10 Business Excellence Awards 2022

Maria Francesca Aceti, CEO

EDITOR’S DESK

TheChief’sDigestisproudtopresentitslatestissue, “10BusinessExcellenceAwards”toourreaders.The companiesfeaturedherehavedevelopedbusiness excellenceframeworksthathavehelpedthemdrivehigh performancebymerginginsightsandactionintoasystematicand structuredway.Theframeworksareholisticandfocusonallareas anddimensionsofanorganization,especiallythefactorsthatleadtosuperior performance.Tolistthefundamentalareasunderwhichthebusinessexcellenceframeworkoperates, wehave-leadership,strategicplanning,customerandmarketfocus,measurementandknowledge management,workforcefocus,processmanagement,andbusinessresults.

Theareasoffocusalsohelporganizationsadopttheprinciplesofbusinessexcellenceaswellas measurehowwelltheadoptionisbeingincorporated.Asaresult,organizationscanaimbetterat capturingthebestglobalbusinessprocessesandpracticeswhilekeepingpacewiththeever-changing businessperformanceparameters.Moreover,applyingthebusinessexcellenceframeworkswithinthe focusareaswillalsoenhancevalueforallstakeholders,contributetomarketplacesuccess,deliver organizationallearning,andmaximizeenterprise-widecapabilities.

Finally,wewanttotakeamomenttocongratulateallthecompanieswhowereapartoftheissuethis year Theytrulyreflectbusinessexcellencewithafinesseofviewingtheworldthroughtwolenses-a telescopiclenstorecognizeopportunitiesthatexistinthefuture,andamicroscopiconetocloselylook atthepressingchallengesofthemoment.

Best, DanielShelby ManagingEditor TheChief'sDigest

Editor-in-Chief : Christina Todd

Managing Editor : Daniel Shelby

Art Director-visualizers

Charles Richard

Sales & Marketing

Jonathan Henry

Business Development Executives

Racheal Williams

Jennifer Morris

Roman Parker

Relationship Manager

Joseph Edward

Advertising Business Head

George Hagen

Publisher

Calvin Lloyd

20. Baker Communications

24. Conexiom Inc

26. EasyRain

30. FCI London

38. Medgate

34. Marvelution B.V

42. Noble Gold Investments

44. Wafy App

10BusinessExcellenceAwards2022

MANAGEMENT

COMPANYINBRIEF

DeltaPharmaisaleadingpharmaceuticalcompanyinthe Egyptianmarketaimingtostepupitsrankamongallother Arabianpharmaceuticalmanufacturers,tobecomeoneofthetop tengenericcompaniesintheregionwithintheupcomingyears.

Marvelutionstartedoutasawayforitsfounder,MarkRekveld,to sharehiscodingworkwiththeworld.Andhassincegrownintoa smallcompanythatprovidessoftwaredevelopmentconsultingand developmentofitsownsoftwarebeitopenorclosedsource.

NobleGoldInvestmentsisaleadingproviderofIRAapprovedprecious metalinvestments.ThefirmwasfoundedbyindustryveteransCharles Thorngren,CEO,andCollinPlume,President,withthemissionof educatingandprovidingoutstandingserviceandguidanceinprecious metalinvestments,soclientscanbetterprepareforthefutureandhave peaceofmindthattheirassetsaresafeandsecure.

Syncarioffersdataautomationplatformtoempowerbusiness leadersandoperatorstorestoredataconfidence,distribute trustedcustomerdataeverywhereit'sneeded,anddrive predictablegrowth.

Foundedin1998inSwitzerland,Medgateistheleading internationalprovideroftelemedicine,withoperationsin Switzerland,Germany,andthePhilippines.

Foundedin2013,Easyrainbringstogetherthepowerof innovationandtechnicalexpertisetoengineerpatentedsafety solutionsforepreventingroadfatalitiescausedbywetroads andlowgripconditions.

Conexiomoffersaplatformthatcaninstantlyextract, tranform,anddeliverdatafromunstructureddocumentsinto yoursystemofrecordandenabletradedocumentautomation.

WafyAppisaninteractiveplatformthatoffersa completeguidetotourism,culture,sports,and entertainmenteventsinSaudi

FCILondonisthelargestcontemporaryshowroomfor furnitureandinteriorsinLondonshowcasingpiecesfrom over700oftheworld'smostexcitingdesignersand brands.

Forover43yearsintheworldofsalestrainingandcoaching, BakerCommunicationshelpsorganizationscreatesystems andprogramsthatfurtherimprovetheperformanceof individualsandteams.

ConexiomInc

RayGrady President&CEO

WafyApp

MohamedAbbas CEO&Founder

Arabia.

MarvelutionB.V

MarkRekveld Founder

Syncari

NickBonfiglio CEO&Co-Founder

Medgate

StavrosAthanasiou President

ConexiomInc

RayGrady President&CEO

FCILondon

FirdausNagree CEO

DelthaPharma

MariaFrancescaAceti CEO

NobleGoldInvestments

CollinPlume CEO

BakerCommunications

WalterRogers, President, Chairman&CEO

EasyRain

GiovanniBlandina CEO &Founder

InourinterviewwithMaria FrancescaAceti,CEO,Deltha Pharma,shespeaksofherjourney withDelthaPharmaandhowthefirm aimsatsolvingtheissueofvitaminand mineralinadequaciesinourdiet.Her storyoftherevivalofDelthaPharmais theepitomeofhowtoughtimescanbe overcomewithperseveranceand determination.Here'saneditedexcerpt fromourconversation.

Delivering High-Quality Food Supplements Made of Innovative and Natural Raw Materials

Maria Francesca Aceti, CEO

Howdidyoucomeupwiththe ideaorconceptforyour business?

DelthaPharmawasfoundedin 2009bydoctorsandpharmacists, whowereinterestedinthe supplementandnutraceutical field.

Myfatherhadinvestedinthis developerandmarketerofhigh-

qualityfoodsupplements,but unfortunately,thecompanywasnear bankruptcysoonafteritsfounding. WhenIlearnedthatthecompany wasstrugglingtosurviveandmy fathercouldlosehismoney,I decidedtostepintotheleadership roletosaveit.TheoldCEOhad givenup,soIdecidedtotryandsave ittominimizemyfather'sloss.

Whatareyourcompanyofferings? Howhaveconsumerresponses shapedthemovertheyears?

WhenIstartedmybusiness,Itook multiplestepstoensurethe company'sgrowthandsuccess.Ifirst madesomeimportantpivotsinthe productdevelopmentprocessafter thinkingaboutwhatpeoplewanted.I changedrawmaterialsthatwere beingusedtomakesupplements, buyingonlythenewestandthebest availableinthemarket,suchas nanoparticlesandvegetablestem cells.Myaimwasandstillistomake onlyveryhigh-qualitynewproducts andofferuniqueproductsto customers.

Duringtheseyears,Ihavelearned thatconsumershavebecomeaware ofthesourcesofingredientsandare muchmoreinterestedinthenatural ones.Withthisinmind,wehave madeourproductsusingnatural ingredientswithvegetableand gastro-resistantcapsuleswithout titaniumdioxideandheavymetals. Therawmaterialsweselectare certifiedbyItaliancompaniesand madefrominnovativetechnologies. Infact,ourproductbasedonOmega3iscertifiedIFOS5stars–themost well-knowncertificationwhich ensurestransparencyandquality

Everybusiness,bigorsmall,getsits fairshareofchallenges,especially duringtheinitialdays.Tellusabout yourchallengesandhowyou managedtoovercomethem.

WhenIbecametheCEOofDeltha Pharma,Iwasveryyoung-awoman withnoexperienceinthe pharmaceuticalfield.TheCompany hadhugedebts,andtosaveit,I decidedtomakeadebtrestructuring

tocreatenewproductsandanew salesnetwork.Itwashardbecause nobodyreallythoughtIwasgoingto makeit.ThefirstchallengeIhadto facewastomakesalesagents, customers,suppliers,employees,and allKOLstrustme.Itwasreallyhard though.However,Iovercameitwith hardwork,consistency,keeping promises,andintroducingcertain crucialchangesinthecompany's businessmodel.Therefore,I managedtoraisethefortunesofthe companywithinayear.

Onwhatidealsareyourwork cultureandbusinessethicsbased?

Ithinkthataflourishingworkculture influencesallaspectsofabusiness andthepeoplewithinit.Oneofthe crucialelementsIconsideristheir work-lifebalance.Thehappinessof myemployeesmatterstome,andI wantourworkplacetobeaplacethat respectstheirlivesasawhole. Hence,ourofficescloseat4.40pm sothatallmyemployees,including me,canspendtimewithourfamilies. Besides,inourheadquarter,children arewelcometocomealongwith theirparentstowork.That'showI knowallmyemployees'children. Evenmydaughterlovestobeatthe officewithme.So,Ireallyfeellike weareabigfamilyandnotjust peoplewhoknoweachotheronly becauseoftheirwork.Wehavealso implementedasystemofwelfare whichincludesmedicalinsuranceas well.

Wheredoyouseeyourcompanya fewyearsfromnow?

Overthelastfewyears,manythings havechanged.Sincetheoutbreakof Covid-19,thereisalotofinterestin

stayinghealthy,andthegreatest challengeisnottoextendlifebutto expandit.Allovertheworld,thereis stillaninadequateintakeofvitamins andmineralsinthediet:only1in10 adultsconsumestheamountoffruit andvegetablesrecommendedbythe guidelines,anditisscientifically proventhatsupplementingourdiet couldpreventmanydiseases.So,I wouldreallyliketospreadthe messagethataqualitysupplement canhelpyouimproveyourhealth andlife.

Nowthemacroareasofmyinterest aredigitization,eco-sustainability, andexportarea.Ihavejustdecided toapplyforanESGrating,infact, wearecommittedtoachievingfully sustainablemanagement.Thispathis basedonmaximumcommitmentand totaltransparencyinorderto implementanenvironmental sustainabilitystrategythat encompasseseveryaspectofthe company'soperations.ThenIhave beenactivelyworkingforseveral monthsonthedigitizationofall companydepartments,fromthe warehouseandlogisticsoperationto theadministration;fromthe managementofthesalesnetworkto themarketingcampaigns,by interfacingwithdifferentERPs, CRM,andsoftwareofmarketing automationwitheachotherandwith governmentdatabaseusing blockchaintechnology.Overthe comingmonths,Ihaveplannedof puttinganewproductinthemarket ofourliverline,the“EpatorilPro” andinthenextyearanewlineof productsinformofgummiesfor womenandchildren,whichiscalled asmydaughter“Penelope”.

Howhasyourjourneybeensofar?

WhenItookthehelmofDeltha Pharma,theCompanyhadhuge debts,wegotevictedfromour offices.However,Ineverlostheart:I hadtotakeimmediatemeasuresto improvehowtomanagethecash flow.Ihadtocutunnecessarycosts byworkingaroundtheclockon financialstatementsandnegotiating creditsfromsuppliersasfarasI couldwithoutitdamagingour relationships.

Everydecisionworemeout,butI neverthoughtIwouldn'tmakeit. Withtime,thesuppliersbeganto trustme,however,theturnover wasn'thighenough,maybeitwastoo muchforayounggirlwithsomuch theoryinherheadandlittlepractice onhershoulders.Myclearvisionand missionhelpedmetogothroughthis journeyandtheresultsdidn'twaitto come.Duringthese11yearsthatI havebeenleadingthecompany,I made“quality,safety,andefficacy” mymotto;Ihaveayoungand dynamicteam,madeupofvarious figures,engagedinthecontinuous searchfornewrawmaterialsandin thedevelopmentofnaturalproducts thatguaranteethehighestlevelsof quality,safety,andefficacy,in compliancewithfirmethicaland moralprinciplesandthereforethey arereallyusefulforthewell-beingof theusers.

In2019Istartedacooperationwith oneofthemostimportant universitiesinItaly:Università CattolicadelSacroCuore.Together weformulatedaveryspecial probiotic,onwhichwemadesome clinicaltrialsatthePoliclinicoA. GemelliofRomethisproducthas

beenpatentedbytheuniversityitself andwehaveanexclusivemarketing licenseforthewholeworld.

OneofthebestfieldsIdecidedto focusourdevelopmentonwasdigital marketingandthedigitalizationof thecompany.Idecidedtoonboard themostimportante-commerce platformsintheworld,bothb2band b2C,andwebecameonethebest dealersonAmazonandAlibaba.com. Infact,in2022Alibaba.comchose meandmycompanyasacase historyofsuccesstotell,andIwas oneofthespeakersattheSMEsday 2022oftheInternationalTrade Centre.

Istronglybelievethattheworldhas becomesmaller,soIfocusmy attentiononnotmanufacturing countriesanddirectedmanydigital campaignstolookoutfor internationalpartners.Since2018,I haveaddedanexportareatothe company,andin2021,adistribution agreementwassignedwithamajor Chinesedistributor,whoisselling ourproductsonTmallGlobal.This helpeduseventofacethepandemic Covid-19,infact,wewereresilient andreactive:weimportedmasksand placedthemintothemarketalong withfoodsupplementsbasedon vitaminsDandC.Ourrevenuegrew by30%in2020.

Eventually,inthelastyear,Icould buyanewbuilding,thatafteralong workofrestructurationbecameour newheadquarter,whenIfirstcross thedoorIhadtearsinmyeyes,this isamazing:itisanopenspace, modernandgreen,madeofglassand resinwhereyoucanreallyenjoy spendingyourworkingday.

Nowthecompanyhasastrong vocationtowardsdigitizationand eco-sustainability,thereare15 productsinthelist,somemarket leadersinthereferencesector We arepresentthroughoutthenational territory,servingmorethana thousandpharmaceutical wholesalers,cooperatives,and pharmaciesanddistributingproducts in16countriesallaroundtheworld. WearealsoassociatedwithAICEfor foreigntradeandthe internationalizationofcompanies. Thecompanyalsoworkstothe higheststandardsofqualityand hygiene:in2022,wegotISO9001 certificationsforqualityandISO 14001forenvironmental sustainability

What'smore?InSeptember2022,we havebeenlistedintheItalian “Campionidicrescita”forrevenue growth.

MeetTheInfluentialLeader

MariaFrancescaAceti,CEO, DelthaPharma

AwordfromMaria:Igraduatedin chemicalengineeringandwhenI tookchargeofDelthaPharma,Iwas 27yearsoldworkingatENEA,a veryimportantresearchcenterfor energyinItaly,specificallyona projectrelatedtotheproductionof electricenergybygasificationof coal.But,onceImadeupmymind, noonewasstoppingmefromtaking overDelthaPharma.

Executivescontinuetodisagree onsomeofthemostimportant measuresofacompany'shealth, suchashowmanycustomersitmight have,howmanycustomerschurnedin thepreviousquarter,andwhattheARR is.Why?Everydepartmenthasitsown systemofrecordor“sourceoftruth”and therehasn'tyetbeenamarket-ready solutiontokeepeachsourceoftruthin syncwithtrustworthy,accuratedata–untilnow

That'swhere comesinwithits Syncari dataautomationplatform,empowering businessleadersandoperatorstorestore dataconfidence,distributetrusted customerdataeverywhereit'sneeded, anddrivepredictablegrowth.

ExcerptsfromTheChief'sDigest's interactionwithSyncari'sthought leaders

Whatareyourcompanyofferings? Howhavecustomers'responses shapedthemovertheyears?

A Problem That Syncari Solves with Data Automation

Nick Bonfiglio, CEO & Co-Founder

Speedisthenameofthegamefor companiesonarapidgrowthtrajectory RevOpsprofessionalsareempoweredby theSyncaridataautomationplatformto align,analyzeandactivatedata throughoutthego-to-markettechstack, fromleadstobillings.Companieslike Conga,HylandSoftware,andDeelare finallyachievingdatainteroperability acrosstheirsystemsinthecustomer journeythankstoSyncari'spatentpendingmulti-directionalsyncengine anddata-model-drivenapproachto integrationandautomation.Additionally, SyncariEmbedisforcompanieswho wanttoefficientlysync,unifyand managetheircustomer'sdata,to accelerateuseradoption.SyncariEmbed isacost-effectivesolutiontoreduce barrierstoproductuptakeandprovide bettercustomerexperiencesbyutilizing theSyncariPlatformofAPIsandour ecosystemofapps,workflows,and unifieddata.

Everybusiness,bigorsmall,getsits fairshareofchallenges,especially duringtheinitialdays.Tellusabout

yourchallengesandhowyoumanaged toovercomethem.

Syncaristartedoutasadecentralized workforce.Ouremployees'safetyand healthbecameatoppriorityduringthe pandemic,andaremote-firstculturewas born.Ourteamsworkacrossthree differentcountriesandfivedistincttime zones.

Onwhatidealsareyourworkculture andbusinessethicsbased?

Weestablishedaculturewherepeople comefirst,thenprocessesand technology.Incorporatingthepowerof teamSyncariwithreal-timeproductivity applicationssuchasGoogleMeet,Slack, andteamevents,wewereableto maintainthestatusquoevenwhen everyoneelsestartedheadingbackto work.

Forexample,VarshaNeelesh,VPof EngineeringatSyncari,manageda remoteyethighlyproductiveteam.How didshedoit?Sheemphasizedthe

importanceofitsbenefitssuchasanocommuteexperience,morededicated timetofocus,flexibility,familytime,and workinpajamas.Wheretherewere challengesthatincludedonboardingnew hires,multipletimezones,common meetingslots,andlackofwatercooler conversationsorfacetime,shecreated solutions.Thisincludedanincreasein technologyandproducttrainingsessions, andtheabilitytoidentifyoverlapped timeandmakeefficientuseofit, includingcontinuousasynchronous communicationtomoredocumentation andhuddles.

Likeoneofourgreatestcorevaluesasa Syncaroo,Varshabroughttogetherthe people,process,andplanning.

Thebestpart?ThroughtheSyncaroo awardprogram,Syncarirewarded outstandingteammembersonaquarterly basis,specificallyemployeeswhogo aboveandbeyondandupholdthe company'scorevalues.Shoutoutslike Hugaroosarealsoencourageddailyasa wayforpeerstorecognizeeachother's achievementsatthecorporatelevelon internalmessagingappslikeSlack.

Whatwouldyousayarethefactors thathavecontributedtoyoursuccess asanorganization?

AtSyncari,webelievethatyoucan unlockgo-to-marketteamproductivityby empoweringyoursellerswithclean completedataeverywhere.Thismeansa distributedcustomer360°view,surfacing datathatthesalesteamdidn'tpreviously haveaccesstoandwastrappedinother systems.Syncariensuresforecast accuracybyswiftlylocatingand correctinginaccurate,incomplete,and duplicatedatathroughouttherevenue ecosystemtodeliverafairandaccurate perspectiveofthebusiness.By integratingbuyerandcustomer touchpointsfrommarketing,product, finance,andcustomersuccesswithsales activities,Syncarialsomakesitpossible fordynamic,collaborativeeffortswith themostreal-timeinformation.

Whatdoyouthinkisauniqueaspect ofyourbusiness?

TheproblemSyncarisolvesiswellknown:inaccurate,incompleteor inaccessibledataleadstobadbusiness outcomes.Anditalsoisn'tnew The needtointegrateandmanagethe explosionofdataacrossappshasbeen aroundforyearsnow Theunfortunate realityisthattherestillisn'tasolution, andtheconsequencesaremounting. AcrossSales,Marketing,Finance,and RevOpsteams--inaccurate,incomplete, andinaccessibledataleadstotimewastingmanualclean-up,poor decisions,brokencustomerexperiences, andultimatelylostbusiness.

Syncarihelpsrevenueleaderstakeback controloftheirdatabymakingittrusted andaccessibleintheappswherepeople responsibleforkeypartsofthecustomer journeyactuallywork.

Theoperationsanddataprofessionals whointeractwithdataeverydayuse Syncaritocreateaunifiedcustomer viewacrosssystemsandstand-up automatedprocessestonormalize,clean, andenrichthatviewcentrally--without writingcodeorwaitingonresourceconstrainedITordatascienceteams. Syncarithendeliversaccuratedataback intotheappsusedbyrevenueteamsand maintainsappsynchronization.Werefer tothisasmulti-directionalsync,anditis oneofourcoreinventions,made possiblebythecombined30+yearsthat ourfoundingteamspentatMarketo, wheretheyinventedmarketing automationmadepossiblebythe Salesforce/Marketobi-directionalsync.

Wheredoyouseeyourcompanyafew yearsfromnow?

Syncarisitsattheintersectionofthree keytrends:theriseoflow-code/no-code tools,theshiftfrombigdatato actionableinsights,andtheemergence ofRevOps.

Unlikeotherdatamanagementand integrationtechnology,Syncariisa

stateful,multi-directionalsyncengine thatprovidesthoseresponsiblefor customerdatawithresilientand governedaccesstothedatatheyrequire, syncedacrosssystemsautomatically. Thisismadefeasiblebyaunifieddata modelthatwedevelopandfine-tune withourcustomers,enablingsystemsin thetechstacktocommunicateina commonlanguage.

Syncariwillcontinuetodevelopthe Syncariplatformsothatmoreuserscan notjustmanageandaccessdata,butalso realizegreatervaluefromitthrough investmentsinAI/ML,reporting,and broaderconnectivity

PillarsofStrength

NickBonfiglio

NickistheCEOandCo-Founderof Syncari,wherehe'shelpingGTMteams solvecostlydatainconsistenciesacross theirtechstackwithcomplete,no-code dataautomation.PriortoSyncari,Nick wasCo-FounderandCEOatAptrinsic (acquiredbyGainsight)andEVP,Global ProductatMarketo(acquiredbyAdobe) wherehebothsolvedthesyncproblem acrosssystemsandplayedaroleinthe riseofnewrolesintheenterpriselike RevOps,MarketingOps,andCustomer SuccessOps.

NeeleshShastry

NeeleshistheCTOandCo-Founderof Syncari.Helovesbeingontheedgeof productsandtechnology.Hewas previouslyatechnologyleaderat Marketo,SuccessFactors,andOracle buildingscalabledata,streaming,and searchservices.

“Syncari helps revenue leaders take back control of their data by making it trusted and accessible in the apps where people responsible for key parts of the customer journey actually work.”

Onecompanythathasbeen leadingtheworldofsales trainingandcoachingforover 43yearsisBakerCommunications. Besidesitscustomerbasewhichlooks liketheS&PandNasdaqindexes combined,thiscompanyhasbeen quietlychangingthelandscapeofsales readinessfortheentiresalesindustry.

AccordingtoJoeDiDonato,Baker's ChiefofStaff,“Twoproblemsthat haveplaguedallsalesorganizationsare lowquotaachievementandhigh turnover.”Hewentontosay,“Only 47%ofsellersachievetheirquota goals,andturnoveraverages34.7% acrosstheentireindustry.Thatmeans that53%ofsellersaremissingtheir goalsandoverathirdofacompany's salesteamisbrandneweachyear. Togetherthat's87.7%ofacompany's salesteamthatisn'tpullingtheir weight–andconversely,12.3%ofthe salesteamiscarryingtheload.Ifthose areyournumbers,yoursalesreadiness scoreis12.3%outof100%.”

Thecompanywentontosaythaton thehighendoftheturnovermetricare

A Problem That Syncari Solves with Data Automation

Walter Rogers, President, Chairman & CEO

companieswithturnoverratesof5055%.Ifthat'shappeningtoyoursales team,thenBakersaysthatin combinationwithnon-quota-achieving reps,itdropsyoursalesreadinessscore intotheminus.Andthat'susuallythe pointwhereSalesVPsturnoverthe reinstoasuccessor

That'sthestateofthesalesindustry today,accordingtoBaker.It'sno wonderthattenureinmostsalesteams ispracticallynon-existent.According toHubSpot,whichtracksthese turnovernumbers,theaveragesales reptenureis18months.Unfortunately, salesrepshittheirpeakperformance betweentwoandthreeyearsintheir roleaccordingtotheirstatistics.And accordingtoZippiastatistics,43%of SalesVicePresidentsleaveintheirfirst 2yearsonthejob,whichspeakstothat lackofsalesteamperformance,and 62%aregoneinunder4years.

So,what'sBakerdoingaboutthese problems?

“Wereplacedopinionwithdata,” accordingtoWalterRogers,theCEO ofBakerCommunications.“Ifyou

startwiththepremisethatall salespeoplearereasonablygoodat selling,howdoyouaccuratelypickthe rightonesforyourteam…andthe specificjobrole…andforyourspecific industry?”Hewentontoexplainthat we'vearmedourhealthcare professionalswithdatafromlabwork, MRIs,X-rays,andotherteststoassist themwithdiagnosingourhealth problems,so“whynotgivesalesteams thedatatheyneedtoimprovetheir abilitytohiretherightpeopleandhelp existingteammembersimprovetheir skills?”

Wehadtoagreewithhimthatwith thoseturnoverrates,the'picker'tools thatarebeingusedbysales managementareprettymuchonly slightlybetterthantheflipofacoin, andinsomecaseswhereturnoverwas over50%,evenlessthanthecoinflip odds.So,wejustcouldn'tletthetopic go,andwedugalittledeeper

Tellusmore!

Well,itturnsoutthatBakerusesa databaseofinformationonover2.2

millionsellersin35,000+companies, 200industries,and155countriesto improvetheoddsofhiringtheright people,aswellasidentifystrengthsand weaknessesintheexistingstaff.They usethatdatatohome-inonaUnique RepProfile(URP)foraparticularsales position,inaspecificcompany,that sellsinaspecificindustry Atthatpoint, newhirecandidatesareevaluated againstthathiringprofile.That“turns offthefaucet”sotospeakonhiringthe wrongcandidates.

Next,theyhelptheircustomerscreate URPsforallthevariousjobroleson theirsalesteams,fromAccount ExecutivestoInsideSalesRepsto NationalAccountRepstoBDRs.Once thoseURPsareinplace,theycompare thesellersinaspecificroletothatURP andthey'reabletoidentifytheir strengthsandweaknessesbycomparing themtotheseveralmillionrepsinthe database.

Doesitwork?

The“PredictiveIndex”is91%and validatedbya3rdpartyaccrediting service.Buttherealtestcomesatthe companylevel.AccordingtoDiDonato, “Ifthedatatellsyoutohirean individual,thatpersonhasa92% chanceofmakingittothetophalfof performersonyoursalesteaminless than12months.Ifthedatatellsyounot tohire,andyouignoreit,75%ofthose individualswillleavewithin6months.”

Thecompanywentontosaythatthe datatheyhaveaccesstofromOMG–thecompanytheypartnerwithto analyzethedata–showsthatafter usingdatatodrivehiringandtraining decisions,customersareseeinga62% reductioninturnoverratesandan88% increaseinthenumberofrepsmaking quota.Thesearethekindofresultsthat willchangehowtrainingandhiringwill bedoneinthefuture.Baker Communicationscallsthiseffort“Baker

2.0.”Fromourperspective,wethinkit shouldbecalled“Sales2.0.” What'sNextforBaker Communications?

Withthosekindsofimprovements,you wouldthinkthattheBakerteamwould restontheirlaurelsandlettherestof thesalestrainingindustrycatchup. Butthat'snotwhatthey'redoing.We askedthemwhatelsetheyareworking on,andthisiswhattheyshared.

“We'rebuildinganAItoolthatwe're callingFuel-IQ™,”reportedGary Margolis,Baker'sChiefTechnology Officer.“Itspurposeistotakeallthe datathatwe'vecollectedfromthe assessmentdataandmakeiteasyfor salesexecutivesandthesales enablementteamtovisualizewhere skillgapsexistontheirteams.That informationallowsthemtofocuson specificgapsandquicklyeliminate them,”Garywentontosay.“Our visionforthetoolistotakeallofthe datawe'vecollectedandletFuel-IQ™ mapskillgapstotargetedlearningand coachingsolutions-andthenprepare personalizedlearningpaths.”

Accordingtothecompany,thatdatais alreadybeingusedforthatpurposeby theircustomers,buttheprocessis manual.Fuel-IQ™willuseAItodo that'mapping'inamatterofseconds. Insteadofsendingsellersthrough materialtheyalreadyknow,thesystem willonlyshowtheminformationthat theyneedtoclosetheirskillgap.

“Thenetresultisthatwe'redrastically reducingthetimetopeakperformance. Insteadofsendingthemthrough27 modulesoftraining,thesystemmay onlypick5modulesinaparticular seller'spersonalizedlearningpath,” explainedJoeDiDonato.“Ifeach moduleoftrainingamountedtoan houroftraining,we'rereducingthe trainingfrom27hoursto5hoursfor thatparticularindividual.”

Whenweaskedwhytheywouldwant toreducethetrainingtime,DiDonato explainedthatasellerwhocarriesa $1,000,000quotagenerates$500in saleseveryhourduringtheworkyear “Ourgoalistominimizethetraining timeandmaximizethesellingtime,” explainedWalterRogers.Hewenton toexplainthatreducingthetimein trainingbypersonalizingthetrainingis the“holygrail”oftrainingand somethingthatcustomershavebeen requestingfordecades.

WhyweselectedBaker Communicationsasoneofthe10 BestCompaniesin2022?

Ifit'snotcompletelyobviousatthis point,BakerCommunicationsis changingtheworldofsalesentirely.To useWalterRoger'sanalogy,it's analogoustogivingthemedical professiondiagnostictoolstohelp thembetterdiagnoseapatient'sdisease spectrumandthenpointingthemdown apathoftreatmentthat'smoreaccurate thanwhatphysicianscoulddobefore theyhadthosediagnostictools.

WethinkBakerCommunicationsisthe numberonethoughtleaderintheworld ofsales,andthattheirdata-drivensales enablementapproachislightyears aheadoftheircompetition.Our congratulationsandthankstothe Bakerteamfortheirgreatcontribution tothesalesindustry.

TheManBehindBaker Communications

WalterRogers,President,Chairman& CEO

“In partnership with organizations worldwide, we help create systems and programs that further improve the performance of individuals and teams, ultimately creating greater value for their customers, themselves, and their communities.”

Forbusinessesthatarestill manuallyprocessingemailed documentslikepurchaseorders, APinvoices,andorder acknowledgments,Conexiomcan alleviateyourteamfrommanualdata entry.Conexiom'sproprietaryTouchless automationtechnologyinstantlyextracts thedatafromcomplexbusiness documentswith100%accuracy, transformsthedatatoitsfinalformat accordingtopredeterminedbusiness rulesandlogic,anddeliversthecorrect datadirectlytoyourtechnologysystem. Asaresult,emaileddocumentsare processedquicklyandaccurately withoutahumanintheloop.

Excerpts from The Chief's Digest conversation with Ray Grady, CEO & President, Conexiom

Whatareyourcompanyofferings? Howhavecustomerresponsesshaped themovertheyears?

We'reanautomationplatformspecificto thetransactionsthatsitinsidea company'sorder-to-cashprocess, procure-to-payprocess,orwithintheir supplychainactivities.Weinitially

A Dialogue with Ray Grady on How Conexiom Can Transform Businesses with Trade Document Automation

Ray Grady, CEO & President

startedbyautomatingsalesorders nearlytwodecadesago.Fastforwardto 2022,45%ofeveryordera manufacturerdistributorreceivesis manual,meaningtheircustomerswillgo totheERPsystemandcreateanorder Theywillthenattachitviaemailand sendittothecustomer That'sthe problemwehavehistoricallysolvedfor customers.

Whatwerealizedistherearespecific attributesinasalesorder.It's transactionalinnature.Thedatamoves aroundinthatdocument,andthereis businesslogicspecifictoeverytrading partnerthatisunique.Besides,thereare lookupsandthingsthathavetohappen fromanERPperspectivetotranslate whatthecustomerwantsversuswhat ourcustomercalleditintheirERP system.

So,welookedatthoseattributesand said,youknowanAPinvoicehasavery similarsetofattributestoasalesorder. Wealsolookedatthesupplychainand saidthingslikeanorder acknowledgment,oradvanceshipnotice havesimilarattributes.Ourcustomers haveguidedus;we'velookedatthose

attributesandnowhaveaplatformthat cansupportthesupplychain,AP,and sales.

Everybusiness,bigorsmall,getsits fairshareofchallenges,especially duringtheinitialdays.Tellusabout yourchallengesandhowyou managedtoovercomethem.

Whenwestarted,itwasjustanidea. Thereweren'tmanycompaniesoutthere thateventhoughtaboutautomatinga complexdocumentlikeasalesorder Wewerekindofgoingaboutsomething alittlebitdifferently,andtheysurely didn'tthinkonecoulddoitwith100% accuracy.So,whatwestruggledwith then,eventoalesserdegree,struggle withnowishavingcustomersbelieving wecandowhatwedo.

Today,wehavemorethan500customer referencesthatcanpickupthephone andsay,'Yeah,theseguyshavedone thisforme,andit'satouchlessoutcome. I'vebeenabletoremovethehuman fromtheloopandhavethemdomore valuabletasks.'Butwhenwefirststarted out,itwasn'tlikewewereanewentrant inanestablishedmarketplace.Wewere

establishingamarketplaceanda companyatthesametime.

Onwhatidealsareyourworkculture andbusinessethicsbased?

Wetakeourvisionandvaluesreally seriouslytothepointwherewewalkall ofournewemployeesjoiningusthrough thecorevaluesofthebusiness.Our valuesareprettystraightforward.First, wecareforeachother.Thiscanbean intensejobaswe'redoingamissioncriticaltaskforasetofcustomers,but ultimately,wewanttoworktogetherand makesurewearehavingfun.

Wewanttoholdeverybodyaccountable. That'sanothervalue.Weholdourselves accountable.Wewanttomakeour customersheroes.Weover-communicate witheachother,andthen,wewantto makechangeforthebetterinthe communities,andwewanttobe inclusive.

Howdoyoudefinesuccess?Doyou thinkthereissomesortofformulato besuccessful?

Thereareanumberofwaysonecould definesuccess.Howwedefineitat Conexiomisthatwelookatour customerNPSveryseriously.It'sagreat indicatorofifwearebeingsuccessfulin deliveringvaluetoourcustomersand exploringourcustomer'ssentiments whenitcomestohowweareserving them.Wealsolookatitviathingslike G2Crowd.

WealsothenlookatourENPS,our employeenetpromoterscore.It's importantforustoknowifwearedoing agoodjobofmakingthisagreatplaceto work.Dopeopletakethistobea platformtobuildofftheircareers?Do weseepeopleprogressingintheir careers,gettingpromoted,takingonnew responsibilities,etc.,whichwe've proudlybeenabletodoovertheyears? Andthen,obviously,therearethe financialmetricsthatcanultimately showtothemarketandourinvestors.

Arewemakingprogress?Arewe growing?Areourbookingsgrowing?Is ourprofitinlinewiththebest-in-class business?Isourretentioninlinewith thebest-in-classbusiness?Allofthose factorsarehowwemeasuresuccess.

Whatwouldyousayarethefactors thathavecontributedtoyoursuccess asanorganization?

We'reluckytositinatotaladdressable market.It'samulti-trillion-dollarTAM acrossEuropeandintheU.S.We'realso seeingthatmanualentryisaproblem thateveryonehas.Ifyoulookatsmall tolargeenterprisecompanies,theyhave peopledoingmanualtasksthatarenot value-added,andthecompanywould ratherhavethosepeopledoingother thingstohelpmovetheneedleforthe business.

Anothercontributingfactoristhings thatarehappeningintheworldtoday Weautomatecomplextradedocuments inthesupplychain,whichinturnfrees peopleuptogo,andspendtimeto identifyhowtosolveacustomer problemduetoasupplychainchallenge thatisreallyrelevantintoday's marketplace.Wedelivertechnologythat willallowacustomertomaybenothave ahumaninthelooptodocertaintasks inaworldwherewearenowfacedwith theGreatResignationwhereit'shardto hirepeople.That'sarealvalue-added component.

Whatdoyouthinkisauniqueaspect ofyourbusiness?

Ithinkoneofthemostuniqueaspectsof ourbusinessisthefactthatwecan deliverrealvaluetoa$10Million family-owneddistributor,andonthe samedaywecandeliverthesamevalue toExxon,ortoHoneywell.Ithinka uniqueattributeofthisbusinessisthe abilitytogrowthosesegments concurrently.It'salmosta50/50split betweenbookingsinrevenuebetween ourenterprisecustomersandourmidmarketcustomers.

Wheredoyouseeyourcompanya fewyearsfromnow?

We'regoingtocontinuetogrow.Ithink automationisgoingtobecomemoreand moretopical,andsincewe'reintheright space,you'llseeusevolve,innovateand rolltechnologiesoutthatwillmakeit easiertogetourcustomerslive.

Ithinkyou'llseethepowerofmachine learningreallykickintoourbusiness. Ourcustomersneedtogetupand runningasfastaspossiblesotheycan starttopayoffthebusinesscase.We willmakeinvestmentsthatwillhelpour customersachievethosegoals,andquite quicklythemarketwillseeusbecome muchmoreofaninternationalbrand thatwearetoday

KnowingRayGrady

Raybringsmorethan20yearsof experienceinscalinghigh-growthB2B organizationsandleadsthecompanyin designingandexecutingConexiom's vision,strategicgrowthplans,and companyoperations.

RaycomestoConexiomfrom SalesforceB2BCommerce,wherehe heldtheroleofSVP,COO,andGM. Previously,GradywasPresidentand COOofCloudCraze,whereheledthe companythroughits2018acquisition bySalesforce.Grady'sextensive experiencealsoincludesrolesasSVP andGMofAcquia,oneofthefastestgrowingSaaSprovidersintheworld, andtheco-founderofAcquityGroup, whichwentpublicin2012beforebeing acquiredbyAccentureInteractivein 2013.

“We want our company to look like the communities where we live. We really try to adhere and align to the values of the business and stay true to them every day.”

Weneedtolistentothose whothinkthatyouridea maynotwork,butyou havetobepersistentandstrongly believeinyourselfwhenyourown hasbeenvalidated,despite everything,whenyouaretoldthatit willneverwork.”

Giovanni Blandina, Founder and CEO of Easyrain

AdialoguewithGiovanni Blandina:GiovannispeakstoThe Chief'sDigestaboutasimpleyet brilliantsolutionforsavinglivesand preventingroadfatalitiescausedby wetroadsandlowgripconditions. Easyrain'steamcombinestechnical expertiseandthepowerofinnovation toengineerpatentedsafetysolutions tomakevehiclesmoresecure.

Howdidyoucomeupwiththeidea orconceptforyourbusiness?

AsEasyrain,we'veapproachedan

Staying Safe on The Road Isn't Just About Your Driving Skills: Make Driving Safer & Intuitive with Easyrain

Giovanni Blandina, Founder & CEO

issue(reducingaccidentsinthewet roadandaquaplaningconditions)that hasbeenaroundsincethecarscame out.Theideathatwecouldsucceed wherethebignameshavefailedwas hardtobelieve.Overtime,wehave managedtoovercomeskepticism, andtoday,carmakersarestartingto collaboratewithus.

Anotherchallengewastolauncha start-upwiththemissionof developingactivesafetysystems, thusrequiringahugeamountof money.FindingthefundstodoR&D, stayinginItaly,andhavingno helpingchannelswascertainlyoneof themostimportantchallengesIhad toface.Anotherhazardousbut rewardingchoicewastofollowthe oppositedirectionofwherethe automotiveindustryhasbeen allocatedinvestments:inaneraof digitalization,software,and autonomousdriving,Easyrainhas chosentodevelophardwaresystems.

Whatareyourcompanyofferings? Howhaveconsumerresponses shapedthemovertheyears?

Since2013,Easyrainhasbeen developing

AIS:AIS(AquaplaningIntelligent Solution)isanintelligenthydropneumaticsafetysystemwith custom-madenozzlesplacedinfront ofthefrontwheelsofthevehicles andcapableofcleaningthewet surfaceofthetirestocontract aquaplaningandimproveagainthe roadgripofthetires.Withthesecond generationofAISprototype introducedinthesummerof'22,the systemhasbecomesmaller,lighter, andeasytobefittedineverytypeof car,fromcitycars(withlittleroomin thefrontendtoplacethesystem)to SUV(withhigherroadclearance), includingEVvehiclesand autonomouscars.

DAI:Theconnectedvirtualsensor

DAIsecuresdrivingonwetasphalt conditionsbyrecognizingdangerous wetroadsituationsandaquaplaning conditions,anddeliveringwarning levelstothevehicle;OEMscanuse warninglevelstosetupnewvehicle safetyfunctionalities,includingthe automaticadjustmentofACCspeed. DAIdoesn'tusedataconnectionsas theyarebasedoninformationalready presentonthevehiclethroughthe CAN(ControllerAreaNetwork)and predictivealgorithms.DAIcanbe furtherintegratedintothe5Gnetwork towarnnearbyvehicles.DAIisthe firstvirtualsensordevelopedwithin theEDPplatform,whichhostsvirtual sensorstorecognizeroadhazardslike Water–Snow&Ice–Pothole–Gravel.Thevirtualsensorsanalyze existingin-Vehicleinformationand providealertstothevehicle,enabling OEMstointroducenewvehiclesafety features.

ERC:EasyrainCloudcollectsdata, comingfromtheEDPplatformand GPSofthevehicle,andprocessesitto shareinformationondangerousroad conditions,improvefleetmanagement andperformadvancedcomputations forreal-timewarningonvehicleparts maintenance.

Atthemoment,ourproductsarenot onthemarketyet,butourcustomers (someofthemainautomotivegroups) haveshowngenuineinterestinour products,andwehavetestsessions plannedatthebeginningofOctober

Onwhatidealsareyourwork cultureandbusinessethicsbased?

Weencourageouremployeesto expresstheirviewsandideasbecause weneedtothinkfasterandmore efficientlytoquicklyovercome problems.Wewillnotgetsecond chances,soit'sourresponsibilityto

ensureweinnovateondailybasis. Furthermore,everyteammember knowsthattheyareessentialforthe successoftheentireprojectandin thedevelopmentoftheproducts.The choiceisdictatedbythedesiretobe partofachallenge.Skillscanbe boughtandenhancedbypayingfor masterclasses,butthewillingnessto facechallenges,thedesireto participateinsomethinggreat,and theattitudetosacrificecannotbe bought.Thisiswhytheseaspectsare apriorityintheselectionofpeople bothasemployeesandpartners.

Howdoyoudefinesuccess?Doyou thinkthereisaformulatobe successful?

Wedon'tfeedpersonalandcompany success,norwewillfocustoreachit –tousasEasyrain,successisadirect resultoffulfillingourmission. Anyway,wecannotdenythatour biggestdreamistobecomeakey playerinEUstrategyfor2050aimed atzeroroadfatalitiesand,ultimately, seeourselvesbecomingaleading companyinthefieldofcarsafety.

Whatdoyouthinkisaunique aspectofyourbusiness?

Wearethefirststartupinthe automotiveindustrytodevelopa complete,modularecosystemfor roadsafetyonlowgripconditions, whichincludesahardwareplatform, theAIS;asoftwareplatform,the EDP;andadataplatform,theERC, improvingvehiclesafetyonevery roadsurface.Noothercompanies offeraproductrangelikeours.

Wheredoyouseeyourcompanya fewyearsfromnow?

Theautomotiveindustryischanging, andchangeisoftenfrightening.On thecontrary,Easyrainislivingthis

momentwithincredibleenthusiasm, becausewebelievethatchangeisa synonymforopportunity.Overthe years,Easyrainhasbecomealeader intheresearchanddevelopmentof innovativesafetysystems,andbeing closetotheiseriesintroduction representsanincrediblesuccess, especiallyconsideringthatthemost positivefeedbackEasyraingotatthe beginningwas“nice,butyou'llnever makeit.Theautomotiveworldis inviolable”.Stronglybelievingin ourselvesandinthepossibilityof succeedinghasallowedustomake greatstrides.

Howhasyourjourneybeensofar?

Veryrewardingsofar,andthebestis yettocome!

MeetGiovanniBlandina

Bornin1979,Giovannistartedhis careerin2001asaTesting MethodologyandProcessDesigner forUrmet,aTurin-basedcompany thatdesignsandmanufactures integratedbuildingcommunication andsecuritysystems.InJanuary 2008,hebecameTeamCoordinator forMotoGPteamFBCorse.In January2009,hemovedtoMarellias SkyTechnologySeniorConsultant, designingnewtestingstrategiesfor automotiveproductsinthetelematics area;fromSeptember2013,he becameTestingMethodology DesignerforMarelli.Hefounded EasyRaininMarch2013:itstartedas apart-timejobforhim,butitbecame afull-timejobinJuly2018.

“We firmly believe in ourselves and in what we do; the possibility of succeeding has allowed us to make great strides.”

AdialoguewithFirdaus

Nagree:Firdausspeaksto TheChief'sDigestabouthow FCILondonrosefromasmall showroomtobecomethelargestluxury furnitureandinteriorsshowroominthe UK.

Howdidyoucomeupwiththeidea orconceptforyourbusiness?

Icomefromafamilyofentrepreneurs. FCILondoninitsearliestformwasa smallmom-and-popshopestablished bymyparentsin1985.Atthetime,it wascalledFurnitureCraft.After workingforseveralyearsatAccenture, Ijoinedthefamilybusinesstohelpit growandevolve.Togetherwithmy businesspartner,webought commercialrealestatepropertyin NorthLondonandthat'swheretheFCI Londonshowroomwasborn.

Whatareyourcompanyofferings? Howhaveconsumerresponses shapedthemovertheyears?

Curating Luxury Furniture To Transform Your Space

Firdaus Nagree, Founder & CEO

FCILondonisoneofthelargestluxury furnitureandinteriorshowroominthe UK,showcasingover700ofthe world'sbestbrandsunder1roofinour 30,000sq.ft.NorthLondon showroom.Weareanindependently ownedfamilybusinesswithdeeproots infurnituredesign,manufacturingand interiors.

Wesellthemostexclusiveluxury furniturefromtheworld'sbestdesigner brands.Whenwefirststarted importingpiecestotheUK,manyof thebrandsthatweworkedwithwere stillsmallartisanworkshops.Today, theyarehugelysuccessfuland recognisedaroundtheworld.

Wehaveanextensivecustomerbase ontheB2Cside,butwealsoworkwith aclosenetworkofinteriordesigners forwhomwe'vecreatedarangeof tradeservicesdesignedtotakethe headachesoutofdesignprojects.From productsourcingandtechnical drawingstologisticsandinstallations, weprovidebespokeprojectassistance

andcuratedbrandsattradeprices. Everybusiness,bigorsmall,hasits fairshareofchallenges,especially duringtheinitialdays.Tellusabout yourchallengesandhowyou managedtoovercomethem.

AfterweopenedthefirstFCI showroom,thebusinessexpanded rapidly Weopenedseveralmore furnitureshowroomsandthingswere tickingalongnicelyuntilwehita bumpintheroadin2008whenthe bankwantedtoforecloseononeofour commercialbuildings.

WehaduntiltheendofJanuaryto comeupwithaloadofcash.Inlate December,mybusinesspartnerandI signedanewtenancyagreementthat broughtinthecashweneededand preventedthebankfromtakingthe buildingintoreceivership.

Inthosedays,asayoungentrepreneur andleader,Iwasalsostilllearning aboutbusinessandpeople. Entrepreneursfacemanychallengeson

aday-to-daybasis,butIwouldsaythe primarychallengeisgettingtheteam right.Ittookmemanyyearstofigure outhowimportantcompanycultureis andhowtocreateapositiveand supportiveworkingenvironment.Ihad tolearnhowtoaskforhelpandto acknowledgethatthereispowerin admittingthatyoudon'tknowitall.

Inmorerecenttimes,theadventofthe pandemicpresentedunprecedented challenges.Likeeveryoneelse,we wereblindsidedbytheeffectithadon ourbusiness.Becausewealreadyhad anexistingremoteteam,wehada provenformulatofollowwhilewe wereallstuckathomeduringthe lockdown.Butnotbeingabletoseeand interactwithourcustomerswastough.

Ourfurniturecollectionsarenotcheap –wesellluxurybrandsthatarereal investments.Inmostcases,peoplewant tocomeinandseesamplesoratleast browsetheshowroomandchatwith someonebeforetheycommittobuying. Wehadtofindnewwaysofbeing availabletoourcustomersbycreating fullyintegratedonlineconsultations wherewecouldviewsomeone'sspace overZoomandmakefurniture recommendations.

Thewaythatourteammembersall mobilisedtomakethishappenwasjust incredible.TheUKteam,theIndia teamandalltheothersacrosstheworld justputtheirheadsdownwiththis singlecollectivepurpose:tosurvive. Everypersonbarnonewascommitted tothat,anditwasbothaninspirational andhumblingmomentinmycareer.

Howdoyoudefinesuccess?Doyou thinkthereisaformulatobe successful?

Ithinktherearemanywaystomeasure success,butnotallofthemareequally important.Asacompany,we'vewon manydifferentawardsforthingslike

thebestfurnitureshowroom,best interiors,bestup-and-comingbusiness, etc.They'reallgreatandweappreciate them,butattheendoftheday,they're notatruemeasureofsuccess.

Whatmakesusproudandwhatletsus knowwe'vedoneourjobwellareour customerreviews.Thepositivereviews aretherealmeasureofoursuccessand theyhelptoguidethedirectionofour brand.

Asfarasaformulagoes,Idon'tthink there'sonespecificrecipeforsuccess. But,Ibelievethathalfyourbattleis findingtherightpeople.Youhaveto bringpeopleintothecompanywho understandyourcorevaluesandwho havesimilarcorevaluesthemselves. Whenyoucreatethattight-knitteam thatissupportiveofoneanotherand committedtoworkingtogethertowards acommongoal,youhavethebest chancethatyou'lleverhaveofseeing success,bothprofessionallyand personally.

Whatwouldyousayarethefactors thathavecontributedtoyoursuccess asanorganization?

I'dsaythatpersonally,mygreatest achievementhasbeenbuildingan incredibleteam.Onethingwe'vedone reallywellatFCIistocultivateavery accessibleenvironmentwherepeople feelsafetosharetheirideas.

Thiscreatesaplatformwhereeveryone canbeopen,whichleadstoacascade ofcreativethinkingandinnovation. Wheneveryonecontributesandthey're excitedaboutwhattheycanpotentially do,theywillstrivetokeepimproving andyou'llgetthebestoutofthem.

Icreditmyteamforeverysuccess we'vehad.I'velearnedthatinmyrole asaleader,Iamaservant,andmyrole istoservethepeoplethatIlead.IfIdo thiswell,theywillflourishandgrow intothebestversionsofthemselves,

whichinturnleadstosuccessforthe business.

Whatdoyouthinkisauniqueaspect ofyourbusiness?

Whenitcomestotheluxuryfurniture thatweimport,ourrelationshipswith oursuppliersareverystrong,which allowsustoofferbespokeoptionsto ourclientsthattheymaynotbeableto getelsewhere.

Butwhatreallysetsusapartisour customerservice.Wearevery,very goodatit.Everybodysaysthey'regood atcustomerservice,butwegenuinely areacutabovetherestbecausewe ownallthenecessarymovingpartsinhouse.

Fromtheinstallerstothefitters,the deliveryvans,thewarehousing,the admin–it'sallin-houseandnoneofit issubcontractedout.So,whether you'rebuyingacustom-builtwardrobe fromusorwe'rerenovatingtheinterior ofyourentirehome,weownthatlasttouchexperiencewithyou,theclient.

Thishasdefinitelywonuspoints, particularlybecausewe'reintheluxury sectorandexpectationsareveryhigh. It'snotenoughforonepersononthe teamtogotheextramile–every division,everyteam,mustwork togetherasaunittoofferanintegrated experiencethatwillsimplywow people.Andwedothat.

Wheredoyouseeyourcompanya fewyearsfromnow?

Thewaythatpeopleseeinteriordesign ischanging.Thisadvancementhas beentheinspirationbehindoneofthe biggestprojectsthatwe'recurrently workingon–thedevelopmentofa globalSaaSplatformthatwill revolutionisehowpeopleaccessdesign adviceandallowthemtooptimisetheir livingspaceswithoutspendinganarm andaleg.

“In addition to our luxury furniture range, we offer a comprehensive interior design service with a team of trained designers. Our mission is to create transformative, positive spaces that contribute to overall happiness and wellbeing.

Wewanttomakepeoplehappyby transformingtheirspaces–thatisour ultimategoal.Ifwecanmake someone'sspacevisuallyperfecttosuit theirstyleandkeepitwithintheir budget,itwillgoalongwaytowards contributingtotheiroverallhappiness, hopefullyinspiringthemtothenpayit forward.

We'realsolookingathowtech innovationiscontributingtoluxury furnitureandhowcanweusenew trendstomaketheFCIexperience betterforourcustomers.We're constantlydealingwithnewdesigners, newproductsandnewbrandsandnow we'rebusyexploringtheworldof NFTs.

Howhasyourjourneybeensofar?

It'sbeenawildride!Beingan entrepreneurcomeswithmany challenges,butitisalsosothrilling.I lovethevarietyofmyworkthat constantlyleadstolearningnewthings andmeetingnewpeople.Ilovebeing abletomakeadifferenceinthethings thatreallymattertome.AndIlike challenges–learningfromthemand improvingiswhatdrivesme.

TheManBehindFCILondon's Success

FirdausNagree

Firdausisaserialentrepreneur,angel investor,father,husbandand

passionatescubadiverwhohas foundedorfundednumerous successfulcompaniessince1999.After beginninghiscareerasastrategy consultantwithAccenture,Firdaus becameinvolvedintheLondon propertyscene,tradingpropertiesfrom theageof21.Hehasbeenactively involvedasanexecutive,board memberorinvestorinavarietyof sectorsincludingDigitalHospitality, F&H,Construction,InteriorDesign, Retail,BridgeFinance,Proptech, Education,AggregatedLogistics, Property,On-DemandFoodDelivery andInsurance.

- FirdausNagree,thefounderand CEOofFCILondon

Simplifying Jenkins Integration in Jira to Help Users Gain Insight on Build Results and Their Issues

Mark Rekveld, Founder

“I enjoy coding and want to get all the little details right. Jenkins Integration for Jira is one such example. It started with solving my own problem,” says Mark Rekveld, Founder of Marvelution.

InceptionofMarvelution

Marvelutionisasoftwarecompany thatsimplifiesJenkinsintegrationin Jira.Itwasfoundedasaresultof Mark’sinclinationtodealwith complexissuesandmakethemas simpleandeffectiveaspossible.Mark, acodegeek,softwaredeveloper, designer,andsolutionarchitect, workedwithseveralmajorfirmsinthe industrylikeOracle,BEA,IBM,SAP, andSiebelafterhisgraduationin2007. Duringhistimeworkingwiththese firms,herealizedthatopen-sourcewas

notusedinprojectseventhoughthey offeredbetterandfastersupportas comparedtothesoftwarefrombig playersintheindustry

Marktookituponhimselftocomeup withopen-sourcesolutionsthatcan helphimimplementadifferentstyleof integrationbetweenJenkinsandJira. Eventually,hestartedhelpingmany companiesintheirdevelopmentand offeringsupporttocustomers.Andthat markedthebeginningofMarvelution. However,thecompanywasformally establishedinlate2015followingthe

wideadoptionofthesoftwarethat happenedoverquiteashorttime.

OvercomingtheChallenges

Marvelutionwasahumbleattempt byMarktohonehisdevelopment skills.AlthoughMarvelutionsawa swiftsuccessintheinitialtimes, makingthetransitionfromanopensourceumbrellaprojecttogetting establishedasacompanywas tough.

Oneofthemajorchallengesthat Marvelutionhad,asMarkrecalls,

wastofindalicensemodelforallthe open-sourceprojectsundertakenunder thebusinessname.Sofar,Mark handledeveryprojectunder Marvelutionbycreatingand maintainingthemforfree.Butnow, Markhadtofigureoutawayto developasustainablebusinessmodel thatcouldgenerateprofitstogrow Marvelutionwhilealsotakingcarenot toforce-feedthelicensedmodeltoits customers.

Eventually,Marksucceededin overcomingthischallenge.He developeddifferentofferingsforthe projectsthatwereinheritedwhile keepingtruetotheiroriginofopensourcefreesoftware.Thisopenedup newavenuesandscopetoexplore whilealsogeneratingrevenuesand addingnewsolutionsassoftware featuresfortheirclients.

UniqueOfferingsCustomizedto MeetCustomerDemands

ThesolutionprovidedbyMarvelution tointegrateJiraandJenkinsisbased onthepremisethatJiraholdsthe standardframeworkforintegratingthe buildresultsinJenkinsintotheviews ofissuesinJira.

Othersolutionproviderstendto configuretheintegrationandbehavior withinthebuildconfigurationofeach jobinJenkins.Asaresult,numerous jobshavetobeconfiguredtoshare resultswithJiraincludingthe credentialsneededtopushbuildresults toJira.

Thesinglesourceoftruthsolutionof theJenkinsIntegrationforJiraapp allowsadministratorstoconfigurethe integrationonce,andafterthat,Jenkins pushesdatatoJira.ThenJirahandles processingtheresultstomakesurethe necessaryactionsaretaken.

Oneoftheprimaryreasonswhy Marvelution’sservicesareuniqueisit focusesoncustomizingthesolutionto fittheclient’sneedsandchanging demands.Whilecompetitorsuseissue commentstolinkJenkinsbuildstoJira issues,Marvelutionusescustomview elementsaddedtoJiratoshowthis information.Theadvantageofthisis thesecommentsdon’tgetclutteredand customer/usercommentscanbeeasily found.

Moreover,Marvelutionhasalso developedanautomationenginethat allowsadministratorstoconfigurea rulethatshouldbeexecutedwhena buildorjobissynchronizedtoJira.It allowsyoutosimplycreate,and releaseaversioninJiraiftherelease buildwassuccessful,orautomatically transitionanissueifadeveloperis workingonit.

Marvelutionspearheadsthecompanies providingJirasolutionsduetomany reasons,oneofthembeingdriver feedbackMarvelutionreceivesfrom theircustomers.Thiscanbebothbug reportsandfeaturerequestsandisthen mixedwiththeirout-of-the-box thinkinganduniqueideasforproducts andservices.Anotherdecidingfactoris technicaladvancementsandchanges neededtomakesuretheproductsand serviceskeepperformingtothehigh standardsetbyMarvelution.

AdaptingTotheShifttoTheCloud

There’snothingnewaboutit,butthe shifttocloudcomputingcontinuesto grow.Initially,mostofthecustomers thatMarvelutioncateredtowere dependingonserverordatacenter deploymentstoruntheirbusiness operations.Lookingatthescenario today,moreandmorecustomersare movingtothecloudnotjustbecause theyrealizethebenefitsitoffersbut becausetheyareforcedtomoveinthe

directiontheirsoftwarevendorsare heading.

Withinthistrendofshiftingtothe cloud,Markalsosawthatmost featureswerecloud-firstandsome werecloud-only.Tobuildastrong differentiatingfactor,Markensured thatthefeaturesarereleasedtothe cloudfirstsinceithasafasterrelease cycleandalsofollowedupwitha releasethatcustomerscanuseontheir serveranddatacenterdeployments.

TheJenkinsJiraIntegrationproductis theoldestproductMarvelutionhasthat startedin2008asahobbyproject. Overitslifespan,theproducthasseen 3-4rewritestoovercomeusingthe productateverlargerscales.After yearsofdevelopmentexperiencewith JenkinsandJira,theproducthasturned intoarobustsolutionthatworksvery wellineventhelargestscaled customers.

MeetTheTrailblazer

MarkRekveld

MarkistheFounderofMarvelution. Afterfinishinghisbachelor’sdegreein Informatics,MarkfocusedonJava softwaredevelopment&maturedwith apassionforleandevelopmentand open-sourcesoftware.Hispassionand loveforcodingandurgetosimplify thecomplexityledtoMarvelution.

“Marvelution’sservicesareuniqueand custom-madetotheirclient’sneeds andchangingdemands,trulysetting themapartfromthecompetitioninthe market.”

TheWorldHealthOrganization (WHO)estimatesthatthereisa globalshortageof4.3million physicians,nurses,andotherhealth professionals.Withnotenoughphysicians tohandlethepopulation,enablingthemto doconsultationsremotelywillenable themtocatertomorepatients.That's whereMedgatecomesinwithitsvisionto providehealthcaretothemajorityand makeitmoreaccessibletoeveryone.

“We at Medgate make a difference by working with patients to motivate, and empower them through continual education, clinical reminders, and guidance to help them achieve their health goals and improve their quality of life”StavrosAthanasiou,President,Medgate Philippines.

Excerpt from the dialogue with Stavros Athanasiou: Stavros talks about the increasing need to incorporate telemedicine systems in healthcare delivery and practices and how Medgate is making a concerted effort to increase access and coverage between healthcare practitioners and patients.

Leading The Telemedicine Healthcare Ecosystem to Ensure Accessible ealthcare to Millions of Filipinos

Stavros Athanasiou, President

Whatareyourcompanyofferings? Howhaveconsumerresponsesshaped themoverthe years?

Medgate'stele-treatmentprogram providesnon-emergencyandnon-lifethreateningtreatmenttoeligiblepatients. Medgate'stele-treatmentincludeshaving accesstolicensedFilipinonursesand doctors,internationalguidelinesand protocolsfollowedbyourspecialist doctors,triageconductedbyMedgate nurses,andgeneralreferralstocustomer clinicsandaffiliatenetworks.Medgate alsoprovideslaboratoryrequestsand interpretation,e-prescriptions,and certificatesofmedicalteleconsultation rightafterthepatient'sconsultation.We providemultipletouchpointstoour patientssuchaslandline,mobile,and socialmedianetworkstoprovide24/7 accesstopatients.

Duetothepandemic,peoplefeargoing tomedicalfacilitiestohavetheirmedical consultationsface-to-facebecausethey mightbeexposedtothevirus.This contributedtotherecognitionthat

Telemedicineplaysabigrole,where havingmedicalconsultationremotelyis analternativetoaface-to-face consultationfornon-emergencycases. Forthepatient,itismoreconvenientand cost-efficient.Medgatewasoneofthe firstcompaniesthatpassedtherigorous accreditationbythePhilippine DepartmentofHealth(DoH)and NationalPrivacyCommission(NPC)to deliverteleconsultationservicesto FilipinosduringtheperiodofEnhanced CommunityQuarantine(ECQ)and ModifiedEnhancedCommunity Quarantine(MECQ)implementedto mitigatethespreadofCOVID-19. Duringthistime,Medgatehada170% increaseincalls.Medgatecontinuesto handleahighnumberofcallsaspartof thenewnormalwherethereisanalmost equalratioofnewandrepeatcallers.

Everybusiness,bigorsmall,getsits fairshareofchallenges,especially duringtheinitialdays.Tellusabout yourchallengesandhowyoumanaged toovercomethem.

TelemedicineinthePhilippinesis

relativelynew.Hence,introducingitto Filipinos,whoareusedtoface-to-face consultationwasverychallenging.The keytointroducingthemwaspartnering withcompaniesthatareinthehealth, insurance,andbankingindustrieswith manycustomersthatarelookingfor addedbenefits.Incooperationwiththem, wewereabletocreateawarenessand providetheircustomerswithtelemedicine whichbecameanadd-ontotheservices thattheywereoffering.Itbecamea uniquesellingpointforourpartners.To createawarenessamongourmembersand totheuntappedmarket,wewere aggressivelypresentonsocialmedia.We alsoconductedroadshowsand orientationsandparticipatedin conferences.

Howdoyoudefinesuccess?Doyou thinkthereissomesortofformulato besuccessful?

Successforusisbeingabletoattainthe trustofourclientsinprovidingwhatwas promised–toprovideaccessible healthcare.Wefocusonproperplanning, implementation,andreviewofresults. Thisnotonlyappliestoaddressing concernsofourexternalstakeholdersbut ourinternalstakeholdersaswell. Communicatingeffectivelyandefficiently iscrucialinthehealthcareindustrywhere wearedealingwithlives.

Whatwouldyousayarethefactors thathavecontributedtoyoursuccess asanorganization?

Asanorganization,weensuretostaytrue toourvisionwhichistoprovide accessiblehealthcaretoFilipinos.With thisinmind,wepracticeourcorevalues withintheorganizationbybeingeasy, efficient,innovative,andpersonal.Easy–whereourservicesareaccessible, straightforwardandeasilyunderstoodby ourpatients;Efficient–weofferoptimal, cost-effective,andsolution-oriented medicaltreatment;Innovative–weareat theforefrontofhealthcaretechnologyand wearedrivingitsdevelopmentforward; lastly,wearePersonal–wefocusonthe

wellbeingofourpatientsand communicatingwiththemasindividuals toprovidethemthecarethatcomforts.

Whatdoyouthinkisauniqueaspect ofyourbusiness?

Whatsetsusapartisthatevenbeforethe pandemic,wewerealreadyproviding accessiblehealthcaretothemembersof ourpartners.Ourservicesfocuson24/7 teleconsultationservicewherewecan providemedicalconsultationsoverthe phonefornon-lifethreatening,nonemergencyhealthconcerns.

Weensurehavingmultipletouchpointsto provideaccessibilitytoourpatients.We canbereachedthroughlandline,mobile phone,website,socialmedia,aswellas anupcomingmobileappsothatpatients cancallourdoctorsanywhere,anytime. Apartfromthat,wehavemorethan22 yearsofexperienceintheTelemedicine industry,handlingover12million teleconsultationsglobally.

TheMedgateplatformisrobust,tried, andtestedforthedeliveryofhighvolumeteleconsultationstoalarge memberbase.Weemploystatistically basedclinicalguidelines.These guidelinesallowaGeneralPractitionerto treatadermatologicalcase,oran Internisttotreatapediatriccase,etc. Medgatedoesnotrelysolelyonthe knowledgeofanindividualdoctor. Instead,ourdoctorscanleanonthebody ofworkthatourentireglobal organizationgenerates,soourdoctors canconfidentlydiagnoseandtreatour patients.

Wheredoyouseeyourcompanyafew yearsfromnow?

Beforethepandemic,Medgatehadset intomotionitsplansofexpandinginto keyASEANmarkets.Theexecutionof theseplanswillcontinueassoonas businesstravelresumesintheregion. Medgatewillcontinuetoinnovateand growitstelemedicinecorebusinessas newtechnologiesemerge.Theadventof

5Gbroadbandshouldmakeforan immersivehigh-resolutionvideo experiencefurtherenhancingthe experienceofpatients.Advancesin wearables,especiallythosewiththe abilitytocapturebodytemperature, bloodpressure,andevenbloodsugar willusherinanewwaveofcustomers.

Howhasyourjourneybeensofar?

Thejourneyformehasbeenfulfilling andfrustrating,rewarding,and disappointing.Likeallinvolvedin healthcare,wemournthelossofmany duetothecauseofthepandemic,butwe lookforwardtothefuturewithagreat dealofoptimismasaresultofthearray ofdigitaltoolsinthemarket.Thesetools willdefinitelyenhanceandgrowthe business.Excitingtimesupahead!

MeetStavrosAthanasiou,President, MedgatePhilippines

ConcurrentlybeingthePresidentof MedgatePhilippines,Stavrosisalsothe ChiefFinancialOfficerandCorporate SecretaryforTMIPHoldingsPty Limited,aholdingcompanyfor telemedicineoperationslocatedinAsia. Sincehisappointmentin2015,hehas overseenthesetupanddeploymentof regionalaccountingsystemsand reportingframeworks. StavrosearnedhisMasterofAccounting attheUniversityofTechnologySydney andaMasterofTaxationthroughthe UniversityofNewSouthWales.Heis currentlyundertakingaMasterofPublic HealthfromMonashUniversity

BeforecommencinghimselftoMedgate PhilippinesviaTMIPHoldingsPty Limited,heservedastheChiefFinancial OfficerforRantarnaPtyLimited,a privateinvestmentvehicleforaprivate equityfirm.Stavroshasalsobeen responsibleforcontrollinginvestmentsin severalentitiesintelecommunications, leasing,andtelecommunications activities.

NobleGoldInvestmentsisa firmbasedinPasadena, Californiathatstrivesto educateitsclientsontheinvestment valueofpreciousmetalswhilealso offeringasafeandeasywaytobuy them.

“Ourfirmviewsabalancedportfolio asthekeytolong-terminvestingand retirement.Webelievepreciousmetals arethefoundationoffinancial success,”saysCollinPlume,CEOof NobleGoldInvestments.

InourinterviewwithCollinPlume, hespeaksenthusiasticallyabouthis experienceandjourneywithinthe financialindustryandhowhewants toscalethebusinesstonewheights.

Howdidyoucomeupwiththeidea orconceptforyourbusiness?

Myfathercollectedgoldandsilver whenIwasachild,soIalwayshada fondappreciationforthem.After workinginthefinancialindustryfor

Helping People Preserve Wealth in A Rocky Economy with Tangible Assets

Collin Plume, CEO

overadecade,Inoticedarealgapin awarenessandunderstandingofthe commoditiessectoramongAmerican retailinvestors.Ialsoworkedfor anothergoldinvestmentbroker,where Isawalotofthingswrongwiththe industry,thingsthatweren'tserving investorswell,soIsawanopportunity todoabetterjobatprovidingoneof themoststablealternativeinvestments inhumanhistory

Whatareyourcompanyofferings? Howhaveconsumerresponses shapedthemovertheyears?

Wehavethreemainofferings:the optiontoinvestpartofaself-directed IRAorRothIRAintogoldorsilver (hence,aGoldIRA);theoptiontobuy andholdpreciousmetalsinour military-gradesecuritydeposits;or rarecoinstobuyascollectibles.We listentoeachprospectiveinvestor's needsandtailorourrecommendations specificallytothem;nogeneric packagesorrobo-advisors,justreal

humanadvice.Asaresult,the majorityofourcustomerbasecomes fromword-of-mouthreferrals.

Everybusiness,bigorsmall,getsits fairshareofchallenges,especially duringtheinitialdays.Tellusabout yourchallengesandhowyou managedtoovercomethem.

Certainly,thepandemichasbeenone ofourgreatestchallenges,asithas spannednearlyhalfthelifeofour company.Fortunately,mostofour workcanbedoneremotely,sowe quicklyadaptedtoahybrid workplace.AndasaCEO,Istrongly valuepeople'scommitmentstotheir familiesandpersonalwell-being,soI allowthemtheflexibilityofworking hours,location,andstyle,aslongas theygettheirworkdone.Itrustthe peopleIhiretogettheirworkdoneon timeandourwholecompanybenefits whenwehireandaccommodate peoplewithfulllivesoutsideofwork.

We'vealsoheldregularteam-building socialeventsonZoom(duringwork hours)throughoutthepandemicto keepouremployeesfeelingconnected inamorepersonalwaythanjust collaboratingontasks.Wepay employeeswell,andwelistentotheir needs,andasaresult,we've maintaineda95%employeeretention ratethroughouttheGreatResignation. Othercompaniesshouldtakenote.

Onwhatidealsareyourwork cultureandbusinessethicsbased?

Irunmybusinesswithpeopleinmind firstandforemost.Abusinessthat providesaproductorservicethat genuinelymakespeople'slivesbetter insomewayisonethatIcanfeel goodabout,andearningaprofit withoutsacrificingourpeople'shealth orhappinessisimperative.Customer serviceandemployeewell-beingare twofoundationalethicsofour business.

Howdoyoudefinesuccess?Doyou thinkthereissomesortofformula tobecomingsuccessful?

Ijusttrytobealeaderinmyownlife, leadingbyexampleasagood husband,father,andemployerbecause thathasabigrippleeffect.Itryto createenvironmentswherepeoplefeel safeandcansucceedandhavealife outsideofwork.Itrytoinstill confidenceinmystaffandbea soundingboardfornewideas.Ialso getalotoffulfillmentfrom philanthropiccauses,butthemost importantthingisdoingrightinyour backyard.

Whatwouldyousayarethefactors thathavecontributedtoyour successasanorganization?

Well,asImentionedbefore,my passionforthisproductrunsdeeply

personal;Iworkedfordecadesof experienceinmyindustrybefore startingthisbusiness;Iputmy employeesandcustomersfirst;I surroundmyselfwithpeopleof varyingperspectivesandactivelyask themtopointoutany“blindspots” I'mmissing,andweadapttochanging technologiesandtimes.Knowledge, hardwork,andresiliencepayoff.

Whatdoyouthinkisthemost uniqueaspectofyourbusiness?

Oursalestacticsarenotlike traditionalsales–weturnawaymore leadsthanweacceptbecausewemake sureinvestorsarereadyfirst.Wedon't letanyonediveintosomethingthat won'tturnoutwellforthem.Wetreat peoplethewaywewanttobetreated. Wetriedchatbotsyearsago,butwe quicklydidawaywiththembecause everyperson'ssituationisdifferent, andgivinginvestmentadviceishighly personal;itrequiresgoodjudgment. Youcan'tgaugeacompanyora productthroughabot.Maybethey couldbeusefulforsmallerquestions ortransactions,butwhatwedo requiresmoretimeandcare.

Businessleadershavealways emphasizedthehabitofreadingfor success.Isthereabookthatyou drawinspirationfrom?

It'saclassic–HowtoWinFriends andInfluencePeoplebyDale Carnegie.Thatbookisanevergreen, universalguidetoformingnew relationshipsthatanyonecanusein businessorpersonallife.Ihighly recommendittoyoungprofessionals andnewentrepreneurs!

Wheredoyouseeyourcompanya fewyearsfromnow?

Inafewyears,Ihopewe'llhave reachedourbillion-dollarrevenue

goal!Ithinkit'spossiblebecause, withinafewyears,moreinvestors willrealizethatcash,stocks,andmost othermainstreamassetsareunreliable investmentsandturntoalternative investmentsoutsideofgovernment control,likegoldandsilver.Ithinka largeshifttowardhedgesagainst inflation,liketheonesweprovide, willhelppeoplecatchupon retirementsavingsorwealthbuilding, andI'llbeproudtohaveasmallpart inthat.

Howhasyourjourneybeensofar?

Myjourneyasanentrepreneurhas beenatonofwork,buthighly rewarding.Ilearnedthe importanceofnetworkingand collaborationearlyoninmycareer,so workisneverlonelyandnever boring!It'sbeenreallytoughjuggling workandfamilythelastcoupleof years,butI'mhighlyoptimisticabout ourfuture.

MeetCollinPlume

CollinistheCEOofNobleGold Investments,apreciousmetalsIRA brokerhefoundedin2016.Hehas overseventeenyearsofexperience buildingandmanagingthewealthof hisclients,drawingupondecadesof expertiseinpropertyinsurance, commercialrealestate, cryptocurrencyinvestment,and entrepreneurship.

Heispassionateaboutspeakingand educatingthepubliconinvesting wisely,andhesetstheexamplefor businessesadaptingtopost-pandemic restructuringandDEIstandards. CollinisregularlyquotedinForbes, FXStreet,andUSNews&World Reportforhisinvestingexpertise.

SaudiArabiaisundoubtedlyan incredibleandenigmatictourist destination.Fromancientcities, palm-shadedoases,anddesert landscapestoadventureexperiences, theKingdomofSaudiArabiahasmuch tooffertoeveryonewhocomesfora visit.But,howdoyoudiscoverand exploresuchadynamicdestination?

That'swhatyouneedtoaskWafyApp.

Findingpopularandhappeningevents nearbyisn'teasyindeed.It'schallenging fororganizersaswelltogetthebest possibleexposurefortheirevents. That'swheretheSaudi-basedand highlycredibleWafyAppcomesinto bridgethegapbetweenbothendsand helpitsusersdiscoverwhat'shappening intown.

Wafyisaninteractiveplatformoffering acompleteguidetotourism,culture, sports,andentertainmenteventsin SaudiArabia.Wafy'smissionisto marketSaudiArabiatotheworld,and

A Whole New World of Experiences Awaits at Saudi Arabia: Let Wafy Help You

Mohamed Abbas, Founder & CEO

theydoitbysimplifyingandofferinga tonofoptionsforevents,experiences, andlocationstogotoforallSaudi expatsandtourists.

WafyApp:ALivelyGuideofAll EventsTakingPlaceinSaudi's PopularCities

WafycoverscontentinCulture, Tourism,Sport,andEntertainment

TheWafyplatformhasbeenproviding onlineaudienceswithqualitySaudifocusedcontent,particularlyon culture,tourism,entertainment,and sports,sinceitsinceptionin2016.This includescultureandtourismarticles referencedfromrespectedsourcesas wellascomprehensivecoverageofall entertainmentandsportingfestivals andevents.

Theplatformalsoenablesuserstoget theirsearchresultstailoredtotheir preferenceswhenevertheyare planningtogosomewhereorattendan

event,dependingontheirlocation. Whetherusersareplanningtotravel withtheirfamilyorfriends,Wafycan customizeinformationbasedonthatas well.

Wafyisthe#1ContentAggregatorin SaudiArabiaofferingavarietyof options

Theplatformhasdevelopedtobecome thenumber,mosttrustedcontent aggregatorinSaudiArabia.Ittakes usersonajourneywheretheycanread articlesaboutSaudiArabia,book ticketstogototheirfavoriteevents, andsearchforlocationsofinterest acrosscategorizedlists.Wafy'sroleas aggregatorpositionstheplatformasa solidalternativetodownloadingtens ofotherapps.

Wafyappealstoallaudience segmentsfromeventgoersto experienceseekersandreaders

Regardlessofageorgendereveryone canenjoytheplatform.Whetheryou

arelookingforaneasilyaccessible event,adeeperandexceptional experience,orsimplytryingtolearn aboutSaudicultureandvarioustourist destinations,theWafyappandwebsite haveyoumorethancovered.

WafyIsaSuperApp

You'veheardthetermbeforebutthisis whereyoureallygettoexperienceit. TheWafyAppisaSuperApp,tosay theleastboastingofferingsthatwould needmorethan60appstocover,where eventandexperiencecoveragesor tickets–orcontenttoreadalong.

WafyplaysonFOMO

Weliveinafast-pacedworldwhere everythingjusthappenedorisaboutto. Wafyconquersauniqueselling propositionwhenitcomestoeventsand experiences.FOMOisamajorpartof theirbrandDNAanddelivers throughouttheWafyoverallexperience. ThisiswhatmakesWafycontinuously abuzzingplatformamongstitsusers. Eventorganizersgetthisverywelltoo. Businesseshaveseengeneratedtraffic viaWafythatreachedestimated hundredsofmillionsofSaudiRiyalsin ayear'stime.

WafyisPlatformRobust

Wafy'sextremelyuser-friendlyinterface comeswithaverywell-developed backendthatreflectsthesystem's robustness.Thistranslatesintothe platformbeing100%crash-freeandits recordofexponentialgrowthintraffic anddownloads.Theofferingis excellinginmonetizingandbeing transactionalwithawhopping conversionrateinexcessof80%.

Wafy'sContentMethodology

Wafy'scontentmethodologyisbased onfivepillars:

• Educate:Allwritersandreporters producearticlesontrending topicsdaily

• Remind:Contentcreatorspublish listswithcarefullycurated recommendations.

• Transact:Ticketingeventsand experiencesarebasedoninterest.

• Share/rateandreview:Optimize reachthroughuser-generated contentanduserreviews.

• Re-attract:Growuseradvocacy bydeliveringarichand personalizedjourney.

ExploringSaudiIsSimplerwith Wafy

Employingsmarttechnologyincluding filtersandasmartsearchsystem,Wafy allowsuserstoaccessafullrangeof informationwithminimaltimeand effort,ensuringtheirentireexperience issimpleandappealing.

Asmentionedearlier,Wafyhasa databaseofthousandsofarticlesand listsallarchived.Thearticles,lists, events,experiences,andplacesconvey thousandsofstoriescoveringarange ofinterestsincludingculture,heritage, touristdestinations,andtripsaround Saudiregions.Theplatform'sspecial listsalsoaimtomakeyournexttripas easyaspossible.Youcanchoosefrom liststhatrecommendcafes,restaurants shoppingmalls,parks,culturalplaces, historicalsites,orseasonalevents acrossdifferentSaudicities.

Aspartoftheongoingeffortstoensure WafyisthenumberoneSaudiplatform specializinginculture,tourism,sports, andentertainment,Wafyteamalways strivestoboosttheservicesandadd newproductssothatexploringthe Kingdomcontinuestobeanenjoyable

experience.

GrowingBeyondtheBorders

ThereisnowaythatWafyremains restrictedtoasinglecountryor geography Therearenoconfirmed newsorreportsatthemoment,yetall factorsseemtoindicatethatthe platformisexpandingandisexpected tolandnewterritoriessoonerthan expected.Wafy'sinternational ambitionscanbeonlyamatteroftime beforetheyturnintorealities,serving usersallaroundtheglobeandnotjust SaudiArabia.

Besides,Wafyhastakenthestepto improveitsglobalreachbyadding contentinninelanguagesincluding EnglishandArabic.Thisnewmove aimstointroducereadersfromaround theworldtoSaudiprojectsthat improvethequalityoflife,attract touristsandelevateinvestmentinthe Kingdom.Thenewlanguagesare Chinese,German,Spanish,French, Turkish,Urdu,andBalinese.

WhenWafyoperatedwithonlyEnglish andArabicasitsmainlanguages,it generated1.5millionviewsmonthly. WithnewlanguagesaddedtoWafy,the platformwillbeabletoreach63 percentoftheglobalpopulation.

MeetTheInfluentialLeader

MohamedAbbas

MohamedistheCEOandfounderof WafywhoalsofoundedandleadsGT Medical.Heisasuccessful entrepreneurwhohasestablished multiplecompaniesandgarneredlocal andinternationalattention.Forbes recentlynamedhimasoneof10 inspiringbusinesspeopletowatchin theMiddleEast.Aninterviewwiththe CEOhasbeenrequestedforfurther insights.