The 50 Most Influential Business Leaders in Tech 2021 March2021

Tech and Innovation Leading By Integrating Technology And Business Skills

Leadership Insights Towards a Secured World

A Visionary Business Leader with Human Centric Leadership Approach

Editor’s Desk

Tappingthe Potentialof Latest Technologies forBusiness Growth

Athattechnologycantransformtheworldmuch fasterthanevenonecanthink.Oneofthemost importantqualitiesanentrepreneurshouldpossessisthe abilitytorecognizethepotentialoftechnology.Entrepreneursshouldalsoinspiretheirteammatesforutilizing technologyefficiently.Onecanimprovethequalityofthe solutionsbyutilizinglatesttechnologiesavailable.By utilizingtechnologiesmostresourcefully,lotofinnovations canbemadepossible.

sanentrepreneur,oneshouldalwayshavebelief

Itisessentialforbusinessleadersintechnologytothink differentlyandalwaysbeabletoquestionthestatusquoand existingprocessesorprevalentsolutions.Businessleaderin technologyhastobeapartofthesolutiontothechallenges intheworldthatcanbesolvedwiththeutilizationof technology.Thisistheplacewherebusinessleadersin technologycanmakethegreatestofcontribution.

Thecontinuouslyrisingdemandsofthepeoplefor incorporatinglatesttechnologiesinthesolutionstoimprove theoutputthroughthemmakesitessentialforbusiness leaderstobemoreuptodateabouttechnologiesandtheir potential.Itisajobofaleadertothinkinnovativelytoset therightdirectionandstrategytotapthepotentialof availabletechnologies.

Thecombinationofgreattechnologicalresourcefulnessand capablehumanresourceshelpbusinessleaderstodrivethe successoftheirorganizationandoftheindustry.Business leaderintechnologyhastobesmartatbothtechnological aswellaspeople.Oneneedstotapthepotentialofboth sidestobemostefficientandinfluentialbusinessleaderin technology.

Technology,ifutilizedmostappropriatelybythepeople whohavemoralandethicalintegrity,hasthecapacityto makeatangibledifferenceinthesociety.Technologymakes

thingsbetterandgreatbusinessleadersmaketheir peoplebetter.So,whenthebusinesseshavethe combinationofgreatthingsaswellasthemost resourcefulpeople,itleadstosolvingalotof challengesintheindustrywithexpertiseatmany levels.

Alotoftechnologicalinnovationsthathappeninthe industryarebecauseofthecontributionofthe businessleadersintechnology.Businessleadersin technologywiththeirsharpness,inventiveness, vigilance,andcompetencecantapthepotentialof thosetechnologiestomaketheirideasareality.

Inthiseditionof“The50MostInfluentialBusiness LeadersinTech,”wearepresentingmostclever businessleadersintechthataremakingdifferenceby utilizingtechnologycreativelyalongwiththeir leadershipabilities.

FeaturingasthecoverofthiseditionisAmy Schoemehl.SheistheChiefOperatingOfficeratE. A.Renfroe&Companywhichprovidesafullrange ofcatastrophesupportservicestoinsurance companies,self-insuredcorporationsand governmentalentitiesduringtimesofdisaster.Amy believesthatleadersareinaconstantandeverchangingevolutionoflearning,living,androle modellingbehaviours.Sheherselfworkstirelessly andgenuinelycaresaboutthepeoplesheworkswith toreachconsistencyinherapproach.

Delveintomoresuchstoriesofinfluentialleadersin tech.Whileflippingthepages,don’tforgettocheck theCXOstandpointsandinsightfularticlewrittenby ourin-houseeditorialteam.

Let’sstartReading!

hitesh@insightssuccess.com

Hitesh Dhamani

Amy

FeaturedPerson

AbasiEne-Obong CEO

AdelaMehic-Dzanic HeadofConnectivity ServiceProviders-CSP

AmiadSoto CEO,Co-founder

CompanyName

54gene 54gene.com

MAVOCOAG mavoco.com

Guesty guesty.com

AmySchoemehl CEO E.A.Renfroe& Company earenfroe.com

AnilKumar,Founder ChairmanandChief TechnologyOfficer

Anna-LuiseBöhm HeadofDigital Transformation&IT StrategyConsumerHealth

BenWolff,Chairman ChiefExecutiveOfficer Director

CavissonSystemsInc cavisson.com

BayerAG bayer.com

SarcosRobotics sarcos.com

BenjaminBuchanan CEO SBT sbt-alliance.com

BrigitteFalk,CIO/ COOIIOT/SmartFactory Strategy,B2BMarketing, Leadership

BryanSalesky Co-FounderandChief ExecutiveOfficer

Brief

54genewasfoundedin2019byDr.AbasiEne-Obongto addressthesignificantgapintheglobalgenomicsmarket.

FORCAM forcam.com

ArgoAI argo.ai

MAVOCOisoneoftheleadingsoftwaremanufacturersof CMP–ConnectivityManagementPlatforms.

Guesty’spropertymanagementsoftwareprovidesproperty managersandmanagementcompanieswithanend-to-end solutiontosimplifythecomplexoperationalneedsofshort termrentals.

RENFROE®providesafullrangeofclaimhandlingand supportservices,builttoscale,andcustomizedtoserve insurancecompanies,self-insuredcorporations,and governmentalentitiesduringtimesofdisasterorclaims overload.

CavissonSystemsInc.,havingitsheadquarterinSantaClara, CA(USA),isaleadingproviderofperformanceintelligence platformthatensuresexceptionalcustomerexperienceand businessefficacyofmission-criticalapplications.

BayerisaglobalenterprisewithcorecompetenciesintheLife Sciencefieldsofhealthcareandagriculture.

SarcosRoboticsisrevolutionizingthefutureofworkacrossthe privateandpublicsectorsthroughitsadvancedlineofrobotic productsthataugment,ratherthanreplace,humans.

SBTAlliancepartnerswithsmall,medium,andFortune500 customerstodesign,deploy,andsupportIoT-enabledsolutions, systems,devicesandtechnologies.

FORCAMdeliversIIoTtechnologyandanecosystemthat empowersmanufacturinginthepursuittoreducecomplexity andmaximizeprofit.

ArgoAIisatechnologyplatformcompanyworkingwith leadingautomakerstodeliverafullyintegratedself-driving systemthatmakesgettingaroundcitiessafe,easy,and enjoyableforall.

FeaturedPerson

DerekCollison FounderandCEO

CompanyName

Synadia Communications synadia.com

EdzardOverbeek CEO HERE here.com

ElitsaKrumova TechnologicalInfluencer andMarketingManager

EranBaniel CEOandCo-Founder

StoneComputersAD stone.bg

Douxmatok douxmatok.com

ErikHersman CEO

BRCK brck.com

FidelmaMcGuirk

Founder&CEO

Payslip payslip.com

HarelTayeb Entrepreneur,CEO, Investor

KryonSystems kryonsystems.com

HenrikBarck CEO Afripods afripods.com

JamesMacfarlane CEO

PMConnect pmconnect.co.uk

JamesMichaelLafferty CEO FineHygienicHolding finehh.com

Brief

SynadiamaintainsandleadsdevelopmentofNATS.io. AlongwiththeNGSoffering,Synadiaalsoprovides CommercialSupport,Consulting,NRE,andTraining.

HERE,alocationdataandtechnologyplatform,movespeople, businessesandcitiesforwardbyharnessingthepowerof location.

StoneComputersADisaleadingsystemintegratorinthe BulgarianITmarket.Thecompanywasfoundedin1995.Stone Computersisahigh-levelpartnerofworldleadersin informationandcommunicationtechnologies.

DouxMatokisaglobalfood-techcompanyofferingimproved nutritionthroughitsugar-basedsugar-reductionsolutionsin responsetoconsumers'clearpreferencefortasteandgrowing demandforhealthierfoods.

Around800millionpeopleinAfricadon’thaveaccesstothe internet.BRCKwantstochangethatbyconnectingpeopleand things;gettingindividualsandbusinessesonlineandhelping themfullyutilizethataccess.

Payslipprovidestechnologyforglobalpayrollmanagementto multinationalcompaniesaroundtheworld.

Kryon®isaleadinginnovatorinenterpriseautomation, offeringtheonlyunifiedplatformonthemarketwhich encompassesProcessDiscoveryandRoboticProcess Automation(RPA).

Afripodsisaninnovative,functional,anduser-friendly platformforpodcasters,listeners,andadvertisers.

PMConnectmatchesglobalbrandswithmobilecarriersto unlocknewaudiencesanddriverevenue.Nowprocessingsix millionpaymentsamonth,acrossfourcontinents,itsreachis world-leading.

Sinceits establishmentin1958,FineHygienicHoldinghas beendrivenbyoneclear,simplemission:toprovideits consumerswithhigh-qualityhygienicpaperproductsthatwill maketheirlivesmorejoyful.

FeaturedPerson

JamesPaterson CEO

BriefCompanyName

Aerobotics aerobotics.com

Aeroboticsisadataanalyticscompanyusingaerialimagery andmachinelearningalgorithmstooptimizecropperformance forfarmersaroundtheworld.

JayeConnolly-LaBelle CEO RippleNami ripplenami.com

JeffArnold CEO Sharecare sharecare.com

RippleNami®UgandaSMCLimitedisatechnologycompany workinggloballytodeliverinnovativesolutionstosolve criticalproblems.

Sharecareisthedigitalhealthcompanythathelpspeople managealltheirhealthinoneplace.

JeffDawley Founder

Cybersecurity ComplianceCorp yourcyber securitypulse.com

TheCybersecurityPulse™solutionwasdevelopedbyseasoned executiveswithdecadesofexperienceinbothCTOandCFO rolesincompaniesacrossawiderangeofindustriesandstages ofdevelopment.

JamesPhipps President&CEO BeCloudLLC

BeCloudLLC becloudit.com

BeCloudisa"CustomerDriven"ITmanagementfirmwith locationsandcapabilitiesthroughouttheUnitedStates.

JosephMarciano President&CEO

CanonBusiness ProcessServices canon.com

CanonInc.isaJapanesemultinationalcorporation headquarteredinŌta,Tokyo,Japan,specializinginoptical, imaging,andindustrialproducts,suchaslenses,cameras, medicalequipment,scanners,printers,andsemiconductor manufacturingequipment.

KarenChung CEOandFounder

KeithMcCall CEO,Founder

SpecialLearning,Inc. special-learning.com

PollenSystems pollensystems.com

SpecialLearningexiststohelpover1BILLIONpeoplearound theglobewithautismandotherspecialneedsaccessthe world’smosteffectiveearlyinterventiontherapycalledApplied BehaviorAnalysis(ABA).

PollenSystemswasfoundedin2018toapplyadvanced analyticstofarmingtechniques.HeadquarteredinBellevue, WA,itisnowoperatinginWashington,Oregon,California, Chile,Peru,andSouthAfrica.

KevinHickey CEO

Prevalent prevalent.net

Prevalenttakesthepainoutofthird-partyriskmanagement (TPRM).

LarsvonThienen Owner NoggleAG noggle.online

Noggleisastandalonedesktopsearchandknowledgeassistant applicationtoprovidefastandsimpleaccesstotheinformation youneed.

LucSabbatini CEO

BriefCompanyName

PBSCUrbanSolutions pbsc.com

PBSCischangingtheworld,onecityatatime.A micromobilitypioneer,thecompanydevelops,marketand operate—alongsideourlocalpartners—innovative, customizable,reliableandsafepublicbike-sharesystems.

MarkPlesko CEO Cosylab cosylab.com

Cosylabistheworld’sleadingproviderofcontrolsystemsfor theplanet’smostcomplexmachines;nuclearaccelerators, opticalandradiotelescopes,fusionreactors,cancertherapy systemsandmuchmore.

MatijaKopic CEO

GideonBrothers gideonbros.ai

MattBrown CEO DigitalKungfu digitalkungfu.com

MayaZlatanova Co-founderandCEO

FindMeCure findmecure.com

GideonBrothersbelievethathumansandVisualAI-based MobileRobotsworkingtogetherinharmoniousworkflowswill enableits customersandtheeconomytoadapt,grow,and becomemoreresilient.

AsAfrica’sbesttechstart-up,DigitalKungfu'sprovensolutions solvebusinesses'salesandmarketingchallenges.

FindMeCureestablishedwiththevisiontoprovideapatientcentricplatformtoempowerpatientstoeasilyidentifyrelevant trialsclosetothem.

MichaelWeickert CEO PacylexPharmaceuticals pacylex.com

MoragLucey CEO

Televerde televerde.com

PacylexPharmaceuticals,Inc.isdevelopingaprecision medicinesolutionformultiplecommoncancers.

TeleverdehelpsglobalB2Borganizationsgeneratedemandand acceleratesalesthroughacombinationofstrategicdata solutions,marketingtechnologyandhighlyskilledsales professionals.

MtetoNyati GroupChiefExecutive Altron altron.com

NicRudnick CEO

NicoSteyn CEO

LiquidTelecom liquidtelecom.com

Altroncombinestechnicalexpertisewithin-depthcustomer understandingtoprovidehighlydifferentiatedtechnology solutionsthatareend-to-end,holisticanddigitallytransformed.

LiquidIntelligentTechnologiesisaleadingconnectivity, innovationandintelligenttechnologycompanyacross13 countries,primarilyinEastern,CentralandSouthernAfrica, thatisbuildingadigitalfutureforAfrica.

IoTnxt iotnxt.com

IoT.nxtisaglobalsoftwaredevelopmentcompanythatoffers dynamicInternetofThings(IoT)solutionsforbusinesses worldwide.

FeaturedPerson

FeaturedPerson

NourAlHassan CEO

PoornimaRamaswamy ExecutiveVicePresident GlobalSolutionsand Partners

BriefCompanyName

Tarjama tarjama.com

Qlik qlik.com

TarjamaunitesAIandhumantalenttodeliverqualitycontent foryourbusinessatphenomenalspeedandcost.

RajVerma CEO SingleStore singlestore.com

RichardGonzalez

ChairmanoftheBoard andChiefExecutive Officer

ShimritTzur CTO

AbbVieInc. abbvie.com

Qlikhelpsenterprisesaroundtheworldmovefaster,work smarter,andleadthewayforwardwithanend-to-endsolution forgettingvalueoutofdata.

SingleStorehelpsbusinessesadaptmorequickly,embrace diversedataandacceleratedigitalinnovationby operationalizingalldatathroughoneplatformforalloftheir momentsthatmatter.

AbbVie’smissionistodiscoveranddeliverinnovative medicinesthatsolveserioushealthissuestodayandaddressthe medicalchallengesoftomorrow.

SecretDoubleOctopus doubleoctopus.com

SecretDoubleOctopusisthepasswordlessauthentication solutionfortheenterprise.

SinisaRakovic Founder,CEO

ThomasForest Farb-Horch CEO,Co-Founder& BoardDirector

HunchInsights hunchads.com

ThriveBioscience thrivebio.com

Hunchisacreativeautomationplatformthatcombines dynamiccreativevideo&imageproductionwithautomatedad buying.

ThriveBioscienceprovidesinstrumentsandsoftwarefor consistentlygrowinghealthyadherentcellswithaccompanying dataandanalytics.

TomEdwards CEO BlackFin360 blackfin360.com

VictoriaPelletier VicePresident& SeniorPartner

IBM ibm.com

BlackFin360servesasathoughtleadershiprepositorywith over600+postsoforiginalcontentviatheBlackFin360blogas wellasaconnectionpointforbookingeventsandkeynote speaking.

IBMersbelieveinprogress—thattheapplicationof intelligence,reasonandsciencecanimprovebusiness,society andthehumancondition.

WayneZwiers Founder Basalt basalt.co

Basaltisadaptableandresilient,solidandreliable,capableof keepingupwiththeworldasitshiftsandchanges.

Amy Schoemehl, Chief Operating Officer E. A. Renfroe & Company

Amy

Schoemehl

A VISIONARY BUSINESS LEADER WITH HUMAN CENTRIC LEADERSHIP APPROACH COVER STORY

MOST INFLUENTIAL BUSINESS LEADERS IN TECH 2021

“As a leader with over twenty years of work experience, I want to impact positive change,” says Amy Schoemehl. She is the Chief Operating Officer at E. A. Renfroe & Company which provides a full range of catastrophe support services to insurance companies, self-insured corporations and governmental entities during times of disaster.

Amy believes that leaders are in a constant and ever-changing evolution of learning, living, and role modelling behaviours. She herself works tirelessly and genuinely cares about the people she works with to reach consistency in her approach. For her, at the end of the day, human connection is more similar than not, regardless of the business one is leading.

In an interview with Insights Success, Amy shared her view over technology, work culture, leadership, and the challenges she faced before becoming an inspiring woman business leader.

Below are the highlights of the interview:

Kindlytakeusthroughyourjourneyon becomingaproficienttechbusinessleader.

Iamafourth-generationJapaneseAmerican,bornand raisedinNorthernCalifornia. Itwasadreamofmineto attendUCBerkeley,andIamfortunatetohaveearnedmy degreeduringtheSiliconValleydotcomboom. Myfirst yearswereprimarilyinagencyrecruiting,asomewhat“dog eatdog”environmentwhereonlythestrongestsurvive. I leftthatworldwhenIacceptedarolein-houseatGooglein themid-2000s;IcreditmostofhowIstructuremysenseof beingagoodleadertomyexperiencestherebecauseIwas surroundedandmentoredbysomeofthemostincredible leadersofthisgeneration. Idon’thaveanMBA,butso muchofwhatIlearnedaboutbusinessstrategy,global mindsets,goodleadershipfundamentals,andinnovation stemsfromthefiveyearsIservedatGoogle.

Eventually,afellowGooglerwhosetenureoverlappedmine reachedout.Hehadstartedhisownbusinessandwantedto

hirethefirstTalentleaderintohisSeriesBstartup. I jumpedattheopportunitytobeinanenvironmentwhere theleadershadthesameethosanddisciplineasGooglebut werestillverymuchinbuildingmode,meaningIwould haveabiggerseatatthedecision-makingtable. ThenI joinedTwitter,whichwasstillpre-IPOandlookingfor someonetoco-leadtherecruitingfunction;itsohappened thatmypartnerwasactuallymyoldbossatGoogle.Ionly saythatbecauseIrealizeIhaveanamazingworkhistory, andwhilealotofitishardworkanddedicationtomycraft, alotofitisalsobeingveryfortunatetohavetheextensive networkIhavecuratedovertwodecades. Inevertakefor grantedmyconnectionsandhowimportantthose relationshipsandmyreputationare. Ibelieveinkarmaand payingitforward,andthemoreseasonedIbecome,the moreimportanceIplaceonmyselftobetheadvocateand sponsorforothers,asothershavebeenforme.

MynexttransitionwastoheadupAmazon’sglobalhiring fortheirfulfillmentandcustomerservicescenters.Iamso

thankfulforthatopportunitybecauseitwasaninvaluable experiencetohireupwardsof300,000temporaryandfulltimeemployeesannually.Thereissomuchplanningand thoughtthatgoesintosuchawide-scalechallenge,andto attempttocontinuallyiterateandimproveisanevergreen feat. Ithinkthebestleadershaveexperiencesthatspan manydiversescenarios,sotheyaretheaceinthepocketa businessneedswhenachallengearises.Iamstrongly supportiveofstretchopportunitiesandgiving“upand comers”theheadwaytosucceed,butthereissimplyno substituteforleaderswithdepthandbreadthofexperience. Ibelievethat’salsowhymyAmazonjourneywasthe inflectionpointwhereIconsciouslydecidedtoexpand outsideofcoreTalentandOperations.Istartedthinking abouttheemployeeexperienceintotalityandhowleaders canaffectbetterbusinessresults. Istillfocusedon acquisitionbutalsobecameastudentofhowtalent managementanddevelopmentimpactbusiness. Thispaved theroadformetotakeonmorevisible,largerrolesat NetflixandStitchFixtoleadmoreoftheentirelifecycleof employees. IamblessedtocurrentlybetheChief OperatingOfficeratE.A.Renfroe&Company,aleading peoplelogisticscompany;Iamliterallyusingeverylesson herethatI’velearnedalongtheway.

Whatarethevitaltraitsthateverybusinessleader shouldpossess?

70percentofadultlearninghappensonthejob;people needtobecomfortableandembraceamentalitytoalways staycuriousandbeonapathofcontinuouslearning. Knowledgeiskeyinanyscenario!

Intermsofspecifictraits,IwouldapplythesamequalitiesI believehelpmestayconnectedtomytwelve-year-old daughter,whoishandsdown(inmyunbiasedopinion)the mostamazinghumanIknow:

Trustandhonestyaretablestakes

Giveandaccepthigh-qualityfeedbackinreal-time Humilityiscritical,alwaysownmistakesandlearn fromthem

Understandintrinsicmotivationandhaveempathy\

Trytolaugh!Itmakesthetimepassfasterthancrying

Whereareyoufocusingyourenergynow,andwheredo youhopetomakeanimpactnext?

Asaleaderwithovertwentyyearsofworkexperience,I wanttoimpactpositivechange. Forme,disruptioncan lookorfeelverydifferentatanygiventime.Itcouldbe

leadingthewayforotherAsianAmericanwomenintoCsuiteroles,leaninginauthenticallytoaffectDEIatevery levelineverycompanyIsupport,orbringingscienceand technologytotheartofTalentandOperations.

Inmycurrentrole,IknowIamjudgedfornothavingthe samebackgroundasothersinthisfield–whichis overwhelminglyawhitemale-dominatedindustry–but beingastrongleaderandintrinsicallyunderstandingpeople iswhatIdo.

Whatisyouropiniononthenecessityofapositivework culture?Inwhatwaysdoyouimplementitatyour organization?

Firstandforemost,youmustlovewhatyoudo. Myfirst joboutofcollegewasinagencyrecruiting;itwasaboiler room,100percentcommissiongrind. ButIwashooked fromtheverybeginning,becausethewayIsawit,Iwas gettingpaidtotalktopeopleallday. It’struethatIwasnot adoctorsavinglives,butIfeltalotofprideinknowingI washelpingtochangepeople’sliveswithamazing opportunities. Ithinkthatpositiveoutlookisinfectious, andifpeoplewhoworkwithandformeseehowinspiredI am,it’shardforthemnottobeonthereceivingendofthat vibration.

Engagementisalsokey. That’snotapeoplestrategy;it’sa lifephilosophy.Iamintentionaltoreallyknowmy teammatesateverylevel. Imakeanefforttobemy authenticselfasmuchasIcanandencourageotherstodo thesame. Iamwillingtobevulnerableandhonestin serviceofoptimizedresults,andteamefficacyand throughputareexponentialifeveryonearoundme subscribestothetribemethodologyaswell. There’sreally nosecretorshortcut.Beingagoodleadertakeshardwork, andthepersonmustbededicated,disciplined,and consistent.

Accordingtoyou,whatcouldbethenextbigchangein theITindustry?

ThewaycompaniesandITleadersallocateresourcesand viewtheavailabilityoftalentwillchangedramaticallyin thenextyear.Inthepast9months,manylargecompanies–bothtechandnon-tech–havehadtocompletelyrethink howtheymanagetheirworkforce.Withsomanygoing remoteandtheworkplacebecomingdecentralizedoutof necessity,leadersaresuddenlyrealizingthattheiraccessto talentdoesnothavetobeboundedgeographically.What wasoncesomewhatofanoveltywillsoonbeaclear

competitiveadvantage.Thecompaniesthatembrace“hire thebesttalentnomatterwheretheylive”andallocate resourcestosupportthatdogmawillhavealegupontheir competitors.

Whatroadblocksorchallengeswerefacedbyyouina corporatebusiness?Andhowdidyouovercomethem?

WhenIstartedhighschool,Iwasthirteenyearsoldand probablylookedaboutten. Ihadtoquicklylearnthe humansurvivalskillsrequiredtobeacceptedandexcelin thatenvironment.Ithinkthebestleadersincorporate businessallhaveformativeexperiencesintheirlivesthat createdamusclememoryofgrit.Whenfacedwith adversityandbusinesschallenges,wecandigdeepintoour arsenaloftoolsandinfluenceotherleaders,teams,and clients. IoftensaythatIambuildingaplanewhileIflyit. Beingwell-informedisoptimal,butinlife,wedon’talways havethatluxury,andIthinkthestrongestleadershavean exceptionalabilitytomakesounddecisionsbyconnecting thedotswithwhateverlimitedsignalstheyhave.

Whatadvicewouldyougivetotheemerging entrepreneursandenthusiastsconsideringacareerin thetechindustry?

Therearealotofreallysmart,inspiredpeoplewhohavea passionforthiswork. Ithinkthepeoplewhothriveatit honeinonimprovingtheirbusinessacumenIQ,but,justas importantly,alsorealizethevalueofhavingexcellentEQ (emotionalquotient). It’snotanenvironmentforthefeeble; individualsneedtoberesilient,flexibleandknowhowto readsignals,liketheKennyRogerssong:

"If you're gonna play the game, boy you gotta learn to play it right You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em Know when to walk away, and know when to run.”

Howdoyoucopeupwithcapricioustechnological trendstoboostyourpersonalgrowth?

Whetherwearetalkingabouttechnologyorfashion,my approachissimilar;Ihavefunwithafewtrends,butmy focustendstobeverydisciplinedaroundacoreperspective onwhatIknowworksandwillhavelongtermviability.

Adela Mehic-Dzanic

of

segment MAVOCO

The 50 Most Influential Business Leaders in Tech 2021

Adela Mehic-Dzanic

Playing the Infinite Game

tisacharacteristicofleaderthatheorsheismotivated

Ibythespiritofcontributiontothesocietybyusing technologicaladvancements.Thisiswhatmakeshim orheraninfluentialleader.Givingbackandservingthe communityareessentialtraitsofaninfluentialleader.Such aleaderwantstobepartofsomethinggreatandmakethe worldabetterplace.AdelaMehic-Dzanicgenuinely believesingivingbackandservingthecommunity.Apart frommakingtheimpactwithintheindustry,Adela,the HeadofCSPsegmentatMAVOCOAGworksmakingsure eachcustomerofMAVOCOAGlovescompany’ssoftware. Sheisactivelyinvolvedwithintwocommunities,WU ExecutiveAcademyFemaleLeadersNetworkaswellthe BusinesswomenofBiH(astheVicePresident),withthe missiontoempower,connectandshareamongthemselves; underthemotto“Togetherwearestronger”.

Apartfromthat,Adelahasstartedhermission“1000 Women”tosharehercareerstoryandinspiremorewomen topursuethecareerintheTechindustryandtofollowtheir dreams.Asweallknowit,therolemodels,andstorieswe sharetoliftoneanotherarecrucialandthatiswhyAdelais committedtoworkingwiththefutureleaders,beitthrough hermissionorservingasamentorinthevarious communities,suchastheBOSNIAandHerzegovina FuturesFoundationsaswelltheWomenTechNetwork.

PassionateaboutTechnology

Adela’sjourneystartedbackin2015whenshejoinedthe Tele2M2M/IoTGlobalUnitasaSolutionConsultant responsiblefortheCEE(CentralEasternEurope)market. Thistookhercareertoawholenewlevelandenabledher toworkwithcustomersandpartnerslookingtolaunch globalIoTsolutionsfortheveryfirsttime.Asforsomeone whoispassionateaboutpeopleandtechnologyand committedtomakingtheworldabetterplace,IoTisthe placetobe.Herrecentmovetothesoftwarecompany MAVOCOAGwasastrategicmovetogoevendeeperinto theworldofDataandIoTplatformsandinfluencingthe Telecomindustrywhiledeployingtheconnectivity managementplatformofthenewgeneration.

HugeMarketPresence

AdelasaysthatMAVOCOAG’scoremarketincludes worldlargesttelecomoperatorsthatareusingthe company’sconnectivitymanagementplatform& subscriptionbillingsoftwaretomanage,analyzeandbill theirsubscribers.However,theverysameplatformandits capabilitiesareperfectlysuitedtobedeployedfortheneeds oftheglobalMVNOsaswellthelargeEnterprises(suchas theAutomotiveindustrysector)whohavethevolumeand resourcestomanagetheirownconnectivitydeployment.At theendoftheday,itisamatterofconfiguration.MAVOCO AGiscurrentlyworkingwiththecustomersandpartners thatboughttheprivate5Glicenseandtheyaswellhavethe needsofmanagingtheirconnectivityandtheircustomer base.

AppreciatingCultureofExperimentation

Adelabelievesthatpassion,vision,perseverance,and generosityaretheessentialtraitseveryleadershould possess.SheiscurrentlyreadingthisbookfromSimon Sinek“TheInfiniteGame”andshehighlyrecommendsitto everybusinessleader.Adelabelievesthatthecultureof failureandexperimentationandplayingtheinfinitegameis beneficial.Sheaskstoexperiment,beopentonewideas, collaboratewiththestartupsandbereadytotryitallover againaswelltopivot.Itisagreenfieldandtherulesareyet tobewritten.Shesuggestslookingbeyondoneindustryand tobecuriousabouttheotherindustriesandtheirapproaches totacklingthechallenges.

EmpoweringEmployees

Thereareendlesswaystocreatenewsetsofdataandstart orapplyanewmodel.Thedatacanbere-created,asitis notalimitedresource.

Adelaconsidersitisimportanttoempowerone’s employees,sethighprioritiesondiversityandinclusion, andmakesurethattheproductreflectsone’scustomers. Unfortunately,westillreadabouttoomanyexamples wherewomenarecompletelyleftoutandwomenarethe halfofpopulation.Adelathinksthatwomenmustbeatthe

tablediscussingtheproductsandservicesmeanttomake theirlivesbetter.

FromAdela’sexperience,ahealthycompanyculturewith strongvaluesandavisioniswaymorethanjustprofitanda short-termgame.Ofcourse,withtheopportunitiestogrow, leadersdotaketimefortheiremployeesandcreateaculture wheretheyfeelappreciatedandsafetoraisetheirvoices andhavetheiropinionsheard.Itisnotabouttheping-pong table,freecoffee,andgoodies.Quitetheopposite.

BeingUpdatedwithLatestTechnologies

Adelakeepsherselfupdatedwiththelatesttechnologies usingbooks,workshops,trainings,podcasts,magazines, LinkedIncommunityandrespectivefeedsaswellas variousgroupsandcommunitiesfocusedonthespecifics, suchasIoT,AIandDatascienceetc.Shetendstomixitup andusethebestofalltheoptionsavailableoutthere.

GratitudetoColleagues,Mentors,andManagers

Throughouthercareer,Adelahasbeentheonlywomanand theyoungestteammember,aswellwomanintechand workinginthemulticulturalenvironment.Itwasnotonce thatshewouldgetareplytoheremailas“Mr.”andduring thecustomermeetingsthattheywouldaskhermale colleaguetoanswerthetechnicalquestion,eventhoughhe wasinsales.Ontheotherhand,itwasamajoradvantage, andshefeelsgratefulforthecolleagues,mentorsand

managerswhobelievedinherfromthedayoneand cultivatedthecultureoftalents,hardworkandsupportive environment.

ValuingCulture,PeopleandValues

IfthereisoneadviceAdelawouldliketogivetoher youngerselfistochoosewiselyyourbossandthe company,youarejoining.Backin2014whenshemovedto AustriafromherhomecountryBosniaandHerzegovina, andwhendecidingthecompanytojoin,herprioritywasthe culture,people,andthevalues.Onceshefeltalignedwith thosevalues,shedidnotthinkforasecondandusedevery singleopportunityalongtheway,togrow,learnand connect.Thenitistruewhattheysay,nothingis impossible.

“Think bigger than you can imagine, keep your eyes open and push through against all odds. Then the opportunities will come!

Engineering is in our DNA.

“

Benjamin Buchanan

The Best IoT Professional

Overtheyears,manytechnologicalinnovations quicklyrosetoprominencebutendedupfallingoff justasfast.Whathappenstothosesystems beyond?Oddsarethosesystemsnolongerwork,leaving thosebusinessesupacreekwithoutapaddle!That’swhy BenjaminBuchanan,ChiefExecutiveOfficersetsoutto createsomethingbetter,somethingsmarteratSBT (SmarterBuildingTechnologies)Alliance.

AnInterviewconductedbetweenBenjaminBuchananand Insights Success identifieshisleadershipdevelopmentby fullyembracinginnovativethinkingandbuildinganall-star teamtohelpdrivetheSBTmissionforward.Belowarethe highlightsoftheinterview:

Kindlytakeusthroughyourjourneytobecominga proficienttechbusinessleader.

Frommyhumblebeginningsinthisindustryasaproject designer,Isawtheimportanceofworkinghardtobringthe customermorethanwhattheyexpectedandmakingtheir projecttrulyvaluable.Thereareplentyofexamplesof projectsbuiltwithcheapproducts,andIknewthecustomer hadleftsomuchonthetable.SoImadeitmypurposeto educatemyselfonallthetechnologyavailabletomarry themwiththecustomer’sneedsperfectly.Thistechnologyfirstapproachguidedmefromlightingintotheworldof wirelessIoTsystemsandnowisacornerstonetoSBT’s mission,bringingtruevaluethroughtechnologytoour customersandsuppliersalike.

Whatbusinessroadblocksorchallengeshaveyoufaced?

Andhowdidyouovercomethem?

Aswithanybusiness,leadershipposition,orprofessional rolewithinanorganization,roadblocksandchallengesare abound–there’ssimplynowayaroundit.You’regoingto hitroadblocksandconfrontchallenges–beitcashflow, funding,sales,employeerelations,productivity,etc.The questionthenbecomes,willyoupersevere,orwillyoulet themdefeatyouandknockyoudown?Perseveranceand persistenceisthepathtosuccess,inmyopinion.Itisonly

throughperseveranceandpersistencethatI’veovercome business(andpersonal)roadblocksandchallenges.

Howdoyoudiversifyyourorganization’sofferingsto enticethetargetaudience?

SBTiscommittedtoabusinessmodelthatisproductand technologyagnostic.Thisapproachallowsourproductand IoTsolutionsteamstoengineersolutionsforclientsthat answerspecificdata-relatedquestionsabouttheirfacilities whilealsosolvingcriticalbusinesschallenges.Aone-sizefits-allapproachsimplydoesn’tworkinthesphereofIoT andtechnology-ledsolutions.Itsoundsnice,butproperIoT solutionsareanamalgamationofmanytechnologies, devicessystems,andsolutionsthat,whenpulledtogether, createtheenticingsolutionofferingthatmeetsourtarget audiences’needs.That’swhywestandoutwithourclients; wedon’ttrytosellthemsomethingtheydon’tneed.We partnerwiththemtosolvebusinessandoperational challengesanddesignamixofsolutionstoachievethat goal.

Whatculturechangedoyousuggestforcompaniesthat wanttoembracethefullpowerofAI?

ThefullpowerofAI,machinelearning,andtheInternetof Things(IoT),morebroadly,honestlydependsoneach customer’sneeds.InB2B–whichisthespherethatSBT operates–itisn’tnecessarilyaquestionofculturechange, ratherabetterunderstandingandrealizationofwhat’s possiblewhenusingtheadvancedtechnologiesofIoTto solvebusinesschallenges.Itismoreabouteducationand proofpoints.

Whatarethevitaltraitsthateverybusinessleader shouldpossess?

Leadersinanybusinesssettingshouldencompasssomeof thefollowingtraits/approaches,asI’veidentifiedinmy ownleadershipdevelopmentandsharedbymanyofmy leadershipmentorswithinthebusinesscommunity.Ichalk thesetraitsintofivevitalcharacteristicsofsuccessful leaders:

Benjamin Buchanan, Chief Executive Officer, SBT (Smarter Building Technologies)

The 50 Most Influential Business Leaders in Tech 2021

1. Effectiveleadersneedtheabilitytostreamlineandclarify thecomplex.

2. Passionateleadersmustfullyembracenewthinking–that’swhatprimesinnovation.

3. Confidentleadersmusthavebothself-assuranceand humility–theyinspire,notbelittle.

4. Compassionateleadersmustsethighstandardsbut modestytoadmitwhenwrong.

5. Responsibleleadersneedtobehonest,truthful,and transparent–that’swhatbuildstrust.

Howdoyoukeepyourselfup-to-datewiththelatest technology?

Asatechnology-forwardcompany,SBTandourteam techniciansandIoTthinkerskeepmeintheknow,along withourindustrypartnerswithwhomIcontinuallymeet.

AsImentionedearlier,theSBTmodelfocusesonproduct andtechnologyagnosticism,sowe’recontinuallymeeting excitingnewtechnologycompaniesandlearninghowthey approachIoT,AI,andmachinelearning.Tome,there’sno betterwaytokeepuptodatethangettingrightinthereand beinghands-onwithinnovatorsasSBTdoeseveryday.

Whatdoesittaketoattractandretaintechtalents?

AsImentionedearlierinthisconversation,itismyfirm beliefthatifaleadertakestoheartthefivevital characteristicsthatIreviewed,theywillsetthestageand environmentthatwillattract,retain,andencouragetech (andnon-tech)talents.It’saboutbuildinganatmosphere thatallowsfolkstocontributeandhelpSBTdeliveronour missionandreachourvisiontotransformhowIoT products,services,andtechnologiesaredeliveredtothe marketandoptimizedbycustomers.

Whereareyoufocusingyourenergynow,andwheredo youhopetomakeanimpactnext?

Rightnow,weareinthewhirlwindthatcomeswithscaling atechnology-focusedcompany.IamkeentodriveSBT forwardtocontinuemakingtheimpactweareforour customers,industrypartners,andthefacilitymanagement spaceasawhole.Myimmediateenergyisfocusedon continuingtobuildanall-starteamofSBTteammembers whoevokeourCIVICvaluesasacompanyandas individuals.Theseinclude:

SBT partners with small, medium, and Fortune 500s to create smart spaces that futureproof businesses.

prominentpersonalityintheinternationalIT

AIndustry,BrigitteFalkissettingastrikinginstance ofimpactfulleadership.Brigittebrings25yearsof managementexperienceintheITindustrytothetable.

Currently,sheisservingasCIOandCOOataIIoT softwarecompanyFORCAM,withastrongfocusonthe innovationenvironment,digitalization,andagileworking methods.

Brigittestartedherprofessionalcareerin1996atSAPas ProductManagerOilandGas.Duringhertenureover,she workedincorporatedevelopment,innovationmanagement andeventmanagement.In2004,shetookovertheBusiness OperationsdepartmentasMarketingDirector.Having workedforseveralyearstherewasasubstantiallearning experienceaccompaniedbymanagement&leadership techniques,innovationmethodologies,productmanagement know-how,interculturalandinterdisciplinaryteams.

AftergraduatingwithMalikMZSGExecutiveDiploma, BrigitteFalkfoundedtheSimplicityCompanytosupport consultingfirms,analystsandinvestmentbankswith strategicconsultingworldwide.In2014,shetookover globalresponsibilityforMarketing&SalesApplicationsat CelesioAG(todayMcKessonEurope).In2017,shewas appointedDivisionLeadOrganization&Informationof CRONIMETHoldingGmbH.

Brigitte'sinterdisciplinarystudiesofarts,humanities,and naturalsciences,complementedbyanopenspirit,arethe

foundationofwheresheistoday.Sheinculcatesstrategic thinkingthroughworkwithventurecapitalistinastartup environment,followedbytakingonEuropeanecommerce ITassignmentinachallengingenvironment.Her achievementshavebeenreflectedoverthelastthreeyears as“CIOoftheyear2018”(CIOMagazineGermany),“CIO oftheyear2019”(Bonhill–WomeninITAwardsEurope), and“CIOoftheDecade2020Germany”(Confare&EY).

CustomerCentricApproach

FORCAMFORCE™isthefirstturnkeyandmanufacturerindependentITplatformfortheindustrialInternetof Things(IIoT).Thecompany'sclaimthatitdeliversresults inproductivityremainsasolidfoundationsinceits establishmentin2001.Almosttwodecadesago,FORCAM celebrateditsdebutandfirstdeploymentatMercedes-Benz. Theiconicautomobilecompanyhassincecelebratedmany accolades,includingthe“FactoryoftheYear”awardin 2007,2008,and2012.Themostrecentawardin2020isthe ManufacturingLeadershipPartnerAwardbytheNational AssociationofManufacturers.

Sincethen,thecompanyhasevolvedintoacomprehensive IIoTsolutionpartnerwithahigh-performance manufacturing4.0platformandavitalecosystem.Today, itsturnkeyandfreelyextensiblecloudplatformisusedby largeandmedium-sizedcompaniesincludingLockheed MartinAudi,BMW,BorgWarner,Daimler,KUKA,Pratt& Whitney,Schaeffler,Swarovskiandmanymore.Today,

The

Business Leaders in

Brigie Falk COO and CIO FORCAM

morethan100,000machinesaremonitoredwithFORCAM technologyworldwide.

HavingBrigitteatthehelm,thecompanyisabouttolaunch twonewIIoTproductlinesbyintroducing“Customer centricity”asguidingprinciple.Theyarebasedon

marketgap:connectingsupposedly“non-connectable” olderbrownfieldmachinestotheinternet(FORCAM FORCEEDGE)andleveragetheirdatapotentialand

theneedforfast,easyandlow-costconnectionof productionlinesofSMEsorsmallersubsidiariestothe internet(FORCAMFORCESaaS)

ACultureChangetobeAdopted

AccordingtoBrigitte,toembracefullpowerofAI, companiesmustshowopennesstowardsdisruptivebusiness modelsandtherespectivedigitaltransformationacrossall partsofthebusiness.Theyshouldunlockthehidden potentialoftheircurrentstaff,encouragethemtotakeon biggertasksbeyondtheirusuallevelofcomfort,agile principles(inspectandadapt),andtakerelated responsibility.

Besides,itisalsoimportanttoattractandretaintechtalents. Shementionsthatforcompanies,ittakesaboldvision, creationofjobsforpeoplefromtechbackgroundbasedon theirambitionsandstrengths,andencompassing empowermenttoattractandretaintechtalents.

ThoughtLeadershipintheIIoTDomain

Currently,Brigitteisfocusingherenergytomarketthe FORCAMsolutionportfoliogearedtowardsreal-timedatadrivendecisionmakingontheshopfloor,gridconnectivity andmachinedatalakeofferingsasfoundation.Now,allher effortsareinthedirectiontodrivevisionandthought leadershipintheIIoTdomain.

Besides,Brigittekeepsherselfupdatedwiththelatest technologicaltrendsbyreading,meeting,talkingwithan outmostheterogeneous,interdisciplinaryaudienceand networkfromallovertheworld.Shealsokeepsopenness forinspirationsfromunusualsourcesbeyondthe mainstream.

ATakeonSoundLeadership

Whenaskedaboutessentialtraitseverybusinessleader shouldpossess,Brigitteisoftheopinionthateveryleader shouldfocusonempowerment.Theyshouldalwaysput strategicthinkingandinnovationintopracticeforevery decisiontheytakeandcommunicatearelatedvisionwith everyone.Asoundleaderisonewholeadsbyexample, buildsontrust,integrity&transparency,andactively listens.

Dr.

Dr.Shimrit Tzur-David

ProvidingPasswordlessAuthenticationSolutiontoEnterprises

Influentialbusinessleadersarethosewhocarrygood decision-makingabilities,courage,andpresenceof mindtoleadbusinessessuccessfully.Thosewhoarein technologysectorpossesstheabilitytorecognizethesmart technologythatsolvesarealproblem.Theyidentifythe marketforthatneed,andwiththeirshrewdbusiness acumentheyleveragethesametobuildarevolutionary solutionthatsolvesarealprobleminthemarket.Onesuch influentialbusinessleaderintechisDr.ShimritTzurDavid,theCSOandCo-FounderofSecretDouble Octopus.TheSecretDoubleOctopusisthepasswordless authenticationsolutionfortheenterprises.Itliberatesendusersandsecurityteamsfromtheburdenofpasswordswith thesimplicityandsecurityofstrongpasswordless authentication.

InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,Dr.ShimritTzurDavidsharesaboutherjourneyandcontributionthrough herleadershipinSecretDoubleOctopus.

BelowaretheHighlightsoftheinterview:

Kindlytakeusthroughyourjourneyonbecominga proficienttechbusinessleader.

SinceIwasyoung,Ihadapassionforcomputers.Myolder brotherstudiescomputerscienceandIrememberthatI wentthroughmybrother’sbooks,begantocopycodeand writeitonthecomputer,justtoseewhatitdoes.Backthen, itwascleartomethatthisiswhatIwanttodoinmylife.I studiedcomputersinhighschoolandthenIcompletedmy BScinComputerScience.IcontinuedmystudiestoMSc andPhDrightaftergraduated.InmyMScandPhD,my researchfocusedoninformationsecurity,sowhenIfinished myPhD,Icontinuedmyresearchasapost-docresearcher, firstintheHebrewUniversityandtheninBenGurion University.Inmyresearch,Ithoughtofanewapproachfor data-in-motionsecuritythatusethesamealgorithmthatis usedtodaytoprotectthenuclearweaponlaunchcodeinthe USA.IrememberthemomentItoldthisideatothe ProfessorIworkedwith,Prof.Dolev.

IwantedtopursueanacademiccareerandIthoughtitwas agreatideaacademically,Iwasn’tinterestedinacareerin industry,butProfDolevimmediatelyunderstooditisa greatideathatcanhavegreatapplications.Irememberhim givingmeaveryintenselookandsayingthathethinkswe shouldgomeetVcs.

Therestisahistory.SecretDoubleOctopuswasfoundedin 2015byme,and3otherco-founders.SecretDouble OctopusistheLeaderinPasswordlessauthenticationfor theworkforce.Wedelightendusersandsecurityteams

The 50 Most Influential Business Leaders in Tech 2021

alike,byreplacingpasswordsacrosstheenterprisewiththe simplicityandsecurityofstrongpasswordless authentication.FrombeingnamedaGartner“CoolVendor” in2016,ourplatformisnowservingmid-sizedtoFortune 50customersaroundtheglobeandwearebackedby leadingglobalVcs.

Whatroadblocksorchallengeswerefacedbyyouina corporatebusiness?Andhowdidyouovercomethem?

Atfirst,ourproductwasasite-to-sitesecuritysolutionfor VPN.Afterayear,wefeltwehadagreatproductinour hands,butcustomersweren’trushingtobuyit.Theyall agreethatwehaveagroundbreakingproduct,butthe problemitsolvedwasn’tahighenoughpriorityforthem. Wewererunningoutoffundsandneededtoshowsome successstoriesforthenextround,andwebeganthinking aboutpivoting.Weworkedontheauthenticationsolution whichisasecurityriskthatreallybotherstheindustry today.Oncewehadaworkingprototypethatgotpopularity inthemarket,wemadethefullpivot,andthenewproduct issellingverywell.

Howdoyoudiversifyyourorganization’sofferingsto enticethetargetaudience?

Weofferpasswordlessauthenticationtoeachandevery serviceintheorganization,includingweb-applications, legacyapplications,andworkstationslogin,bothforonline

To success, you must have a smart technology that solves a real problem, a market for that need, and a good team.

“ “

andofflinemodes.Ourproductcanbeinstalledatthe customerpace,per-user,orper-service.Inaddition,the productcanbeinstalledfullyon-prem,thishelpsmany conservativeorganizationsinstalloursolutionwithoutany fearregardingleakinginformation.

BesidesthebasicinstallationthatincludesourOctopus mobileapplication,ourserverisFIDOcertifiedsoany FIDOauthenticatorcanworkwithoursolutionwithoutthe needtousetheOctopusapplication.Inaddition,manyof ourcustomersalreadyhaveapassword-basedMFA,suchas OktaorRSA.Inthatcase,insteadofcomingwiththe approachofreplacingthecurrentinstallation,weare integratingwiththealreadyinstalledMFAtoprovideour fullcoverageofsecurepasswordlessauthenticationsolution toallservices,buttheuserscontinuetousetheircurrent waytoauthenticatesothetransitionwillbetransparentto rdtheusersandthecustomerinvestmentonthecurrent3 partyMFAsolutionwon’tbelost.

What,accordingtoyou,arethevitaltraitsthatevery businessleadershouldpossess?

Ithinkthatthetwomosttraitsthatabusinessleadershould possessaretheabilitytomakegooddiagnosisandcourage. Thebasic3thingsthatastartupshouldhaveareasmart technology,amarket,andagoodteam.Insomecases,the

technologymustbereplacedalongtheway,andtomake thatchangeafteryouinvestaslotonthecurrentproduct,a businessleadermusthavecourage.anotherimportantthing ischoosingtherightteamtowalkwithyou,forthat,you musthaveaperfectdiagnosiswhenitcomestopeople, otherwise,youcanwastealotoftimeandmoney.

Whereareyoufocusingyourenergynow,andwheredo youhopetomakeanimpactnext? Thesedayswearefocusingonmakingstrategic collaborations,thosethat,inonehand,cansellourproduct inlargescalesbutintheotherhand,willnotaddtoomuch bandwidth.Inmydreams,Icanseeeveryemployeethat comesintotheofficeandlogsintothemanyservices withoutpasswordsatall.SecretDoubleOctopusbreaksthe long-standingsecurityparadigm,provingthatorganizations canhavebettersecuritywithabetteruserexperiencewhile reducingcosts.

ElitsaKrumova, TechnologicalInfluencer

Elitsa Krumova

Technological Influencer and Thought Leader

hetechnologicaltrendinvolvesconnectingalmost

TanydeviceandsensortotheInternetandputsyou incontrolofthisvastarrayoftechnologies& information.Moreandmoretechnologiesarebeing developedinthemodernworld,informationsecuritytools arebecomingnotonlyanecessitybutalsoavitalneedfor anyorganization.

ElitsaKrumova–TechnologicalInfluencerand MarketingManagerhasprovedthatsuccessinthefieldof technologycanbeachievedonlythroughlife-longlearning whichisnotlimitedtooneareaonlybutisbasedona cross-disciplinaryapproach.Aninterviewconducted betweenElitsaKrumovaand Insights Success helpsto foreseethechangesnotonlyinconsumerbehaviorand technologybutalsothefutureprojectionsofcurrenttrends ineconomics,society&life.

Belowarethehighlightsoftheinterview:

Giveusabriefoverviewaboutyourjourneyofbeinga techinfluencer?

Sincemyearlyschoolyears,Ihavebeeninterestedin technologyandIhavebeentryingtobeinlinewiththenew developmentsinthefield.WhileIwasdoingmyBachelor’s DegreeinAdvertisingandMarketingCommunicationsat LondonMetropolitanUniversityandthenmyMaster’sin CreativeAdvertisingatSolentUniversity,Irealizedthatthe areaofmyfutureworkisinseparablefromtechnology,so thismotivatedmetodigdeeperintoinformationtechnology science.ThisledmetomysecondBachelor’sDegreein InformationTechnologyandComputerSciences.

Myworkexperienceinsometechcompaniesgavemethe confidencetostartsharingmyexpertiseandforesightabout thefuturedevelopmentoftechnologywithawider audience,soIbegantopostonvariouschannelslike TwitterandLinkedIn.Mypostsgraduallygotnoticedand in2020Iwasnamed“Top100GlobalThoughtLeadersand InfluencerstoFollowin2020”,“WomeninTech:Top50 WomenInfluencerstoFollowin2020”byTheAwards

thMagazine.Iwasalsoranked5 intheyearfinalofIoT Community’sIoTPremierLeagueTop100Thought LeadersandInfluencersDivision.Currently,Iam continuingtobuildupmyonlinepresence.Mywebsitewill soonbeavailableatwww.elitsakrumova.com.Icanbe followedonTwitterandLinkedIn.

Whatpeople,whatbooks,whatlifefactorshave influencedandimpactedyou?

AlthoughIwasborninBulgaria,Igrewupandthenstudied indifferentEuropeancountries.Thisexperiencewasa majorfactorwhichshapedmybroaderperspectiveon culturesandlifeingeneral.Itmademeacosmopolitan personandboostedmyinterestinglobalchallengesand developments.Myeducationinbothmarketingand technologyturnedouttobeauniquetool,enablingme predictfuturedevelopmentsinthetechnologicalworldand insocietyingeneral.

Beinganexperiencedtechinfluencer,whatisyour opinionregardingtheimpactoftheCOVID-19 pandemicontheITServicesIndustry?

TheCOVID-19situationshookdeeplyallindustries globally.However,thetechindustrywasleastnegatively impacted,comparedtotheothersectors.AsJohnF. Kennedyoncesaid,“IntheChineselanguage,theword ‘crisis’iscomposedoftwocharacters,onerepresenting dangerandtheother,opportunity”.Inthecurrenthealth crisisleadingtotheeconomiccrisis,alotoftechnology companiesmanagetofindfavorableopportunities.TheBig TechGiantsutilizedtheirpotentialandfoundnewand widerapplicationsoftheirexistingproducts.Such examplesareZoomandMicrosoftTeamswithoutwhichno onecanimagineremoteteamworkoronlineeducation.

Meanwhile,alotofstartups,whichbynaturearemore flexibleandmoreadaptable,managedtofindtheirniches. So,thesearetimeswhenbothgiantsandsmallerplayers dependontheiragility.Analystsinthefieldhavealso noticedaninterestingtendencyofcooperationbetween startupsandgiantsoverthelastyearsandthe2020situation

The 50 Most Influential Business Leaders in Tech 2021

gaveimpetustothetendency.Whenutilizingthisbusiness model,thestartupscanhelpthebigcompaniesadaptfaster andmorecreativelytothenewmannersofworkorbusiness processes.Thiscanhelpthedigitaltransformationof businessandsocietyandfacilitateIndustry4.0application inallspheresoflife.

Whatisyouropiniononthenecessityforbusinessesto aligntheirofferingswithnewertechnological developments,especiallytalkingaboutDigital Transformation?

Iamconvincedthatbusinesseswhichfailtoapplynew technologiesintheiroperationalprocessesaredoomedto disappearfromthemarketinthelongterm.Inordertobe abletohandleBigDataandtohaveaccesstoData Analytics,allcompaniesneedtocompletetheprocessof theirdigitaltransformation.Thistransformationisalsoa vitalpartofIndustry4.0requirements.

Somecompaniesarestilldoingtheirfirststepsinthe DigitalTransformationRoadmap,tryingtoapplyArtificial Intelligence,NLP-poweredchatbots,IoTplatforms,and devices.Theyneedtocompletethewholedigitalization journeyinordertobecompetitiveintheirofferingsand marketpresence.

InwhatwayshaveyouorStoneComputersAD contributedtothecommunity?Ifgivenachance,what changewouldyoubringintheSystemIntegration TechnologywithDigitalInnovationtoTransform BusinessGlobally?

Ipersonallyamtryingtocontributetothecommunitywith myimpactviasocialmedia.Withmyworkasaninfluencer, Istrivetopromotetheadvantagesandbenefitsofcertain emergingtechnologiesforsociety,tohelppeoplemake theirwaythroughthecomplexdigitallandscape.

Asanestablishedtechinfluencer,whatwouldbeyour advicetothebuddingentrepreneursaspiringtoventure intoTechspace?

Myexperiencehasprovedthatsuccessinthefieldof technologycanbeachievedonlythroughlife-longlearning whichisnotlimitedtooneareaonly,butisbasedoncrossdisciplinaryapproach.Buddingentrepreneursshouldnotbe afraidtoventureandexperimentbecauseitis experimentingthatcandrivethenewwaveofsuccess.The timeofcrisisisripeforpeoplewhoareagile,versatile, creativeand,mostofall,brave.Entrepreneursshould followtechinfluencerstobeawareofthenewesttrendsin technologysothattheycandiscovernichesfortheir businessventures.

Whatisyourvisionforthecompanyforthenextfive years?

Lookingforwardintothenearfuture,weatStone ComputersADbelievethatweshoulddevelopnewB2B products,basedonthetrendingtechnological developments,whicharevitalforthecompaniestostayin linewiththeprocessofDigitalTransformation.Sincethe evolvingbusinesslandscaperequirescompaniestoupgrade theirexistingITinfrastructureandembracenew technologies,thisholdstrueforStoneComputersAD,too.

However,havinglearnedthelessonsfrom2020,the company’sstrategicbusinessplanshouldbeagileand viabletoaddressanyemergingchallengesandevolving changeslocallyandglobally.Thecompanyshouldalso strengthenitsstrategicglobalbusinesspartnerships,aswell asexpanditscustomerbase.StoneComputersshouldtryto reachnewmarketsinnewgeographicalregionsbecausethe capabilitytodiversifyandchangeisakeyfactorintimesof economichardship.

Entrepreneurs should follow tech influencers to be aware of the newest trends in technology so that they can discover niches for their business ventures.

James Michael Lafferty

Today,theuncertaintyandvolatilityareconstantly affectingeveryaspectoforganizations,andit’s clearthateverybusinessleadermustaddressthese changesofthe21stCentury.Amongallstrongattributes, themostsignificantonesthatarerequiredtoeffectively manage,harnessandleveragetheconstantchangesare foresightandfollow-through,believesanardentleader, JamesMichaelLafferty.Heasserts, “It is important for us as a business to view the future and adapt, and that is what leadership is all about.”

AnAmericanChiefExecutiveOfficer,Olympiccoach, award-winningjournalist,philanthropist,Jamesstartedasa fitnesscoachandhasbeenatthehelmofmanywell-known businesses.Currently,heisservingastheCEOofFine HygienicHolding,oneoftheworld’sleadingwellness groupsandmanufacturersofhygienicpaperproducts. Let’sfindmoreabouthisentrepreneurialjourneythrough aninterviewconductedbetweenInsightsSuccessand James.

Below are highlights of the interview:

Kindlytakeusthroughyourjourneyonbecominga proficienttechbusinessleader.

Beforeenteringthecorporateworld,Iwasaprofessional trackandfitnesscoach.In1984,Iwashiredasafitness instructorforProctor&Gamble,butitwasn’tlongbeforeI enteredP&G’sbrandmanagementprogram.EventuallyI wentontobecomeaBrandManagerandlaterwas transferredintoaninternationalcareerthattookmeto Africa,CentralandEasternEurope,TheMiddleEast, WesternEurope,AfricaandAsia.

An Enthusiastic Business Leader and World Class Health Trainer

The 50 Most Influential Business Leaders in Tech 2021

Throughoutmycareer,I’vealwayskeptafingeronthe pulseofthetechindustry;Iwould(andstilldo)takenoteof thelatestadvancements,innovationsanddisruptive technologies,whichallowedmetoseeuniquewindowsof opportunitythatcouldelevatethecompaniesIworkedfor.

In2015,IjoinedFineHygienicHolding(FHH)asaboard memberandfellinlovewiththebrandandtheFHHfamily. So,in2018whenIwasofferedtheCEOposition,Iwas thrilled,andIleaptatthechancetodevelopaprogressive visionforthecompanyutilizingnewtechnologyand innovations,andnurtureFine’sincrediblepotentialto positivelyimpactthelivesofpeople,notonlyintheMENA region,butaroundtheworld.

Howdoyoudiversifyyourorganization’sofferingsto enticethetargetaudience?

AtFine,westandbytheage-oldtruism,“Ifyoudon’thave yourhealth,youdon’thaveanything.”Wheneverwe conceptualizenewproducts,wefocusonhowwecancreate somethingthatwillactivelyenhanceourcustomers’lives; thismeanstakingintoaccountthebiggestconcernsor challengesourcustomersarefacingandmakingsurethe productsweproducegoaboveandbeyondtoexceedtheir expectations.Thisiswhatwe’vedonefromthe beginning—astheonlymanufacturerofsterilizedpaper products,wegiveourcustomersthebestinqualityand hygienefromtissuestopapertowels,todiapersandmore. In2020beforethepandemicreallybegan,wewereableto understandwhatwascomingandactquicklytoshiftinto producingantiviralreusablepersonalprotectiveequipment (PPE)enhancedwithadvanced,technologythatactively killsviruses,includingCovid,andotherharmfulpathogens oncontact,thuslaunchingourFineGuardline.Sincethen wehaverapidlyexpandedourofferingwithinthislinewith thelaunchofourlong-lastinggermprotectionproducts, givingourcustomerstheutmostinprotectionandvalue, andofferingthemthepeaceofmindtheyneedduringthis difficulttime.

Whereareyoufocusingyourenergynow,andwheredo youhopetomakeanimpactnext?

Wehavealreadylaunchedsomeexcitingproductssincethe beginningofyear,includingourlatestall-natural supplements‘Motiva’,whichareclinicallytestedandhave highbioavailabilitythatboostyourimmunityandimprove brainhealth.Wehaveanumberofproductlaunchesinthe pipelinewhichwillencompassafullrangeofproductsthat willcatertoseveralverticals.Aswecontinuetoshift furtherintowellness,weareexploringnewcapabilitiesand innovativetechnologieswhichwillplayahugerolein upholdingourcommitmenttoproducingsafe,sustainable andvalue-drivenproducts.Thoughweareshiftingintonew

avenuesofthewellnesscategory,ourgoalasacompany remainsthesame:toimprovethelivesofourcustomers aroundtheworld.

Howdoyoukeepyourselfupdatedwiththelatest technology?

We’relivingintheageoftechnologyandeachdaybringsa newadvancement,greaterinnovation,andwiththatcomes practicallylimitlesspossibilities.Andasaleaderintoday’s world,youmustalwaysbeseekingknowledgeandworking tobroadenyourhorizonsbeyondthescopeofyourindustry. Ibelieveintheideaofbeingastudentforlife,andthere’s alwayssomethingnewtolearnanddiscover.EverydayI takethetimeandopportunitytolearnexplorethelatest innovationsandtechnology—evenwhentheyarenot directlyrelatedtomyindustry—becauseyouneverknow whatopportunitiesknowledgewillbring.

Whatroadblocksorchallengeswerefacedbyyouina corporatebusiness?Andhowdidyouovercomethem?

Oneofthebiggestchallengesthatanybusinesscanfaceis stagnationorbeingresistanttochange.So,whenyouwant totakeanalreadysuccessfulgrouptothenextlevel,you’ll facethatresistancewherepeoplearehesitanttomoveaway fromhowthey’vealwaysdonethings.Butchangeis necessaryforgrowth,soI’mconstantlylookingfornew waystochallengemyselfandtogetoutofmycomfortzone andleadmyteambyexample.Developingthisproactive cultureisthekeytocreatingforwardmomentumand breakingthroughbarrierstoreachthatnextstep,butonce youdo,thepotentialislimitless.

“Ifyouwantan omelet,thenyou mustbeprepared tocrackafew eggs”

JamesMichaelLafferty CEOofFineHygienicHolding

usinessleadersintechnologyhavetodevelopgood

Bskillsbothintechnologyunderstandingand businessaswelltobethemostinfluentialbusiness leaderintechnology.Theyshouldbepreparedtouse whatevertalents,skills,abilities,andresourcefulnessthey haveforthepurposeofcomingwithcreativeandinventive solutionssoastomakeaworthwhilecontribution.They havetobekeenlyawareofthelatesttechnologiesthatcan beintegratedintothebusinessessoastoimprovethe offeringsofthebusinesses.

Technologyifutilizedappropriately,itoffersenormous advantagesandhasthecapabilitytomakeaprofound impactintheindustry.Businessleadershavetogobeyond theboundariesoftraditionalorconventionalthinkingjustto settlebythenormsandhavetobeinventiveinapproachto breakthestatusquoorstagnancyinthebusinesses.They needtodevelopthemostpragmaticapproachtoleadthe businessesthatcreateatangibleimpactintheindustrywith itscontribution.Businessleadersshouldthinkaboutoutof theboxsolutionstonottobejusttrappedbywhatis availableinthemarketandbecomfortablewiththat.

Comfortzoneistheworstenemyofprogress.Tobe successfulbusinessleaderintechnology,onecannotafford tobecomfortableorcomplacent.Beingcomplacentis absolutelydangerous.

Comfortzonedoesn’tallowonetotaketheinventiveor creativeapproachtodevelopsomethingnewthatcanbe integratedintothebusinesses.Therefore,oneshouldgo beyondthecomfortzonebystretchingoneselfabovethe limitsofcomfortzoneandshouldbeopentothenew changesthatcanbeincorporatedinthebusinesses. Businessleadersshouldprefertobeinthestretchzoneto comeoutwithinventivesolutions.

Seductionofsafetyismuchmoreperilousthanthe perceptionoftherisk.Calculatedrisksinbusinessesalways paysoff.Therefore,businessleadersshouldnotbeafraidto takecalculatedrisks.Regretofnottakingriskisheavier thanriskitself,sothereforeoneshouldalwaysbeopento takeriskinbusinessesandplayouttheboldgame.

Nothingsubstantialcanbeaccomplishedbyplayingby cowardlinessandbeingtrappedbymediocrityandtimidity. Boldnessisgeniusandthereforebusinessleadersshould havethecouragetopursuetheiraudaciousgoals. Mediocrityandfeararetheworsttrapsandthoseshouldbe avoidedbytheleaderswhowanttomakeatangible difference.Businessleadersintechshouldbecognizantto recognizethepotentialoftechnologiesthatcanbe

implementedinthebusinessestoimprovethequalityofthe solutions.

Businessleadersshouldbeopentothewonderful opportunitiesandshouldgrabthemdiligentlytoplaythe keyroleindeliveringmodernsolutionstothechallenges presentinthebusinessworld.Theleadersintechhavetobe smartenoughtotapthepotentialofhighlycapable technologieslikeArtificialIntelligence,BigDataAnalytics etc.ArtificialIntelligenceoffersenormousbenefitsforthe businessesandtoautomatingthemanymechanical processes.ThispotentialofArtificialIntelligencecanbe incorporatedinthebusinessestohelpbusinessesexpandthe scopeoftheirservices.

Thepotentialofmanyemergingtechnologiescanbe integratedinthebusinessesandbusinessescanbetakento newheightsforthepurposeofbenefitsofclients.Dueto thepandemic,manybusinessesareincorporating digitalizationintotheirbusinesses.So,thisareaalsooffers apotentialforlotofgrowthandinnovation.Business leadershavetobevigilanttograbthechancestheyhaveto makeapositivedifferenceinasmanywaysastheycan. Theyshouldhaveplanningandstrategytomake contributionintheareaswherethereareopportunitiesfor contribution.

Businessleadersshouldalsoseethattheyhavemost resourcefulteamofpeoplewiththemtorecognizethe potentialtechnologiesforthepurposeofimplementing thosetechnologiesmosteffectivelyinthebusinesses.There canbenokeenerrevelationofaleaderthanthewayin whichheorshetreatsandtrainstheiremployeesor teammatestoplaythemostimportantroleinbeingpartof thesolutionstothechallenges.Thebusinessleadersshould traintheirteammatesandemployeestobepartofthe solutions.Greatleadersarenotjustleadersthemselves,but theyalsomakemoreleaders,andthiscreatesatangible difference.

Technologyoffersenormousadvantagesthatbusiness leadersshouldincorporateinthebusinessestodrivethe growthofthebusinessesandalsoforthepurposeofmost creativeandinventivesolutions.Withgreatpotentialof technologybeingimplementedbytechnically,smartleaders willhelpbusinessestoattainthegreatestleadersandthis willcreatethemostimpactintheindustryandthecreditof thatwillgototheleaderswhointegratethetechnologyand businessskillsmosteffectivelyandinamoreprofitableand organizedmanner.

Leading by Integrating TECHNOLOGYand BUSINESS SKILLS

James Phipps

Committed to Deliver Affordable, Efficient and Scalable IT Solutions

nd

FranklinD.Rooseveltthe32 USPresidentsaid “To reach a port we must set sail. Sail not tie at anchor. Sail not Drift.” BeCloud’sjourneyisnothaplessor adrift,butitisdynamicallydrivenbycustomerneed, technologicalinnovation,andcommunityactivism.A proficientleader,JamesPhipps,issteeringtheshipof BeCloud.HeisthePresidentandCEOofthecompany.

Jamesbelievesthatmostseniorexecutivesaimtofostera cultureoflearningandempoweremployeesina comfortableteamworkenvironmentwithchallenging corporatestretchgoals.But,technicalleadershiprequires more.Itrequiresaggressiveskillmastery.Amasteryofnew technologiescombinedwithcontinuousimprovementand agility.Theresultingskillsetsyieldawealthofinformation todrawfromduringconsultingengagementswith customers.Jameshaslearnedtoonlyemphasizesolutions thatalignwithcustomerpriorities.His“CustomerFirst Strategy”remindshisteamofsoftwaredevelopers, engineersandtechnologistthatifthecustomersgoalsand expectationsarenotmetbyarecommendedsolution, technicalknow-howispointless.

InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,Jamesshareshowthe “CustomerDriven”natureofBeCloud’sservicescombined withemployeediversity,internshipopportunities,and communitydevelopmentdifferentiatesthecompany,while alsoprovidingleadingandtransformationalcloud-based solutionstocustomerbusinessproblems. Below are the highlights of the interview:

Howdoyoudiversifyyourorganization’sofferingsto enticethetargetaudience?

Ourportfolioofservicesprovidessolutionsforeverystage ofourclient’scloudjourney.Ourcapabilitiesmakeusthe premiumchoiceformanagingthesecurity,networking, stabilityandcostofcloudresources.But,formanyofour customerstheyoperateinahybridenvironment.Supporting datacentersaswellasonpremiseresourcesmeansthatwe cansupportcustomerenvironmentsendtoend.Theability forustopartnerwithcustomersrunningvarious technologiescombinedwithourdepthoftechnical expertiseandcustomerengagementmakesourManagedIT Servicessecondtonone.

Whatarethevitaltraitsthateverybusinessleader shouldpossess?

Empathy–trytounderstandwhereyourcustomerand employeepainpointsare.Seektoresolverootcausesof issuesandchallenges.Developsolutionsbasedonthat empatheticunderstandinganditerateonimprovements.

LeadbyExample–Employeesshouldbeableto confidentlyfollowyourexample.

Empoweryourworkforce–Opencommunicationwith clearandfocuseddirectionconcerningcorporatevision. Withoutthatcommunication,yourworkforcedoesnot understandhowtheyplayintocorporatesuccess.

The

JamesPhipps President&CEO BeCloudLLC

IdonotknowofanyotherfieldbesidesITwheretraining andskilldevelopmentaremoreimportanttoworkforce enablement.Weimprovedourtrainingprogramsin responsetobetterworkforceskilldevelopment.

Whereareyoufocusingyourenergynow,andwheredo youhopetomakeanimpactnext?

BeCloud’smissionistobringModernTechnologiesto corporationswithaneyetowardsdigitaltransformation. CustomersandpotentialclientsutilizingSAN’sandother expensiveon-premiseshardwarearelookingtomodernize businessapplicationswiththecostsavingadvantages, agility,performanceandreliabilityofthecloud.Thatmove tomoderntechnologies,including:AI,DataLakes,IOT, andAutomationiswhatdrivesourvisionforcorporate technologysolutionsthatcansolvebusinessproblems.

Whatculturechangeyousuggestforcompaniesthat wanttoembracethefullpowerofAI?

Ialwaysrecommendstartingsmallandtheniterateon success.Inmyopinion,alltechnologiesincludingAI shouldservetoenablebusinesscapabilitiesfirst.Your technologychoicesshouldsupportbusinessneed.For example,determinewhatareaswouldmostbenefityour businessinthenearterm.Whethercognitiveinsight, automationtoaddresscostrestraints,orcustomer relationshipimprovement,AItechnologiescanhelpaddress eachofthoseissuesandmore.

Howdoyoukeepyourselfuptodatewiththelatest technologytrends?

Onlythroughstudy,practiceandcollaboration.AtBeCloud weallocateacertainamountof“ontheclock”time

dedicatedtoreading,studyandpractice.Thatistheonly wayatechnologycompanycanstayuptospeedonthe latesttechnologicaladvancements.

Whatdoesittaketoattractandretaintechtalents?

Wechallengeourteammemberstocontributemoretoday thanyesterday.Inreturn,managementiscarefulnottoput unnecessaryrequirementsonteammembers.Wegiveteam membersthefamilytime,professionalgrowthand flexibilitytheyneedtothrive.

Whatroadblocksorchallengeswerefacedbyyouina corporatebusiness?Andhowdidyouovercomethem?

ITleadershipshouldmaximizeacompany’scompetitive advantagewithaneffectiveITstrategy.Butmanytimes, ourcustomersandpotentialclientsgetboggeddownin supportingcurrentinfrastructureandbusinessprocesses insteadofplanningforthefuture.Theyresisttakingthe timetodoprocess,securityand/ornetworkauditsthatcan uncoverpotentialopportunitiesforimprovement.BeCloud seekstomakerecommendationsbasedoncustomerneed andsolutioncapability,ratherthanadhocdecisionsand kneejerkreactions.Therefore,weprefertodoaholistic reviewoftheinfrastructure,butitcanbedifficulttogetkey stakeholderstogetherlongenoughtodevelopstrategic corporateITstrategy.

Weprovideexecutivequestionnaires,and/orwebinarsfor customersandpotentialcustomerstoallowforacustom approachtobusinesstechnicalneed.Forsomeclientsthisis notaproblembutforothersgettingaseatatthetableto garnerexecutivebuyinproveselusive.Forthosecustomers sadly,itusuallytakesanoutageormajorissuetogetthe requiredexecutivecommitmentforneededtechnical upgrades.

Whatculturechangeyousuggestforcompaniesthat wanttoembracethefullpowerofAI?

Resistfear!AIdoesnotgetridofjobsbutallows employeestofocusonmorehighlevelandimpactful functions.

BeCloud’s vision is to provide the right tools for the job utilizing modern technologies to improve business performance and agility while at the same time containing risk.

Karen Chung CEO and Founder

Learning, Inc.

Karen Chung

Astheglobalautismprevalenceratecontinuesto expand,justabout70millionparentsofchildren withautismstandhelpless.Thesandsoftimetake awaytheirchild'sabilitytoattainindependenceandhigher qualityoflife.Theylacktheaccesstoalife-alteringAutism interventioncalledAppliedBehaviorAnalysis(ABA).

AccordingtotheCentersforDiseaseControl(CDC) estimates,intheU.SalonetheAutismPrevalenceRatehas increasedto1in59children.Usingaworldwideprevalence rateof1in100,thereare70millionchildren,adolescents, andadultswithautismintheworld!Inshort,theworldis currentlyundergoingasupply/demandgap,thelikesof whichhaven’tbeeneverseeninrecenttimes.

Besides,theBehaviorAnalystCertificationBoard(BACB) isnolongergoingtobecertifyingbehavioranalysts internationally.Itisnowmoreimportantthanevertoreach outtointernationalcommunitiesandfamilies

Takingthischallengetomakeasignificantpositive contributiontotheworld-KarenChungisonamissionto impactthelivesofeverypersonaffectedbyautism spectrumdisorderandotherspecialneedsacrosstheglobe. KarenfoundedSpecialLearning,Inc.,acompany dedicatedtobecomingthegloballeaderforautism,special needs,andAppliedBehaviorAnalysis(ABA)solutionsby leveragingtechnologyaseducationalresources.

WithexpertsintheareaofautisminterventionandApplied BehaviorAnalysis(ABA),Karenispassionateabout promotingexceptionalethicalpracticesandevidence-based practicesamongpractitionerswhoprovideautism interventionthroughstandardizationofservices,rigorous globalcredentialingstandards,training,andotherquality resources.

PromotingExceptionalEthicalPracticesWorldwide

AstheCEOandFounderofSpecialLearning,Karen dedicatedherlifetoautisminterventionandhas courageouslyshoulderedtheresponsibilitiesofthefirmto leadittowhereitistoday.Sheisanadvocateforaccessto qualityresourcesfortheinternationalbehavioranalysis community,educators,professionals,andparentsof children,adolescents,andadultswithAutismorother specialneeds.

Withover20yearsasanentrepreneur,Karenpossesses experienceacrossawiderangeofindustriesandfunctions. Herdiversebackground,knowledge,andperspectivehave providedherwiththeuniqueabilitytoquicklyidentify problemsandtodevelopinnovativesolutionstoaffect systemicchange.It’sthefoundationbywhichSpecial Learningwasfounded.

DedicatedtoBecometheGlobalLeaderforAutism

Overthepastfewyears,SpecialLearning,Inchas diversifieditsofferingstoexpandtheoverallreachand impact.Initially,SpecialLearning,Incfocusedontraining forbehavioranalystsandthosewhoareworkinginthefield ofAppliedBehaviorAnalysis.UndertheSpecialLearning, Inc.umbrella,Karenrecentlylaunchedever-learning,which providesanintentionalavenueforparents,educatorsand otherprofessionalssuchaspsychologists,occupational therapist,andspeechandlanguagepathologiststoaccess professionalandhighlevelCEUsintheirrespective industries.

Lastly,ABA-BusinessGrowth.comspecializesinproviding thebesttalentmanagement,businessconsulting,and trainingdevelopmentforABAagencies.Theteamrealized

The 50 Most Influenal Business Leaders in Tech 2021

thatinordertocreateimpactandchange,itneeded customizabletrainingandeducationacrossdisciplines.

MakingaWayThroughChallenges

Karenthinkstheconstantchallengethatisever-evolvingis thetechnologyitself.Theneedtokeepupwiththedemands oftechnologicaladvancementswhileremainingcognizant ofmaintainingouttheeaseofuseforitscustomersis challenging.SpecialLearning,Incstrivestodeliverauserfriendlyexperiencesothattechnologydoesnotimpede anyonefrombeingabletoparticipateinthecompany’s trainingandeducationopportunities.

Byleveragingtheverybestclinicalsubjectmatterexperts, SpecialLearningcreatesrealsolutionstoaddressacute problemsinthefieldwhichhavenotbeenaddressedby otherindividualsororganizations.

AnActiveSpeaker

Karenbelievesthateverytechentrepreneurhasan opportunitytomakeasignificantpositivecontributionto theworld.Thesinglevitalattributethatatechentrepreneur shouldpossessistheintenttodogood.Everytech company,whetheramultinationaloranindividualapp

‘‘

designer,hasanopportunitytopositivelyimpacttheworld withitsadvancements.However,themotivationtodogood mustbeaconsciousanddeliberatepartofone’s professionaljourney.

EveryTalentCounts

KarenmentionsthattheteamatSpecialLearninghasthe samepassiontomakeaglobalimpact.Theteamworks tirelesslytogoaboveandbeyondtohelpasmanyparents, educators,andprofessionalsasitcan.Thecompanyhas beenextremelyfortunatethatitsdedicatedtechteamhas beentogethersinceitsinceptionnearly12yearsago.

ExpandingtheReach

Currently,SpecialLearningisworkingtoexpanditsreach inhelpingparentsofchildrenontheautismwaitlist.It createdtheJourneytoIndependenceParentTrainingto workasastop-gapforfamilieswaitingtobeginand/or resumeABAtherapy.Theorganizationisbuildingoutthe recruitmentservicesforABABusinessGrowthsothatit canhelpagenciesfindpassionate,ethically-drivenBCBAs andRBTstoexpandandelevatethefieldofbehavior analysis.

‘‘

“Never underestimate the valuable and important difference you make in every life you touch. For the impact you make today has a powerful rippling effect on every tomorrow.”

Anonymous

Lars von Thienen

Integrating Technology, Software and Business Skills

nthisdigitalerathereisanincreasingproblemofeach

Iuseri.e.theretrievalofrecordsanddocuments.While storagelocationsareproliferatingandthecostof storingdocumentsinthecloudisapproachingzero,hardly anyonehasthoughtabouttheretrievalofthisinformation forindividualusers.Whatgoodisitifonecanstoreone’s dataanddocumentstwiceandthreetimesforfreeinseveral places,butnoonehelpsfindthemeasilyandefficiently? ThisisexactlytheproblemthatNoggleAGsolvesasa company.Itprovidesalocal,confidentialsolutionfor retrievingprivateandpersonaldocuments-nomatter whereandhowtheywerestored.Thishelpstoreducingthe stressoutofsearchingdocuments.

AninceptivemindbehindNoggleisatechexpert,Lars vonThienen.ThroughNoggle,Larsaimsattakingthe stressoutofpeopleandcompaniesofsearching.

BeingCuriousaboutTechnologyfromChildhood

Larsstartedprogrammingwhenhewas12yearsold.Those weredaysofC64andAMIGA.Withadegreeinindustrial businessengineering,hisjourneyintobusinessbeganin 1990s.Duringhisstudies,heprogrammedsoftwarefor orderingpizzadeliveriesviapush-buttonphone-way beforetimeofinternetandsmartphones.Theconnections betweentechnology,softwareandbusinesshavenow occupiedhiminaprofessionalbusinesscontextforover30 years.Ononehand,heaccompaniesTOP30DAX companiesinGermanyindigitalizationanduseofsoftware inbusiness.Ontheotherhand,heisserialfounder, entrepreneurandhavefoundedfivecompaniesinthis context,andheisstillpartofthemasowner.

The 50 Most Influenal Business Leaders in Tech 2021

Lars von Thienen, Company Manager, Noggle AG

ATakeonImpactfulLeadership

AccordingtoLars,itisessentialforbusinessleadersto thinkdifferentlyandalwaysbeabletoopenlychallenge existingprocessescompletely.Theexponentialspeedof changemakesitpossible,andleadersshouldalwaysfind newwaysandtransportthemintothecompany.Itisajob ofaleadertothinkinnovativelytosettherightdirection andstrategy.Greatleadersfigureoutthedisruptive processesmuchearlier.Onceleadersestablishtheprocesses thenprocessesaredefendedandoptimizedbythe responsibleemployeesthemselves.

Larsconsidersthatasacompanymanager,withaviewto digitization,itisessentialtofundamentallyquestionand reorganizetheseprocessesaboutthecustomers.Disruptive thinkingwithasimultaneousfocusoncustomeraddsvalue.

DigitallyTransformingEstablishedCompanies

Larsstatesthattransformingtraditionalandalready successfulcompaniesonthepathtodigitizationisamegatopicforbusinessinthenextfiveyears.Therefore,heis prioritizingtoincreasinglyusehisexperienceandpowerto transformcompaniesontheirwaytobecoming“digital”. Hesaysitisnotaboutcreatingmoreandmoresmall businessesandputtingtheselfish,individualviewof maximizingpersonalincomeandfreedomattheforefront ofthegigeconomy.Inthenextfiveyears,itwillbeabout digitallytransformingestablishedcompanieswhile preservingjobs,socialsecuritysystemsandregional economiccompetencies.Headdsthattherearestillmany challengesintheEUinthisregard.

SeeingChallengesasanAdvantages

EspeciallyinGermany,thecorporatehurdlesfornew digitalbusinessmodelsareverychallenging.Regulations ondataprotection,co-determinationandsecurityrequire verythoroughprocessesandoftenrequirelengthy coordination.Thespeedtoimplementnewideasalsooften failsduetotheselimits.Andyoungtalentinparticularis frustratedandnotinfrequentlyseeksitspathoutsidetheEU andGermany.Thisisacoreproblemagainstthe backgroundofNoggleAG’slocallocation.

ButLarsdon'tseethisasadisadvantage.Conversely,he considersthatthischallengealsooffersanadvantage.He saysthatonceonehasovercometheseobstacles,onecan lookproudlyatstable,secure,andemployee-compliant digitallandscapes.It'sjustthatthepathtogettingthere alwayspresentsonewithlonger-than-plannedtimelines.

TryingOutNewerTechnologiesConsistently

Larsbelievesthattheconstantmonitoringofthelandscape isimperativetobeupdatedwiththelatesttechnology. However,heishardlyabletokeeptrackoftheconstantly growingoptionshimself.ThatiswhyhesaysthatNoggle hasaninnovationteamthatisconstantlyonthelookoutfor newsolutions.NogglepushesinternalAgilesprintsandhas

establisheda"failfast"approach.Thisapproachencourages earlytrialandfailureofnewtechnologies.

Nogglerathertriessomethingtwotimesortoomanythan losingoutbymissinganopportunity.Asacompany manager,however,Larshaslearnedthatitisnowimportant torecognizequicklywhenanideaisdoomedtofail.He saysthatitshouldbeestablishedasapositiveculture.This ishowNogglemanagestotryoutnewtechnologies.

CultureofOpenness,FreedomandTrust

Besides,itisalsoessentialtoattractandretaintechtalents. Larsconsiderthatopenness,alotoffreedomforthe individualandtrustarecrucialtoattractthem.Today, talentedpeoplecanlargelychoosetheiremployers. Therefore,themostimportantthingistocreateaspacefor freedomandtrust.Larshaslearnedthattraditional employmentcontractswithfixedworkinghours,working locationsandahierarchicalreportingstructurearerather deterrentfordigitaltalents.

MattBrown

Business Innovator & Disruptor

Thejourneyofathousandmilesbeginswitha singlestep

Matthaslaunchedovertenbusinesses.Somewere successfulandhesoldthem.Othersdidn’tworkout.His entrepreneurialjourneyhasbeenfilledwithupsanddowns, buthehaslearnedsomethingfromeverydecisionhe’s made.Hisbelief?Themostimportantstepisthenextone, theoneyoutakewhenthingsgettough.

“The first business in our group of companies, Digital Kungfu, generated £12 million in sales qualified pipeline for our clients in 12 months because we kept looking for a better way to do things. We believe that the challenge is the way, and that business happens for you, not to you, but only if you’re always willing to take the next step. In our group of companies, we have a simple mantra: be willing to fail, but make sure you fail fast,” says Matt.

Theabilitytofailrequiresgritandresilience,notbecause it’sdifficulttofail,butbecauseeachtimeyoudo,youhave togetbackup,learnthelessonandthenchangewhat you’redoing.AccordingtoMatt,it’saprocessofconstant evolution,whichishowyoufindthesolutionsthatdisrupt marketsandchangethegame.Withinthecompany’swalls it’sknownas“QBE”or“qualifiedbyexperience,”andeach lessonlearntiswornasabadgeofhonour.

Agile,adaptiveandwillingtolearn

BlackSwanTechnologyHoldingsworksexclusivelywith technologybusinesses.Thebrandswithintheholding

companyprovidedemandgenerationandpipeline accelerationsolutionsthroughproprietaryplatform technologythatformsthefoundationofhowMattandhis teamaredeliveringontheirpromisetore-engineer economicpossibility.

“Technology moves quickly. It also has the power to create a compelling economic future for all humanity. Our group of companies sits at the epicentre of the technology ecosystem, and we take our role seriously, which is why it’s so important to always be learning, and willing to review and adjust our mindsets,” saysMatt.

It’sasimplelessonthattakesbothstrengthofcharacterand experience.Youcan’tsolveaproblemwiththesamepoint ofviewthatcreateditinthefirstplace.Asateam,Black Swanneverstopsexecutingbecausethecompanyknows thatfailureisn’taboutfindingtenthousandwaysthat somethingdoesn’twork–it’saboutdiscoveringand buildingtheonewaythatdoes.

Asthehostof The Matt Brown Show,apodcastthat featuresentrepreneursandgamechangersfromaroundthe world,andwhichisavailableinmorethan100countries, Matthasengagedwithsomeofthemostinspiringmindsin theworld.

“I’ve learnt how powerful it is to keep an open mind, and to adjust my perceptions and assumptions based on new data inputs. We’ve carried these lessons into the business and instil them in our team, making us agile and adaptive, two traits that have served us well in this time of accelerated change,” Matt states.

The

Most Influential Business Leaders in Tech 2021

MattBrownisn’tscaredof anaudaciousgoal.Infact, hisgroupofcompanies, BlackSwanTechnology Holdingshasasingle purpose:Tore-engineer economicpossibility throughtechnology.And heisn’tthinkinglocal.His sightsaresetonmakinga measurableimpactonthe globalstage.

Realmarketdisruption requiresamixof innovation,grit,resilience, andtheabilitytofailfast andlearnfaster,all characteristicsthatMatt andhisteamhavein spades.

Buildingthepeoplewhowillbuildthebusiness

Whiletherearemanydifferenttypesofsuccessfulbusiness leadersintheworld,andeveryoneapproachesleadership slightlydifferently,Mattpersonallybelievesthatthethree mostimportantelementstosuccessfulleadershipare authenticity,purpose,andvision.

“Authenticity is critical across the board in business. Brands must be authentic, but this is only possible if it begins at the leadership level. If you’re authentic, your team will be authentic, and this starts with understanding what your values are and ensuring full buy-in,” saysMatt.

Atitscore,purposeisallaboutcontributingtosomething biggerthanyourself.Mattispassionateaboutgrowing peopleandseesbusinessasawaytodothat.Asastart-up, DigitalKungfufocusedongrowingitsemployees,andthe expandedBlackSwangrouphastakenthisevenfurther, withopportunitycreationoneofthefoundervaluesand corepillarsofthebusiness.

Finally,visionaryleadershipbridgesthegapbetween purposeandhowthebusinessreachesitspurposethrough itspeople.Thecompany’sleadershipphilosophyisclear:It believesthateverypersononitscollectiveteamisas talentedandasbrilliantasthenextandhasthesame capacityfortransformationalgrowthandpioneering accomplishments.Mattandhisexcoremindtheirteam membersofthisfactonadailybasis.

“We have a clear and compelling idea of how the future should look and we execute daily on the steps that we believe will make that future a reality. As a team we lead, motivate and inspire each other to become better today than it was yesterday,” saysMatt.

Innovationisbakedin

Thebusinessiscurrentlyinscale-upphase.DigitalKungfu, thefirstcompanyintheBlackSwanTechnologyHoldings group,hasgrownintoasuccessfulandgame-changing pipelinegenerationbusinessfortechnologycompanies, reinvestingitsprofitsintothegrowthofnewbusinessesand solutions.TheseincludePipelineGenerator,apipeline generationanddigitalskillsupliftmentprogram, FireSaleHardware,ahardwaremarketplacethatbridgesthe gapbetweenbusinesseslookingforaffordabletechnology, andbrandsthathavesurplusstockandneedtofocuson theirnewestmodels,andTechLeadBay,thegroup’s‘hive intelligencecompany,’agrowthengineformarketersand salesprofessionals.

“

“ Work is not something that we do, it’s something we live.

Betsy Wiersma, Founder, Wiersma Experience Markeng/ CampExperience Networkk

Do Good Have Fun : Philanthropy As A Business Tool

Whatdifferentiatesyourbusinessfromthepack? Whatcommunicatesyourbusiness’sheartand soul?Whatcanuniteemployees,connectwith customersandhelpyourcommunity?Consider philanthropyasabusinesstool! Wecallit“DoGoodand HaveFun!”

Forthelast16years,Ihavededicatedmylifetouniting amazingwomenfromallwalksoflifetohelpothers.Our Denver,ColoradoCampExperience™Networkhasraised over$1millionincashandin-kindsupportfor50+ charitiesinColoradoandaroundtheworld.

Wegatherwomenforbothonlineandin-personevents, promotionsandcampaigns,andeachyearwechoose charitypartnerstoreceivetheNetwork’sdonations.Over the16yearswepartneredwithlargeorganizationslikeour MileHighUnitedWayinDenverandsmallorganizations liketheSockItToEmSockCampaign. Eachtimewelook foraspecificprojectorgroupwecanmakeadifferencefor andengageourvolunteers.

TherearesomanyexamplesofDoingGoodandHaving Fun. Oneofmyfavoriteswas1000ActsofPeacein Septemberincluding2019. Wegathereddonationsofmore than20,000itemsofshampoo,soap,toothbrushes,floss, toothpaste,combs,sanitizedwipes,Kleenex,abottlesof waterandLunabars. Then130ladiesassembled1000 knapsacksin2hours,loadedontobussesanddeliveredthe donationstotheMayorofColoradoSprings,Colorado,to gifttoagenciesthatservepeopleexperiencing homelessness.

Theprocessofpartneringhaselevatedthestatureofour organization,attractednewmembersandkepttheloyaltyof currentmembers. Ourfocusonhelpingothersrateshighin surveysaboutorganizationinterestandmarketreputation. Wehavedevelopedastyleof“sisterhoodbychoice”inthat wetreateachotherasfamilyandtreatothersasourown. Ourcommunityinvolvementgeneratespositiveenergy, publicityandmoreopportunitiesforourmembersand sponsors. Thisexperiencehasproventhefollowingthree tipsforyourorganization’scommunitysuccess.

MatchYourMissiontoYourMate

Agreatwaytochooseacommunitypartneristomatchthe passionsandpurposeofyourorganizationwithalikehearted“mate.”

Likedating,trysomeconversationswithpotential communitypartnersandfindamatch. Youmightstartwith yourstakeholderstoseewheretheyareinvolvedandwhat

typeofexperiencesareworking. Theremaybetimely issuesinyourcommunityoryoumayneedtoserve multiplemarketsacrossacountryoraregion.

Lookfor:

Leadershipstabilityandfiscalresponsibility.

Referencestoensureatopreputation.

Whatarethedeliverablegoodsand/orservicesandwho specificallyisserved? Howisthe“good”measured?

Whataretheneedsandspecificopportunitiestoinvolve stafforcustomers?Forexample,ourvolunteers gatherednewsocksformen,womenandchildrenand thesocksstayedineachmarkettohelplocalgroups.

ChooseAScaleThatMakesSuccessEasy

Mymomalwaysasked,“Didyoubiteoffmorethanyou canchew?” EvenasIkidIwantedtodoitall,saveitall andtakeeveryopportunityfortheFUNofgettinginvolved.

Ihavediscovered(theovercommittedandtiredway)that withcommunityinvolvement(andlife)youcanchoosethe “scale”ofinvolvement. Thismeanswhenyoudiscoverthe magicofacausethatmatchesyourinterest,developa “menu”ofideasbothlargeandsmall. Thisscalesserves youinmanyways:

Ÿ

Themenuofspecificneedsandtaskscanfitthemultiple interestsofyouremployeesandcustomers.Includethe time,levelofcommitment,locationandwhattoexpect whenserving.

creativityandisgreatfortheprocessofdevelopinga workingpartnershipwithyourcommunityorganization.

Ÿ

Whenyoustartandcompleteanexacttask,thesmall successstartspositivemomentum. Whenyougeteven small“wins,”youstarttostackupthegooddeedsand startthereputationoftheprojecttobeviableandFUN!

Ÿ Theprocessofdevelopingthemenucanunlockmore

Aftercreatingtheperfectpartnershipanddevelopingyour actionplanjustdoit! Takeactionandbegin. Themagicof

Inhundredsofprojects,wefindthatthejourneyofhelping othersisevenbetterthanthedestinationofanygoal. Goals canalwaysmoveandchange. Thejourneyisthejuicy relationship-buildingprocess. Theactivitiesconnecthearts andminds. Thepositiveimpactgeneratespossibility thinkingandafreshoutlook. Andtheserelationshipsand shiftedperspectivescontributenotonlyinthecommunity

Inaworldrunningfastandworkinghard,takea philanthropyandsomeDoGoodHaveFunforyouand

TogetlearnmoreabouttheCampExperience™Network andgetBetsy’sdownloadablePlaybookforGrowingNew https://mailchi.mp/08a4dc05a90d/join-our-

"Be humble. Be hungry. And always be the hardest worker in the room."

Morag Lucey CEO Televerde

TransformingCustomerExperiencebyTappingPotentialofTechnology

echnologyoffersenormousbenefits.Itmakesthings

Tbetterandimprovesthequalityofsolutions.Itis importanttotapthepotentialoftechnologyforthe developmentofbusinesses.Leaderswhohavegotthebetter knackfortechnologyareabletotapthepotentialof technologyandareabletodeliverbettersolutions.Morag Luceyisonesuchbusinessleaderwhohasgreatknackfor technologyfromheryoungage.Herapproachistofind balancebetweentechnology(AI)andthehumantouch. MoragLuceyistheCEOofTeleverde,a600-personglobal salesandmarketingsolutionscompanywhosecustomers comprisethetopglobaltechnologycompanies.

Withmorethan20yearsofexecutiveleadershipexperience inmarketing&technology,Moragisskilledateliminating silos,deliveringonrevenueandprofittargets,andinspiring teams.Shespecializesintransformingthecustomer experienceandsolutionsofferingsandcreatingcompanywidestrategicmessagingalignment.

InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,MoragLuceyshares herjourneyandabouthercontributionthroughTeleverde: BelowarethehighlightsoftheinterviewbetweenMorag LuceyandInsightsSuccess:

Kindlytakeusthroughyourjourneyonbecominga proficienttechbusinessleader.

Believeitornot,at20-yearsofage,Iwassetonacareerin fashion.Iabsolutelyloveclothes,style,andtheartof designing.WhatIdidn'tknowwashowdifficultitwasto turnthispassionintoalucrativecareer.WhileIwascoming totermswiththisreality,Iwasofferedagreatopportunity withatechnologycompany.Thejobwassimple:represent thecompanyasademonstratorattradeshowevents.The jobcamewithplentyofperks,suchasacompanycar,high quality,fashionableclothing,anddrycleaning—allpaid for.Bestofall,I'dgettotraveltheworld.Therewasone catch:Ihadtobeabletotalkintelligiblyaboutthis company'stechnology.IfIcoulddothatwithauthenticity, thejobwasmine.

Ibegantakingcoursestounderstandtechnology:howit worked,itsbenefitsanddifferentiators.Inashorttime,I learnedIhadquiteaknackforit.WhileIwasstillenticed bythebenefits,Icouldn'tdenythetechnologyinterested

me,especiallyinthewaysitdrovebusiness.Most satisfyingwasthateverythingIencounteredintechtaught orchallengedmeinsomeway.Icouldn'tgetenoughofit.I quicklymovedupfromshowcasingtechnologyto consultingonsoftwaresystemsandapplicationsforvarious organizations.Igainedinvaluableinsightsandexperience withfinancialsystems,keybusinessstrategies,and organizationalstructures.Injusttwoyears,Ihadgrown fromahopefulfashionistaintoasuccessfulProduct Manager.(Whilelookinggoodtheentiretime!)

Howdoyoudiversifyyourorganization'sofferingsto enticethetargetaudience?

Youhavetounderstandthevaluethatyourorganization bringsandalsoidentifyhowyourcurrentofferingscanbe usedtoleveragegapsinwaysthatoptimizebusiness outcomesforpotentialandcurrentclients.Whenyou diversifyyourofferings,youactuallycreatestickinesswith yourcustomers.Byofferingaconnectedsetofservicesor

The 50 Most Influential Business Leaders in Tech 2021

solutionswhereyourclientscanaddvalueacrossa spectrumofservices–inourcase,sales,marketing,and customersuccess–youcreateatruepartnershipwithyour clients,whichstrengthensbrandloyaltyandreduceschurn rates.

Whatarethevitaltraitsthateverybusinessleader shouldpossess?

Listentounderstand,nottorespond;empathytolearnhow youremployeesandcustomersarefeelingsoyoucan delivervalueandsuperiorexperiencesconsistently; emotionalintelligencetofosterandgrowrelationshipswith yourcustomersandpeople;andtheabilitytoadaptto unexpectedcircumstances,evolvingtechnology,and changesinexpectationsfromyourcustomersand employees.

Whereareyoufocusingyourenergynow,andwheredo youhopetomakeanimpactnext?

Providingvaluebeyondourtraditionalbusiness–valuein termsofbusinessintelligencethatwecansharewithour customers(thinkmarketintelligence,salesperformance intelligence,etc.).LeveragingAItoreduceintensivehuman laborandtedioustasks,whichwillfreeupourpeopleto strengthenrelationshipswithourclientsandcreatebetter outcomesfortheirbusiness.Ourapproachisabalance betweenAIandthehumantouch.

Howdoyoukeepyourselfuptodatewiththelatest technology?

ThefactthatIammarriedtoaCIOcertainlyhelps!Italso helpsthatweareinthetechnologyindustry.With technologytransformingtheworldofsalesandmarketing, weneedtobeatthetopofourgameinunderstandingtech trendssowecanconverseandconsultwithourclients.We looktounderstandthetechnologiesourclientsareusingto seewhatimpactitcanhaveonourbusiness.Wearealso alwaysevaluatingourinternaltechnologiestoimproveour ownbusinesssothatwecanserveourclientsbetterand adaptastheydo.

Whatdoesittaketoattractandretaintechtalents?

Opportunitiestocontinuouslylearnnewtechnologyand skills;interestingandrewardingprojects.

Whatculturechangedoyousuggestforcompaniesthat wanttoembracethefullpowerofAI?

UnderstandinghowAIandhumanscanworktogether.AIis notareplacementforpeoplesocompanieswillneedto figureouthowtousetheiremployeesinnewwaysdevelopnewleaders,discovernewtalents,reskill,upskill, etc.It'sanexcitingfutureofworkasAIwillremovethe rotetasksthatemployeesareoftensaddledwithandallow themtofocusmoreonstrategydevelopmentandexecution, creativity,customerexperience,employeeengagement,and betterdecision-making.

twasthefascinationforlanguages

Iandthewaywecommunicatethat inspiredNourAlHassantobuild Tarjamain2008tomeetthegrowing demandforhigh-qualitytranslation servicesthatcatertotheunique multiculturalenvironmentofthe MiddleEast.

Nourcomesfromabackgroundinlaw andisalawyerbyeducationand training.Aftergraduating,sheworked ataninternationalorganizationin Jordan.Workinginafast-paced environmentwithverytightdeadlines fordeliverables,shesawthemassive needforprofessionalArabic translation.Shenoticedthattherewas aclearlackofavailablelanguage solutionsgearedforbusinessesin JordanandtheMENAregion,and tailoredfortheArabiclanguagein specific.Thismotivatedhertostart Tarjamain2008tomeetthis frustratingdemand.

NourstartedTarjamawithonlytwo femalelinguistsworkingremotelywith her.Shesawtheundervaluednetwork ofexceptionalandtalentedwomenin Jordan,andacrosstheMENAregion, andthatdrovehertofocusontraining andemployingthelargestnetworkof

Nour

Al Hassan

Uniting AI and Human Talent to Deliver Quality Content at Phenomenal Speed and Cost

Arabic-speakingfemaletranslatorsand linguists.

DeliveringanEnd-to-EndRangeof LanguageSolutions

Inordertoprovidecustomerswith betterandmorecost-effectiveservices, NourstrategicallyshiftedTarjama fromatraditionaltranslationagencyto asmartlanguagesolutionsprovider thatoffersanend-to-endrangeof languagesolutions-allgearedwith tech-poweredhumandelivery.Using thedataandexperiencethecompany hasaccumulatedovertheyears,ithas builtitsownlanguagetechnology, includingMachineTranslation, TranslationManagementSystem, ClientPortal,OpticalCharacter Recognition,Auto-SubtitlingTool, BusinessDictionaryPlatform,and more.Currently,itsentireoperations staffisaidedwithitsin-house proprietarytechnology,whichenables themtoworksmarter,savingthem timewhichtheycanspendonthemore creative,meaningfulaspectsoftheir workandresultinginbetterdelivery foritsvaluedclients.

Tarjama’sbroadrangeoflanguage solutionsincludeappandweb

TARJAMA THRIVES ON AN INNOVATION CULTURE WHERE WE CONSTANTLY WORK TO FIND NEW, SMARTER SOLUTIONS TO COMPLEX BUSINESS CHALLENGES.

Nour Al Hassan, CEO Tarjama

localization,transcreation,editing&proofreading, copywriting,subtitling,transcription,interpretation,and design–allinmorethan55languages.Companieslooking foranytypeofmultilingualcontentareabletofindwhat theyneedatTarjama.

ATakeonImpactfulLeadership

Nourbelievesthatthemarkofasuccessfulbusinessleader isintheabilitytoadapttotheconstantlychanging environment.Abusinessleaderneedstoalwaysbeopento newideas,discussions,andfindinginnovativesolutionsto existingproblems.Thinkingoutsideoftheboxisvital. Accordingtoher,whetherit’swiththeirteammembers, investors,prospects,orcustomers,agoodbusinessleader musthaveexcellentcommunicationskills.

Lastly,sheisoftheopinionthatstorytellingisanessential businessskillforentrepreneurs.Acompellingbrandstory willhelpcustomers(andinvestors),engagewithyouand relatetothevalueyouareoffering.Ifentrepreneursarenot abletoexceptionallycommunicatetheirbrandstoryandthe changeitcanbring,itcanbecomeahugebarrieringetting accesstonecessaryfunding.

DevelopingExistingSolutions

Currently,Nourisfocusingherenergyonleadingthe

languagetechnologyspaceacross theMENAregion.Todo this,TarjamaisheavilyinvestinginitsAIprojects, improvingitsmachinelearningalgorithms,andidentifying newlanguagesolutionstoenablesmarter,fasterbusiness workflowsandresults.Thecompany’sfocusistofurther developitsexistingtechnologysolutions,inadditionto buildingnewonesthatmeetthemarketdemands,and especiallytheuniquechallengesoftheArabiclanguage.Its goalistopartnerwithenterprisestomaximizetheir localizationefficiency,decreasetheircosts,andgrantthem datasecurity-enablingthemtogrowrapidly.Inthecoming years,NouraimstoleaveanimpactbeyondtheMENA region.AlltheeffortsofNouraredirectedtoenable companiestogloballyscalewithspeedbyofferingthem smartlanguagesolutionsthatarehigh-quality,costeffective,andsecure.

StayingUp-to-DatewithTechnologicalTrends

TechnologyisatthecoreofwhatTarjamadoes.Through technologythecompanyisabletotransformbusiness processes,enabling10peopletodotheworkof50,and better!

Tokeepherselfupdatedwiththelatesttechnology,Nour makessuretofollowandreadthelatestreports,newsand socialmediaupdatesontechnology.Shespendstime attendingwebinarsandconferencesaboutemerging technologyandAIinbusinessandthelanguageindustry. ShealsohasanexcellentAIAdvisorwhohelpsthe companystayaheadofthetechgrowthcurve.

WordsofWisdom

Nouradvisescompaniesthatwanttoembracethefull powerofAItoutilizeanAIadvisorwhoserolewouldbeto guideyouinmakingstrategicdecisionsbasedonhands-on experience,hireexperts,andinvestheavilyinmachine learning,AIanddatascience.

Shestates, “As your company grows, your talents should be growing with you. Invest in upskilling your talents so they can develop and give more to the company, in addition to feeling a sense of fulfilment.”

“Make their work meaningful and valuable – make sure your talents know the company’s purpose & vision and what their role is in attaining that. If your employees are doing work with purpose, they will work more passionately and happily, which means they’re more likely to stick around and make your tech team a successful one,” sheadds.

To lead in the digital age, everyone in the industry needs easy access to the latest and most accurate data. Good news: Poornima Ramaswamy, Executive Vice President, Global Solutions and Partners at Qlik solves this challenge daily. An interview conducted between Poornima Ramaswamy and Insights Success addresses data challenges faced by customers, which can be addressed by Qlik’s end-to-end data analytics and data integration offerings.

Below are the highlights from the interview: Kindlytakeusthroughyourjourneyonbecominga proficienttechbusinessleader.

I’vebeeninthedataandanalyticsspacefromthebeginning ofmycareer,straightoutofbusinessschool.Becauseofmy backgroundandspecializationininformationtechnology andfinance,IwasabletoobtainapositionwithTata Infotech,anITcompanywhichprovidedsoftware consultancyanddevelopment,systemintegrationservices, andhardwaremanufacturing.There,Iworkedonadataand analyticsteam.

Asidefrombeingfortunateenoughtohaveanearlystartin theindustry,Ithinkwhat’saidedmyproficiencyhasbeen that,forthelast25years,dataandanalyticshavebeen amongthetopfiveprioritiesforCXOs,specificallyCIOs.

P

Industrieshavechanged,evolvedandexpandedinscope, buttheimportanceplacedondataandanalyticshasnot;in fact,it’samongthetopthreeprioritiesforCEOsasa businesstransformationagent.Thishasfueledmypassion toalwayskeepmyselfasknowledgeableaspossible,soI cancontinuebringingvaluetomycompanyandtoour customers.

Whatroadblocksorchallengeswerefacedbyyouina corporatebusiness?Andhowdidyouovercomethem?

Tobehonest,I’dsayI'vebeenlucky,andnothinghasheld meback.I'vehadalotofverystrongsupportfromboth menandwomen–manymentorsandchampions–throughoutmycareer.Myonlychallengewasrecognizing whereIwantedtogo,askingforhelpwhenIneededit,and whocouldbesthelpmeinagivensituation.And,whenI feltlikeIwasnotgettingtherightsupport,speakingup

oornima Ramaswamy

Results-oriented

The 50 Most Influential Business Leaders in Tech 2021

Poornima Ramaswamy Executive Vice President, Global Solutions and Partners at Qlik

reallyhelped.Inturn,lendingahandtoothersandfocusing onmakingotherssuccessfulalsomademesuccessful.

Howdoyoukeepyourselfuptodatewiththelatest technology?

Iamverycustomerfocused,soIalwaystrytounderstand whatcustomersaredoingwithtechnology–thatis,how theyarethinkingaboutusingtechnologyfordataand analyticsandhowthisfitsintotheirlargerdigitalambitions. Thiskeepsmeinformedofnotjusttechnologytrends,but theonesthatmattermosttoourcustomers.

Whereareyoufocusingyourenergynow,andwheredo youhopetomakeanimpactnext?

SpeakingformyselfandonbehalfofQlik,wearefocusing onmakingcustomersbecomenotjustmoredatadrivenbut moreaction-orientedwithdata.Thismeansensuringthat theycanrealizewhatwecallActiveIntelligence.Active Intelligenceisrealizedwhenyouhavecontinuous intelligencefromreal-time,up-to-dateinformation, designedtodeliverinsightsrapidlyandtriggerimmediate actionsautomatically.Thisisparticularlyimportantduring unprecedentedcrises,suchasCOVID.

‘‘ MAKE DATA AND INSIGHTS ACTIONABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TO INSPIRE CUSTOMERS TO BECOME MORE MEANINGFUL, IMPACTFUL AND RELEVANT. ‘‘

Wewanttomakeourcustomerscomfortableenoughwith theuseofdataandanalyticsthattheyfeelempoweredto maketherightdecisionsinuncertaintimes–wewantthem tobesuccessfulandresilient,nomatterwhatthefuture holds.Thiscanonlyhappenwhenorganizationsarelooking tocreateadata-drivenculturethroughtheuseof technologyandbymakingdataliteracyakeypriorityat everylevelacrosstheirorganization,whichweare increasinglyhelpingourcustomersunderstand.

Whatarethevitaltraitsthateverybusinessleader shouldpossess?

First,alwayshaveaneyeforthefuture.Second,makesure you’reopentonewwaysofdoingthings;youwantto createanorganizationthat’sconstantlylookingtolearnand adapt.Third,youneedtoleadwithempathy,takingcareof yourpeople,alongwithyourcustomers,treatingboth constituencieswithcompassion,careandunderstanding.

Whatculturechangedoyousuggestforcompaniesthat wanttoembracethefullpowerofAI?

Myfirstsuggestionistoembraceatest-fail-learnmindset.I wouldalsorecommendrecognizingthatAIisnotjustabout technology,butaboutanentirereorientationforthe business–AIchangesthewayyouoperate.Mythird suggestionistowardagainstcreatingbiaswithinAI;it shouldbeaneutralarbiterandnotbeencumberedby programmingassumptions.

Lastly,toreapthefullbenefitsofAI,youneedbusinessand ITstakeholderstoworktogetherfromtheverybeginningto reimagineprocesses,someofwhichcouldbefundamental tothebusiness.Thiscanbeaccomplishedthroughcrossfunctional,unbiased,representativeteams,andacontinuous reaffirmationthatthechangesbeingmadeareinapositive directionandsupportacompany’sgrowth.

Whatdoesittaketoattractandretaintechtalent?

Ibelievetechtalentrespondsverypositivelytoauthenticity inacompanyandtocompanieswhichpaintaninspiring, inclusiveandsociallyresponsiblefuture.Peoplearesimply tooawareofwhatisgoingonintheworld,andtheywant thetruth.That’swhyauthenticityissoimportant.Qlikhasa veryauthenticleadershipstyleandapproach;weespouse opennessandtransparency,whichIbelieveattractspeople. Ourvisionforthefuture–thatdataandanalyticsare criticalandwillonlycontinuetobeevenmoreso–I believetrulyresonateswithourworkforce.Ialsothink empathyisincrediblyimportant.Everyonecomesfroma differentplace,hasadifferentbackgroundandadifferent passion.Youneedtoaccommodatethosedifferences.

TOM EDWARDS

Seless, Great-thought Leader

Ifyouareatechnologystart-upinsearchofstrategic insight&resources,TomEdwardsisheretoadvise early-stagecompaniesbyprovidingstrategicguidance, direction,insight&accesstoinvestornetworks.

Cultureiskeytoanyorganization.Tom’sapproachhas alwaysbeenoneofempowermentandencouragement.It’s importanttoenableteammemberswiththeabilityfor positivecareergrowth.Thiscancomeintheformof coachingaroundpersonalbranddevelopmentorallowing forgrowthinareasthatareoutsideofthecorespecialtyof theirday-to-dayrole.

ATechnologyEvangelist&Influencer

TomEdwardsstartedBlackFin360in2009toserveasa thoughtleadershipplatformandcontentrepository.With over600+marketing/technology-centricpostsat

BlackFin360.com,millionsofviews,and100'sofmedia placements,Tomiscommittedtosharinginsightsand approachesthatcanbenefitallindustriesformarketingand technologyprofessionals.

Tomspeaksregularlyasadata-centricmarketing technologyfuturistwithhundredsofpresentationstosome oftheworld'slargestbrands.Tom'sabilitytoflexacross industries,understandshowtointegrateemerging technologyintolinearorganizations,decodeandactiondata allowshimtobeanidealadvocateformarketingthought leadership.

Thisworkhasrecentlybeenrecognizednationallyaswell. Recently,Tomhasawardedthe2021,OnconIconTop10 GlobalMarketerAward.In2020,hehasbeenrecognizedas theDigitalMarketingProfessionaloftheYear,OnConIcon

Tomis Bold& Fearless.

McAthy,Apple

‘‘

Top50GlobalMarketerAwardwinner,and the2020ProfessionaloftheYearfor MarketingandEmergingTechnology.In 2019,TomwashonoredastheTechTitan TechnologyAdvocateAwardwinner,2019 OnConMarketingTrailblazerAward,and OnConMarketingContributorawardwinner foroutstandingmarketingandtechnology thoughtleadership.In2017,Edwardswas recognizedbyAdvertisingAgeasa MarketingTechnologyTrailblazer.

AKeynote-speaker

Thebiggestchallengesincefoundingtheorg in2009hasbeenthepandemicof2020for Tom.Asakeynotespeaker,losingin-person conferenceeventsandtheopportunitiesthat comewiththathasshiftedfocusfrominpersontodigitalandvirtualevents, masterclasses,andworkshops.Asan advocateforemergingtechnology,itwasa no-brainerforTomtoshifttomoreofa 100%digitalengagementapproachuntil BlackFin360isabletoresumein-person events.

AStrategicConsultant

Tomhasworkedacrossstart-upventures, enterprisetechnology,andagencyholding companiesacrosshiscareer.Thishasledto thousandsofconsultinginitiativesover20 yearsandlaidafoundationandfocuson drivingresultsandaligningbusinessresults,

specifically,thetop4businessobjectivesthatTomhas focusedonaligningemergingtechnology&data approacheshasbeentheacquisition,win-back,retention, andgrowth.

FocusedonFuture-proofingBusiness

Tomhasworkedwithvariousbrandsleadingtoimproving businessresults&performancethroughdimensionalizing dataviasituationalandaudiencedatadimensionsaswellas aligningdataofidentity,culture&intenttoleverage machinelearning&AItobetterunderstandthemes, perceptions,occasions,andproxypersonsandpredictive modelstodrivebusinessresults.

“Innovation is about removing a barrier while building on the familiar.” This is so true in applying emerging technology to linear business. You have to be able to build upon what’s familiar and what has worked in the past, but have an eye towards how an organization can evolve, focusesonTom.

AForwardThinker

TomEdwards’visionforBlackFin360overthenextfive yearsistocontinuetoevolvethetypeofcontenthewrites andspeaksabout.Withsomanyfoundationalshiftsin technologyonthehorizon,fromtheproliferationofAI,5G connectivity,theshifttowardsspatialcomputing,digital twins,virtualproxies,andmore,thereisalotthatwill changeinthenextfiveyearsandTomwantstocontinueto coveranddecipherwhattheshiftsinconsumerbehavior andemergingtechnologywillmeanforbusinesses.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has definitely impacted every industry and for marketing and advertising, it emphasizes

the need for adaptability. Be it traditional advertising shifting from entertainment to understanding and enablement, to the need to reassess the role of digital and explosive growth tied to e-commerce. It’s critical that organizations continue to ensure business continuity and stability to accelerate through the recovery and retool and rethink strategic priorities to adapt to the post pandemic world.”,putsforwardTom.

ALeaderoftheDigitalRealm

“Never underestimate the importance of personal branding. Build a content repository early, create a voice in the industry and give it time to grow. This content then follows you from job to job and is ownable by you, and serves as a great connection point for future roles,” advisesTom.

Thesecondpieceofadviceistiedtotheimportanceof developingpersonalandprofessionalnetworks.“Find a mentor and a sponsor. Find someone within your industry of interest outside of your current organization who can provide career advice. Then find an individual internal to your organization who can remove barriers and invest in your professional growth.”

Tomhasservedasanadvisorytoanumberofstart-ups,has workedasanadjunctfacultymemberforuniversitiessuch asSMUinDallas,andhasservedontheadvisoryboardfor theNationalBreastCancerFoundationforthepasttwo years.

Tomispassionateaboutgivingbacktothecommunitybeit locally,supportingstart-uporganizations,education,and charitywork.

The 50 Most Influential Business Leaders in Tech 2021

LeadershipInsights

Towards a SECURED WORLD

We’veenteredanewdecadebutonethingthat hasn’tchangedisbreachesofsecurityand hackerstryingtopenetrateyourfirewalls. Whilepersonaldevicescancertainlyrevealaglutof information–creditcardnumbersandpasswords,in particular–therealspoilsgotothosewhocanbreakinto governmentnetworks.Inadditiontoagencieshavingto navigatetheirwayaroundeverydayproblemsinvolving connectivityandprotectionofsensitivedata,theyarealso taskedwithprotectingprivateinformationofourcitizens likeSSNs,orinsomecases,secretinformationweallrely onforsafetyandsecurity.

Despitethis,theallottedbudgetshavenotproportionally grownevenwhilethethreatsandchallengeshave;the availableresourcesdwindlebuttheincreasesinregulations neverdo.

IT-CNPisheretosolvethatverychallenge.Basedin Columbia,Marylandasoneofthefirstnationalprovidersof FISMA-compliant,FedRAMPcertifiedcloudhostinginthe

country,IT-CNPhasbeenconsultingongovernmental hostingandsecuritychallengesforover20yearsnow. Todayitisstilloneofthefewfirmsinthecountryto exclusivelyservegovernmentagencies,whetherFederal, state,orlocal.

IT-CNP’sclouddivision,GovDataHosting,formedshortly aftertheparentcompany’sopening,providespolicy development,complianceandaudits,disasterrecovery,and incidentresponsealongwithanyotherbespokecloud solutionsanagencycouldneed.

Competitionandcyber-attackshavesomethingincommon: theyarea24/7gameandbothinfullsupplyonthe governmentalside.Towincovetedgovernmentcontracts (andkeepthemwhenthere-competecomes),acompany hastoalwaysbeontheball.

“GovDataHostingprovidesacloudservicethatis completelymanagedforbotheaseandpeaceofmindto governmentagenciesrangingfromdefenseandmilitaryto healthcare,”saidAlenDalton,ProgramManagerof ProfessionalServices.

AnormalweekatIT-CNPincludesthesuccessfulhosting andmanagementofmission-criticalsystemsinthecloud. Everydatacenterandthepersonnelstaffingthem,along withcustomerdata,arelocatedandmonitoredwithinU.S. borders.Allemployeesaresubjecttoacriminalbackground checkswhenhiredandanyoneworkingwithsensitive informationundergoesagovernment-sponsored backgroundinvestigation.That’showmuchsafetyof sensitivecustomerdatamatters.

“GovDataHostingwasawardedaFISMAHighAuthorityto Operate(ATO)fortheU.S.DepartmentofHealthand HumanServicesinlate2019toprovidecloudhosting servicesfortheHHSOfficeoftheSecretary,ahighhonor,” saidMr.Dalton.Inthepast,IT-CNPalsohelpedto successfullytransitionanHHSdatawarehousetothecloud

byplanningalltechnicalandsecuritycomplianceimpacted taskingincludingauthorizationtostorePersonally

IdentifiableInformation(PII)andProtectedHealth Information(PHI)inaccordancewithFedRAMP,FISMA, HIPAAandHHSregulations.

IT-CNP’sservicesaresimilarlyavailableonseveralprenegotiatedgovernmentcontractvehicles,includingGSA MultipleAwardSchedule,NOAANMITS,DoDACCENT, andDHS-EagleII.BeingavendoroftheU.S.Army ACCENTProgramalsoallowsGovDataHostingtomigrate applicationsandprovidecloudhostingfortheentire DepartmentofDefense.“WeareproudtoserveDoD agencies,theArmy,Navy,AirForce,andtheMarineCorps astheyservethecountry,saidMr.Dalton.

Astheuniqueneedsofthesecurityservicessectorcontinue toevolve,IT-CNPhasinitiatedplanstoextendits cybersecuritysolutionsandFedRAMPcloudservicesinto thesouthwesternpartsofthecountry.

Thehorizonisvastlyopenwhenitcomestocloudand relatedtechnology.Notsolongago,‘thecloud’washardto comprehend,asifitwerepartofasciencefictionmovie;

nowitpermeatesdailylifefromthegovernmentdownto whereyoustorethevacationphotostakenonyourphone. Nextcomesedgecomputingandthenfromthat,fog computing.Everyoneisawareofbuzzwordssuchasthe internetofthings(IoT)andmachinelearning.

Wherearewegoinginthisnewdecade?Automationof rapidcloudtechnicalandsecuritysetupisgoingtobethe highlight.Butcybersecurityisnotgoinganywhere.We havealreadyseenanupwardtrendofattemptedhacksand growingransomsdemandedofgovernmententitiesand privateorganizations.Perhapswewillseeacombinationof automationandcybertocoverthegapsthathavethusfar beenvulnerable.

Bringing Information Opportunity Together &

In today’s changing environmental landscape, business leaders recognize that sustainability is fundamental to remain competitive. The global pandemic is accelerating the need for digital reinvention and adoption in the organization and has become more vital than ever.

Meanwhile, Victoria Pelletier feels fortunate working for IBM - an industry leader in IT & Services with a phenomenal learning and skills platform. An interview conducted between Victoria Pelletier - Vice President of Talent & Transformation for North America and Insights

Success shares her experience, feedback, and opinions to drive successful outcomes.

indlytakeusthroughyourjourneyon

becomingaproficienttechbusinessleader.

Ihavebeenaveryearlyadopteroftechnologymostofmy life,andmycareerhascenteredaroundtechnologybeinga businessenabler.Itransitionedearlyinmycareerfrom beingaheavyuseroftechnologytoleadingtechnology teamsasItransitionedintotheworldofBusinessProcess

Outsourcingleadingverylargeteamsofsales,customer service,andtechnicalhelpdeskoperationssupportingmany businessclients.

Mysuccessinleadershipinthisspace,however,hasnot beenbysellingtechnology–ithasbeenaboutsolving challengesforclients;understandingtheirstrategyandpain

pointsandthenadvisingandco-creatingwiththem,the solutionswithtechnology,thatenablesthepeopleand processestodeliveragainstthestrategyandoutcomes desired.

Howdoyoudiversifyyourorganization’sofferingsto enticethetargetaudience?

Themostimportantcriteria,inmyopinion,istounderstand WHOyourtargetaudienceis–whatchallengestheyare facing–oftennotasingularproblem,butamultidimensionalproblemset. Onceyouunderstandyour audienceandframetheirpainpoints,thenthereisan opportunitytocreateadifferentiatedsolutionthattargets thesechallengesandtellsastoryabouthowyoursolutions willsolvethesechallenges.

The

Business Leaders in

Howdoyoukeepyourselfuptodatewiththelatest technology?

Iamavoraciousreaderandhavesubscriptionstomany digitalnewsandmediapublicationsandalsohavealertsset upformanyofthefavoritetopicsthatIfollow.This includesnewsandsocialpostsfromsomeofthetop technologyandbusinessleadersthatIfollow.

Whatroadblocksorchallengeswerefacedbyyouina corporatebusiness?Andhowdidyouovercomethem?

Ihavefacedmanychallengesinmycareer–oneofthe earliestwasbecominganexecutiveataged24–justafew monthsaftergivingbirthtomyfirstchild. Ihadtobalance anextremelydemandingrolewithlonghoursand significanttravelwiththeneedsofmyyoungfamily. Ihave alsofacedbeingtheonlywoman,oroneofveryfew,atthe executivetableforavastmajorityofmycareerandhave faceddiscrimination,bullying,andsomemudslinging,asa result.

IhavealsofacedthetypesofchallengesthatIthrivein–organizationalchangeandtransformation. Ihave personallybeenapartof18mergersoracquisitionsand oftensatattheheartoftheintegrationandtransition–somethingIdeeplyloveasthechallengeofbuilding somethingnewanddifferentisextremelymotivatingtome. Ihaveovercomesignificantadversityinmylifethathas drivenmetoaphilosophywherebyIbelievethatIam unstoppable,alwaysfindingsolutionsforthechallengesI face. Ilivealifeof#NoExcuses-Iusethishashtag liberally,signingmysocialmediapostswithit,andeven hadacustomphonecasemadewiththismottoonit!

Whatculturechangeyousuggestforcompaniesthat wanttoembracethefullpowerofAI?

Ibelievethatthereareanumberofkeyelementstocreating acultureandenvironmentthatwillbesuccessfulinboth adoptingandadaptingtoAIintheworkplace. Importantly, it’saboutcreatingaplacethatfostersagrowth-mindset withcontinuouslearningandfeedback–ofcreatinga visionandallowingtheteamtoworkinaveryagilewayto achievethedesiredoutcomes.Newkindsofskillsare requiredforthismoment,especiallyasemployeesare workingoutsideatraditionalofficeandincreasinglyapply digitaltoolsandemergingtechnologytohowtheywork.

Also,criticallyimportantiscreatinganopen,transparent andempatheticculturethatpromotesdifferingpointsof view,andpublicdissentasnecessary,however,allwitha

Be the type of leader who you needed when you were earlier in your career.

highdegreeofintegrityandethicallybasedanddata-driven decisionmaking.

Whatdoesittaketoattractandretaintechtalent?

Retainingtoptechtalent,andquitefrankly,retainingALL talentacrossanorganization,isaboutcreatingbotha positivecultureandahighlyengagingenvironmentthat offerscareerdevelopmentandadvancement.Forleading organizations,artificialintelligencewillincreasinglyplay animportantdata-drivenapproachtoalltheseareasof personalizedcareerandskills,compensationand performancemanagement,andcreatinganenvironmentof engagementandbelonging.

Thisapproachisverymulti-facetedandincludesstrong leadership–thoseoperatingwithtransparencyand authenticityandmodellingthevaluesalignedtothe businesstheyjoined. Itisalsoaboutindividual developmentopportunitieswithaparticularfocusonskill developmentand/orreskilling;thisisespeciallyimportant intechnologygiventherapidaccelerationofchangeand theshortenedshelf-lifeofskills.

Retentionisalsolinkedtotransparencyinperformance managementandpay;thatis–clarityinexpectationsand goalstomeasureperformanceanddoingsoacrossamultidimensionalsetofgoals,notasingularmeasureand ensuringthatpayislinkedtoperformanceandalsotiedinto thedemandfortheskillsthatonebringstoanddevelopsin theirrole.Oneofthemostcriticalareasisalsoaround creatingaplacewherepeoplefeelcomfortablebringing theirtrueandauthenticwholeselvestotheworkplace.

Whereareyoufocusingyourenergynow,andwheredo youhopetomakeanimpactnext?

Ihavebeenspendingmytimeandenergyveryfocusedon culture,talentstrategy,diversity,equityandinclusion,talent andskillsdevelopment,andtheenabledworkforceofthe future.MyroleatIBMisleadingourAmericasTalent& Transformationbusinessunitsupportingclients,sonotonly isthisaspacethatIampassionateabout,butIgettohelp companiesintheseareas.

Averyfocusedarea,bothwithinandoutsideofIBMhas beenmyworkonDE&Igiventheescalationinsocial unrestandtheneedforbetterculturesandoutcomesinthe workplaceandinourcommunities.Iwanttohavean impactandleavealegacyaroundmyworkincreating betterworkplacecultureandenvironmentstoliveand thrivein.

WAYNE

The 50 Most Influential Business Leaders in Tech 2021

WAYNE ZWIERS

A Technology Maverick Solving Complex Business Problems

dversity is inevitable but having resilience is the single most important factor that determines success”, believesWayneZwiers,theFounderof Basalt

AccordingtoWayne,leadersshouldbeauthentic,leadtheir businessdecisivelyandfairlyaswellashavehumilityfor everyonetheyencounter.Theyneedtounderstandthat everyindividualhasstrengthsandastorytoshare.Andby encouragingeachteammembertogrow,upskillandtake calculatedrisks,theycancultivateresilienceacrosstheir businesses.Waynehasinculcatedallthementionedtraits throughouthisprofessionaljourney.

Let’sfindoutmoreabouthisentrepreneurialrideinan interviewconductedbetweenWayneand Insights Success Belowarethehighlightsoftheinterview:

Kindlytakeusthroughyourjourneyonbecominga proficienttechbusinessleader.

ForseveralyearsIwantedtostartmyownbusiness,one thatwasalignedtomyvalues.Iwasindiscussionswith variouspotentialpartnersandfeltthatthetimingwasright

topursuemygoalofcreatingpurpose-ledsoftware solutionstoaddressareasofneedfromeducationtohealth, tofinance.WebeganBlackbeardin2016inJohannesburg, SouthAfricaand,afterwinningsomeincrediblecontracts andgrowingthebusiness,wedecidedtorebrandin2019to BasaltTechnologytocementandcelebrateourevolving business.Basaltisnowanaward-winningsoftware developmentcompanythatsolvescomplexbusiness problemsthroughtherapidimplementationofprofitable, technologysolutions.

Ihavewonseveralindustryaccolades,includingtheAfrica TechCEOoftheYearAwardin2019,joinedmany entrepreneursocietiesandevendevelopedanNPO,Tech ReliefwhichdistributestechdevicestoAfricanschool childrenthatareinneed.Istartedoutasanentrepreneurby walkingawayfromapathIdidn’twanttowardscreatinga lifethatwasharmoniousandvalue-based,so,inthat respect,Ifeelaccomplished. EverydayIgrowasaleader, inpartbecauseofmyincredibleteam,however,myjourney isstillunfoldingandtheadventureforBasaltisverymuch underway.

Have the freedom and autonomy to build and disrupt technology as quickly as possible in order to change markets & verticals for the greater good of humanity.

WayneZwiers, Founder, BasaltTechnology

Howdoyoukeepyourselfup-to-datewiththelatest technology?

Thefirststepinkeepinguptodateislearningtospeedread whichImanagedtomastermanyyearsago.Yourabilityto readfasterdetermineshowrapidlyyoucantakein informationandtherebybuildyourpersonaldatabaseand pointsofreference.Iusebothbooksandsocialchannelsfor learningandresearch.Irecentlylearnedhowtobuilda motorbikepiecebypieceonYouTube.Iloveresearching thelatesttechnologythroughsurveys,podcastsanddoing shortpersonaldevelopmentandskillscourses.

Whereareyoufocusingyourenergynow,andwheredo youhopetomakeanimpactnext?

Ibelievethatthereisamoralimperativeforbigbusinessto generatepositivechange.Thisthreadofpurposeruns throughoutBasaltasabusinessandisthereasonthatwe havesetupourNPO,TechReliefwhichispartiallyfunded byBasalt.AsatechbusinessthatbeganinAfrica,weare keenlyawarethateducationintechnologyandfacilitatedby technologyisanexitstrategytopovertythatweneedto support.TechReliefcollectsanddistributes‘old’donated technologicaldevicessuchastablets,iPads,andlaptopsto STEMlearners.

Whatculturechangeyousuggestforcompaniesthat wanttoembracethefullpowerofAI?

Whatroadblocksorchallengeswerefacedbyyouina corporatebusiness?Andhowdidyouovercomethem?

Thedifficultiesthatyoufacewithcorporatebusinessesare largelytodowithorganizationalstructureandduediligence constraints.Thingsmoveslowly,approvalsareslow, decisionsaredelayedandthereareconsequentlymany barrierstoagility.Iinventedourbusinessmodelbyturning thesechallengesontheirheadandintoopportunities.This sawourmodelincorporateremoteworkingwith internationalteams,agilityintermsofstructure,andthe necessitytomakefastdecisionsunhinderedbylegacy issues.

Howdoyoudiversifyyourorganization’sofferingsto enticethetargetaudience?

Ourplanningisverystrategic.Nobusinessandnobusiness modelcanlastforever.Industries,marketsandcustomers, areconstantlychanging.Abusinessneedstothereforebe verystrategicwithhowtheydisruptthemselves.We constantlylookatourcustomersandevaluatetheirneeds whichhelpsustostayaheadofthemarket.

Firstly,thereneedstobeamindsetshiftaroundwhatAIis andhowpowerfulitisgoingtobecome.Thereisno escapingit,soitwillbetheearlyadopterswhonaturally benefitmost.Secondly,allcompaniesneedtobe consideringhowtechnologistscanincorporateAIandmake theirproduct/serviceofferingsbetterforhumanityorthey riskbeingleftbehind.

Whatdoesittaketoattractandretaintechtalents?

Aworkenvironmentthatiscreative,admired,and experimentalhelpstoattracttoptechtalents.Creatingan environmentofconsistentinnovationwithadegreeof autonomyencouragesretention.AtBasalt,ourtechnologists workinsmallgroupsoffivetosevenpeople,wherebya leaderisallocatedwhohascertainKPIstoachieve.Our teamsthensplittheirtimebetweenclientsandtherestof theirtimeonthebusinessitself.Thelattercaninclude categoriessuchasmastery,incentives,business development,andinnovation.Essentially,employeesselect whattheywanttoworkon,whichnaturallyleadstohigher engagementandbetterresults.