The 10 Most Inspiring CEOs to Watch, 2022

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VOL 01 I ISSUE 01 I 2022

Assistive Leadership

Empowering Others: One Step Closer to Success

Peerless Role Leading From The Front

10 Most Inspiring CEOs

The

to Watch, 2022

Patrick CEO, PKL Services

When Proficiency Meets Excellence

Gough

EDITOR’S NOTE Inspiring High Performance through Empowerment

Y

ou can never cross the ocean until you gather the courage to lose sight of the shore. Great success never comes from shallow faith, fear, comfort zone, and half-hearted efforts, but it comes from taking bold and decisive actions.

Today, CEOs, that are regarded as successful, created their own path by following their unique thought process, creativity, and innovative mindset. They believed in their potential and delivered something unparalleled in the world.

What separates excellent CEOs from others is they create an inspirational standard for others with their unique thought process and exemplary actions. They don't create followers but new leaders. They inspire employees to deliver high performance by empowering, encouraging, enhancing, and supporting them.

They believe in empowering people rather than controlling them.

Instead of just being a person of external success, they first try to be a person of value. They believe in delivering high value to their stakeholders. They confidently go in the direction of their goals without being afraid.

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Great CEOs use their forces of creative imagination most cleverly. They don't deplete their willpower and imagination on wrong things. They consciously focus on the things that will help them fetch better results. They are sharp at eliminating the unessential, decluttering, and being organized to do what is needed and address the needs that are needed to be addressed. They don't miss opportunities but believe in transforming opportunities into great success.

Inspiration is a fuel that sustains organizational success for a longer duration. Great CEOs create a great culture in the

The

10 Most

Inspiring CEOs to Watch, 2022

organization and inspire everyone to reach their highest potential. They lead their team members effectively, inspire them to reach their personal and professional goals, and contagiously inspire everyone else to perform to their best ability.

Setting definite, clear, practical, and achievable objectives along with apt strategy and contingency plan is the hallmark of inspiring business leaders. And great CEOs follow the necessary means and tap the power of their resources to achieve their goals and objectives. They use their unique strengths and attributes to inspire their employees and team members to take courageous actions to deliver high performance. They bring out the best in others with their empowering and encouraging nature and constructively engaging employees with high inspiration. Inspired employees perform better, and that leads to high organizational growth.

In this edition of The 10 Most Inspiring CEOs to Watch, we have enlisted CEOs who are setting an inspirational standard for other aspiring entrepreneurs with their unique leadership.

On the cover, we have Patrick Gough, the CEO of PKL Services. Patrick's journey at PKL has been very fascinating. He joined as the Vice President of Human Resources. Later, his unwavering efforts and splendid results for the company got him promoted as the CEO. You will get to read more such stories of other leaders in this edition. Lastly, do not forget to go through CxOs by industry veterans and insightful articles written by our in-house editorial team.

Happy Reading!

Sharad Chitalkar

Cover Story

08

Patrick Gough When Proficiency Meets Excellence

Articles

28

46

Assistive Leadership

Peerless Role Leading From The Front

Empowering Others: One Step Closer to Success

CXO

36

Leader’s Viewpoint

The New Payment Era

16

Arun K. Singh

Strategic Cyber Security Leader

20

Brent Kruel

24

A Veteran Turned Entrepreneur to Improve the Quality of Life

Dan Prince

Bringing Life to Innovative Ideas to Impact Lives of Millions

30

James Michael Lafferty

38

A Visionary Leader Improving the Lives of People

Kristy Gordon

Making Safari a Seamless Process for People

42

Nir Simionovich

48

Helping Businesses Transform their Customers’ Engagements

Bridget Jones

Informed and Forward-thinking Leader with Wealth of Knowledge and Valuable Experience

52

Steve Wilcenski

Passionately Driving Changes with Nanotech

C O N T E N T S

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January, 2022

Featuring Person

Company Name

Brief

Alice Chang CEO

Perfect Corp perfectcorp.com

Perfect Corp. is the world’s leading beauty tech solutions provider.

Arun Singh CEO

Ilantus Technologies ilantus.com

Ilantus Technologies specializes in the Identity and Access Management domain.

Brent Kruel CEO

BioFunctional Health Solutions biofunctionalhealth.com

BioFunctional Health Solutions revolutionized corporate occupational health by leveraging the latest technology and mobility healthcare trusted by small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.

Dan Prince CEO

illumisoft illumisoft.com

illumisoft is a mission-driven, custom software development company that makes healthcare better.

James Michael Lafferty CEO

Fine Hygienic Holding finehh.com

Fine Hygienic Holding provides consumers with high-quality hygienic paper products that will make their lives more joyful.

Kirsty Gordon CEO

Anywhere in Africa Safaris anywhereinafrica.com

Anywhere in Africa is a tour operator, safari and travel company.

Nir Simionovich CEO

Cloudonix, Inc cloudonix.io

Cloudonix is a cross-platform, in-platform communications infrastructure.

Patrick Gough CEO

PKL Services pklservices.com

PKL Services, Inc. provides professional support in both Aerospace Services as well as Training & Consulting Services.

Renee Welsh CEO

Embed embedcard.com

Embed is the worldwide leader of the integrated cashless business management systems and solutions for family Entertainment, Amusement and Attractions.

Steve Wilcenski CEO

BNNano bnnano.com

BNNano is currently the only company in the world with a commercially viable manufacturing process for Boron Nitride Nanotubes

Patrick Gough CEO PKL Services

The 10 Most Inspiring CEOs to Watch

Patrick Gough When Proficiency Meets Excellence

“ We are an elite provider of skilled personnel, delivering Aerospace Maintenance, Training, and Logistics Services, committed to continual improvement, exceeding customer expectations, and implementing quality standards in dynamic environments.”

Paddy joined PKL Services following a distinguished 30-year career with the U.S. Marine Corps, serving as the Operations Officer for both, Third Marine Aircraft Wing and First Marine Expeditionary Force. He served as the Commanding Officer of a squadron as well as Marine Aircraft Group 39 and as the Deputy Commander of the Marine Corps Installations West.

He flew as a Naval Aviator in the AH-1J and AH-1T (TOW) Cobra as well as the AH-1W Super Cobra and the AH-1Z Viper aircraft accumulating approximately 4000 flight hours in peace and combat operations throughout his career. Upon retiring from the Marine Corps as a Colonel, he worked for six years as the Executive Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development for Orange County Transportation Authority.

He came to PKL in August 2014, initially serving as the Vice President of Human Resources. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO), where he worked as a key member of PKL’s leadership team. As COO, he had the responsibility of building, executing, and overseeing all of PKL’s systems, processes, workflows, and procedures. He also played a critical role in helping to shape and guide the future growth and development of the organization.

Later, his unwavering efforts and splendid results for the company got him promoted as the CEO of PKL in February 2020, just prior to the global shifts we all experienced in 2020.

Inspired by his journey, we at CIO Look had a conversation with Paddy to learn more about his journey and contribution to the aviation industry.

Below are the highlights of the interview: Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the aviation industry through your expertise in the market.

Coming to PKL after 30 years in the Marine Corps gave

“

Be the top-cover for your employees, fight the strategic fight so they can do their jobs, and personally contribute to the attainment of the company’s strategic goals.

Have a plan and stick to it!

“

W

hat separates excellent leaders from the herd is their qualities of working their fingers to the bone, adapting to new challenges, driving growth, adding value to every stakeholder, and always looking forward to reaching the finish line. Those who effectively implement these traits and made it to the top, earn coveted positions like that of a CEO. A striking example of this notion is Patrick “Paddy” Gough.

me familiarity and comfort in working with the military and aviation industry. I understand the military and business landscape both domestically and internationally, which provides a valuable perspective when approaching new business opportunities.

Additionally, I continue to maintain my networks and relationships with military and non-military colleagues, keeping me aware of modern military obstacles and new business approaches available to solve those challenges.

What are/were the challenges you and your team come across in your day-to-day operations?

Since becoming CEO of PKL Services, our challenges are the same as what many have faced during the global pandemic. We continue to encounter challenges associated with travel and moving our employees into worksites in various locations around the world. We also continue to be impacted by constantly changing regulations and government mandates, not only in the US, but internationally as well.

As a company, however, we have navigated these challenges and more with success. 2021 has been our highest revenue and profit year since the founding of PKL in 2003.

Additionally, when the domestic military aviation contract opportunities began to show a decrease in margins, we made the strategic pivot to pursue opportunities in other countries, like Latin America and other countries to expand Foreign Military Sales service contracts and Direct Commercial Sales

contracts with better margins to increase revenue and profitability.

As a President and CEO, what is your opinion on the impact of the current pandemic on the Aviation & Aerospace Industry?

PKL trademarked a full-spectrum training system to enhance teaching and learning environments through the innovative use of emerging technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Computer Base Training (CBT), and Advanced Live Display Technology (ALDT). Our training system, which is proprietary and trademarked, is called OmniSpec®.

Virtual education and training initiatives, such as OmniSpec, allow for training, education, and learning in a virtual environment unaffected by the pandemic while continuing to attain increased efficiencies and enhanced effectiveness of the entire teaching/learning process. Aviation and Aerospace companies that are slow to adapt or who refuse to embrace the virtual realm will lag behind those companies that adapted and overcame.

What is your thought on the necessity of a positive work culture? In what ways do you implement it at your organization?

I am dedicated to keeping PKL an employer of choice.

We have consistently been esteemed for the service we provide to our customers and also how we treat our employees. When employees from other parallel contracts or from other companies tell us they’re grateful for the opportunity to work at PKL, it brings us a sense of pride in that culture to which we remain committed.

We’ve recently been recognized as a Top Workplace in San Diego and one of just 10 companies nationwide recognized as a Best Employer for Veterans. This prestigious recognition reminds us of the work PKL does to keep putting our employees first.

As part of our commitment to our employees and the culture at PKL, I have made it my clear directive to keep communication at the front of the company’s mission.

Especially during the last two years, updates and resources have been provided to the employees consistently, assuring them of precautions put in place and ensuring they have the most current information to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. And, when I received my COVID vaccine, I openly documented the process and my personal experience, sharing it with all of PKL’s employees. I felt this would help alleviate some hesitation of employees to receive the vaccine and also to show transparency as a leader.

The health, safety, and wellbeing of our employees and their families are my highest priorities. We “walk the walk,” not just “talk the talk.”

According to you, how vital is it for emerging businesses to align with sophisticated technologies?

And in what ways is PKL leveraging those technologies?

Even before becoming the CEO of PKL, I was a vocal advocate for the technology and tools to ensure PKL could sustain operations under any circumstances. We developed and exercised a comprehensive and multilayered Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP). We also

invested significant resources and training in IT support systems, incrementally moving away from historically paper-dependent record-keeping and transitioning to a cloud-based system for all departments, with numerous layers of security and redundancy. We established and practiced work-from-home policies and procedures, invested in the systems required to operate from nearly 40 “distributed locations” so that when the pandemic hit, we were ready and able to continue operations unaffected by the obstacles everyone throughout the world faced. When other companies faltered, we succeeded. When everything was forced to shut down in March 2020, this leadership and foresight ensured that PKL could continue operations without missing a beat. The PKL Corporate team was able to immediately move to a remote workforce with all Corporate employees working from the safety of their homes and without any disruption to regular work performance or deliverables.

In terms of technology for our customers and the aviation industry, PKL has introduced advanced technology and product improvement to customer needs. We have partnered with a Singapore-based technology company to further extend our capabilities through the use of advanced and emerging technology with the trademarked training system, OmniSpec®.

This training system allows us to provide on-demand training through a variety of methods, including computer-based training, augmented reality, and virtual reality. Now, our customers can train their personnel in any location 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Our courseware is tailored for each customer to provide tangible results that improve readiness, production, and profit while reducing training time, employee turnover, and replacement costs.

In what ways do you or your company contribute to the community? If given a chance, what change would you bring to help other aviation start-ups & other aerospace companies?

PKL has also established multiple joint ventures and mentor/protégé agreements over the years. We do this to support additional aviation and newer companies in their growth and expansion. I am continuing that responsibility to develop other companies as they grow to graduate from 8(a) status and more.

More than 90% of our workforce of almost 600 are military veterans. PKL is truly a veteran-friendly employer and has been recognized as such.

Where do you envision your organization to be in the long run, and what are your future goals?

PKL continues to pursue business processes that can be performed virtually, paperless, and without having to be in the physical presence of either employees, partners or the customer. We have proven that we can work effectively and efficiently via distributed operations and we want to further enhance that capability to better serve our customers while growing the business.

We are also expanding globally with multiple opportunities in Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and elsewhere. This global expansion is a priority for continued growth opportunities, increased revenue, and maximized profits. Acquisitions of complimentary capabilities is in our future. Expansion of existing contracts is a must. The development of a varied corporate portfolio, both foreign and domestic, is critical. Strict adherence to the level of professionalism and performance that has made PKL successful will never be sacrificed.

As an industry expert, what would be your advice to budding CEOs aspiring to venture into the aviation industry?

Don’t lead from behind a desk. The CEO’s responsibility is to be out and about, visiting the disparate locations of the workforce, being a physical or virtual presence in locations throughout the world where the company has employees. Don’t be an enigma; employ “leadership by walking around!” Develop relationships with everyone within the Company and with all external service support individuals. Get to know the contracting officers, build partnerships with other companies and other countries. Don’t be just another contractor or vendor; take the relationship building seriously. Place the highest emphasis on integrity. Never engage in any activity that could be perceived as being illegal, immoral, or unethical. Lead by your personal example!

Be excited about what you do and how well the company is doing…exuberance is contagious. Avoid a “zero defects” mentality and recognize the difference between mistakes of omission versus commission.

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Arun K Singh Global CEO and Board Member Ilantus 16

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Arun K. Singh Strategic Cyber Security Leader

L

eaders in the security industry understand the importance of forming trusted relationships, not only internally but also with third-party entities.

Leaders who demonstrate a go-getter attitude and the willingness to learn with the team have great potential to drive result-oriented solutions for clients. With a unique combination of business acumen and deep technical knowledge, Arun K. Singh paves the path to success in cybersecurity at Ilantus Technologies.

started with a very small group of 40 cybersecurity professionals which scaled up to a large number of professionals with a strong global footprint and services covering end-to-end cybersecurity domain from risk & compliance to application security, data protection, infrastructure security, security operations and convergence of logical & physical security. We won multiple awards for productized service offerings and established a global security brand. The key challenge during my tenure at Wipro was to develop a team of skilled professionals in each geo who can interact with the client on the end-to-end cybersecurity domain to position all the services with equal strength.

Arun is the Chief Executive Officer and Board Member at Ilantus Technologies. He is a solution-centric leader who motivates others to achieve their targets with his passionate and vibrant leadership skills. His unique ability to bring the best out of the team is backed by his sound knowledge of the security domain and a strong work ethic. To gain insights into his successful methodologies, we at CIO LOOK interviewed Arun focusing on his professional journey.

My success at Wipro was noticed by Accenture, and I was invited to join their global cybersecurity group as Managing Director. Though I was hired to drive security consulting and implementation business however soon after my joining, I realized the potential to build a managed security business aligned with Accenture’s Infrastructure and Application Outsourcing business.

Below are the highlights of the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at Ilantus Technologies. What challenges have you had to overcome to reach where you are today?

At Ilantus, we envision that our flagship solution, Compact Identity, will continue to hold the market leadership position in the class of converged IAM, and we are continuously striving towards achieving that goal.

I started my career in cybersecurity as a cryptographer and security research professional and later moved on to building and driving cybersecurity businesses for multiple organizations. After my post-graduation from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India, I joined Infosys Technologies and focused on creating innovative security solutions for healthcare industries.

That was the time when regulations such as HIPAA, PCI, and Sarbanes Oxley were catching up in the market. This trend was recognized by Wipro Technologies and they invited me to build a global Enterprise security business. My journey with Wipro 17

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This led to the development of a business case and obtaining funding approved from the Steering Committee to start a new group focused on Managed Security Operations. As the global leader for Managed Security business, I had to pass through many challenges e.g. defining the service catalog aligned with the market, baselining delivery processes, defining guide rails, set up sales and delivery capabilities from scratch, and continuously engage senior management by demonstrating customer success stories. It was an extremely rich experience to build the global business by setting up security operation centers in different parts of the world, acquiring clients in each region, demonstrating profitable growth, and getting high recognition from analyst groups.

As a professional services organization, Ilantus have implemented 3rd party IAM products for clients globally for many years. That experience made us realize that the IAM vendors are offering only fragments of the IAM solution, and clients are burdened with not only buying 5 to 7 different products to solve their IAM requirements but also spent significant time and effort in integrating them. This led to the creation of Compact Identity, which is a comprehensive solution that converges Access Management, Identity Governance and Administration, Identity Analytics, and Privileged Access Management capabilities in a single platform and is backed by an intelligent risk engine and robust identity analytics. It is cloud-native, risk-aware, easy to use, and built on the Zero-trust framework to provide Identity centric holistic cybersecurity to secure clients and their digital transformation journey.

After Accenture, I joined EY LLP as Americas Risk Advisory leader and Partner to build the “Cybersecurity-as-a-Service (CaaS)” business. I started working with EY Global team to develop a business case and obtained funding from EY’s Advisory Investment Committee (AIC) for this new business. My work involved selecting cutting-edge technologies to implement SaaS solutions covering Digital Identity, Data Protection, Threat Detection & Response, and Threat exposure management. These innovative solutions were developed leveraging Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotic Process Automation, Threat Intelligence, and Security Analytics tools. We established an advanced center for cybersecurity in USA to run CaaS operations. Setting up the next generation, fully automated, and clouddelivered cybersecurity services for EY’s enterprise clients was a great challenge to solve at EY. My quest to do something more challenging prompted me to move out of EY and join Ilantus Technologies as the Chief Executive Officer. Ilantus had been in cybersecurity domain since past two decades and provided right platform for me.

Leading analysts agree that converged IAM is the future of IAM, especially in a covid influenced business landscape where Work from Home is the new normal, and Compact Identity from Ilantus continues to be a leader in this space recognized consistently for its innovative features and simplicity. Compact Identity is the only solution in the market that is a true converged IAM solution. With three patents, this product is in the 3rd generation of maturity and enjoys a diverse client base across Retail, Healthcare, Education, Manufacturing, Telecom, BFSI, and Government sectors.

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for Ilantus Technologies?

In the long run, I envision myself working closely with the investment firms, serving as advisory board leader for cybersecurity companies and growing business at Ilantus. The future goals for Ilantus is to further enhance its identity analytics engine to integrate it with the latest cybersecurity solutions in the organization and create more use cases for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to leverage these solutions deeply. In the next five years, we see Ilantus as a strong global brand and a major player in the Converged IAM space.

Ilantus has a startup culture, and my past experiences of working with large organizations came in handy in going through a transformation cycle to align Ilantus’ growth trajectory with the market. Currently, I am focused on driving an accelerated growth for Ilantus and taking this company to next level.

Enlighten us on how Ilantus have made an impact in the (respective) niche through security expertise in the market?

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Brent Kruel A Veteran Turned Entrepreneur to Improve the Quality of Life

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passionate drive to truly care for people by helping to eliminate their pain and poor health is what led Brent Kruel to create BioFunctional Health Solutions, Inc. (BHS). As the Chief Executive Officer, Brent utilizes his profound expertise to make BHS the leader in onsite and digital wellness solutions for U.S. employers. His venture has revolutionized corporate occupational health by leveraging the latest technology and mobility healthcare trusted by small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.

NCAA Division I varsity 800-meter runner for the Academy’s track and field team.

Brent also suffered a severe injury resulting in a fractured spine from jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 ft during his time at the Air Force Academy.

This injury jeopardized his commission and the ability to compete in the 800-meter. He pushed through the pain but still needed help to heal. He became passionate about alternative therapies that would reduce the pain and inflammation and allow him to function and compete. This new passion led him to choose the medical service corps office upon his graduation from the Air Force Academy in 2000.

We, at CIO Look, came across Brent in our endeavor to find 'The 10 Most Inspiring CEOs to Watch, 2021.' Our conversation led to more in-depth insights on how Brent and BHS have changed the landscape of the healthcare sector with their innovative technologies.

It was a formative experience for Brent's career to be a medic in the Air Force. Some of his accomplishments include being in charge of building a new hospital, CIO of a large inpatient facility at 27 years old and landing the job of hospital administrator of the largest hospital in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Air Force also sponsored his in-residence Master's in Healthcare Administration at the #1 school of public health in the nation, UNC-Chapel Hill.

Let's unveil the journey to understand more about the Brent and his strategic mission in the health and wellness community.

Where did it all Begin?

Upon enlisting in the Air Force, after graduating from high school, Brent was assigned to a combat communications unit which introduced him to some of the most advanced technology of his time. He quickly developed passions for both technology and helping people. This was born out of his experiences during deployment into combat environments and humanitarian missions like Operation Uphold Democracy, in Haiti, in 1994. Brent went on to attend the United States Air Force Academy, in Colorado Springs, CO. While there, Brent’s highly athletic lifestyle led him to the track where he competed as an

A year after separating from the Air Force, Brent was promoted to his first executive-level position in a significant software and services company that was a market leader in healthcare insurance and payment processing software. Not long after, Brent suffered another injury, a torn ACL, that required surgery. This was a success, but he lost range of motion in his knee and it was suggested that he have yet another surgery.

Brent did not see this as an option and he went on a quest to find other alternatives. This is when Brent was 20

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Brent Kruel Chief Executive Officer BioFunctional Health Solutions, Inc. 21

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introduced to a better healthcare option and a model that professional athletic teams used on their athletes.

In less than five minutes, in a treatment that looked like a pinpointed massage, he regained full range of motion without surgery.

It’s mission is to make the chronic pain prevention and resolution programs available to as many employees and their families as possible, knowing that this will lead to a healthier, happier, and more productive nation., asserts Brent.

Brent has experienced four more miracles of this level using these soft-tissue healthcare methods and avoided four surgeries. He now lives pain-free.

The company intends to be available to every American by 2023 either through employer-sponsored wellness programs or its new application, YouMari. BHS is the first company to translate its hands-on system into a self-treatment system coupled with a symptom checker enabling customized self-treatment programs to resolve musculoskeletal conditions accessible from anywhere.

Brent’s passion about bringing this care to as many Americans as possible in his lifetime led him to create a company that will carry on his passion to a larger scale for generations to come. And so began the birth of BioFunctional Health Solutions. BHS is now the leader in TOTAL health and wellness, leveraging technology as well as hands-on soft tissue healthcare to resolve and treat conditions that cause pain. But this is not where it ends. This dynamic company offers a whole litany of other traditional wellness modalities.

A Complete Wellbeing Approach BHS is a thought leader and innovator in musculoskeletal health. It has become the standard pathway for resolving musculoskeletal conditions (MSKs) like back pain, shoulder/neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and many more are very expensive, invasive, and a leading cause of opiate addictions in the United States.

On the Mission of Healthier Nation BHS is radically passionate about improving American employees' quality of life, leading to a better tomorrow for them and their employers.

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It is bringing American employees the most effective, least invasive, and most affordable resolution for these MSK issues that cause over 50% of adults' chronic pain.

It does this by detecting injuries and dysfunctions through its patented 3D mobility health assessment system and leveraging a proven hands-on system that professional athletes trust.

"We keep your employees happy & healthy."

This hands-on system is not new, although it is not widely available. According to Brent, the system was developed in 1991 by a doctor of osteopathy that made a revolutionary discovery regarding the relationship between the connective tissues (fascia) and MSKs. This system has been widely adopted in elite sports to include professional sports and Olympic athletes.

These elite athletes are not the only ones who need to stay pain-free and competitive; your employees deserve this care as well so they can be productive and safe in the workplace.

Innovating Technology

Guiding the Caretakers of Tomorrow

BHS is an innovator in technology and consummate collaborators with others advancing technology in its field. It was the first to implement patented screening tools using a 3D range of motion analysis that identifies dysfunctions in the musculoskeletal system and joints.

This analysis helps it to treat repetitive motion injuries before they become painful chronic conditions.

Brent advises upcoming entrepreneurs in Employee Health and Wellness sector to match the solutions according to market needs by seeking and understanding the market before designing any solution. He says, "This is how we were able to redefine ourselves prior to developing and adopting technology that supports our solutions.”

Envisioning Future Wellness Culture

"Do not get caught under the complexity avalanche of technology functionality and instead leverage technology to enhance outcomes for your customers without burdening them with using the technology," concludes Brent.

BHS envisions itself servicing 100 million Americans within the next three years with its onsite and online solutions. Its goal is to be the first choice in employee wellness and MSK treatment for individuals.

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W

hen a compassionate leader encourages people around them, they lay a strong foundation of acknowledgment and support. They create an environment filled with passion, enthusiasm, and commitment to contribute to improving humanity's future.

several teams at Epiq Systems in Kansas City. But over the next several weeks, he contacted me several more times, asking and then finally pleading with me to help him. I gave in and agreed, but only because of his desperation. I said I would help him, but I wasn't going to charge him because I didn't want the hassle of billing and taxes. I just wanted to give him a quick favor and then go on with my life. After a preliminary audit of the agency situation, I determined that they would not be able to provide the system. I reported the same back to the Unidoor CEO with regret about the situation. But then I saw hopelessness in his eyes. The owner had invested a lot of money, and the lack of software was keeping them from moving forward. If the CEO couldn't deliver on his part, it would be a huge issue for the entire company.

Implementing this compassionate approach, Dan Prince set out on a mission to make healthcare better with his venture illumisoft. As the Founder and CEO, he assists his clients in understanding their needs and provides them with the correct software solutions.

CIO LOOK embarked on a quest to find inspiring leaders; we came across Dan. We talked with him to know how his experience of over two decades has maximized resources that help healthcare organizations.

So, again, I gave in and told him I would see what I could do. Within a month, I had hired a handful of developers and was busily creating the software for Unidoor. So those are the things that inspired me to push forward with illumisoft and as a business leader in general. I just want to build something that inspires my sons to build their own businesses and, hopefully along the way, set an example about being centered around helping others.

Below are the highlights of the interview.

Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at illumisoft. What challenges have you had to overcome to reach where you are today?

I got my start very early in life thanks to having entrepreneurial parents who were early adopters of computers for their deposition service back in the midseventies. This allowed me to learn about computer architecture and coding at an early age. Playing with computers back then was like a game to me. I played on the computer much as I played on my Atari. I didn't imagine that it would turn into a life-long interest or a career. In my 20s, I worked in construction, and it wasn't until I was a father of four with all the bills that accompanied my children that I decided to get a college degree. I worked part-time, and my wife watched the kids while I went to school full time for four years to earn the piece of paper that would begin my journey into professional technology development.

Tell us something more about your company and its mission and vision.

I take a lot of pride in the fact that my company, as a result of the people within it, is about as modern as you can get. We are a 100% remote company that focuses on high-quality customer service as the utmost priority in any client relationship. We mean it. We would rather provide good customer service than make a profit and are willing to make sacrifices to make sure that our clients get what they want and what they need. Each member of our team values hard work, intelligence, and a drive to be the best that we can be for our clients.

In early 2014, I was given the opportunity to help someone that was in dire need, the CEO of an early startup by the name of Unidoor Enterprises, who had hired a technology agency to produce a prototype of a software system. After several months without any evidence of progress, he wanted me to help him determine if he should continue that relationship. He wanted me to do an assessment, and of course, he wanted to pay me for my time. My initial response was to turn him down. I didn't need another job. I had a good job already as a software development manager over

At illumisoft, our mission is to provide the healthcare industry with a technology partner that helps them to make the technology changes necessary to provide the best healthcare results possible. Our vision is to make technology work out of healthcare work. We'll do the tech stuff that enables you to do healthcare at your best.

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in your industry through your expertise in the market?

I wouldn't say that we've really had an impact on the 24

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Bringing Life to Innovative Ideas to Impact Lives of Millions 25

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“Talent wins Games, Teamwork wins Championships.”

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industry...yet. However, we have had an impact on our region in terms of our competition.

Time and time again, we have had clients take projects away from other vendors and give them to us. We hope to be able to repeat this pattern of delivery so that we can also repeat the pattern of exponential growth, ultimately expanding beyond Kansas City to every research hospital in the US and abroad.

Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your organization.

Being centered around helping others is why we at illumisoft have focused our services on the healthcare industry. We realized at some point several years ago that building great solutions feels good, and delighting our clients feels great. But, building great solutions that delight our clients and then realizing you've helped literally hundreds of thousands of people around the world live happier, healthier lives feels noble, heroic, and worth it.

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for illumisoft?

I see illumisoft becoming the go-to custom solution provider for hospitals, private practices, and research centers across the United States. Eventually, we will spread worldwide. We have already seen a consistent, incremental increase in our growth, and we expect that to continue at an exponential rate.

Additionally, we plan on becoming a product company and combining that with our service offerings. We have several product ideas in the works, and we have a couple of products already built that we are beginning to market now.

What would be your advice to emerging leaders?

I've got a lot of advice for emerging leaders, but it does depend on their situation to a certain extent. If I had to give blanket advice, I would say you read and read constantly. Learn everything that you can learn. Understand that people are flawed and that you have to accept them for their contribution rather than their proximity to your ideal. Operate your life out of a place of love for other people. I truly believe that, although it is kind of corny.

Dan Prince

Founder & CEO illumisoft 27

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Empowering Others: One Step Closer to Success

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Assistive Leadership

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ny organization is as powerful as the individuals within the organization. The success of any organization is dependent on how talented and resourceful people are there in the organization.

Together everyone certainly attains more. The power of unity has the potential to break all the shackles and cross all the challenges that may inevitably come on the journey of success. Together people are able to make up for the weaknesses of each other and are able to enhance the strengths of each other. Challenges make the journey interesting because, in the process of overcoming these challenges, one gets to learn many things, and overcoming these challenges gives more meaning to the journey.

necessary intelligence. To lead others effectively, leaders should first learn to lead themselves effectively.

For that purpose, leaders have to exhibit high competence and strong character. High competence and strong character in leaders make them more trustworthy. This helps them lead by being genuinely exemplary, and they also have positive self-esteem to lead and empower their team members.

The best way to increase the productivity of the team members is by empowering them. The empowered people are able to justice to their roles, routines, and responsibilities more judiciously. What matters is receiving the right guidance from the right people. If employees of the organization get good guidance from their leaders, they will be able to make a more significant contribution to the organization's cause. It depends so much on the complementary efforts by the teammates and the leaders that lead to the successful growth of the organizations. There are no shortcuts to success. Employees and leaders should be conscious of putting their efforts in something worthwhile pursuits to achieve something valuable. They should be super cognizant of implementing the latest technologies in their organizations to improve the solutions provided.

It is absolutely of importance to deliver more than expected to be more credible.

There is a part of leaders that gets imprinted on the employees in their organizations. Therefore, having an exemplary leader is the most crucial part of the success of any organization. When competition turns to the contribution, then life or business becomes a celebration. Leaders of the organizations should promote healthy competition between their team members. The purpose of healthy competition is to drive the growth of the organization. Everyone should contribute their best in a healthy spirit of contribution, which ultimately leads to the organization's increased success.

The empowerment by leaders of the organizations goes a long way in bringing out the best in the individuals in the organizations. Empowerment means to bring out the best in the people one is leading. Leaders have to lead by example in order to make a difference in every person in their organization. Leaders should have a system in place for the systematic training and guidance of the people in their organizations to make them more resourceful and talented. The role of empowering others is absolutely the most important task of leaders to drive the sustainable success of their organizations.

Nothing substantial in this world can be attained without sufficient contribution from all the team members and without empowering leadership at the helm of the organizations. Therefore, the value of empowering leaders is very much in all organizations.

Individuals are only at the maximum as much strength as the leaders. As the contribution spirit of every member in the team increases, their generosity to serve very productively increases. If the leaders empower their team members with sufficient inspiration and appropriate guidance, they will be able to do the most significant contribution to the organizations' successful growth, and there can be more causes of celebration for organizations.

Without the quality contribution from the team members, it is impossible to attain great results. Great results come from the great empowerment of the people in the organization. They should be inspired to do their best; they should be nourished with the

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James Michael Lafferty A Visionary Leader Improving the Lives of People

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escribed as one of the most diversified CEOs, James Michael Lafferty is not just an influential leader. He is also an Olympic Coach, an awardwinning journalist, a college professor, a competitive athlete, a philanthropist, a husband, and a father of 5.

Driven by Mission and Vision FHH is, first and foremost, a wellness company. Building on the legacy as a leading manufacturer of sterilized paper products and its consistent dedication to quality has earned FHH the title #1 Sterilized Tissues in the World. The company also produces market-leading antiviral protection solutions, an area where the pandemic crisis opened the door for exponential growth.

Currently, James is steering the ship of Fine Hygienic Holding (FHH) as its CEO. An embodiment of influential leadership, James leads by example, integrity, positive energy, and a clear sense of direction.

At CIO Look, we caught up with James to know more about his inspiring leadership journey and how he has taken Fine Hygienic Holding to new heights.

More recently it has focused on innovation in the wellness industry. As a wellness company, its mission is to improve the lives of consumers, and it is taking the opportunity to do more than ever before to help the people it serves. The company motto is: “If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything”. This commitment extends into absolutely everything it does.

Diverse and Wide-Ranging Life Growing up, James dreamt of being a track and field coach, which led him being hired as a fitness instructor

by Procter & Gamble in 1984. This is where his course changed – a client who was a brand manager pushed him to apply for a job in marketing. He was turned down at first but refused to take no for an answer – and that is how his international corporate career began.

Its vision is to become and remain the shining star of the Arab FMCG business world. It focuses on outinnovating its competition. FHH is on a journey to become a publicly listed company on the London Stock Exchange. James believes that it will become truly a “big-time” company—uttered in the same breath alongside the world’s finest corporations and organizations.

Since then, James has worked for a number of multinational corporations, including Cola-Cola and British American Tobacco across Europe, Africa, and Asia, and now his home is in the Middle East.

A Principle-based Team.

He joined the FHH board in 2015, and impressed with the ambition and potential of the company, he eagerly agreed to become CEO in 2018.

James never fully let go of his beginnings as a sports coach and incorporating wellbeing in the Fine Hygienic Holding ethos was his personal priority. This is not 30

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James Michael Lafferty CEO Fine Hygienic Holding (FHH)

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limited to the products the company sells, although they are developed to promote greater wellness for all the customers; it relates to how it values the employees – the most important asset and it goes above and beyond to make sure they are in an environment where they can thrive.

“We also take our responsibility for the world we are leaving behind seriously and are committed to making our operations environmentally sustainable.”

James states that FHH is committed to their health and well-being, and believes that “if we take care of the people, the business will take care of itself.” An example of this in practice is the new corporate wellness facilities at its offices in Dubai – offering the employees free access to exercise equipment and classes. It has also launched a number of programs to look after the mental health of the employees ever since coronavirus hit.

When the Going Got Tough Every sportsman knows that you can never rest on your laurels – and in 60 years Fine has accumulated more than a few (40 prestigious awards and counting), but it continues to evolve. Anticipating the COVID-19 crisis, Fine Hygienic Holding saw that it could make a real difference. The company pivoted towards safeguarding 32

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the health of consumers by developing the Fine Guard line, which uses the most advanced long-term antiviral protection in the market. Its reusable masks, hand sanitizer, and specialized disinfectants have been thoroughly tested in global labs and proven to eliminate 99.9% of germs, offering comprehensive and effective protection.

Bringing Best Technology for the People When it comes to leveraging technological advancements, FHH has invested heavily in a complete digital transformation, allowing it to conduct the business despite lockdowns and across its various locations. The company also launched its e-commerce platform, The Fine Shop, to allow the customers safe and easy access to all its products.

The company has adopted technology to drastically reduce the use of freshwater in its production processes, support only sustainable forestry practices, have a zero policy for landfill waste across all the operations, and use natural gas instead of heavy fuel where possible.

The organization utilizes a range of patented technologies in the manufacturing processes: SteriPro, which is used to sanitize its paper products, and Fine Guard line incorporates two different non-toxic cutting-edge technologies, reflecting its commitment to innovation based on the changing needs of consumers everywhere.

Shaping a Better Tomorrow Talking about the future plans, James mentions that since its establishment, FHH has championed progress, innovation, and diversity. As it looks to the future, it will continue to lead by moving to the forefront of holistic wellness. The company’s consistent focus is developing products centred on its customers’ needs and health.

Through life-saving products like Fine Guard and health-boosting products like Motiva supplements, it genuinely wishes to help in small yet meaningful ways to make the world a better place. FHH is also looking to expand into new markets, ensuring that its wellness solutions benefit more people on the planet.

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Making Safari a Seamless Process for People

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hen planning a safari trip, one expects their time to feel incredible, with animal spotting by day and stargazing by night. Having a spectacular experience to be left awestruck is what people seek on safari. To provide such an exhilarating experience, Kirsty Gordon plans meticulous trips and tours to Africa and Indian Ocean Islands, to make your journey a reminiscing experience for a lifetime. As the CEO and Owner of Anywhere in Africa Safaris, Kirsty implies her immense knowledge about travel and tourism to make your safari experience wonderful while managing all the details from hotels, flights, and meals, to make your journey straightforward and seamless.

One of my first incentives was for 350 people from Opel, Germany, to Cape Town. This was challenging as, at that time, there were not as many large hotels that could handle such a big group, but we made a plan and got everyone accommodated. We did special events like - Cape Minstrels on Table Mountain with cocktails and snacks for our guests, themed Fishman evening at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Then I left Cape Town and moved to KwaZulu Natal where I started two travel companies - one was an authentic overland company called Heading South Safaris specializing in ''glam camping'' in Botswana / Okavango Delta, with typical ''Out of Africa Safari'' dinners under the stars around a set table with crystal glasses, white linen, and cutlery; all in the middle of Botswana. My other company was focused on online travel.

We at CIO LOOK embarked on the journey to learn more about Kirsty's 31 years of experience as an African travel specialist and how she provides accessibility to ensure that your trips go smoothly.

I was also a professional horse rider in South Africa, and in 2004 I had the opportunity to go and try and qualify for Beijing Olympics to ride for South Africa as an individual in 3-day Eventing. As I was too old to get a work visa, I applied for an ancestral visa and sold my two businesses to move to the UK. I was offered an incredible opportunity to ride for Jane Holdermess Roddam and try and qualify on her horse Tiger's Eye II. Sadly, I missed the qualification for the Olympics due to a fall and slipping disks in my lower back which subsequently resulted in a back operation in the UK. I got back to riding within three months but ran out of time to get the final three qualifications in place to ride for the Olympics.

Below are the highlights of the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at the company.

What challenges have you had to overcome to reach where you are today?

I studied travel and tourism when I left school, which was over 30 years ago, and then went straight into working for a travel agency in Cape Town called Wynberg Travel. I was doing corporate travel at the time, and about a year later, there was an opening in their Incentive Division, which I applied for and was offered the job. This was super exciting as we focused only on doing travel incentives for big corporate companies.

So, in 2008 I decided it was time to return to Africa. I missed the beautiful blue skies, lovely warm weather, incredible people, and my family. When I landed back in 38

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Cape Town, I knew that I wanted to base myself in this city that nestles below Table Mountain. This is where I decided that the travel industry was still very much in my blood. The soccer world cup was going to be run in South Africa in 2009, and tourism was the buzzword! I had to do some soul searching as this was the crossroads in my life - do I stay in the travel industry?

The answer was yes…I love people, I love Travel, and I love Africa, so why was I trying to reinvent the wheel.

focus of the business gets to be a number and sometimes passed from consultant to consultant as they leave or move to different positions. Often by the time the clients' trip arrived, their information has become pretty diluted, which compromises the clients overall experience.

Another reason was that I had studied travel and tourism as I wanted to work with planning trips, but down the line, I was ''managing staff and more staff'' and didn't have any interaction with the clients or their dream trips. So, I decided in 2015 to regenerate Anywhere in Africa Safaris and put all my focus on developing a company that I believe is the future model for travel. It has been the best decision I have ever made, and it is so exciting to see how Anywhere in Africa Safaris is going from strength to strength.

I started Anywhere in Africa Safaris and was then approached to assist with a company that specialized in YPO travel. Anywhere in Africa Safaris was put on hold while I ran this other company for five years.

Over the next few years, I start to observe areas not only in the industry but also in myself that I felt needed to be addressed.

We have weathered the storm the past year and a half through covid. Our clients moved bookings but didn't cancel, and focused on increasing our social media outreach, and we focused on making sure that all our clients knew we were still here and going strong developing trust!

Having worked with the big travel companies, I started to notice that often the client who should be the main

I have been so grateful as the bookings are coming in fast and furiously with my international clients desperate to travel to Africa - bookings into Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Botswana, and Zimbabwe have been consistent. And exciting to see new inquiries coming through for travel in 2022 and 2023. Even though we have had come challenges in Southern Africa with some countries putting us back on Red Lists, the encouraging thing is that clients are still traveling as long as they can arrive on flights and get over borders. It is super encouraging how Africa is very much the destination to travel even in these challenging times. December is looking fantastic for bookings, with bookings streaming in for 2022 and 2023!

Tell us something more about your company and its mission and vision.

Our mission is to create philanthropic journeys for our clients to Africa and Indian Ocean Islands that are immersive and life-changing.

Our vision has been to create a tourism company that is small, personalized, and focuses on the client's bucket list dreams of traveling to Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands in the care of a trusted travel company.

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‘‘

Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful?

We are keeping a balance between the ''old'' and the ''new'' technology. In the past, we haven't had to focus too much on social media as our clients have always been repeated and referral clients. When covid hit last year, I had some time to focus more on social media and how we could turn the ''covid'' situation of no travel to our advantage. I employed an incredible social media team who is focusing on blog posts, newsletters, Facebook, linked in, and Instagram so increasing our overall social media reach.

My dream has always been to create a tourism company that is personalized and focuses on the client's bucket list dreams of traveling to Africa and offers more than just booking the clients trips.

‘‘

This has certainly helped us to stay top of mind with our present clients, database and to bring in and work with incredible new clients who have found us through our new marketing/ social media reach. The most important is that we are here and going strong so clients new and old trust our integrity, honesty, and knowledge in planning and assisting them with the challenging travel experiences, so their trips run smoothly and efficiently.

Our Goal - Anywhere in Africa Safaris believes that traveling to Africa has the power not only to transform you, the guest, as you experience places, people and wildlife, that are unique to the world; but in turn you make an extraordinary difference in your support as an ''Ambassador of Africa''. Tourism is vital for the African economies, and each dollar helps to transform the land, wildlife, and communities, for environmental and community protection; so that present and future generations can come and visit this incredible continent - Africa.

We are sitting on the fence with regards to going too ''digital'' with itineraries as many clients still like to have the feel of a beautiful booklet itinerary in their hands during their travels and not only focused on their mobile phone for the app itinerary or digital itinerary.

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for the company?

The reason I started Anywhere in Africa Safaris is that I believe there are a need for smaller high-end boutique ''tour operators'' that have a small staff compliment where all the staff is passionate about what they do and that they are not in it just for the ''job''. As the CEO I want to get involved in planning and helping plan my clients' trips, not just oversee. Clients spend a lot of money coming to Africa, so they deserve to have the best people/person working with them, so our journeys change their lives!

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in your respective niche through your expertise in the market.

I pride myself in the relationships I have developed, over the past 30 years, with sustainable, ethical, conservation-minded properties and operators all over Africa. From hands-on rhino monitoring and gorilla research experiences to donating a portion of every booking to an incredible cause like Elephant Havens in Botswana.

I focus on supporting suppliers in the industry who are focused on conservation, wildlife, and community so my clients know that their trips have made a impact and difference to the areas they have traveled and that they can leave Africa knowing that their trip has made a contribution to the sustainability of Africa. My clients can pride themselves on being ''Ambassadors for Africa''.

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Nir Simionovich Helping Businesses Transform their Customers’ Engagements

Nir Simionovich | Founder and CEO | Cloudonix, Inc.

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espite being one of the most coveted titles, the job of CEO is the loneliest job in the business. It comes with a lot of responsibilities. When filling this role, companies look for a leader who not only has the necessary degrees but also the insight, judgment, and strength of character. Nir Simionovich had it in him and thus, is the CEO of Cloudonix today.

Ask questions, get mentors, don’t think you need to go it alone.

Passionate about disrupting the communications market, Nir is an Open Source integration expert and evangelist. Inspired by his passion and vision, we at CIO Look caught up with Nir to learn more about his journey and how he is bridging the gap between existing customer care systems and the era of digital transformation through Cloudonix.

Below are the highlights of the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at Cloudonix. What challenges have you had to overcome to reach where you are today?

I’ve been an Open Source evangelist since my college days, way back in 1996. Since 2001, I’ve been increasingly involved with the Open Source Telephony movement. In 2007, I went out and started a consulting company. Learning to design solutions and properly pricing was easier than becoming a leader. In 2015 we spun Cloudonix out of that consulting company. Now being an entrepreneur is very challenging – everyone will tell you that. But the thing is that most entrepreneurs won’t admit, or purely are afraid to admit – the only thing the challenges them truly is: LONELINESS. It never quite hit me, at least as hard as it did during 2017, how lonely is the seat of the CEO.

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the (respective) niche through your expertise in the market?

Our founding team already had a reputation for solving unusual problems and being very direct. This has brought many interesting customers to use cases to our door. These range from replacing their existing solution with a more stable and economical one to enable them to build out their vision in ways that they could not do on our predecessor’s services. This in part, comes from the fact that we come from the telecom space, so we were able to build a new way of accomplishing APIbased communications without requiring the phone numbers.

Tell us something more about your company and its mission and vision.

One of the things we have realized during the pandemic is that everyone is rushing into a digital transformation, embracing Omnichannel. But, the experience of Omnichannel is broken. For each new channel, you need to spend weeks or months integrating the solution and then training your staff on how to use it. And then, at the end of the day, more than 80% of these communications come back to voice. And that is where we come in. Our vision is to make in-platform communications accessible to all - simpler, faster, and more affordable than ever.

Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful?

Our technology is based on the latest tools and systems. This means we are all cloud based and can scale up (or down) on-demand in record time. Oded, our CTO, has a lot of experience in this kind of architecture and has built our system using this auto-scaling concept from day one. We have amazed customers by bringing up a new country not in weeks or months, but in days.

This technical flexibility is deeply engrained in everything we do.

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What, according to you, could be the next big change in the respective industry? How is your company preparing to be a part of that change?

The industry is continuing to see new tech concepts and ways to connect. But they are all designed to be “walled gardens” so each does not communicate to the others by design. We are positioning ourselves to be the portal between these tools and the contact center. It will not matter if it is Twitter, an AI bot, or virtual reality; at the end of the day, they still need to connect with the contact center agent.

What would be your advice to emerging leaders?

Building a team that you can count on is basic, but one that you can lean on. That is key. You need people you can talk to and get help, advice, and support. This can be members of the company or your corporate advisory board. But a personal advisory board or group will be immensely helpful as you need to talk out problems and get feedback outside of your own echo chamber.

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ith great position comes great responsibility.

The role of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is important for the success of every organization. CEO of the organization sets the tone for everyone else. The standards the leader of the organizations set are emulated by everyone else in the organization. Therefore, it is important for CEO to lead from the front by taking responsibility so as to present the inspiring standard in front of others. CEO is responsible for leading everybody in the right direction for successful business growth. No organization can prosper and attain great heights without the inspiring role and contribution of a CEO.

increase the productivity and efficiency of everyone.

They inspire employees to perform better, nourish them with the strength of knowledge, training, and guidance, and strengthen their employees' spinal cord with their continuous and unwavering support. They engage their assets and resources creatively to get the most return from them. They inspire their workforce to adhere to the mission, vision, values, and objectives of the organization and contribute their level best for the cause of the organization and attain great success in their businesses.

Inspiring CEOs make the lives of their employees easier.

They help them in balancing their personal and professional lives. They understand that happy employees are able to contribute the best to the cause of the organization, and therefore they promote the happy, flexible, inclusive, and united culture in their organization. They keep the morale of everyone to the highest level.

Those CEOs who utilize the power and position they have to positively impact their organizations and industry are highly motivated themselves. The good traits in them help them to become inspiring CEOs. A CEO of any company sets the company's direction and establishes a strategy for the growth and development of the organization's business. He or she sets the values that are essential for the success of the organization and plays an important role in cultivating good behavioral norms in the employees in the organization.

CEOs have to prioritize maintaining a positive work culture and cooperative spirit to boost the company's productive output and revenue. They make sure that their employees are trained sufficiently to contribute successfully to the cause of the organization.

The great CEOs are not afraid to break the traditions.

They are innovative and disruptive in their approach to providing newer and evolved solutions to clients. They adopt best practices to deliver the best solutions to their clients. They have a broad perspective, and they see the larger picture. Accordingly, they take the most valuable decisions that are in the interest of the organization and ensure the sustainable success of the company they are leading. They are clever at implementing newer technologies for improving overall functionalities.

Moreover, CEOS set clear objectives in front of everyone, and they set the right platform for employees for meeting the needs of the clients. They make sure that they are doing justice to the needs of all the stakeholders involved. Great CEOs know how to channelize all their resources and assets appropriately to be a win-win situation for everyone involved in their businesses.

The proactiveness and presence of mind help them in becoming the most inspiring CEO for others. They don’t micromanage, they don’t manipulate or control others, but they simply increase the capacities of others to do more for the cause of the organization. They promote a healthy work-life balance in their employees. They appreciate the good work done by employees and reward them. They encourage others to do their best for the overall growth and development of their organization.

Inspiring CEOs energize and empower their teammates and employees. They bring out the best in others. They see the potential in others and fan that spark to 46

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Renee Welsh CEO Embed

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The 10 Most Inspiring CEOs to Watch, 2021

Informed and Forward-thinking Leader with Wealth of Knowledge and Valuable Experience

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reat business leaders have a forward-thinking approach. They anticipate events and consciously prepare themselves to make most of the opportunities. They are ready to face challenges, even at the spur of the moment. With a high presence of mind, they keep themselves well-informed with the wealth of knowledge and valuable experiences they have gained in their life. These experiences help them become inspiring and forward-thinking business leaders. Akin to the above mindset is Renee Welsh, a renowned leader in the tech and travel sector who leads with an innovative approach.

dominated industry, it posed challenges. That's why it became her journey to have greater female representation, especially at the C-suite level, so sponsorship, mentoring, and championing became a personal mission for Renee.

Enabling, Empowering, and Easing Management of Family Entertainment Businesses At Embed, its leaders enable, empower, and ease the "business of fun" for owners and operators in the Family Entertainment Center (FEC) Industry.

They enable them to achieve greater operational efficiency while reducing costs and increasing profitability through Embed's integrated hardware and software system solutions.

Renee is passionate about building businesses and transforming industries, and as a natural innovator, she launched her first tech business when she was 27.

Renee gained relevant experiences by joining prominent start-ups including lastminute.com, Wotif, Monster, and RedBalloon. In 2013, she started Booking Boss, the ticketing and booking management start-up, with her husband, Andy. Helix Leisure acquired their start-up four years later, and Renee was appointed CEO of Embed, an integrated cloud-based software solution platform for family entertainment, attractions, and amusement. Renee was a unicorn as one of the rare female CEOs in the tech industry, specifically the family entertainment center sphere. In a heavily male-

Embed offers an array of innovative business solutions such as its arcade debit game card reader smartTOUCH, self-service kiosks, RFID wearable media, game cards, and the integrated software solution TOOLKIT. It offers a suite of software that eases the management of family entertainment businesses via transparent business reporting, central games management, mobile assistant, online party bookings, and more. Embed takes great pride in these next-gen solutions, especially its award-winning Mobile Wallet – the only Apple iOS and Google Android certified solution in the business.

Designed to deliver a superior guest experience in entertainment centers, Embed's software platform is a complete integrated solution that enables entertainment business owners to achieve increased operational efficiency while reducing costs and increasing profitability.

This is what makes it the Ultimate Contactless Solution.

This makes Embed the only non-banking, nonloyalty, and non-financed brand to sit in the consumers’ Apple Wallet or Google Pay. Mobile Wallet is a virtual game card that guests can top-up or reload using their phones without leaving the arcade game. And Embed is proud that its SaaS systems operate on Amazon’s AWS platform.

Embed operates with a highly competitive global team, with offices in the United States, EMEA, and APAC regions, adding South America to its roster.

To date, it has over 1,000 customers and 3,000 installations in 56 countries.

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Pioneering Tech Transformation of Family Entertainment Industry A very important aspect of what Renee does at Embed is pioneering the tech transformation of the family entertainment industry – the industry of fun. Embed’s award-winning Mobile Wallet is a testament to this – no one in the industry has ever come close to developing what Embed has, and Embed launched it back in 2019!

Challenging Boundaries and Driving Evolution of Industry Renee is proud of Embed’s ability to pivot its business to what the industry needs now. It continues to keep a finger on the pulse of key technology trends to continue to be innovative. Embed harnesses the maverick mindset to challenge the boundaries and drive the evolution of its industry. In hyper-competitive industries, it draws significant inspiration from emerging technology partners (Apple, Google, and Amazon).

Being an Impact Player in an Industry with Strong Business Agility The pandemic forced businesses in the FEC industry to close their doors first and reopen them last, so Embed was there to help them turn the lights back on. To showcase its commitment to the industry’s recovery, it launched Embed’s COVID19 Relief Act in 2020, giving away its Mobile Wallet to everyone in the industry for free for one year. Aside from this, Embed also kicked off its COVID-19 Resource Center, which includes free white papers, an expansive video series featuring critical advice from industry leaders, and free creative toolkits to help operators facilitate the successful reopening of their FECs.

Driving the FEC Industry Forward In today's low-touch economy, Embed's contactless solutions have become more relevant than ever because this is how consumers expect to transact so they can engage with brands safely and securely. From an operator's standpoint, this also means getting realtime data to improve their business. Embed continues to develop and evolve its solutions to drive the FEC industry forward.

Staying Ahead of the Game Renee believes the complete transition to cashless systems is the next big thing. She thinks there is still a huge gap in FECs that have not converted their outdated systems to future-proof businesses. Embed is already ahead of the game. It anticipated this great leap forward, and while it is still innovating to stay ahead, it is preparing for this by lining up exciting solutions that enable the FEC of the future.

Embed joined the fight to eliminate COVID-19 by developing Embed Hygiene Defense products – powerful 100% natural hygiene protection that’s safe for families, which is the primary segment that frequents family entertainment centers. Embed’s business agility makes it an impact player in its industry, aside from the tech solutions it provides.

Making Businesses Thrive and Transforming Industries As an innovator, Renee sees herself continuing to do what she loves in the years to come – creating opportunities to make businesses thrive, transforming industries. She sees Embed at the forefront of solutions providers in the industry, pioneering products that the FEC sector has not yet seen.

Having a Customer-first Approach and Results-driven Work Culture Embed runs on a customer-first approach, ensuring its software enables the optimal end-customer experience because when the customer thrives, the operator thrives. Embed informs every operating and strategic business decision it makes and how it executes it. Embed is dedicated to supporting operators and enabling their businesses to become FECs of the future. It’s why it partners with the best in the tech industry like Apple, Google, and Amazon to empower its customers to provide a superior guest experience at their locations.

Embed operates as a global brand and a tight-knit team, with a results-driven work culture that takes the “business of fun” seriously.

Giving Priceless Advice to Emerging Leaders Renee advises emerging leaders to embrace change.

She says, "Advance just as technology advances. Do not just keep up with the times; stay ahead of them. And if ever you feel disheartened with challenges, bring your focus back to the very heart of what you do and why you are doing it.”

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Steve Wilcenski Founder CEO BNNano

STEVE

WILCENSKI Passionately Driving Changes with Nanotech

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T

o enable disruptive technologies for various markets, including Defense, Aerospace, Biomedical, Automotive, Communications, and Consumer Electronics, Steve Wilcenski leads his team to develop technologies and products on the micro and nanoscale.

As the Co-founder and CEO of BNNano, Steve helps develop new nanomaterial technologies with his innovative and collaborative approach.

CIO LOOK caught up with Steve in our endeavor to find “The 10 Most Inspiring CEOs to Watch, 2021.” We talked with him to gain insights into his passion for advanced materials, and the disruptive product development that is driving a transformative wave.

Tell us something more about your company and its mission and vision.

BNNano is located in Burlington, NC. Our company manufactures nanomaterials and products that contain nanomaterials.

Below are the highlights of the interview.

Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at BNNano. What challenges you had to overcome to reach where you are today?

My journey began after I graduated from NCSU with my bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering. I had always had a need to learn and found myself with so many more questions following graduation than when I began. Such questions fueled my interest in other technologies and fields.

We make a specific type of Boron Nitride Nanotube called the NanoBarb™. When added to other materials, the NanoBarb™ improves the material’s properties and performance. For example, when added to aluminum, we can double the strength; when NanoBarbs™ are added to 3D printing materials, they print faster while also becoming stronger and more durable. We can make plastics become heatsinks and enable new technologies to clean water, just to name a few.

Throughout the first half of my career, I was an engineer who made things. I have helped usher in new technologies that impact daily life, made devices that left the solar system, helped explore Mars, and even made devices that have been implanted in human bodies. I am very proud of what I have been able to accomplish on my own and as part of teams.

As the only company in the world with a commercially viable manufacturing process for Boron Nitride Nanotubes, we at BNNano are working to develop novel products that will leverage this super material.

But I have also failed and made a lot of mistakes. That combination of wins and losses prepared me to lead my first team. I wanted to lead, and found with my background and experiences, it felt like a natural progression. I led teams in Operations, Engineering, R&D, Sales, and Marketing before ultimately being selected to lead that company.

At BNNano, we believe that through cutting-edge materials science and innovation, we can transform, revitalize, and revolutionize industrial commodity materials. Our goal is to bring value back to materials like aluminum and polyester that have been relegated to commodity status. We are striving to bring manufacturing jobs and industries back to the United States.

During this time, I began to feel pulled by the desire to branch off and start something of my own. It took a few years to find the right idea, plan, and team, but once this aligned, I took the leap and started BNNano with my business partner Jason Taylor. We have been off and running ever since.

Our goal is to make everyday materials extraordinary by producing new materials that will enable nextgeneration technologies and products that only recently seemed impossible. We are working to make aluminum a super material, evolving additive 53

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plague nanomaterials. This novel approach resulted in a new type of Boron Nitride Nanotube that we call the NanoBarb™. It is easier to use, performs better, and has a low enough cost to be incorporated into applications and markets that traditionally could not use nanotechnologies.

“Transforming and Revitalizing Industrial Commodities.”

Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your organization.

At BNNano, it is our people that make the difference.

We are a small, scientifically minded organization with unique technologies and products at the forefront of nanoscience.

manufacturing to support the production of 3D printed parts, and are even developing technologies to help clean the world’s freshwater supply.

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in nanotechnology through your expertise in the market?

We are not classically educated nor typical nanoscientists. We got involved in nanotechnology because we had been disappointed by the state of nanotechnology in our prior careers. As process engineers tasked with making products out of the latest and greatest materials and technologies, we were exposed to weaknesses in nanomaterials. Often the development of these nanomaterials was driven by a science first perspective rather than an engineering first approach.

The relationships within the company, with our partners and customers, are the key to our success. As a team, we work together, celebrate successes, recover from failures, and grow.

Our company culture prioritizes needs over wants.

When possible, we put the needs of our customers and partners first. We locate our operations in small towns and communities where jobs matter and partner with organizations that believe in giving back to communities through training and education.

Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful?

Our NanoBarbs™ and products enhance and

Our expertise in understanding how to make and use materials gave us a unique perspective. Our focus was the development of nanomaterials that could be easily used and set out to solve the common problems that 54

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complement other technologies, industries, and applications. Examples include aerospace to biomedical, textiles to metals, space to marine, and electronics to water purification. Which in turn helps speed advancements and continue to push that evolution along. We are helping make things lighter, stronger, more durable, and safer while developing more efficient processes and products.

about the current and future potential for nanotechnology.

What would be your advice to emerging leaders?

Be open and honest in your communication and treat everyone with the same respect, courtesy, and excitement. People understand you may not be able to give all the details all the time, but they value leaders who always take the time to communicate with their teams.

Our nanomaterials compliment industries and applications far and wide.

Complex concepts or ideas should be explained in such a way that everyone can see the benefits. Do not use your technology, expertise, or position as a shield to keep people out or to bring people in.

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run and what are your future goals for BNNano?

As one of the founders of BNNano and the current CEO, I believe we are just getting started. Every day we interact with people who share our excitement and vision for nanotechnology. While I plan to continue promoting our company and products, I also hope to advocate for the wider application of nanotechnology and plan to take a leading role in educating the public

Remember that success may be determined not by the individuals you first meet but by the networks and contacts you build. We have been introduced to a number of customers and partners through our initial contacts.

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