Top 10 Pioneering CEOs to Follow in 2021 June2021

Editor’s Desk

EvolvingWith theTimes

Impactfulleadershipmeansleadingandservingwith

passion,deliveringthebest,andexceedingeveryone’s expectationintheorganizationatalllevels.Onthe levelofCEO,thedefinitionoftheleadershipkeepson changing.Forexample,theCOVID-19pandemicputCEOs ofeveryorganizationtothetest.Withtheirresilienceand abilitytosustainanyofsuchconditions,theystoodtalland lediningeniousways.

CEOshavealwaysprovedtheirpotentialbeyondcrisis. Therearemultipletraitssuchastheircourage,their passion,theirintensitythatdifferentiatesthemfromothers. Theothertraitsthatcountsareempathyandtheabilityto seetheworldthroughtheeyesofothers.Withtheir generosityandhumblebehaviorbysharingexperienceand knowledge,theyenabletheirteamtolearntherightlessons, whichisalsoequallyimportantpartofleadership.

Undoubtedly,CEOshavethestrongcommunicationskills, listeningskills,alongwiththeabilitytoreadthepeopleand adaptingdifferentmanagementstylesaccordingtothe situation.Theydon’tjustleadbythemselves;theyleadwith people.ThemostimportantjobofanyCEOisbuildinga teambyputtingtherightpeopleattherightplace.

Moreover,inanytransformationorgrowth,cultureisthe criticalelementtotheoverallsuccessofthatgrowth transformation.Cultureisthekeystrategyandhence, gettingtherightculturehasbecomesocritical.Ithas becomecriticalforCEOstobethepeoplefirstandlead fromthefront.And,inordertodoso,CEOswillhaveto workharderwiththefocusonservantleadershipmodel, withnotitles.

ForaCEO,therewillbemuchmorechallengesthatwillbe difficulttoovercomebuthavingtherightteam,approach andfocuswilldriveanycompany’ssuccess.Thus,spending timeonbuildingsuchacultureofpeopledevelopmentwith

therightprocessandtechnologywillmakeahuge impact.

Afterall,achievingexcellenceisgoodbutachieving perfectionalwaysisnotpossible.Asthetrendsin differentindustrieskeeponevolvingrapidly,CEOs alsowillneedtochangetheirapproach.Ultimately, focusshouldalwaysbeontheteamandtheclients, asthiscanheadthemtowardsachievinghuge success.

Withsuchunparalleledexpertise–InsightsSuccess presentsitsneweditionTop10PioneeringCEOstoFollowin2021 FeaturingatitscoverisChadHolmes–CEOof KivuConsulting.ChadstatesthatastheCEO,itis criticaltodevelopapeoplefirstcultureby developinghighperformingteams.Headdsthatfor anyorganizationtogrowitrequirestheretobeunity, trustandeveryonegoinginthesamedirectionafter thesametarget.

Delveintomoresuchinsightfulstoriesofpioneering CEOs.Whileflippingthroughthepages,makesure togaininsightsfromtheCXOstandpointsand articlesdraftedbyourin-houseeditorialteam.

Readon!

Chitalkar

sharad@insightssuccess.com

Sharad

CompanyName

AndyNemeth CEO

PatrickIndustries patrickind.com

ChadHolmes CEO KivuConsulting kivuconsulting.com

DevGarg ChiefStrategistOfficer

GaryBeasley CEO

JeffLoCastro CEO

EasyanalyticInc easyanalytic.com

Roofstock roofstock.com

NeenerAnalytics NeenerAnalytics.com

MarkCasale CEO

EssentGuaranty essent.us

RanRachlin CEO

RobRosenberger CEO

RonaldHajj CEO

Ubertesters ubertesters.com

Blackdragon blackdragon.io

SilexPro SilexPro.com

SumedhThakar CEO Qualys qualys.com

Brief

PatrickIndustries,Inc.wasfoundedin1959andisamajor manufactureranddistributorofcomponentandbuilding productsfortheRecreationalVehicle,Marine,and ManufacturedHousingindustries.

Kivuiswellknowninthecybersecurityindustryforourhigh leveloftechnicalexpertiseandlegallysound,practical businesssolutions.

Easyanalyticprovidesunmatchablecuttingedgetechnological solutionstoindustriesandsmallbusinesses,whilstcreating inventivesoftwareprogramsandalgorithmsthatare advantageoustoindividualsaswellascorporations.

Roofstockisbuildingtheworld'sleadingrealestateinvestment marketplace.

NeenerAnalyticsistheleaderincomputationalsocialscience andtheonlysocialmediaanalyticsthatdeliversspecific, individual,riskoutcomesina100%friction-lessenvironment.

Foundedin2008,EssentGuarantyis aprivatemortgage insurer,approvedbyFannieMaeandFreddieMacandlicensed nationwide.

Ubertestersisacrowd-based,completemobileapps/web testingsolutionprovider

BlackDragonisadecentralizedblockchain-nativefundraising groupwithdedicatedin-housemarketing,development,and researchteams.

SilexPro,isatechnologyinnovatorinthefieldofvisual communicationandgroupcollaboration.

Qualys,Inc.(NASDAQ:QLYS)isapioneerandleading providerofcloud-basedsecurityandcompliancesolutionswith over10,300customersinmorethan130countries,includinga majorityofeachoftheForbesGlobal100andFortune100.

FeaturedPerson

Chad Holmes CEO Kivu Consulng

Asorganizationswereforcedtomodernizeand transformtheirITenvironmentsatarapidpacedue tothepandemic,itgavetheiremployeesremote accesstocriticalinfrastructurefrompossibleunsecure environments.Ithasincreasedtheoverallthreatlandscape quickly,whichhasopeneduptheirenvironmentsformore threats,andransomwareattacks.Ransomwareisamalicioussoftware(malware)whichthreatenstoblockaccessto themostimportantinformation.Themostvitalinformation oforganizationcanbeinthreatduetosuchattacks.In futuretherecanbemorecompromisedenvironmentsand data-stealing.

Thisiswhereaneffectiveon-siteremediationassistance becomesacriticalnecessityofeveryorganization.This cyberincidentcanbepreventedfrombecomingabusiness disasterbyhavingtherightteamofprofessionals.By combininghighesttechnicalexpertisewithlegallysound, practicalbusinesssolutionsitispossibletoprotectthevital informationoforganizations.

ChadHolmesandKivuConsulting’steamhasunparalleledexpertiseincybercomplianceissues,organizational management,legalregulations,andincidentresponse. Kivu’spost-breachremediationserviceseamlessly integrateswithitsincidentresponseoperations,orthose providedbyathirdparty TheteamatKivuconsistsof technicalexpertsandexperiencedprojectmanagers,who ensureefficientcollaborationwithclientstaffandthirdpartyresources.Thecompanyhasoveradecadeof experiencedealingwiththousandsofincidentresponse engagements.Itworkswithorganizationsaroundtheworld tomitigatethebusinessinterruptionarisingfrom

ransomwareandothermalwareattacks.ThefocusofChad HolmesasKivu’sCEOistodriveinnovationandstrategic businessdevelopmenttoensurethebusinesscapitalizeson thedynamicshiftsinthecybersecurityindustry

ChadjoinedtheKivu’steamin2020withmorethan22 yearsofexperienceinthecybersecurityfieldacross multipleindustries.Duringthistime,hedevelopedandled largecyberprograms,transformationefforts,international teams,andservicelines.HispriorrolesincludeEVP,Chief ServicesandOperationsOfficeratOptiv,ManagingPartner forthecyberpracticeatEYandChiefTechnologyand IntelligenceOfficeratFireEye.

LayingStrongandMatureFoundation

Chadconsidersitisahugeblessingforhimforhavingthe greatopportunitytotakethehelmofafast-growing innovativecybersecurityfirminoneofthehottestmarkets inCybersecurity Asallcybersecuritystartupsareputina hardposition,Chadstatesthatthesecybersecuritystartups havetomaturequicklytokeepupwiththeneedsofavery fast-movingindustry Thelessmaturedcybersecurity startupsdirectlycausethemtostruggletokeepupwiththe growthdemandoftheindustry.

Chad’sjourneyhasbeenanamazingonesofaratKivu.In thefirstsixmonthsoftakingtheroleasCEO,heandhis teamhavebeenabletolaydownastrongandmature foundationfortheorganizationthatwillhelpthemtobe abletorespondfastertoanymarketconditionsthatare thrownontheirway.AccordingtoChad,incybersecurity,it isallaboutthevalueandbrand,andthus,relaunchofKivu Consultingtothemarkethasbeenahugefocusforthe company.Thecompanyalsohasbeenfocusedondriving operationalexcellenceandhiringhighlytalentedpeople. ChadstatesthatastheCEOofKivu,itiscriticaltodevelop apeoplefirstculturebydevelopinghighperformingteams. Headdsthatforanyorganizationtogrowitrequiresthere tobeunity,trustandeveryonegoinginthesamedirection afterthesametarget.

ProvidinganEnd-to-EndSolution

KivuConsultingisaglobalcybersecurityorganizationthat isthepremierproviderofRansomwareincidentresponse serviceswithafocusonprovidinganend-to-endsolution aroundabreachfromidentification,negotiation,post breachremediationandcontinuousprotectionandresponse monitoringservices.Thecompanyleveragesitscustom developedtechnologywithauniquedeploymentmodelto drivespeedandqualityinitsservices.Kivu’sincident responseservicehelpsorganizationsrespondtoand

eradicateattacksfastandeffectively.Kivuisfocusedon providingspeedandhigh-qualityservicesacrosstheentire lifecycleofabreach.Itprovides“Pre-breach”services focusedonimprovingacompanyoverallcybersecurity maturityposture.Theseservicesincludethreatassessments, tabletopexercises,vulnerabilitiesidentification, remediationservicesandmanymore.Ifanorganizationis evercompromised,itprovides“In-breach”servicestohelp organizationsnavigatethecomplexityofabreach,identify, andremediateathreatactor,ifrequirednegotiatewithsaid actor Theseservicesincludeforensicsservices,incident responseservices,intelligenceservicesandmanyothers.

Kivualsoprovides“Post-breach”services,theseservices willhelpanorganizationquicklyrecover,rebuild,andbuild resilienceintheirorganization.Theseservicesinclude rebuildinginfrastructure,servers,cloud,andoverall organizationalenvironments.Lately,itprovidescontinuous threatmonitoringandintelligenceservicestohelporganizationidentifyfasterandpreventanyfuturecompromises. Thesethreatidentificationandprotectionmonitoring servicesare24/7servicesthatareprovidedtoorganizations arounddarkwebmonitoring,advanceddetectionand hunting,threat,andvulnerabilityidentification.Anyof theseservicescanbeobtainedinretainers,consulting engagementsoras-a-serviceserviceofferings.Kivuis focusedonhelpingorganizationspreventcompromise, assistthemthroughacompromise,andpreventanyfuture compromises.

ProvidingUniqueValuetoCustomers

WhatmakesKivudifferentisthatitprovidesuniquevalue foritscustomerswithanend-to-endsolutionfromprebreach,in-breachtopostbreachservices,alongwithits combinationofgreattalentandglobalfootprint.Itcanhelp anorganizationthroughtheentirelifecycleofabreachby leveragingitsflexibleglobal24/7deliverymodeland uniquetechnology.

Withovertenyearsofincidentresponseexperience,cyber securityexcellenceandcustomerservicegohandinhandat Kivu.Kivu’srespondershaveinvestigatedincidentsat hospitals,universities,financialinstitutions,andpublicly tradedcompaniesglobally,andarenotonlyhighlycertified consultantsbutalsoeffectivecommunicators.Kivualsohas implementedstreamlinedprocesses,uniquedeliveryteam methodologyandautomatedtechnologytodriveahighqualityservicesandcustomerexperience.Thecombination ofdedicateddeliveryteams,uniqueapproachesandfocused technologymakesKivuthetopendtoendbreachresponse companyintheworld.

DeliveringPracticalBusinessSolutions

KivuConsultingiswellknowninthecybersecurity industryforitshighleveloftechnicalexpertiseandlegally sound,practicalbusinesssolutions.Itfusesexpertiseand advancedtechnologytodelivercybersecuritysolutions worldwide.Since2009,Kivuhasprovidedincident response,riskmanagement,andforensicsinvestigation servicestoclientsaroundtheglobe.With24x7x365SOC operationsintheU.S.andEurope,itoffersround-the-clock monitoringandresponseservicestosupportprevention effortsoforganizations.KivuConsulting’sgoalisto provideexperienced,unbiasedadvicesothatorganizations canmoreeffectivelypreventandmitigatecyberincidents.

QuickAnalysis,ResponseandRecovery

KivuConsulting’suniquemethodologyemployspatented technologythatrapidlycollectsdataremotely,analyzesitat acentrallysecurelocation,andallowsKivuanalyststo quicklymovefromanalysistoresponseandrecovery.

PreservingDigitalInformationforSuccessfulLegal Outcome

KivuConsulting’sdigitalforensicsprofessionalsareexperts inimagingandensuringtheproperpreservationofdigital evidenceinallofitsformats.Digitalevidenceisoften criticalinprovingemployeemisconduct,intellectual propertytheft,orthewhereaboutsofasuspectatacertain

‘‘

pointintime.Kivuiscommittedtofollowingindustrybest practiceandusingthemosteffectiveforensicstoolsto securedatawithminimalinterruptiontobusinessoperationsofclients.Italsoprovidesforensicsresearchand expertiseduringthelitigationprocess.

LeadingfromFront Chadhasalwayssaidthatinanytransformationorgrowth, cultureiscriticalelementtotheoverallsuccessofthat growthtransformation.Hestatesthatculturewillkillany strategynomatterhowgooditis,andthus,gettingthe culturerightissocritical.Hesaysthatduringthisprocess, organizationshavetosimplifytheiroperations,focustheir peopleonwheretheirpassionslie,anditwilldrive successfulgrowth.Chadsaysthatwithallleadershipitis criticalforleaderstobepeoplefirst,engagedandleadfrom thefront.Hebelievesthatleaderswillhavetoworkharder thananyemployeetheyhave.Therefore,Chadfocusesona servantleadershipmodel,whereonehasnotitles,andone willdoanyjobinthecompanyifrequired.

Chadsaysthatastheleaderoftheorganization,onehasto remainfocusedandwhathehaslearnedisitiseasytoget lostinthedailynoiseandlosefocusonthatnorthstar. Therefore,Chadadvisestomakesuretomanageone’stime wiselyandremoveanyslackfromone’sdaywhereonecan maintainthatdedicatedfocus.Chadalsoadvisestoalways continuetolearnandadjustone’sbusinessmodelaspeople andindustrychangedailyanditwillrequireforleadersalso tochange.

Talkingabouttheimportanceofcultureandpeople development,Chadsays, “As a business leader, you will be faced with challenges that seem too be too difficult to overcome but by having the right team, approach and focus you will be able to win. The main thing, that I have learned

is focusing on your people’s success will drive your company’s success. So, spend time on your culture and people development up front, helping them reduce their daily slack through people, process and technology will make a huge impact.”

HavingDeterminationandInnovativeMindset

Chadstatesthatentrepreneurshavetohavedetermination, patience,andaninnovativemindsettoseearoundthe cornersastheyarebuildingtheirorganizationalstrategy andculture.Headdsthathavingexperiencefrommany differentrolesduringtheircareerwillhelpanyentrepreneur tobesuccessinanyindustry.Hementionsthat entrepreneursshouldnotfocusontheircompetitionbut focusonthetrustoftheirpeopleandthetrustoftheir clientsbydrivingthehighestqualityoutcomeandtheywill wininanybusiness.So,hesaysthatentrepreneursare requiredtohavehumilityandaloveforpeopleassuccessis definedbythesuccessofone’speopleandclientsandifone focusesonthatone’scompanywillbesuccessful.

BeingPatientandFlexible

Inhisadvicetoemergingleadersaspiringtoventureinto cybersecurityindustry,Chadsays, “Be focused on the value that you are providing not your competition. Always try to provide excellence in everything you do but know perfection is not allows possible. Just be patient, and flexible, as the cybersecurity industry changes fast so you will need to be able to change as fast. Make sure to focus on your people and your client success and maintain the laser focused on your mission. This will help any entrepreneur to have huge success.”

DrivingOperationalExcellenceforClients

AsKivuConsultingishyperfocusedondrivingexcellence foritsclientsaroundtheworld,itplanstocontinuetogrow rapidlyintomorecountries,innovateitsserviceofferings, moveintonewindustries,builduniqueintakeanddelivery modelsthatwillcontinuetodrivespeedandpartnership withitscustomers.Kivuwillcontinuetobeflexibleasits industrymovesfastsoithastoalsomovefast.Staying focusedonitscorevaluesandstrengthswillserveitsclients anditspeoplethebest.Itwantstocontinuetoserveclients wherevertheyare.KivuConsultingwillcontinuetodrive deepermorecomplexofferingsthathelpsitsclientsstay aheadofthethreatfactorsandprovideservicesthroughout theentirebreachlifecycle.

Kivu’s dynamic team is composed of experts in the areas of cyber security technology, law and business management.

Dev Garg

Inspiring the Greatness in Others

Onecanneverreallymakesomeonedosomething

greatbyforce.Leadersneedtobegenuinely exemplarytoinspirethegreatnessinothers. Greatnesscomesfromwithin,anditistheleader’sroleto insightthatgreatnessintheiremployees,partners, associates,andeveryonearoundthem.DevGarglivesby thisphilosophy.Hisroleistohelpthoseworkingwithhim findthatgreatnesswithinthem.Hisexpertiseisinproduct andgrowthstrategy,executionandleadershipworkingwith crossfunctionalteamsspreadglobally

DevistheCEOofEasyanalytic.Easyanalyticprovides unmatchablecuttingedgetechnologicalsolutionsto industriesandsmallbusinesses,whilstcreatinginventive softwareprogramsandalgorithmsthatareadvantageousto individualsaswellascorporations.

InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,DevGargshareshis journeyandabouthiscontributionthroughtheEasyanalytic Inc.

BelowarethehighlightsoftheinterviewbetweenDevGarg andInsightsSuccess:

Takeourreadersthroughyourjourneybeingatthehelp ofEasyanalytic.

MyjourneyatEasyanalyticstartedin2014whenIwasstill aseniorattheUniversityofMinnesota.Itookfew universitytechprojectswhichalthoughdidn’tpayenough, gavemeadirectiontowhowearetoday.Rightafter graduationinlate2014,Imovedfull-timeintoEAwitha visionofauniqueecosystemwherestart-upscancometo

build,fund,launch,andgrowtheirideas.Overtheyears, werelentlesslyworkedwithstartupsrangingfrom bootstrappedtocompanieswith100M+invaluationwhere webringatailoredsolutionandhands-onexpertisetofill theirspecificgapsintheirjourney

Whatwerethechallengesyoucameacrossinyour careerasaCEOatEasyanalyticandpriorworkingat othercompanies?

Thejourneyofstartingacompanyisnevereasy.Fromday 0,whenyouaregettingreadytochangetheworldwith yourbrilliantideatothedayyourideagetsacquiredorgets folded(whichhappensmoreoftenthanwethink),youface numerouschallengesasaleader.Theoneswhotacklethese challengesstrategicallyandpersistentlyaretheoneswho haveahigherchanceofsurvival.Mostofthenoticeable challengesIfacedovertheyearsarenodifferentfromwhat manyotherstartupleadersface.

Oneofthechallengeswefacedearlyduringthegrowth phasewasmanagingcashflowtofeedthegrowing machine.MyvisionforEasyanalyticwasnottobuildjusta techproductfirmbutacompletesolutionforstartups.This visionrequiredbringingontalentacrosstechnology, business,finance,legal,product,marketing,PR,andmuch more.Myjobherewastobegoodatbasicmath,revenuein vsexpensesoutwhilestayingtruetothevision.

Takingintoconsideration,thecurrentpandemic,andits impactonglobaleconomies,howareyoudrivingthe companytosustainoperationsandensuringsafetyof yourassociatesandemployeesatthesametime?

DevGarg, CEO, EasyanalyticInc.

Wellbeforethepandemic,ourteamswerealreadyworking virtuallyandsoalthoughthepandemicdidaffectusinmore thanoneway,ourworkingstylewasn'ttooaffected.

Fromthegrowthperspective,wedidexperiencea slowdownin2020wheremanyofourmajorclient contractswentonholdduetotheuncertaintyinthemarket. However,withaquickanalysisofthechangingmarket needs,westartedsupplyingmuch-neededhealthcare suppliestogovernments,hospitals,schools,andfamilies throughournetworkofstartupsandclients.Thisallowedus tonotonlygivebacktothecommunitybutalsohelpedus sustainthedownfallinthemarketbyaddinganewrevenue streamtothebusiness.

Whatmakesyourorganization’seffectiveConsultation andAdvicesapreferredchoiceforyourclientsoverthe competition?

Weareastartup,builtforstartups.Wedon’tjustbuilda techproductbutseeourclientsthroughtheentirejourney ofproductdevelopment,validation,investment,launch, pivot,growth,andprofitability.Inus,startupsdon’tseea consultantbutapartnerwhoisinvestedtogetthemtothe finishline.

WhenIstartedmyfirstproduct,IhadnoideawhatIwas gettinginto.Ijusthadanideaandhadalotofpassionto buildit.Withverylittleknowledgeofproductdevelopment, intricaciesofvalidation,pivoting,legal,marketing,pricing, funding,etc.Imadenumerousmistakesandwasted countlesshours.AtEA,westrivehardtomakesurenoneof ourstartupshavetogothroughthesametroubles.

Accordingtoyou,whatessentialtraitsshouldaCEO possesstothriveinthepresent-daycutthroatbusiness ecosystem?

BuildRelationships.BePersistent.BeGoodinSales.

Inwhatwayshaveyouorthecompanycontributedto thecommunity?Ifgivenachance,whatchangewould youbringinSoft-Techindustrywithinnovativegrowth strategiesdeliveringreal-worldresults?

Duringthepandemic,weasacompanyhavedonated masks,faceshields,andotherPPEitemstokeepour communitiessafe.Wealsohaveorganizedonlinetraining forunderprivilegedkidstogettheirhands-onsoftware codingessentialswhichisoneofthefastestgrowingand oneofthehighestpayingjobsinthemarket.Ibelieve educationnotonlyimprovesthelifeofthestudentbut elevatestheentirecommunityinarippleeffect.Overthe nextfewyears,Iplantobringmorehigh-techeducationto kidsandhaveplansforsocialprojectsinIndia.

Whatwouldbeyouradvicetotheupcomingstartup Industry?

Forstart-ups–Solveamajorpainproblemextremelywell, watchyourcashflowlikeahawkandknowyourcustomers likethebackofyourhand.

Forstart-upIndustry–Promotemoresocialstart-upsby injectingmorefundingintothem.Theworldneedssocial entrepreneursmorethaneverbefore,let’sfindinnovative waystobuildsustainablesocialenterprisesgloballyinstead ofanothervideoapp.

OptimisticMindset

The WEALTH of LEADERSHIP

Haveyoueverwonderedwhatfeelingitmustbeof achievingyourdream?Youhaveworkeddayin anddayoutforit,alltheearlymorningsandlate nights,andallthesacrificescometoadestinationcalled dreams.Sometimesdoingrightthingsrequiresbeingsteady andgivingupthethingswewantthemost,evenour dreams.

Yes,that’sright,ifonlywewonderandlookbacktothe journeyofourlifeitshouldbemuchmoresatisfyingrather thantheachievementsandrewards,that’sthemindset businessleadersneedtofollow.Thereareveryfewleaders outtherewiththiswisemindset.Becausethereisa differencebetweenaimanddesire.Theaimisthedifference youwanttoseeinyourlife,apurpose.Butdesire,itislike apoisonwhichcantakeyouoverandwillchangeyouinto apersonsomethingyouwerenotwhenyoustarted.

Thepowerofleadershipfeelslikesomethingyouhave neverexperiencedbefore,asthereismuchmoredifference betweenauthorityandleadership.Allofthiswouldn’thave beenpossiblewithouttheleader’spositivemindset,because deepdownweknowourselvesthananyoneelse.Whatever thethingsarethatleadersarepartofsuchasbusiness meetings,conferences,agreements,ordeals,theyhaveto keeptheirmindsetindependentfromanybarriers. So,whatdowemeanbykeepingtherightmindset?Let’s deepdive!

TheFeelingofDissatisfaction

Thisistheprimereasonwhybusinessleadersarenotsteady intheirleadership.Leaderswhohaveasatisfyinglife, especiallyinregardswiththeirprofessionallife,tendtobe relaxedandcalmintheirdecisions.Ratherthana dissatisfiedleaderwhowillalwayshavesomethinggoingat thebackofhismind.Thismindsetaffectstheirdecision-

makingandoverallleadershipintheorganization. Well,itisalwaysbettertoimproveourselvesandreview thethingsthatremainleftout.Butthisshouldnotbeseen asafailure,asthiscreatesanadditionalburdenforthe leader.Lookingatthecurrentsituation,weseethe problemsgoingoutduetotheglobalpandemic.Ifleaders keeptheperspectiveofhope,belief,andpositivity,itwill reflectintotheirleadership.That’sthemindsetoneneedsto carryspeciallyintheseturbulenttimes.

Hope

Themostbeautifulandpositiveword.Astheysayhopefor thebest–thisquotefitssomuchintoday’shavocof pandemic.Ifthebestisyettocome,thepresentwillblend init,andthepresenttimesdemandpositivityfromthe leaders.That’sexactlythemindsetneededtobeencouraged asweallaredealingwithtoughtimeshere.Itbecomesthe responsibilityofaleadertomaintainapositiveandhealthy environmentbystayingpositive.

Collaboration

Appreciatingandrecognizingthequalitiesofothersisa signofahealthymind.Businessleadersneedtocollabwith freshandadvancedideasandbusiness.Growthisonly possibleifanyleaderleadsalongwithothers.Thejourney becomesmuchmorefruitfulifleaderskeepthismindset.It istheteam,thepeople,becauseofwhichhe/shehas becomewhathe/sheistoday.So,mergingandcollaborating withbrightmindsisthefuture.

Allinall,thewordmindsetcomesagainandagain–that's theimportanceitcarrieswhenyouarealeader.Ifonly leaderscareabouttheirsuccessfulprofessionallife,they wouldneedtocareabouttheirmindset.Theaimshould alwaysbebetterandimprovingourself,butitshouldn’t comeattheharmofalltheabovepointsmentioned.

Jeff LoCastro, Founder and CEO Neener Analycs

Top 10 Pioneering CEOs to Follow

Jeff LoCastro

AnEpitomeofInnovativeLeadership

AstheCEOofNeenerAnalytics,it’saraceeveryday

for Jeff LoCastro Jeff believes that great CEO’s havetheabilitytoconstantlyswitchgearsandmove seamlesslyfromonedisciplinetotheother Andinhiscareer, based on his ability to extract unique insights from social media, Jeff pioneered the first ever effective CPA(cost-peraction) model which became the basis of all future social analyticsmodels,aswellasthefoundationforallsocialmedia monetization.

InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,Jeffshedssomelighton howNeenerAnalyticsisfundamentallyalteringtheanalytics paradigmforever

Belowarethehighlightsoftheinterview: Describeyourcompanyanditsproductswhichaddressall theneedsofyourcustomers.

We’vecomeupwithasolutionfor1-clickAI-basedfinancial riskdecisioningtechnologyusingHumanData;aregulatory compliant AI-based financial risk decisioning technology usingsocialmediaoranymediausedsociallytohelplenders, insurance companies, and all risk-based businesses better decision and understand specific, individual, risk outcomes forthin-file,no-fileandcredit-challengedconsumers.

In addition, we are building a Delivery Platform around our Decisioning Platform core. The Platform will engage the potential borrower at multiple points of contact including POS using Web, Postal, Email, Chat, QR, Mobile, App, or Text/SMS and include all the KYC including facial recognition,incomeverification,andemploymentvalidation.

Whatmakesyourorganizationapreferredchoiceofyour clientsoverthecompetition?

There was always a lot of talk about “Big Data.” And everybody cheered it. But big data is not a new concept. It’s beenaroundforahundredyearsandit’sprettybasicstuff.But mostpeopledon’treallyknowwhatitis.Essentially,bigdata

are aggregations or bins of motivations, behaviors, or affinities And everyone you think that exhibits those motivations, behaviors, or affinities get tossed into that bin. But what does it mean? Well, you’re not really sure so you need more aggregations and bins to toss people into. Basically,bigdataisthepracticeof,“Idon’tknowyou,butI know people like you.” What a horrible way to make a decisionorformanopinionaboutsomeone!

Infairness,bigdataisaperfectlyacceptablewaytomake,for example, marketing decisions. But it is a terrible way to understand authentic outcomes, especially financial risk outcomes.Bigdatabyitsverynaturecreatesdisparateimpact. Therehadtobeabetterway.

Before big data models, how did people make (accurate) decisionsaboutotherindividualhumanbeings?Howdidmy grandfather get his first home loan back in 1940? He just walked into the bank, said he wanted a home loan, and the bankersaid,“Yes.Iknowyou.”Thekeywordsare:I. Know You.Buthowdidheknow?Thebankerdidn’thavealifetime record of all my grandfather’s transactions. And he didn’t have a collection of his complete payment history. But he KNEW my grandfather would pay him back. That banker knewthisbasedontheconversationsandcommunicationshe had with him over time. He knew this by having listened to how my grandfather talked about the things in his life: his words and his communications. Exactly what human beings dowithotherhumanbeings.

This is the innovation, except not using big data.This is not sentiment analysis or Likes & Friends or Key words or phrases. WehavecrackedthecodeonSmallData.AndSmall Data=Iknowyou.

Whatisyourideaofimpactfulleadership?Whatstyleof leadership do you personally prefer and have implementedatNeenerAnalytics?

Leadersdon’tleadbythemselves. Leadersleadpeople.So,I think the most important job of any leader, any CEO, is

building that team to lead; the #1 priority is putting great people in the right place to succeed. Great leaders attract talentedpeopleandputtheminapositiontowin.

Idon’tliketoputtoomanyboundariesonpeopleandwhatwe do.Peopleshouldnotbeafraidtomakemistakes.

Hireonlypeoplethathavesharedvalues.I’dratherhavethe second-bestplayerwhosharesourvaluesthanthebestplayer whodoesn’t.

Give people freedom to make mistakes. Encourage failure (so-to-speak). When people aren’t afraid to fail, they try all kindsofcrazythings.

According to you, what essential traits should an entrepreneur possess to thrive in the present-day cutthroatbusinessecosystem?

Dreamer

Successful entrepreneurs sometimes have their head in the clouds.Atleastthat’sthewayitlookstothoseontheoutside lookinginasthedreameriseasilymisunderstoodassomeone not connected to “reality.” But they are. Just not the same reality as non-entrepreneurs; the entrepreneur is a professionalDreamer

Do-er

JustasasuccessfulentrepreneurisaDreamer,adreamerisa Do-er. Successful entrepreneurs are relentless Do-ers. And theywilldoanythingforthedreambecausethedreamandits manifestationisone-and-the-same.

Worker

Ok,sonowyou’vefoundedacompany.Areyouwillingtodo all the little things regardless of job description? My people haveheardmesayforyears:Ifthefloorisdirty(literallyand figuratively) and everyone is busy, grab a broom and start sweeping.

See-er

Asuccessfulentrepreneurmustbeavisionaryandavisionary is someone who see’s what no one else seems to see Sometimesabitofasoothsayer,really

Believer

It’sonethingtothinkyourideaisreallycool.It’sanothertobe passionate.It’salsoanotherthingaltogethertobeaBeliever. Let me tell you: Passion is not enough A successful entrepreneur has what I call ‘Atomic Passion’; they are a believer who feels their idea, their company, their personal missiononalmostacellularlevel.

Builder

Successful entrepreneur’s love building things. In fact, they getarushfromit.TheSee-erneedstoexperiencetheirvision in reality It’s this builder quality that I have come to call a “driver”qualityasitisthisappetiteforbuildingthatpropels theentrepreneur

Solver

IfnottheDreamandtheneedtoBuild,thenwhatisthecentral element that lies that the core of every successful entrepreneur? It’s what I call a “core driver”: the incessant preoccupationwithtryingtosolveproblems.

What have you envisioned foryourcompany’s future, in terms of expansion, introduction of new services, and talentacquisition?

We are really pioneering the idea that the consumer is their owndata.Andtheconsumerastheirownsourceofdataisthe future of all consumer engagement. We are currently in 11 countries and I see us owning specific market regions in the next 10 years. We’ve already built out 2 product lines, each delivering5decisioningproducts.Wehaveanotherlineslated for2021andareontrackforanewlineeachofthenextcouple yearswhilecontinuingtoexpandourdecisioningcapabilities. We’vebudgetedforglobalofficestoconnectbanks,lenders, insurancecompanies,realestatecompaniesandotherswith4billioncurrentlyinvisibleconsumersglobally

Ran Rachlin, Co-Founder and CEO, Ubertesters

Ran Rachlin

CEOsoftheorganizationsshouldhavethe

competencethatdrivesefficiencyandshouldhave softskillsthatleadstobuildingsustainable connectionswithpeople.Competencehasmoretodowith assessingopportunities,takingcalculatedriskswithfull confidenceandcourage.Greatleadersshouldalsotakecare oftheirallresourcesespeciallyemployeeswiththeirsoft skills.RanRachlinisonesuchCEOwhoconsidersitis essentialforaCEOsoftheorganizationstohavethe balanceofbothcompetenceandsoftskills.HeistheCoFounderandCEOofUbertesters.Ubertestersisacrowdbased,completemobileapps/webtestingsolutionprovider. InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,RanRachlinshares hisjourneyandabouthiscontributionthroughUbertesters.

BelowarethehighlightsoftheinterviewbetweenRan RachlinandInsightsSuccess:

Takeourreadersthroughyourjourneybeingatthehelp of Ubertesters Inc.

Fromaveryyoungage,Itrainedmyselftobecomean effectiveleaderwithaglobalview.Myfirstjobwassales positioninaHi-TechIsraelicompanythatsoldproducts globally.Mygoalwastogaincross-culturalexperience. Then,ImovedtotheUSAsoIcanliveandstudy(Ididmy MBAintheUSA)inthe'center'ofwherethingsactually happen.Iadvancedinroles,holdingseveralhigh-profile managementpositions,doingbusinessinall6continents anddifferentindustries,andwithseverallargecompanies.I bringtoUbertestersthismassiveglobalexperience, managing,andleadingcompaniesfrominceptionto

significantsales,aswellasleadingduringtimesof prosperityorglobalcrisis.

Whatwerethechallengesyoucameacrossinyour careerasaCEOatUbertestersandpriorworkingat othercompanies?

Ingeneral,asCEOofseveralorganizations,Icansaythat therearethreemajorchallenges.Thechallengesare: People,communications,andalignment.Peoplearethe mostimportantpartofanyorganization;thus,thechallenge istohireandmaintaingreatemployeesthatarecommitted, engaged,andaccountable.Communicatingtheright messageinternallytoencouragecollaboration(especially duringtheCOVID-19remoteworkculture).Lastly,itis aboutaligningbusinessunitsandpeopletomakesurethey areallonthesamepage(andremainthere).

"Ubertesters help its clients sleep better knowing they can launch their digital product with confidence, convinced it was well tested by real users, in their actual target market and it's bug-free."

Whatisyourideaofimpactfulleadership?Whatstyleof leadershipdoyoupersonallypreferandhave implementedat Ubertesters?

Manycallmyleadershipstylethe"transformationalstyle" spicedwiththeCoachingleadershipstyle.Iwishto transform(improve)thecompanyandIdosoby empoweringtheteammembersinordertoupgradethe companyconventions.Thisallowsmetofocusonthe"big picture"whileempoweringtheemployeestotakefull responsibilityandaccountabilityfortheirwork.Thisstyle keepsmepersonallyconnectedwiththeteammembers,it increasesmoraleandemployeeretention.

Whatmakesyourorganization'seffectiveConsultation andAdvicesapreferredchoiceforyourclientsoverthe competition?

Ubertestersistheonlycompanytoofferacomplete,holistic QAsolutiontocustomers.Whilethecompetitioneither offersCrowdtestingonly,orSaaSproduct,oroffshoreQA resources,we,atUbertesters,offertheentirepackageofall servicesunder"one-roof"andwithasingleaccount managerthatisfamiliarwiththecustomer'sneeds.

Thesecond,andmostimportantfactor,isourDNAof superiorcustomerserviceandsupport.Werealizedinthe earlystagesthatthemostimportantpartoftheserviceisthe projectmanagerthatisassignedtomanagethecustomer's testingcycles.Thus,ourprojectmanager'sgoalistoexceed customer'sexpectations.Theygettoknowtheclient,help theclientwiththetestdocumentation,andrespondas quicklyaspossible.

Lastly,whilethecompetitiononlystickstohigh-cost retainerbusinessmodels,wehaveamoreflexiblebusiness modelandmoreaffordabletoallowmediumcompaniesand startuptofindtheirbesttestingpackage.

Accordingtoyou,whatessentialtraitsshouldaCEO possesstothriveinthepresent-daycutthroatbusiness ecosystem?

TherearetwomainlevelsfortheCEOtohandle.Internal andexternal.Externally,theCEOmusthavetheabilityto takecalculatedrisks.Toseeanopportunity,analyzethe risk/reward,andhavefullconfidenceintakingtherisk.This istheonlywaytogrow.Internally,theCEOmusttakecare oftheemployees.So,TheCEOshouldhavestrong communicationskills,beabletobuildagoodrelationship, havegoodlisteningskills,andhavetheabilitytoread peopleandadaptmanagementstylesaccordingly

Inwhatwayshaveyouorthecompanycontributedto thecommunity?Ifgivenachance,whatchangewould youbringinTechnologyindustrywithinnovative growthstrategiesdeliveringreal-worldresults?

IstronglybelieveinCorporateSocialResponsibility(CSR) andthroughthatwecontributetothecommunity.OurCSR activitiesaredividedbetweenseveralaspectssuchas Community-relatedactivities(wesupportandsponsorlocal communityQAeventsormobileevents,andwetryto choosesuppliersthataresociallyresponsible),or environmentalrelatedpractices(followingfriendly environmentalpracticessuchasrecycling,"greenthinking" printingandreducepaperwaste,allowemployee telecommuting,useLEDLightbulbs,etc.).

Lastly,wesupportandsponsorthelocalITSoccerLeague inourUkraineoffices.

Whatwouldbeyouradvicetotheupcomingstartup Industry?

Myadviceisfortheaspiringentrepreneur Themost importantpieceofadviceis 'Take Care of Your Team' Trust yourteamandletthemshinebutalsobepreparedtoaccept responsibilitywhenthingsdon'tgoasplanned.Helpyour employeesadvancetheircareersandalwaysrespectthem. Maintainthe'personaltouch'andcommunicateclearlyand oftentoyourteam.Second–Istronglybelievethatwe mustcreate"good"forothers.Thisistheonlywayfor success–creatingaproduct/servicethatcantrulybenefit others.Thisistheonlywaytoimproveyourcommunity andtomakeaprofitasaresult.

Gina Rivera

A Profound Take on Beauty Industry

Myfamilyhasbeeninthebeautyindustrysince 1929.Igrewupsweepinghairoffofthefloors ofmyparent'ssalon.Ialwayslovedtheartistry ofthebusinessaswellastheprocessinvolvedwithmaking peoplefeelandlookbetter.Moveforward40yearsandI amthefounderofoneofthemostsuccessfulsuiteconcepts intheindustry,PhenixSalonSuites.

Thebeautybusinessisafastpacedandrapidlymoving industry.Thereisalwayssomethingnewcomingdownthe pipelineandifyouarenotinfrontofit,you'rebehindit. WhenIstartedPhenixSalonSuitesIwaslookingtoserve LifestyleProfessionalsintheirpursuittobecomesole beautyproprietors.Irealizedthatmostbeautyandwellness professionalspartiallyenteredthebusinessbecausethey wantedtoworkforthemselves.Ialsounderstoodthat undertakingopeningamulti-chairormulti-stationsalon requiredfinancialresourcesthatmanypeoplesimplydidn't have.

ThiswasaninsightthatIwasluckyenoughtounderstand becauseIhadworkedbehindthechairformanyyearsandI hadspentmylifegrowingupintheindustry.Ibelievethis isstillatrendthatweareseeing.Irecallwhenthesuite conceptwastheelephantintheroom.Meaning,wewere beginningtohaveanimpactonthetraditionalsalonmodel butwehadnotyetemergedasaplayerintheindustry

Today,intheUnitedStates,thesuiteconcepthastakenoff likewild-firewithmultiplesalonsuiteconceptsspanning acrossthecountry.Iamcertainthisisatrendthatwewill continuetosee.WiththeemergenceoftheCorona-19 pandemic,theneedforsocialdistancingandadditional hygienepracticeshasbecomeveryimportant.Thesuite conceptisaperfectsolutiontothisdilemmaforthebeauty andlifestyleprofessional.

Asasuiteowner,aprofessionalservicesoneclientatatime intheirsuite.Itemssuchascommonwaitingareas,shared washbowlsandequipmentthatisusedbymultipleparties areeliminated.Inaddition,theprofessionalmaycustomize

theirspacetotheirlikingwiththeirowndécor.Theymay settheirownhours,establishtheirownprices,anduse productsoftheirchoice.Eachlocationofferson-site laundryandrestroomfacilitiesand,atthePhenixlocations, areceptionistisavailabletogreetanddirectclientswhen theyenterthestore.And,allofthisisaffordableatthe fractionofthecostofbuildingoutafullscalesalon.

Wearealsowitnessingtrendswithinvestorsthatare seekingoutafranchiseinvestment.Thesalonsuiteconcept isamuchmorehandsoffmodelcomparedtomanyother franchiseopportunitiessuchasfastfood.Oncealocationis builtoutandsuitesareleased,afranchiseeisactually encouragedtostepbackandallowtheprofessionalsto operatetheirownbusinesses.Unlikemanymodels,the requirementofbeingonlocationdailyisfarreduced. Alongwiththisbenefit,themodeldoesn'trequirethe franchiseetopurchaseanabundanceofproductsthatthey arecontinuouslyrequiredtouseinordertooperate.The

individualsalonprofessionalspurchasetheirownproducts andequipmentfordailyusewhichfarreducesthe investmentrequiredomaintainthesuitemodelonan ongoingbasis.Asthesuiteconceptcontinuestobe investigatedbyinterestedparties,it'scertainthatitwillbea popularoptionformany

Ialsobelievewecananticipateseeingthesuiteconcept experienceinternationalexpansioninthenext12-24 months.PhenixSalonSuiteshasjustextendedourfootprint toincludetheUnitedKingdom(UK),withourfirststore currentlyunderconstructioninManchesterandseveral othersintheplanningstages.Asofnowweunderstandthat therewillbeaperiodofeducatingprofessionalsonthe concept,however,Ibelievewithcertaintythatthesuite conceptwillbeequallyembracedinthe UK Wealsohave avarietyofotherinternationalmarketsunderwaywhichwe expecttobeverysuccessful.

Asweprogress,technologyhasalsobecomemoreand moresignificantintheindustry Thecellphonehasbrought beautyintoaworldwheresalonandlifestyleprofessionals cannowmanagetheirbusinessesfromtheeaseoftheir phone.And,it'sclearlynotablethathardbackappointment booksofthepastareheadedfortheshelf.Professionalsare seekinginteractivesolutionswhichallowthemto communicateeasilywiththeirclients.Theyareseeking simpletouchbookingandschedulingfeaturesthatallow consumerstoscheduletheirownappointments.Theywant tobeabletoorderproductswithapushofabuttonand emailreceiptsoutwithoutbeingburdenedwithpaper

Tomeetthisneed,lastyearmycompanydevelopeda businessappforthebeautyandlifestyleprofessionalcalled Gina'sPlatform.Theplatformis100%freetoanybeautyor lifestyleprofessionalintheindustryandithasa comprehensivebookingandschedulingsystemaswellasa POS (pointofsale)systemwithsomeofthelowestratesin theindustry.Inaddition,ithasoptionsforfollowing trendingbeautynews,accessingonlineeducationand purchasingproductaswellasextensiveclient communicationfeatures.Theappevenhasfinancial reportingfeaturesforendoftheyeartaxtime.

Asmentionedpreviously,thebeautyindustryisawelloiled,fastmoving,machine.It'salwaysimportanttobe lookingaheadandleadingthepackifpossible.

AbouttheAuthor

GinaRiveraisawell-knowniconintheworldofbeauty. Riveraskyrocketedtosuccesswhenthecompanyshe founded,PhenixSalonSuites,becamethefastestgrowing salonsuitecompanyinthebeautyindustryandtheonlyone toeverbenamedtoEntrepreneurMagazine'sTop500 FranchiseList.Thecompany,whohasnowbeennamed fivetimestothelistrecentlywasrankedintheTop25. Riveraistheonlyfemalethatservesasacompany Presidentinthiselitegroup.Hercompanycontinuesto flourishwithover300locationsnationwideandplansfor internationalexpansion.

Rob Rosenberger CEO/Co-Founder Blackdragon

Itisrarethesedaystocomeacrossanindividualwith rock-solidworkethicsandcorevalues.Withthe uniqueabilitytofocusonthetreeswithoutlosingsight oftheforest,RobRosenbergerisonesuchforwardthinkingleader.RobistheCEOandCo-Founderof Blackdragon-amodelthatischangingthefaceoftheway inwhichbusinessesgoafterandwinlargepublicsector contracts.

Robhasbeenanentrepreneursincehischildhood.He startedhisfirstbusinessatageof9andmanaged42 employeesbyage16.Itishisentrepreneurialspiritthat keepshimgoing.Whennavigatingacomplexbusiness, Robsurveysthebusinessconditionsanddevelopsaplanto achievethegoal.Hebringstherightpeopleinattheright timetoprovideexceptionalsolutionstothecustomers.He isself-motivatedandcanworkthroughanydiresituation.

MostAccomplishedBusiness

AsaVisionary,Founder,andCEO,Rob’sjourneysince launchingin2015hasbeenbothrewardingand challenging.Blackdragonistheonlybonafideplatform businessthroughouttheUSfederalcontractingindustrythat servesasamatchmakingmarketplaceforfreelanceexperts worldwidecombiningpowerfulaspectsoftherisingGig Economythatcompletelyrethinksthevaluechain.

Blackdragonistheonly-of-its-kindfulloutsourcesolution throughoutthefederalindustrythatwinsentirecontractson behalfofbidderclientswherebythefreelanceexperts(aka, “Dragons”)self-forminto‘dreamteams’whochoosewhich clienttheywanttowinforandareheavilyincentedtowin. Often,Dragonopportunistsself-formbeforetheyknow whichclientwillsponsoraprojectforthem.So, Blackdragonisuniqueinthatitdoesnotpassivelywaitfor thephonetoringwhenaprospectclientneedshelp.Rather, thecompanyfrequentlyinitiatesoutreachtoselectbidder firmsexploringifitcanwinanupcomingtargetcontracton theirbehalf.Thefirmisthefirsttoapplythisinverse‘take charge’businessapproach.

It’sBettertoPursueFewerBids

TalkingaboutthechallengesRobmentionsthatmostbidder firmsareoperatedmoreforefficiencythaneffect.Many organizationsprioritizeenforcementofregimentedinternal processestogoaboutpreparingresponsestogovernment solicitationsmorethantheyalloweachbidteamtheliberty toberesourcefulandcreativenecessarytowinthecontract. Thiscookie-cutterapproachtoallbidsisnothighly effectivealthoughithelpsmanageefficiency Theytry submittingthemaximumpossiblenumberofproposals

eachyearusingtheleastamountofpeoplewiththelowest costs—thiscreatesresourcebandwidthchallengesandcan alsoleadtoemployeeburnout.

Robbelievestryingtobeacompetitivebidderwhile stayingunderanaggressivebudgetforeachbidisafool’s errand.Itwouldbebettertopursuefewer(andbetter fitting)bidswithgreaterfreedom,resourcefulness,and intensitythantodilutethecompetitivenessofeachbidfor thesakeofsubmittingmoreproposals.

Anotherchallengehementionsisthattalentmismatchingis acommonoccurrenceamongbiddercompanies.Toooften, biddersattempttopursuewinningallnewcontractswith thesamecorepersonnelandstaticresources.Sometimes thecombinationofskillsets,experiences,andresourcesare betterfittedtothetaskofwinningthanothers.

Unfortunately,thisconstrictedconceptlimitedby conventionalemploymentrarelyyieldsconsistentpositive resultsanditdoesn’tscale.Abetterwayistodynamically assembledreamteamsoftalent,experiencesandresources tailoredforeachpursuit.ThatiswhatBlackdragon provides—ondemanddreamteamsofexpertsunitedforthe purposeofwiningeachcontractfortheclient.

LeadinganAdvancedTechnicalTeam

Robandhisteamhaveforgedmanygroundbreakingways tocombinethepoweroftechnology,predictiveanalytics, socialconnectivity,andcrowdsourcing.Theteamhas inventednumerousinnovativemethodologiesforboosting clients’potentialtowintherightcontractstheypursue. Blackdragoncontinuesrevolutionizingthescienceandart ofwinningcontractsforitsbidderclients.Belowaresome initiativescurrentlyunderway: Pushingtheproprietarytechnologytotheedgeforusers

• worldwide

• forecasting

Improvingalgorithmsformorerobustmatchmakingand

• theplatform

Enhancingfunctionalityanduserinterfacethroughout

• effectacrossourexpandingplatform

Increasingscaleandleveragingthepowerofnetwork

AStraightShooter

Rob’sideaofimpactfulleadershipistwofold.Itmovesan organizationtowardsachievinggoalswhilealsotendingto individualgrowth,ashebelievesthatsuccessfulleaders mustdomorethanjustensuringtheworkgetsdone.

Focusingonthebiggerpicturewhilecultivatingacultureof personaldevelopmenttobuildnewleadersisalsocritical.

Top 10 Pioneering CEOs to Follow in

Alwaysleadingbyexample,Robhasablendedstyleof leadershipcenteredaroundagilitywithafocuson maximizinganorganization’scollectivestrengths.He sharesinformationwithemployeesaboutthingsaffecting theirworkresponsibilities.Heoftenseekstheopinionsof othersbeforeapprovingmajorfinaldecisions.

FactorsthathadGreatImpact

BelowaresomeofthelifefactorsthathaveshapedRob’s journey:

BeingamemberofCorpsofCadetsatTexasA&M • University

BeingaflyerinNavyreconnaissancesquadron(during • GulfWar,early1990’s)

BeingamemberofCIAwhoendedupworkingin • and/orsupportingmultipleagenciesthroughouttheUS IntelligenceCommunity

BeingaspecialAdvisortotheJointChiefsofStaffin • thePentagon Corporateleaderforfederalcontractorfirmsrisingto • therankofC-level CongressionalFellowattheUSHouseof • Representatives

BringingPeopleTogether

Robviewspeopleasapooloftalenttobedevelopedand applyacoachingstylethathelpsunlockeachperson’s potential.Hispreferenceistominimizedirectiontohelp peopletapintotheirownabilitytoachievewhattheyare capableof.Oppositeofrulingwithanironfist,heleans towardstrustinghighlyskilled,experiencedemployeesto beself-starters,motivatedanddeterminedproblemsolvers.

Ultimately,Robisacollaboratorwhobelievespeoplecome firstsohelikestogetupcloseandpersonalpaying

attentiontoandsupportingtheneedsofteammembers.He encouragesharmonyandcooperativerelationshipswithin teamswhilesmoothingconflictsamongteammembers, keepingthemfocusedonthetasksathandwhilereassuring themduringtimesofstress.

SocialConnectivity

ThemostsignificantanduniquewayRobandhisteamhave contributedtothefederalcontractorcommunityistheyare thefirsttohavepioneeredawayforindividualfreelance expertstowieldmoreinfluenceoverthefederalcontracting marketthathashistoricallybeengovernedbybidder companiesmorethanthepeople.Itisaseismicpowershift frombuyerpowertosellerpower.Imaginetheanalogyof professionalathletesgettingtopicktheteamstheywant cometogethertowinforinsteadoftheotherwayaround.

Result-OrientedEmployee

Whenaskedaboutnecessityforbusinessestoaligntheir offeringswithnewertechnologicaldevelopmentsRob mentionsthattomorrow’ssuccessfulbusinessesmust strengthentheiralignmentwithadvancingtechnology, deviceconnectivity,andavirtualworkforce.Pipeline businessesarenotonlybeingreplacedbyplatforms,but platformsaretransformingindustriesaltogether.Legacy industriespopulatedbypipelinebusinessesarefadingaway whilenewonesaretakingtheirplace.Theon-demand‘asa-service’modelcombinedwithincreasingtrendsfor subscription-basedofferingsareredefiningtraditional consultinglandscapes.

as usual is not acceptable—lead change or change will lead you.

Hajj, CEO, SilexPro

Leadingwithpassionandservingwithpassioniskey

attributeofgoodleaders.Theystretchtheir imaginationandcreativitybeyondconventional norms.RonaldHajjisonesuchexemplaryleaderwho believesthatoneshoulddreamandstretchone's imaginationandcreativitybeyondtraditionalboundariesto createtherequiredpositiveforcethatdrivesinnovation.He isCEOatSilexPro.HesaysthattheirmotoatSilexProis: 'Innovation, beyond imagination'. RonaldfoundedSilexPro withtheobjectivetoenhancethewaypeoplecommunicate andcollaborateovervideo,andtomakegroupvideo meetingsmorenatural,moreenjoyableandcertainlymore productive.ThispreciselyisthecultureatSilexPro

Ronald

Ronald Hajj

Innovating things Beyond Imagination

MakingVirtualCommunicationEasier

Ronaldbelievestherearealwaysbetterandmorenatural waystocommunicateandcollaborateovervideo.SilexPro's focusistoenhanceandchangethewaypeoplemeetand collaboratetothebetter,byexploringandspreadingnew behavioralconceptslikethe'CenterofTable'collaboration concept.SilexProdoesbelievethatvisualcommunication toolsshouldbeeasytooperateandintuitive.Withevery productitintroducestoitsportfolio,itsgoalistoprovidea high-qualityproductthatmakesvirtualcommunication easier,morepractical,andmorenaturalforall,butspecially intheeducationsector.

CustomizedCollaborationSolutions

SilexPro'sexperiencegivesitanedgetocreateadvanced solutionscombiningthetechnologiesalreadyavailablein themarketanditsown.Thus,itinvesteditsabilityto integrateadvancedpersonalizedfeaturesintolargecomplex environmentstocreatecustomizedcollaborationsolutions. SilexProattractswithitsinnovativesolutions,andits uniquedesignswiththeadvantagestheyoffer.Itsproducts offersolutionstotraditionalproblemsencounteredin regularmeetingroomsetupssuchastheeyecontact,the 'tinyhead'problem.

CreatingaGreatPassionateTeam

RonaldformedagreatpassionateteamatSilexPro,and SilexProstronglybelievesinitsabilitytopositivelydisrupt themarketwithitsinnovativeideas.Customerswhodo businesswithSilexProliketheinnovationtheyaregetting andthecutting-edgeadvantagesitcanoffer.Butwhat

surprisesSilexPro'scustomersthemostistheaddiction! Whentheystartusingitsnature-inspiredtechnologiesand concepts,theygetaddictedtothenewnaturalexperience.

DefyingTraditionalWays

SilexProisthefirstcompanyinthemarketwhodaredto defythetraditionalwaysofconductingvideomeetingsby introducingitsdisruptivetrueall-in-one'CenterofTable' concept.SilexProbelievesthatmeetingscanbeconducted morenaturally,andpeoplecanbemuchmoreengaged duringvideomeetingswhentheremoteparticipantappear inthecenterofgravityofthemeeting(whichisthecenter ofthetable).Itisacompletemindsetshift.

InnovativeCollaborationProducts

SilexProisaleadingcompanyinvolvedinthedesignand creationofinnovativecollaborationproductsandsolutions, drivingandshapingnew"natureinspired"conceptsand trendsintheUnifiedCommunicationsmarketplace. SilexProquicklyaccumulatedkeyexperienceindesigning andintegratingcustomizedcomplexfull-fledgedsmart conferencerooms.Thenwiththechangeandevolutionof themarkettrendstowardssmallerandmoreflexiblehuddle rooms,itsawtheneedtocreateanewgenerationofvisual collaborationendpoints:SilexPTE.

Withcovid-19andtheglobalmeasuresapplied,group meetingsinsmallspacesarebeingavoided.Videomeetings whereparticipantsjoinfromhomeorofficeusingtheir personaldevicesareheavilyusedforgroupcommunication. Inresponsetothenewwayofconductingbusinessandelearning,SilexProhasintroducedaseriesofnew

communicationandcollaborationsolutionsforindividuals workingfromtheirdesks,fromhomeorvisitingcustomers premises.Theseproductscanbeusedwithanylaptopto enhancetheremotevideoexperience,suchas: USB/Bluetooth/wirelessconferencingcamerasandportable touchscreens,wirelessheadsetsandspeakerphones,all-inonesmartprojectors,SilexAll-Wireless(SAW)touchless AVsolution,etc.

Nevertheless,oncebusinessesgobacktoanormalactivity, SilexPro'sexistingPTEsolutionsisaperfectchoicefor groupmeetingsasitallowssocialdistancingwithinthe meetingroomwithoneparticipantsittingoneachsideof thetablewiththedeviceinthecenter Andsinceitismade ofglass,itiseasytoregularlywipeitwithdisinfectant.

BeinganExemplaryLeader

ForRonaldHajj,impactfulleadershipisthemagicalmixof thefollowingingredients: leadingwithpassion,serving withpassion,deliveringthebestandexceedingone's expectationsatalllevels.Hebelievesthatcreativity, innovation,andstretchedimaginationareimportanttraitsof agoodleader.Heconsidersitisessentialtohaveflexibility andadaptabilitytoadjusttotheever-changingconditionsof themarketplace.Hementionsthatleadersshouldhave resilienceandabilitytosustainunforeseeneventsand conditionsthatmightradicallyaffectthebusiness environment.

Ronaldsaysthatempathyandtheabilitytoseetheworld throughtheeyesofothers,isalsoaveryimportantaspectof positiveandimpactfulleadership.Hesaysmakingimpact involvesbeingarolemodelandreflectingone'spositive valuestoinspireandinfluencepeoplearound.Hesaysthat leadersshouldinspire,motivate,delegatetasks,andsupport theteamandthecircleofinfluencearoundthem.Hestates thatGenerosityandhumblebehaviorandsharing experienceandknowledge(positiveandnegativeones), allowingotherstolearntherightlessonsfromone'sfailures andsuccesses,isanimportantpartofimpactfulleadership.

ContinuingInnovationtoGrow

WhenRonaldseeshowcustomersareusingandbenefiting fromSilexPro'stechnologies,andwhenitdevelopsand introducesnewconceptstothemarket,hejustfeelsproud! ThispridegivesRonaldandhisteamalltheneededenergy toovercomeallthechallenges,includingthecurrent pandemic,andtokeeponinnovatingtogrow

Ronaldbelievesthatdoubtandfearareone'sworst enemies.Therefore,hewarnstonotletdoubtsandfears influenceone'sdecisions,becausetheycanblockone's dreams.Headvisestouseone'spassiontoovercomethis feelingbyinjectingsomeperseverancedose.Hestatesthat blindself-confidencecanalsobeaworseenemy Therefore, hesuggestslearninghowtohumblylisten,filter,andadapt.

“SilexPro is a leading company involved in the design and creation of innovative collaboration products and solutions."