqisslatedtoexpandintounexplored marketareas,therebyacceleratingtheadoptionofits uniquetechnologyintothosemarkets.Robenvisions Quintiq,inthenextthreeyears,tobecomethelargest companyfocusedonsupplychainplanningand optimization.

Advicetobuddingandemergingentrepreneurs “I would say that if you’re convinced of your idea and your ability to deliver, then go and do it independent of what anyone might say otherwise. There will always be people in the way that will tell you not to do it and that it won’t work. Do listen carefully to everyone, but if you’re convinced, don’t be dissuaded and move boldly forward,” Rob concludes.

“There is no planning puzzle we can’t solve, no business operation we can’t optimize.”

CloudCrazeSoftware cloudcraze.com

CrossCountry HomeServices cchs.com

CybageSoftwarePvt.Ltd. cybage.com

Datacolor

EntrustDatacard

Getronics

GHOGroup

Intelex

Inc.

ChrisDalton CEO

SteveUpshaw CEO

Brief ArunNathani CEO

CarnivalCorporationistheworld’slargestleisuretravel companywhichprovidestravelersaroundtheglobewith extraordinaryvacationsatanexceptionalvalue.

CloudCrazeSoftwaredeliversrobustB2Bcommerce technologybuiltnativelyonSalesforce.WithCloudCraze, businessesgenerateonlinerevenuefast,easilyscaleforgrowth andstay100%connectedwithcustomers.

CrossCountryHomeServices(CCHS)isaleadingproviderof warranty,repair,andmaintenanceservices.

CybageSoftwarePvt.Ltd.isatechnologyconsulting organizationspecializinginoutsourcedproductengineering services.

AlbertBusch CEO

Datacolor’scolormanagementsolutionsarecreatedand supportedbypassionateemployeesandcertifiedtomultiple industrystandards.

ToddWilkinson CEO EntrustDatacardcreatestrustedidentitysolutionsthatallowfor securetransactionsbetweenpeople,placesandthings.

NanaBaffour CEO GetronicsisaglobalICTintegratorwithanextensivehistory thatextendsover130years.

GaryOlson CEO

MarkJaine CEO

AndrewAppel CEO

TheGHOGroupisanindependentconsultingfirmthat specializesinplanninganddesigningmediaproduction facilitiesforbroadcastandcablecompanies,corporations, educationalinstitutions,andculturalorganizations.

Intelexempowerorganizationstomeetthechallengesofan increasinglycomplexmarketplacewhileminimizingtheir negativesocial,environmentalandhumanimpacts.

IRIisaleadingproviderofbigdata,predictiveanalyticsand forward-lookinginsightsthathelpCPG,OTChealthcare, retailersandmediacompaniestogrowtheirbusinesses.

CarnivalCorporation carnivalcorp.com

ArnoldDonald CEO

Name

Newforma

OptiNose

PEMEX

PDI

Management

JonasConstructionSoftwarehelpsclientcompaniesautomate theirworkflowswithapplicationsthatofferservice,accounting andoperationsprojectmanagementcapabilities.

BrockPhilp

Newformaisthebuildingandinfrastructureindustry’sleading softwarecompanydedicatedtoimprovingprojectdelivery

Miller

Brief StephanSilvio

OptiNoseisaspecialtypharmaceuticalcompanyfocusedon creatingandbringingtomarketinnovativeproductsforpatients withdiseasestreatedbyear,nose,andthroat(ENT)andallergy specialists.

OrbitlogisticsimplementsVendorManagedInventoryProjects (e-VMI)intheprocessindustryandisoneoftheleading internationalprovidersofinventorymanagementsolutions, whichofferasustainabledecreaseofprocesscosts.

ZacharyJulius

PDIisamulti-generational,family-ownedcompanydedicated toBeTheDifference®

SalvadorEscobedo

MichaelBertini

PEMEXProcurementInternational,Inc.,isawhollyowned companyofPetróleosMexicanosthatwascreatedtoprovide procurementservicesforPetróleosMexicanosandits subsidiaries.

ProcessProdevelops,sells,implementsandsupportsacomplete

solutionforcompaniesthatexecutebatchprocess manufacturinginhighlyregulatedindustries.

Pure-Ecommerceoffersaoneofkindopportunitytohelpease

becomingan

Quintiqisanindustryleaderinplanningandoptimizingthe world'ssupplychains.

RMSisaglobalsoftwarecompany,withheadquartersin

producingandsupportingOnlineBooking,Channel

andFrontOfficeSystemstotheworld’shospitality industry.

JonasConstruction Software

SteveCowan CEO

Name

RtTechSoftware

Management

SageHospitality

SMT

Brief

RtTechSoftwareisaleadingIndustrialAppsprovider,helping globalclientsinthemanufacturing,mining,andpower generationindustriestoincreaseproductivityanddecrease energyconsumptionthroughoperationalintelligence.

WalterIsenberg CEO SageHospitalityisonamissiontobreaknewground,andnot justthedirtonitsnewestprojects.

GaneshSabat CEO

SMTisadeveloperandmanufacturerofminimallyinvasive coronarystentsystemsandaleadinginnovatorof cardiovascularproducts.

StrandLifeSciences

TRACKHospitality Software

DreamBig

RameshHariharan CEO

RyanBailey CEO

StrandLifeSciencesisaleaderinprecisionmedicine diagnosticsaimingtoempowercancercareandgenomictesting forinheritedandrarediseases.

TRACKhelpstoconvertmorecalls,emailsandlivechat sessionsintocontacts,morecontactsintoleadsandmoreleads intodirectbookings.

RashmiVarma CEO

VelocityEHS

GlennTrout CEO

VincentForster CEO

Women

EllenVoie CEO

DeepakMittal

DreamBigProjecttakesafreshlookattheknowledge infrastructuretoenvisionandbuildafuturisticworldof knowledgebeyondtheboundariesofacurrentone.

VelocityEHSisthelargestEHSsoftwarecompanyintheworld.

VersantisisaSwisspharmaceuticalcompany,Spin-offofETH Zurich,developinganewgenerationofmedicinesand diagnosticstorevolutionizethecareofpatientswithliver disease.

TheWomenInTruckingAssociationisanon-profitorganization withthemissiontoencouragetheemploymentofwomeninthe truckingindustry,promotetheiraccomplishments,and minimizeobstaclesfacedbywomenworkingintheindustry.

xtLyticsoffersanalyticsplatforms,dataanalyticsservicesand out-of-the-boxmodulesfortheHealthcareandInsurance industry

KeithFlynn

Leading the Charge On Innovative, 1:1 Personalized Marketing at IRI Andrew Appel:

Withtoday’smediaconsumptionfragmentingat anunprecedentedpace,marketerscanchoose fromanynumberofexcitingnewplatformsto reachtheiraudience,butconsumersarebeinginundated withanendlessstreamofrandomadsandpromotions.IRI, aleadingbigdata,analyticsandinsightsfirm,arguesthat companiesneedtobecomemorepersonalizedandprecise inhowtheycommunicatewithconsumersandmeasure howtheircommunicationsimpactconsumerbehaviorsand salesovertime.IRIPresidentandCEOAndrewAppel,one ofour30MostInnovativeCEOstoWatch,recognizedthat thecomplexityoftheadvertisingecosystemwascreating messagingchaos–companieswerespendinghundredsof billionsofdollarsonadsthatwerepoorlytargeted, irrelevantandannoyingtoconsumers.

Tocombatthisproblem,IRIlaunchedthePersonalization Suite,agame-changingcapabilitythatenablescompaniesto targettheirmarketingandpromotionsonamoregranular, personalizedlevel.TheSuite’sthreecoresolutionsare layeredontopofIRI’sunparalleledtroveofdataassetsand canoptimizetheeffectivenessofadvertisingspendonsales byupto70percent.“The answer is personalization,”Appel told Insights Success. “At IRI, we are helping companies reach the people who are most interested in their messaging and most likely to buy their products,” saidAppel.

ThelaunchoftheIRIPersonalizationSuitedemonstrates Appel’smissiontohelpIRI’sclientsnavigateadynamic andchangingconsumerlandscape.SinceAppeljoinedIRI in2012,thecompanyhastransformedintoaleading technology-focusedbigdatainsightsprovider,helping consumerpackagedgoods,over-the-counterhealthcare organizations,retailers,financialservicesandmedia companiesgrowtheirbusinesses.

LeadingOneoftheOriginalInnovatorsinBigData

Whetheranalyzinghowtomakeclients’assortment,pricing andpromotionsmoreprofitable,tailoringmediastrategies,

orguidingthemthroughnewproductormarketplanning, IRIaimstoturndataintouniqueconsumerinsightsthat leadtoactions.

Inturn,IRIleadersareexpertsinunderstandingthewaysin whichtheconsumerexperienceisevolvingandcreating capabilitiestohelpclientsnavigateit.IRI’sAppelisathis bestinthecompany’sinnovative,forward-lookingculture–hisdeepleadershipandadvisoryexperiencewashonedin environmentswheredata-drivendecisionmakingand innovationwerevalued.AppeljoinedIRIfromAon,where asChiefOperatingOfficerheledtheteamresponsiblefor the$5billionacquisitionandintegrationofHewitt, solidifyingAon’sleadingpositioninhumanresource consultingandoutsourcing.Earlierinhiscareer,Appelwas aseniorpartneratMcKinseyandCompany.Asafounding memberofMcKinsey’sGlobalBusinessTechnologyand OperationsPractice,Appelledthepracticeasitgrewfrom 50to300consultants.

Thiscombinationofvision,forwardthinkinganddeep industryexpertiseiscriticalforIRI,acompanyatthenexus ofrawdata,advancedtechnologicalanalysisandactionable insights.

CollaborationisKey AtIRI,collaborationisoneofthecompany’scorevalues. Appelandhisteamarededicatedtoworkingcloselywitha rangeofindustryandretailleaderstodeliverjoint solutions,servicesandaccesstocapabilities,andinturn, expandthebreadthofdataandinsightsIRIprovidesits clients.Asaresult,IRIclientshaveunprecedentedaccessto real-timeanalysisofgranularretailerdataatscale,which givesmarketersanewlevelofprecisionandaccuracyin advertising

“IRI’s expansive Partner Ecosystem is one of our greatest assets,” Appelsays. “We are differentiated by our state-ofthe-art technology and capabilities, powered by industry

partnerships with companies like Adobe, comScore, Experian, GfK and Kantar Shopcom, and our unparalleled trove of data assets, harvested in collaboration with several of the world’s top retailers, including Ahold USA and Delhaize America, The Kroger Co., Rite Aid, and Walgreens Boots Alliance.”

Appel’stremendousmomentuminsigningupretail partnershipsshowsnosignsofslowingdown.IRIrecently announcedmajorstrategicpartnershipswithAholdUSA, DelhaizeAmerica,andBootsUK,threeleadingretailers withover4,400combinedstores.IRIisnowthepreferred partnerofchoicefor7ofthetop10globalretailers.

Leadershipfora“Re-startup”

IRIdescribesitselfasa“re-startup”inthat,despiteits35yearhistory,itisbothtechnologicallyadvancedandnimble. Maintainingthatmomentumacrossaglobalorganization takesstrongleadership,and,Appelbelieves,aleaderwho encouragesforwardthinking,setsthepaceforcontinuous innovation,andleadsbyexample.“At IRI, we have consistently pushed the boundaries of data science and explored new frontiers, but keeping up that momentum and drive to compete with our own best work can be challenging,” Appelsays. “It would be easy to rest on our laurels, but I try to model the high energy, flexibility and

PositioningIRIforContinuedSuccess

Inthemidstofhistoricchangesinconsumers’buying behaviors,drivenbyanexplosionoftechnologyandnew mediaformats,oneofthemostacuteissuesthatIRI’s clientsfaceistheimpactofmarketingcampaigns. Confidentthattheshifttowardpersonalizedmarketingis keyforCPGandOTChealthcarecompanies,Appelattests that “as the dynamic marketing environment continues to evolve, IRI will carry on leading the charge toward 1:1 personalized marketing with unmatched data, proprietary algorithms, leading technology and groundbreaking solutions.” Intheyearstocome,Appelandhisteamwill continuetoprovideclientswitharoadmaptonavigatethe changingconsumerlandscape,andtheCompanywill continuetopushboundariesintheinsightsandanalysis spacetohelptheirclientsachievegrowth.

Andrew Appel President & CEO

IRI

As IRI’s President and CEO, my goal is to ensure that our organization remains relentlessly relevant to our clients by leveraging the best and the brightest minds and the most advanced technologies to not only detail how consumer behavior has changed, but also predict how it will change in the future market awareness that companies focused on innovation need to succeed.”

Arnold Donald: The Leader who Grabbed Hold of an Opportunity and Spearheaded towards Success

Standingattheedgeofhisretirementphaseand workingtirelesslyforCarnivalCorporationfor12 longyears,Arnoldwasallbutassuredhowtherestof hiscorporatelifewillpanoutatthecompany.Butthenthe CEOandChairmanoftheworld’slargestcruisecompany, MickyArison,decidedtorolloutanunanticipatedofferon theplateforArnold.And,thus,beganthesecondchapterof Arnold’sfascinatingcorporatejourney.Thoughhisdecision toaccepttheofferwaswrappedwithreluctanceatfirst, ArnoldDonaldeventuallyrealizedthesignificanceofthe opportunity,andsincethenhehasn’tlookedback.

TheSparkthatIgnitedFire Arnoldlearnedearlyonabouttheimportanceofeducation, planning,andhardwork.Hisentrepreneurialjourney stemmedfromhischildhoodyears,whereinhebought candy’sinbulkquantitiesandsoldthemtohisoldersister atalargemarkup.Byearningmultipledegrees,including anMBA,Arnoldgrabbedtheopportunitytoworkfor Monsanto Company,aglobalmanufacturerofthe sweetenerbrandsEqualandCanderal.His20yearsatthe companyculminatedinrunningitslargestdivisionand spearheadingittowardssuccess.

FollowinghisroleastheChairmanofMerisantCompany, ArnoldservedastheCEOofthe Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation andthenthe Executive Leadership Council inWashingtonD.C.Nevertoshyawayfrom responsibilities,thepassionatebusinessmanservedasthe memberofmultipleboards,bothfor-profitandnon-profit organizations.Arnoldprioritizedhispassiontopursuea

careerinbusinessearlyon,leadinghimtoscale unimaginableheightsinhiscorporatecareer.Hementions “...I believe we really enjoy what we’re doing when one follows their dreams.”

GrabbingHoldofOpportunities

WhenMickyArisondecidedtosplittheroleofChairman andCEOandofferedhimtoserveastheCEOofthe company,Arnoldhadtoponderovertheopportunityfora coupleofdays.Today,Arnoldmentionshowhewouldhave regrettedifhehadn’ttakenupthisjobashisexperiencehas beenanythinglessthanincrediblethusfar.

“I’m honored that Micky has entrusted me with the company that he and his father built over several decades. It is a lot of fun to work with such passionate employees who take the responsibility of delivering a great vacation very seriously,”Arnoldasserts.OneofArnold’spassion revolvesaroundexploringanddiscoveringtheworldand meetingnewpeopleandgainingnewperspectives,one whichheisabletodoinhisroleastheCEOofCarnival Corporation.Thecompanycreatesgreatvacation experiencesfortheirguests,whichwouldbeetchedforever intheirminds- “is there any better business than that?”

ACompanywithanExtraordinaryPortfolio

Withadedicated120,000workforce,CarnivalCorporation istheworld’slargestleisuretravelcompany.Itsvastand passionateemployeebase,spreadacross100countriesand above,arefocuseduponexceedingguestexpectationsand providingtravellersaroundtheglobewithextraordinary

vacationsatanexceptionalvalue, everysingleday.Thecompanyboasts aportfolioof9globalcruisebrands plusasocialimpactbrand,including well-known,iconiccruiselinesin NorthAmerica– Carnival Cruise Line, Cunard, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn. Together,Carnivals’globalbrands operateafleetofmorethan100ships, visitingover700portsaroundthe worldandareprovidingnearly12 millionguestsannuallywith extraordinarycruisevacations.

ItisArnold’sprofessionalgoaltodo everythinginhisabilitytohelpits dedicatedemployeesexceedthe guests’expectationsandprovidethem withthebestvacationsintheworld.

Arnoldclaims, “If we can continue to do that, our employees will be successful, our guests will be highly satisfied and want to cruise more often, and we will entice more travelers to try cruising for the first time, which will help drive our ongoing performance.”

FosteringDiversityofThinking

AkeyvaluethroughoutArnold’scareer hasbeenfosteringtheideaof

“diversityofthinking.”Hebelieves havinganorganizedworkforce centered-aroundacommonobjective, irrespectiveoftheirdiffering backgroundandculturalexperiences, enablescreativityandinnovationto flourish.Thecompany’sfocuson diversityofthinkingdrivesinnovation, whichinturncreatesnewopportunities tocontinuouslyexceedguest expectationsandexpanditsbusiness.

OvercomingComplacencyandother Challenges

Withtheworldquicklyevolvingwith newandemerginginnovationsand approaches,whicharedisrupting businessmodelsandcreatingnew formsofcompetitionandsometimes entirelynewmarket,oneneedstohave theabilitytolookaroundthecorners andcontinuallyinnovatetostay competitive.Thismeansavoiding complacencyandalwayslookingfor newwaystoachieveyourgoals.

Arnoldadvisesaspiringentrepreneurs togoafterwhattheyarepassionate aboutinlifeandneverbeafraidto dreambig.Hecontinues, “Challenges will come throughout your career, but

if you are doing something you love, you will have the strength and resolve to overcome issues – and you will have more fun along the way!”

TheFutureofContinualExpansion CarnivalCorporationwillcontinueto innovatearounditsguestexperience anduseitsbrandsandglobalreachto serveitsguestsbetter.Thepassionof itsemployeesinprovidingitsguests withextraordinaryvacationshasbeen akeyhighlightbehindthecompany’s remarkablesuccessandperformance. Itisthispassionandspiritof Carnival’semployeeswhichisdriving andwillcontinuetodriveitsbusiness forward.

Arnoldhasinstilledacultureof innovationacrosstheorganizationby collaboratingtogether,learningfrom eachother,andtakingadvantageofthe strongdiversityofthinkingacrossthe company. “Our ability to continue to drive innovation with our employees will be the key to staying competitive, growing the business and taking a larger share of the overall vacation market,” Arnoldconcludes.

“I’m a firm believer that you will never have all the answers, but if you ask the right questions to your customers, in our case our guests, and of your employees, and truly listen, then the answers will reveal themselves”

— Arnold Donald CEO Carnival Corporation

Brock Philp:

An Experienced CEO Driven to Succeed

Possessingover15yearsofexperienceinleading multipleindustry-specificsoftwarecompanies, BrockPhilpisoneoftheleadingtransformational CEOsinthesoftwareindustry.Hiscontributionsandefforts astheCEOofNewformabolsteredperformanceand rebalancedthecompanywhilealsofurthersolidifyinghis positionasapioneeringleader–aCEOtowatchinthe B2Btechnologyworld.Hisjourneyisinspiring.Hewas only24yearsoldwhenhelookedafterprofitandlossata companywhilealsopursinghisMBAdegreetakingnight classesattheUniversityofToronto.

Philpshiftedinhiscareerpathandbecameanaccount managerresponsibleforsellingenterprisesoftwareto telephonecompanies.DuringthisjobPhilpdiscoveredhis interestinthebusinessofsoftware,thefieldhechoseto advancehiscareer

TheStartofSomethingBig Whilespeakingatabusinessschoolevent,Philpwas approachedafterthepresentationbytheCEOof ConstellationSoftware,aproviderofsoftwareandservices toverticalmarkets.Philpwasintroducedtothebusinessof verticalmarketsandarecurringrevenuemodel,andlife wasneverthesameagain.Fromthere,Philpwentonto becometheCEOofacompanythatprovidedsoftwareto privateclubssuchasgolfcourses,yachtclubs,anddinner clubs.Sincethen,PhilpheldseveralCEOpositionsat varioussoftwarecompaniesfocusedonverticalmarkets

Brock Philp CEO Newforma

withrecurringrevenue,eventually joiningNewforma.

ACompanyDedicatedtoImprove ProjectDelivery

Newformaisthebuildingand infrastructureindustry’sleadingproject informationmanagement(PIM) softwarecompany,dedicatedto improveprojectdelivery,mitigaterisk andreducefirms’administrative workload.Thecompanypioneeredthe PIMsoftwarecategoryin2004.To date,morethan1,500architecture, engineering,andconstruction companieshaveusedNewforma softwareonmorethan3million projectsacrosstheworld.

NewformaprovidesProjectCenterand ProjectCloudforConstruction software.AccordingtoPhilp, “Our software eases collaboration and simplifies the organization, distribution and access of critical project information (e.g. emails, RFIs and submittals, etc.) while maintaining a full audit trail.” Thecompany integratesinformationfromdesign, construction,andowner’steamsand providesmarkupandreviewtools, whichhelpinsavingtimewhile mitigatingrisk.Thesoftware differentiatesitselffromeveryother solutioninthemarketplaceby connectingprojectinformationsilos, indexingdatawhereitresidesand managingemail;thismitigatesrisk, promotesbestpractices,maximizes profitability,andenhancesthe reputationofthecustomer

JumpoffaCliffandAssemblea PlaneontheWayDown Philpfirmlybelievestobeasuccessful CEO,oneneedstobewillingandable tohonestlyself-analyzeandalso surroundthemselveswiththeright people.ACEOwhothinksthatthey knoweverythingwillfailtogetthe

mostoutoftheirpeopleandwill,most likely,eitherfailorseriouslyunder perform.

Speakingaboutthechallenges,Philp mentions, “…there is an incredible amount of data available today to digest, and it is coming at an incredibly fast pace. It is a challenge today to sort through that information to determine what is relevant to the business.”

KnowingyourVisionandBeing ConfidentAboutit

Afewyearsago,Philpdecidedtobuy asoftwarecompanybackfrom institutionalinvestorsusingprivate investors.Duringthistime,herealized thattherewereemployeeswho believedstronglyinthecompanyand wantedtoinvest.AccordingtoPhilp, thesewereemployees,notsavvy investorswithcashonhandtomake investments.Someneededtodecide withtheirfamiliestomakethe investmentasitwouldinvolve mortgagingtheirhome.Thiswasthe momentwhenPhilpgotawider-lens perspectiveoftheduty,power,and responsibilityofaCEO.

ForanyCEO,hementions, perseveranceisofutmostimportance. Itisimportanttostaymotivated,even whilefacingobstacles,distractionsand negativepeople.Followingthat,is havingacan-doattitude. “Your attitude will affect others and encourage them as well.” Thethird keyvalueisbeinghonestwithyourself andothersaroundyou. “Decide what you’re good at, and let others handle the parts they’re good at.” Andfinally, itisimportanttohaveavisionforthe endgame. “The end game is what you’re trying to accomplish in your career and for the company at the time. Know what you want that vision to be and be confident in it.”

ThinkingaboutTomorrowWhile BeingFocusedonToday

Overthepastfewyears,Newformahas beenlargelyNorthAmerican-centricin itsthinking.Althoughthecompanyhas globalofficesandglobalclients,ithas beenlimitingitsoperationsbythinking onlyoftheneedsofitsclientsfromthe NorthAmericanperspective.Inthe nexttwoyears,Newformawilldevelop aglobalmindset.Thiswouldrequirea culturalchangeforthecompany,where itincorporatesglobalneedsintoallits decisions.

Newformawillalsobecreatinga globalsupportorganizationwith commonservicelevelagreements acrossalllocations;aswellassending moreofitsemployeestooverseas locationsandhavingtheoverseas employeestospendtimeinAmerica. Thiswillhelpthemunderstandthe needsofitsclientsbetteranddevelopa globalorganizationthatsolvesclient problems.Toconclude,Philpmentions “Finally, our account management group will better understand the indepth global operations of our customers’current businesses and future plans, and will grow with them globally.”

Don’tQuit!

I would tell new entrepreneurs that failing doesn’t mean you’re a failure. Things rarely go right the first time. I would also tell them to get an experienced mentor at the outset. Find someone who has experience taking ideas from concept to commercialization, and not someone who only focuses on sales, marketing, finance or some combination of these areas. You want someone who can help you from start to finish. Finally, I’d like to tell them, “Don’t quit!”

DEEPAK MITTAL:

Theconceptofentrepreneurshipisinconstantflux. Innovationandresearchaddstoagrowing knowledgebasewhichorganizationsareleveraging toinnovatewhileremainingtruetotheirmissions.While anyentrepreneurcanlaunchabusiness,successful entrepreneurshipisanongoingprocesswhereprofitisthe rewardforaddressinguncertaintyandcoordinating resources.

TheFounderandCEOofxtLytics,DeepakMittal,isone suchaccomplishedentrepreneurwithaproventrackrecord instrategydevelopment,businessintelligence,andbusiness development.

Earlyinhiscareer,Deepakdevelopedlargescalesoftware productsandbuildcomplexalgorithmsforanumberof Fortune500clientsinhealthcare,finance,retailandother industries.Academically,hehasastrongbackgroundin engineeringanddataanalytics,havinggraduatedfromIIT, whichisahistoricallycompetitiveinstitution.After receivinganMBAfromColumbiaBusinessSchoolinNew YorkCity,hefoundhimselfintheheartofSiliconAlley.He isproudthatanumberofhispeersareleadingFortune500 companiestoday.

“Fate loves the fearless,”isDeepak’sfavoritequoteandit hasservedhimwellinmomentsofself-doubt,especiallyin theearlystagesofxtLyticsHeissupremelyfortunatetobe surroundedbyacompetent,devotedandcohesiveteamin bothbusinessandsoftwaredevelopment.

Hesays, “It’s the people in our organization that meet the ultimate challenge of disrupting industries and unseating incumbents one day at a time. My goal is to make xtLytics the analytics company of choice for healthcare, life sciences, insurance and marketing and possibly also other industries into which we’re currently considering expanding.”

DeliveringFastandUncompromisingServices xtLyticscurrentlyofferspredictiveanalyticsforthe healthcare, life sciences andinsuranceindustries,all poweredbymodern,machinelearningalgorithms.Someof thecompany’snoteworthyclientsareColumbiaUniversity, PromiusPharma,Novartis,andTuftsMedicalCenter

Alongwithpredictiveanalytics,xtLyticsalsoprovides powerfuldatavisualizationtoolsthatassistandsimplifythe decision-makingprocessateverylevel.Theirarchitectureis flexibleenoughtobeeasilyintegratedintoexisting infrastructurewithoutdisruptingbusinessoperations,i.e. ‘AnalyticsonDemand.’

xtLyticsknowstheydon’thavetosettle-notonlydothey haveaccesstomoredatasourcesandbundlesthanother similarcompanies,butalsosuperior,self-iterativestatistical andmachinelearningmethods.Theserelativelynewdata miningmethodshavebeenstatisticallyproventoextract significantlybettersignal,liftand,ultimately,deliver superioractionableinsight.

Thecompany’sclientsdemandquick,concreteand monetizableinsights;xtLyticsisabletodeliverthemfaster thanitscompetitors.

ThePivotalMoment

TheconvergenceofBigData,cloudcomputing,machine learning,anddataminingmethodscreatedtheperfect storm.Theworldofanalyticswasthrustintoanewera. Havingworkedwithdemandingclientsforover20years andanticipatingthechallengesofthefuture,Deepakfelt thathewasataninflectionpoint,andreadytoridethewave intothefuture.

AlreadyfamiliarwithvariousITarchitecturedesigns,he cameupwithamodelthatcouldeasilyintegrateintoalmost anylegacysystemwhilemakingthebestuseofdataand offeringquick,actionable,unparalleledinsights. Theproduct/marketfitwasvalidatedrelativelyquicklyfor

thecompany.Brandnameclientadoptionfollowed andthatisthemostreassuringmarketsignalan entrepreneurcanhopefor

TheRoleofaGoodCEO

AccordingtoDeepak,agoodCEOshouldhave vision and pragmatism. Abilitytolookbeyondthe ‘second bounce of the ball’,intothefuturethat pushesthefrontiersofhumaningenuityand through pragmatism reverse-engineerhiswayto thepresentandthentransformthatvisionintoa concreteproduct.Deepakbelievesthathumility andsensitivityarecriticalforasuccessful calibrationofthesetwoelements.

“The most pressing challenge is time, also known in our world as ‘shelf life’. The half-life of tech products is getting exponentially shorter. Few companies and CEOs fail because of a lack of funding or incompetent teams, but many do because they can’t deliver the promised future fast enough. This is especially true in our industry where Big Data makes the future constantly available and yet cannot be converted into insights fast enough. I’m proud to say that we’ve been able to meet this challenge better than many larger, better-funded competitors,” he says.

ManagementisPartArtandPartScience

Deepaksaysthatittakesalottopushhimoutsidehis emotionalbandwidth.Hiseven-temperhasservedhimwell, especiallyinthebeginningwhenpressurewashigh, certaintylowandthecompetitiongrewquicklyas addressablemarketsexpanded.

Hiscalm,controlledattitudeseepsintootherlayersofthe organization,settingthetoneforcompanywideinteractions. Hedoesn’tliketomicromanageandsaysthat‘Management ispartartandpartscience’.Thisapproachhasn’t disappointedhimsofar.

AdvicetotheBuddingEntrepreneurs

Deepakisaninspirationtobuddingentrepreneurs.His advicetothemissimple,yethardtoinitiate.

Hesays, “Whenever you’re bogged down by mind-numbing pressure, doubts and fears, get out of your head! Let space seep in between your thoughts! Sounds simple but it’s harder than it sounds. Reach out to friends, children, and people whose paths you wouldn’t necessarily cross as part of your routine. Listen to a violin concerto. I find that these things can change your thought process in unexpected ways

to build that much-needed sensitivity. It’s that sensitivity that makes you aware of subtle, yet imminent changes, fostering new trends and opening up new markets. That’s how innovative companies are born.”

CreatingtheFuture

Deepakisalwayswillingtodelveinto newmarkets,and bringsthattraittoxtLytics.Thecompanyseekstounseat incumbentsbychallengingtheirarcanemodels,andtogive clientsgreatercontrolovertheirowndata,whileretaining itstrademarkflexibilityandnimblestructure.

Deepakempowershisteammembersandexpectsthemto takefullownershipoftheendproductwhilereminding themthat, ‘There are no passengers on this ship. We’re all crew!’

We help you gain profitable insights from your healthcare and insurance data using our proprietary AI models.

Deepak Mittal Founder & CEO xtLytics LLC

Dr. Michael Bertini

An Innovation-Driven Entrepreneur Bringing Value to the Customers

Changeisinevitable.Anddependingonhowyou approachit,itcanbedisruptiveorextremely rewarding.Tounderstanddisruptioninthe businesses,onefirstneedstoconsidersomebroaderscale changes.Astatisticalsurveyshowsthat,aboutfivedecades ago,theaveragelifespanofaFortune500companywas about60years.Whilein2010,thislifespandecreasedto18 years.Basedonstatisticalanalysis,itisestimatedthatby 2020,threequartersoftoday’sFortune500companieswill nolongerexist.Influencingfactorsdrivingthesedisruptions includeaccesstotechnology,increasingcustomer expectations(drivenbynativedigitalexperiences customersmeeteveryday)andaspikeincompetitionfrom digitalnativecompaniesthatmoveswiftlytomeet customerneeds.Promotingacultureofinnovationinorder tosurviveintheconstantlychangingbusinessworldisa tenaciousleaderbythenameDr.MichaelBertini.

Michaelemphasizesanunderstandingofthe“user”; helpingthemwiththeirneeds,creatingenhancedcustomer journeys,andhelpingthemtodefineandutilize TRAVERSEtobestfittheirneeds.

AboutMichael’sEntrepreneurialJourney

AstheCEOofOpenSystems,Inc.andProcessPro, MichaelBertiniispassionateaboutfosteringaculturethat placesthecustomerfirst.

Michaelstartedhiscareerasamanufacturingengineerin AustraliaandNewZealandbutsoonrealizedhewasmore interestedintechnologythanengineering.Hetookthe

entrepreneurialplungeand,overthreedecadesof persistence,builthisownsoftwarecompany.

Michaelsawtheneedforindustry-specificcustomizedERP solutionsthatstreamlinedbusinessprocessesandprovided timelyinformationforcriticalbusinessdecisions.He acquiredandtookdirectionofProcessProtoadvancethat vision.

ProcessProdevelops,sells,implementsandsupports completeERPsoftwaresolutionsforcompaniesthat executebatchprocessmanufacturinginhighly-regulated industries,particularlyfood,pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals,cannabis,andchemicalprocessing.

Theteambelievesinonebasicrule: Get more from your information and you will get more from your business.

Becausehehasbuiltateamwherethememberstrulyenjoy theirwork,Michaelisconfidentaboutthecontinuing growthofthecompanythroughnewchallengesand opportunitiesforhisemployees.

BiasistheBiggestChallengetoInnovation

Whenbusinessesandinstitutionsareunderpressureto changeorinnovate,theirfocusisonpeopleratherthan process.Theyoftenfailbecausechangeandinnovationare stifledbycognitivebias.Michaelbelievesthatthisbiasis thebiggestchallengetoinnovationandthatcreatingthe rightbusinessenvironmentmightbethekeytochanging this.

Inatechnologycompany,itiseasytobebiasedtowardsthe technologyyourteamsunderstandandwithwhichtheyare comfortable.Michaeladvises, “Don’t lose track of the customer; make decisions based on what they need, not what you are comfortable with”. Hefocusesongettinga broadscopeofresponsesandfeedbackbyreachingoutto bothexistingandpotentialcustomers.Simply put, customer-driveninnovationalwaysworks.

Asanentrepreneur,Michaelbelievesinidentifyingand siezingtheopportunitiespresentintheeveryenvironment. “Lead, innovate, motivate, compete, be compassionate, thrive on winning, integrate, avoid bias, don’t take no as an answer unless it makes sense… and remember that it’s trash until its cash,” headds.

MichaelasaLeader

Michaeltakesastrongpersonalinterestinthesuccessof thecustomers.Histeam’sprimaryobjectiveistohelp clientstosucceed,becomemoreproductiveandtransform theirorganizations.

Hebelievesthatorganizationsneedtherightinformation, providedefficientlytotherightpeopleattherighttime,to pro-activelyadapttotheirmarkets.Hisvisionistoinvest andgrowvertically-orientedbusinesseslikeProcessProthat canprovidesignificantlymorevaluetocustomersthana moregeneric“onesizefitsall”ERPsolution.

Michaelmakessurethattheproductsheoffersdonotonly giveoneofthebestreturnsoninvestmentinthe marketplacetohisclients,butalsodeliveraframeworkin whichanyinvestmentaclientmakestodayinadaptingthe solutionisretainedwithfutureupgrades.Bylinking functionally-richerverticalsolutions,deepverticaldomain expertiseandasharedinvestmentinadaptablecore technologiesandplatforms,Michaelbelieveshecan promotehiscustomers’successinawaythatfewotherERP systemscan.

ForeseeingInnovationandGrowth

Michaeliscertainthathisventureswillexpandtoatleast twicetheirsizeintermsof turnover, client base, etc. – need to be a bit more specific what is doubling here inthe comingyears.

Thiswillentailasignificantincreaseinhiring, transformationandinvestment,aswellasincessant innovation.Michaelasserts, “I see myself as a change agent for our organization and our thousands of customers. I enjoy watching our employees and clients grow as a result of our solutions and practices.”

InnovationisatthecoreofProcessPro.Thecompanyisset toconstantlyevolveandoptimizeitsproductstobestmeet theneedsofcustomersandtheindustriesitserves.

Don’t lose track of the customer; make decisions based on what they need, not what you are comfortable with

Dr. Michael Bertini CEO ProcessPro

Backend-As-A-Service for Payments-As-A-Service

ThegrowthoftheFintechecosystembroughtwithit aninfluxofPaymentServiceProviders(PSP). Thesenewarrivalsarechangingthewaythe industryisservingandinteractingwithitscustomers.

GrowthTriggersFreshChallenges

Itdoesn’tmatterifyouareaB2CoraB2Bcompany,you arenowfacingamoreinformed,savvier Customer/Merchantwhoislookingnotjustforthebest pricingbutforthebestvaluefortheirmoney

Thisevolutionofthecustomerrequiredtheserviceprovider toevolveaswell,simplytokeepup.Providershavehadto consideradditionalservicesaspartoftheirvalue proposition–notalwaysaneasytaskforcompanieswith limitedresourcesandlegacysystems.

Themarketbecamemoreaccessibletoyoung,freshbrands offeringagileandinnovativeapproachestopayments. Manyveteranplayershavebeenlefttofollowtheirleador risklosingbusiness.Customerstodayarelookingforfaster onboarding,fewerquestionsandmoreservicesoffered instantly,from“one-click-checkout”totheabilitytologin withsocialnetworksandeveneasywaystoshareexpenses onthego.

SquareGetsitRight

PaymentServiceProviderSquareisanexcellentexample ofaPSPwhoactedquicklytorespondtocustomerdemand. SquarestartedoutwiththeircardreaderandMPOS,then quicklyexpandedtheirservicestoecommerce,scheduling andmanymoreoptionsdesignedtohelpSMBs(Small MediumBusiness)expandandscaletheirownenterprises. Square’seaseofusehashelpedthousandsofmerchants improverevenuesandtakecontroloftheirdaytoday activity.

AtCoriunder,wehavebeenfocusedonthePSP-As-AStartup(PAAS)approach,wherethePSPischangingtheir strategyandallocatingtheirbudgetstobecomemore competitivewithnewer,moreagileproviders;thisledto anotherPAASapproach.Thisone hasbeenaroundfora whilebutwasn’tconsideredasanalternative;PaymentsAs-A-Service.Thisoptionpavesthewayforwhitelabel gatewayprovidersthathavebeenenablingthequicksetup ofaPaymentServiceProviderwithouttheneedofalarge technicalteamandthesecuritycertificationsthatcomewith it.

Themajorityofprovidersarefocusingonthelargenetwork ofacquiringbanksandalternativesolutionsinsteadofon theflexibilityneededforthePSPtobuildhisclientbase. Butit’snotjustaboutthepayments.

OurSolutionforthePAASDilemma

Ourapproachisslightlydifferent;webuiltaBAAS (Backend-As-A-Service)modelthatgivesourclientstools tomanageCustomers(Cardholders/Users),Merchants, Affiliatesandeventheirownemployees.Thisprovidesour clientswitha waytobuildappsandservicesaspartof theirofferingandtomanagethebillingand“standard” servicesallwithinone,PCILevel1certified,management suite.

ThisapproachmadePaymentsan“Add-on”tothePSP’s serviceandnotthemainservice;weseesomeclients expandingourMerchantManagementPortaltoallow schedulingandinvoicing.Otherusersarebuildingriskand fraudtoolstoextendtheKYCchecksandtransactions monitoringtheyhaveinplace.

WeserveasahubthatprovidesthePSPwiththeoptions theyneedtointegratetoeveryserviceprovidertheywish to.Together,theycancreateintuitiveworkflowsthatbetter

Mentor’s

servetheirbusinesslogic.

BAASandFraudPrevention

Anevolutionofacustomercomeshandinhandwiththe evolutionofthe“Fraudsters.”Inmanycases,thePSPisleft exposedonbothfronts;theyneedtobothcatertothe customerandcombatfraud. ClientsadoptingBAASare usingtheBackendsolutiontomanagebothtransactionsand customers,sotheynowhavetheabilitytointegrateRisk andFraudtools.Inmanycases,theycanevenbuildtheir owncustomtoolstodefineworkflowsthathelpthembetter mitigateriskandmoreeffectivelyfightchargebacksand fraud.

Weseethestrugglesofourcustomersasasharedchallenge, soweofferaC2C(Client-to-Client)integrationaspartof thecorefunctionality,brandscanhelponeotherfind solutionsmorequickly.WithC2Cintegration,additional revenuestreamscanbeestablished,asclientsdeveloping newservicesorexpandingtonewterritoriescanassistone anotherwithgrowthandopportunity

Whenwelaunchedourserviceweaimeditatstartups lookingtobuildtheirideaontopofourBackend;wesoon

Eliad Saporta Managing Director Coriunder

welearnedthatthePSPmarketwasindireneedofa servicelikeours.WearenowservingPaymentService Providersglobally,withpartnersbasedinHongKong,the UnitedStates,Cyprus,Malta,CostaRicaandmore.By addressingtheneedsofthisrapidlygrowingindustryand helpingclientscreateinnovativecustomsolutions,BAAS canresolvethedilemmafacedbytheaveragePSP

AboutCoriunder: CoriunderisaBackend-As-A-Serviceplatformforfintech andecommercecompanies.Whateveryourservicesmight be,Coriunderprovidesyouwithreachmanagementtoolsto monetizeyoursolutionandenablesyoutoexpandglobally withourPaymentoptimizationtoolsandasinglepointof integrationforallofyourservices.

Withover300availableintegrationstoacquiringbanksand serviceproviders,CoriunderisthelogicalBackend-As-AServiceforthePaymentServiceProvider.

omentryingtoenterthe truckingindustryhavelong facedculturalandphysical barriers.Presently,therearean estimated200,000womenbehindthe wheelofbigrigsacrosstheU.S,which seemslikealot;howeverrepresents lessthanmere5percentofthenearly4 million-membertruck-driverwork force.HadEllenVoienevercared aboutthewomenlookingtoenterthe male-dominatedtruckingindustry,the worldwouldstillhavebeenwaitingfor someonelikehertochangethe scenarioforthebetter.Butshewasnot readytowaitforsomeoneelse;she tookthechargeinherownhandsand foundedWomenInTruckingin2007. Today,adecadelater,thefirmis globallyrecognizedandapplaudedfor promotingcareersintruckingfor womenanddemolishingbarriersthat havekeptwomenfromjoiningthe driverranksforsolong.

TheFoundationthatPavedWayfor WIT Ellen'sjourneyhastaughther everythingsheneededto,andwasn’t lessthanarollercoaster.Her childhoodrootstoasmalltownin centralWisconsin.Fromthebeginning, shewasmoreinterestedin understandingenginesandlearning skillslikewoodworkingandwelding, soshetookshopclass.Becauseofher training,Ellenwashiredbyasteel fabricationplanttodesignmaterial handlingequipment,likepalletsand racking.Soon,shewasoffereda positioninthetrafficdepartment, whereshebecametheAssistantTraffic Manager,andlater,afterearninga diplomainTraffic&Transportation

Management,shewaspromotedto TrafficManager.Ellenwasresponsible forallincomingrawmaterialsand outgoingfinishedproducts.She learnedtoreadtariffs,auditfreight bills,dispatchandmuchmore.

TheJourneyofDiscoveringa PlatformtoBringDiversity

Onceshestartedherfamily,sheused theseskillstofree-laneasa TransportationConsultanttocarriersin centralWisconsin.For18years,she licensedandpermittedthetrucksand keptthetrucksanddriversin compliancewhilesheraisedtwo children.Ellen’s(then)husbandand sheownedasmallfleet,whichshe helpedmanagewhilehewasonthe road.

Atthesametime,shealsoattendedthe University of Wisconsin andin1999, sheearnedherMaster’sDegreein Communication,whereshecompleted herthesisresearchon “The Complex Identities of Women Married to Professional Drivers,” whichshows howmuchpassionateshewas.

Ayearlater,Ellenwashiredby TruckerBuddyInternationalasthe ExecutiveDirectorofthispenpal programbetweendriversand elementaryclassrooms.Later,she managedrecruitingandretention programsforSchneiderNational.It wasduringthistimethatEllenwas alsoworkingforherPrivatePilot’s License,andshebelongedtoan organizationcalled, “Women in Aviation.”

Sincetherewasnosuchgroupfor

womeninthetruckingindustry,she decidedtostartanon-profit organization.Sheaskedfemaleleaders toserveontheboardandwasfortunate tohaveanattorneyprovideallofthe legaldocumentationtoformthe nonprofit.

Finally,in2007,theWomenIn TruckingAssociationwasformedwith asimplemission; to increase the percentage of women employed in the trucking industry, address obstacles that might keep women from succeeding, and to celebrate the success of its members.Onceitwas started,therehasn’tbeenasingle momentoflookingback.

BeingResourceforWomen

Inthepastdecade,thefirm’s membershiphasmassivelygrownto includenearly4,000members,from aroundtheworld.Althoughmostofits membersresideinNorthAmerica, manyareinAustralia,NewZealand, Sweden,SouthAfrica,andJapan.

Currently,WIThasanamazingBoard ofDirectorscomprisedofleaders(men andwomen)inthetruckingindustry–fromcarriers,suppliers,manufacturers, privatefleetsandmore.Apartfrom that,ithasalsoformedacharitable foundationthatprovidesscholarships toanyoneseekingacareerin transportation.Lastyear,the foundationgaveaway$22,000in tuitiongrants.

Someofthehighlightsofcompany’s programsincludethecreationofaGirl ScoutTransportationPatch.Todate, over400younggirlshavelearned aboutcareersintransportationwiththe curriculumEllendevelopedwiththe GirlScouts.Someresourcesincludeits “Anti-Harassment Employment Guide,” forcarrierswhohave unrelatedindividualsworkingtogether inatruckfortrainingorteamdriving purposes.

Thefirmhasa “Recruiting and

A Passionate Trailblazer who believes in breaking the Shackles of Comfort Zone

Ellen Voie:

EllenVoie President&CEO WomenInTrucking

Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone

Retention Guide” outliningtheresearchtheteamhasdoneonwhatwomenlookforinacarrier andinanindustry.However,afactthathasneverchangedsinceitsinceptionisthatEllenand herteamhasbeenconstantlyworkingona ‘Best Practices’guideforcarrierstoshowcase companieswithahigherpercentageoffemaledrivers.

Tocelebratethecompany’ssuccessandhonorfemaleprofessionaldrivers,WIThasits annual “Salute to Women Behind the Wheel,” inMarch.Italsohasa “Distinguished Woman in Logistics” awardaswellasan “Influential Woman in Trucking” award. Theyshowcaseadifferentwomaneachmonthfortheir“MemberoftheMonth” program.

ListeningtoUnderstandHowtoBetterServe Ellenfeelsproudofthepartnershiptheyhavewiththetruckmanufacturersto influencetruckcabdesignandergonomicssowomencanfeelascomfortable drivingabigrigashermalecounterparts.Moreover,theyalsoworkwithtruck stopsonsafety,securityandamenitiesforwomen.

BeingtheCEOofanonprofitassociation,themostimportantcharacteristic Ellenbelievesshecanhaveis to listen.Shefeelslisteningtohermembers tounderstandhowtobetterservethemandhelpthemtobeas successfulaspossibleinthetruckingindustryisofvitalimportance.

Themostimportantvaluethathasstayedwithheralltheseyearsis herintegrity. “When I started Women In Trucking Association I had to prove that I would use our member’s dues in a responsible way to advance our mission. Our financial and other information is very transparent, as we have nothing to hide. Our members deserve to know how their money is spent,” sheexplains.

BeingtheChangeofWomenEmpowerment

In2012,WITwasrecognizedbytheWhiteHouse forbeinga “Transportation Innovator Champion of Change.” In2015,thefirmlauncheditsfirst conferenceandwelcomed350attendeestoits Accelerate! Conference and Expo.Thisyear, Ellenexpectsover500registeredwomenandmen toattenditseventtolearnhowtoadvancediversity intheircompanies.

Beingthechangeofwomenempowerment,Ellenadvises womentokeeppushing,butnottogiveupeasily Anyoneworkingina maledominatedenvironmentlikethetruckingindustrywillfind opposition,fromfamily,friendsandpeers.But,accordingtoher,it’s importanttolearntofocusonyourchosencareerpathandignorethose whotrytodistractyou.

Asaninternationalassociation,WITisoftenaskedformoreregionalor localconnections.Goingintothefuture,Ellen’sgoalistostartchapters withinstates,companiesandgeographicareas.Shebelievesthiswill givehermembersawaytoconnectinpersonandtonetworkandlearn fromoneanother

Ganesh

Sabat: An Encouraging Medical Technology Leader

Today,medicaldeviceindustryexpectshighly innovativeproductsataveryfastpace.Tosustain thisdemandinsuchafast-pacedsectorisatough tasktosaytheleast.However,manybrandshavemanaged toretaintheircredibilityandtheirsecrettosuccess,isoften conveyedbythewordsoftheirmentors.Multi-billionaire andtheCEOofStarbucks,HowardSchultzoncesaid,“In thisever-changingsociety,themostpowerfulandenduring brandsarebuiltfromtheheart.Theyarerealand sustainable.Theirfoundationsarestrongerbecausetheyare builtwiththestrengthofthehumanspirit.Thecompanies thatarelastingarethosethatareauthentic.”Thus,an ambitiousandinnovativeCEOandhis/herteamactsasan empoweringaspectbehindasuccessfulbrand.Indian medicaldeviceleader,SahajanandMedicalTechnologies isonesuchfortunatecompanythathasbothanambitious CEOandaqualitativehumanstrengthtoitsname.The CEOofthecompany,GaneshSabat,shareshisinsights abouthiscompany’sproliferatingsuccess.

YoungDreamer’sProgression

AphysicsgraduatewhopursuedMBAinFinancefrom WashingtonUniversity,Ganeshinitiallyservedatalegal andfinancedepartmentinIndia.Hefollowedthatupby joiningSahajanadMedicalTechnologies(SMT)backin 2010;andwithintwoyears,hewentontobecometheCFO ofthecompany.Sixmonthslater,hishardworkand perseverancefurthercrownedhimastheCEOofthe company.Ganeshsaid,“I have always been a highly passionate person. Even during the most difficult times I

never lost my passion, focus or drive. My personal and professional goal syncs well and I want to make SMT a global medical device player; manufacturing high quality products at an affordable price”

SMT:AGlobalmedicaldeviceManufacturerfromIndia

SMTisaleadingdeveloperandmanufacturerofminimally invasivecoronarystentsystems.Ithasastrongglobal presencewithfootprintsacross60countriesandcounting. ItsproductslikeTetrilimus,Tetriflex,andSupraflexinthe categoryofdrugelutingstentsandFlexinniumand Tetriniuminthecategoryofbaremetalstentshavebeen globallyacknowledgedfortheirsuperiorquality.Its benchmarktechnology,biodegradablepolymer,hasproven tobethesafestandthemostpreferredpolymer.Itachieves aprecisedrugreleaseanddegradesafterthedrugrelease, therebyensuringbettersafetyandefficacyinthePCI procedure,forthepatient.SMTisalsoaccountedfor manufacturingthethinneststrutthicknessstentinthe world,withonly60micronsthickness.Thisinnovative productinthecardiovascularsegmentissupposedtobethe bestinclassamongstthecompetitors.

OvercomingroadblocksbySMTunderGaneshSabat’s leadership

SMTwasgoingthroughachallengingperiodwith multitudeofproblemsacrosstheorganization.The companyundertheleadershipofGaneshSabatstarted focusingonsolvingoneproblemafteranotherand

witnessedimmediatesuccessformost ofitsefforts.Thefocustoaddress challengesupfrontgenerated self–beliefamongtheemployeesand boostedorganizationalconfidence. AccordingtoGanesh,creatingthevital beliefwithinteammembersto manufacturegloballyleadingmedical deviceswasapivotalmomentforthe organization.

Ganeshclaims, “Being open to new ideas, persuasive and showing humility have helped us remove many roadblocks.” Empoweringemployees tomaketheirowndecisions,hasmade asignificantimpact,andresultedin surginggrowthofthecompany He furtheradds,ensuringthatthe companyworksasateam,and celebratingeachother’ssuccesscreates anenvironmentwhereemployeesare motivatedtoovercomeanychallenges thrownatthem.Asaleader,weneedto ensurefasterdecisionmakingand buildacapableteamwhocantake responsibilitytomarchahead.Ganesh

creditshisglobalexposure,strong analyticalandrationalthinkingand backgroundinphysicsforsuccessfully leadingacapableseniorteamand deliveringaglobalmedicaldevice company.

EssentialsforLeadingaPlatform

Themedicaldeviceworldexpectsnew innovativeproductsatbreakneck speedbutinnovationsaretimeconsuming. Bridgingthegapbetween timeconsuminginnovationsand ensuringconstantgrowthisthemost pressingchallengeinthemedical industry.Hence,planningtheproduct lifecycleandcreatingrelevantfuture planshelpsachievedesiredtargets.

ThesuccessfulCEOofSMT recommendsapassionate,neversay dieattitudeinbuddingleaderstostay successful.Thepassiontobuild innovativeproductsandteamingup withsmartandintelligentindividuals, whocanperformefficiently,arethe mostessentialaspectsforleadinga

platform.Healsosuggests entrepreneurstoleadandkeeptheir egosatbaywhileworkingwithteam members.

FutureEvolutionsinSMTProducts

SMTasacompanyisevolvingrapidly Continuousdevelopmentsofnew productshaveprovidedeminent credibilitytothebrand,andhelpedin itsglobalexpansions.Thecompanyis conductingclinicalstudieswhichcan providemajorbooststoitsproducts. Indiaisawakeningtoanewdawnofa globalmedicaldeviceplayer;the productsofSMTareacknowledged internationallyforitsquality, efficiency,andcost-optimizations. GaneshastheCEOiseyeingto facilitatetheprogressivechangeand drivethecompanytotheeliteposition.

“Being open to new ideas, persuasive attitude and showing humility have helped us remove many roadblocks.”

‒ Ganesh Sabat CEO

Sahajanand Medical Technologies

F Stands for Fear of Failure, Stands for MovingForward

tiseasytolightacandlebuthowcanonelightthefireitself.Nobodycan.Onecannotlightafire,ratherthefire

Idoesn’trequirelightasitcreateslightitselfandallitneedsareoxygentobreathe,fueltoliveandspaceforthe flametoexhale.Itdoesn’trequireappreciation,itgrowsonitsownandburnsalltheevilorobstaclesthatcomeon itsway.Still,ithasfears,anditfacestroubleandambitiontomoveforward.Peoplelightacandletogetavisioninthe darkandnottokeepitinaclosedcontainerorhideitsomewhere,whereitcannotbeseenorofnouse.Agirlislikea fire,aburningfire,whichneedsonlyairtobreathe,foodtoeat,andlittlespacetogrow

Therewasatime,whenassoonasagirlwasbornintoafamily,theyweretaughttobegrownupforonlytworeasons, tobecomeamotherandtotakecareoftheirfamilies.Theyweremostlybehindcurtains,usedasanobjectofsensuality andwasdeprivedofmostfacilitieslikeeducationandfreedom.Gonearethosedayswhenwomenwereconsideredtobe nothingmorethanavesseltocarryandamachinetogivebirthtochildren.Thingsarechangingnow.Howlongcanone keepaburningfirebehindthecloseddoors?Notforlongapparently.Oneday,itwillburneverythingandbreakallthe barriers.Similarly,womenaregoingagainstalltheodds,breakingthroughallthechallengesandovercomingallthe hurdlesontheirpathtosuccess.

FromtravelingtospacetoclimbingMt.EveresttowinningNobel,womenareexcellingineveryfieldtheyarestepping into.Theyhavecrossedallthosebarbedwiresandnowtheyarenolongerwaitingformentoshowthemsympathy; rather,theyareexpectingnothingbuttherespectthatonehumanbeingdeservesfromanother Theyaregivingtheirbest effortstomakeamarkonthewall.Butit’snoharminappreciatingawoman.

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement”

- Helen Keller

Reportsapparentlysaythatwomenformnearabout52percentofprofessionaljobseventhoughtheyaresubstantially underrepresentedinleadershiproles.Womenrepresentabout14.6percentofexecutiveofficers,8.1percentoftop earningmembersandamere4.6percentofFortune500CEOs.Expertssuggestedthatifthisgoeson,thenitisdifficult forwomentoachieveleadershipparityevenby2085.Intellectualsallovertheworldclearlymentionedthatit’snotthe barriersthatarestoppingthemtosucceed.Itistheirbelief,theirmindset,andthoughtsthatareblockingthemtomove ahead.

What Stands Between a Woman and her Success?

Astudyamongvariouswomenrevealedsomeinterestingpointswhicharestoppingthemfromtakingrisks.Somewise mensaidthatitishardtoachievesomethingifthereisnoriskinvolvedandeveryriskisworth,evenifonedoesn’t succeed,he/shegetstolearn.Itispresumedthatmostyoungwomenoftenfearthatanymistakeintheirprofessional lifecancostthemtolosethejob,reputation,goodwillandsuccesstoo.Someevenbelievethattakingriskisequivalent tospillingwateronaready-madeplan.

Thesocietyisstillbelievedtobeapatriarchaloneandeventhoughwomenaresuccessfullybeatingmenineveryfield includingwrestlingandboxing,theyfearmencandobetterthanthem.Theystillbelievethatmencanbestronger leaderswithbetterideasthanwomen.Itisavagueconceptthatwomenarelessequippedtoachievesuccessthanmen. Itcanbetermedasnothingbutaninferioritycomplex.

Familyandfamilymattersareofgreatconcerntoprofessionalwomen.Theyarealwaysfilledwiththethoughtsthat whatwilltheirfamiliessay,whattheirfriendsthinkandwhatwilltheirlovedoneswilldo.Someevenfearthatifthey decidetostartafamilyorstartone,whichcancreateanegativeimpactontheirwork.Theythinkthattheiremployer mightcountthemasvulnerable,unmotivatedorinefficientaftertheystarthavingafamily

How Can Women Overcome their Problems?

“Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement,”saidGoldaMeir

Nobodyelsecanhelpawomantoovercomethoseboundariesthattheyhavecreatedthemselves,neithermannoranother woman.Itisthemwhothemselvescanbreakthroughthat.Themostimportantthingthatawomancandotoruleover thoseproblemsisstopnaggingabouttheproblemandstartthinkingabouttheproblemandthenfindasolution.Firstly, thethinkingshouldbechanged.AssaidbythegeniusAlbertEinstein,“No problem can be solved with the same level of consciousness that created it.”

Womenmustbecomethemselves,believeinthemselves,trusttheirinstinctsandstartembracingtheirmistakes.Instead ofsearchingforaperfecttimeandaperfectenvironment,womenshouldstartcreatingoneforthemselveswhichwillbe healthyfortheircareerprogresstoo.Theyshouldevenstopwaitingforamantogetappreciation,insteadwomenshould startappreciatingone-another’swork,encouragementorshipandbringinmorecollaboration.Everybodyneedsabreak andtheyshouldalsoconsidertakingoffpressuresometimes.

“The difference between successful people and others is how long they spend time feeling sorry for themselves,” asserts Barbara Corcoran.

“Power’s not given to you, you have to take it.”-BeyoncéKnowlesCarter

GARY OLSON

Buildinganycompanyisthesameasbuildinga team,anditsCEOisaleader,visionary,coachand dealmaker.AgoodCEOunderstandstheirown strengthsandsurroundsthemselveswithstrongcompetent peoplewhocancollaborateandworktogether What differentiatesthecompanyfromeveryothercompany? Doesthecompanyneedtoraisecapital?That’stheCEO! TheCEOhasthevision,andsetsthemoralcompassaswell asthebusinesscompass.MeetGaryOlsonwhoadvocates thattheCEOmakesortearsdownthecompany,and believes “I don’t need to know everything; I just need to know who to call!” PrincipalofGHOGroup an independent consulting firm that specializes in planning and designing media production facilities for broadcast and cable companies, corporations, educational institutions, and cultural organizations—Garyisathoughtleader, industryexpert,publishedauthorandactivepractitionerin IPbasedbroadcastdesign.

AHumbleBeginning

Garyhasaneclecticbackgroundandisoneofthefew

peoplewhohasneverbeenafulltimeemployeeforanyone elseinhisprofessionalcareer.Instead,hehasalways workedforhimselfbuildinghisownbusinesses.Gary’s careerhasbeenspentsolvinginterestingchallengesthat typicallybringtogethercomputerandvideotechnologies. HewasinvolvedwithTeletextasitwasbeingintroducedin theUS.Moreover,hewasontheteamthatcreatedthefirst interactivesatellitevideoconferencenetworkandlaunched thefirstsatellitebusinesstelevisionnetwork.Whilehewas engagedlaunchingasatellitetransmissionfacilityandpart oftheteamlaunchingthefirstvideofibernetwork,hewas askedtodesignanewshoppingnetwork.

Garyusedthisopportunitytostarthisfirstcompany.Along withasmartteam,Garybegandesigningandlaunching newsatelliteandtelevisioncablenetworks.Intheearly daysofInternet,theteamdesignedthefirstlivecablenews networkwithapersondoingrealtimeonairresearch. As Gary’scompanycontinuedtogrow,theyreceivedrequests fromvisionariesstartingtelevisionnetworksincountries thatdidnothavecommercialtelevision,butonlystateTV

IP Broadcast Designer Destined to be a Recognized Industry Leader

When asked if it can be done; always answer “YES” and always get it done— don’t get caught!

Gary Olson Principal GHO Group LLC

Theydesignedandlaunchedthefirst commercialtelevisioninTrinidadand successfullydesigned,builtand launchednewnationaltelevision networksinCzech,Poland,Romania andSlovenia. Eachoftheirprojects presenteduniquetechnology challenges.

ARenownedLeaderinTechnology Implementation

Garybelieveshiscompanyattracts visionarythinkerswhohaveinteresting newideasinmediaandarelookingfor atechnologygroupthatunderstands andcanbuildtheirideas.GHOGroup usesitsbroadexperiencetobenefitits clients,sharingbestpracticesin design,addressingbudgetsand scheduleswithspecialattentionto craftingtheprocesstoassurebest resultsforitsclients’needs.GHOisa recognizedleaderintechnology implementation.Itsdesignphilosophy isbasedonsustainabilityandthe understandingthatthistypeof opportunityandinvestmenthastobe “future-proof.”

GHOhasbeenprovidingunique, practicalandcost-effectivesolutionsto thechallengesfacedinbuildingnew facilitiesorimplementingnew technologystrategies. GHObuildsthe bridgebetweentechnologyand business,workingwithanewvision andconvertingitintoareality.The firmmanagestheexpectationsof seniormanagementandstakeholders throughouttheexecutionofaproject.

TheGHOteambringsauniqueblend ofexperiencetothejob:highlyskilled professionalswithafoundationbased onreal-worldapplications.Witha portfolioofoverUS$950Minmedia basedcommunication,television, telecommunications,andinternet

relatedtechnologyprojectsmanaged, theGHOTeamappliesriskanalysis, programandprojectmanagementand tightfiscalmanagementtoclients’ project.

Asastrategicadviserandproject portfoliomanager,Garyidentifiesthe requirementstoachievethegoalsand resourcesthatwillbringthevisionto reality.Heworkscloselywithan organization,usingtheirinternal resources,preferredserviceproviders andapprovedcontractors.GHO functionsasaseniorproject administratorcoordinatingthe implementationprocessandstrategy

AnAccidentalEntrepreneur Whileonemayimaginefromwhomhe drawshisinspiration,Garyproudly saysit’sfromhisfather. “My father was a small business man. When business was good he would complain how busy he was. When business was bad, he’d complain how bad it was. I once asked “I understand when business is bad, but how can you complain when business is good.” His response was “You will understand when you have your own business!,” Garyrecalls.

Garysayshedidnotchoosethispath, ratheritchosehim!Therewere thoughtsthathewouldcontinueinthe familybusinessuntilonedaythe phonerang.Garywasaskedtojoinan innovativeprogramintheNYCity highschoolsystem,establishinga videoproductionclass,teachingand runningthestudio. “At the end of the school year the phone rang again –and, the phone continued to ring and I kept saying yes. Each call was a new challenge and typically something innovative that had not yet been done,” headds.

EncouragingandEmpowering People

Garybelievesinrecognizingstrengths inpeopleandencouragingand empoweringtheirdevelopment.This createsateamthatsolvesproblems. Lettinggoishard!Someonemaydoit differently,butdifferentisnotwrong. Talkingaboutoneofhismemorable incidents,Garyrecallsdayswhenhis responsibilityonacentralEuropean projectwastohelpthenewlocal seniormanagement.Heexplainedthat alargeorganizationwaslikea pyramid,ifyouareatthetopyoucan seewhat’shappeningacrossthe organizationandmanage.Ifthe pyramidisupsidedownbecausethe managerisalsodoingeverything,they arecrushedbytheweightofthe organization.Hiscolleaguesembraced theconceptandwentontobecome successfulmanagers.

ContinuouslyReinventingEvery StepoftheWay

Whenaskedtoadvisethebudding entrepreneurs,Garyreplies, “Entrepreneurship is doing everything that needs to be done to be successful. Behaving like an executive when there’s no real business is a recipe for failure. Not all entrepreneurs make good CEO’s. Know your own strengths—maybe the right thing to do is hire one.”

Whileconcluding,Garysayshehas beenaccusedofre-inventingGHOand himselfeveryfewyears.GHOisonce againgoingthroughchangenow. This changeismovingGaryintoartificial intelligenceandanewindustrysector ofPublicSafetyandNationalSecurity GHOisapplyingitsextensivemedia knowledgetoanindustryoverwhelmed byvideoandstrugglingtoanalyzeit foruseableinformationinthe preventionofincidentsandattacks.

Glenn

Trout: A Resilient and Tenacious Mind Dening the New Norm of ‘Never Giving Up’

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race, — CalvinCoolidge.

Byhangingontothisquote,Glenn Trout,PresidentandCEOof VelocityEHS hasshownpersistencein everythinghehasdone.Histenacity andnevergiveupattitudehasallowed himtoreachsomerewardingpeaksin hiscareer.

Anultimatetruthinlifeisthatwhen youaretryingtodosomething difficult,somethingthatisultimately worthdoing,lifegivesyouamillion reasonsandexcusestoquit.However, ifyouaretoachievewhatothershave not,thenyoumusthangonuntilyou do.Lifethrewsomechallengesat Glenn,buthekeptovercomingthem, andwassurroundedbyateamof peoplewhowereequallytenaciousand unwillingtogiveup.

ItwasneveraStraightLine! Likemostsuccessful,yetaccidental entrepreneurs,Glenn’sbusiness trajectorywasneverastraightline.He wasraisedbyschoolteachers,andhad noobviousentrepreneurialrolemodel

ormentor.Justthreedaysafter graduatingfromhighschool,Glenn headedofftoAirForcebootcamp, whichfocusesonputtingalotof pressureonpeopletoseehowthey reactunderstress,bothmentallyand physically.WhileGlennenjoyedthe physicalstress,theconstantmental pressurewascompletelynewforhim. Theywouldrepeatedlytesthim,on small,simplethings,andblowupifhe madeamistaketoseehowhewould react.

Inhindsight,Glennseeswhythis mentalpressurewassoimportant.Itis criticalthatpeopleintheArmedForces performwellunderpressureandpay closeattentiontodetail.Youmust challengepeopleandtrainthemtodo therightthings,nomatterwhatthe circumstances—potentiallyeven whenunderfire.It’ssomethingGlenn haskeptwithhiminhisprofessional career.Hebelievesthatstayingfocused andkeepingyourcool,especiallywhen thingsgettough,isastrongattribute foranyleader

DuringBootCamp,Glenngotthe chancetorisefromsquadleaderto squadroncommanderattheageof18, withmanyoftheotherairmeninhis squadronwellintotheir20’sand30’s. Thatexperiencegavehimthe opportunitytoleadfromaveryearly age,andtaughthimthevalueof relationships.Glenn’sabilitytolead wasdirectlytiedtohisabilitytokeep thetrustandrespectofhisunit.As

CEOof VelocityEHS,thesameistrue today

PerseverancewastheKey GlennwentfromtheAirForceto MiamiUniversityinOhio.After graduatingwithadegreeinmarketing, hethenjoinedMeadPaper, participatinginthecompany’s managementtrainingprogramwiththe goalofsomedaybecomingtheCEO. AtMead,Glenndirecteda$500 millionsalesandmarketingbusiness unit.Whenthepaperindustrydeclined inthemid-90s,hewentbacktoschool toearnanMBAfromNorthwestern University’sKelloggSchoolof Business.

GlennthenjoinedErnst&Youngasan AssociateDirectorbeforetakinga leadershiproleatfobpaper,adivision offob.com,alate-90’sdot-comstartup aimedatenablingmanufacturersto purchaserawmaterialsoverthe internet.Butthen,thedot-comtech bubbleburstandtheventurefirm backingfob.compulledtheirmoney fromthateffort.However,thefirm didn’tlosetheirfaithinGlennandhis managementteam.AstheCEO,Glenn wasgivenasmallpoolofcashtoturn whathadbeenaverysmall, inconsequential,non-monetizedpartof thefob.comoffering—theelectronic managementofmaterialsafetydata sheets(MSDSs)—intoafee-based servicecalledMSDSonline.Hetookit asachallenge.

Glenn Trout President & CEO

Intime,GlenngrewMSDSonlineintoasix-timeInc.5000 FastestGrowingCompany,withover400employeesand anannualgrowthrateofover50%fornearlyadecade.In 2012,Glennexecutedasuccessfulexitforhisshareholders withadealvaluedatover$53millioninenterprisevalue, andMSDSonlinejoinedActuaCorporation,apublic companythatinvestsincloudsolutions.In2015, MSDSonlinewasrebrandedunderthenewname, VelocityEHS,toreflectitswiderenvironment,health,safety (EHS)andsustainabilitybusinessfocus.AndinSeptember of2017,Actuaannouncedthesaleof VelocityEHS toCVC CapitalPartners,foranundisclosedamount.

AChuckYeagerquotenicelysumsupGlenn’sapproachto lifeandleadership; “You do what you can for as long as you can, and when you finally can’t, you do the next best thing. You back up but you don’t give up.”

LeadingHundredsofTalentedPeople

The VelocityEHS missionistomakeworkplacessaferand moresustainable.Glennfeelsprivilegedtoleadhundredsof talentedwomenandmenwho’vemadethecompany’s missiontheirvocation.Hisgoalfor VelocityEHS,by whatevermeasureyouchoose,istobetheindustry’s numberoneEHSsoftwarecompany.Anditishisjobto removethebarriersthatcouldkeepthecompanyfrom achievingit.

Today, VelocityEHS isthelargestEHSsoftwarecompanyin theworld.Morethan13,000companiesworldwide,and morethan8millionworkers,useitsproductsandservices tohelpthemsolvetheircomplexcomplianceandregulatory challengesinsimpleways.The VelocityEHS community includescustomersfromvirtuallyeveryindustry,including overhalfoftheFortune1000.

Unfortunately,evenintoday’sageoftechnology,toomany companiesstillrelyonpaper,spreadsheets,andother manualprocessestomanagecriticalworkplacehealthand safetyprograms. VelocityEHS hassetouttochangethatby creatingcloudbasedproductsthathelpcompaniesreach theirEHSgoalsfaster

Thefirm’senterprise-levelfunctionalityisaffordablefor businessesofallsizes,withsoftwareandmobilesolutions thatarerenownedforbeingfast,easy,andengaging—all ofwhichcontributeto VelocityEHS’ industryleading customerretentionanduseradoptionrates.

ANewDawn Glennbelievesthatoneofthethingsthatkeeps VelocityEHS inbusinessistherelentlesspressureits customersfacefromoutsideforces,includingstate,federal, internationalregulations,volatilityintheirsupplychains, anddiversifyingworkforces.Andforbetterorworse,as longasthosepressuresarethere,EHSprofessionalswill alwaysbelookingforsomewaytomakeidentifyingrisks better,somewaytogethometotheirfamiliesjustalittlebit sooner,somesolutionthatallowsthemtorelaxalittlemore whenenjoyingaholidaybreak.

“What we try to do every day is get a little better at understanding the problems our customers have and what would help them be more effective. So we will change along with our customers in ways that matter to them. We do try to anticipate obstacles coming down the road, so we can put solutions in place before our customers need them. But it’s always looking at the horizon from our customer’s perspective,” Glennconcludes.

Invest in quality people. Then be quick to praise, rst to take blame, and relentless in your pursuit of nding the best solutions to problems

Keith Flynn: A Visionary Who Set Out to Fill the Technological Voids

InternetofThingsnomoreneedsanintroduction.When theseIoTcompetenciesareinstigatedintheIndustrial andManufacturingspace,itbecomesIndustrialIoT.In 2010,thevisionofconnectedenterpriseviainterconnecting industrialassetswasfulfilledthroughtheinternetwhenthe foundationalgroundsof Industry 4.0 werelaid.IIoT broughtwithittheadvantagesofassetoptimization, productionintegration,smart monitoring,remotediagnosis, intelligentdecisionmaking,and mostimportantly,thefeatureof PredictiveMaintenance. However,tomaintaina competitiveedgeinanever connectedworld,businesses needed24X7accesstotheir data.

HecticatTimesyetan IncredibleJourney

Havingworkedintheindustry formorethanadecade,itbecameapparenttoKeithFlynn thatthereweresignificantgapsbetweenindustryneedsand theavailableservices.Heusedthisopportunitytojumpinto themarketwith RtDUET and RtEMIS tofillthevoidfor real-timedowntimeandenergymanagementsolutions. Thus,RtTechSoftwarewasbornin2011. “The prospect of spearheading a new venture with the birth of RtTech Software was one that I jumped all over. It has been hectic at times, but it has been one incredible journey,” Keith states.

HelpingClientsIncreaseProductivityandDecrease EnergyConsumption

Withinsixyearsofitsoperation,RtTechSoftwarehasgone ontobecomealeadingIndustrialAppprovider;helping globalclientsinthemanufacturing,mining,andpower generationindustriestoincreaseproductivityanddecrease energyconsumptionthroughoperationalintelligence.

RtTechSoftwareledbyKeith hasmadeitsnamethrough industrial-gradeanalyticapps helpingmanufacturing companiesincreaseproduction andeliminateenergywastage withitsappsRtDUETand RtEMIS.Witharecentfocusin IndustrialIoT,RtTech’sIoT platform,Cipherisableto provideclientswithadrop-in solutiontoIIoTandtheservices providedbyRtDUETand RtEMIS,withoutmuchofthecostlyhardware.

RtDUETisdesignedtotrackmachinedowntimeand classifyevents,withtheaimofhelpingproductionstaff maximizepotentialoutputtoincreaserevenue.Ontheother hand,RtEMISisanenergymanagementinformation systemthatcapturesinformationaboutenergybeingused bymachinesanddynamicallycalculatesthetargetusageto sustainproduction,identifyingareasforenergysavings.

should position his or her team to thrive in their roles within the organization

Keith Flynn Founder & CEO RtTech Software

ACertifiedEngineerTurnedEntrepreneur

BeingtheFounderandCEO,Keithisanintegralpartof thedevelopmentforbothRtDUETandRtEMIS.Bytrade, KeithisacertifiedProfessionalEngineer,withaBachelors’ inElectricalEngineering,aswellasaB.Scienceand CertificateofAppliedScience.Thoughmodestregarding hisachievements,KeithisalsoaprestigiousSextonScholar atDalhousieUniversity

Withover20yearsofindustryexperienceKeithcontributed asaprincipalpartneratADMSystemsEngineeringandas theimplementationpartneratRtTech.Thisinsighthelps Keithandhisproductdevelopmentteamensurethat RtTech’sproductsintegratethelatesttechnicalcapabilities anddeliverthemosteffectiveresultsforitscustomers.

TrustinghisTeamonEveryMode

Leadingaglobalfirmofhisown,KeithbelieveseveryCEO needstobeabletofullytrusthisteam.IfaCEOhashisor herhandsintoomanypots,sotospeak,thentheywill undoubtedlyburnthemselvesout.Besides,youhiredyour teamforareason,sotrustthemtodotheirjobsandoffer supportasneeded. “This became apparent to me when I would scratch off my action items to bring up during our meetings, and the team would have covered all of these

topics even before I had the chance to speak. In several occasions, I was the one taking notes at the end. A successful CEO should position his or her team to thrive in their roles within the organization,” headds.

TrustinYourselfandYourTeamistheKey Whenaskedtoadviseyoungentrepreneursenteringthe market,Keithasksthemnottofearfailure.Therewillbe bumpsalongtheroad,butthatispartofentrepreneurialism. Leverageyourmentorsandyourteamaroundyouandtrust thetalentwithinyourorganizationandthequalityofyour productorservices,Keithsays.

“We have seen a shift in the industry toward IIoT and we have grabbed our surfboards and are riding the wave. IIoT can narrow the gap between the ‘big guy’and the ‘little guy’by providing the same quality of analytic services, but at a fraction of the cost. On top of creating a more competitive manufacturing landscape, we are now able to connect more assets for data collection than before. With more data at hand, clients are able to make increasingly informed business decisions to improve their production and energy efficiency,” Keithsharesonthefutureof industry.

Instilling Enhanced Moralities to Become a More

Inuential Person

Thereisafastpacedevolutiongoingonintheworld, andthepaceofchangeisonlygoingtokeepon increasing.Itispromptingustorethinkeverything wedoandhowwedoit–torethinkhowwewilloperateas leadersinthefuture.Thisischallengingustocreatenew systemsforsuccessandtolearntoleadmovements,andto helpteamstoinnovate,tobecuriousaboutnewsolutions.

Inthisregard,somepeopleseemparticularlyborntoexcel. Itseemstheyaregiftedphysically,intellectuallyor artistically,anditseemsliketheyjustfloattothetop.But thisispredominantlyamisconception.Howevertalented someoneis,heorshewillstillhavetodevelopthosetalents toachieveahighstandardprofessionalposition.Eachone ofuscandevelopourownskillsandtalentstopropel ourselvesintoapositionofinfluence.

Building an Evolving Network

Inaneverchangingworld,wheredreamsofchangearebig andvisionsofafuture,havingarealandgenuinenetwork ofaselectedgroupofpeoplewhoareworkingclosely together,strategicallycreatingplanstosucceedisvery

important.Thisisnotaboutquantity,butratherlike-minded peoplewhoknowwhattheywanttoachieveandhowtogo aboutit.It’saboutagroupofpeopleprovidingquality thinking;creatingnewperspectives;pushingyoufurther thanyoucouldevergoalone,andalsosupportingyouand takinggreatpleasureinseeingyousucceed.

Developing Decision Making Skills

Everywordwespeak,everychoiceandactionwetake,has theabilitytoinfluencepeople’sdecisions.Itcouldbe someonenexttoyouorsomeonehalfwayacrosstheglobe. Onequalitythatpopsoutinatopleader’scompetencyto leadistheabilitytodecide,beitasasimplethingasto whereameetingtobeconducted,totakingstrategic decisionslikewheretoinvestmarketingdollars. Decisivenessisnotaninborntrait;it’saskillthatcanonly belearnedovertime.Togaincontroloverit,onemust ponderovertheirdecision-makingandrecognizeweaklinks inreasoningandspotanybiasestowardssomethingor someone.Whilecontrollingtheoutcomeisdifficult,wecan atleastgiveadirectiontotheprocessthatsetthemin motion.

Embracing Diversity

Toseepotentialinnewpeopleandinthecollective intelligenceispartoftheartofinfluence.Itisunderstood thatbyworkingtogether,wecreatediverseopportunities, acceptingdifferentcorporateandentrepreneurialviewpoints andseeingthevalueofcross-sectorrelationships.Itisabout understandingthat,itisallaboutcollectivegood.

Honing Speaking Skills

Whenwetalkaboutmostinfluentialpersonalities,acritical requirementisbeingagreatspeaker.Thoughmany influencersoperatequiteeffectivelyfrombehindthescenes, theoneswithgreatoratoryskillspossessapowerful

leverageoverothers.Youcaninfluencemore,ifyouhave theability,thedriveandthecouragetospeakpersuasively Everydaymoreandmoreorganizations,corporations, schoolsandpresentersstrivetoincubatetheimaginationof theworkers,executivesandstudentstopushforwardtheir agenda.Yetmanygiveintotheirfearofspeakinginpublic andendupclosingthedooronafasttracktosuccessand influence.

Likemanyotherskills,thisonetoocomeswithrepetition, practiceandpersistence.Donotshyawayfrom opportunities,putyourselfinfrontofanaudience,gather feedback,makeadjustmentsandrepeat.Startfromsmaller settingsandgrowfromthere,thereisnolimittowhereyour influencewillgrowwiththisskill.

Throw Complacency out of the Window

Youareyourowncompetition.Somakesureyourfirstcompetitiveauditisdoneagainstyourself.Makechanges toyourendgoals,letthemevolvewithpassingtime;pushyourselftodomoreandtodoitbetter Askquestions toyourself,ponderonit.Findtheanswerstowhetheryouareonthepathtosuccess,oryouarestuckbecauseof yourcritics,ormaybeit’syourself-doubtcreepingintoyourlife.Throwlightonyourinner-selfandyouwillbe enlightened.

Abasic Understanding of Current Affairs

Itbecomesdifficulttoinfluenceothersifyoucan’tcontinueanintelligentconversationandgetstumpedonbasic topicsoftax,elections,markets,unemployment,etc.Itisnotexpectedofyoutobeanexpertonthesetopics,but youdoneedabasicunderstandingofthem.Influencingsomeoneisaboutshapinganopinion,anabilitytosteer conversationsintofriendlywaters.Todothisyouneedtogaineverydayknowledgeaboutwhat’scurrently trending.Somakeitahabittosetaside20minuteseverydaytolearnwhat’snew.Testyourknowledgeamong friendsandcolleaguesandseewhetheryouareabletomakewell-informedpointsforwardandalsoabletobackit up.Buildyourknowledgeincrementallyandyouwillnoticeothersreachingouttoyouforinformation.

Appreciate Technology Influence

stThe21 centuryisruledbysocialmedia,withTwitterandFacebookrulingcommunicationtechnology,andhas securedastrongfoothold.Businessesareonline,andsoarethecustomersandrecruiters.Ifgooglingyourself produces30otherpeopleandnotyou,itistimeforyoutoupyouronlinepresence.Formostpeopleyoucome across,yourreputationandinfluencewillbeperceivedthroughwhattheycanfindaboutyouontheinternet.

Eachindividualisdifferent,andeventhougheverypersonpossessdiversetalentsandskills,theyneedtowork andenhancethem;eventheoneswhoaregiftedandfloatthroughtocorporateheights.Theworldismoving rapidly,andifyoucontinuetositstillyoumightinevitablycometoaninfluentialstandstill.

Ramesh Hariharan: The Scientist Harvesting a Dream for a Billion People

Weoftenhearofcuttingedgetechnologysuccesses inthewest.Itishoweverraretofindacompany outofIndiathatcanpushtheenvelopeinthewest whilealsomakinganimpactonthebillionsinIndia.Indeed,it israretocapturethesightofsomeonewhodarestodreamof cuttingedgescienceandofprovidinghopetotheworldofa billionpeoplearoundhim.OnesuchvisionaryisDr.Ramesh Hariharan,aformercomputerscientistandbioinformatician who worked as a professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) before teaming up with his colleagues to change the wayuniversitiesoperateinIndia,forever.

TheHumbleBeginningsofaRevolution

While pursuing his PhD thesis at New York University, Dr Hariharan designed new algorithms for processing large numbers of character sequences, e.g., those in the human genome. He then returned to India to the Indian Institute of Science with the goal of building a research program that wouldcombinelargescalecomputingandbiology Thisearly workandacollaborationwiththreeotherdynamicandlikemindedcolleaguesthenledtoahistoricchapterforallIndian universitiesasthisgroupconvincedIISctoallowthemtosetup a business enterprise, Strand Life Sciences. This was a historic event – the very first time that a public university in Indiaalloweditsfacultytospinoffacompanyandholdequity in that company Since then the team at Strand has grown to morethan200strongandthealgorithmsandtoolsithasbuilt have played a role in numerous research discoveries. Over 20,000publicationsinliteraturecitethesetools.

TheRealRevolution

TherealrevolutionbeganwhenDr.Hariharanandtheteamat Strand took their successful record of enabling scientific discoveriesandstartedusingthesametoolsforthebetterment of human health. India, a country of a billion people, has a huge burden of genetic disease Roughly 1 in a 100 individuals suffers on account of a serious genetic mutation. Such individuals often go from pillar to post to obtain a diagnosis,whichoftenremainselusiveforyearsordecadesat end.Theadventoflargescalegenomicsequencinginthewest offeredsuchpatientsawaytoshortenthisdiagnosticodyssey However,thecostsofgenomesequencingandthehandlingof the large amounts of data generated remained very high, in fact prohibitive for most Indian patients. This is where the team at Strand came in. With its extensive experience in algorithmsandtoolsforprocessinggenomesequencesandits strong expertise in molecular biology, Strand was able to optimizethisprocessinmultiplewaysandofferadiagnosisto alargefractionofthepatientsatafractionofthecostsinthe west.

Dr Hariharan and the team at Strand continue to optimize these processes further and also build the next generation of cutting-edge products that will help understand the basis for each individual’s cancer, help determine personalized treatment,aswellashelptracktheefficacyofthistreatment vianon-invasiveblooddrawsasopposedtoinvasivebiopsies. Over the next several years, these methods can be key in reducingtherapidlyrisingmortalityandmorbidityofcancer inIndia.

Ramesh Hariharan CEO Strand Life Sciences

“Impacting Lives through Precision Medicine”

India’sBeaconofHope

Dr Hariharan has been recognized with some of the highest honorsamonginnovatorsaroundtheworld.Hewasawarded the Dewang Mehta Award for Innovation in Information TechnologybytheGovernmentofIndiain2002forcreating India’s first handheld computer device, the Simputer, one of sevenindividualsinthecountrychosenforthishonor Hewas featured in the MIT Technology review’s ’Top 100 Young Innovators’ list in 2002 and became a fellow of both the IndianAcademyofScienceandtheIndianNationalAcademy ofEngineering.

ABookThatCapturesthisFascinatingExperience

Dr. Hariharan’s experience of using computational algorithms to benefit patients, and in particular, the experience of scouring a patient’s genome to determine the mutation at the heart of the problem, has been captured in a booktitled“GenomicQuirks.”ThisbookispublishedbyIISc Press and uses a sampling of Strand’s patient referrals to illustratetheintense,freneticactivitythatgoesintoproviding a patient with a diagnosis, which Dr. Hariharan calls the genomicswarroom.Anexcerptfromhisbook..

In this genomics war room, molecular biologists in lab coats or their robot equivalents, scurry around transferring samples from one receptacle to another. In this process, genomic molecules are extracted from the patient’s sample, chopped into small fragments and subjected to a multitude of manipulations. Eventually, the genome sequence comes out, butratherindirectly–intheformofmillionstobillionsoftiny fragment sequences that amount to gigabytes of data. Highperformance computers then piece these fragments back together, like a jigsaw puzzle. A comparison between this assembled jigsaw and that for a normal person yields a long list of variants, i.e., characters that are likely suspects. Computers then scour vast amounts of biomedical literature for information that helps zoom-in on the most relevant of these suspects, typically a handful in number Finally, trained geneticists rack their brains to identify the ones that hold a cluetothepatient’scondition.Ifallgoeswell,oneortwoclear candidates emerge and are reported back to the doctor. But thingsdon’talwaysgowell…

TheJourneyHasJustBegun

Strandwasbuiltonasolidfoundationledbytheguidanceof its earlier CEO and co-founder, Dr Vijay Chandru, and Dr Hariharan, as well as the energy of its more than 200 employees. Building on the strengths of its interdisciplinary team of scientists, bioinformaticians, and medical professionals,Strandcontinuestoexpanditssuiteoftoolsand productsforresearchaswellasformedicalimpact.Strand’s listofcustomersandpartnersincludesleadingacademiclabs, instrument companies, diagnostic companies, and pharmaceuticalcompanies.Strand’sfootprintoflaboratories inIndiaisgrowingtocoverafargreatergeographicalspread as Strand’s image as the most scientifically trustworthy and reliablecompanycontinuestostrengthen.

Rashmi Varma: A Curious Mind that Captured the Unknown with Passion

Oneofthemostintriguingandfascinatingcreatures ofnatureisalightningbug.Whentheworldislost inthedarknessofnight,restoftheanimal kingdomchangestheirvisiontoadjusttothedark.Onthe otherhand,thelightningbugfindsalightwithintowander

withapurposeamidstthedarkesttimestomoveforward withuntamedandunperturbedpassiontowardsitspursuit. Somehumanbeingsarelivingembodimentofthe illustriouspathcarvedbyalightningbug.Onesuch inspiringandfascinatingpersonalityinthebusinessworld isRashmiVarma.Hercuriosityandpassiontoseekthe lightasawayoflifedefythesocietalnormsofseekinga shelterindarktoinspirepeopleallovertheworld.

TheJourneyofanOriginalYoungMind Rashmiwasbornandbroughtupintheancientlandof India.Asshestartedwalkingthepathofahigherpurpose, shewaseducatedsimultaneouslyinthebestofboththe EasternandtheWesternworld.Shewaseducatedinthe bestmissionaryandconventschoolsinIndiawhilelearning amoresalienteducationinYoga,secularprinciples,the Indianculturethroughhercaringfamily.Itisoftensaidthat thetrulyspecialonesoftencarveouttheirownpaththrough theirindustriousnaturetobesuccessful.Similarly,Rashmi displayedakeenknackforlearningabouttechnology throughindependentscientificexperimentsatayoungage.

Atayoungage,Rashmisetherselfapartbyaimingto discoveralienlifeintheuniverse.Heryoungmindwas overwhelmedbythedesiretocommunicatewithotherlife forms.Consequently,shedevotedherselftounderstanding

Rashmi Varma CEO DreamBig

radiotechnologytobuildherownantennasandradios.She wouldrunscientificexperimentstounderstandtheinner intricateworkingsofelectricalcircuits.Beingcreativeand dreaminguplargerthanlifeideaswasaconstantfueltoher imagination.However,sheprobablylearnedthemost importantlessonforachildtolearnatayoungageonher own–Curiosity,passion,andsacrificearesacrosanctof buildingabeautifulworldwithin.

WhentheLightningFinallyStruck Rashmiwasanenthusiasticlearnerfromchildhood; however,herjourneydidnotmeetwiththeultimatedestiny untilsheputinyearsofhardwork.Duringschool,she optedforMusic,Literature,Mathematics,andPhysicsas shewaspassionateaboutthem.Itwasonlyuntilyearslater thatshewasabletoapplyherselfasatelecomengineerto beginhercareer.Rashmi,drivenbyhercuriousmindand naturalinstinctsrosethroughthecorporateladderquickly Shemoveduphigherpositionsinvariousorganizations onlytobeabletoreachaclearunderstandingoftheroleof technologyintoday’ssociety.Itwasthenthatsherealized thatstudentsinclassroomsarelaggingbehindin developmentandsupportfromtheirschoolstoforma deeperandricherunderstandingoftechnology.Herkids wereherguidinginspiration.Itwasthenthatshedecidedto ventureintoentrepreneurshipandformherfirstcompanyiCode iCodebroughtcomputerandtechnologyeducationtoK12 space.iCodewasastartingpointofalongandrewarding journeyforRashmi.Shehadtastedsuccessafterbearingthe bruntoflearningthecruxoftechnologymattersbyworking intheindustry AfteriCode,newchallengesbecamethe orderofthedayforRashmi.Later,shestartedOoventiy,a firmofferingconsultingservicestoclientcompanieswho specializedintheInternetofThings(IoT).IoTisawide areaofdevelopmentasitservessmartcitiesprojects, Industries,Logistics,Healthcareamongothers.Her expertiseintheareaandherpotentialtodosomethingbig fortheclientsdidnotgounnoticedorunappreciated. Ooventiywasquicklyacquiredandeventuallymergedwith UnitedSoftech.Rashmididnotstopwiththesuccessful mergerofhercompany.Shemovedontocombineher childhooddreamswithherrealunderstandingoftheworld. Today,sheworksonDreamBigproject,whichtakesalook attheknowledgeinfrastructurewetakeforgrantedevery day,fromafreshandoriginalperspective.

LessonsLearnedandEarnedfromExperience

RashmiVarmahaslearnedmanythingsfrompractical scientificexperiments,qualityeducationandtheultimate experienceoftrialsandfailures.Today,shehasreachedthe understandingthatthebusinessworld,andtheCEOs drivingthem,requiredifferentworldviewstobesuccessful. However,thereisonecommonthingthateveryonemust learn.Rashmibelievesthatcommunicatingandconnecting shouldbethecorevaluesofacompany Accordingtoher,it isimportantforallteammemberstounderstandthe‘why’ ateverystepoftheirprocess.Knowingthewhybuildsa realvalueandoutputoforganizationwhichdirectlyimpacts themomentum,andliftsanentireteamtoanewlevel. Rashmialsobelievesthatduringherpastexperiences,it wastransparencyincommunicationandleadingby examplethathelpedherfindsolutionsinthemostdifficult situations.Similarly,shealsofindstheorganizational Japanesepracticesoffive‘whys’veryappealingtorunan organizationandofferssolutionstoemployeesaswellas clients.

Rashmihasledherlifewithlessonsthataresimpleand actionable.Throughtheselessons,shehasfoundimmense motivation,bothintrinsicandextrinsic.Sheadvisesyoung entrepreneurstobuildastrongnetworkofexperienced mentorstosteerandguidetheircompany.Afterall,thereis alotofvalueattachedtoinformation,butonecanbeswept awaywithanoceanofknowledgewithouttheactual experienceoflearninghowtoswim.Rashmiisfollowing herownadvicetobuildagreatteamatwork.Shehopesto buildaproductbasedstartupthatwouldservetheworldin ameaningfulmanner.Ifeverythinggoesaccordingtothe plan–thelightningbugwouldcontinuetoemitlightand illuminateadarkroadtomaketheworldabetterplace.

Allow yourself to transform as many times as needed to completely realize your potential and purpose in this universe

Oneofhistory’sgreatestminds, Albert Einstein, oncedefined insanityas “doing something over and over again and expecting different results.” Ifyouwantdifferent results,betterresults,youmust innovateandthereisnoshortcutforit. Thinkingoutsidetheboxhelpsfind newandbetterwaystosolveproblems, aswellastobecomemoreefficient.

Hardtimeswillmanyatimesforce youtoinnovate,butitwillalsoprevent youfromdoingit.However,duringa crisis,unsuccessfulinnovationcould leadtotheendofacompany.Inthis sense,topursueinnovativeprojectsin termsoftime,feasibility,cost-benefit, andprocessesbecomesapressing challengeforanyleadershipteam. Sometimesyouhaveveryfewdatato decide,someothertimesyougettoo muchdata,butmostofthetimeitboils downtofollowing–yourgut.

SalvadorEscobedo,Presidentand CEOatPEMEXProcurement InternationalInc.,(PPI)isonesuch leaderwhohasbeenthechangeagent everyonewantstosee,whilethinking outsidetheboxandstayingtruetohis gut.

AJourneyWorthRemembering BoastingtwoMaster’sdegree,onein EconomicsfromtheInstituto TecnológicoAutónomodeMéxico (ITAM)andanotherinPublic AdministrationfromColumbia UniversityintheCityofNewYork, Salvadorhasworkedforover10years

inthepublicsectorspecializingin finance,budgetoptimization,financial management,andeconomic development.Hehasheldseveral positionsintheMexicanMinistryof Finance,focusingonissuessuchas financialinclusion,budgetanalysis, publicpolicy,andfinancial management.Hehasalsoservedasthe GeneralManagerforFinancial StrategyattheMexicanSocial SecurityInstitute(IMSS),thelargest healthinstitutioninLatinAmericaand themostimportantsocialsecurity agencyinMexico.Duringhistime there,Salvadordevelopednew infrastructurefinancingschemesand innovativeprocurementmodelsfor healthcareservices,whicheventually contributedinsavingoverfivehundred milliondollarsin2015,aswellasto expandandimprovehealthservices aroundthecountry.

DevelopingInnovativeProcurement Strategies

Afterservingindifferentgovernment agenciesandgainingabroad understandingofthepublicsectorin Mexico,hetransitionedtoPetróleos Mexicanos(PEMEX)— the Mexican National Oil Company and the eighth largest oil company in the world ServingastheDeputyDirectorfor ProcurementStrategy,Salvador developedinnovativeprocurement strategies,whichhelpedthecompany saveoverabilliondollarsin2016.For suchreasons,inMay2017,Salvador

wasappointedasthePresidentand CEOofPPI,aPEMEXaffiliatethat providesinternationalprocurement servicesforPEMEXandits subsidiaries.

PPIbeganitsoperationsin1994as IntegratedTradeSystemsinHouston, Texas.Mostofthetechnologyrequired bythePEMEXGroupisnotproduced inMexico,therebycreatingagreat dependenceonimportedgoodsand services.PPIwasincorporatedtobe moreefficientandcompetitiveby providingcomprehensivesupplychain management.Itslocationintheworld’s oil&gascapitalhashelpedPPIto developovertwohundredlong-term partnershipagreementssinceits inceptionandtohavecontractual relationshipswithover1,700suppliers intheoil&gasindustry.PPI’s flexibilityandadaptabilityhave allowedittocontinuegeneratingvalue forthePEMEXGroup,aswellasthe degreeofmaturityofthebusiness model,whichrestsonfivemainpillars: Connecting supply chain process with the demand, Management of the relationship with stakeholders, Management of supply chain, Support to the procurement operations, and Management of the business

AttemptingtoGenerateBetter Conditions

Salvadorbelievespublicserviceand attemptingtogeneratebetter conditionsinMexicohavealwaysbeen hisvocation. “After the oil crisis, I was fortunate to be part of a highly qualified group selected to help PEMEX navigate the crisis and become more efficient, productive, and profitable. Working for PEMEX, and later as CEO in one of its affiliates, made me realize the enormous

contribution companies, public or private, can make in a country by creating jobs, paying taxes, developing high quality products and services; and overall, generating opportunities for economic development. This experience helped me decide to pursue an executive career in the oil and gas sector and to make my contribution from this industry,” Salvadoraffirms.

Whenaskedaboutthekeyvaluesthat helpedhimtraveltheleadershiproad innovativelyandsuccessfully,Salvador said,resultsorientation,leadership, commitment,persistence,andhard wordarethekeyvaluesthathelped himovercometheroadblocks.

AnIncidentthatMadePositive Impact

Duetotheoilandgasindustry’scrisis andotherinternalfactors,thenecessity tomaintainPPIas PEMEX’saffiliate wasquestioned,andhowcould Salvadorknowthatitwould,oneday, becomeoneofthemostmemorable incidentsofhislife.Thecrisis generatedahighlevelofuncertainty andfearamongthestaff,anditwas withinthiscontextthathewas appointedCEO,withthespecific objectiveofincreasingoperationsand

valuetothestakeholderstokeepthe companyupandrunning.

“The first challenge I faced to save the company, was switching the staff’s frame of mind and mindset by generating a positive work environment and getting everyone on board towards the objective. I planned a strategic envisioning retreat for all the staff where everyone’s ideas were listened to and included in our new business plan,” Salvadorsays.For him,adoptingthisparticipatory approachwasessentialtobringthe teamtogetherandgeneratingasenseof ownership.Hisapproachborefruitfor PPIasitmadeaverypositiveimpact ontheworkenvironmentnoticeably increasingproductivity

Salvador’sAdviceforYoung Entrepreneurs

Wearelivinginahighlycompetitive world,wherenewproductsare developedandservicesareimproved everyday.Myadvicetothe entrepreneursenteringintothemarket istoneverstopbeingcreativeand innovative.Theonlywaytohavea chanceinthishighlycompetitive worldistothinkoutsidethebox.To

makewhatalreadyexistsbetter,more efficientormorepractical;andtobe one-stepaheadofwhattheindustry needsanddemandsinordertodevelop newproductsaccordingly.

ContinuingtoProvideInternational ProcurementSolutions

Salvadorbelievesduetotheenergy reformputinplaceinMexicofour yearsago,theenergysectorwillgrow significantlyinthenextcoupleof decades.Newcompanies,nationaland international,privateandpublic,are nowabletoparticipatealongtheentire valuechainintheoilandgasindustry, andtheentireenergysectorinMexico.

“I expect PPI will grow in the same direction, providing international procurement solutions not only to PEMEX and its subsidiaries, but also to other companies. First, through PEMEX’s strategic partnerships, and later directly to multiple companies operating in Mexico. Afterwards, we will work to expand our services to the entire energy sector, not only oil and gas, providing international procurement solutions to companies such as the National Electricity Company.”

Salvador Escobedo President & CEO

PEMEX Procurement International Inc

My goal is to contribute to the creation of opportunities for economic development

Steve Cowan:

A Born Leader Driving Growth with Insight and Experience

Athannot,heistheepitomeofalltheexpectations thateveryoneelsecannotbe,heldaccountable oftenbythesamepeople.Humanexpectationsarenotfair andneitheristheunduepressurethataccompaniesitas baggage.However,somepeopleareborntoturn expectationsintoopportunitiesandthepressureinto unparalleledfervor.Suchleadersnavigatetheseaof expectationssuccessfullytosailtheboatoflifetowardsthe boundlesshorizonofaperfectfuture.Attheendofalong andhardworkingday,thesepeoplearecherishedand valuednomatterwhat.Theseleadersaretreasured regardlessofwhetheranyoneontheirteamrealizeswhat liesaheadinthebigblueocean– because they know they can always count on someone to lead

leaderisexpectedtobealotofthings.Moreoften

ANaturalInstinctSharpenedByEducation

SteveCowanisonesuchnaturalbornleader.Hisseamless energyandpositiveattitudemakeshimaninstantfavorite amongbusinessleaders.Steveunderstoodatanearlyage thathewantedtoleadandfollowedhisgutinstinctwiththe mostapplicabledegreeofBachelorsandMastersin BusinessAdministration.HestudiedatWilfridLaurier Universityduringhisundergraduatedegreeandattended theprestigiousSchulichSchoolofBusinessforhis postgraduateeducation.ItwasalwayscleartoStevethathis placeinlifewascarvedouttobealeaderandheneverfell shortofhisownexpectations.

ABusinessPhilosophyThatDrivestheRawInstinct

Stevebuilthisprofessionallifewitharocksolid philosophy.Hisfocushasalwaysbeentoputforththebest effortandgetthingsdonetherightway.Heiscurrentlythe PresidentandCEOofJonasConstructionGroup,which offersatop-of-the-linebusinessmanagementand accountingsoftwaretoclients.AtJonasConstruction,Steve driveshisteamwithpositivitytoachievethemaingoalof continuallygrowingandimprovingthebusiness.Hisfeatis exceptionalashiseducationdidnotcarveouta straightforwardpathforhimtoleadateamoftechnology experts.

AGlimpseofSuccessisAllthatisEverNeeded

Stevehaslearnedfromhismanychallengingexperiencesas aprofessionaltogainusefulinsightsateverystepofhis career.Hefoundajobasabusinessanalystinthesoftware

industryafterhisgraduation.Steveoverturnedwhatmay haveseemedlikeapurecoincidenceoffatetoothers,intoa pricelessopportunity.Hemadehimselfathomeinthe softwareindustryandworkedrelentlesslytobuildthe foundationsofgreatsoftwareproducts.Heworkedat softwarecompaniesthataidedtelecommunications,payroll managementandultimatelyattheJonasGroup,whichat thetime,builtwebsitesforgolfcourses.Thatopportunity camehisway12yearsago,andtoday,SteveleadstheJonas GroupastheCEOtosteerthecompany’sshiptowardsa prosperousfuture.

AVisionthatUnleashesPassion

TheJonasConstructionGrouptodayoffersasoftwaresuite thathelpsconstructioncompaniesperformjobcosting, accounting,projectmanagement,servicemanagement,as wellasdocumentanddrawingmanagement.Thissoftware canbeusedonanydevice.Inordertobuildsucha comprehensiveproduct,Stevetookanunconventionalpath. Heallowedhisteamofmemberstoexperimentandtake risks.Heselectedanoutstandingbunchofpeopleandputin placeprocessesthatgrantedhisteamfullautonomyingood faith.Stevebelievesthatthisisthewayforwardtomeetthe

competitivesoftwareindustryhead-on.Softwarecaneasily becomeoutdatedinahighlyinnovativemarket,whichis whySteveguidesandmentorsemployeestoadopta fearlessattitudetowardsfailure.

ARoadofCertainUncertaintiesThatLiesAhead

Today,JonasConstructionSoftwareofferstwomain productlines.Theseproductlinesare:Enterpriseand Premier Theseproductsaredesignedtohelpbusinesses improveproductivityandincreaseprofitability.Overa thousandcompaniesacrossNorthAmericaleverageJonas ConstructionSoftwaretomanagetheirday-to-day operations.Steveledthecompanythroughoneoftheir mostsuccessfulyearsin2017,whichisanimpressivefeat, especiallywithintheconstructionindustry.Stevecontinues tolearnandkeepanopenmind,andisfocusedon continuallysurroundinghimselfwithagroupofstrong individualsatalltimes.Atthetopofhiscareersuccess, Steveunderstandsandremembersthatagoodleaderisas goodashisabilitytospotandeliminateaweaknesstime andagain,everyday

The core value that has helped me overcome any roadblocks or challenges in my career is not being afraid to take risks.

Steve Cowan President & CEO Jonas Construction Software

About the Author

How To Overcome Obstacles When Starting Young

twasstatedinaBNPParibasIGlobalEntrepreneursreport surveying2,600entrepreneurs basedin18countries,thatmillennials arelaunchingmorethantwotimes morebusinessesversustheirolder counterparts.Timearechangingand theinevitableriseofthe20-something CXOswillfollow,whetherwelikeit ornot.

Thatsaid,startingyoungalsocomes bundledwithitsownsetofunique challenges.Forwide-eyedmillennials enteringtheworldofbusiness,thiscan provetobedauntingandattimes overwhelming.

BackwhenmypartnerandIfirst startedHighSpark,acompanythat providespresentationdesignservices andskillstraining,itwasbynomeans awalkinthepark.Herearesome obstacleswefacedalongthewayand howweovercamethem:

1.Youwillbeunderestimated Wouldyoutrustyourbusinesswith someonethatistwo-timesyounger? Notaneasyanswerisit?

Ourstruggleinitiallywastoget experiencedorseniorbusinessowners totrustacoupleofteenagerstryingto helpthemincommunications. Naturally,wegotplentyofobjections rangingfromdisbelief:“Whatmakes youqualified?”tooutrightrejection “Wecan’tworkwithyou,you’retoo young”.

Itwasonlyafterayearintothe businessthatwewerefinallyfigured outhowtogetpastthisobstacle: Crediblereferencesfrompastclients.

Perceptionisalmostasimportantas actuallybeingabletodeliver.Having someoneelsetootyourhornforyou canbeinvaluablewhenyou’restarting outyoung.Nodoubtit’llbeharder versusalreadyhavingprofessional cloutasamoreexperienced professional,butthelessonsyoulearn

willbeinherentlymorevaluable. Anothergreatwayistoworkwith otherexpertstocoverareaswhereyou falter.Inourcase,wecollaboratedwith expertsinsalestrainingandpublic speakingtoprovidemoreholistic solutions.Thatway,byassociation, youquicklyappearmoretrustworthy.

2.Youwillfeellikeyou’remissing out Entrepreneurshipisalonely,riskyroad lesstravelled.Whenyou’reyounger, youcanstomachmorerisk,butit mightbetoughertobedoing somethingthatgoesagainstwhatthe restofyourpeersaredoing.

Inourcase,mypartnerandIstarted thebusinessattheexpenseoffurther educationatthetime-wedidn’tgoto college.Ontheflipside,about80%of ourpeerswereheadingtouniversity, graduatingandfindingemployment.

Therewerenumerousinstanceswhere weweregenuinelyuncertainabout whetherourbusinesswouldbe profitableenoughtojustifyour sacrifices.Peersouragewerealready progressingintheircareers,whilewe werestilltryingtodetermineifwe madetherightdecisiontodothis.

Theoldproverb,“showmeyour friendsandI’lltellyouwhoyouare,” ringstruehere.

Surroundingyourselfwithlike-minded peoplegoingthroughthesame strugglesisagreatwaytomanageselfdoubtandaccelerateyourlearningin theprocess.Justrememberthatnoone everdidanythingspecialbybeinglike everyoneelseandthattherisksyou takenowcanpayoffhandsomelyin thefuture.

3. Youwillnevertruly‘knowwhat you’redoing’

Withnewsoutletsreportingsuccessful fundraisingroundsinthemillionsand newstartupstoriesonthepressevery otherday,itcansometimesseemlike

everyoneelsehasgotlifefiguredout exceptyouandyourteam.

Thetruthisthateventhemost seasonedentrepreneurs(youngorold) feelunsureattimes.Heck,even entrepreneursthataredoingwellmight constantlyhaveacaseofimpostor syndrome.Whenweconsistently entertainthoughtsofself-doubt,these thoughtscanmanifestintoparalysis whereweendupworryingmorethan doinganythingproductive.

Asimplesolutionasrenowned marketingexpertSethGodinoften saysisto‘StartShipping’.Don’tfear makingmistakesbecauseyouwill definitelyrunintoobstaclesalongthe way.

TheBusinessInsiderrecentlyreported ona6-yearoldboythatmakes$11 MillionayearonYoutubereviewing toysonhischannel:RyanToysReview Itreallygoestoshowwhatonecan accomplishwhenapplyingyourself correctlyandsilencinganyfeelingsof inadequacy

Whetheryou’reaCEOinyourfifties orastartupfounderinyourtwenties, sometimesthebestthingtodoisto hunkerdownandtreadalongyour plannedpathratherthanworryif you'remakingthewrongdecisions.

Startingyoungcanbeanadvantageif youuseitright.Don’tbeboggeddown bythingsthatyoucancontrol,but insteadfocuson: 1.Buildingsolidrelationshipsand developingyourcredo 2.Growthroughosmosisby surroundingyourselfwith outstandingpeople 3.Focuson‘shipping’andthesteps ahead.

Fromdecades,theentrepreneurshipandemerging marketsresearchfloodshaveconverged.Emerging marketsarenowprovidinganopportunityto examineentrepreneurshipindifferentcontextsandforms, andthemarketsareoftendistinctfromdevelopedcountries, particularlythoseintheWest,bywayofculture,economic developmentandpoliticalinstitutions.

Emergingmarketcountriesareinvariablycomplex.Onthe onehand,theyarestartinglaterandoftenwithfewer resourcesthanmoreestablishedindustrialeconomies.On theothercontrary,theyoftenhaveunmetsocietalneedsthat canoffertremendousopportunitiestothecompaniesthat positionthemselvesproperly.Often,thosearethe companiesthathavenotyetbeenborn.

OpportunitiesofEntrepreneursinEmergingMarkets

Thewealthofopportunitiesandproblemstosolvearean advantage,butgeneratinginnovativeideasthatgobeyond thecriterionisnotsoeasy.Itcanbehardtoconvince peoplethattheycandosomethingdifferentandunique,but whenyouaddthelayerofscarceresourcesandlimited abilitytoreboundforfailurethatbringsaboutacautionthat limitsaventureabilitytoscale.Entrepreneurshaveto understandthecontextwherethey’rebuilding,howtomake thingsworkonnexttonothingforalongtime,andthat theyhavetobecomerevenuepositiveasquicklyas possible.

Insomepartsoftheworldwheretherearecastesystems andreligiousandculturalbarriers,thereareoftenmore

barrierstoentryforwomentoriseincorporations. Therefore,thechoicetobeanentrepreneuriseasier;itis oftenoneoftheonlyoptions.

EntrepreneurshipFittingintotheEconomic DevelopmentPicture

Thereisacolossalopportunitytolaunchabusinessinany numberofareassincenothingisyetentrenched.Where therearegreaterchallenges,therearegreateropportunities toinnovateandcomeupwithuniquesolutionsandto addresschallengesthatnoonehaseventhoughtof.

Manygovernments,aswellasmultilateralorganizations aroundtheworld,arerecognizingthatentrepreneursarejob

creatorsandthatthereisagreatthirstamongthenext generationofyoungpeopleeverywheretodrivetheirown future.Moreandmoreresourcesarebeingfocusedonthis pent-updemand,anditistheotherrevolutioncalled ‘The Entrepreneurship Revolution.’

WomenEntrepreneursBreakingThroughBarriers

Therehastobeasystemwherepeopleareallowedtohave ideasandexecutethem.Womencanseewhattheproblem isbutaretheyempoweredtosolvethoseproblemsfor themselvesandtheirfamilies,orvillageorbeyondtheir village?Oneofthereallycriticalchallengesthatwomen faceisthelackofaccesstotraditionalnetworksin education,training,financingascomparedwithwhat’s availabletomen.Sowomen-ownedbusinesseshavefound greatopportunitieswithincooperativeorganizationswhere theybuyandsellfromeachother

They’verecognizedthatwhiletheyarewaitingforWalmart todiscoverwhattheyalreadyknow,thattheircompanies offerthehighestqualityorquickestturnaround.Theyare alreadyoperatinginasuccessfulnetworkwithother women.Theyknowwhattheyneedfromeachotherand presentapotentiallybigmarketrightthere.

Everyplacehasauniqueculturalperspectivethat entrepreneurscantapintoandbuildontobringsomething new.Thebeautyofbeingawomaninanemerging-market countryisthattheyarestartingtoseehugemacroeconomic reformsthatnotonlymakeiteasierforventurecapitalists tocomeinbutalsoforforeignerstocomeinandinvest.

ScalingBusinesses

Often,thereareincredibleprogramsouttherefor entrepreneurshipandincredibleopportunities,butthereis aninformationgap.Thatinformationisnotmarketedtothe peoplewhoneeditinordertoapplyforacontractorsellto acompany.Sonoonegetstheinformation,and opportunitiespass.Governmentshavecometorealizethat theycannotpossiblymeettheireconomicneedsthatare providingenoughgovernmentorindustrialjobsforyoung peoplewithoutpromotingentrepreneurshipandan entrepreneurialmindset.Theexperienceofmostofthe entrepreneurswiththegovernmentisnotpositivethen whetherit’staxes,regulatorybarriers,licensingor processesthatareesotericanddifficult.Minimizingor eliminatingthosebarriershelps.

Oftenitwillbeinpartnershipwiththeprivatesector,byfacilitatingandincentivizinginvestorsorbanks.Theycanget involveddirectlybyengagingsmallbusinessesthroughtheprocurementprocess.Inalmosteverycountry,thesingle biggestprocurementsourceisthegovernment.Soifthegovernmentcommitstosetasidepartofthatforsmall businesses,whichwillbecomeahugemarket.

Governmentscanaddincentivesliketaxcreditstoincreaseinvestment.Theycanpromotestability,IPrights,andprice transparency.Andtheycanfocusonmoreefficienttransportationthatwillhelpsmallbusinesses’potentialtogrow. Countriesthatareeagertokeepuptheireconomicgrowthareveryinterestedinhavingsuccessfulwomeninthe workforceandinmakingsurethatthosewomennotonlyhavethenecessaryeducationbutarealsogettingthetypeof fundingthat’sgoingtoallowthemtostartcompaniesandscalethemup.

Theemergingmarketsareknownforitsmanufacturingdexterity,andtheserviceindustryisexpeditiouslydeveloping. Theethnicgroupsareanentrepreneurialsourcebothinemergingmarketsandamongemergingmarketentrepreneurs inhostmarkets.Differentconceptuallensesmayexplainethnicentrepreneurshipinemergingmarkets,including institutionalandbusinessgrouptheoriesaswellastheresource-basedview,andsofurtherourunderstandingof entrepreneurshipinemergingmarkets.Wearelookingforwardandhopingthattheresearchonemergingmarketsand entrepreneurshipwillcontinuetodevelop.

Steve Upshaw: Innovative Leadership that's Paving the Way for Transformation in the Home Services Market

Thepursuitofinnovationisaconstantchallengein today’sincreasinglycompetitivemarketplace, particularlyfororganizationalleadership.Leaders needtocreateaculturethatfostersexperimentationand risk-taking.Thisnotonlybeginswithreal,activeand consistentCEOcommitment,italsotakestimeand developmentoftherighttalenttohelpdrivethemindset throughouttheorganization.Inaddition,havingrealistic expectationsandavoidinganalysisparalysisarecritical.

Oneparticularleaderwhoisfosteringdigitalinnovationto redefinetermsinthehomeservicesindustryisSteve Upshaw,CEOofCrossCountryHomeServices (CCHS).SteveisadynamicandmultifacetedC-suite executivewithsignificantinternationalbusinessexpertise, andatrackrecordofdrivingrevenueandprofitabilityin consumerservices,aswellascompletebusiness transformation,withafocusonadvancementsinhuman capital,revenuediversification,culturalevolution, innovation,andtechnology

StevejoinedCCHS,aleadingproviderofwarranty,repair, andmaintenanceservices,withmorethantwodecadesof leadershipexperience,includinghismostrecentrolesas PresidentofAffinionGroupandCEOofCustomer EngagementSolutions,abusinessunitofAffinion. During histimeatAffinion,Stevesuccessfullyopenednew geographiesandlaunchednewproductsandlinesof businessintheU.Sandabroad.

Aquotethatperfectlyresonateswiththecharacteristicsof thisleadingCEOis,“If you want to be great and successful,

choose people who are great and successful and walk side by side with them.”-RalphWaldoEmerson.

BecomingthePreeminentPlayerintheHomeServices Market

Foundedin1978,CCHSisresponsibleforestablishing someoftheindustry’sbest-knownhomewarrantyand maintenancebrands,including TotalProtect Home Warranty and HMS Home Warranty.CCHSdevelopsandmaintains meaningfulpartnershipsacrossavarietyofindustries includingfinancial,retail,insurance,realestateandutilities. Thecompanyalsomarketsdirect-to-consumer,withtheend

Thinking about the leadership challenges I've faced over the years, determination, optimism and authenticity are core values that always seem to resonate and serve me well

goalbeingtoofferhomemanagementsolutionsthat empowerhomeownersandgivethempeaceofmind.When talkingaboutthecompany’sstrategicgoals,Stevenoted, “We want to meet and exceed our consumer’s needs with laser-like focus on value and experience.”

StevehasbeenservingCCHSasCEOformorethantwo years,andremainsfocusedontransformingthecompany intothepre-eminentplayerinthehomeservicesmarket. ThepivotalmomentforhimatCCHSwasknowingthe organizationwasreadyfortransformationalchange.Since thattime,Stevehassuccessfullyleveragedthediverse executiveteamatCCHS,leadingthemtotheirsharedgoal ofexpandingbeyondthecorehomewarrantybusinesswith innovative,technologydrivensolutionstobuildtheir serviceofferings.Thisincludestheuseofabroader uber-liketransactionalmodeltoappealtoawiderconsumer base.

CCHShasexperienceddouble-digitgrowthannuallysince 2014,andthisyearunderSteve’sguidance,thecompany hascommencedseveralkeytechnology-driven advancementsaspartofitslong-termgrowthand transformationstrategy.Forexample,thecompany

launchedthefirstAmazonAlexaSkillinthehomewarranty market,HomeServiceManager,inresponsetotheincrease demandfromcustomersforsmarthomes. Inaddition, CCHSunveiledServiceBench,afieldservicemanagement platformdesignedtosupportaseamlessend-to-end customerexperience.

ConsideringSteve’spreviousexperiences,hewasanideal fitfortheCEOpositionatCCHS.Workinginconsumer servicessincetheageofsixteen,Stevegarneredthepassion toseeksolutionsthatmeetcustomers’needswhileworking tomakethemfeelgoodabouttheexperience.Yearslater,he sawthepotentialtodriveCCHSforwardandtransformthe morethan35-year-oldcompanywith“greatbones”and extraordinarygrowthpotentialintosomethingreallyspecial intheindustry. Whiletalkingabouttheidealqualitiesthat atransformationalCEOshouldpossess,Stevesaid,“I believe having the clarity of vision or purpose is most important. One must be absolutely clear about what they want to achieve, and why, in order to successfully steer and rally an organization.”

AdvicetothePotentialEntrepreneurs Stevesuggeststhatambitiousandrisingentrepreneursask someofthequestionsthatheaskshimselfincluding,“Are you passionate about your idea or venture? I mean, absolutely obsessed with the belief in yourself and the ability to turn your passion into a reality.” Steve encouragespotentialleaderstobethoroughintheirselfevaluationandrelyonfriends,family,andadvisorswho demonstrateanabilitytoprovidetheunvarnishedtruth. Andhesaid,“Ultimately, I love encouraging bold risktakers to follow their dreams.”

TakingStepstoAchieveaNewVision

Whileinthemidstofanorganizational,digitalandcultural evolution,Steveandhisteamareexcitedabouttheshort andlong-termfuture.Heisleadingthecompanytoworkon acorporatere-brandingstrategytoreflectamore contemporary,tech-forwardorganizationwithabroadened vision.Healsoanticipatesinnovationinthecompany’s serviceofferingsandexpansionofitsdistributionchannels, aswellastransformationincustomerengagementasCCHS aggressivelyleveragestechnologyandimplementsa paradigmshiftinthewaytheydelivervaluetotheir networkofexpertserviceprofessionals.Steveconcluded theconversationaboutthecompany’splansbystating, “We’ll execute our bold agenda by leaning into our highperformance culture efforts and building strong associate engagement.”

Steve Upshaw CEO Cross Country Home Services

Vincent Forster Co-founder & CEO Versantis

Theliveristhelargestorganinhumanbodyand playsasignificantroleinthedetoxificationof metabolicslag.Incaseofliverfailure,thesetoxic wastesaccumulaterapidlyinthebodyandendangerthe livesofpatients.Asoftoday,therearenotreatmentstosave patientsfromacuteliverdiseases,whetheritisforalcohol, drug,hepatitis,obesity,ordiabetes.Thishasmadecurrent standardsofcareineffective—inacutecases,unsafe,and oftennotavailableon-time.

VincentForster Versantis,co-founded withanaimof developinganewgenerationofeffectivemedicinesand reliablediagnosticsthatwouldrevolutionizethecareof patientswithliverdiseases.Sinceitsformation,Versantis–

An Award-winning Visionary Saving Millions of Lives

aSwisspharmaceuticalstartupcompany–hasbeen committedtothetranslationoflife-savingtherapiesfor acutehepaticdiseasesofhighunmetmedicalneeds.

BeforetheformationofVersantis,Vincentcompletedan award-winningdoctoralresearchinPharmaceutical SciencesatETHZurich.DuringhistenureintheDrug DeliveryLaboratoryheadedbyProf.Leroux,hecoinventedanddevelopedthetechnologyplatformfrom whichVersantis’proprietarypharmaceuticalproductswere derived.Hispioneeringscientificcontributionsgenerated severalinternationalpatents;werepublishedineminent journalssuchasScienceTranslationalMedicine,andledto himbeingawardedbytheprestigiousPhoenixGroupand PfizerResearchawards.Priortothat,Vincentcarriedouta diverseandglobalbackgroundeducationinLifeSciences andBiomedicalEngineeringatEPFLLausanneandUCSD SanDiego,whereinhefocusedontheunificationof multiplemedicaltechnologiestodesigntoolsandmodels forimprovingpatientcare.

WorkingonaBiggerPicture!

Sincethemedicalworldisbecomingever-more interdisciplinary,Vincent’sgoalistoworkabiggerpicture bycoalescingadvancesacrossmultipledisciplinesto promotethedevelopmentofnoveltherapiesandimprove theglobalhealthcaresystem.Infact,thisisinanutshellthe

Photo

©: Hannes

Heinzer

storybehindVersantis’mainassetwheretechnologiesfrom differentfieldswherecombinedtodeviseastraightforward, yetextremelyefficient,medicalproductwhichanswersthe deprivingneedsofpatientssufferingfromsevereliver disease.

Versantis’sleadcandidate,VS-01hasthepotentialtofillthe medicalgapbetweenpreventivedrugsandliver transplantations,andhasreceivedOrphanDrug DesignationsfromboththeFDAandEMA.Thisprogramis thefirsttreatmentforacute-on-chronicliverfailure (ACLF),alife-threateningconditionofhighunmetmedical needandalarmingmortalityrate.Vincentplanstorapidly broadenhiscompany’sscopeinthisfieldwithafamilyof productsembracinglesssevereindicationssuchashepatic encephalopathyandcomplicationsofcirrhosis.

TranslatingtheFruitofAcademictotheMarket

Atthepeakofhiscareer,Vincentisabouttoachievewhat healwayspromoted—linkingentrepreneurialtoscientific mindsetstotranslatethefruitofacademicresearchtothe market.Hebelievesthistranslationischallengingand requiresasolidandversatilesetofskills. “I don’t think anyone is born entrepreneur or CEO and I truly believe that with the right balance of commitment, motivation, and perseverance, everyone can build and grow a successful venture,” Vincentasserts.

Threeyearsback,Vincentseizedthisopportunitymotivated bytheperspectivetosavethelivesofpatientswithliver deficiencies.Hewasknowinglytakingalargestepoutside ofhiscomfortzoneandit’snotsomethingheregretstoday, notforasecond.Hesays, “The daily problem-solving and the constant learning are getting me out of bed every morning!”

MilestonesalongtheWay

Thereweretwopivotalmomentsinthedecision-making process.DuringVincent’stenureatETH,theyinventedand developedanunconventionaltechnology,withclinical potentialinseveralfieldsofhighunmetmedicalneeds. AlthoughstartingVersantisseemedtobetheobvious avenue,Vincentmentions,hewasneitherabusinessexpert noramedicaldoctortoevaluatetheneedanddemandfor suchproducts.Thefilingoftheirfirstpatentwasthefirst steptowardsmakingthisventureintoareality,butthen whatclearlykickedtheprojectoffthegroundwas Versantis’sfirstcontractedmarketstudybasedonadozen ofinternationalKOLsinterviewswhichvalidatedthe medicalneedsandpharmaceuticalinteresttowardsthe company’stechnology.Sincethen,milestonessucceeded oneanotherrapidlythankstothecommitmentofits co-founderMeriamKabbajwhohascateredpredominantly init. Versantisgrewitsbusinessandmedicaladvisory

network,advancedthetechnologytoindustrial-scale manufacturing,proveditsefficacyingold-standardmodels, andverysoonwasawardedwithseveralinternational entrepreneurialprizesrecognizingthesoundbusiness propositionofthecompany

BuildingaStrongNetworkofCollaboratorssincethe Beginning

Vincentisastrongbelieverof ’time is money.’ Thisnaïve sayingisespeciallytrueinBiotechnologywherecapital needisextremelyhighandproductsmustnavigatethrough time-consumingregulatoryhurdlestoreachmarketing approvalandenjoywhatremainsfromtheirpatents protectionperiod. “This puts biotech executives under pressure to be creative every step of the way in order to design a lean, condensed, and cost-efficient development strategy. Executive teams of small biotech startups must be able to plan proactively and juggle between different fields with external partners to successfully climb every step on the way to success. This is exactly what we have fostered at Versantis from the start; we have successfully built a trusted network of collaborators, together achieved milestones in a timely fashion, and now with two Orphan Drug Designations granted to our lead product, we can plan on a lean clinical development,” Vincentadds.

FosteringNewIdeasandDrivingtheDevelopment

LastMarch,VersantissuccessfullyraisedaSeriesAof $4.5mwithoutstandingpartnerssuchasRedalpineVenture CapitalandHealthequity.Butraisingmoneyisonlythe beginning,nowVersantis’teamisontheclocktoadvance itsleadproducttothefirst-in-humanclinicaltrial. Simultaneously,Versantiscontinuouslyfostersnewideas anddrivesthedevelopmentofitsfollow-onproductsVS-02 andTS-01,withwhichVersantiswillstandoutasan innovationalleaderinhepatology.Itspipelineembracesall stagesofhepaticencephalopathyandaimsatincreasingthe lifeexpectancyandqualityofthesepatientswhichhave beensofarneglectedbythedrugdevelopmentindustry. Vincentaims, “…in 5 years from now, these patients will be diagnosed, saved, and supported with our products.”

We are committed to the translation of life-saving therapies for acute hepatic diseases, where the medical need is dramatically high.

WHAT TURNS A PERSON INTO CEO

Whatmakesyouthinkthatwhenyouorderateam ofhundredpeopletodoacertainjob,theywill doexactlywhatyousay?Whydoyouthinkall ofthemshouldfollowyou?Whyshouldeachoneofthem risktheirprofessionallifeonyou?Eveniftheyfollowyou whatarethechancesyouaretakingthemontherightpath?

Everyonedreamstobecomealeader,asuccessfulleader. Butveryfewstrivetobetheone.Learninginsameschool, earningthesamedegrees,playingthesamesports,stillvery fewofthembecomeleaderandtherestofthembecome followers.Everyemployeeinacompanyisatthemost suitabledesignation,ifitistrue,whatmakesaCEOto commandeveryone?Theleadershipqualityisthemost mandatorything,butittakesmanymorequalitiesthanthat. Courageisotherimportantthing,butforbeingaCEO, manyotherprofessionalskillsareincharged.Thefollowing arefewunderratedbutcrucialattributesrequiredtobecome aCEOortohireaCEOforthecompany

DecisionMaker:EverysuccessfulCEOwillagreethat makingadecisionbecomesverydifficultwheneverything dependsonyourwords.Decidingwhichstrategytofollow, whichdealtocloseandwhatshouldbeontheprioritylist,

becomesamilliontimesharderwheneveryoneiscounting onyou.Handlingthepressureandkeepingthesensesonits peakareimportantatthosetimes.

Realistic:ManypeoplethinkthataCEOmustbe optimistic,butveryexceptionalpeoplewillunderstandthat, irrespectiveofhowwellonehasstudiedprosandcons, therealwaysremainssomeprobabilityoffailure.Onemust keepthatinmind,sothathecouldchoosethebeststrategy andmustalsobeequippedwithaplanhewouldbeusingit whenhitbyfailure.Hence,beingrealisticratherthanbeing optimisticaddsmorechancesinbecomingasuccessful CEO.

Neutrality:Themostimportantandmostforbiddenquality nowadaysisemotionalneutrality.People,whobelievein, ‘ifyouthinkit’sgoingtowork,itwillwork,’aremost likelytofall.Decidingthatyouneedtostartacompanyor leadabunchofpeopleinthespellofragehasprobabilityof regrettingtheirdecisionsaftertheeffectofthespell.Alsoas asayingforGodfathergoes- ‘never involve your emotions in business, it affects your judgment,’ onemustbeableto thinkabovewhathefeelsabouttheoutcome.Onemustbe calmenoughtoobservethemarket,patientenoughto acquiretherequiredskillsandwiseenoughtostartthe journeywhenthemarketneedshimmost.

RiskTakingFactor:Hereisanothercontroversialthing theysayaboutentrepreneurs-sometimestheyneedtorisk everything.Thissentenceispartiallytrue,becauseknowing themeaningof‘Risk’isveryimportanthere.Ifpeoplethink that,“Iftheresultofanactdependspurelyon‘fortune’,itis calledrisk,”thenpeoplearenotusing“Risk”withthe contextofbusiness.Maximizingtheprobabilityofwining andhopingthateverythingwillgoaccordingtothe calculationandexecutingtheactis“takingRisk.”As winningisneverguaranteed,risktakingfactoraffects

greatlyonthesuccessofaCEO.Hence,takingriskis mandatorybutgreatbusinesspeopleneverriskeverything, that’swhyit’scalledBusiness,notGambling.Agood strategistalwayskeepshisassetssafetouseduringthe calamities.

enoughtomakethecompanysuccessfulandwinthe respectofpeopleinthemarket.Butforthepeopleofthe company,withtheabovematerialisticcharacteristics, having3C’sisveryimportant-Credibility,Competence andCaring.Peoplemusttrustyou,yourwordsandyour wayofdoingbusiness.Evenifthingsgowrong,people mustbebyyoursideinsteadblamingyou.‘Havinggood relationsisthekeytohavegoodtogainthe3C’s.Asthe sayingfrom‘HouseofCards,’goes, “Generosity is some kind of Power,” youmustbegenerousenoughtomakethe peoplebelieveinyou.

Judgment:Havingagoodjudgmentisasimportantas havingleadershipqualities.Andthesecrettomakethe judgmentbetteristolearncontinuously

ThesuccessofaCEOismeasuredbytwoparameters-what peopleinthemarketthinksabouthimandwhatpeoplein hisowncompanythinksofhim.Theabovequalitiesare

“Give Respect and Take Respect,” isthesecrettogain Respect.Loyaltyofpeopleisthemostdifficultandhighest ofthemedalaLeadercanachieve.Aspeoplefollowleader inallaspects,loyaltyisalsoaqualitythatpeopleacquire fromtheleader.ForthattheCEOmustbeloyaltothe company,toitspeopleandtohiswork,becauseofthis, irrespectiveofthesuccesscompanygets,theCEOwinsthe loyaltyofhispeople.Also,promotingloyaltyisanother kindofskillswhichincludes-respectingandpromotingold employees,fulfillingpersonaldemandsofemployees, celebratingsuccessofcompanywithallemployees,giving creditstoall,etc.

Lennard Stoever Co-founder & CEO minubo

Significance Predictive Analytics Salesforce

of in

PredictiveAnalyticshave becomethe“bigthing”inthe retailindustryandIagree,they canbeanimportantandpowerfultool forbrandsandretailers.Why?Firstof all,theyenablecommerce organizationstoworkinamore efficientwayineveryareaoftheir businessandsecondofall,they improvethequalityoftheirdecisionmakingprocesses.

BenefitsofPredictiveAnalytics

Especiallythepotentialforefficiency improvementmakespredictive analyticssointerestingandvaluable fortheretailbusiness.Timeismoney intoday’scompetitiveenvironment–sothereisalegitimatereasontodeal withthissubject.

Analyticsandanalyzingdatasetsor ratherlookingforspecificpatterns withinthedataoftenresultsintimeconsumingandinsomecases repetitivetasks.Withtheuseof predictiveanalytics,patternswithinthe datacanbeidentifiedautomatically andthereisnoneedforemployeesof thecommerceorganizationtosearch forthemmanually Alltheanalytical effortcanbefocusesonunderstanding thepatternsandtranslatingtheminto action.

Andevenwiththat,predictive analyticscanprovideaboostforan efficientworkingenvironment: Employeesofcommerceorganizations areprovidedwithfareasieraccessto thefindingsoftheanalyzeddatasets. Predictiveanalyticsfacilitatefindings inawaythatmakesiteasierfor everyoneinthecompanytounderstand whatthedatashows–noneedtobea datascientistorastatisticsexpert anymoretoactuallymakeuseofthe dataandreachoperationalexcellence.

WhyPredictiveAnalyticsareno PanaceaThough

Butthereisabig“But”–predictive analyticsareabletosolveseveral problems,butthey’renotapanacea. Theyareagreattoolforcommerce organizationstoimprovecertain processes,butitwouldbetooeasyto thinkthata“machine”canalways makethebestbusinessdecisions.

Andhere’swhy:Predictiveanalytics areonlyasgoodasthedatatheywork with.Andthatisusuallythekeyaspect inwhichbrandsandretailershavealot ofcatching-uptodo.Especiallywhen itcomestolinkingcustomerswith theirfulltouchpointhistory–notjust online,butalsointhephysicalstore environment,inthecallcenterand more–intoalogicaland comprehensivedatawarehouse. Creatingthesourcedatapool predictiveanalyticscanrelyonisthe keytounlockthegreatpotentialofthis tool.

ASolutionforSalesforceCompanies

AlsointheSalesforceeco-system,we seethatSalesforceretailersstruggle heavilywiththatchallenge.They’re simplylackingasolutionthathelps themgetthosebasicsrightbeforethey shouldeventhinkaboutpredictive analytics.AndasSalesforceitself doesn’tcomewithasolutionforthis andcompaniesusuallydon’thavethe necessaryknowledgein-house,they’re dependingonsolutionproviders specializedonSalesforcecompanies whohelpthemout.

Atthispoint,minuboentersthegame. minubo,certifiedSalesforcepartner since2014,createsaholisticomnichanneldatabaseandmakesthedata accessibleforallusergroups:Data

fromSalesforce,ordermanagement, webtrackingaswellasPOSdatais collectedandintegratedintoafull omni-channeldatawarehouse accordingtothelogicofabestpractice commercedatamodel.Ultimately,it’s madeavailableinanAnalytics& InsightsAppcomprisingvariousdata insightstoolslikeaflexiblecustomer segmentation,awebpivotanda proactiveinsightsstreamand,viaa feedAPI,enablesintelligent automationwithdirectconnectione.g. toemailmarketingsystems.

Withthat,minuboenablestruedata transparencyandallowscommerce organizationstobefast-pacedand efficientinordertogainstrategicand operationalexcellence.Allinall,it actuallyofferscrucialadvantagesin anybusinesscontext:Mistakesare detectedandcanbeeliminated,but alsopositivetrendsbecomevisibleand canbestrengthened.Theseinsights enablecommerceorganizationsto recognizeandcapitalizeonthefull potentialoftheirbusinessmodelas wellastocloselymonitorthesuccess ofnewstrategiesandprocesses–whichinmyopinionshouldbethekey usecaseofanyanalyticsproject,may itwearthelabel“predictive”ornot.

OurVision

Andactually,againstthisbackground, ouranalyticsvisiondoesn’tweara labellikethatatall–it’sfocusedon whatweenvisionourcustomersto achievewithoursolution,theminubo CommerceIntelligenceSuite:Wewant toenableallteamswithinthe commerceorganizationtomakesmart day-to-daydecisionsrelyingonone holisticdatabase.Inshort,weputour visionintoonesimpleterm:data democracy!