The 10 Most Innovative CEOs to Follow in 2021

ISSN 2582-127X

February 2022

Top

Most Innovative

CEOs To Follow in 2022

C EO o f Xe b i a

Top 10 Leadership Tips: Lead, Inspire and Run a Successful Company

The Role of CEOs in the Successful Digital Transformation

AN ND S A H AY

Bringing Better Business Plans to the Organization to Spearhead Software Advancements

EDITORIAL Walking Through the Emerging Role of CEOs in the Digitized World

C

OVID-19 has created a massive humanitarian challenge: millions ill and hundreds of thousands of lives

lost; soaring unemployment rates in the world's most robust economies; food banks stretched beyond

capacity; governments straining to deliver critical services. The pandemic is also a challenge for

businesses and their CEOs unlike any they have ever faced, forcing an abrupt dislocation of how employees work, how customers behave, how supply chains function, and even what ultimately constitutes business performance.

Chief executive officers were coping with unprecedented demands and forced to make decisions about uncharted territory, from the relatively sudden shutdown of the global economy and employee layoffs to remote work policies and vaccine mandates. And on top of navigating health crises, civil unrest, supply chain volatility, and shifting economic policies, executive leaders must provide direction, encouragement, and reassurance to an understandably uncertain workforce.

In the previous generation, it was often easy and enough for CEOs to manage the company and the employees.

If the business executed well, the CEO would be rewarded. But now things have changed.

Today, businesses are accountable to an increasing number of stakeholders, and everyone from employees to board members is looking to CEOs for a clearer sense of not just where they're going, but why. That means all the CEOs need to communicate their vision to stakeholders and convince them that they are on the right path.

Just as importantly, they need to communicate their companies' values and have to back them up with measurable and verifiable action.

The CEO is responsible for the overall success of a business entity or other organization and for making toplevel managerial decisions. They may ask for input on major decisions, but they are the ultimate authority in making final decisions.

The organizations CEOs oversee today are more complex and unwieldy. Businesses are operating in an environment of sustained uncertainty and intense competition, and face higher expectations from employees, shareholders, and other stakeholders. All of this has many wondering whether new models or approaches to CEO leadership are in order.

Recognizing the limits of traditional management structures and styles to respond to complex challenges, some CEOs are embracing leadership models that spread responsibility and accountability for the business to a broader group of executives. What is seen emerging is a movement toward “shared leadership” management models, which is defined as organizations that place the CEO at the center of a circle rather than atop a pyramid.

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C O V E R S T O R Y

Anand Shay C EO o f Xe b i a

08

19

Emil Somekh SolidCam

24

32

Jovan Stojanovic

Brett Schroeder AP-Networks

Anari AI

44

38

52

Mark Montgomery

Jaime Leverton

Mathew Garver

Kyield, Inc

Hut 8 Mining Corp

HiQo Solutions

60

Martin Strigač Sygic

30

ARTICLES

58

Top 10 Leadership Tips

The Role Of CEOs

Lead, Inspire and Run a

in The Successful

Successful Company

Digital Transformation

08

Anand

Sahay CEO of Xebia

Bringing Better Business Plans to the Organization to Spearhead Software Advancements

09

Every industry to differentiate and survive will have to become a technology first firm and has to accordingly change its culture to attract the best technologists/software vendors to work for you.

Anand Sahay CEO Xebia

www.xebia.com 10

T

he rise of software engineering has introduced the industry to a wide array of novel engineering challenges.

Several businesses have employed teams of skillful engineers to address these issues. To help businesses

cope with the rising industry demands, Xebia was set up in 2001 in the Netherlands as a niche IT consulting

boutique firm. When the software world was struggling with failed implementations due to bad architectures and wrong choices of technology, Xebia started with a group of the finest and most experienced technologists who could advise on the right technology blueprints and architectures leading to very successful outcomes for the customers.

Soon it also became evident that to implement good architectures, it was equally important to have high-quality software craftsmen to develop any sort of programming and software and that is when Xebia started its software development unit, which quickly grew into a world-class company of software developers who believe in building innovative software solutions using the latest techniques and languages to give customers a differentiated business value. Xebia also became one of the few companies in the world to adopt agile software development methodologies very early on.

A Unique Amalgamation to Achieve Software Excellence In 2006, Xebia got set up in India to tap into the country's

Xebia for its mission-critical work. Soon the company

growing software engineering prowess and cater to the

expanded into the US, UK, Middle East, and South East

demand of global customers for quality software

Asia and became Xebia Global Services.

engineering talent. The best practices of architecture,

Xebia currently has over 4000 people working under the

engineering, and software craftsmanship learned

name with 5 development centers in India, Vietnam,

through years of practice in the Netherlands were all

UAE, Netherlands, Belgium, UK, USA, Australia, and

combined with India's software engineers to build a

Canada.

unique amalgamation of quality and scale. That made

The company's software strength spans all critical

Xebia a unique proposition in India and completely

capabilities that are required to bring successful

differentiated it from other software firms worldwide.

differentiated digital transformation programs for global

Xebia's reputation in using the latest technology to build

customers. Some of the key areas that Xebia focuses on

quality software soon started getting acknowledged.

are architecture, full-stack engineering, cloud, DevOps,

The company's software engineers' blogs, contribution

SRE, data engineering, data science, low code

to open-source, and knowledge sharing at the global

engineering, and product development.

stage started to bring global customers in a contract with

An Insightful Leader with Futuristic Views Anand Sahay, the CEO of Xebia, is an electronics

In 2014, he took the role of CEO at Xebia with the

engineer who started his career at TCS as a software

mandate to build Xebia's footprint outside the

programmer. Later, he completed his MBA and moved

Netherlands. In the process, Anand co-founded Xebia

entirely into technology sales and customer

Global Service, which established Xebia's business in the

management.

US, UK, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and Australia.

11

Always a Pioneer in Solving Critical Business Problems As the CEO and Co-Founder of Xebia Global Services,

"No one can run and grow a company alone. The only

Anand is both an entrepreneur and a leader. On a daily

option is to continuously find people better than you. It's

basis, he focuses on helping business leaders to solve

also important to give them a free hand while obsessively

critical problems as well as run the company. In his career,

removing any kind of 'fear' from their minds," says Anand.

Anand has been exposed to a diverse range of

He states that communicating the larger goals

organizations, functional groups, and cultures. He admits

continuously to one's leaders is another critical aspect to

that collectively, these experiences and people have

succeed and also adds that awareness of his own

contributed to the person and business leader he is

weaknesses has been one of the harder things which he

today. Anand shares some of the greatest leadership

realized is crucial to building a high-performance team.

lessons he has learned throughout his career-

Sailing through the Early Day Challenges with Compassion Anand discloses that in the initial phase of his Xebia

the most difficult parts was to attract, hire, and retain the

journey, almost everything was to be built while keeping

high-quality talent in the early part of the company's

a very strong focus on the financial aspects. But one of

growth.

The Cognizance of a True Leader from Anand's Binocular Anand enunciates that everyone needs a balanced and

Anand further adds that it is also important to bring

honest view of their strengths and weaknesses. To build a

vision and strategy to the here and now. Leaders need to

successful team to lead, he articulates that the leaders

be able to communicate with frontline staff without de-

must be so aware of their weaknesses that they can hire

positioning management, but they also need to be able to

against them. It is also crucial to possess awareness

connect. It's important to engage with all levels because

about the certain areas where leaders soar and where

there will be a different perspective from each

they need more help.

operational group and level. “Business is becoming more

He believes in speaking clear enough to get the point

moment-to-moment than ever before. It's more difficult

across by maintaining a balanced delivery of firm and

to execute long-term planning because businesses need

delicate messaging. Anand says that he stops talking and

constant re-evaluation to be relevant with the times.

tries taking a different approach if he is not getting the

Leaders need to be present, listening, and open to

desired results. “Learning the needs and motivations of

learning from everyone around them,” he mentions.

key stakeholders is also as important as determining how

Lastly, Anand asserts that everyone can help leaders

to better position the message to reach the desired

learn crucial lessons. It goes without saying that

actions and results,” he highlights.

everyone has their own style of leadership, their

12

personal brand. Observing how others handle

“Leadership is a constant assessment and re-evaluation,

themselves – peers, management, and other external

so the more you can learn from the experiences of others

leaders – is a great way to learn. Whether they agree with

– good or bad– the better off aspiring leaders will be

how a situation is handled or not, the experience can

when they are positioned to make the decisions” he

teach them how to approach a similar issue in the future.

claims.

'Disruptive Technologies and Customer Fulfilment' at the Heart of Innovation Anand states that rather than using the word

their transformation goals to remain relevant in this

'innovation', he prefers to call it 'the way forward with

marketplace of flux.

Xebia'.

He asserts that across all industries, the common themes

Some of Xebia's transformative innovations range within

that will resonate in 2022 are those of automation, AI,

these domains:

cloud, and digital technologies that will enable a

Ÿ

Consulting Services: Xebia's transformation and

transformation towards customer-centric, personalized,

business agility offerings helps fast-track the

proactive, and predictable customer experiences. With

customers' transformation strategy through

many early movers exploring use cases for AI, robotics,

accelerated learning, agile processes, and end-to-end

and industrial IoT, among a plethora of other

alignment between the businesses and IT operations

technologies, Anand pinpoints the need for an approach

for agile and sustainable digital operations

that strikes a balance between the three key

Ÿ

Talent Services: The team focuses on transforming

contributors to success in today's world. Leading

the customers' capability through training, capability

transformative initiatives that will define the years to

building, and the setup of centers of excellence. Their

come is a task that requires the right skill set, technology

depth of experience with ITSM, agile DevOps, robotic

experience, and capabilities from the processes and

process automation, AI, and other digital enablers

practices standpoint. At Xebia, the team's capabilities

help customers realize their goals with a faster time-

stem from deep domain experience in retail, hospitality,

to-market and significantly reduced risk.

financial services, fintech, and insurance, which puts the company in a unique position to help customers achieve

Ÿ

Technology Partnerships: The company's powerful low-code competency through Appcino to Oblivion 13

that drives cloud solutions, and coMakeIT that brings

dominant driver of growth accelerations. U.S. spending is

product engineering expertise, the team is

on track to increase 4.9% and 4.7% in 2021 and 2022.

successfully bridging the gap between requirement

Xebia has also been making substantial investments to

and solution, delivering competitive advantage to the

support the growing demand, which is back to the pre-

customers. Appcino, a low code BU of Xebia, with its

pandemic level again."

decade-long experience, is working with numerous

In a nutshell, Anand and his team believe that sustainable

global clients enriching their low-code journey on

transformation and what Gartner calls, the Composable

Appian from ideation to delivery and post-delivery.

Enterprise, is the trend for 2022 and beyond. And Xebia,

Appcino specializes in a unique and successful

with its motto of creating digital leaders, can help

accelerator-driven approach, cutting the time to

businesses remain relevant and thrive during the

implement starting day one and ensuring higher ROI.

tumultuous time that the industry is currently experiencing.

Anand mentions, "According to Morgan Stanley, IT spending for U.S. companies continues to be the

Playing a Win-Win Game with Digitization Anand opines that the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial

the technology capabilities are available today to help

intelligence (AI), and blockchain represent an

leaders build the business of tomorrow. Any leader of

unprecedented opportunity for the enterprise and the

today will think of making a powerful combination of all

public sector. He expresses that every institution which

these advanced technologies for automating trust by

is capable of exploiting these technologies is already and

providing immersive interfaces, extended reality,

will keep getting a chance to radically streamline and

w o r k i n g a u t o n o m y, d i g i t a l r e fl e c t i o n , a n d

enhance existing processes, create entirely new business

hyperconnected networks. “The primary vision behind

models and develop innovative products and services for

every business should be about significantly expanding

a new generation of consumers. But this is not a vision of

the capacity to work smarter and more seamlessly with

a utopian tech-enabled future, instead, he believes that

the use of these converged technologies,” adds Anand.

A Future Laden with People and Technology Transformation Anand says that Xebia brings with itself the evolution of

Ÿ

The Digital Enterprise: With a majority of enterprises

IT services that are continuing to underpin technology

now capitalizing on the opportunity presented by a

and people transformation in 2022 and even beyond. The

permanently remote workforce, work-from-home

team's opinion reveals that 2022 will thus be the year

has made the call for the enterprises to digitalize

where people and technology transformation mature

inescapably Gartner predicts a 16% CAGR up to 2025

and establish new standards and norms all over the

for digital transformation services, leading to a

world. While the business cases for different industries

market size of US$2.7 trillion.

may vary, Anand states the core transformative trends that the industry might witness this year.

14

Ÿ

AI at the Forefront: As businesses go digital, automation, intelligent automation, and artificial

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

intelligence have evolved as major contributors to

privacy, and information security, in general, have

enabling a massively distributed enterprise and its

gone from barely meeting the needs to being

globally distributed operations. IDC predicts a CAGR

inadequate. Here, enterprises and regulators need to

of 19% up to 2025 for AI products and services,

revisit the implications of compliance, standards, and

leading to a marketing size of US $576 billion.

regulations.

IT Services for 24x7 Operations: As enterprises go

Ÿ

Flexibility and Agility are the Core: With as much

digital and operations go global, IT services need to go

change in the recent past and more on the horizon,

hand-in-hand with operations and business vision,

the key to improved relevance and profitability in the

making traditional fee-for-service and managed

post-pandemic normal. For most businesses,

services models nearly obsolete, as outcome-based

technological changes can be cumbersome from the

and result-oriented models become increasingly

knowledge, experience, and competency

sought after.

standpoints. As business cases for technology

Cybersecurity Redefined: With people and data from

adoption, transformation and innovation are

all over the world, accessing enterprise systems and

explored, businesses will increasingly feel the need

data round the clock, from different networks,

for their IT service partners to step up to fulfill roles in

different devices, different types of connection, and

a r e a s s u c h a s a g i l e d eve l o p m e n t , D ev O p s ,

using a diverse toolset, the term perimeter defense

DevSecOps, and continuous-integration-and-

has become almost irrelevant. Cybersecurity today

continuous-development (CI/CD). Here, the industry

needs to protect every user, application, interface,

will see a resurgence of IT Services providers with

connection, and a packet of data whether at rest or in

consulting services experience as a bridge between

motion.

technological edge and capabilities. Low code

Compliance beyond Regulations: With digital

development is becoming popular to speed up the

enterprises, global operations, and commoditized

time to market for businesses.

data, the current regulations for PII, data protection,

Words of Wisdom for Future Leaders Anand advises emerging leaders to remain aware of the

their respective businesses. He also asks them not to

market play; it is crucial to have an in-depth

jump into businesses they have not understood or deeply

understanding of the problem they want to solve to build

analyzed previously.

15

Anand Sahay

Emil Somekh

CEO

Founder & CEO

Xebia

SolidCAM

Anand Sahay, the CEO of Xebia, is an electronics engineer who started his career at TCS as a so ware programmer. In 2014, he took the CEO role at Xebia with the mandate to build the company’s footprint outside the Netherlands. In the process, Anand co-founded Xebia Global Service, which established Xebia’s business in the US, UK, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and Australia. As the CEO and CoFounder of Xebia Global Services, Anand is both an entrepreneur and a leader.

Emil Somekh is the Founder and CEO of SolidCAM. He started his professional career in the Aerospace Industry, developing CAD/CAM products. Emil claims that he has also dealt with CAD/CAM in both his Master's and Doctoral studies. He founded SolidCAM in 1984 and has been the CEO of the company since then. Emil says that founding the company and successfully managing it through all its phases is something that has successfully shaped his CEO quali es.

Top

Most Innovative

CEOs To Follow in 2022

www.solidcam.com

www.xebia.com

Jovan Stojanovic

Mark Montgomery

Brett Schroeder

Jaime Leverton

Co-Founder & Managing Director

CEO Hut 8 Mining Corp

CEO & Co-Founder

Founder & CEO

Anari AI

KYield, Inc

Jovan Stojanovic is a serial tech entrepreneur with more than 12 years of experience in tech with a focus on ar ficial intelligence. He founded Anari AI in 2020, alongside Bogdan Vukobratovicand Stefan Sredojevic, to rebuild the hardware AI industry from scratch. Jovan emphasizes that Anari AI was born as a part of the Wonderland AI ecosystem that he launched five years ago.

Mark Montgomery is the Founder and CEO of the KYield, Inc. His interest in AI goes back to 1984.

He recounts the days when he and his wife owned an inn that hosted a variety of individuals and groups, including UW, PNNL, HP, and Microso . In 1995 Mark founded the knowledge systems lab as a small business network, and in 1997 he launched GWIN, which was a cu ng-edge social/learning network.

www.anari.ai

www.kyield.com

Mathew Garver

Martin Strigač

Marc Benioff

AP-Networks Bre Schroeder is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of APNetworks. Bre focuses on the business delivery of products and services to AP-Networks’ global client base of more than 80 marquee companies. He shares responsibility for the management of AP-Networks with Co-Founder George DeBakey. Bre has over 25 years of work experience in the energy and petrochemical industries. www.ap-networks.com

Jaime Leverton, the Chief Execu ve Officer (CEO) of Hut 8 Mining Corp, is the leader behind this booming company. Jaime joined Hut 8 in December 2020.

She started her career in technology and found herself fortunate to receive significant and challenging opportuni es that helped her to build a reputa on as a turnaround expert.

www.hut8mining.com

Michael Dell

CEO

CEO

Chair & CEO

CEO & Chairman

HiQo Solu ons

Sygic

Salesforce

Dell Technologies

Mathew Garver is the CEO of HiQo Solu ons, Inc. worldwide.

He has 25 years of experience in interna onal business, focused on private equity, finance, strategy and opera ons for growth companies. Mathew served in key execu ve roles for Liberty Street Capital, DLA Piper, CGL Engineering and others including Chairman, CEO, and CFO. One of his favourite roles was co-leading DLA Piper’s Global Infrastructure Steering Commi ee.

Mar n Strigač is the CEO of Sygic. He took up the posi on in January 2018.

He joined Sygic in 2015 as the Vice President Enterprise Solu ons from the interna onal so ware company Asseco. He worked there in a senior management posi on and was part of the supervisory boards of subsidiaries. Mar n studied management and informa on technology, worked as a developer, team lead, solu on and enterprise architect, project manager, IT director, and so on.

Marc Benioff is the Chair, Chief Execu ve Officer and Founder of Salesforce and a pioneer of cloud compu ng. Under Benioff's leadership, Salesforce has become the top provider of customer rela onship management (CRM) so ware globally. A member of the World Economic Forum ("WEF") Board of Trustees, Benioff serves as the Inaugural Chair of WEF's Forum Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolu on in San Francisco.

Michael Dell is chairman and chief execu ve officer of Dell Technologies, an innovator and technology leader providing the essen al infrastructure for organiza ons to build their digital future, transform IT and protect their most important informa on. Michael became the youngest CEO ever to earn a ranking on the Fortune 500.

Known and admired for his astute business vision and bold moves, Michael took Dell Technologies private in 2013.

www.hiqo-solu ons.com

www.sygic.com

www.salesforce.com

www.dell.com

18

Emil Somekh Founder and CEO, SolidCAM

Empowering Businesses to Attain Excellence with Customized Design Solutions

T

he core strategy of SolidCAM focuses on

synchronization.

integration in the leading 3D CAD systems. This

SolidCAM and its resellers provide excellent technical

vision has created major growth and established

support and the best-customized post processors to

SolidCAM as both the leader in Integrated CAM, as well

SolidCAM customers worldwide.

as one of the most powerful CAM systems available.

SolidCAM is easy-to-learn and to use, supporting the

SolidCAM's USPs include:

complete range of major manufacturing applications,

Ÿ

The Integration strategy in other CAD systems,

including 2.5D Milling, High-Speed Surface milling, 3D

enabling concentration only on CAM, while providing

Milling/High-Speed Machining, Indexial 4/5 axes Milling,

the best CAM functionality

Sim 5 axes Milling, Turning, Mill-Turn, Swiss, and Solid

Ÿ

Easy to learn and to use the CAM system.

Probe.

Ÿ

Support for all high-end CNC machining functionality.

SolidCAM's revolutionary patented iMachining

Ÿ

Ground-breaking, revolutionary, and unique iMachining technology.

technology saves 70% and more in CNC machining time while dramatically extending tool life, 5 times and more.

Ÿ

CNC machine types

The iMachining Technology Wizard provides a powerful partner for automatically calculating optimal feeds and speeds for all materials, cutting tools, and CNC

Powerful, easily customized post processors, for all

Ÿ

Dedicated, very experienced technical and postprocessor worldwide teams

machines.

The SolidCAM module for high-end, multi-channel Mill-

A Trailblazing Leader

Turn and Swiss-Type CNC machines is the CAM World's

Emil Somekh is the Founder and CEO of SolidCAM. He

leader, providing an excellent CAM programming tool

started his professional career in the Aerospace

with the best machine simulation and multi-channel

Industry, developing CAD/CAM products. Emil claims

19

Our SolidCAM iMachining technology provides an unbelievable cycle time savings and dramatic increases of cutting tool life. As CNC machine tools get more and more complex, to speed up machining, SolidCAM constantly evolves to best support these multi-channel Mill-Turn and Swiss CNCs. Emil Somekh Founder and CEO SolidCAM

www.solidcam.com 20

that he has also dealt with CAD/CAM, in both his

Ÿ

Master's and Doctoral studies. He founded SolidCAM in 1984 and has been the CEO of the company since then.

Need High-end machining support (multi-channel mill-turn & Swiss CNCs)

Ÿ

Need complex customized postprocessors

Ÿ

Need Expert technical machining support

Successfully Thriving the 'Starting a Company' Phase

He presumes that the company has a culture of providing

Emil says that for all entrepreneurs, starting a company is

the best CAM product, technical, and customized post

a huge commitment. Founding the company and

processors to support its CNC machine shop customers.

successfully managing it through all its phases is

CNC machine shops invest a lot of money in their CNC

something that has shaped the CEO qualities of Emil

machine tools, cutting tools, and staff and they need an

successfully.

easy-to-learn and to use CAM system that can support

He expresses, “The most primary challenge was locating

their most complex CNC machines with the best expert

the potential market (CNC machine shops) and

technical support.

developing the best CAM product for it. Also, being able to run the company finances successfully with only a

Revolutionizing the Operations with Automation

small family investment was challengeable.”

According to Emil, automation of machining operations is being requested more and more by the customers. Best

Bestowing the Leadership by Identifying the Target

methods must be devised to apply automation in the

Market

right way in addition to the SolidCAM interactive

From Emil's point of view, knowing the target market in-

operations.

depth and leading the company's teams Emil powerfully

Emil opines that the role of a leader has changed in the

towards achieving the best product for the market is one

direction of being multi-disciplinary – combining

of the vital attributes of a successful leader. Also, he adds

marketing, sales, and technical management expertise,

that the leaders must hire excellent product managers

to best lead the company to maximum success.

for all the aspects of their product and have excellent specification definition, programming, and QA staff.

The Future Ahead: Expanding the Services Emil mentions, “The company's product is constantly

Catering to the CAM Programming Needs and

expanding to support the new more complex CNC

Providing the Best Product

machines- multi-channel advanced Mill-Turn and Swiss

Innovation in SolidCAM is carried out by being in

CNCs to significantly speed up the manufacturing. CAM

constant contact with SolidCAM's CNC machine shop

development and Technical/Post Processor Support can

customers and learning the constantly evolving

be done best for CNC machine shop customers, ONLY by

mechanical features of their CNC machines, claims Emil.

a company dedicated solely to this field – this is

It is ensured that the constantly developing SolidCAM

SolidCAM!”

software product can best answer their CAM programming needs.

A Piece of Advice for Emerging Leaders

The main CNC machine shop market pain points of its

As an experienced leader, Emil suggests emerging

customers:

leaders to locate the market that best serves the product

Ÿ

Need Integration of CAM in CAD – Same UI &

and provides the best features. He adds that these

Toolpath Associativity

markets always need the best technical support.

21

24

Brett Schroeder Co-Founder and Managing Director AP-Networks

Developing AI-Driven Platforms to Enhance Coordination in Projects

A

sset Performance Networks (AP-Networks)

client base of more than 80 marquee companies. He

was founded in 2000 by George DeBakey and

shares responsibility for the management of AP-

Brett Schroeder. AP-Networks is an industrial

Networks with Co-Founder George DeBakey. Brett has

software company engaged in the development and

over 25 years of work experience in the energy and

licensing of Cloud-based AI-driven platforms that

petrochemical industries. He has a Master's Degree in

include an integrated suite of SaaS-based applications to

Applied Economics and started his career in project and

markedly improve the performance of capital projects

program evaluation for the US Department of Defense

(capital investments to develop a new asset) and

before making the shift to the energy sector.

Shutdowns, Turnarounds, and Outages (STOs). APNetworks' SaaS applications analyze, optimize, and

Early Adoption of Analytical Tools

enable seamless coordination of capital projects and

Prior to co-founding AP-Networks, Brett managed a US

STOs in the petroleum, gas, chemical, energy, pulp &

consulting company's European operation for five years

paper, mining, glass, and other discrete and process

in the Netherlands. During his tenure, the European

industries.

office grew from a two-person operation to a division encompassing more than 30 employees. This experience

A Pioneer with Extensive Knowledge

provided him with two great learnings, the importance of

Brett Schroeder is the Co-Founder and Managing

marketing and selling to a global market given the

Director of AP-Networks. Brett focuses on the business

international character of the energy and petrochemical

delivery of products and services to AP-Networks' global

industries as well as the desire to be an entrepreneur and

25

The energy, petro-chemical and capitalintensive industries generate massive volumes of data that has historically been an untapped source of value. AI will streamline and automate the collection, aggregation, and analysis of these data to inform better and faster decision making and generate measurable and significant ROI.

Brett Schroeder Co-Founder and Managing Director AP-Networks

www. ap -networks.com 26

start a company.

partners had to strike the right balance with investments

In the early days of AP-Networks, Brett and George were

in tools, research, and intellectual property that would

hired by BP to support its great operator team in

pay long-term dividends and provide lasting value

implementing a long-term strategic program to improve

against the short-term need to bring in cash flow for

capital productivity through the development of new

continuing uninterrupted operations.

project evaluation tools and work processes. They worked with BP to design and implement some truly

Vital Attributes for Accomplishment

innovative tools for project portfolio management and

According to Brett, there are a few attributes that are

capital optimization. This was prior to the widespread

specifically for leaders but maybe more important to the

adoption of AI. But the duo developed some analytical

tech sector. He adds that a tech leader should possess

tools that could be viewed as a precursor to AI and it

creativity and ability to anticipate the needs of

helped to understand how companies can effectively

customers and the market being addressed as well as

leverage their historical data to produce meaningful

attention to details that matter for leaders and items

insights.

critical to business success cannot be delegated. A tech leader needs to dive into the weeds on how their

Bridging the Gap with Right Balance

products work and how clients are using their products.

From the onset, Brett and his business partner were

Brett presumes that delegation is necessary, especially

always interested in investing in tools and intellectual

as a company grows, but the leader always needs to stay

properties that could help them outperform other

connected to what is happening at the product

companies and make a measurable impact on improving

development and implementation level. A tech leader

the industry's performance in capital projects and STOs.

should be able to communicate any products' value

The duo felt that the traditional consulting companies in

proposition clearly and succinctly to both staff and

the sector were recycling the same solutions and not

clients. It is essential to pay attention to hiring. They

providing the industry with any innovative ideas or tools

should hire people not only with the right technical skills,

that would make a real impact. Capital projects and plant

but those who also fit into the company's culture.

STOs were characterized by very unpredictable outcomes and large cost and schedule overruns. There

Drivers for Continuous Innovation

was a need and an opportunity to provide something

Brett remarks that a multi-faceted process such as AP-

different.

Networks holds annual networking forums with clients

When the duo founded the company, both of them

to discuss their problems and their challenges. The team

largely bootstrapped it with their own savings. The

also gathers input on potential enhancements to existing

27

products and discusses research ideas to tackle specific

data into consistent and unified formats that can be used

issues. Over time, this has helped to create a market and

to generate real insights for decision-makers.

move the industry continually forward in terms of

Brett voices that the role of a leader is increasingly about

understanding the drivers of better outcomes and

being up-to-speed on changes in technology and

developing improved products.

ensuring that their company can adapt quickly to these

He adds that the team members of AP-Networks also

shifts to stay ahead in the competition.

pride themselves on being an outward-looking company.

Each client has a relationship manager who interacts

Blend of Knowledge and Technology: Expanding the

with them on a continual basis. Through this close

Brand

interaction, it helps to gather ideas on new products or

Brett notifies that AP-Networks will continue to invest in

enhancement.

AI/ML, data analytics, and digital platforms and to develop greater user-driven functionality. AP-Networks

Disrupting Industries with Automation

has established a large, unique, and growing database

Brett states that the use of AI, Cloud computing, etc will

that continues to grow with each new client. Over time,

increase the pace of innovation. Within the area of focus,

there will be more opportunities to leverage these data

capital projects and STOs, the company sees the use of AI

by embedding more insights into Cloud-based platforms,

and big data as helping organizations improve their

thereby making them more valuable to clients. The

decision making by developing their portfolio

ability to gather and analyze data will not only further

management, optimization, and long-range planning

differentiate and expand the leadership position but

capabilities. In general, the energy and petrochemical

provide immediate and tangible savings to clients.

industries have not made effective use of the large quantities of industrial data that they generate. He adds

A Knockout Point to Earn Fortune

that data is in inconsistent formats and locations and

Brett concludes by saying that leaders should listen

making sense of it has been time-consuming and

closely to existing and prospective clients and make sure

expensive. AI has the potential to streamline and

solutions address a real need or problem.

automate the collection of large volumes of disparate

28

TOP 10

LEADERSHIP TIPS Lead, Inspire and Run a Successful Company

C

EOs earn their positions with the right mix of

leadership, drive, personality, discipline, and

skill. The key to succeeding on a large scale is

having the right leadership tactics that motivate and empower the team members. It may seem like a lot to ask of an individual, and it is. A CEO's position requires strong leadership skills above all others. Here are the ten best leadership tips that will help one to lead, inspire, and run the business in the right direction.

Give Credit to Others Giving credit to others actually attracts more and more people to the team. Because they want to be a part of that team because they know that it's a team that is going to work together as one team; nobody's going to try to take credit over somebody else. In many ways, leadership is about defining reality and inspiring hope, but if one has these great people around and they know that what they do is going to be recognized, it can be incredibly powerful.

30

It is Worth Taking a Risk

business success. Therefore, to become a successful

Business leaders accept risk as a cost of opportunity and

CEO, one needs to understand the Metrics Culture.

innovation. They know it cannot happen if you will not accept the risk that your undertaking might fail. The level

Work to Offer the Most Competitive Costs

of risk may be lessened, however, if you make all possible

When a company can utilize its skilled workforce,

calculations and evaluate which options are best before

inexpensive raw materials, controlled costs, and efficient

proceeding to the next step.

operations to create maximum value to consumers.

Competitive cost is an important factor in developing a

Strength of the Human Spirit

competitive strategy within an industry. Companies seek

In this ever-changing society, the most powerful and

to improve their cost advantage by lowering the cost of

enduring brands are built from the heart. They are real

their materials and creating efficient processes for

and sustainable. Their foundations are stronger because

production and distribution.

they are built with the strength of the human spirit, not an ad campaign. The companies that are lasting are those

Own up a Mistake

that are authentic.

Admitting and taking responsibility for a mistake means a willingness to show human vulnerability and

Taking Everyone Together

transparency – which cultivates a sense of trust, adds to

As a leader, a lot of your job is to make those people

your credibility as a leader, and earns respect. Owning

successful. It's less about trying to be successful

your mistake provides an important sense of safety as a

(yourself) and more about making sure you have good

leader, and puts more validity behind your word.

people, and your work is to remove that barrier, remove roadblocks for them so that they can be successful in

Always Consider the Long Term

what they do.

With the company's focus on the long-term, team members will feel more secure in the direction of the

Don't Follow the Crowd

company and customers will have more faith in your

If a person decides to follow the crowd, it is possible to

ability to meet their needs. An important part of a

lose some of the decision-making abilities and will likely

leader's job is to help everyone understand where they

be required to follow what they believe blindly. You will

are today, where they are going, and the path that will be

take on the values of the crowd at the expense of your

taken to get to where they want to be. This path can be

own. You will lose your ability to stand out, apart, and

drawn out in milestones.

above others, dehumanizing you. Most importantly one loses the meaning of “Leader.”

Do not Let Failure Set You Back Failure is the most powerful source of know-how and

Understand the “Metrics Culture”

understanding. It teaches you about survival, renewal,

Everyone loves company culture. And everyone loves

and reinvention of yourself and the organization you are

metrics. However, business leaders have had a hard time

leading. You can learn about others based on their

putting the two together in a meaningful way. Culture

history of failure. In the end, it's what you do with failure

has long been regarded as a “soft” topic — too intangible,

that defines your character as a leader.

subjective, and elusive to measure and track. This has made it challenging to know how to align culture with

31

32

Jovan Stojanovic Co-Founder and CEO, Anari AI

Deploying Innovative AI Solutions to Create an Impact in the Industry

A

nari AI is a pioneer of reconfigurable AI for

create its own solution. They don't have to spend years

customers to personalize their infrastructure

and millions of dollars on chip design anymore. With the

in just one click; it also enables chip designers

Anari Platform, hardware is turned into software and

to rapidly create and deploy their solutions. Its purpose is

cloud chips are accessible in just clicks--- for big and

to deliver the most intelligent computation for AI across

small players alike on the worldwide stage.

several industries. The company was founded with the belief that transparency and innovation create a culture

A Dynamic Leader

of ownership and empowerment. Anari AI believes in

Jovan Stojanovic is a serial tech entrepreneur with

innovation, responsible AI, reconfigurable AI and AI-

more than 12 years of experience in tech with a focus on

driven solutions.

artificial intelligence. He founded Anari AI in 2020, alongside Bogdan Vukobratovic and Stefan Sredojevic,

Driving Innovation by Leveraging Hardware and AI

to rebuild the hardware AI industry from scratch. They

Solutions

work by delivering a new way of designing and using AI

The company is driving innovation by bringing a

chips in the cloud to provide every company or every

completely new way of working and thinking about

team with AI chips in only clicks. The CEO role in Anari

hardware and AI. Realizing that some things didn't

AI startup requires a lot of dedication in every aspect of

change for decades in the hardware industry, it has

Anari's work--- from product development to team

offered not just a product, but many new possibilities in

management.

terms of hardware development. Anari AI designs cloud

Jovan would like to emphasize that Anari AI was born as

chips that are more accessible by creating a unique

a part of the Wonderland AI ecosystem that he

virtual space for their design, usage and development.

launched five years ago to create a unique place for AI

That means that chip design and usage become

tech promotion and development. “The AI community

accessible to every development team that wants to

gathered 30,000 practitioners, enthusiasts and

33

The energy, petro-chemical and capitalintensive industries generate massive volumes of data that has historically been an untapped source of value. AI will streamline and automate the collection, aggregation, and analysis of these data to inform better and faster decision making and generate measurable and significant ROI.

Jovan Stojanovic Co-Founder and CEO Anari AI

www.anari. ai 34

researchers worldwide so far. They're contributing to

fundamental principles of problems they want to solve

our mission within four Wonderland AI organizations:

and after thinking about unique new approaches where

Anari AI, Wonderland AI Summit, Serbian AI Society,

AI is augmented in every corner” expressed Jovan.

CITY AI and Angelico,” said Jovan.

Leveraging AI with Small Steps Important Lessons that Pave a Way to Success

Jovan is driven by a strong passion for AI because he

Jovan has gained many important lessons while trying

realized as to the powerful changes it can bring into the

to build a startup within a group of people where they

world. “Putting AI into the service of society is the best

didn't share the same passion and a long-term vision.

thing the team can do in the future, considering that

Before Anari AI, there were some other similar

there are so many fields where AI can boost creativity

situations where he realized that there's no way one

and improve how things

could overcome all challenges on a startup journey if

according to Jovan, the most important thing every AI

one is not surrounded by the right people who really do

leader can do is to make some effort to create a better

believe in a common vision. So, he considers a good

environment using AI and make sure that people

team to be a crucial part of building something that is

around them understand all the benefits of AI usage.

meant to succeed and bring a change.

Many small steps could create a powerful change if all

His biggest achievement is Wonderland AI--- it

engage around the benefits provided by the most

presents a mindset that is not only innovative and

intelligent technology ever.

work” he added. So

revolutionary but it also lays a foundation to the change where people contribute to some of the most complex

An Advice to the Aspiring Tech Leaders

challenges that the entire humanity faces today.

Jovan suggested that one must ensure a good understanding of what the person is bringing to the

Mitigating Challenges with Visualization

table and do not hesitate to keep trying as many times

Jovan, Bogdan, and Stefan found Anari AI when the

as it takes until it turns into success. The AI future is

whole world stopped because of the COVID-19 crisis

coming sooner. He mentioned that one must always be

which was the biggest challenge at that moment.

ready to dare challenges to the current principles and

Although they have always had a strong faith in what

ways how things work.

they wanted to achieve, there were many risks which they had to face in such uncertain times. Fortunately,

A Future with One Click to Stay Ahead of the Curve

every single person in the team could visualize as to

Jovan believes that Anari AI will help in the

what shall come as a reward for hard work and here the

decentralization of the hardware AI industry by making

company is changing the hardware AI industry and

it accessible to everyone. “That's the only way the

bringing some really great opportunities for the

company can make the future better by providing

worldwide HW community.

chances for creating something for all those who have ideas and visions. The industry needs a new mindset

Empowering Society with Unique AI

and revolutionary changes in terms of how the world

Approaches

observes technology and AI-related possibilities. In the

Jovan considers that AI leaders should empower their

future, every company will need the most optimized AI

people to think in a radically different way. “First,

services for various problems that are easily accessible

people should be capable of understanding the

in just one click” concludes Jovan.

35

38

Mark Montgomery Founder and CEO of the KYield, Inc

Impeccably Changing the AI Landscapes with Over Two Decades of Expertise

M

ark Montgomery is the Founder and CEO of

for KYield came to me while operating GWIN almost 25

the KYield, Inc. His interest in AI goes back

years ago now”, says Mark.

to 1984. Mark recounts the days when he

But soon he realized that it would take at least a decade

and his wife owned an inn that hosted a variety of

before the technology would be viable and during that

individuals and groups, including UW, PNNL, HP, and

time, Mark incubated KYield while running an early-

Microsoft. Two decades later the head of research at

stage VC firm. In 2006 he filed a patent application

Microsoft has referred to Mark's inn as the 'learning' inn.

covering a portion of KOS which is what we today call as

He remembers about his late friend Russell Borland who

the distributed AI OS. He states that the AI systems

was a frequent guest and was an early employee of

patent wasn't approved until 2011. Meanwhile in 2010

Microsoft and key person for Word among other

he announced his healthcare platform, and in 2012 Mark

products. Mark says Russell joined his lab as a board

tested the basic data structure with a mutual vendor on

member and advisor just before retiring from Microsoft

one of the largest financial networks.

in 1997.

“From 2009-2016 I was also a frequent guest at the Santa Fe Institute. I've engaged with senior management

Experimenting with Technologies and Firms

in many of the world's leading organizations over the last

In 1995 Mark founded the knowledge systems lab as a

decade”, adds Mark.

small business network, and in 1997 he launched GWIN, which was a cutting edge social/learning network. “I ran

AI Systems that Taught Hard Lessons

the lab solo from our property in rural Arizona. The idea

Mark mentions the hard lessons he learned during his

39

Many people have jumped on the AI bandwagon in recent years claiming to be an expert who hasn't done the work.

They need not have a PhD, but frankly they should have the equivalent of multiple advanced degrees combined with at least a decade of applied experience.

Mark Montgomery Founder and CEO KYield, Inc

www.kyield.com 40

journey from the idea to commercialization of large-

an individual can demonstrate rightly, they are capable of

scale AI systems. He says that those experiences were

understanding science and engineering better to forge

the reasons which profoundly shaped him. As running

new ground, that's when he says one can become an

the early lab and networks is critically important, he

influencer.

notes that Russell Borland, Les Vadasz, Vint Cerf, and other board members, and many others have played a

Fostering Innovation to Stay Ahead

great role in developing the lab. Mark believes that

“We've had great many direct discussions along the way

several years as a frequent visitor at SFI had certainly

of course, but when we first approached senior

influenced his journey too. Mark remarks another big

management teams in the world's leading organizations,

impact that has shaped him that was when his brother

not a single one had ever considered the concept of

was diagnosed with ALS and it was the same year when

enterprise-wide AI systems”, says Mark. He feels that his

he was motivated to accelerate R&D.

experience has been a bit like that expressed by Steve Jobs – “Our task is to read things that are not yet on the

The Two Attributes for Success

page”. Now, Mark takes pride in saying that the KYield is

Firstly, Mark says that he didn't set out to become a

attempting to remain many years ahead of the herd.

leader or an influencer in AI. The most important part he believes is to invest time is to understand the science,

Knowledge on Disruption Tech which Leads the Way

engineering, operational, and business environments,

Mark strongly affirms that disruptive aspects of the

without which he affirms to have no credibility. To

technologies are just beginning to have an impact on

become competent in AI systems, he presumes that it

healthcare, education, and government, which are

requires consuming tens of thousands of papers across

resistant to change yet also the sectors society needs to

several disciplines, including computer science,

change the most due to economics and need.

mathematics, and physics, though he also recommends

He says that we are already at the stage where CEOs of

economics, neuroscience and psychology.

most organizations should be well along in the process of

Secondly, he stresses upon getting some good hands-on

becoming experts in AI systems. Otherwise, he believes

experience in an applied lab. He firmly trusts that when

that they won't be able to even recognize whether an

41

advice is good or bad and it may turn out to be one of the

years since the idea stage. And he also wrote an article on

greatest problems that business nations would face.

the top ten obstacles to successful enterprise AI recently for those seeking more detail.

Embracing the Challenges Optimistically The first decade of KYield was devoted primarily to the

A Future Representing SGM

theoretical research and technical viability and Mark on

In this context, Mark talks about his most recent

the other hand didn't formalize the underlying

invention called the synthetic genius machine (SGM), by

mathematical theorem until a few years ago. After which

reflecting much of the last decade in R&D at KYield. He

he met with a CEO of a leading tech company in 2007 and

thinks the SGM represents the future quite well as it will

had some partnership talks and his scientific fellows

provide the narrow superintelligence as a service at the

reported that KYield was impossible. Though it wasn't

confluence of data physics, AI, and quantum computing.

impossible, Mark thought the CEO understood it.

Through this, his primary value to society will be

Mark's commercialization journey began after the initial

accelerated discovery, research and development.

patent was approved and data structure got tested.

KYield was initially limited to organizations that had a

Words of Wisdom to the Buds

supercomputer, but in 2010, he estimated the cost of a

Advising the budding leaders Mark stresses, “Be

primitive pilot to be about US$100 million. Even though

prepared. Many people have jumped on the AI

he didn't sell any, most showed a high-level interest into

bandwagon in the recent years claiming to be an expert

buying it.

who hasn't done the work. They need not have a PhD, but

When the AI revolution really began to take off in 2014

frankly they should have the equivalent of multiple

followed by tens of billions of dollars of investment, there

advanced degrees combined with at least a decade of

was an increase in performance which led to the reduced

applied experience”.. He finally adds that KYield has

cost for his KOS by more than a factor of 10.

disclosed their 15 EAI management principles

Mark says that KYield has come a long way in the 25

recently,which is a good place to start.

42

44

Jaime Leverton CEO, Hut 8 Mining Corp Navigating the Complexities of Blockchain through Disruptive Strategies and Innovative Techniques

T

he rapid progress of blockchain technology is

Trajectory

showing no signs of slowing down. In the past few

Jaime Leverton, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hut

decades, several phenomena of blockchain made

8 Mining Corp, is the leader behind this booming

the impossible, possible. One such pioneering company

company. Jaime joined Hut 8 in December 2020. She

that is leading the blockchain and digital currency mining

started her career in technology and found herself

industry is Hut 8 Mining Corp. It is a proud Canadian

fortunate to receive significant and challenging

company and one of North America's largest and most

opportunities that helped her to build a reputation as a

established digital asset miners that has been leading

turnaround expert. Before stepping in as CEO of Hut 8,

innovation and championing open- decentralized

Jaime served in increasingly senior leadership positions

systems since 2018. With two sites located in the

at some of Canada's leading technology companies and

energy-rich Alberta and a third site underway in North

was often tasked with spearheading large-scale strategic

Bay, Ontario, Hut 8 has one of the highest installed

transformations.

capacity rates in the industry and holds more self-mined

Jaime enunciates that her career has offered her with

Bitcoin than any crypto miners or publicly-traded

various experiences in traditional finance, tech, data

companies globally.

centres, and crypto. She aims to leverage her unique perspective on digital and financial industries to build a

An Experienced Leader with a Growth-Paced

strategy that will support and propel Hut 8's fast-paced

45

Be authentic, trust in your gut, embrace change and get comfortable with uncertainty.

Jaime Leverton CEO Hut 8 Mining Corp

www.hut8mining.com 46

growth trajectory. The team at Hut 8 is defining the

early age and continued to follow that path throughout

crypto revolution and creating value for generations to

her education and then into her professional life. After

come through a mixture of innovation, imagination and

completing her MBA, she took on the first role in her

passion, along with a balance-sheet-first-approach of the

technology career: Inside Sales at IBM Canada Ltd.

company's business decisions.

She adds that later, she went on to make new and potentially riskier moves. New divisions are often the

Breaking the Stereotypes of Male Chauvinism in

first to go when it is time to trim a budget. Nevertheless,

Blockchain

she accepted a position at IBM as a leader of the new

Jaime says that her greatest achievement has always

Digital Media Emerging Business Opportunities (EBO)

been the incredible teams she has built and worked with,

team. This was the first time where Jaime was

including the current leadership team at Hut 8. Every

responsible for the activities across all of Canada, rather

day, she gets to work with spectacularly talented and

than regional executions and the program was a huge

motivated experts who share the same ambitions as her

success. Jaime recalls that since the new EBO division

and 50% of them are women, which is not something

operated outside the traditional IBM structure, her small

anyone sees in business often enough.

team had the freedom to operate nimbly in the emerging

As one of the far too few women, leading a publicly-

categories of digital signage and digital merchandising.

traded company, Jaime takes great pride in serving as an

This first encounter with a high-risk, high-reward

example to other women who may not have been able to

situation allowed her to get comfortable with

imagine themselves in her position, particularly when it

uncertainty.

comes to crypto: a tech segment known for an acute lack

Jaime presumes that she then went on to join BlackBerry

of gender diversity.

in 2014, at a time when many people were leaving the

When she first started her career in technology, there

company. "People told me I was crazy to make the move,

were very few women in the industry and it was a

but I was attracted to the opportunity that BlackBerry

challenge. Jaime was instructed to act and dress in

represented. The business was at a critical moment and

certain ways to be taken seriously. That advice, though

diving in headfirst was not an easy choice, but it offered

well-meaning, was wrong and it was through these

great potential for success," says Jamie.

experiences that Jaime learnt her most valuable lesson:

At the time, the CEOs of Blackberry and T-Mobile were in

“be authentic, trust in the gut, embrace change and get

a bitter, high-profile feud, which escalated so far that the

comfortable with uncertainty.”

two organizations had dissolved their business

Jaime thinks that this applies to any leader or industry,

agreement. She knew a strong relationship with T-

but it seems especially fitting when it is about

Mobile was essential for the company's success in the

cryptocurrency. “Embracing technology is all about

U.S. and took on the task of repairing the relationship. It

embracing change. It is about challenging the status quo

was a high-profile and high-risk negotiation that, if

by accepting new ways of doing things, new ways of

unsuccessful, would be a black mark on one's

thinking about the world, and new ways of doing

professional career. She could not ask someone else to do

business. Most often, reward follows a certain level of

it, so she herself led the successful negotiations on behalf

risk,” she claims.

of Blackberry for six months.

Jaime claims that these challenges helped her develop

Envisaging the Market Challenges to Gain Experience

early on in her professional career and made her realize

Jaime confesses that she fell in love with technology at an

the passion she has for leading bold change and

47

transformation within companies. Jaime actively began

stronger digital future and bolster North America's share

to seek out those roles right up to take the one she

in the tech innovation globally.

possesses today.

The Future Ahead: Looking Beyond Cryptocurrency Leaders Should Dive in and Get Creative in the Tech

Jaime utters that the company's executive leadership

Industry

team has big goals for Hut 8. It aspires to not only become

Jaime states that inclusivity, creativity, and passion are

a leading Bitcoin miner but also a great tech innovator by

the three vital attributes of becoming a leader.

helping to bridge the gap between traditional and

“Leadership is giving everyone a voice and bringing

nascent iterations of the high-performance compute and

energizing passion to one's work that can serve as an

leading innovative solutions with the potential to scale

example. We lose when diverse perspectives are

beyond cryptocurrency to shape and advance other

undervalued or simply not present,” asserts Jamie. She

industries.

believes that great leaders do not always come up with

In the early days of cryptocurrency, the social discussion

the big ideas but they also know what to do with them

was centred around Bitcoin and crypto replacing fiat

once they are heard. Jamie feels that leaders in this field

currencies as the currency of the future, says Jaime. But

should know how to work with a team and how to use

the industry is actually witnessing Bitcoin as a growing

their voices to create a positive impact in the tech

asset class that is increasingly considered as the digital

industry. She further adds on to say that the blockchain

gold and a hedge against inflation because of capital

industry is at a fast pace which means that the leaders

injections into the global fiat system.

must always be ready to dive in and get creative about

She adds that Hut 8's team believes Bitcoin will continue

whatever it throws their way.

to grow in value and as Jaime mentioned before, it will ultimately converge with the traditional finance in a way

Innovating to Support Greater Adoption of Bitcoin

that it creates a more efficient and an equitable system.

Jaime reveals that Hut 8 is unique as a miner; it serves as a minter of Bitcoin. The company provides value through

Words of Wisdom for Future Tech Leaders

the appreciation of the substantial Bitcoin holdings in its

Jaime articulates that the industry is at a critical moment

balance sheet, which means it takes the burden of

and believes that today's innovation within the industry

protecting digital assets for the investors.

will shape the future for years to come. Her advice to the

She highlights that the innovation carried out at Hut 8

leaders is to take the opportunity in front and to think

aims to drive the industry as a whole forward and

about the big picture by making bold moves with a

support greater adoption of Bitcoin. Right now, the team

future-forward lens and keep the desired standards for

is focused on driving responsible mining in a way that

the future as a top consideration in every leadership

creates sustainable and enduring value for the

decision they make today.

shareholders, stakeholders and the global environment.

“The nascent nature of the industry offers leaders the

Jaime says that Hut 8 believes in Bitcoin as an asset class

opportunity to correct some of the weaknesses in the

and this asset class is ultimately converging with the

traditional methods. Strong advocacy for diversity in the

traditional finance. For that reason, another focus of the

industry is important now to ensure the people leading it

company's innovation is to develop solutions that

in the future align with the tenants of Bitcoin:

facilitate to be the merger of old and new to shape a

sovereignty and equality for all,” concludes Jamie.

48

52

Mathew Garver CEO, HiQo Solutions

Making the Digital Experience Straightforward with Disruptive Technologies and Innovative Ideas

H

iQo Solutions is a global software company

that specializes in machine learning,

Ÿ

High-functioning teams that are aligned with a culture of technical innovation.

mathematical data science, and IoT

Machine Learning– HiQo's advanced teams are experts

engineering. Founded in 2007, HiQo is a US-based

in machine learning, deep learning, and mathematical

company with its headquarters in Atlanta, GA. It has

data processing along with various programming

operations around the world including in the US, Canada,

languages and frameworks that help to assist the

Poland, Belarus and Russia. The company's clients range

company's clients make real-time decisions. HiQo's

from Fortune 500 companies to well-funded Silicon

teams consist of highly qualified mathematicians,

Valley Unicorns. They are in a wide range of sectors

statisticians, and advanced software engineers. This is a

including finance, industry, insurance, health care,

core competency.

agriculture and many others.

IoT Embedded Engineering– HiQo's IoT engineering team has experts in all aspects of embedded systems

Focusing on IoT and ML for Better Customer

designed by its hardware engineers, RF (Radio

Experience

Frequency) specialists, wireless technology specialists,

HiQo has several key X-Factors:

statistical mathematicians, and diverse software

Ÿ

World-class technologist in IoT engineering, machine

engineers, and notably network security. The company

learning, and advanced software.

works with high-calibre global brands by designing and

53

Our culture is aligned with our company values top-tobottom. 'Do The Right Thing' is our hallmark. It's our approach to all things: our colleagues, team members, clients, stakeholders and beyond.

Mathew Garver CEO HiQo Solutions

www.hiqo -solutions.com 54

integrating IoT solutions of all kinds. This framework at

from mistakes”

HiQo is growing quite significantly.

“I have had a lot of success over the decades; however, I learned the most from my mistakes. Learning quickly and

A Well Accomplished Leader

adjusting courses is hard to do – but fundamental to real

Mathew Garver is the CEO of HiQo Solutions, Inc.

success in today's fast-changing world” claims Mathew.

w o r l d w i d e . H e h a s 2 5 ye a r s o f ex p e r i e n c e i n international business, focused on private equity,

An Ideal Leader's Checklist

finance, strategy and operations for growth companies.

In Mathew's view, a leader must drive with a strategic

Mathew served in key executive roles for Liberty Street

vision, and maintain technical competence and personal

Capital, DLA Piper, CGL Engineering and others

integrity. In his words, this is called an authentic

including Chairman, CEO, and CFO. His role at Liberty

leadership. Along with this, he mentions some other

Street was focused on investing and managing growth

attributes as follows,

companies in software, technology, systems integration,

Ÿ

High-functioning team – According to Mathew, a

engineering and infrastructure sectors for family offices

leader must be able to recruit, manage, build, and

and institutional investors. One of the favourite roles as

inspire high-functioning teams. “This is very hard but

mentioned by Mathew was co-leading DLA Piper's

crucial for today's environment,” he pinpoints.

Global Infrastructure Steering Committee, which at the

Ÿ

Strategic Vision– Mathew mentions that leaders

time was the world's largest law firm. He served as a C-

must have the ability to set clear and strategic goals.

level executive driving business strategy across North

And they should inspire teams to achieve them. This

America, Europe, and LATAM.

sounds cliché but is critically important. Real leaders are more than managers, they must push the

Learning Life Lessons from Mistakes

boundaries – they must inspire others. They must also

Mathew says that continuous learning is the best

communicate it, consistently, and in an inspiring way.

experience that drives the future. He mentions, “I'm a student of life, philosophy, economics, international

Innovation and Right Solutions at the Core of HiQo

markets, innovation, technology, global trends, and

Mathew reveals that innovation is the DNA of HiQo

more. My educational background was formative -

Solutions. He says, “It's what we do, who we are, and it's

graduating from Oxford University Said Business School

why clients hire us.” He adds that innovative technical

and serving as a Fellow at Harvard University in

problem solving is at the heart of the company. It

international economics. These experiences were deeply

permeates every level of HiQo's core areas of IoT

impactful in my journey.”

engineering and machine learning. Mathew presumes

Talking about the global macroeconomics, Mathew

that as a high fucntioning technology team, they have

asserts that his training as an economist was quite

extremely high demands. Employees come to HiQo

critical. This methodological approach to problem-

because they want to be part of an elite team. They want

solving has been a foundational skill in his life. He often

to be challenged and work at the forefront of technology,

fell back upon his macro-micro approach to align and

says Mathew. “Embedded within the fabric of our culture

harmonize complex issues. Mathew highlights that it's a

is a rigorous quality assurance in all that we do – in our

great background for a world yearning for data analytics.

processes, standards, protocols – it is layered

Amidst many practical experiences Mathew faced in life,

throughout the firm. Our culture is aligned with our

he mentions one-of-a-kind experience i.e., “Learning

company values top-to-bottom. 'Do The Right Thing' is

55

our hallmark. It's our approach to all things: our

acute in core areas. This isn't just software, while vitally

colleagues, team members, clients, stakeholders and

important, but highly advanced mathematical data

beyond,” claims Mathew.

science and integrated embedded engineering also are the others that play a key role. This talent level is multi-

Incorporating Modern Technologies into Business

disciplinary and cross-functional, which is hard to

Models

acquire, train and grow, he says. Mathew reveals that

Mathew believes that leaders must stay agile to adjust to

Industry 4.0 is in full bloom. HiQo is all set to be at the

an ever-changing world. He adds that to say that the

forefront of this wave of technology innovation. This

world is changing radically is an understatement. Old

market demand surge is driving a search for ubiquitous

industry leaders are scrambling to figure out how to

autonomous systems for IoT and machine learning

harness the power of IoT and machine learning. And how

solutions. He highlights, “We live at this nexus of global

to incorporate these technologies into new business

trends.”

models to create value. Staying at least one step ahead is

According to Mathew, strategic growth is the key.

a critical role for a leader today. “AI, machine learning and

Growing wisely and sustainably, over the long haul is

IoT are fast becoming ubiquitous general-purpose

crucial, despite the market fever. He has seen bubbles

technology. This is a reality and growing every day.

come and go. Mathew says, “Experience and wisdom,

Leadership teams need to adjust in real-time to client and

borne of a larger perspective; teach you caution in the

market demands to implement at the edge. In my view,

face of such feverish market conditions.”

we are just beginning the implementation phase for these technologies”, he opines.

Word of Wisdom for Emerging CEOs Mathew believes that leaders are readers. Their

Sailing into New Horizons

expertise and experience matter, but the world is too

Mathew states that HiQo is thriving with major tailwinds

complicated and changing too quickly to rely solely upon

behind everybody. The company's key markets have a

personal experience alone. He advices emerging CEOs to

strong demand to innovate where the expertise

focus on 'Human Capital' as the digital age is fuelled by

intersects. “Our unique differentiation is human capital,

innovation, not financial capital. Mathew insists them to

and how we have forged IoT engineering and machine

aligning company goals from macro-to-micro: interlock

learning expertise into high-functioning teams for

governance, strategy, finance, culture, human capital,

clients,” claims Mathew.

team building, and recruiting for better.

He adds that the 'Arms Race for Talent' is growing more

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N

owadays, almost everyone is familiar

with the term 'digital transformation'.

However, digital transformation is not

simply about putting up some computers with internet connections. It is actually so much more than that. Digital transformation is the process of using digital technologies to create new and modify business processes, culture, and customer experiences to meet changing business and market requirements. This reimagining of business in the digital age is digital transformation. It transcends traditional roles like sales, marketing, and customer service.

Instead, digital transformation begins and ends with how you think about, and engage with, customers. As companies move from paper to spreadsheets to smart applications for managing their business, they have the chance to reimagine how they would do business.

The Role of CEO Digital transformation can result in a completely different company and for this reason, it is imperative that the CEO becomes the driving

THE ROLE OF

CEOs IN THE SUCCESSFUL DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

force behind it. Team leads and the CIO will be able to make decisions for their departments, but strong guidance from the top is needed to help the process along, get buy-in from all stakeholders, and allocate the correct funding and resources. For the implementation of a successful digital transformation strategy, the CEO will also need to define the roles and responsibilities of those people in leadership positions. If this is not articulated clearly, it could lead to several issues, including execution gaps and infighting, which will weaken the overall program.

Appointing Suitable Experts for the Transformation

56

The CEO needs to become the company champion for

to change things too quickly. The CEO will need to step in

digital transformation. Publicly displaying buy-in will not

and make sure that the chosen transformation

only encourage people working within the organization

leadership team is regularly meeting with all members at

to get on board, but it will also show all external

every level of the company to openly discuss how the

stakeholders that the CEO, and therefore the whole

program is going and give employees the opportunity to

company, is truly committed to transforming the

raise any problems or complaints. It is important for the

company to fit modern times. By giving full support to the

CEO to be seen to be a part of some of these discussions

journey, CEOs will embed themselves in the knowledge

and to be a part of the team that helps to resolve these

of how the business strategy will change and what

issues.

tweaks or major modifications need to be made to the company business model. They will then be able to

Establishing a Proper ERP

communicate clearly to employees and be able to answer

An enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, often

questions.

regarded as something that just runs in the background, is a fantastic business management tool for a CEO to

Putting up Funds

have a birds-eye view of what is going on in the company

It will cost money and time to digitally transform any

and to identify the gaps in the business where

company – big or small – effectively, and teams will need

exponential value can be added. By implementing a

to have access to funding and resources they normally do

future-fit ERP solution,organizations can easily

not. The role of the CEO here is to free up investment and

incorporate new, emerging technologies such as

allocate accordingly. When assigning roles and

machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and Digital

responsibilities to business leaders, the CEO will also

Citizens, into their operations. This will not only make the

need to talk about realistic financial models to prevent

digitalization process easier but also open the door to

leaders from becoming detractors if they lose funding for

greater efficiencies and growth as well as expose

their initiatives. Clear priorities should be set early in the

opportunities to innovate. Using an ERP system means

digital transformation program by the CEO so that all

greater and more efficient controls. This ensures the

business leaders and employees are aligned on what

CEO has accurate and real-time information and assists

needs to happen first. The CEO will also need to free up

management to maintain a firm grip on operations.

people from different departments to leave their current jobs and dedicate all their time to the digital

C-suite and ERP Support for the Digital Strategy

transformation program. This will probably entail

The ERP dashboard gives the CEO a consolidated and

removing top performers who are important to

comprehensive quick and easy reference of where their

achieving short-term business objectives. The CEO will

business is currently standing with drill-down

have to articulate why these people are better suited

capabilities. For a digital transformation journey to be

elsewhere to help the company accomplish long-term

effective, CEOs need to react to challenges fast and

goals.

effortlessly and an ERP system provides the critical information needed to do this. Stats such as weekly sales,

Troubleshooting the Challenges

employee performance, and inventory levels, are all

Digital transformation programs are essentially change

examples of items quickly available, showing real-time

management programs, and as such, come with the same

growth or changes in the business.

obstacles – many people resist change, and others want

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56

Martin Strigač CEO, Sygic

A Transformational Leader Paving the Wayto Innovation with Top-Notch Technologies

M

obile navigation has been the key factor of

awarded by the jury of leading technology experts as a

all new generation websites and it's a bit

top CES 2020 innovation. Sygic was recognized multiple

tricky to build a proper functional

times as a winner of the Superbrands Slovakia Award, the

navigation menu, not only because it maintains a perfect

IT Company of the Year and the Most Profitable IT

look, but also because it has to adapt to different screen

Company of the Year. Sygic is also a part of the publicly

sizes. Sygic uses augmented reality and other

listed W.A.G. payments solutions PLC (WPS.L), a leading

technologies to make navigation safer and more

pan-European integrated payments and mobility

intuitive. Sygic's dedicated platform for electric vehicles

platform that is focused on the commercial road

aggregates premium maps and technologies in one

transport industry.

comprehensive SDK, allowing the automakers to address the main challenges of e-mobility successfully.

A Self-Made Intellectual Leader Martin Strigačis the CEO of Sygic. He took up the

Redefining Navigation with Disruptive Solutions Sygic is one of the most successful mobile navigation

position in January 2018. He joined Sygic in 2015 as the

solution companies in the world. Founded in Bratislava,

international software company,Asseco. He worked

Slovakia, in 2004, Sygic is a Deloitte Fast 50 Company.

there in a senior management position and was part of

Sygic became a winner as a result of public voting for a

the supervisory boards of subsidiaries.One of the Sygic

Global Champion prize, which was awarded by the

co-founders is his friend and classmate from university

Emerging Europe platform in 2021 amongstmany other

studies and this led Martin to know the story of Sygic

international awards and prizes. The real-time Traffic

from the beginning.

Martin says, “I have never focused on my career path too

Lights add-on for Sygic GPS Navigation has been

Vice President Enterprise Solutions from the

much.” He felt that everything came naturally. Martin

57

There are many standalone digital solutions for various transportation challenges, but not reflecting the needs of fragmented, small fleets, without integration possibilities. I believe the commercial transportation industry is still waiting for a proper digital revolution and uberization.

Martin Strigač CEO, Sygic

www.sygic .com 56

studied management and information technology, worked as a developer, team lead, solution and

Technologies According to Martin, almost all the innovations are

enterprise architect, project manager, IT director and so

somehow related to artificial intelligence, IoT, cloud

on. He helped M&A teams with successful acquisitions

computing or big data today. Just recently, Sygic became

and post-merger integration and was part of top

the first mobile navigation to detect traffic signs using AI,

management and supervisory boards. “Becoming a true

machine learning and collection of our big data. Its

leader, who inspires teams, requires skills that one can

awarded Traffic Lights Add-On for the Sygic GPS

only acquire over time through hard work,” opines

Navigation used IoT integration of smart cities

Martin.

“When we have a job that fulfils us, the challenges are

infrastructure and AI prediction algorithms. “We use disruptive technologies to primarily improve road safety

something we expect as a daily routine. I am a lucky

and help to reduce carbon emissions by using accessible

person in my professional life because I always had work,

technology. Our collaborative routing algorithm has

I love” adds Martin.

become one of the Top European Innovations by Innovation Radar Prize, appreciating the potential to

Transparency, the Best Quality of Leadership Speaking about the vital attributes for every leader,

reduce the time spent in the traffic by more than 20

Martin says that he always tries to lead by example. He

percent, significantly lower costs and contribute to CO2

adds that he respects transparent leaders working hard

reduction in cities. Sygic also participates in the

with their teams, presenting their leadership and success

development of a universal European AI platform called

through inspirational products and innovations which

Everest, focusing on smart mobility in cities,”adds Martin.

help people around the globe.

Building a Seamless Digital Ecosystem Martin believes that monopolies heavily paralyse the

Spearheading Innovation with Market Best Products Martin believes that innovation plays a key role in any

navigation industry. He highlights that Apple and Google

business. “Innovation is one of our core values; it is in our

dominate the consumer market due to unfair advantage

DNA and our lifestyle. In 2004 we started in an office

and governments are very slow to put appropriate

with 25 square metres as a small start-up, and we still

policies in place.Martin asserts that Sygicfocuses on

keep the start-up culture with a flat organisational

commercial transportation. Together with the other

structure, lean and understandable processes, regular

group teams, the company have the vision to

hackathons, all-hands meetings, joint breakfasts and

democratise the on-road mobility industry through a

dinners. We also listen to our broad and diverse beta-

technological revolution. Sygicwant to give every road

testers community, who provide continuous feedback on

transportation company – however small it is –the access

the new products and inspire us for new challenges,”

to the benefits of digitization at scale. The company is

asserts Martin.

Martin claims that more than 200 million users

building a seamless, integrated digital ecosystem with the potential to revolutionise the middle mile. This

worldwide trust Sygic products, which are constantly

benefits the planet and its customers, and everyone wins,

ranked as the best and most innovative on the market

claims Martin.

globally.He adds that unlike the giants that have changed the market rules by providing pre-installed navigations

The Secret Mantra to Success Martin advices emerging CEOs to be themselves and

in smartphones for free, Sygic has always relied on its

follow theirpassion. “Love what you do. Don't be CEO, be

agility and continuous innovations.

a colleague. Work hard with your teams and never forget

Bequeathing the Key to Success with Disruptive

about your customers. And always try to lead by example,” he concludes.

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